...is what I said 10 years ago...
After two successive relegations, Swindon bounced back to Division One at the first attempt, comfortably winning the Second Division championship.
From the start of the season, the outcome never looked in doubt. Swindon marched straight to the top of the table, winning seven and drawing two of their first nine matches - including a 4-1 thrashing of fellow promotion candidates Bradford, and another 4-1 at Bristol Rovers. Even Premiership champions Blackburn were given a run for their money in the Coca-Cola Cup, Wayne Allison and Steve Finney giving the Town a two-goal lead, before the Town defence succumbed to Alan Shearer.
The first league defeat of the season came on the last day of September, where the Town squandered a lead to go down 4-3 at Wrexham. Swindon replied with four straight victories, including wins over promotion chasing Crewe and Notts County.
By now, the only problems the Town were having involved trying to break down the opposition, who often packed the defence and played on the counter attack - proven by the fact that Swindon actually won more away games than home ones throughout the season. Shrewsbury in particular played this game very well, and became the only team to leave the County Ground with three points, having sneaked a 1-0 win.
With the league campaign going from strength to strength, Swindon also went on a great Cup run, reaching the Fifth Round, before getting knocked out by Southampton in a replay. The run meant that Swindon at times had four games in hand, and Blackpool took over at the top of the league, though the Swindon fans only ever thought of the top spot as being "on loan"! There were just two more defeats in the league campaign, a 2-0 reverse at York, and an embarrassing 3-0 loss at Oxford.
In the middle of April, with five games still to play, the Town travelled to second-placed Blackpool, needing only a draw to clinch their Division One status. A Kevin Horlock goal secured a 1-1 scoreline - and the championship was won just three days later with a 3-1 win at Chesterfield. Since the Oxford game, Swindon had remained unbeaten for the last twelve games of the season.
As well as the Second Division trophy, the Town were also awarded the Yokohama Tyres Performance on the Road prize, for having the best away record in the league. Club records which had been held since the 1985/1986 season were also broken:
Most away league points in a season (46 points)
Fewest defeats in a season (4)
Fewest away league defeats in a season (3)
Most away league wins in a season (13)
Fewest away goals conceded in a season [18]
1 SWINDON TOWN 46 25 17 4 71 34 71 92 ---------------------------------------------
2 Oxford United 46 24 11 11 76 39 76 83
3 Blackpool 46 23 13 10 67 40 67 82
4 Notts County 46 21 15 10 63 39 63 78
5 Crewe Alexandra 46 22 7 17 77 60 77 73
6 Bradford City 46 22 7 17 71 69 71 73
7 Chesterfield 46 20 12 14 56 51 56 72
8 Wrexham 46 18 16 12 76 55 76 70
9 Stockport County 46 19 13 14 61 57 61 70
10 Bristol Rovers 46 20 10 16 57 60 57 70
11 Walsall 46 19 12 15 60 45 60 69
12 Wycombe Wanderers 46 15 15 16 63 59 63 60
13 Bristol City 46 15 15 16 55 60 55 60
14 AFC Bournemouth 46 16 10 20 51 70 51 58
15 Brentford 46 15 13 18 43 49 43 58
16 Rotherham United 46 14 14 18 54 62 54 56
17 Burnley 46 14 13 19 56 68 56 55
18 Shrewsbury Town 46 13 14 19 58 70 58 53
19 Peterborough United 46 13 13 20 59 66 59 52
20 York City 46 13 13 20 58 73 58 52
21 Carlisle United 46 12 13 21 67 72 67 49
22 Swansea City 46 11 14 21 43 79 43 47
23 Brighton Hove Albion 46 10 10 26 46 69 46 40
24 Hull City 46 5 16 25 36 78 36 31
12 AUG Hull City Away 1-0
19 AUG York City Home 3-0
26 AUG Carlisle United Away 1-0
30 AUG Oxford United Home 1-1
2 SEP Brentford Away 2-0
9 SEP Chesterfield Home 1-1
13 SEP Bradford City Home 4-1
16 SEP Bristol Rovers Away 4-1
23 SEP Rotherham United Home 1-0
30 SEP Wrexham Away 3-4
7 OCT Bristol City Home 2-014 OCT Brighton and Hove Albion Away 3-1
21 OCT Crewe Alexandra Home 2-1
28 OCT Notts County Away 3-1
31 OCT AFC Bournemouth Away 0-0
4 NOV Blackpool Home 1-1
18 NOV Stockport County Away 1-1
25 NOV Shrewsbury Town Home 0-1
9 DEC Rotherham United Away 2-0
16 DEC Wrexham Home 1-1
23 DEC Walsall Away 0-0
26 DEC Wycombe Wanderers Home 0-0
10 JAN Swansea City Home 3-0
13 JAN York City Away 0-2
20 JAN Hull City Home 3-0
3 FEB Carlisle United Home 2-1
10 FEB Swansea City Away 1-0
21 FEB Brentford Home 2-2
24 FEB Bristol Rovers Home 2-1
2 MAR Wycombe Wanderers Away 2-1
5 MAR Peterborough United Away 2-0
9 MAR Walsall Home 1-1
16 MAR Burnley Away 0-0
19 MAR Oxford United Away 0-3
23 MAR Peterborough United Home 2-0
30 MAR Bristol City Away 0-0
3 APR Brighton and Hove Albion Home 3-2
6 APR Notts County Home 1-0
8 APR Crewe Alexandra Away 2-0
13 APR AFC Bournemouth Home 2-2
17 APR Burnley Home 0-0
20 APR Blackpool Away 1-1
23 APR Chesterfield Away 3-1
27 APR Shrewsbury Town Away 2-1
30 APR Bradford City Away 1-1
4 MAY Stockport County Home 0-0
Allison
17Finney
12Horlock
12Thorne
10http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/images/Pics/Achievements/Pic19960146_01.jpg -----------------------------------------------
How times change, look at the bottom 2 clubs, both now a division above us....
