Sale of the Club

[RWB Robin]

I think the question of whether the town of Swindon has the potential and/or the will to develop with STFC at its heart is actually quite an important one for a potential investor.  STFC on its own, looking at its history, would not provide a great protfolio of evidence!  One league cup win and one season in the Premier League doesn't strike one with a huge sense of greatness, whatever that history may mean to us supporters!

The town, too, has no great story to latch on to - its railway history is significant, there were some years in the seventies when it looked as though it might 'break out' and even become a city, but that seems to have gone for good.  It is not the county town, it has little heritage (especially in architecture), and the town centre is OK but certainly has nothing in it to get excited about.

So the question is....is there real potential for creative new thinking in the town as a whole.  I know very little about the Council, but would not expect creative thinking to come from there - its a hard enough job to cope with constantly trying to cut budgets at the whim of successive governments.  But there must be entrepreneurial thinking out there, and, with the right new owner(s), STFC could and should be at the heart of that.  There is no rival to Swindon between Reading and Bristol and Southampton and Birmingham/Coventry.  Salisbury, Bath, Oxford are quite different kind of places.  There is an interesting development around the railway station/outlet centre/steam museum for which there are further plans in the offing.  The football ground is certainly within touching distance of that development (for someone with imagination....  We have, without doubt, on-field potential.  I don't know anything about Saudi tycoons (well only a little), but that kind of target would be the only obvious reason for bringing Sir W P on board, but for me it is not unrealistic, and actually quite exciting, to think that this couldbecome a real opportunity for the whole town.

[london_red]

Great post.

I think a redeveloped CG would go along way in starting to achieve greater civic pride in swindon, hopefully you would see the town centre and other areas fall in line too. Now just for someone willing to fund it...

Agreed. Evidently (as of a couple of years ago at least) 40k Swindon residents leave the town every Saturday to watch sporting events etc elsewhere. It's not just on field success, but a redeveloped CG and making the town centre a more hospitable and pleasant place to be that might help persuade a lot of them to hang around. Good for the club, good for Swindon as a whole.

[red socks]

Does this mean Curly Withers is retiring?

bit harsh mind

[Benzel]

Don't known how I feel about a Fitton return..

[kerry red]

A Fitton return would be Nottif

[Ardiles]

Andrew Fitton's biggest achievement was the creation of a back office infrastructure following the free-for-all of the Diamandis years.  It was a massive improvement.  We should still be grateful to him for that.  Didn't fare so well when it came to the football side of things (the Malpas appointment; leaving it too long before dispensing with Danny Wilson's services).  As long as the role was the right one, I wouldn't mind seeing him back at the Club at all.

[Power to people]

I think Fittomn should always be welcomed back he was the one that put the original consortium together to oust Wills, Diamandis & co, I expect he still has contacts and seeing how the club has progressed may want another go at it.

He may even be able to convince Black to hold on if he can find someone else to share the financial burden, although I dont think Black will want to give up his whole shareholding though probably want to keep a stake in case there was a way of recouping his money in the future.

[Bumpkin]

In Fitton We Trust.

[Peter Venkman]

I would welcome back Fitton and Wray, but Fitton must not be allowed to dabble in team matters but his scouting might come in useful too and he has a good knowledge of football with some "alleged" good connections.

And as for a very rich person coming in and buying us success that would take us to the top....FUCKING BRING IT ON!

I want nothing but the best for my/our club - end of story.

[Paolo69]

Andrew Fitton (and his consortium) saved my football club. He will always be welcome back!

[Arriba]

If he had learned from his mistakes then I'd like him back. Wouldn't want him involved in team matters at all though. He is no scout.

[ronnie21]

I think we may be getting a bit ahead of ourselves here, AF said the door was always open to a return to SN1, but my take is that he wouldn't have given that interview if he was a serious contender!  Anybody that got rid of big fat greek, Diamandis, is a hero in my eyes!!

[Arriba]

Actually after a bit of thought, I don't think fitton returning is a good idea. Move on not back.

[TheMajorSTFC]

Fitton and his consortium saved our club, and I'll always be very thankful for that. I'd be interested in him returning, allbeit away from the footballing side.

[Bumpkin]

Andrew Fitton commitment to Swindon Town should never ever be forgotten.
His management of the club may not have grabbed headlines and he rightly refused to spend big on an emotional rollercoaster of promotion and relegation.
He was never held to ransom, rightly or wrongly.
AF is/was/will be more important to STFC than PDC.