Thetownend.com

The feeling after yesterday's result and performance makes all the moments of despair and pain worth it. I think the worse I ever felt after an away game was Cheltenham away in September 2002. The club was in financial freefall, the team on a terrible run and Andy Gurney arguing with Swindon fans. Steve Coppell said there was nothing that could be done for us and if we had continued to fall then we may well have gone out of existence.

Yesterday just shows you what this game can do for you and is probably the best away performance, result and feeling of more exhilaration since the 6-4 game at Birmingham at Easter 1993. Let's hope we keep our heads and get the results to get us up automatically.

I wasn't at that game.  Happily.  But was at the Brentford game at Griffin Park around the same time where rumours surfaced that the club was about to go to the wall.  Bizarre atmosphere.  I think we may even have won that night, but we knew there were bad things going on behind the scenes.

Some people were commmenting recently that the TEF isn't what it was.  (As it happens, we've had an influx of new posters in the last few months, and I think the forum is on the way back.  All new posters more than welcome.)  What a lot of people forget though, is that while the forum was very busy 3 or 4 years ago, a lot of the commentary was dominated by talk of Diamandis, Creditor Voluntary Agreements, balance sheets, solvency, boardroom incompetence, Andy ***King and shit football.

Fast forward to 2010, and the talk is all football (and 80% bollocks, obviously).  Andrew Fitton deserves the Freedom of Swindon and an annual appreciation day.  I hope to God that we're still at the start of the Fitton/Wilson era, because our footballing lives are so much the better for both of them.

I really had to try and keep my smile contain as we left amongst the home fans yesterday. It really was hard work.

That Cheltenham match was my first away match, I was 12 years old! I'd been ill and had to convince my mum I was well enough to go, how I wish I hadn't!

I'm amazed there was a second away match.

Give that man a medal.

Remember the match well...though i often try to forget it.

 It wasn't too bright that's for sure, but nothing like as bad as the dark days of the early 80's from about March 83 to March 85....this 2 year period was started by the sacking of John Trollope because of the abuse of John Trollope (John Trollope FFS) by many in the Arkells in a crowd of 2816, when losing 1-2 to Darlo and continued until the sacking of Macari in March 85. On this occasion TEnders in a crowd of 2695 called for and got the reinstatement of Macari.

 The previous away game we'd lost 2-6 at Scunny and been dumped from the cup by fucking Dagenham, who didn't even need the help of Redbridge.

 The previous home game v HPool I thought I'd go on the Bank, as it was reasonably sunny. It was so empty, that I found a stanchion all to myself to lean on....got in about 3 mins late, went home thinking it finished 1-1, to discover we'd won 2-1. Peter Coyne had scored in the first minute, but there wasn't enough noise to register outside the ground....crowd that day 2200.

Classic story.

Clearly what you needed was some bloke on the Tannoy going "Gooooaaaaalllllll number twwwwooooooo to Swindon Tooowwwwwnnnn" :)

My favourite Tannoy man, was a fella whose name escapes me, which is now going to annoy in the 60's and early 70's who use to announce as the players came out, in a fine Swindon accent....and now the roar, for here they come...

I was at both. I'm a fucking misery magnet

the town shirt went in the bin after that game at cheltenham. it was rescued by the mrs though

Sadly I was at those Cheltenham & Brentford games, but happily I was also at St Andrews that Easter bank holiday Monday, coincidentally (also got the video - the girl I spoke to when I ordered it from BCFC seemed pretty off with me for some reason......). The highs and lows that make this unique journey what it is.

I think what also summed things up at that Cheltenham game was when the ref sent Sam Parkin off, Parkin was still on the deck, and the ref clumsily kicked him in the head - fucking doofus.

It is good to remember the really bad times, it makes you properly appreciate what is going at the moment.

This is certainly a lot nicer than going to places like nottingham forest and getting dicked 7-1. Long may it continue

I was at both as well, and from what i remember the ref didn't kick Parkin in the head, he jumped in 2 footed into Parkin's chest to break the fight up? Well, that was what i thought at the time anyway. :)

I think that was the first time i went to Cheltenham, maybe the last, and i hated it. Not just the result, but the fact the crowd was like one big family (i was with the home fans). As the players left the pitch chatting to members of the crowd and stuff it felt like some big love in. Hated it. Hate it.

Brentford was possibly the lowest point of my town supporting life.

Yeh I'm sure you're right, but I vividly remember seeing Super Sam receive a glancing blow to the head aswell, when I caught it on tv afterwards.

I think Cheltenham last season was somehow worse...all that stuff you mention and a sort of deja vu, that no matter how shit the Numb are we're doomed to lose. Higgs will play out of his skin, we'll have 20 corners without getting a shot or header on target...and out top striker will have a game to forget.  Just to cap it off, a diving cunt Shithead will score the only headed goal of his career,, >:(

I was at that Cheltenham game.  It was, for me, one of the worst evenings I have had to endure.  I felt like giving up on the club that night, but as we all know, you can't do that.  Times like this make those nights worth it.

Reg, Suggest that the early eighties were as bad as it could get.
I was so "gutted" that I decided to move away and ended up in New Zealand.
Possibly what made it worse (if it was possible) was that the Pox were being very successful..
Happy days and long may they continue.

 :)

'Nam away was awful. If i remeber the Sam Parking sending off correctly it was a very slippert surface, Sam went in on their keeper and connected, the ref then went flying in to Sam. I also remember Heywood giving us the wanker sign. The main talking point was Gurney who reacted after the "where's our captain gone" chants. This is where he had a pop at the fans and the burberry brigade were trying to lump him when he came near us. the disgusting apsect of this was the papers next day where Gurney said these fans were going to burn his house down. I was right behind them and they said nothing of the sort. They were big mouthed fuckers but they were innocent of what they were accused of. Gurney had played like a cint, the fans called it, Gurney and Heywood reacted and then the spin to try and make them innocent and the fans guilty - well out of order.
I also remember the chants of Gerry Cottles Red and White Army.
Lucky we had Northampton at home shortly after to break our losing streak.

Although this was bad it doesn't come anywhere near the worst I've seen, even though Heywood and Gurney (both over rated in my opinion) were out of order that night. Cant help but look on the bright side, right now if Charlie climbed into the Town End tomorrow and kicked me in the bollocks I would consider that an absolute honour !!

 It wasn't too bright that's for sure, but nothing like as bad as the dark days of the early 80's from about March 83 to March 85....this 2 year period was started by the sacking of John Trollope because of the abuse of John Trollope (John Trollope FFS) by many in the Arkells in a crowd of 2816, when losing 1-2 to Darlo and continued until the sacking of Macari in March 85. On this occasion TEnders in a crowd of 2695 called for and got the reinstatement of Macari.

 The previous away game we'd lost 2-6 at Scunny and been dumped from the cup by fucking Dagenham, who didn't even need the help of Redbridge.

 The previous home game v HPool I thought I'd go on the Bank, as it was reasonably sunny. It was so empty, that I found a stanchion all to myself to lean on....got in about 3 mins late, went home thinking it finished 1-1, to discover we'd won 2-1. Peter Coyne had scored in the first minute, but there wasn't enough noise to register outside the ground....crowd that day 2200.

Reg, remember those days well. I would finish work at two, get home change and pick up my dad and be in the ground and parked by ten to three, This while living thirty miles away! I think the Ken Beamish years had to be some of the worst ever experienced by us best summed up by being able to walk into the ground and know everyone.

Isn't that the shame Shane Higgs that was playing in goal for Leeds on Saturday. Maybe the footballing gods have a sense of Karma. It's always good to remember the miserable times when you're having the good times because too many times it's been the other way around. I'm sure that Leeds fans one day will reflect as their low point being dicked 3-0 by Swindon home and away. The only thing to have made the Leeds result more better would have been for Lucas to go up for a corner and nod in the 4th

wasn't there a fellow who said at half time of mccunt being sent off "i've seen some shit decisions but this one etc etc"?

Yes....the O*frod born Shane Higgs.

I think, for me, the worst feeling was Cheltenham at home in th LDV/JPT/ABC/123 just before Sir Fitton and co. came to Town.

Yes, there was - someone walked down from the directors box, took the microphone from him - instant dismissal.