Thetownend.com

Confirmed he's ripped up his contract.

Awful awful news but one can imagine he's struggling to prioritize football when he's not financially motivated and there's no fans. New born kid, growing business interests... All add up to a complete lack of motivation perhaps. Fingers crossed we hear more from MD.

Personally gutted and wish him all the best.

gutted. going to be hard to replace.

all the best Doughts

Personal and family issues. Very sad.

Good luck to him and thanks for his efforts.

Hope he's alright. Not the kind of thing anyone does lightly, even if you have got plenty in the bank.

Shame and hope it wasn’t a spur of the moment thing. Still seems odd to do pre season then decide but I’m sure more details will come out in time...

hard work being a pro football player and running an investment company. Ironic, as there was a story in the mail about him today

Wellens said his mrs was struggling with new born when away on pre season tour

Really like Doughty - a great shame and I wish him well...

Gutted, that's shocking news, hope his personal issues get resolved

Seems the week away from his fam up in Manchester really got to him.

Money is not everything as we all know. I’m sure you’re right that it has not been a spur of the moment decision and listening RW we all hope that his wife, newborn and the rest of the family are all ok, now and going forward.

Shame but as others have said family comes first. Best of wishes to him

Really sad to lose Michael Doughty but his family comes first. Hope all ends happily for them and thanks for some great moments

Wish him all the best.

My favourite player. Will miss him but as others are saying, family comes first (and happiness).

Thanks for Macclesfield at home August 2018, one of my favourite endings to a match.

Family come first and hope all is well and thanks for the great memories all the best for the future

Will be missed on the pitch and has been a good player for us. Have no complaints with him deciding to do this - there are bigger things than football. I’m glad that it all sounds amicable between him and the club, and if he’s walked away from his contract that’s a measure of the man (albeit he can maybe afford to do that more than most)

Maybe when the dust settles and there been some reflection Doughty may well want to invest in Town. He appears to be an incredibly honourable bloke and your family (regardless of employment) is the first priority. Especially considering Doughty losing his Father earlier than most. Perhaps he wants to make sure he spends time with his and of course being there for his wife too.

I'm not sad in footballing terms because there is always bigger fish to fry.

I just hope that Doughty, his wife and the little one are all ok. Cracking player. The English Pirlo will be remembered fondly here (yes the "Doughty...who?" was very much T-i-C earlier on). I do think in time, Matt Smith can be an even better player but this thread isn't about the Arsenal lad. Doughty, take a bow fella.

Invest?

How about write something regarding the player? You know, something that reflects his contribution to Town rather than nitpicking one word out of my post.

I don't have anything to say that hasn't been covered above so it would largely be needless repetition.

put (money) into financial schemes, shares, property, or a commercial venture with the expectation of achieving a profit.

"the company is to invest £12 m in its manufacturing site at Linlithglow"


hth

That's helpful. I think that the usual view is that football clubs do not often yield much of a return.

When mentioning a human has contributed to something, in mostly a positive way there is never any reason not to add your own personal spin on it.

I guess you don't wish people Happy Birthday/Christmas/Easter then because everyone else already has said it?

Weird to comment on the thread at all really then. Let's actually just keep this one "Doughty". Dick.

Michael, you will always be Swindon.  Don't stay away.  Don't be a stranger.  You should be proud of what you helped achieve at a football club that has seen better days.  You were part of it.  You'll always be welcome back.

Thank you.

Maybe another break from the TEF might help.

Returning to the topic, it may not be outside the realms of possibility that he might return to playing at some point.  

Doughts gave his all as a town player & for that I’ll be forever grateful. I hope whatever is his issues are resolved ASAP.

https://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/news/2020/september/club-statement--michael-doughty/

Personal reasons do not necessarily mean issues or problems.

I wish him all the best.

This is true Samdy. Maybe he has felt more motivated behind his recyclable trainer business and didn’t feel he could do both. Time will tell.

I’m sure whatever he does will be a success.

Spot on.

He is young enough to make a return. I understand that many, if not all, professionals would like to return to the game if they could.  That said, I acknowledge that he doesn't fit the mould of the average footballer.

Loved watching Doughty play. Wish him all the best

As everyone has said, thanks Doughts and all the best for the future, some things are more important than football.

You are smart and well educated as well as being financially secure without the need for football, he has a young baby, he was communting 3 hours a day and he has not been the same player since his awful illness.

Good luck, you will always be part of STFC lore, on your day there is no better midfielder.

Thank you.

I hope that everyone that was accusing him of throwing his toys/having a hissy fit are now eating their own shoes.

Great man, great servant to the club, will be missed on and off the pitch.
Let’s hope the club have left the door open for a return in the future.

Well said and the game he will always be remembered for.
Always had time for the fans and met him on the train so many games coming home.
Hope he settles and comes back with a proper chance to say goodbye.

^^^^ not really, that read just the rumour and reported as such.

Michael Doughty has been a great player fir the club  much loved by almost all the fans, and respected by thstaff and players. Yet football has still - in whatever way - got him down. I hope we will remember this in making our often trenchant, critical comments about other less well-regarded players. Few if any do less than their best. They all want to make their name. The pressures, especially on younger lower league players is often immense, unseen and misunderstood. There is very real and justified concern about mental health issues across the game.

Good luck Doughty.
Was the player I have most enjoyed watching in recent times and was intrigued to see how his clever brain would help us this season. Family first. Hope all is well.

A classy player and seemed a really classy guy whenever he spoke in public. Such a shame to see him go, both because he was well liked by the fans and because he was an important part of the XI and our success.  Good luck getting things back in order, and thanks for your time in a Town shirt.

Edit: reading that article below, it’s easy to forget we’re talking about a guy who lost his Dad before he was 20. People shouldn’t reference his wealth as much - it doesn’t matter. I’m sure he’d swap all that in a moment.

Wellens taked of his wife and new baby. Speculating but it can be a big change for a new mum, and him being away so much....

whatever, I hope they get it so sorted over time and that he gets back to football one day as he's got time (if he indeed wants to)

Brilliantly put.  Thank you.

Shame.  Ive often quoted him recently saying 'Worrying is like praying for something to go wrong'.  Great player, who loved the club.  I guess he was an outsider in a way as well.  Not a lot of public school players. 

Here here.
It’s like we treat them differently, like robots and never once stop to think that they are no different to any of us. They are human beings after all with feelings.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/[nobbc]s/www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8723677/amp/Doughty-stepped-elite-public-school-muck-nettles-lower-league-football.html[/nobbc]

Dated just yesterday.

My favourite player. Will be welcomed back anytime he wants. I really hope he can get his personal issues resolved.
All the bests Dought's and thank you.

There'll always be a place for you at Swindon Town. On the field, or in the stand.  You've earnt that.

Thanks for the memories, for being the only bright spark in some dark days and for coming back to be part of the bright days, too.

Nothing but best wishes.

Cheers, Michael, you'll be missed.

:pint:

Amongst my rammle, I did reference this but some on here prefer to target unnecessary elements of my posts down to just one word. Absolutely though. Anyone would swap it all just to even have an hour with those they've lost. I'm sure wherever his Father may be, he will be incredibly proud of him.

Some of these tributes to Doughty are a credit to the true Supporters of this crazy football club.
Nice touches and well deserved.

Selfishly, from a Swindon town football club position, I think it takes a difficult decision about wage allocation out of Wellens/powers hands and possibly frees up some money elsewhere. On paper, the two central midfielder positions are well stocked for bodies, if not equal quality. Grant, lyden, m Smith, Palmer, jayesimi (with the caveat of requiring two defensive bodies behind him). Even conroy has played there before if we were in a real pinch

devastated to see him go. a real class act, i have posted numerous times regarding our win ratio with and without him the last few years and the difference is incredible. a huge loss and these players dont come around too often. can unlock teams with some magical pass and movements.

it is noticeable that he hasn't retired just left the club. might be leaving the door open for the future you never know

I know it’s easy to say in hindsight now, but I actually said to my old man the other week I can see him being in and out of the side now he’s got his trainer business.
There is no doubt about it he came to Swindon because he wanted to be at Swindon. We all know he’s not short of money so we should he proud he chose our club to play for. He was to good for league 2, at his best he’s to good for league 1. So we should be thankful that he played for us as long as he did.
He’s probably technically the best footballer to wear the shirt in the last 5 years.

Nice comment Quag. :clap:

Concur 100%.

Agree.
Class act
Good luck Michael.
Welcome at Town anytime

3 for the No. 3 - an unforgettable afternoon.

More significant though was Doughty's incisive passing and, I suspect, the effect of his unrelenting focus and confidence on younger team members last season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7MlYvyTK1w

For much of his time here he was always the first name to go on the team sheet.
A classy player we were fortunate to have at our club.
I wish him and his family all the very best.

First I hope he is ok and whatever issues have caused this decision are swiftly sorted / dealt with.

I don’t know whether this is a career break for Michael or retirement, either way I hope there is always a place for him back at STFC in which ever capacity suites him.

Hoping he'll expand his fortune further before eventually buying STFC.

a big fat sponsorship deal from his by then bigger than Nike trainer company

Take care of your family first and foremost, they must come first. Good luck, take care you know you’re welcome back at any time.

And yourself, of course, Michael!  All the best, whatever your future holds, and thanks from all of us! :bye:

A brilliant man, and one whose time at the club will always be viewed with fondness. A class act on and off the pitch.

I wish him and his family well.

Having read through the thread I think everyone on here appreciates the quality shown by him and knows that a replacement with someone of the same ability will prove very difficult as he has been one of the best midfielders seen in a Town shirt for quite a few years.

Whatever he does in the future I trust it all works out well for him.

Bloody crying shame.

Good luck to him.

I was gutted when I heard the rumours, was gutted when it was confirmed, and I'm still gutted now. One of those players that just kinda clicked with the fans, a big part of the team last year... he'll be a big miss, but family comes first, they have to. Hope all is well with him and his family, and look forward to the Hummel-equalling Hylo Swindon kits to come!

Hard to speculate without knowing the full details. As they touched upon on Loathed Strangers flash pod, it's not easy becoming a new parent at the best of times - factor in the uncertainty of a global pandemic and being far away from a newborn when the usual support systems aren't available to you...

Doughty worked hard to win a place in Wellen's side and play physically last year. Think he partnered with Grant well. Wasn't there a trialist that Richie said was 'very much like Doughty' and that he 'didn't need two' - think that was George Williams?

Ben Reeves he meant

Bugger, he's signed for Plymouth

I see as well the mystery sand dune trialist was Dan Gardner, played for Wigan against Ipswich. Not sure if he was ever otherwise identified.

I assume Stephen ireland is dead

(the deal, not the man)

You'd have to double check with that guy anyway.

Yeah, Wellens confirmed in TOTT

No Custos from me.
Thank you Michael.