Newport v Swindon Town FC Official Match Day Thread

[Reg Smeeton]

Fair do's. Given this reasoning you presumably got caught out in the the early 90's looking at the European places in the Prem and all of a sudden we ended up going down, given our upward momentum at the time to that point of course. :-)

We've been mid table virtually all season then.

Stood on the terracing  v Darlo in 83/84, along with 1680 other souls I knew that one day we'd make the top flight.... I'd seen what the club was capable of when getting things more right than wrong.  However when it happened a giant spanner was thrown into the works.

I'm not sure another club has had anything like it. And although we shortly took our rightful place, it was pretty obvious we weren't really prepared for the way football was going, so no surprise that we've struggled a bit since.

Yes, mid table, although slipping to 18th briefly was the lowest place we've occupied in our history after a significant number of games.

As things stnd atm, getting back to a steady Div 3 club is about the limit of our ambition, and that's proving difficult under Power's sustainable model.

[Paolo69]

You've not always been a pessimistic bugger then? In a season we FINISHED THE SEASON only one place higher than the 18th place you consistently refer to, you seriously thought we would be playing top flight football one day? Bloody happy clapper. :-)

[suttonred]

Stood on the terracing  v Darlo in 83/84, along with 1680 other souls I knew that one day we'd make the top flight.... I'd seen what the club was capable of when getting things more right than wrong.  However when it happened a giant spanner was thrown into the works.

I'm not sure another club has had anything like it. And although we shortly took our rightful place, it was pretty obvious we weren't really prepared for the way football was going, so no surprise that we've struggled a bit since.

Yes, mid table, although slipping to 18th briefly was the lowest place we've occupied in our history after a significant number of games.

As things stnd atm, getting back to a steady Div 3 club is about the limit of our ambition, and that's proving difficult under Power's sustainable model.

I was there for that one. I ended the day needing to get seriously pissed, and did. My mate who i went with that day is with us no more sadly.

[Reg Smeeton]

You've not always been a pessimistic bugger then? In a season we FINISHED THE SEASON only one place higher than the 18th place you consistently refer to, you seriously thought we would be playing top flight football one day? Bloody happy clapper. :-)

I said that my expectation of top flight was based on what I'd seen... I started properly in 62/63, when Swindon was a proper football town, as it had been from the days of Harold Fleming etc.

83/84 seemed grim, but it reflected the times... the start of full on Thatcherism, the ramping up of the Cold War, and with it the deployment of cruise missiles, not far from Town. It was only a few years earlier that we reached a LC semi final and got so close to another final and coukld still pull out 20,000+ crowds at the CG.  That season although our lowest ever, still managed a cup run, to raise spirits, what Town specialised in.  It was the reason why I knew that one day we'd make it. Now I'm much more realistic, although there is still latent potential at the club,what it might lead to has to be more measured.

[suttonred]

As i only lived a mile from Greenham common, we used to go taunt the peace women on a friday night. Not proud of it, but it happened. Thats as about as relevant as putting those sort of comments in a football post as you do.

[Batch]

the last of those women were still there until 2000. Guess she didn't have anywhere to go, and nobody to do to.

[Robinz]

Ummmm

I also was in that crowd and previously in the visit to Newport when relegation was confirmed..
Simply could not believe what was happening.. 
Thatcher creating unemployment for fun 
My Swindon hero's in the 4th division and the pox gaining promotion.
I simply emigrated as far as I could to get away from all the shit that was happening in my life
Moved from Hagbourne via Wantage to AKL New Zealand   
COYMR's

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

the last of those women were still there until 2000. Guess she didn't have anywhere to go, and nobody to do to.

What happened to all those tampons?

[Peter Venkman]

Oldham are indeed the form team in the league with 3 straight wins.

As a further point to this stat.

In our league only Lincoln, Swindon and Macclesfield can boast being unbeaten in the last 5 games, us and Macc 2 wins 3 draws and Lincoln 3 wins 2 draws.

Maccs have FGR on Saturday.

[Peter Venkman]

Stood on the terracing  v Darlo in 83/84, along with 1680 other souls I knew that one day we'd make the top flight.... I'd seen what the club was capable of when getting things more right than wrong.  However when it happened a giant spanner was thrown into the works.

I'm not sure another club has had anything like it. And although we shortly took our rightful place, it was pretty obvious we weren't really prepared for the way football was going, so no surprise that we've struggled a bit since.

Yes, mid table, although slipping to 18th briefly was the lowest place we've occupied in our history after a significant number of games.

As things stnd atm, getting back to a steady Div 3 club is about the limit of our ambition, and that's proving difficult under Power's sustainable model.

I was one of those 1,600 odd Town fans there that day and I thought at the time how far we had fallen and how long it could take to get back up even 1 division higher, at no point did I ever think that within 6 years we would be promoted to the top flight (only to be demoted). I was stood for that game with long suffering Town fan Rob Hartley for that game too, having little idea that was very near the start of his 1,700 odd game run.

TBH I used to enjoy football back then more than I do now despite the lowly gates and crap teams playing crap football there was a real togetherness of the faithful fans. I was at Chester with about 30 other Town fans on a wet Wednesday that season in a crowd of 880, which I think is the lowest league crowd post war to watch a Town league game.

Circumstances can change so quickly in football and all it takes is that small spark of good management which appointing Macari was and I hope appointing Wellens will be even half as successful.

[Wobbly Bob]

Darlington 83/84

#metoo 

Should be a reunion one day.
A fair few of the 1681 have probably gone to a better place since then.

[Peter Venkman]

Darlington 83/84

#metoo  

Should be a reunion one day.
A fair few of the 1681 have probably gone to a better place since then.

On to better things? What a match at Spurs?

Actually my old dad is one of those that was there but has passed by the wayside...but ironically he is under the goal at the Town End anyway so I guess is is still there

[Reg Smeeton]

Darlington 83/84

#metoo 

Should be a reunion one day.
A fair few of the 1681 have probably gone to a better place since then.

Darlington are now in a worse place than us.... so let's be grateful for small mercies.

[Wobbly Bob]

Darlington are now in a worse place than us.... so let's be grateful for small mercies.

Indeed.
As far as football club owners go, they probably don't get as colourful as George Reynolds was.

[horlock07]

Darlington are now in a worse place than us.... so let's be grateful for small mercies.

I wasn't aware that Darlington had moved, its always been a bit of a dump?