Thetownend.com

I wasn't born in Swindon and I've never lived there. I was born in Wiltshire and lived here all my life, that is why I follow the Town. What is your excuse (reason)  :) ?

Born in swindon, lived here most my life, ended up going to some games.

In the hope they'll offer me the manager's role again.

Never lived in swindon,never lived anywhere near wiltshere. mother dragged me to a few games whilst visiting family,was there when we drew against walsall to gain promotion & thought "fuck it,im a swindon town fan".

Because my dad took me and it was, and still is, exciting.

Born in Swindon, lived locally all my life. 
Third generation Town fan. 
Started in the late 60s. 
Lived the dream ever since.

Lived in Swindon for a few years.

The team:

Downsborough, Thomas, Trollope, Butler, Burrows, Harland, Heath, Smart, Horsfield, Noble and Rogers.


This followed a team with Mike Summerbee on one wing, Don Rogers on the other and Ernie Hunt in the middle, it's enough to make a grown man cry.

Nuff said.

My Dad is a Blackpool fan, but having moved down here he took me to see one or two games at the County Ground. After going a couple of times I was old enough to realise I had to choose a team to support. I was going to choose wither Swindon or Man U, and thankfully I avoided becoming a 5-year-old plastic!

Never lived in Swindon, but am a Wiltshire native - my dad supported Swindon (he doesn't anymore).

My dad follows Chippenham, my older brother kind of supports Manchester United and one of my younger brothers supports Newcastle.

None of my family do. I went when i was little but lost interest, then started going again a few years ago, saw us beat sheffield wednesday 4-1 in the cup, then beat hull 4-2, and was hooked.

please tell me he's very ginger also?

my dad isn't a swindonian but was raised here following town and admiring liverpool. i was taken to watch them loads as a kid and that's pretty much how i've spent every weekend since

Wiltshire born and bred and have always lived in West Wilts. Thought I was an Arsenal fan until my then brother in law took me to see Town destroy Brighton 3-0 infront 6500 at the CG in 1988.
Hooked as soon as I stepped foot in the ground to be honest. All paper round and pocket money was spent on Town from then on. That season was a good'n stood in the old Shrivvy Road. Fucking Palace broke my heart.

Born in Swindon with the family having some kind of connection one way or another,my grandad used to be something to do with the club like on some sort of committee,hence i used to get in free,my first games was reserve games until he thought i was old enough to go to first team games,along with my mum being good friends with Keith Morgan and knowing Cliff Puffet really well my baptism carried through to this day.

I could have gone and been a glory hunter like most of my friends who go and support liverpool week in week out but winning nearly every game just aint the same,I need the rollercoaster with the ups and downs.

Born in Swindon and my Great Grandfather (Bob Menham) played in goal for them at the start of the 20th Century so have family ties

Dad supported Swindon, took me as a small child to see a thrilling 0-0 versus Hull City in 1979 (Steve MacLaren was in the Hull team) been hooked ever since.....

I was a glory seeker and decided id follow a Premiership Team and as I lived in Wiltshire I went for Swindon! That was a few years back!

dad was QPR and took me until i was 7 then money became too much, next door neighbour was a swindon fan and had no kids, asked if i wanted to go, was hooked immediately. The very same season there was a school trip to see Oxford, went along and even though i was only 7 or 8 years old it felt horrible and wierd there. Hooked to swindon now for 30 years. In the last few years its gone full circle and now my dad is hooked to swindon too and hasnt been to QPR for years.

I had a mate who used to come to Swindon all the time, then when things started going a bit wrong (Quinn/Todd era) he decided to go and support Arsenal.... weird non?

Pretty much for the same reason - and my Dad was an avid supporter and took me.

mum and dad lived in Burford and supported the Town but i was born in Scumford.
Loads of mates are Scum fans sowas torn between who to support.

Dad took me to see Swindon v Oxford ('89 i think) and basically said whoever wins you support.
Swindon won 3.0 and the rest is history.

My friend Jamie has a similiar story.  Lived in Oxfordshire as a kid.  When one of his birthdays was approaching his parents approached Oxford United and STFC to see whether they could do anything for a group of kids on a match day.  Oxford responded with a half-arsed effort involving £1 off match tickets or something.  STFC promised a full stadium tour, meet a few players, party hats and a mascot package.  Jamie and his younger brother have been Oxfordshire die hards ever since.

Born in Swindon, raised in oxon but moved back to chip when I was about 7.  Went to see chippenham as a kid (still go occasionally) but when I was old enough to go myself I thought Id go to to my local league club which was Swindon.

Been going since, had a lax patch when I was a student / working in Leicester / london / northampton but always still supported the team (whilst not being able to afford to go).  Now back in Nam so going again.

Lived in a village near Stroud in my youth. My father, before I was born, used to go with my uncle and step-grandfather to watch Bristol Rovers (which was their closest league team). My uncle moved nearer to Bristol and used to watch Bristol City when Rovers were playing away. He took me to my first ever game - Bristol City vs Ipswich (The Robson years with Cooper (who saved a penalty that day - just for a change!), Wark, Mariner, Geddis, Wymark, Mills, Beattie, Muhren, Tysen etc) followed by a FA Cup 3rd round tie between City & Wrexham (4-4 with City blowing a 2-0 lead then coming back from 2-4 down due to substitute Peter Cormack's double). So, because of this I started down the path of following City and learning about Rovers (Bannister and Warboys era) so I could have something to talk about with my step-Grandad.

However, in the late 70s/early 80s a number of the older kids from the adjoining villages started to go watch the Town, while the rest of us multi-tasked by playing footie, listening to footie on the radio and watching the local village side play. (For the ladies here, you should realise that multitasking is a skill that boys lose at adolescence - No man multitasks!)

Remember a lonely Saturday afternoon when EVERYONE in the gang had gone to see Swindon. I was left alone to watch Chalford Reserves!!! I listened avidly to the radio to find out snippets of what the gang were seeing - From that moment I was hooked and eventually attended my first game - a disappointingly dull and boring 0-0 draw against a piss poor Port Vale side (I think). The game and result didn't matter. I had gone through the rite of passage and saw all of the older lads who had been disappearing from the villages on a Saturday for the first time in ages. I was now part of this select group. I could not go back, I was now a loyal fan! Little did I know that we were about to experience the wonder years as part of Lou Macari's Red & White army, which would see me travel the length and bredth of the country and bring me years of happiness!

Mine is boring but probably typical. Dad had & has no interest in any sport, so my influence was from friends at school. This was in 1970 just after we'd won the cup so, there was only one team in the local area to support. Went to the first games I think in 1970/71, although I can't remember too much other than the Town end always being packed.
I have never really understood how anyone who was born & bred in Wiltshire can support any other team. My hatred for Bristol City arose from an incident at that time when a Sh1tty supporter, asked by brother (aged 10) who he supported. (He had a red & white scarf). On the answer "Swindon mister" he was beaten up.

[NMH]  #### me.  I was going to post something as well, but I can't follow that.

I've lived in wokingham all my life, so should really have been a Reading fan, but when I was a kid they were rubbish and their ground was a dump, it just wasn't an enjoyable experience. I used to watch Wokingham Town instead, they were in the Vauxhall Opel League in those days (late 80s), the league below the conference, and their ground was a short walk from my parents house. At 10-11 I played a bit on Saturdays, so didn't really get to watch a lot of football. Me and my dad used to get free tickets to see Palace as I was with their centre of excellence. On spare saturdays that I wasn't playing, we'd watch wokingham, but then started picking up the odd Swindon game. Still don't really know why. Swindon wasn't too far and seemed like a nice club, I guess. Me and my dad became proper fans - went regularly and actually started caring if they won and lost –  when Ossie Ardiles came to the club. My dad had watched Spurs and Fulham growing up and had a soft spot for both, and he was a big fan of Ossie. We loved it and went back the next week, and the week after that. We kept going back, and then Hoddle joined, who had been my hero as a young lad. My first proper season going every week, home and away, was 91-92.

Taken from this thread (http://thetownend.com/index.php/topic,27402):

My dad's side of the family are all from Alton in Hampshire but my nan and gramp moved here when my gramp left the army in the 70's. My dad's a Chelsea supporter (spit) and my gramp supported and played for Southampton, growing up in Alton they were his local club.

My mum's side of the family have lived in Purton for at least 4 generations. None of them football fans.

I have my uncle (on my mum's side) to thank for getting me into supporting Swindon. He has been going since the late 70's, was (and still is to some extent) a bit of a lad. I think Spencer White probably knows him. He used to take me in the early 90's when you used to get kids in for free on an adult season ticket and then when it was kid for a quid.

Born in Swindon to a family of Swindon supporters.

My dad was a 20 year season ticket holder before I first went to a game in 74 as an 8 year old and he stayed a season ticket holder right up till he moved to Liverpool in 86.

My grandad was a supporter back in the heyday of the 1910 - 1912 cup semi finalists and passed all the old programs from those games over to my dad who subsiquently lost them as a child in WWII!

My Great Grandad was a lay pastor at Christ Church the time of William Pitts founding of the club and my Great Great Uncle was Jimmy Edmunds who played for Swindon in the 1890's and became trainer at the club for a few seasons.

Can't ever imagine supporting anyone else now and never will.

 Cos... we're by far the greatest team the world has ever seen...

From the other thread.  (It's still stands!)

Forces child.  We moved every three years while I was growing up.  My Dad had a Lyneham posting in the early 1980s during which time my parents bought a house in West Swindon - still a building site in those days.  Moved away soon after but returned three years later for another 6 years (1986-92) and it was during that period, my teenage years, that I started watching STFC.

I have no family connections with Swindon and neither I nor any other family members live in the town these days either.  If anything, the family history is much more closely connected with Reading/Wokingham and the surrounding area.  So while I'm not really very attached to Swindon any more, I'm umbilically attached to STFC - as are several of my brothers and sisters.  Whether we manage to pass this on to the next generation remains to be seen.

Yeah there was another thread about this pretty recently wasn't there?

Born and bred in Swindon, Mum and Dad not interested in football so went with my Grandad and cousins. Loved playing footie as a kid and now emotionally attached to STFC. Now got 2 small kids and will encourage (sorry force) them to follow STFC and ignore the Premiership as it trys to envelop youngsters.

My local team and Dave Mitchell got me free tickets. :D

My grampy supported town as does my dad as do I and now as does my boyfriend and my godsons as will my kids whether they like it or not!

Swindon born and bred, was taken to my first games around 1995 by a friends dad.

Up until the age of about 6 my dad used to take me to go and see Bolton.It was at this time that my Grandad took me and my brother to one side and said " look lads, I think you should know neither of you were born in Bolton, and in my opinion you should be supporting the club from the Town you were born."

the following conversation with my mum is exactly how it happened  

Me: Mum, where was I born? Grandad reckons I should support the club from where I was born.

My lovely mum: Does he now, your dad's not gonna be pleased about that.

Me: well where was I born then?

My lovely mum: Swindon

Me: No seriously, where was I born?

My lovely mum: I told you, Swindon.

Me: I'm not laughing here, just tell me honestly.

My lovely mum: You were born in Swindon

(sound of my Grandad pissing himself laughing in background)

Me: oh for fuc......

My lovely mum: Get to your room!

looks like a few wokingham reds on here.

My kids will also be supporting swindon.

Lived in Swindon for a few years in the 80's and early 90's. Went a few times when Macari was manager but got hooked after watching Ossie's team. Haven't lived anywhere near Swindon since 1992 and seen some absolute shite over the last 17 years, but Swindon's my team and always will be.

Born in Pompey (forces), but moved to Swindon area when still a babe; but no-one in my family interested in football.  went away to school where everyone supported either Pompey or Plymouth (navy school), and decided in 1968.....must get interested.   Not a bad season to start supporting Town!  Suffered hugely on 15 March 1969 at school, but it spurred me on!  Since adulthood have never lived close to Swindon (and am now in the far north of Scotland!, but always tried to get to local teams when Town were playing, which involved highspots - 3-3 at Fulham with Moore, Marsh and Best playing against us...the best game of football I've ever seen....and lowspots - 1-0 defeat at Huddersfield season before last, probably the worst I've ever seen!!

Could never ever change my allegiance regardless of how frustrating; but do always look out for Hereford, bcos I was their chaplain for a while just after the Hillsborough disaster.  Love feeling a part (even from great distance) of my 'home' club and cannot stand the fair weather supporters, or those who just chase the big successful clubs.

Swindon born and bred. Coming from Irish stock and my parents being part of the London overspill in the 50's they had no lyalties and weren't football fans. My oldest brother was Chelsea and took me to my 1st game in 1971 - my 2nd game was home v The Arse in 72. Went on and off until 76 when I went regularly with some mates in the Town End and was hooked. The TE was great fun in those days.
My oldest brother died 18 months ago but if it wasnt for him I may not have had the fun I have had following Town.
My 14 year old daugher is proud to be Town and has a ST. My 10 year old is also Town and goes occasionally. I'm also proud that they have no Prem team - they are just Town. My 7 year old lad isn't interested yet but I hope he will do when he's ready.   

Got into football as a youngster none of the family was into football but decided I wanted to watch football used to listen on the radio before I was old enough to go on my own started going to see Swindon with a freind and started to go more and more often on my own until I just had the bug and was addicted

swindon born and bred. my parents are not big football fans, my mum used to go in her youth(upper tier of the shrivvy road)and her father was a big stfc fan who was a regular(gutted he died when i was 2 so i never got to hear the tales from himself)
i was football mad from a young age with no gentle shoving from parents.it was just in me i suppose.liked liverpool until i went along to my first town game with my cousins aged 11 and that was that.

Thank you (but I'm glad you did). Interesting how everyone has personal stories.

Moved here when I was 16,went with a lad I was working with and got hooked.Ive fallen in and out of it over the years though.

Born in PMH. Dad and Granddad were both big fans. Still go with my dad to games.

I live 5 mins from the CG. Family not interested in football, but went with a mate of my dad's for my first game in Jan '81 (v Exeter, 3-1 win). Would go on and off in the next few years, but in October '84 joined the Junior Robins (paying 50p a game), and I haven't missed a home game since (includes friendlies and tin pot trophy games).

Family Connections for me, Parents were married in St James Church and was born in Malmesbury. (No i don't have six toes )

Have lived in and around North Somerset for 30 years, supported Leeds as a boy, saw them a few times at Trashton Gate in Shitty's Div 1 days. First Swindon live game with my dad in 76, Grimsby 3-0 home wn. Been doing the 100 mile round trip for most home games ever since. Made for great banter at school.
 

Born and bred in Swindon. Family moved to the town in the 19th century. My grandad took me to my first game in 1968 but then, from the age of 12, used to go in the Town End on my own. The pride, already instilled by the Arsenal & Roma games, was cemented when 3 Sheff Utd kids tried to nick my scarf & bobble hat. The ensuing tussle spilled onto the TE car park where one of them wrecked his head on a car bumper having accidentally tripped, honest officer innit. Haven't lived in Swindon for 30 years but my heart is still there.

I was born in Swindon and my Dad's supported the Town all his life and he took me to my first Swindon game in '86. Although the first 'proper' professional game I saw was the world famous derby grudge match between Forfar and Arbroath, whilst on holiday.

That's an incredible record.  No idea how you manage it.  I know I never could.

after saturday i wondered why,
after tuesday i knew why.

 Indeed an achievement. There's a guy who lives & works near me who hasn't missed a single Burnley match in 35 years. If he can't get a lift to a home game (45 miles) then he cycles. He's adopted the surname 'Burnley' : things came to the crunch when he wanted to name his daughter Clarette Ann Blue. His wife won the toss. Now simply Clarette Burnley...and she aint getting a bike for Christmas !

My dad always enjoyed a bet (Nashwan bought us a washing machine one, for example), and for the Derby, Oaks and Grand National I got to choose a horse, my dad paid the bet, but of course if it won I got the winnings (including stake money).  So at the age of 11 my dad asks me who I think will win all four divisions.  I pick Liverpool in the First, Shrewsbury (!) in the second, can't remember the Third, and Swindon in the Fourth.

I'm sure by now you can guess which season this was...as the season progressed, Swindon kept on winning before returning a record number of points.  My dad's bet was in the bag, finally after taking his winnings I was giving something back...except...in his own words 'I'm not stupid enough to put money on what an 11 year old says.'

I, however, have spent an absurd amount of money based on what an 11 year old says, although as that 11 was me, I guess I can have no complaints.

I have no connections to Swindon or Wiltshire, indeed my first trip to Swindon was to the CG and I have never gone to Swindon for any other reason.  A disucssion with Lucien Sanchez, leads me to think I have only spent 3 or 4 nights in Swindon in my entire life.  Still, see you at Wolves.

Haha, cracking story Donkey!

I was born in Cirencester and moved to Swindon when a tot. Both my brothers are staunch Town fans and would have beaten the shit out of me if I didn't follow (fair enough I guess !). First game as a six year old was V Northampton at the CG and I got gobbed on by a Northampton bone head (don't think he was actually aiming at me) so felt truly initiated, my bruv that took me thought this was hilarious.....and Town won as well !

I support Swindon because i was born and bred here and believe you should support your home town team. Swindon born, Swindon bred, stron in the arm and thick in the head.

Born right out in the sticks at the mighty Hankerton.  Always interested in sport, parents moved down from London at the end of the 2nd world war.  Mother was an Arsenal fan, father West Ham.  I "adopted" Swindon when I contracted a mild dose of tb and had to travel to Swindon once a month to have it checked out.  I am sure we went to Milton Road for that.  Followed the town ever since, about 55 years now!  Even travelled back from East Anglia on a fairly regular basis to watch "my" team for 14 years before moving back to Swindon in 1987 and got a season ticket for the first time in 1988, which I kept up for many years until I became a little pissed off with the King years.  Back with a season ticket for the last two years although a certain Bushey Boy was responsible for my falling in love with STFC again!

Dad a season ticket holder since the sixties with a few years break in the 80s - moved away for work.  I was brought up in Swindon and he took me for the first time in 1990 - a draw with Blackburn if I remember rightly.  Never looked back.  Stopped going a year ago as I couldn't afford the travel and I'm moving to Shropshire.  Dad still going strong and I get back when I can.

Don't think you ever lose the bug once you've caught it.

Supporting Swindon is a lot like having the aids.

Well no - clearly its not as common.

That's true. Don't think it's covered by the NHS either.

I support Swindon because when my parents split up when I was about 15 my Dad moved there. When I went to visit my dad we would go to watch town play. The first game I went to see was Swindon v Brentford (I think). I remember us winning 3-0 though and i've been hooked for the last 10 years! we both go to every home and away game possible now and have done for a while.

I got tickets when I was at Junior school and got my Grandad to take me as he is the only one of the family in Swindon that likes football(Rest are Cockneys)! Been going ever since really!!

Dad's a town fan, has been all his life, he managed to get my grandad hooked some time ago too.  It honestly never occured to me to support anyone else.

First game was in '85 ish, against sunderland i think, upon leaving dad asks if i enjoyed it, i said i liked the first game but the second was boring.

I was born in Poxford and have lived in North Poxfordshire all my life. But thank the lord my grandfather (RIP) was from Wantage and an avid Town fan. He took my dad to games from the late 1950's onwards.

I attended my first Swindon match in 1987 and thats where the love affair began..

...My early Town experiences were very "Fever Pitch" because if I was at a Swindon Town game it was because it was due to my dads one-weekend-a-month divorce settlement thing and even then it was only if it was Kid-a-Quid or because dad really wanted to see a certain match!

I've never, ever been a regular to the County Ground but I've been addicted since I was six years old.

Born and bred in Chippenham. Supported Liverpool as a nipper in the 70's and begged my dad to take me to a game. As a non-football fan, he refused. I kept nagging. So he took me to Swindon. 1977, against Sheffield Utd, we won 3-2. That was it, the start of a 32 year old love affair, and still going strong.

My dad has never been to another game since.

http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/footprint/StrangeButTrue.asp
And indeed your great grandad features on the fith one down on this link!

As for me i was born in Southampton.......but braught up in Swindon mainly,my first ever match had me hooked and i spent many years going to most away matches as well.....i dont get the same buzz watching any other team play......including England.

Born and bred in Melksham. Brownings used to run a coach to home games, and my dad took me along to see Swindon v Leeds in 1962-63 and I was hooked.

The scary thing is, Brownings also used to run a coach to Bristol City home games too... the thought that Dad might have taken me there instead, and I might have become a slave trader, is almost to terrible to countenance.

Born in Swindon, moved away when i was 20 months old, not that i remember that.

My Dad watched from the early 50's on the stratton bank, went with his dad, i went to my first match aged 8 in 1976 (on a family visit back to Swindon) and we beat Shrewsbury 3-0, Don Rogers played (one of his few second appearances) but i can't remember much about it at all.

My main memories from that age are my uncle dropping my granddad and me off in his council van, and whilst he went to park, my granddad went to buy his fags from the corner shop then off up into the North Stand where the most mild mannered man you could ever meet smoked his way through the whole packet, and showed me where he let all his aggression out, did he get stressed/angry etc!

I've always followed Swindon although i didn't see many matches till i turned 18 and got my first car, so i could get to the county ground more easily. Luckily for me i timed that just right as the next few years were some of the best Town have experienced and i saw most of the matches.

Don't get to so many matches now, money/mortgage/family all come into it, but still can't beat the excitement of watching town.

Bob Menham had a cracking moustache too :)

Was born in Reading but moved to Chippenham when I was 2...  stayed there til I was about 9, then just after I moved away I got into football in a big way, and had an urge to go see Swindon play.  Saw a dire 1-0 home defeat against Oldham despite Oldham having 10 men after about 20 minutes...  I was hooked!  My dad took me that week but couldn't take me the following week, so endured a 6 hour round train journey to see us beat Mansfield 2-1 at home and end a 7 game losing streak...  I believe Eric Sabin scored the winner!  :D

Its an hereditary illness which I have now passed on to my lad

Leefer, is Bob Menham any relation to John Menham, the celebrity disabled supporter who never seemed to miss a game home or away.  I know his father died a couple of years ago, so don't know whether he goes any more.

as christy hasn't beaten me to it...

i go because my dad gradually brainwashed me.

he moved to oxfordshire from ireland as a little boy, started going on (cherry's?) coach to swindon from west oxon and has been going ever since.

my first game was in 1990 but never really went regularly until i saw us play in feb 2002 when we drew 0-0 against reading and became more interested. started going with my dad, then got involved with running the scoreboard and things have gone downhill ever since.

Was born at PMH,and lived in Hungerford up until I was 19.

Was a bit of a late starter with football, started getting into it when I was about 8-9 and my parents friends took me to a few West Brom games - but only a couple of a season.

Then at the start of the 94-95 season me and a mate were going to start getting the train into Reading to start watching games at Elm Park but my Mum wouldn't let me (thanks Mum!).  But as a compromise my Dad took me to start seeing Town as they were our local team - was in about Oct/Nov 94 vs Tranmere and we drew 2-2.

After that my Dad would take me 3-4 times a season until I was old enough to drive myself and started following us home and away as much as possible!

Wouldn't change it for the world - and can't thank my Mum enough for stopping me from becoming a plastic fan!!

There's a lot of "thanks Dad" on this thread, including from myself - nice to see a Mum getting an honourable mention!

Lived in Wootton Bassett all my life, so it makes sense, and despite half the family (the Northern side....) takin me to a few Man United games as a kid, i saw sense and soon enough caught the Swindon bug  :] Boooyah!

Ah yeah, it was my Mum as well who, despite being from 'the Northern side' of the family, took me to Swindon games as a youngster. So.....Thanks Mum!

My dad didn't take me enough... Shame on him.

That was my first match too....I stood in the Town End. Four of us went together (one was an Oxford fan) he was mocked well during the journey home  :D

Lived in Melksham, uncle who is Town fan used to take me when i was 5,

had trials for Swindon in goal when i was 7, got into matches for free, used to come odd game untill was 12,

12-17 had season tickets

when was 17 went first away game, city away 2-1 win, been hooked since, love swindon

this thread is a really good read

You nI probably went to a few of his games.

It was the same score in 1969 (69/70 season), but holy crap did Hull have a midfield.

I think I am typical-ish. My parents are both from Swindon though they've never lived there while I have been alive. I have been stuck in Surrey.

The first live game my dad ever took me to see was a home game with Fulham which I can remember nothing about other than thinking a) aren't the stands huge (I was 6 or 7 I think) and b) there were some Fulham fans sitting in front of us.

I did spend far too much time as a kid taking an interest in Nottingham Forest but for some reason in my teenage years I guess I was looking for something to do so I for some ill defined reason I went to see us play Charlton at Upton Park having dragged a friend along. The atmosphere seemed cracking and it was Hoddle style beautiful football though we lost, so I was hooked. I bumped into Donkey wearing a Swindon shirt in my local pub shortly afterwards and it just meant we each had someone to bore silly who actually gave a toss.

So, er, here I still am..

Born in Cardiff but brought up in Swindon from age of 2 onwards. My parents not the slightly bit interested in football but friends dad took me to quite a few games when I was really young, Alan Mayes days etc (cheers Malcolm Smith if you are on here!). On the whole found it cold and boring! However, for some reason got back into it at age of 14, 15 or so.

This was the mid to lates 80's, the time of Lou, both the town end and south stand as terraces (and often rammed), amazing atmospheres, away games with more town fans than home fans. I guarantee any 14, 15 year old in that situation would be hooked.

Swindon born and bred.

With no real father figure about I didn't get into football at all until about 14-ish when I started going with a friend from school. I think to begin with it was more to do with escapism from a crappy family life than actually wanting to watch the footy. I started going at just the right time though as it was the end of the Ardiles era and the beginning of the Hoddle one, I was spoilt in that regard.

I remember from my bedroom in park south I could often hear a whole load of noise coming from the CG, especially during the mid-week matches. I just had no idea then just how successful we were at the time.

So yeah, after a while I started getting into it more and began thinking of certain players as my favourite's and it grew from there really.

exactly, shrivvy road surging, nothing on this earth beats it

My eldest brother started going a lot during the late 70's and early 80's with a load of his mates from school. He started taking me to the odd game during the 4th division championship season under Macari, I wasn't all that fussed really.

Then aged 14 he took me to a cup tie at the County ground V's Leeds. It had everything, packed stadium, big name opposition, great atmosphere, a little bit of trouble with the away fans on the Stratton bank. We went 1-0 up through Dave bamber but lost the game 2-1 to a couple of (iirc) deflections. I was hooked. The following day at school I kept singing football songs to myself and couldn't wait to go again.

From then on I went with lads from school in Calne, Brian Hillier's son was in the year below me at school and played for the same football team as me on a Sunday, so there were often complimentary tickets for games available and as a result quite a few of us used to take the Thomas's coach from outside the London Road Inn to games. This carried on until I left school and moved away to South Wales (where raves and nightclubs took over from from football for a while). I moved back to Calne several years later and started going again, but most of the lads I used to go with don't go any more, although I still see them dotted around the ground for bigger games.

My brother no longer goes, and says he's not bothered anymore, but i'm taking revenge by taking his 11yr old son to games now and then. Wish I'd taken him Tuesday night.

Sorry to go off on a tangent slightly, but; back in those days there were often alternating chants between the shrivvy and the town end, not dissimilar to what happens now occasionally. I recall one occasion when someone in the shrivvy road terrace climbed up to the top of the perimeter fence and faced the fans (back to the game) and began conducting the rest of the fans in their songs and chants....quality.

The atmosphere back then was incredible.

I remember well the cup match at home against Villa, what a game and what a day out.

I didn't gain any interest in football until I was about 8, which was around the time we went up to the Premiership.

It was not until we went back down to division two that I saw my first game at the county ground, courtesy of a promotion for cheap tickets they were doing at my school. I also went to one or two more matches with a similar offer and my dad took me to a couple of games as he could see I enjoyed it.

After that I didn't get to go much, until the kids go free offers came about and I watched two whole seasons of us doing badly in division one. I couldn't really make many games after that, I either didn't have the money or I was working on match days. I took time off my part time job to watch the derby matches. My attendance was just as sporadic when I went to university - I didn't drive and train fare to Swindon was too expensive. I did however meet a couple of people on my courses who were also Swindon fans. Luckily one went to quite a few games so in my final year I got to go a bit more than normal (he drove).

So I've only going on a continual regular basis for the past 3 years, but in the 15 years I've spent watching on and off I've experienced good and bad football in the typical yo-yo spirit the club has become accustomed to. All I will say is that were it not for the promotions the club ran for the juniors, I may still be an armchair sky sports fan. Not everyone has parents who already support town. Nothing can beat the buzz of watching a good game inside the ground though.

is that the one on the BBC which we lost 2.1 but totally dominated.

I was stood at the back of the Stratton Bank with the old chap. I was only young.
remember when we scored (right in front of us) everyone surged forward in celebration and i was left stood there on my own cheering and thinking. where the fuck has everyone gone.

I vaugly remember in that game some very funny chants towards Jimmy Hill in the commentry box behind us.

I read quite a few started going by catching a coach laid on for Football. Why doesn't this happen anymore ?

I 1st started supporting Notts County back in July 2009,I remember it well...They signed some good players and won some games,topped it off with the high profile signing of Sven! I was hooked and havent been going ever since.

:D

When were these coaches running? Was it at a time when less people had cars? And what were buses to Swindon like? Nowadays it costs next to nothing to drive from Calne to Swindon, and there's a regular bus service.

missed most of this thread, but I started going when I was 4, my dad used to take me and my Brother along, always was in the town end, and i still am there now. over 20 years now!!

I know another Town fan from Derby.  (Maybe you know him too?  Used to be a regular, but not sure if he still is.)  The reason he started watching us was quite bizarre.  Living in Derby, he said he hated anything to do with Leicester...so when we came up against them in the 1992-93 play off final, he supported us.  And has ever since.

Coaches certainly ran right through the 60s and most of the 70s from Melksham via Devizes. Sometimes there were 2 or 3 for the bigger games. I think the numbers were also boosted because some of the wives came up for the shopping while dads and kids went to the football.

There were certainly less cars around - my family didn't have one till I was in my teens.

Ellisons ran a coach from Ashton Keynes, calling at Criclade.  Poor local buses meant I'de never make night games.  They were essential in the 60s 70s

I remember the 'Lou Macari's Red And White Army' chant going on for over 5 minutes with each stand alternating.

Great days.

Being born three days after Wembley 1969 into a Town supporting family, I never stood a chance.

As Sonic mentioned, there was a coach that went from Witney / Bampton.  By the dog days of the early 80s, when I was old enough to go on my own, there was virtually no-one on it, save for a few old fellas and probably more ladies - heading for the shops.

I'm not sure now which seems more bizarre: that there would be a coach taking a few people up to 25 miles for Division 4 football, or that anyone would want to go shopping in Swindon.

Looking forwards rather than back, I was so chuffed for my boys (5 and 9) on Tuesday night.  They've already endured enough shit, including the massive anti-climax of last Saturday (I really can't imagine being 5, asking "is it 15th August yet?" everyday for about ten weeks, and then that.  And then still managing to be the most excited person in the world, ever, before Tuesday's game).  

Beautiful evenings like that are for them, and for those who get hooked by them.

I remember the SilverKnight coaches running as well, from gloucestershire way I think

Silverknight were based near Malmesbury and suppplied the coaches for SAS travel when it was properly organised by Annie and Paul!!  I think they were formed about the time when Athelstan Coaches went bust!  We used to get a bus round our village from Athelstan, picking up at such places as Crudwell, Charlton and Minety.  It was usually full as was the bus Athelstan used to run straight from Malmesbury.

I dad was a coach driver for Silver Knight. He certainly did Swindon away games and definately Leicester at Wembley.

Did they not provide the open-top bus for the parade? They used to sponsor Glenn Hoddle and Kevin Horlock if my memory serves me right.

4th generation Town fan and my Dad was on the books for a while as a youth.  Got taken in 1981 and then started being taken properly from about 1984.  My brother is also hooked for the same reasons and my Dan and Mum are still fans as well.  i converted my wife from Reading and plans are already in motion on my 4 month old son (daughter has a passing interest but hates sport).

In 1962 i use to catch the Train from Chalford (when there was a station) to go Train spotting  on Swindon Station 
at about 2 oclock a special train from Chalford use to arrive and people would get off with Red & White Scarfs on and then the special train would leave at about 6 back to Chalford
I was fasinated by this got talking to some of the older people from the village and found out they went to the County ground asked my Parents if I could go and they asked some Adult from the village would they take care of me and off i went to watch Bert Heads babes
So began my 47 year passion for the Town have lived in Dublin for last 25 year + years but still make several trips home and during the season time these to take in a match or 2

Good first post Gladiator.

i remember the silver knight coaches too,but never used them.they were seperate from the travel club coaches which myself and my mates went on.we used to bus into town from west swindon on an evening to book our places on the coaches for the upcoming matches.

i used to go all over the place back then following town,and remember the stuff people have mentioned on the last few pages regarding our away following and atmosphere at home.we still have a healthy away following but back then we took loads and created loads of noise on our travels.good times

I mujst have known your dad then Rich, we never missed an away game for years always travelling on Silver Knight.  What was his name?  As regards the open top bus, yes I think Barry did have one that he kept for special events, I know he also boasted he had to do the Reading open top parade, that tickled him a bit.  Silver Knight and SAS did sponsor Glen, I thought John Moncur was another one they sponsored.

On a slightly different note, I remember being on one of the buses stopped by police at a motorway junction (think it might have been Sheffield Utd away) ready for a police escoprt straight to the ground.  All coaches were meant to try and aim to get to the junction for the same time but we were one missing.  After waiting for about 25 minutes the missing bus appeared - it was an Ellisons coach and was coming back down the motorway having got lost!!!

Remember using the coaches from Wantage in the sixties when my dad was working. A great day out on Chandlers boneshakers in the sixties.

Swindon born, as was my dad and his dad and his dad and his dad etc etc all Town fans.

5th generation Swindonian? No wonder you're so bloody depressing.

It's what makes Dave so sensible...

we got the family tree as far back as 6th but who knows about the rest.


reg knows what he's talking about!

I remember my first game, not coming from a football supporting family it was quite late in life. 1992 i think. I was 10.
Got the bus from park south to the just before the magic roundabout. Absolutley shitting myself, didnt know what to expect. Id never been to any live football match before. Got my ticket in the town end, right behind the goal. Town against Barnsley. Craig Maskell penalty if I remember rightly after only a few minutes. We won 1-0. That was it I had the bug, didnt shut up when I got home, done my dads nut in, I must have had the only dad in the world that didnt like football??

Went to town probably another 5 or 6 times that season but after that the arkells quid a kid etc kicked in, i went every week. Got myself a paperround which then enable me to go home and away.

One of the posts above I remember being stopped on the motorway. It was the season we wiped the floor with everyone else and got rewarded with that dodgy petrol green shirt (one hanging in my dining room!!) i think it was early on and carlisle or something like that? not sure it was sheff utd??

Gave the town a miss for a few years whilst running a local football team, had the likes of Nutty, the Holgates, Chrissy Rivers plying their trade in the wilts so it felt at the time I had my own town team anyway!!! Sad i know.

Back now with a season ticket, and loving every minute of it!!

very very interesting thread i must say

Was born in Kent.

Old man is a town fan through and through, been going for years. We then moved to Essex. Managed to blag free tickets to Southend v Swindon at Roots Hall in 91/92 season :). We lost that day, but then I was hooked. Moved to Oxon after that and the rest is history...

You saw the finest display of goalkeeping ever.  I know I'm in a minority, but that performance from Nicky Hammond was superb.  Obviously Fraser was a vastly superior keeper, but Hammond was immense that day.  The penalty was following a foul on Nicky Summbee, btw.

He was immense that day. We got the penalty after about 4 minutes, and for the rest of the match it was all Barnsley. If it wasn't for Hammond that day we would have lost, one double-save in particular sticks in my mind.

I went to the Barnsley game, definately Kid-a-Quid.

I one thing I remember from the match was the Barnsley forward storming towards Nicky Hammond and with total calmness he dummied it so the forward jumped and turned and therefore looking a bit of a numpty as the ball rolls out for a goal kick.

...and yes, Hammond meant it.

Dad was a Fulham regular but hasn't been since before I was born, and would have found it too claustrophobic to take me I suspect.  Mum's side are all Bristol City or Rovers, mainly City, hence I was taken to see them at Wembley as a nipper but don't remember being interested in the game at all, only in where I was.

As with many of my generation I would have said I was a Liverpool supporter, until I reached about 12, whereupon I drifted away from caring at all.  I don't really remember being that aware of Swindon's existence particularly, aside from signing a petition when they were demoted.  Then when they were in the Premier and hadn't won for a ridiculous amount of time already, I was talking to my best mate who was a season ticket holder about the game they had that night.  I told him I'd decided I was an STFC fan, and I was going to listen to the game that night.

That game was against QPR, and I can still remember listening to the updates on GWR(Did Wiltshire Sound even cover games in those days?)  Next day I talked a couple of others into jumping on the train that coming Saturday, and we watched us draw 2-2 with Ipswich in the cup.  I've been through various stages of fanatisism, and while I'll now probably never again get to more than 10-15 matches in a season, they are my one and only true love.

1986 - I was a 9 year old Spurs fan living in Catford, South East London. Fast forward to 2009 and I'm the type of bloke who's weekly morale is defined by Town performances/results (more recently - this season [so far] aside - the former as I go searching for silver linings).

So, what happened in between? Well, my Swindon-based family got wind of my folks taking me to The Lane for my first ever football match towards the end of the 1986/87 season. In shock horror I was - within a few months - dispatched with my die-hard Town fan uncle to Craven Cottage to see us comfortably dispatch Fulham 1-0 in the FA Cup 3rd Round. The rest is hostory.

What did it for me was the proximity this 3 Ft-odd lad was afforded. I clearly remember staring in awe at a very young Fraser Digby who happily shared a bit of banter with the fans - within earshot - which I thought was amazing at the time (consider this was my second ever match - I was easily pleased). 

I've also revelled in being an underdog over the years, particularly when I was an early teen growing up in 'Bandit Country', i.e. Millwall territory with the local club compounding the issue by surprising everyone at the top of of the old Division 1 led by the likes of Sheringham, Hurlock, Cascarino, Horne and Carter. Town invariably played some great stuff back then which was about a quarter of the way through a truly golden (Macari - Ardiles - Hoddle) era.

Of late, loyalties have been tested mainly by the off the pitch shenanigans. Regardless, there is still something almost therapeutic about my trips to the CG. Last season Iintroduced my 5 year oldson to the club and watched with sheer joy as a club official led him onto the pitch in his oversized red and white hat and scarf during the pre match warm-up. If proximity nailed my colours to the mast my lad is surely on route to something far bigger and better!?! Watch out Fitton, Watkins et al.  :)

One thing that strikes me about this thread is the realtively small number of born and bred Swindonains who support the club.

I can't be arsed to go back and count them all up but there seems to be just as many out of town fans...

Racist.

;-)

What this thread does show is that the majority...probably 80% support Swindon not because of location but because of family heritage, 2nd, 3rd, 4th generation fans etc.

I was born and grew up in the town.

I went to my first game when a teacher at my junior school handed our class a bunch of free tickets the club had given him. This was for a home game against Peterborough back in the fourth division.

Until then I had vaguely followed Man Utd and Liverpool. After that I described myself as a town fan.

I support Swindon as its the place of my birth.

Shame i wasn;t born in Mongolia or something. :D

Born and bred in Lambourn and my parents are die hard Town fans who took me to my first game in 1975 against everton in the FA Cup. Went on and off until mid 80's then I have pretty much gone every season until late 90's when I started playing Saturdays , once the legs went the lure of half emtpy stadia surrounded by moaning old gits in the Arkells was too much and i gave up playing for Lambourn and watching the Town again where I now take my 2 boys of 6 and 8 who are both season ticket holders.

Dad took me and my sister, so we could say we had been to a live football match, he'd suported Swindon since he was a lad, and he wanted us to support them seeing as we were born here. It was kid for a quid so he had nothing to lose, can't remember the match or how old I was! But I do remember loving it and asking if I could go again! Then asking for a season ticket and to go to away matches and it just snowballed from there.

because it was expected of me

I agree with this, as I posted my story earlier in the thread, I remember not really wanting to go to the County Ground, I was 6 and found the whole idea a bit daunting - especially the climb up those rickety wooden stairs to the top tier of the old fire hazard Shrivenham Road stand.

But my Dad practically dragged me there saying that he expected me to become a Town fan 'whether I liked it or not' - but I did, luckily....

Swindon born and bred.

Dad took me to my first match aged 10. He's Ipswich, so it was naturally against his team. I think that he was secretly hoping that I would support the Blues. Ipswich won 3-2 at the County Ground (12th November 1989), Swindon were 2-1 up with 10 minutes to go. Zondervan got the winner. Was hooked the moment that I saw the pristine pitch from the Arkell's Stand and the noisy (for a 10 year old) atmosphere at the ground as well. Was so gutted about the "financial irregularities" about 8 months later, but great to see us get back under Hoddle and to play in the Prem.

I go to about half the games a season at home and maybe a quarter of the away games. Southampton was brilliant last week, Gillingham the week before gruesome.

swindon born n bred-me dad n uncle took me as a boy and me uncle always reminds me of the cup semi v wolves in 1980 when me dad had to take me home coz i got too excited....i was 6 so surely had a right to piss me pants?!

That was a fatnastic game as well, I remember being in the Town End and 26,000 fans there that went ecstatic when we won the game 2-1 and giving Andy Gray some stick for THAT perm! shame about the 2nd leg at the Wolves!