Notts County FC v Swindon Town FC Official Matchday Thread

[Ardiles]

Can never understand why 2nd rate comedians enjoy taking the piss out of Swindon. From an outsiders point of view (I have lived in Swindon 16 years), Swindon is distinctly average, it has its good points, and its bad, like 90% of the UK, it has plenty of nice folk and its fair share of plebs. Surely if you wanted towns and cities to abuse there are much more deserving places than Swindon?

I agree that Swindon is  average, but there's more to it than that.

Take the very bottom end of the social scale first.  Purely an observation on my part (& I have nothing in the way of evidence to back this up), but I get the impression that the very worst of Swindon's deprivation is probably not quite as bad as the worst that other towns/cities of a similar size have to offer.  Penhill, Pinehurst, Park South...most wouldn't chose to live in this places if they could afford not to, but I just don't see them in the same light as some of the more deprived areas of other cities.

And then to the other end of the social spectrum.  It's basically missing.  Not just poorly represented.  It isn't there at all.  The most expensive suburbs in Swindon are comfortably affluent, but that's it.  There are no Clifton-style townhouses worth £1 million+, for example.  And this explains why there are basically no high end shops in the town - even when compared to relatively middle of the road towns like Reading, which has a good selection of the more expensive chain stores & restaurants.  (FFS, there isn't even a branch of Waitrose!)  And also why there are no private schools in Swindon.  There can't be too many towns/cities with populations around the 200,000 mark that do not offer anything in the private education sector.

So while Swindon is average, it's average with the top bits and bottom bits missing...meaning it's average and middle of the road at the same time.  Which makes it very easy to ridicule.  Town planning, architecture - they would be my biggest gripes.  But if you can see past that, there's nothing particularly offensive about Swindon.  It's just a bit bland, unremarkable, and quite big.  An easy target then.

[Abrahammer]

It's just a bit bland

As someone who has never lived there this is exactly how I would describe the town from my outsiders perspective

[Saxondale]

You've got to remember were in a league now where there are so many metropolitan sophisticated towns and cities represented.

Crawley, Doncaster, Oldham, Stevenage, Colchester, Walsall, Bury, Scunthorpe, Hartlepool... the list goes on.

Its understandable that people take the piss out of Swindon.

Its just another town.  Shitty towns abound over our lovely green and pleasant isle.

[Arriba]

I think it's a myth that the piss is taken out of swindon more than other towns. Its just that we notice it as we have an interest in it. Agree with the average tag for it. Plenty of worse places out there for sure too. My main gripe is that the town has got so big without proper planning for the vast housing and all it brings.

[4D]

Swindon has plenty of decent shops / facilities, but they are dotted about.

Calne, even though it's a small town has a couple of supermarkets, plenty of estate agents, charity shops and hairdressers, but it severely lacks a lot of stores and facilities that a town of it's size should expect.

Although Swindon is bland, I think it provides adequately for a town of it's size.

[kerry red]

Always thought Milton Keynes was the butt of many 'jokes'.

Home is where the heart is

[pauld]

I think it's a myth that the piss is taken out of swindon more than other towns. Its just that we notice it as we have an interest in it.

Agreed. And because the Adver runs outraged "National figure has a go at us and we rise to the bait to show we're as thin-skinned as a school rice pudding shock" stories every time

[Ginginho]

If you're an away fan travelling to the County Ground, chances are you'll walk down Manchester Road. If that's all you see of Swindon then you would think it's a shit hole.

[Langers]

If you're an away fan travelling to the County Ground, chances are you'll walk down Manchester Road. If that's all you see of Swindon then you would think it's a shit hole.

Yep. Never having lived in Swindon, that is pretty much all I have seen of it as well (apart from the town centre), so i've always hoped that the rest of it is a lot better!

It's easy to see how peoples perceptions can be made from a trip to the CG.

[london_red]

Yep. Never having lived in Swindon, that is pretty much all I have seen of it as well (apart from the town centre), so i've always hoped that the rest of it is a lot better!

It's easy to see how peoples perceptions can be made from a trip to the CG.

Ditto, I've not even been into the centre.

[Bob's Orange]

If you're an away fan travelling to the County Ground, chances are you'll walk down Manchester Road. If that's all you see of Swindon then you would think it's a shit hole.

Thats quite true to be fair. I now come in from the train from London and the walk to the ground from the stadium is hardly what one would call 'a thriving metropolis'

Its much worse in the winter after the game walking back to the station.

[Langers]

Its much worse in the winter after the game walking back to the station.

Or on a Tuesday night. That is never fun.

[Bob's Orange]

Or on a Tuesday night. That is never fun.

Can't get to midweek games but I can imagine!! At least there would be plenty of people about though.

[herthab]

Yeah, cos Manny road's like really scary isn't it?
Fuck me, I can think of loads of places in the UK I'd be worried about walking down at night, but Manchester Road isn't one of them.

[joteddyred]

If you're an away fan travelling to the County Ground, chances are you'll walk down Manchester Road. If that's all you see of Swindon then you would think it's a shit hole.

To be fair, it's not just Swindon, alot of roads surrounding football grounds don't tend to be the nicest.