Thetownend.com

Expected to be regarding DB, so may be news on Shirtliff also.  Smith,Easton, and Lescinel have also signed contracts.

http://www.thisisswindontownfc.co.uk/news/headlines/4439420.Trio_sign_new_contracts/

I suspect Byrne will be moved to a role overseeing all things youth & reserve and probably be in charge of the scouting network and Shirtliff will take Byrne's position as Ass Man with another coach brought in

could it be the return of Ooh Shaun Taylor as the other coach, I think he worked under Wilson at Shitty now that would be a popular move with the older fans.

Isn't it more likely that Byrne's role will be a combination of youth/scouting/the Adi Williams role, thereby meaning we don't need another coach ?

I think there will be more to it than just Dave Byrne moving to Reserve team coach and Shirtliff being named as assistant, Shaun Taylor quit his current role at the end of last week and I am pretty sure the adver said yesterday that he was set to be taking up a coaching role at a League 1 club(could be Exeter though)

I would love to have Taylor back.  Definite reservations about having ex-players come back as players, but a different story if a legend like Shaun was to come back to work in a coaching role.  His mentality and work rate were outstanding.

[Note: OST is probably not returning though, so this post is probably pointless.]

I hear what you say lr, but that would mean increasing the non-playing staff, and that kind of doesn't fit with trimming the playing numbers. Anyway all will be revealed later, and I'll probably be proved wrong.

Perhaps they'll do a job lot of PR in one go

- New kit supplier and sponsor official announcement
- Shitliff and Byrne
- New player(s)
- and much much more

I disagree that they are trying to cut the coaching staff, I have not read that anywhere.  I believe in articles since Williams left they have said Wilson will be allowed to bring in his own staff.  I also believe there still looking for a new goal keeping coach.  

They trimmed the playing squad because it was massive and the majority of the players were terrible, they do need another coach and a goal keeping coach.

Nice to have an interesting day in pre season though, I am already starting to feel its dragging.  Today we have had contract renewals, we will have the cup draw and a press conference, would love to here its Shaun Taylor and Shirtliff.

Is referring to Shirtliff as "Ass Man" laziness or a deliberate shirtlifter pun?

Oh, and I'm with nev, don't see why they need another 1st team coach, Byrne can combine a head of youth/player development role with 1st team coach, surely

Don't see Taylor coming here. Byrne will be coach/director of the youth system and Shirtlif will be Assistant i reckon. Then we are just missing a GK Coach.

Mixed news already in my book today. I'd swap Smith/Easton/Lescinal all turning us down for OTJ to sign for us instead of Norwich! Still i'm sure there will be some more exciting signings soon

By you and Nev's thinking what happens if a reserve team and first team game clash which one does Byrne go to? will be a bit of a lonely bench with Wilson there on his own, they definitely need another coach.

Tell me when that will ever happen?

Well, I was kind of assuming Shirtliff would be there.

Simon Cox new contract

For example last year the reserves played on January 13th away to Cheltenham and the first team played home to Stockport.

Haha sorry must of misread what you were putting.

Well it wont happen this year ;)

I don't see Shaun Taylor coming to us as a coach, but I do see him moving into a coaching role at Exeter as he still lives 4 miles outside of Exeter and runs his own kids coaching course down in Devon.

I can't see him moving to Swindon when he has it pretty nice down here, and the Exeter fans also see him as an ex hero of theirs.

We're going to sign Michael Owen aren't we?

That would be amazing. Don't think it'll happen tho.

Cox to Real Zaragoza.

Note I didn't say for us ;)

I will be very underwhelmed if there is no player news though.

2 hrs 6 mins to go.  I can hardly wait.

You saddo ;)

2 hrs 2 mins......

Erm, if it was a problem, you just wouldn't arrange the reserve team games to clash.

1hr 46 mins to go ...

What is it with the fucking erm erm lately paul

He's a transformer, half swindon fan, half moped.

Been doing that for ages, obviously you've only just started to notice it/become annoyed by it. Excellent, I'll make a conscious effort to do it more often

Lots of scousers do that

Funky Fledgling to come back as mascot....

90 mins to go...

This scares me of the old days. Is it friday today?!

Statement Friday's...That brings back memories !!!

I reckon its a press conference to confirm the a further press conference on friday!

they wouldn't have a press conference just to say Budgie is doing something else and DW has a new number two.

Maybe they've agreed new stadium plans and we'll be in a new stadium or an updated CG for 2011/12.

Michael Nelson....?

Willie Nelson ....?

Winnie Mandela .... ?

56 minutes and counting - is anyone covering this live?

Maybe its just to confirm EA sports as sponsors, now that would be a let down!

Maybe there won't be a conference!! It only said in the adver and we know what their journalistic skills are like!!

I reckon Watkins and Fitton will be throwing the full weight of Swindon Town Football Club behind the Iranian Green Revolution and calling on Ahmadinejad to step down in the name of democracy, freedom and 3rd division football

51 minutes ...

The countdownometer is almost down to the last 3,000 seconds.  Unbearable.

I'm sure there will be something about the queuing system in the Town End for hot drinks and burgers.

annoucing balti pies in the DRS

If we were all Geordies, there would now be a crowd of 5,000+ milling around the County Ground car park.

47 mins to go.

maybe it's an update on season ticket sales and to say the new red seats in the Arkles look good

46 mins

oh i hope so

*Awaits innevitable Luci post*

These made me laugh.  :soapy tit wank:

That made me chuckle!!


Onions in the TE this year??

Pukka pies??  - that would be a right royal result!

Joey Barton to join as Communities Officer...

28 mins to go...

24 mins to go  :eek:

is it to announce no more minutes to the press conference ?

Oh cheers -  make me feel older than I do already!  ::) :D

I'm hoping it's going to open with a darkened stage, the music from 2001 a space oddysey playing or possibly Sibelius' Finlandia. The tension gradually builds as the music becomes more ominous, then a single spotlight illuminates a pair of shiny curtains - there's a moment of hushed silence then BOOM! - the lights come up, the fireworks at the side of the stage are let off and Andrew Fitton leaps through the curtains in a silver outfit, complete with silver cape and the initials AF embroidered in gold on the muscle plate on his chest. Anything less will be a real letdown and will show a lack of ambition IMO

Set designed by Jean michel jarre..

More Lasers than Star Wars.....

Bobby Barnes comes on dressed in Red Thriller Suit......moonwalking...

And then announce balti pies in the DRS ?

I fully expect a cost-effective, internationally agreeable solution to the problem of global warming, by which all isses related to anthropogenic climate change will be addressed and solved by the year 2011.

Aaay, Flash by name, Flash by nature. Liking it, liking it ....

Shamoooooan - mutha fucka!

Hang on. Is this not on the radio?

I see Byrne is now 'Head Of Player Developmemt', so Shirtliff is on his way...

http://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10341~1693689,00.html

Hope that's not all????

I would imagine that that news was a precursor to the announcement today as it was released just prior to the press announcement - we will have to wait and see what the press release is...

Shirtliff?
Taylor?
Robinson?
Kit?
A N Other?

Was there one?

Just watched the video interview with Budgie on the Official Site.He comes accross as being very
positive about his new role and relishing the challenges that it'll bring.He even seems to have recruited
a couple of new youngsters already,which he hopes to announce in the next few weeks!

I always thought that this area was one of Budgie's strengths.He's going to be doing a lot of travelling
in this country and abroad and hopes to attend youth team tournaments.He'll work closely with Zippy
and the under 16's and also a couple of days a week with Danny and the 1st team,as well as manage
the Reserves.Busy Guy!

His new role wasn't a surprise to him and the Board and Danny had been looking at this area to improve.
Budgie felt that since Sturrock's departure,we needed to improve on this area of youth development.

So was that it? Nothing else has been mentioned on the OS

That can't be it?

That's all very well, but were there lasers and fireworks?

God i've been skiving all day for that.....

Tbf the adver said the press conference was to reveal byrnes new position it was you lot who got carried away.

I did'nt get carried away....i just expected Lasers.....

In all seriousness, announcing this at a press conference rather than just knocking out a statement announcing "New role for Byrne" is a signal as to how much importance the club attaches to this development role. And rightly so, Fitton's words on the importance of this kind of role in enabling smaller clubs to properly be able to develop their own talent (rather than selling on kids at the first opportunity or losing them outright) are spot on IMO. This kind of thing is going to be key in how lower league clubs (ie pretty much all of the FL) survive and prosper in the next few years. It's an important role and the club have signalled that by announcing it with all the bells and whistles. And FWIW I think Dave Byrne will be excellent at it.

Must admit it's good PR for DB, good for prestige, and morale.

In all seriousness, where were the frickin sharks with frickin laser beams attached to their frickin heads?

Exeter just announced a new first team coach, and it wasn't Shaun !

The facial expression Dave Byrne is pulling on the picture on the OS is unsettling to say the least

Reckon anything else regarding coaches etc will be later in the week to give DB his hour in the sun.

Stop being so fucking reasonable, its off season.

We want unfounded rumours, pointless rhetoric, shed loads of hype and star studded press conferences.

And lasers. Don't forget the lasers

Or maybe Fitton has built a giant laser beam in space and Byrne will have his hour on the death star.

Still no word on the onion situation then?

He needs Laser treatment.......the club missed a trick!

Two Byrnes with one stone ?

Good move for Byrne and the club imo. He has bought some good players that we have sold already. Good to see he will still be involved in the first team.

I am glad the bloke is still with the club...
I felt he really felt the elation when we did well and hurt when we were shit (which was alot).
I will always remember him coming over to the fans at Orient.

 Was there any dry ice...or even dry eyes in the house?

No Reg, just a few dry throats!

Totally agree at Orient you could see his joy,spoke to him outside the ground that night and he said the supporters singing his praises that night will stick with him forever.

Is this Shirtliff fellow on his holidays?

...regarding Byrne, it sounds like an "in the stands" - So is it safe to assume that Wilson hasn't completely assembled his backroom staff just yet (goalkeeping coach aside)?

If I was Bodin Id be pissed off.

Why? Nothing has changed or has it.

well yes,hes got a new boss hasnt he?

Thing is yeovil bodin has not bought anyone to the club bar thompson. Fitton has made it clear that we need a good youth system and if anything surely if byrne brings in more players for bodin to work with everyone wins. From the outside it appears to me bodin is a good coach but maybe not such a good scout.

Nonsense,Bodin had a Bum Fluff tache so he wins.

I forgot all about that. Well that changes everything.

Byrne & Fitton said they had attracted a few youngsters to the club recently from other clubs and they wil lhave to go to tribunal to pay a fee for them.

It is nice to hear that Fitton & Co are prepared to invest in youth players in the hope they come good in the future.

Whatever happened to the 15 year old that Byrne said would be the youngest player to play in the first team ? Never heard any more about him

I am still a little surprised that Fitton is still denying the impending appointment of Shirtliff as Assistant Manager.


It can't be as much of a "done deal" as has been suggested elsewhere.

I reckon Shirtliff is on his way, but he'll be under contract with Tranmere until 1st July. So Fitton's keeping schtum until his contract is up incase Tranmere start kicking up a stink and wanting compensation.

I thought he left? If he leaves all contracts become null and void?

Hemshaw i think his name is.Absolute quality by all accounts.Also the two lads from Plymouth are meant to be good players.

Only if it's by mutual consent... Shirtliff wants out but Tranmere are still holdiong the contract

Plymouth must be getting the right hump with us, isn't that 5 decent youngsters in the last couple of years we've poached?

I thought he had a clause in his contract that said he could leave if it was to be an assistant manager of something like that

Yeah think so mate

They poached Sturruck from us, so stuff em

Agreed.

Dont get me wrong, it's all good. Should be very interesting watching the youths and ressies next few years if we are taking an aggressive stance to youth, really hope we set up a soccer school in Reading, to get those shits back too.

been told this role has been created to keep byrne off the training ground

wilson and the players think he is an idiot, and do not want him involved in the first team

they want him spending little time actually coaching the kids, so the new role enables him to go off and scout, basically spending as little time as possible at the cg

wilson wanted bodin as his assistant, but bodin enjoys coaching the youths and believes that in taking on a first-team job it has a life cycle that runs out, whereas with the youths he has a job for life

loads of players on trial, a young french left sided midfielder the best of the lot apparently

plus, a couple of others got offered the managers job before wilson, but only he would take it with byrne as number 2. however, he has managed to convince fitton to effectively sideline him as the club cannot sack him

If they disliked him so much then why keep him?

Any cricket gossip Boeta?

Where did you hear that then boeta?

someone involved at the club. i have little reason to doubt it, i'm sure the sentiment is right even if every detail isn't. don't worry, i do not have the imagination to make that sort of boring stuff up, just thought you guys might be interested to hear

all sounds entirely believeable to me, and quite interesting. Sounds like this Shirtliff thing then may not be what tranmere thought, unless bodin turned it down sometime ago.

The more I hear about Bodin the more I like the guy and think he's far too sane to be associated with football.

again, the question has to be asked - why such loyalty to Byrne of all people?

I see no reason why Fitton would insist he is kept around?

Did the cleaner also explain why if no one likes  him that they thought they would put him in charge of player developement and bringing players to the club. Bit of a stupid thing to do if you are relying on this nasty man to sell the club.

the way bynres new role has been dressed up, makes it sound like he's wilsons superior.
i dont think boeta is far from the truth.

But why would Fitton do that mate? Does not make sense to me tbh.

What is it with all these Dave Byrne conspiracies? If he really was such a shit coach and the players and management didn't like him then they'd pay up his contract and fuck him off. Some of these 'a mate of a mate of a mate told me' stories really wind me the fuck up.

You tell em Samdy.

So what was the press conference about?

They are going to outsource their Pie contract


Interested ?

Pies.  A mate's dog told me that Dave Byrne doesn't like pies.  I demand his sacking.

Lies. Everybody likes pies.

I thought it was an appeal to try and find out what happened to Peter Shirtliff en route from the Wirral.

Oh and pies are great.

I think this sounds very believable, said on the day it was the most glamorous demotion I have seen.  He seems a bit like King he can spot a player but is clueless on the training ground, aftermatch interviews and tactically.  Personally delighted Wilson is getting the chance to bring in his own backroom team.

You pop down the training ground often then mate? Could i pop down with you next time

If Wilson and the players do think so lowly of him, then he'd have been sacked - simple as that.

Though I'm sure there was some basis to it, originally. I'd imagine Wilson wanted his own assistant / coach and that a few players have a problem with Byrne. Then the chinese whispers kicked in and got us to that post.

Best post so far

Don't have to hes had spells in charge as caretaker manager when we have seen more of his management under the microscope and is been disastrous.  Some of his tactical decisions in this time were lousy, some of his after match interviews are laughable particularly when we were under Malpas and clearly we went backwards as a team when Blecthley and Somerfield left the coaching team as they actually contributed where as Williams and Byrne gave nothing to the first team.

There is no doubt he can spot a player and has made us some good money but I can see clearly why they would prefer him away from the first team, he gets too matey with some players and is too over the top against other players.  The cross bar challenge was embarassing when he took a penalty on soccer am and I bet thats the kind of thing that annoyed Wilson, I think Wilson prefers to seperate management from players the way it should be.

I await the impending abuse as I know there is often a Dave Byrne love in on here.

Its not about david byrne loving. None of us see what he's like on the training ground so none of us can judge him on that. It really is that simple

Yep, not a love in, just very unfair the way other groups of fans slate him so much, his press needs to be balanced out, that's where the pragmatists of the TEF come in.

No abuse from me fella he isnt everyones cup of tea just think you shouldnt judge him on the training ground if you have not seen it. By your logic the coaching staff in the past have had a big input in the success or failure of the team then. Is that right?

Every time that happened was after a particularly piss poor display, when Malpas did not have the backbone to come out and face the music.

At least Byrne did.

Like him or hate him you have got to give it to the bloke that he has bollocks.

And no........it's not a love in at all, its just that some people can actually see the benefits the bloke brings to to club

What's done is done and we don't really need to hypothesise the reasons on some gossip after the event has occurred.

We should all be wishing DB luck and letting him get on with it, even if you dislike him because this man is effectively in charge of our future.

So good luck Budgie*


*Don't buy any more Casals please.

Word to your mutha

Quite. It's the opposite really - more some people just seem to go "Raaaar" at the very mention of DB's name. I'd imagine AF's "mysterious loyalty" to DB stems from the very pragmatic reason that his proven track record in bringing in and developing players has been the single biggest source of revenue to the club after ticket sales. And the role he's been given is key to Fitton's whole philosophy of how clubs at our level progress - it's hardly a sinecure you give to someone annoying to get them out the way. It's a key role you need someone with a proven track record in that you trust. The only mystery here is why Byrne provokes so much venom

where is the venom? only one person seems a bit anti byrne on here.or i've missed something?

people will speculate,and stuff  will get exaggerated.but it's glaringly obvious wilson doesn't want him in a major coaching role.
i'm pretty sure byrne is a bit like marmite with the others at the club.some like him others cannot stand the bloke.
i did cringe watching his crossbar challenge effort on soccer am ,with his lone ooooooh at his shot.the others were silent.
is he going to be reserve team boss?

Cringeworthy soccer am peformances seriously harm your ability to do your job.

Pook hit the bar and look what hapenned to him.

of course not si .but it was cringworthy nonetheless.

This post sums up better what I was trying to say rather than the clumsy way I put it.

That's fair enough, I just don't see how it's relevant. It's like saying a player is crap because of the naff goal celebration he did.

Is it? Based on what exactly? The fact that he's been given a different role within the club? People in all walks of life get moved around at work. It doesn't always mean their boss doesn't want them doing that job or that they don't like them, it often means that the persons skills are better suited to a different position.

I wouldn't say I'm a Dave Byrne "fanboy", but I do think he gets a lot of unfair criticism on here based on pure speculation and assumptions. Has anybody who makes these accusatiosn actually been to the training ground and watched him work? Or taken 5 minutes just to talk to him? Or asked Danny Wilson for his opinion? I doubt it very much.

I would say you are a fanboy!

Great post Samdy....sums up my feelings too.

based on him no longer being first team coach.and a different role,which no matter how much it is dressed up, is a demotion.
it seems to me to be a scouting role.he will not decide who plays in which team.bodin will run the youth team and who plays in it,and wilson the rest.
i do think a scouting role will suit byrne.as he's delivered players in the past.but i'd bet my mortgage that deep down this isn't anywhere near the role he would want.

Maybe they will do a mobile phone advert....

Byrne sat in the stands in some shit hole in Eastern Europe.

Camera zooms in on Byrne...

"If i ruled the world!"....etc etc

If you think of it as a scouting role, then maybe it is a demotion. But that's not what it is, it's a role to ensure Player development from top to bottom, which as I said earlier is central to Fitton's philosophy on how the whole club (not just the 1st team) should run. If anything, it's more akin to a kind of technical director role that top-flight clubs have. From a "whole club" point of view, it's a more vital role to the whole club's progress than 1st team coach

You could read all sorts into it and I'm not going to entertain which conclusion is correct. Perhaps Byrne can be replaced as a coach but the player development side is something which is more valuable? Perhaps he isn't a very good coach. The only thing I will conclude is that the Board wouldn't have put him in a decision making position if he was a numpty, perhaps that view isn't right either though, who knows other than those behind the scenes.

Like I said earlier it doesn't really matter because we should have a stronger back room team overall with this reshuffle. Onwards and upwards.

how is he going to develop players? that is the job of the coaches,in their respective teams.
they will progress,or they wont.

Depends if he's given budgets to handle and manage the thing from the top down. Who's going to decide youth contracts and the such? Will Byrne be able to implement facilities in order to aide player progression? Will Bynre liase with Bodin to discuss training schedules?

Maybe none of the above.

I hope he's given some budget to put on a giant laser beam light show at half time in the night matches though.

So have we heard owt about those lasers yet then or not? It's been a year now.

do we all still hate Dave Byrne and have theories as to why he's kept around?

Yes - I believe he has mystical powers that make all managers believe he is useful to have around - a power he shares with Michael Timlin.

Ah, well thats better than my theory.

Boeta and townenda were talking bollocks.

:D

This was passed on down from Michael Pook

Since Byrne's been moved to the reserves and youths the first team has gone from strength to strength, this is no co-incedence........seriously Shirtliff is much better assistant manager and Byrne has moved to a role that highlighted his strengths better, was a good move for all.

Its clearly a co-incidence.

The team got better because we bought in Lucas, Greer, Cuthbert, Sheehan, Darby, Douglas, Ferry, O'Brien, Ward and Austin.

Didn't we conclude earlier in the thread that it was pretty much only you that hated him? And that that was largely because of unresolved self-hatred issues stemming from your childhood that you were projecting out on to Budgie as you unconsciously look on him as the father figure who let you down? Thought so.

Well, it sounds more viable than some of the other theories!

Now i may be biased here as some will know but by that logic then is it all down to Byrne that the reserves came 2nd in the league by 1 point and won the youth league?

Nah don't be stupid DRS that wouldn't give you something to moan about would it

Don't be stupid DRS. That was all down to Bodin and whatshisname.

Byrne = pure evil.

Byrne is god.

His rant at the anoraks was class