Swindon Confirm Transfer of Collins, Roberts and Williams

[Coca Fola]

My recollection is that this time last year the comment from a lot of opposition fans was more along the line of 'he'll only last 5 mins'/untried & untested/Swindon are going to regret this gamble etc.  The 'you're going bust' accusations only appeared months later when it became apparent that he had lasted more than 5 mins and that Swindon were not going to regret the gamble.  It was a fall back.

I, for one, don't want to get too complacent about the sustainability of what we're doing though.  I do believe that our spending is more sustainable than a lot of opposition fans would have us believe.  (Yesterday's signings, for example, being a case in point.  What seems to have irked Shrewsbury fans more than anything is not so much that we have taken Collins, but that we have taken him for next to nothing.)  However, we have not seen the financial statements for the season just gone (for the year ended 31/05/2012), and neither will we for some time.  Crowds are up and revenues are clearly stronger than they used to be but, until we see the numbers, we cannot really know the extent to which costs have also gone up...which, undoubtedly, they have.

I think we'll make a loss again purely because we haven't sold a player for big money this season. 2 seasons ago we sold Austin, couple of years before that Cox etc.

[tans]

Still time for ritchie to go yet

[Coca Fola]

If we could get over a million for him I'd sell him.

[kerry red]

The players coming in to the squad now are not just 'fillers' - they are proper footballers.

Another 3 like that - and we virtually know who they will be - and it will be some squad for League 1.

I reckon Preston can expect the sort of start to the season like we had last year - whether they have the funds and/or the manager to sort it out remains to be seen.

Just as an aside - can anyone honestly see us getting a shot at the PL again in the not too distant future?

[Ardiles]

Just as an aside - can anyone honestly see us getting a shot at the PL again in the not too distant future?

Emphatically, no.  The Championship is the Promised Land.  The Premiership would fuck us up.

[STFC Ian]

Re James Collins;  Like most Salop supporters, I'm sorry to see him leave.  What you'll get is 100% endeavour and a fair few goals.  I just looked at his stats for last season (sad bastard that I am), and he scored 16 from 43 matches (9 from the bench), which isn't too shabby.  Whether he is better than what you already have and are bringing in remains to be seen but I wish him well and thank him for his efforts in getting us promoted last season.
Good luck to both STFCs for the coming season.

[walcot red]

Emphatically, no.  The Championship is the Promised Land.  The Premiership would fuck us up.

again

[kerry red]

But if we go up again next season, how can the club put the brakes on progress without forcing PdC out and us ending up yo-yo-ing again.

The parachute payments for those dropping out of the PL now are far and away superior to when we had our one year.

And why cant Swindon but Swansea, Blackpool,Norwich et al can (and have)

[Swindon Please Win]

It would cost millions to make a team capable for the Premier League. Get to the Championship first the jump the gun. We're not in the Championship yet, this season won't be a walk over like a lot of predicting.

[kerry red]

Didn't see Reading, Swansea, Blackpool, Norwich spending millions getting there.

Reading are back up there again so it doesn't kill off every 'smaller' club.

And, by the way, we will piss the league again

[The Grim Reaper]

In terms of getting to the PL we would need to have had a good couple of seasons in The Championship, ideally in a much improved stadia with 20,000 fans each home game. We are a much better run club now and the people who back this club wouldnt do so if they didnt think we could reach the PL. The key would be to avoid relegation so we could become established even if it is only to the standard of Norwich, Bolton, Wigan and the likes.

[Ardiles]

Re James Collins;  Like most Salop supporters, I'm sorry to see him leave.  What you'll get is 100% endeavour and a fair few goals.  I just looked at his stats for last season (sad bastard that I am), and he scored 16 from 43 matches (9 from the bench), which isn't too shabby.  Whether he is better than what you already have and are bringing in remains to be seen but I wish him well and thank him for his efforts in getting us promoted last season.
Good luck to both STFCs for the coming season.

Thanks for that.  Delighted with the signing, obviously.  Only time will tell how it plays out for us.

For yourselves, proper rebuilding job on the cards now...as we had to do last season.  But time is very much on your side.  Collins, Wroe etc. leaving now is a better situation than all of this happening in July.  Best of luck.  I lived in Shawbury for a few years as a kid (long time ago now!) so have something of a soft spot for the area, if not the football team.

[Swindon Please Win]

Didn't see Reading, Swansea, Blackpool, Norwich spending millions getting there.

Reading are back up there again so it doesn't kill off every 'smaller' club.

And, by the way, we will piss the league again

Reading, Swansea, Norwich and Southampton did it with a bigger fan base and much better infrastructures.

Blackpool are the only team to do it who are similar in size to us fan size wise, who won the playoffs with good form.

We need to improve our stadium alot, we need to attract more season ticket holders. Which the club are trying to do. The club are obviously aiming for the Premier League at some stage, or they wouldn't be overly concerned about developing to the stadium, but if we get into the Championship because we will not "piss" the league this season, we just need to establish ourselves in the division.

[welshred]

Didn't see Reading, Swansea, Blackpool, Norwich spending millions getting there.

Reading are back up there again so it doesn't kill off every 'smaller' club.

And, by the way, we will piss the league again

We aren't comparable with Swansea, Reading, Southampton or Norwich. All get much more through the gates and have much better facilities. Swansea, Southampton and Reading's rise began when their new stadiums were built. The redevelopment of the CG will be a key part to us if we're ever to consider making it back into the Prem one day.

I've seen Swansea's rise first hand, and its incredible what Premier League football can do for a city. Would love to see Town back there one day, and actually compete.

[tans]

Reading a bigger fanbase? Youre having a laugh.

They used to get 3k at elm park ffs.