Thetownend.com

I've just realised it's now been 15 years almost to the day, that I have been supporting Swindon Town.  No great shakes because I know alot of you have been following the team for longer.  But through all the good and bad I can't help but think we're in the best shape we've ever been due to the involvement the fans now feel in shaping the future of what is OUR club.  I've got a really simple question - what's the highest do you think we can aim for?  Middling league 1? a championship side? how about the premiership?  When we took 30000 to Wembley against Leicester I thought we we're about to take our place at the top table but that wasn't meant to be. I'd love to know where everyone thinks we should be.

ohh im going to check my day.

I believe STFC could comfortably sustain a club at midtable in the Championship. We're as big as, if not bigger than, some of the teams in that league.

We've always been a bit of a yo-yo club though but I think that top of League One/bottom of the Championship is about our level.

I don't see Swindon ever reaching the Premiership again...part of me hopes that we don't.

Honestly

I would be a very happy Fred to be able to hold our own in the championship.

Maybe get luck and who knows, but consolidation in the Championship would realistically be ace

 :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:  :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

SNAP

26 SEP 1987
Reading (Home)
4 - 0 Parkin, Kamara 2, Quinn (pen)
 
Id probably stop going if we got in The Premiership,I did last time.I quite like all the yo yoing if im honest at least we rarely have a boring season.

Yeovil, seen your number of posts? David Shepherd would've shat himself in your position

I suppose by replying you'll somewhat cure the problem...

You know when you have those FM2007 moments about Swindon lifting the Champions League.. the things I've loved the most about football is going to watch the team against Huddersfield in the pissing rain and knowing there isn't another league in the world that would put up with this for entertainment. Yet wewin 6-1 and all is well with th world.  I reckon we have enough of what it takes to be in the championship and bollox to the rest but I'm probably just pissed or defeatest. Why shouldn't we be the new Arsenal?!

Despite being part of the Community Council that are opposed to the use of space around the stadium, (no probs with a new stadium on current footprint)  I have spent hours at the CG supporting the Town.  Still remember my first game Xmas 1977, f#ck knows who they were playing, still got prog. somewhere.

 Theres one thing for sure, it's far better standing with your mates though, sitting completely ruins the atmosphere.

Used to go to most games when Macari was in charge, one of my cousins Bryan Wade (handsome chap!!!) played at the time.

Sadly have to admit I haven't been to watch a match for a good 5 seasons now. :oops:

get along there nuddy im sure you'll get addicted all over again though im not sure if I actually enjoy going myself.

I would have been 10 3/4 months old then!

I was 12

Im suprised the club havent invited the community council along as thier guests for the day....hang on no im not

Why not? Go and watch them Saturday.

My first games saw us get promoted to the premiership. My first full season saw us piss all over Division Two and go back up to the first division, ever since then it's been a nightmare.

It wouldn't be as fun if we were a Premiership club, but I think we could be an average Championship team...

I was taken as a child when I was about 5 so 1991 but was at Wembley when we beat Leicester in the play offs also and could never forget that day even though I was so young!

Hopefully a day like that may come again one day  :?

Ive been watching the town now for 20 odd years. Lots to remember. Coming back from 4-1 down to win 4-6 at St. Andrews, winning the 1st leg play off match at Blackburn, Hoddle scoring that goal against Sunderland at home at the start of the season,Andy Mutch making it on to the starting credits of Match of the Day and many many more.But to say where would we like to be in 5 years or so is a tricky one to answer as everyone will probably have a different response.
I would like this season to end with getting the current board out, getting out of debt and getting out of this damn division.Then in 15 years time young wippa snappers can write about  games from the past that haven't even been played yet. :D

For me it was 1st Dec 1990, 1-1 with Blackburn, I guess my addiction began in a golden era of the early 1990s.  As for the next 15 years the lower reaches is nice, the way ticket prices have gone League 1 or low in the championship would be brilliant.  Perhaps the biggest disappointment for me is a lack of big cup ties, I didn't start going away until about 98, so missed all the big away matches of the premier league season.  Having loved leeds a couple of years back a decent cup run every few yeas would be great, it seems some lower league sides consistently pull great draws.

My first time was 1976 and I have been a fairly regular attendee since despite living in Yorkshire, London and Scotland at various times.

I agree with Sonic - we are a Lg1/Champ side borderline.  Our best football was played (IMHO) from 1986 to 1993 when we were awesome with three different managers and some of the best players ever to pull on a Town shirt.

For me, we should be a mid table championship side.

The town could easily attract more supporters if we were more successful.

If we had more investment, who knows? You only have to look at where clubs like Reading and Wigan have come from.

Wouldn't want to go through another premier league season like the last one though. I'd rather be beating lower league sides than losing to top flight teams week in, week out...................

I beat you by a couple of months...my first game was the 1-0 defeat at home to Bristol City on Sept 2nd 1990.  Junior Bent scored for them, and there was an article in the match programme by Julian Wilson under the heading of something like 'Would you let your Daughter Marry a Bristol City Fan?'

I was a relatively late convert at 17 years old.  I had wasted most of my teenage years at the Link Centre watching ice hockey...a sport supported by people who think Hammond organ music really gets the atmosphere going and that 'Let's go Wildcats, let's go!' is a stirring anthem.

Top half of division 2 (Championship as it is being refered to this week) will do me nicely and is realistic.

Premiership? Meeeeh! If a massive investment comes along maybe we could do a Reading but as Fred and Sonic have suggested, it wouldn't bother me at all if we never made it back there.

Agree does anyone fancy paying £35 a match, all that'll happen is the old fan base will be alienated, and we'll end up with a load of new people moving in for the glory and be no better than the Reading plastics.

no it won't. because the trust will be in charge by then  :D

(touch wood)

Nuddy. I'll take you in the TE this Saturday.  I go with Alan Hayward and both of us were involved in the Trusts ground proposals so we could kill two birds with one stone - get you back with the bug (if I can get Alan H going, anyone can get hooked) and butter you up at the same time.  Walk over to the CGH at 1ish to find us-  Alan will be the one wearing a black t-shirt and denim jacket with the grey hair.

Seriously, come along, Alan had Rod Bluh in there a few weeks ago.

November 3, 1990 - for me - but I'd been wanting to go a while before I could - I was living in Germany at the time so my old man was obviously unable to take me!

my addiction started when i saw us beating arsenal 4-3 in the league cup
then getting robbed at wolves.

Still my favourite Town game ever, that one - Andy Rowland's winner off his shins in extra-time after we'd been 3-1 up and then pulled back to 3-3 after some brilliance by Liam Brady.

First game for me was in 74-75 - no idea who it was against, but Peter Eastoe probably scored.

thinking about it i've seen them play in every different named division except the championship.
div4 :(
div3 :?
div2 :|
div 1 well we didn't get to see a game. :fu:

rem . when it was nearly enjoyable to essee us lose . :mrgreen:
league 1 where we went after div1  :(
league 2 a complete circle in 20 years [ thats why im not a man u or glory follower] :beers: now for another circle. :soapy tit wank:

I think we are a low-mid table championship side with forrays into the playoffs.

And I think we can easily sustain that.

My first game was 21st Feb 1976 against Peterborough easily remembered as it was on my 10th birthday! although I had been following them since 73 as a young fan but my dad wouldnt let me go until my age reached double figures.

My denim jacket isn't hairy


I never touched him! Even I don't resort to that sort of thing to influence people  :?

1958/9 v Rovers..we won 3-1 I think and I got my legs slapped for booing Wovers....whilst sitting on my Dads shoulders in the Town End..odd really cos I was 27...no only kidding...really.

This club can easily sustain Champoinship football and with some investment and energy who knows, what I do know is that we as fans must never allow it to get into a state similar to its present predicament!

L'Orange

i just checked my first game's date. i knew it was against hull.

11th march 1989, all i remember is duncan shearer scoring, my grandad falling over in the cg carpark and cutting his hand and us sitting in the arkells stand

My first game was 4th April 1994 i was 6 years old and it was against Sheffield Wednesday on a Monday night. We lost 1-0 and me and dad were sitting in our old seats in the arkells stand right at the top.

(i was 8 )

7th May, 1994 was the first game I took my lad to.

He was 3years 11 months old and I don't think he watched any of it. But it was the last game we played in the premier league and I had a feeling we might have a long, long wait for another one!

We lost. 5.0 to Leeds BTW.

First game I went to was away at West Ham in the FA cup. '87 or '88 I think.

1986 when we beat Chester 4-2 to secure promotion, I was 10. I guess I was lucky really, was a die hard fan from 89 - 94, when as someone else said, we were awesome, and went to most home and away games before getting into raving etc which took all my money, plus who wanted to stand on a terrace on a sat afternoon after an all nighter!? I then moved away from Swindon in 97 so don't go nearly as much as I should really, plus with a wedding to save for I can't really afford more than about a game a month now  :x

I can remember when me and arriba got on telly at Hull away at their shitty old ground in the Sainsburys stand or whatever it was, we were fully paid up travel club members on the coaches with the old boys :oops:

My first game was 76 too; home to Shrewsbury and won 3-0.

Also agree with you; 86-93 was just fantastic years, we were spoiled then.

26 December 1995.

We drew 0-0 with Wycombe. It was a fucking dire game. But we won Div 2 that season, so meh.

One of the games when we were in the premier league. Chelsea at home I think, lost 3-1. Started to go regularly in the 95/96 season and then had a season ticket the season after that. I was born im may '84 so you can work my age out from that.

My next game after that though wasn't until 26 December 2001.

Another bloody 0-0, this time against Wycombe. Gurney got sent off in the 70th minute, then Grazioli in the 90th for fighting with Eddie Howe who also got sent off.

I really got serious about watching town in 2004 (30 November against Bristol City to be precise). I was a late convert at 18.

2-2 v Bolton in 1974, aged 4.  Black shorts and all. Team not me, it was February.  In the middle of fifteen games without a win....what a way to start.

Sat at the top of the old Shrivvy - and was shit scared of going up those rickety steps for years.

You old man.

My first game was home to Plymouth on Boxing Day in '89. I remember nothing except the fact Shilton was their amnager, I have the programme somewhere.

I got dragged along on and off for a long time but never really became obsessed until '02 when we drew 0-0 with Reading. I remember Reeves, McArevey and Igoe getting sent off and being rather intimidated by the atmosphere  :D

my first game was at home to stoke, in 97 (i think). we won 1-0, and i think peter thorne scored. I got a season ticket for the next season, but stopped goin after we lost to stevenage, because i was only 7, and didnt fancy seeing us lose all the time.

Then i stayed away for a few years, untill we beat wedneday in the fa cup 4-1. Got a half season ticket that christmas, and im still here today.

I've never been dragged along - My dad used to take me occasionally but I was never encouraged to support Swindon!

Since my dad ditched Swindon for Chippenham in about 1998 I've been going on my own. Bastard.

Same season

Underneath the "clock"

Same with me but my dad just doesn't like Football at all. Don't think he's ever seen swindon play.

"doesn't like football"......."never seen Swindon play"

I don't understand. What exactly do you mean? :shock:

My dad hates football and doesnt like Swindon either.

I don't mind too much though, he's from Northern Ireland.

Ben doesn't like football and never watches Swindon either.

 But he likes this message board.....it takes all sorts.

Wasn't 89 then as Shilton was playing for Derby then. He became Plymouth manager in 92.

It was Boxing Day 1988 - but shhhh don't ruin SY's memories.

I don't remember it, I had to check swindon-town-fc.co.uk for the date. Now I'm just confused.

I don't know when my first game was then. My life is ruined >:-(

Could it not have been Portsmouth on Boxing Day '89?

It would appear that my first game was 18th December 1993, home to Southampton.

A 2-1 victory 8)

Weirdly, i can't remember it at all despite being 9 years old, but i do remember the Wimbledon game later on that season, when Vinnie Jones climbed up on the roof of the hut at the front of the Arkells (nearest the Bank) to fetch the ball :D

Went sporadically for a few seasons, then got my first season ticket for the McMahon promotion season

...and John Fashanu scored from 25 yards in his red boots back when only he had red boots.

I was a big gladiator fan at time which Fash presented, so my dad took my down the tunnel to meet him before the game.

3rd of November 1979, at home to Sheffield Utd. A 3-2 victory. I was 10  :oops: