Thetownend.com

https://thewashbag.com/2016/10/09/oi-lee-power-were-bored-bored-bored/

Just came across this on the wash bag.. completely sums up how I currently feel about the club. Most disillusioned I've been supporting Town.

Says it all for me too.

Maybe I've changed, maybe society has become less tolerant. But never felt like this under the dire spells of Iffy and Jimmy Quinn - who were both working in similar circumstances of if it has value, flog it.

I think its me that's changed, I think the years of hope have been ground away and replaced with indifference and an expectation of failure.

Power doesn't help himself mind.

Thing is, it is what it is until Power gets bored or someone wins the Euro lottery tripple rollover and buys him out.

Forums and social media in general is part of the reason for the feel-bad factor.

Read enough comments on how shite everything is, on a daily basis, must colour your own attitude.

In the days of Iffy etc it was just a moan with your mates down the pub.

This part is very true I think, you can be swayed in thinking that we are shit by others critical comments even if inside you feel we arent THAT bad.

Its almost that you are convinced that your own point of view is wrong and that others maybe see a bigger picture than you do, even if it could well be the exact opposite is true.

People who are negative about things often shout the loudest and are more vocal, this is especially true on the TEF. (that post is not aimed at any one individual more of a generalization)

Also, people with a more positive outlook often get shouted down for being "too glass half full" but the reverse is true as well, that the negative posters get shot down, there is little middle ground its either black or white which detracts from debate and turns into arguments more often than not.

Some truth in that.
Age also, the older you get the more meh you become, for me at least.

Lack of anything uplifting over the summer meant I didn't even have a 'buzz' for the new campaign and our performances since have only driven me further into apathy.

Definitely.

In addition the incessant moaning, there's also too many people that readily accept rumour and speculation to be fact.

Thats true, then state that this is indeed FACT when more often than not it isn't. Previously that stayed in the pub or between work mates.

In the pre-internet days nobody had any insight into any possible boardroom shenanigans.

Power is probably doing just what every owner we've ever had has done. His problem, strangely, is how transparent he has been about his ownership.

"What new manager would want to work under Power's regime"

I see that on almost a daily basis, from people that have not spent a day working under Power's 'regime'. According to one person that has, Martin Ling, it's no different than at most other clubs. Of course Lingy 'would say that', but I'm more inclined to listen to somebody that does actually know, rather than somebody else saying so because of what some bloke said on the internet.

Forums and social media were all around and very active in Iffy's reign.

and Quinn I think, the good old stfc mailing list.  bit more of a restricted audience then.

A desperate and above all, a cheap one.

Totally agree with this.  There seems to be more black & white posters (not racist) and less grey to level out the perception on here.  The black posters refuse to see the white posters point of view and vice versa, even to the point where each side mock and belittle each other for having a differing opinion to themselves.  The ability to see both points of view and have more of a realistic perspective seems to be much rarer these days.  The Black & White posters seem to be the more vociferous and therefore the grey posters tend to not bother, because it's not worth being shouted down.

I am a grey poster, and pop my head up every now and again, but very soon tend to think, meh..

I lurk and read more than I post these days, especially in match day threads

Very good & accurate post.

Pitchforks to the ready.  

No room for happy clappers pretending to be grey on here.  

You are the spawn of Flashheart (who is getting a bigger tonking on the matchday thread than even STFC usually enjoy)

Onwards and downwards!

Huh?

I wish I could understand what you are trying to say here, but to be honest I have no fucking clue..

I think FH will agree that I am certainly no spawn of him.  I agree with him on some points and I disagree with him on others, as I did in yesterdays MDT, but in the end (as previously described) I just thought, meh.. 

I am impressed by your creative mind though, if not somewhat confused

The old Rivals site, was always fun.

I think it's good that people have a forum for a vent.....shows they care. Our lower league football is a great aspect of British working class culture, long may it last.

It's always been the case that sometimes attending is more about the social side than the result because we have been gash.

Actually sympathetic to any voices of moderation such as yours and feel any positives stated (as by Flasheart) on the matchday thread are taking a bit of a hammering

Confusing myself too in truth ;)

I've found myself being less bothered about STFC as I've got older. I find it a bit of an obligation now and living away means I'm less inclined to go. I've enjoyed watching Fulham games recently far more than most Town games simply because I enjoy it for the occasion.

The club is drifting.  As fans, I think we've all given Lee Power a fair go.  But we're a few years in now, and the only vision he seems to have is financial self-sustainability.  That's a foundation on which to build other things, not a raison d'etre.

I want to hear something from the owner about how he intends to take us to the next level.  There's nothing in that respect coming from anyone right now.  It's as if the owner and the club's management are content for us to bimble along the foot of Division Three for the foreseeable future.

That will inspire no one other than those who already have a Swindon Town habit.  It's a recipe for longer term decline.  We could be so much better than this.

Totally agree. It's a shame that the increased crowds from the Fitton era are now dropping off. I fear we could be heading back to the sub 6,000 days pretty soon.

The next home game is against Rochdale on a Tuesday night. So I'd have thought fewer than 6,000 highly likely.

The 4 teams currently occupying the PO places have all visited the CG, so far this season, we actually beat one of them... Vale.

None of them have actually looked any good.  I guess it's around the turn of the year that the serious contenders start to get going.

Flasheart has the (probably) unwanted luxury of not actually seeing us play as he's out in Asia or somewhere. So it's radio streams and odd games like Peterborough for him.

Game after game of this current shit live is a killer, I can tell you. The rage mists all.....

I think this sums it all up best.

I admire Power for trying to get us sustainable - but that has to be the foundations for something more.
Currently it appears the ambition to progress on the pitch isn't there.

That's what has put me off the most in truth. The worst thing in football is the apathy of clubs just happy to make up the numbers (in that aspect Oldham must be the worst team in England to support, not done anything in about what? 22 years?)

Quite frankly, now....even one season struggle and getting relegated from the Championship would be a nice change.

Say what you will about everything else that came with it...both on and off the pitch but Di Canio's desire to win games and progress is exactly what the club needs. Even if we can't actually provide the means financially or otherwise to do....just a bit of ambition would be nice.

I really meant transparent in why he's here - to make money.

Fans have always had a somewhat fairytale view of their owners as altruistic types. Again, the internet has loads of previous on almost anyone.

It's why the 'Power Out' brigade just can't get their heads round the fact that the majority of owners would be of similar ilk.

You know what, has anyone actually asked him explain the plan on a phone in?

I know he gets touchy when financials are asked, but he surely can't take offence at asking about the long term plan/lack of plan.

Lets be honest were all abit pissed at the way things are going BUT I'm sure lee power is just as pissed if not more, what player assets do we have this current season so far, were at the wrong end of the table and the fans are constantly moaning. What's next? I'm sure this isn't going to the power master plan

Sorry Rory, I deleted my post because I thought it was going off at a tangent.

That said, an unclear "how much do we owe him on what terms" doesn't help with believing in "the mission". I talk to a couple of what can be called average semi-regular non season ticket holders. They are convinced he's pocketing money..But I didn't want to go around that loop again.

He's explained the way the club runs financially, the type of players we look for - essentially turd polishing.

Apart from saying the aim is to get to the Championship he hasn't said how his model will achieve it.

What did he say on finances? I've only heard vague "won't spend more than we earn" and "won't make money back until he sells up" lines.

He was clearly very frustrated in an interview before the Rovers game. He said he'd invested more this season than any other and that they need to 'start performing'. I heard it as a message that Luke needs to get his act together, but that's just my interpretation. Either way he wasn't happy and again, that was BEFORE the Rovers game.

Missed quite a few games so far this season. Even the fact that I've got a season ticket hasn't always been a good enough reason to go and I'm noticing the 3 hour round trip to the CG much more than I used too.
It's not all down to the football we're playing and it's got nothing to do with Power (I actually agree with his model, although not the way he goes about it). I'm just finding more and more things I'd rather be doing than watching Swindon, which is something I thought would never happen. Even when I do go, defeats mean a lot less than they used; I'm usually over it before I get home.

I may have misinterpreted something Williams said on the phone-in, but it sounded like now we are financially stable the selling of players to balance the books should be a thing of the past.

We should be able to retain our best players and build instead of the annual start all over again.

I know the fact we don't actually have many, if any, saleable assets at the moment puts a bit of a dent in that theory

So what are we saying here, we all couldn't imagine life without Town. Now we've all grown to that age of meh-ness.

Perhaps its always been thus, a large drop off of middle age support losing interest...
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@rory, I guess we'll see next time an offer comes in :)

Depends how much you believe power is in it for the £££. As for saleable assets, think it's both of our keepers. Be interesting to see what kind of player Brophy is in 2 years, he's come on leaps and bounds in a year

Well, I think the fact he put the Ajose money into the playing budget is great.

I'd imagine he's mightily pissed off at the moment

I'm in the meh camp.
Can't remember the last time I watched a full football match. Pretty much given up on the game completely. No local non league games, visits to the county ground, matches on TV or even match of the day. The only minor interest I have in it is due to dream team competitions and looking for towns results. I don't miss it at all.
From reading other people's comments I conclude that many go to or watch it purely out of habit.

I know several who are going out of duty. It's like having a second job recently. We hope it turns around but nobody expects it to. Attending is no fun any more. The entertainment value is virtually nil.

I think Power has got bored of the football club and is now concentrating on the horse racing.

Flasheart IS lucky but I happen to believe we have a pretty good squad EXCEPT possibly up front.  There are some players for whom it is important to kick on this season who are in danger of failing to do so - but it would be good to see some appreciation for their potential even when they have had a stinker. Even the lengthy injury list itself has for some been the subject of criticism rather than a manifestation of bad luck. 

It is for LW however to stop the players needlessy compounding this bad luck by getting themselves banned and for getting a not unreasonable squad motivated and playing in a winning style.

There does seem to be a mismatch at present between the tippy tappy playing style and the skills ability of several team members and that really is for LW to sort out.  Time may not be on his or STFCs side so we shall see whether he does have it in him - or not - to fashion a response to pressure.
 
Whilst there probably was a gap in the market for offering a possession-based style of football that could attract young players of slightly higher quality than low-budget Swindon might expect, that loan-market opportunity no longer seems available.  Power as chairman has a little longer than LW to adjust the course of the tanker. You can't just aim to stay still or decline will inevitably result.

To be honest, I wrote this article on Saturday night whilst riding a wave of pure rage. The wife was busy watching Strictly and I was left a stewing and seething pool of backed-up anger.

Why the anger? Well, I used to love going to football and I really don't anymore. It's that simple.

I've been a season ticket holder for 30 years, I go with my Dad, my mates and more recently, a few times with my young lad and I just don't fancy it any longer - after 30 years! Its just too boring and frustrating, I've felt a creeping sense of antipathy over the past few seasons and I've been left feeling amazingly resentful because of it. Hence my rant.

However, it does appear that a lot of people feel the same, it seems the massive 'meh' factor has grabbed a few of us and I feel comfort in the fact that I'm not alone, like a heroin addict at a support group.

But like any junkie, I'll probably end up still getting my regular fix, regardless of the pain it causes me, until the day I'm too old to come. The following year we're bound to be taken over by a billionaire - and over the course of the next five, we'll be back in the Premier League.

Fuck you football.

I find it a chore to go to the CG atm, no atmosphere and generally quite boring. I still enjoy going all over the country for an away game, bit more of a day out on the beers with mates/family and usually a better atmosphere even with just 300 odd town fans.

Bit like the "it's not all about the winning, it's the taking part that counts" approach adopted by the team at the moment.

If you think this is the worst crisis at stfc in recent history you need to calm down, sober up or both.

Calm up and sober down no good then?

NB only been to one match this season so far although an ST. That's partly through unemployment but more because I have had more urgent things to do. The cats need polishing and my underwear drawer is such a fucking mess...

How do you sober down and polish a cat?

Even calling it a crisis is pushing it. More of a drama I reckon.

Don't really think many are commenting on a 'crisis' just that it's so fucking boring these days.

And yer man has it right - many feel resentful that the enjoyment of going to a game has been taken away by a combination of mindnumbingly awful football and little prospect of it changing any time soon.

I don't think we'll have to wait to long for it to change.

Yeah, this is it exactly!!! Nail on the head.

As I mention in the article I've seen far worse season starts & financial troubles, I had a ST during Beamish, the Trollope relegation plus many others. I was more commenting on the dullness, the lack of atmosphere, the bored crowds, the lack of hope.

Should that not be FACT?


Do we now really, isn't it just a lot of rumour and half truth floating around on the interweb?

Hence the word 'possible'. Pre-internet days nobody will have had any notion of Power's background re other businesses and football clubs.

Not saying there's anything mega shady there just that nobody would have known. People can now skew their personal beliefs on how they want to interpret the information that is out there.

I feel the same and I live in Highworth.

I see the US craze of people dressed as clowns has reached Swindon according to the Adver.

Maybe that explains Luke's absence.

I am an old ST holder and have seen all the highs and lows over the last sixty years but am definitely falling into a meh syndrome as I just cannot get rid of the feeling that once again we are treading water and very little is being done to alleviate the current situation. Like any good business, leadership from the top is all important and the evidence of that is thin on the ground which is of Mr Powers own making, but it can be an attitude that eventually permeates all the way down.

Yes, there is still time to halt this dangerous little slide but it requires work and the "must try harder" platitudes are not enough by a long shot.

I've felt worse than this about the club but it's really frustrating driving an hour or so, watching us play like we have been recently, and then having to drive home in a foul mood. My mood has definitely picked up though, after the Wembley debacle I was in a football sulk for about 9 months and as such only attended a handful of games last season (although there were other reasons)

I still think we'll be OK this season but the energy is being sapped a little. As others have rightly said, I think the fact that our fans generally conjure up a load of negativity anyway doesn't help. The fact we're on a poor run of form makes it 10x worse.

I feel the same and I live in the York Road area. I even considered finding the stream so I could half-watch it without leaving the house on Saturday.

There are a lot of problems this season and I think it's a culmination of us taking a lot of punts on manager and player choices and them not coming together in the way everyone probably hoped. Unfortunately there is always going to be an element of that when working under a tight budget.

Just like last season the team isn't playing with fight and with any sort of clinical play. It almost feels like they just turn up and hope something will happen without making it happen. This suggests to me that there is a problem at manager level and when you consider Ling got us playing a lot differently in his short time as manager then there is some evidence to support this.

Obviously there are personnel issues on top of this. Vigs is a decent keeper but the defence is still too fragile despite some additions in this department. The midfield is decent and is stronger following some additions but the lack of fire power is the main thing crippling us. Obika is a good player (but always seems to be injured) but even he isn't going to bang in the goals on a consistent basis as he's just not that type of player. Delfouneso works hard but you can't call him a goal threat and I don't even know where to begin with Norris. Hopefully he gets a confidence boosting performance or goal from somewhere but his past record suggests he isn't going to grab many goals even if he plays at a much improved standard.

The financial constraints do limit our squad size. Could player sales fund a bigger squad? Perhaps, but it's only a sustainable model if we can sell a player or two for a singificant fee each season. I think the only things Power has got fundamentally wrong is giving the job to Williams and not bringing in one or two different types of players in the right areas.

So what's the answer? I don't think the model we are working to is necessarily flawed and could work. We've had two decent seasons followed by a season and a quarter of crap. So this says to me a drastic change like Power throwing money at the team or even stepping away from the club aren't what's needed. Get in a goalscorer or two, get in a new manager and get the team fighting and trying to force the play rather than turning up and expecting it to all happen. Get something to build on for next season and mount a challenge near the upper end of the table rather than the bottom.

It was a good piece - only bit I disagreed with is blaming a lack of investment. That's not the issue - we've got a competitve budget at this level now and spent decent money on players in the summer.

Still think it's a combo or individual errors and injuries, rather than systemic failings, and that we will improve. The lack of atmosphere, the boredom etc would be there if we were this low in the table irrelevant of style.

When this style works, and we've seen it here before, it's certainly not boring.

Either way, pretty sure we've sold out for Saturday. It's 20 mins from my house, day out on the beer, terracing... should be a laugh and certainly won't be boring.

what is our budget, and what's the league average. I genuinely have no idea, and it would provide context to our season.

I am not certain how you can find out either, Power said earlier in the season we are in the lowest 4 budgets in our league but did not hint at how much or how much others were.

Power stated in August that the budget had been upped by £500k from last season putting us into the top half for budgets this season.

Exactly - so we're without doubt under-performing, either individually or systemically, or both.

My mistake I misheard in an interview I thought he said it had gone down not gone up, you are correct.

Crisis or no crisis, that is the question

FWIW I think that we are in possibly the most precarious position on the pitch that I can remember for a long time.

We have a team that can't defend, only Bolton's woeful finishing (and some good goalkeeping) prevented us being trounced on Saturday, and strikers that can't score.

This is a combination that (if it continues) can only lead to one thing, and that's league two.

Now we've been there before & have always bounced back pretty quickly, the concern would be that the model we have doesn't appear likely to offer such a quick return. Can't see Power throwing money at it and have to think that we will come up against far more physical sides than even this season.

It's too early to say we are doomed, but something has to change.

Its not a crisis yet. Purely because this league of mediocrity is so tight.

But the light at the end of the tunnel, well, I think you covered it. Its hard to see one.
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Thanks for clearing up the budget, I didn't realise we were in the top half. I'm surprised/amazed to be honest.

Will certainly heap more pressure on the management team internally.

A drama. A few steps up from a kerfuffle, yet also a few below a crisis.

Confirmation here.

http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/sport/14695450.Two_new_faces_still_on_Swindon_s_radar/

Power's record so far suggests that something will change before we're 'doomed'. If we do go down, it won't be with Williams at the helm.

I don't think it's a crisis. I just think it's got to the point where they've alienated the fans from the club in a number of ways.

I live about 75-80 miles away, and work shifts/have my son for sleepovers and only get one FULL weekend off in 5, the style of football and lack of excitement really isn't worth travelling up for. 

I'm sure I'll still go at some point this season, but having got up early (after a night shift) to watch the stream of the Bolton game, it did make me wonder why I even bothered.

It's even down to silly things like: I don't even have my notifications set up to know what's going on, be it a game day or just 'normal' news. A very 2016 thing to say, sure, but the thing is; a few years ago that was all different.

I said back in the summer that the club has done a very good job of alienating the fans and next to fuck all to build any links.

The mysterious Steve Anderson occasionally gets mentioned...anybody ever see or hear from him?

Back then I pointed out, even Diamandis' regime could have an open training session, where nippers and old uns of a certain type could come along and get autographs pics etc. I suppose now it would be selfies. Power is partly to blame, but he's only the end of a process that's been going on since the Thatcherite 80's.  I'd guess those who pay for hospitality get to rub shoulders with players, so the thinking is keep it as an incentive for those who pay.

Think you're right, it isn't a crisis off the pitch, insofar as we don't have the debt laden Sword of Damocles hanging over us, for which Power deserves credit.

I was interested in Williams' Orwellian line that the club has been returned to the fans.  I think it can only mean that our level will be decided by attendances, purchases of merchandise and other monies generated....much like AFC who we play Sat.   It is here where the problem lies, but it is a sporting problem, so not really a crisis. 

To give some context...we've scored 5 goals at the CG in 6 games.....in my time we've matched that level of shitness 5 other times.

55/56, generally reckoned our worst ever season until 10/11, we ended up applying for re-election.  73/74, against a backdrop of Tory economic incompetence, 3 day week, power cuts, fuel rationing, the club is also bust and falls out of Div 2 as the country falls into the EU to try and survive, happily both manage it.

93/94 the Prem season, we know it will be hard but still managed 5 goals in the first 6 games. 99/00 here we are again hopelessly falling out of Div 2, anyone want to buy a groundsman's mower? Administration isn't nice.

01/02, the exception; we didn't go down  :)  Rovers epic cock-up and Lawrie Sanchez's Wycombe's professionalism save us in the last week.

So indidcators are, that a bit like the Tory inspired plunging £, we may have to drop down to find a level that the dwindling fan base can support. The last time the £ was this low we finished 17th in Div 4  :)

Its a bit early but a commitment is a commitment....  :pint:  :pint:  :pint:

Haha, classic stuff.

It takes some going to find a way to shoehorn in 3 references

Yes, yes and yes!!
Hardly ever visit here any more, partly because of the depressing nature of the football stuff.

You guys are so 2010 with your apathy. Get on the not giving a fuck meme train.

Just tell me when I can buy my season ticket for next season and hand over my money to Powers

I think the Groundsman's Mower was later secured against for loans, it got worse!

Apologies if this has been posted, but surely Power's inclusion in the below is a little harsh!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3828418/Football-s-madcap-owners-Massimo-Cellino-Tony-Xia-Karl-Oyston.html

If it's in the Mail, it must be true....

That's what happens when you piss off the media.

I'm sure he'll cope.

DAILY MAIL TOWERS (2016)

Amitai Winehouse: Guys, I need a few names to bulk out this article about shitty football owners. Here's my list so far, that guy from Leeds and the Oystons. Any other suggestions?

Sam Morshead: Are you sitting comfortably....?