New beginnings - 25% Truth, 80% Bollocks

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

I know I’ve been away from ‘Swindon in the flesh’ for quite a while, but I’m really looking forward to the new season.

Don’t know how long that’ll last, though!

[4D]

End of August?

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

That’s what I was thinking!

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

I know I’ve been away from ‘Swindon in the flesh’ for quite a while, but I’m really looking forward to the new season.

Don’t know how long that’ll last, though!

About 5.00pm on the 5th August if not sooner if it's anything like last season's opener...

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Anyone know what this means. Shareholding 13

[Nemo]

Is that not just our 'share' in the football league?

[horlock07]

Is that not just our 'share' in the football league?

It is just the updated confirmation statement lodged with companies house, the changes being clubs like Rochdale and Luton no longer have a share, but clubs like Southampton and Wrexham do. Nothing to see here.

[Power to people]

That is the football league 'Golden share' that is often referred to, that get's taken away the clubs a goner.

[Mooneyraker]

Two years in, shall we review Clem's 'minimum aims'?

build a sustainable Championship club

to own the County ground 50-50 with the fans [Thank you Nigel Eady]

to very significantly improve and fully modernise the County Ground

to find and fully develop our own training ground

to have the best academy outside of the Premier League

to have a young first team with high-quality players that have come through the academy

to have a fan base that is growing and where as many as possible of the children in the town and surrounding communities are Swindon fans and their heroes are Swindon players

[Batch]

There are many things that i am unimpressed with so far, best that list is more long term stuff so a bit harsh to judge yet.

Can Clem/the club finance it? Going to be a challenge

[Bob's Orange]

Two years in, shall we review Clem's 'minimum aims'?

build a sustainable Championship club - Not really sure you can judge this after 2 years. Had we gone up under Garner via the play-offs then i'd say we'd probably have made good progress.

to own the County ground 50-50 with the fans [Thank you Nigel Eady] - Job well done.

to very significantly improve and fully modernise the County Ground - I guess this is part of the one above and hopefully within 3 years we should probably see significant progress, or at least some cohesive plans.

to find and fully develop our own training ground - I mean, this is probably a fail. There has been absolutely nothing stated. Have we even done any 'looking'. Perhaps that's why Zav was in Pakistan for so long, arf.

to have the best academy outside of the Premier League - I mean this one is pretty moon on a stick territory.

to have a young first team with high-quality players that have come through the academy - ish. We do have a young first team and the academy did pretty well last season. Kanu, Minturn and Jaxon Brown are there or thereabouts in the squad. Not sure they are high-quality but there are small signs this one might happen.

to have a fan base that is growing and where as many as possible of the children in the town and surrounding communities are Swindon fans and their heroes are Swindon players - I'd say this is possibly on track. The club does seem to be in favour with the kids, they seemed to enjoy the open training session and to be fair, I think the club are doing better in their community work. Fan numbers remain pretty good (shows blind loyalty in many cases)

[BambooToTheFuture]

I'm glad you edited that BO. Was beginning to think you'd joined SAQ FC {shit at quoting' FC} 

[DMC]

Two years in, shall we review Clem's 'minimum aims'?

build a sustainable Championship club

to own the County ground 50-50 with the fans [Thank you Nigel Eady]

to very significantly improve and fully modernise the County Ground

to find and fully develop our own training ground

to have the best academy outside of the Premier League

to have a young first team with high-quality players that have come through the academy

to have a fan base that is growing and where as many as possible of the children in the town and surrounding communities are Swindon fans and their heroes are Swindon players

I would be interested to see what you think and if you think 2 years is long enough to judge them.

Day to day runnings and other things we can question as we all know the comms, the shop and plenty of other areas need looking at and improving straight away but not sure we can on those things.

Said it before and i say it again but surely people can read between the lines, you all post daily that there are clearly other influences at the club at times so maybe people like Clem and Rob are the ones keeping it on the straight and narrow and ensuring it is run better than it would be if they were not there

Just think at times we need to be careful we don't push the wrong people

[Riddick]

Two years in, shall we review Clem's 'minimum aims'?

build a sustainable Championship club

to own the County ground 50-50 with the fans [Thank you Nigel Eady]

to very significantly improve and fully modernise the County Ground

to find and fully develop our own training ground

to have the best academy outside of the Premier League

to have a young first team with high-quality players that have come through the academy

to have a fan base that is growing and where as many as possible of the children in the town and surrounding communities are Swindon fans and their heroes are Swindon players

Not fair to judge this after 2 years.

People need to stop putting the ground purchase entirely on Eady. Sure what he has provided has been awesome, but to be able to use that money Clem had to clear the debenture right? He has put in millions, or loaned at least, millions. Without the Eady money would never have been an option because of the strict structures around that trust.

I think they significantly under estimated the state of the current CG. A lot of money is having to be spent just to get it up to code, which isn't really anything to shout about, but goes someway to 'improving and modernising'.

Some of these were always pie in the sky, the best academy outside the premier league is laughable, almost as much as a sustainable championship club. Are there any long term sustainable championship clubs?

The one thing that really matters as always is success on the pitch. After a huge first season, that fell at the last hurdle, sadly things have gone backwards. People are rightly angsty about it at the moment as well. Lets wait and see.

[Mooneyraker]

It is hard to shake the feeling that we are in managed decline.

We either need news of major investment in the CG or some marquee signings to dispel the lingering smell of death around the club.