Swindon v Oxford.....

[Peter Venkman]

This is THE big game of the season for 90% of Town fans regardless of what poisition either of us is in the league.

I don't blame the jock twat Maguire for his comments because it shows they know what the game means to their fans, our players (and management) don't really seem to really care and treat it as "just another game" which it is (of course) but it does mean a lot to our fans.

Personally I can't see us winning because our powder puff team aren't up for the challenge, the Pox will kick us and chase us all over the pitch, harry us and get in niggly challenges as the always do....thats what derbies are about, we don't seem to have it in us to do that.

But on our day we can beat any team in this division and with the new signings then who knows what to expect.

I would love us to thrash the scum and give our fans something to cheer about, which has been sadly lacking lately.

[Reg Smeeton]

like it or not, for a lot of supporters this is a massive game.

I think the support is teetering on the edge of giving up on the season.

hopefully the new signings lead to improved results and pull that back. but we'll lose a few if we capitulate to Oxford

I'm not sure about that...the Town fanbase is pretty much down to a more ageing demographic, what in old skool parlance might have been termed Arkell's fans....meaning go to the game for some gentle entertainment, maybe clap a bit here and there, perhaps some foot stomping to keep the circulation flowing.  OK you get the odd bod like D o B who are a bit obssessed, a sort of mirror image of an Oxford fan, someone defined by the opposition club.  But few Town fans are so defined, hence there may well be less Town fans there on Sunday, than turn up for the massive Oldham game at 3:00 on the Saturday.

These days the Town Ender is a more or less extinct breed.

[Ardiles]

I would love us to thrash the scum and give our fans something to cheer about, which has been sadly lacking lately.

Yep.  Another 4-1 would be nice.  Just like old times.

[Ardiles]

These days the Town Ender is a more or less extinct breed.

They're hibernating, that's all.  Everything is cyclical.

[herthab]

Apparently 9,500 tickets sold so far...

[Reg Smeeton]

Isn't every game 'big' from here on in?

Oxford included.

Some are bigger than others. Football never works out completely as expected, hence so many bookies creaming mugs for massive profits....however to take a recent example, we had a very good chance of beating Shrews at the CG...1-0 up v 10 men, would have put a little cushion between us, now they're above us because we couldn't do it. I think that the negative reaction of the fans to Power etc, showed that most got that it was a key opportunity wasted.

[DarloSTFC84]

Some are bigger than others. Football never works out completely as expected, hence so many bookies creaming mugs for massive profits....however to take a recent example, we had a very good chance of beating Shrews at the CG...1-0 up v 10 men, would have put a little cushion between us, now they're above us because we couldn't do it. I think that the negative reaction of the fans to Power etc, showed that most got that it was a key opportunity wasted.

I'm sorry, I have to disagree with that. In the scenario we find ourselves in currently, the games against our relegation battling 'rivals' aren't any more important than this game. Not just because it's against our biggest rivals, but a win here COULD inject a bit of confidence into the squad, and the fanbase. Just because it's not against one of the teams in and around where we are, it doesn't take away from the fact that this is just as important as those games, especially if the teams in our predicament drop points.

[Paolo69]

Some are bigger than others. Football never works out completely as expected, hence so many bookies creaming mugs for massive profits....however to take a recent example, we had a very good chance of beating Shrews at the CG...1-0 up v 10 men, would have put a little cushion between us, now they're above us because we couldn't do it. I think that the negative reaction of the fans to Power etc, showed that most got that it was a key opportunity wasted.

Whereas if we get dicked this weekend there will be no negative reaction as long as we come out of it without any injuries or suspensions?

[Reg Smeeton]

I'm sorry, I have to disagree with that. In the scenario we find ourselves in currently, the games against our relegation battling 'rivals' aren't any more important than this game. Not just because it's against our biggest rivals, but a win here
 COULD inject a bit of confidence into the squad, and the fanbase. Just because it's not against one of the teams in and around where we are, it doesn't take away from the fact that this is just as important as those games, especially if the teams in our predicament drop points.

Sadly history shows it doesn't work like that. Take 81/82 for example 4 games to go and we beat Oxford 3-2 at the CG in the famous smoke bomb game. Oxford then had a sniff of automatic, we then had 2 games v Newport and 1 v Pompey neither of whom had anything to play for we got 1 point and were relegated.

[DarloSTFC84]

Sadly history shows it doesn't work like that. Take 81/82 for example 4 games to go and we beat Oxford 3-2 at the CG in the famous smoke bomb game. Oxford then had a sniff of automatic, we then had 2 games v Newport and 1 v Pompey neither of whom had anything to play for we got 1 point and were relegated.

I don't try to dispute what's in the history books. But it COULD inject some confidence.

This is a massive game, for the rivalry and for the season. There's no doubting that.

I'd agree with your opinion if it were a 'glamour' tie in a cup run, but not for a regular season game.

[Paolo69]

I don't try to dispute what's in the history books. But it COULD inject some confidence.

This is a massive game, for the rivalry and for the season. There's no doubting that.

I'd agree with your opinion if it were a 'glamour' tie in a cup run, but not for a regular season game.

Plus if we can win at Bolton then we could, just possibly, beat a mid table side at home.

[DarloSTFC84]

Plus if we can win at Bolton then we could, just possibly, beat a mid table side at home.

There is that, also.

[Peter Venkman]

The 1st fixture that most Town fans look for when they are released is the Pox home and away, then any other locals like Rovers or Shitty and then any that are local to them if they don't live in and around Swindon so for me its Yeovil and Exeter.

It really is the biggest game for most Town fans, when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s it seemed Shitty, Rovers and Reading were bigger but that was partly because the Pox were in a higher league so we didn't play them as often but deny it all you want this IS the biggest fixture for almost all Town fans.

I was working out the other day that I have attended in person 19 games between us home and away between the years of 1979 - 2000 and never once did I see the Pox beat us.

9 home wins, 4 home draws, 5 away wins and 1 away draw.

[Reg Smeeton]

I don't try to dispute what's in the history books. But it COULD inject some confidence.

This is a massive game, for the rivalry and for the season. There's no doubting that.

I'd agree with your opinion if it were a 'glamour' tie in a cup run, but not for a regular season game.

Winning at Bolton coud have injected some confidence but it didn't. The rivalry is completely irrelevant to the season, in 05/06 we beat the Shitheads at the CG, still went down, in 10/11 we beat Rovers at the CG still went down. 

[DarloSTFC84]

Winning at Bolton coud have injected some confidence but it didn't. The rivalry is completely irrelevant to the season, in 05/06 we beat the Shitheads at the CG, still went down, in 10/11 we beat Rovers at the CG still went down.  

Really? So if we win, we still don't get 3 points then? Rivalry or not, this game is as important as the rest of the games left in the fixtures list.

I don't see how or why it's irrelevant regardless of what's in the history books.