Charlie Austin

[The Professor]

I remember the home games in this tournament.  The first was against Juventus at the County Ground & they put out a pretty strong side although I think that some of their first team players were already called up for the Italian World Cup squad. I remember that standing just adjacent to me in the old 'Shrivvy Road stand' were a couple of Italians, a young lad in his teens and an older man who I presumed was his father. The young lad started giving it some, telling me how Juve would score a lot of goals against this Swindon team because they were the best team in Italy.  There was no denying the Juve's teams ability on the ball but they didn't have Arthur Horsfield, Peter Noble up front or Stan Harland, Frank Burrows, Thomas & Trollope at the back. But most of all we had the Don of Dons - Don Rogers.  If I remember correctly we won 4-0 with all the above playing some great stuff.  Funny but I don't remember the young Italian lad staying for the second half - shame because he missed all the good bits.

Later in the tournament Swindon beat Juve away 1-0, a result that was almost unrecorded in the British press but was much commented on in Italy apparently. Some years later I wrote to the 'Grauniad's David Lacey when he claimed Arsenal, having won in Turin were the first British club to defeat Juventus post War on their own ground & I pointed out his error.  Never got a reply but just felt I ought to correct inaccuracies in the scribblers hasty jottings.  I still feel that the Swindon Town team of that era were never given the recognition they deserved for their exploits in Italy & winning the trophy.

Anyway, back on topic - have to say Charlie Austin is making a mockery of the gap between League One & Wessex League.  I confess to being somewhat sceptical of his being able to make the transition so successfully or so quickly but he looks so assured on the ball.  His movement and control are already there but mostly it is his ability to read situations & know where the goal is that has shown to me that he is that rare and precious commodity, a natural goal scorer. Of course other clubs are going to take a look, anyone scoring as prolifically as Charlie is doing at the moment is bound to attract attention but I hope he stays for at least two or three more seasons and enjoys success with Swindon Town FC

[Peter Venkman]

Anglo-Italian Cup

Alan Hardaker, the man who ran the Football League between 1951 and 1977, was no fan of European football. "Too many wogs and dagoes," he once charmlessly explained to the legendary football writer Brian Glanville. So it is with hilarious irony that his brainchild, the League Cup – dubbed Hardaker's Folly in its early-60s infancy – inadvertently caused the creation of two new continental pots.

In 1967, QPR had beaten West Brom in the League Cup final, but couldn't claim their place in the Fairs Cup because Uefa rules prevented the entry of third-tier teams. When another Third Division team won the same trophy two years later, Swindon beating Arsenal, the authorities decided to act. An Anglo-Italian League Cup was set up, with Swindon facing Coppa Italia winners AS Roma – whose team included midfielder Fabio Capello – and after a 2-1 loss in Rome, Town amazingly hammered the Italian giants 4-0 at the County Ground to lift the cup 5-2 on aggregate.

The whole affair was so popular that an Anglo-Italian Cup was inaugurated the following season. The winners of two six-team groups would contest a final: Swindon, Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough, West Brom, Sunderland and Wolves made up an English group; Napoli, Juventus, Roma, Fiorentina, Lazio and Vicenza the Italian one. In the final, Swindon ran riot against Napoli in the Sao Paolo stadiumm going 3-0 up after 63 minutes. And so did the home fans, throwing bottles, stones and entire concrete benches on to the pitch. The match was abandoned and Swindon won the cup by default.

[Peter Venkman]

I spoke to Joe Butler a couple of years ago about the game in Napoli, he said he was scared shitless when the trouble kicked off and the players given an armed guard back to the dressing room guarded by Police with machine guns.

Happy days.

[Arriba]

had a similar conversation with arthur horsefield about that game myself jj.
was a bit scarey to say the least from the stuff i heard.i wonder if anyone knows somebody who was in the crowd that night supporting us?

[Samdy Gray]

I'll bet Reg was there.

[Reg Smeeton]

I'll bet Reg was there.

Sadly not..think I may have been in the middle of A levels at the time.

[Don Rogers Shop]

Did you pass reg?

[DiV]

Probably, but I bet he was expecting to fail.

[jonny72]

On a Forest forum they're debating whether Austin is worth £250k or not;

http://www.forestforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=40195.0

[DiV]

he's been lucky apparently.

was it Ian Rush who once said the harder I work the luckier I am.

[Arriba]

someone must have told that to jpm this season

[Batch]

Surely clubs aren't serious looking at Austin YET, he's only started played 7 league games FFS. 250k would be some risk. 

[jonny72]

250k would be some risk. 

I'd say its somewhat academic as Fitton would never let him go in January for £250k - I doubt he'd even bother returning phone calls unless they were talking 7 figures, which of course is not going to happen.

If Austin keeps scoring and keeps improving he'll end up going for more than we got for Cox.

[Weasel]

On a Forest forum they're debating whether Austin is worth £250k or not;

http://www.forestforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=40195.0

That thread links to this one too. Weird.

[Reg Smeeton]

That thread links to this one too. Weird.

What's weird is someone thinking they might get some sense on the TEF.