Thetownend.com

Be quick. Only 300 tickets

https://ashtonunited.co.uk/club-news/swindon-tickets-on-sale-now/

Cool.

Is it on iFollow?

Going like hot cakes!

I got my two and there are only 264 left.

The last time I can remember going to see the Town at a non-league club was 1977 or 78 for a disappointing FA Cup defeat at Tooting and Mitchum.

In 1993, I decided to go to Shrewsbury for a friendly prior to our Premier League debut. We won but it was a bollocks game.

I made my mind up then to never go to a friendly or a non-league ground again bit I'm finding it hard to understand why I'm so excited about Saturday. Not sure if it's the lack of live Swindon games for 5 months or the chance of seeing Stephen Ireland play again.

Anyhow, if anyone is making the trip, I'm the old fat bloke with his son.

Sorry - it's Mitcham - not Mitchum. Apologies Terry.

Ashton usually have full game commentary for games inc friendlies.

At...

http://mixlr.com/ashtonunitedfc

Ashton FC tweeted....

Went to watch them play Witney Town some time in the 90's, a very young Mildenhall played, even then he was huge and seemed about a foot taller than every other player on the pitch!

7 August 1995. I was there, think we won easily but the score I forget.

Nice one Ashton. So from the sounds of it, if there is streamed footage it may be a bit ropey. Be patient, be kind, people.

They normally put all highlights up on Youtube so that could be a possibility.

Thanks I had no idea of year, and still have no recollection of the score, as it as only about 5 mins from home, alcohol may have been taken!

Anyone got any idea who we're playing today?

I have a feeling it was 3-0 or 5-0 to Town and I also remember a handful of gobby Pox fans turned up to lend their support for our opponents.

I would think it could be AFC Fylde going by where we are staying/training, but there are so many teams around there it could just be a useful base.

Would only be a few, as I have noted previously our neighbours seem to have a very limited incursion into West Oxon!


Completely boring aside, but I discovered last week that the rather vociferous AFC Fylde owner has his second home in our village (sort of) and is steadily pissing the locals off (its at the other end of the village so we are unaffected).

David Haythornthwaite? Isnt he the one with the money that funded their rise through the leagues?

I wonder how Town are getting on in this afternoons friendly against an unnamed non league side.

Nothing on Twitter again, probably another media blackout by the club.

Tonight isn't it ?

I thought it was this afternoon TBH, not sure though. The United game took place in the afternoon.

Have you always been this needy ??

be fair, it would be nice to get some pre season coverage.

if it's really about keeping trialists out the public eye,  fair enough.

I don't think we even know who they are playing today do we?

No, just since the club refuse to communicate with the fans.

That's a bit harsh mate. Comms has been exceptional for the last couple of years and we've got no clue as to the staffing and context of the comms team right now.

It is a bit. Although Wellens did say on the last Talk of the Town that they were taking the media guy to the NW with them as he wanted to get some content from the tour.

They're not though.

Probably, just biting at Redbucks dig as he often likes to have a dig at me.

I find it disappointing that the club don't acknowledge that fans like to at least know about pre season games (opposition/score etc), and not just as an after thought long after its taken place.

I am not saying its the right of fans to know about fixtures etc, but they underestimate that so many fans are really looking forward to this coming season and that any information is better than none at all.

Its just fan frustration really, I may be one of the few actually interested in friendlies on here, I am just desperate for some actual Swindon Town football action again.

I think they went up to the NW not entirely sure who they would be playing beyond Man Utd U23.

Also there's been 10-15 min interviews with the manager after every friendly so far bar Tuesday, and at frequent points elsewhere. I'm sure we can survive a week without knowing friendly results immediately.

do you have the fixture list Panda?

There is live commentary on the game but there may be something of a North-West bias.

For those interested, there is a link on the Ashton United twitter account.

Bias? Bias?  Did someone mention bias?  I’m your man (at least I can remember players telling me that!)

North-west? What, like Cirencester you mean?

Pm me if you want live commentary from my mobile.

Just setting off for the game.

1pm kick off. Here’s a link for commentary

https://mixlr.com/ashtonunitedfc

So just commentary, no video?

Will it be on their YouTube channel?

Here’s a link to their site. At the very least there will be highlights

https://ashtonunited.co.uk/

Or in the 4th post in this thread.

Doesn't look like they have managed to get a video link up.

Now in Ashton. Wet wet wet

Will Henry warming up for us apparently

Enjoy the game - Looking forward to hearing the line up.

there was a weird story we'd resigned him because baxter had gone to a non League club.

dismissed as FB bollocks, and
yet....

Our starting XI for today 📑

Matthews; Reid, Baudry, Curran, Hunt; M Smith, Doughty, Payne, Jaiyesimi, Twine; T Smith

Yeah, Henry is up in the NW with them.

Not sure if it's with a view to come back or a 'works both ways' favour or both.

Wellens lack of urgency on the ‘keeper front makes me think the Benda deal is all but done.

Excluding Reid, Curran and Matthews thats a pretty strong line up, Twine deserves to be starting after his pre season form so far.

Today's bench:

Substitutes:

Trialist, Hope, Lyden, Haines, Palmer, Trialist, Odimayo

I would think that Henry or Dillon Barnes (maybe Murphy) will be the trailist keeper and Ireland the outfield player...maybe. :)

Letting the old men of Caddis, Grant and Fryers have a day off then.

Assume the outfield player is Nichols still.

no Ireland then ;)

Am I missing something here. Who is M Smith

arsenal kiddy

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/sport/amp/football/53813600

Ffs!

Bloody hell Audrey  ;D

What time is kick off?

1pm

Thanks! ...commentary's just started..

Scroll back through the pages as someone has put a YouTube clip of him in action and he looks a cracking player

Maybe harsh but I hope to god Twine is nowhere near starting first game of the season, nowhere near league 1 quality IMO. Needs to make an impact off the bench at the very least before he can be considered an option something he’s so far failed to do in competitive matches.

Some people still think he is good enough to be given a chance as a starter for us, he’s never going to be a league keeper as has no presence in the box.

Ashton get the 1st shot on target, and then the 2nd, tipped over by Matthews.

DJ has a shot from 20 yards.

commentators saying Matthews looks nervous in goal.

obviously a bit partisan commentary, but ...

1-0 Ashton.

1-0 Ashton. soapy tit wank

1-0 to them

So Ashton are the true Robins  ::)

I think one not the commentators wet himself when they scored

he did :D

Tyler Smith cant quite convert close in from a cross.

will let them have that. they just likened us to man city

Am liking the commentary - at least they are enthusiastic and seem fairly balanced in their comments. The Power out brigade must be loving the scoreline.

penalty

2-0 to Ashton.

2-0 to ashton

Wellens out, fucking clueless

:D

Wellens will not be happy

'Team bonding' last night by any chance??

good point!

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, sometimes you can glean more from a defeat than a win irrespective of the opposition. Still plenty of time for town to show their class and stamp their authority on the game. WELLENS, FUCKING RESIGN NOW!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

The only 3 names I have heard mentioned regularly for Swindon has been Tyler Smith, DJ and Matthews.

a shitty defeat will knock any complacency out of them.

it's only a friendly.

it's a game of two halves.

we've only got half a team out
-----+
fair play to ashton really

Good effort by Twine. Saved and offside anyway

AU freekick 3-0

3-0

ooops. this isn't going well.

3-0

3-0

Belter

I do wish they would calm down a bit when they score, they commentate at not much more than a whisper and then blow my ear drums when they score.

What does AU mean?

Odomayo comes on

Ashton United

Who went off? Missed that.

Reid

They didn't know.

Reid (Twitter official site)

Thank you

Doh, of course. Maybe stop the earl grey consumption and have something stronger. Not coffee though.

4-0

ooops 4

4 :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

I'm not sure if this has been linked already   https://twitter.com/DrewZinski/status/1297142111498719232

What level are these guys we are playing?

I don’t know but we’re playing at a comatose level.

Supermarine equivalent, I reckon.

Maybe Wigan have a bet on!

The equivalent of the ryman league but oop north

Reminds me of the Banbury friendly a couple of years back, players just couldnt be arsed that day due to the state of the pitch

Thanks for this, I have been watchign 5 mins and we have barely strung 3 passed together in that time.

Definitely 🤨

4-1 T smith

4-1 well taken finish by Tyler.

comeback!

Thank you - Listening to the commentary and now watching this 30 secs later. (The person filming this is right - Smith does seem to take too many touches)

Payne heads wide from 5 yards.

Mayday, mayday, HMS Piss The League has sprung a leak

Tyler Smith great finish but offside.

Disallowed goal - Offside

Hunt just inside the box well saved as it headed to the top corner.

HT 4-1

Let’s be honest Matthews, Curran, Reid and Twine are non league at best so not really a true reflection of us, just shows the lack of depth. If we had Caddis, Lyden, Grant and a decent keeper it would be very different.

will, that could have gone better to be honest

Presuming these players mentioned are just being rested and not injured?

Maybe a tad harsh to include Twine as one of the weak links. Has contributed just as much, if not more, than most players in pre season so far.

Twine is going to be this seasons Miles Storey/Tom Smith, isn’t he?  :doh:

I think Twine may be used off the bench occassionally this coming season if he doesnt get a loan move.

Matthews, Curran and Reid will be back up but nothing more, so in many ways I think thats a pretty fair comment, I doubt that those 4 players will make more than 15 appearances between them all.

I think Wellens will shake them up a bit 2nd half and bring on Hope, Lyden, Palmer and the trialist keeper whoever that may be.

From what I saw of the first half a few players were strolling around rather than running, Wellens won't stand for that even in a pre season game.

Other than the Stevenage game he’s done nothing in a competitive game and whenever he’s come on as a sub he’s never impacted the game. I just think he flatters to deceive in friendlies where it’s slow paced but in competitive football the game just passes him by. As Chang said he’ll probably be the next Storey or Tom Smith.

A few! All of them were weren't they? Maybe they were training this morning too?

Lets hope they bring the 6 off the bench and they improve 2nd half

Palmer, Lyden Hope on.

doughty, Curran, Smith off

Its live again  https://twitter.com/DrewZinski/status/1297157533438603266

Looks like any strikers are going to be last minute jobs.

Maybe. Or he could be the next Billy Bodin and go on to prove us wrong. Who knows!

I’d happily put money on that not happening, Bodin had genuine quality hence another league club challenging us in the league wanting to take him on loan (Torquay). Twine on the other hand has only had Chippenham take him, he just doesn’t look League quality IMO. 5 years since his debut and so doesn’t seem to have developed much, I can’t remember him ever coming on and thinking he’s changed the game.

Grant is on now

Good chance for Lyden only 6 yards out, inches away.

nice cross and goal (4-2). hope

4-2 header from a cross. Hope.

The comeback begins...

Almost as if we’ve manufactured a situation to test the team a bit.

Payne nutmegs the defender but shoots straight at the keeper from 6 yards.

My photos won't upload. Too big.
Fosters £2 a can. Meat & potato pie not quite up to Rochdale standard

He looks like Iandolo and that is Iandolos number so I guess thats who it actually is.

Crowdfund for me to streak across the pitch

Odimayo misses a sitter from a free kick.

4-3

4-3.

ft

bit disappointing , but ultimately meaningless

congratulations to ashton

FT...just when I was starting to get flashbacks of Birmingham in '93...never mind...

Social club is now open.
I have good vid clip of our 3rd goal. Pm me for details

This.

What we have learn today.....

We need a keeper, we need a goal poaching striker, we need cover at fullback and centre half.

Payne was the best player on the pitch but will also frustrate almost as much as he does well, similar for Tyler Smith, frustrate and excite in equal measure.

Trialist looked like Tom Nichols to me.

I'll take our good performance v Coventry over this

I guess the truth lies inbetween.

Do we really need more fullbacks and CB's? Think thats an over reaction to today. Assuming Donohue signs our full backs are fine, its Hunt and Caddis for RB, Donohue and Iandolo for LB done. We have Fryers, Baudry, Odimayo and hopefully a fit again Conroy or even Broadbent with Grant to cover. There were plenty of bodies missing today remember.

Its the same as before, we need 2 GK, 2 Striker and 2 Forwards (who play wide or across the front line).

Who scored the third. Good work by Payne who looked our best outlet from the grainy footage from the guy filming behind the goal.

Hope, 2 second half goals is promising, no?

@riddick - depends how bad Conroy and Broadbent agree injured I guess

100% and Conroy is a concern given he has had 2 serious injuries so young and has never even played a complete season. Wellens said they may go and get another in that area.

It stands though that the area we dont have bodies are GK and attacking areas. Twine will be a bit part player at best, due to the compressed season. Hopefully here from Wellens soon. Accept a couple of last minute deals but that still means 3 or 4 more are needed asap.

Thats exactly the point.

Fryers seems to be constantly injured as does Broodbent, Conroy seems a fair way away from fitness.

Caddis is the other option but looks very unfit, Donohue is still only rumoured to be signing with nothing firm yet. Iandolo with the greatest respect iwll never be a full back/wingback.

As it stands we are almost at bare bones defensively. Baudry, Hunt, Odimayo... Curran and Reid seem a long way off the required standard for L2 let alone L1.

When all the players are fit then yes we have enough bodies, as it stands we definately don't.

I think it's fair to say that we knew this before today (full-back aside - Cads/Hunt/Reid - Hunt/Iandolo/Fryers - perhaps Donohue on top of that)

Wellens wants plenty of new faces. Busy fortnight ahead.

It’s clear that what we need is a biased referee.  I may know someone.

Bring back Roger Milford.

Doing your bit for the local economy I trust

Game was well natured & were crowd. No problem with 7% capacity.

Power is in social club now. Any questions you want me to ask him? Btw he is looking fit.

Are we getting the BFG back?

OK. I am in the queue. He is being treated like royalty.

Ashton actually have executive boxes. Modest ones, but they DO have them.

Also, well done to Ashton - Mustn’t take anything away from them.
I always feel that it does no harm for a team to be brought down to earth with a bang in pre-season games.  Our earlier scores may have looked promising, but at the start of the season proper we want every one of our squad to know they’re fighting for places in the team, and that complacency is not permitted. Richie Wellens will no doubt see good and bad in today and I think we know that he will know what needs to be done.

The trialist was tom nichols, someone posted a photo on twitter of him, grant, hope and payne after the game

I wouldn’t mind Nichols, tbh. Bit of Yates type works yer bollocks off. If anyone can get him scoring a few it’s Wellens.

Plus, Rovers couldn’t get a tune out of him - shits and giggles there.

What's the latest and his opinions on Woolery and Isgrove ?

somebody claimed better was there. were they mistaken?

better ??

Oxford have executive boxes too - you can sit in your car at the open end of the ground.

Benda?

Valid Pint. If you have these "exclusive" clips, stop being a cunt and post them. And if you're happy playing Pap during the match, then whip your phone out and grab a pic of the empowered one. I think you're on the josh pal. Unless you care to put your footage where your mouth is?  ;)

May have missed it but where did he say he had clips

Back from game...
My opinion only.....
First half -
Matthews looked abit unsure.
Reid was taken off after 30mins was told by RW to 'take a shower' and then walked out with his rucksack Baudry looked tidy whilst Curran didn't, Hunt was as normal.
Smith looked good on the ball as was Docs however DJ didn't seem at the races.
Payne was very busy and covers some ground.
Twine didn't do alot whilst Tyler Smith didn't get much service.

Second half - Great improvement after Grant and Lyden had come on.
Akin (who had replaced Reid) missed a sitter whilst i'm still unsure about Hope even though he got a couple.

Didn't see Stephen Ireland and didn't go in 'da club'

As I thought then.

When I mentioned full back, that was a hint towards the signing of Donohue, which IMO we needed before the game and still need.

Everything we learnt today was exactly as we already knew, which was my point.

Happy to share, but apparently my "entity is too large". Any technical help please?

They are not exclusive clips, as anyone who could have been bothered to go in person today could have seen it with their own eyes.

cheers Lincoln

This site is shit. The fb guys will help me to put it on there

You need to compress your images, so head to somewhere like
https://compress-or-die.com/
and follow the instructions. Images on here can only be 1mb (or 1000kb). So compressing your image will allow you to post them (and be the envy of all your "friends").

I may be a cunt but I'm still a helpful one  :pint:

Today has shown what Wellens and the fans already knew.... our first 11 is very strong but we are weak with replacements.

Definitely. Like RobT mentioned, it did seem though we set up to generate a difficult scenario that the subs then had to try and carve their way out of. Looking at it from that perspective we then did ok (if that was the intention) but your point still stands that the depth isn't quite there yet.

Weirdly it wasn't

talk of the town with a listen

https://twitter.com/BBCWiltsSport/status/1297216448314703874?s=19

I was going by the fuzzy twitter live stream which wasn't clear but he had a similar hair colour, size and build, but it could even have been Lyden and not a trialist at all as it was difficult to see numbers unless close up to the mobile. I recognised Tom Nichol but the commentators also kept getting Hope and Lyden mixed up so they weren't much help :)

iandolo is injured by should be ok mid next week

Very harsh IMO.

Wellens seems to think otherwise, as will the majority of town fans I’m sure - Iandolo’s best season was at left back and he earned a new contract off the back of that.

Wellens getting twitchy...not surprising given the season is rapidly approaching and we’re still awaiting replacements for Doyle and Yates. An interesting few weeks ahead for sure!

At least Richie is prepared to talk - more than could be said of others in the recent past.  I think that we’ll find that in the period between now and maybe week 2 of the new season, some really good players will become more realistic about their futures.  I dare say most clubs have got a Woollery or an Isgrove, with an inflated view of their value, who will eventually realise that they need to lower their sights a bit.  Town will be poised waiting for that to happen.  Richie and his team clearly know what has to be done.

I didn't detect him being twitchy per se but it'll be a big week or so for Swindon.

Paul Ince that desperate for something to do of an afternoon?

So Tyler Reid got hauled off after 30 mins, got told to get a shower, and left the ground before the final whistle apparently.

you'd think his time here was done.

But didn't Woolery do something similar once, and come back from it

Maybe he had to be somewhere or a call came through regarding a loan, family emergency, anything?!

And no, not a Stephen Ireland type family emergency  :soapy tit wank:

Highlights from yesterdays game


 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCuG1zzmgoA&t=27s

Can’t really tell much from that but first half it seemed to be our left where we had issues. Hunt looked off the pace and Twine was a liability culminating in giving away a stupid penalty. As to be expected Matthews looked like a kid in goal and got nowhere near any of their goals.
On the flip side Hope is always in there coming in at the back post grabbing a couple as a result, still think he would be useful to have as part of the squad.

"part of the squad"? Don't really see why he shouldn't be given the chance as a starter. Done nothing wrong.

And hope seems to be our only attacking player with any aerial threat. We are gonna need that as, like it or not, there will be high balls occasionally. 

Because he’s been linked with a move away and many seem nonplussed for him to leave. I think he’d be a useful squad player, obviously a far superior option to say Twine and we are obviously short of attackers currently.

You have a point but I think it's been mentioned several times that Hope was only really brought in as a sort of Plan B/back up if ED or JY didn't come back. Both did of course.

But yes he has shown he can poach and get in decent positions, a few with his head too. Of the game time he got with us in the League last season, his record is not bad. I don't think he brings much more to his game but if playing as a forward and notching a goal or two when you play...well there isn't much more to ask of him.

Still think people are right in thinking he is a good squad player to have, who may well force his way into the regular starting XI. I would be worried if RW was pinning hopes on Hallam to be our main striker. I don't think that is his plan and listening to ToTT yesterday (again pinche of salt required), RW did allude that Hope wouldn't go anywhere unless new heads came in. You can read that two ways;

If we get no one in (very unlikely) Hope will not go to Vale or elsewhere.
or
Once new targets have been secured and agreed, Hope will go out on loan or be sold (possibly to Vale).

He may even start the season but he might not be with us b the time the transfer window has shut. I think we can take a positive either way. If he stays he is a good squad player who could force into regular plans, if he goes we have added more to our squad that are regarded better by RW.

Good post and I'm with you thinking that he is no more than a squad player and would struggle against better league one defenders if he was the main striker and probably the reason he's lingered in league 2 for most of his career.