Thetownend.com

The Adver have posted the full article from which those comments from Fitton originated:

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/archive/2010/05/31/Wembley/8193191.WEMBLEY_2010__Fitton_questions_his_Town_future/

I'd say there's nothing to worry about. He seems upset the same as the rest of us and even his wife has told him he'll come to his senses within a few days and will still be running the club next season. Good to have a chairman that cares so much.

he's going
Paynter is gone
Douglas is going to Blackpool
Austin is going to Stoke
Cuthbert is going back to Celtic
The club will be put up for the sale
We're all going to die
....and the plastics will sit down and do fuck all.

He's going nowhere. He's been interviewed right after Play Off Final defeat and is massively fucked off - and why shouldn't he be? He's almost saying, "I feel like walking away but I don't suppose I will after a bit of a break"

The whole bit about "There have been some issues outside of football which have quite disturbed me this year. I want to get those addressed.", seems a very strange thing to say.  On the other side of the coin, had we won on Saturday, would he still be worried about addressing them?  I don't know why the Adver have printed that today.  Everyone's pissed off enough without the added concern that the club's backing is now going to disintegrate!

The adver are just generally annoying these days. I'm sure the sports writers are all closet anti-swindon, as they seem to revel in anything that goes tits up.

Can't see Fitton leaving at all, it's just a typical reaction when you're obviously so disappointed.

Oh come on, Fitton gives an interview and says that...then they're not supposed to write about it?

I really don't think its a typical reaction (IMO of course) - I'd like to hear reassurance about building for next year etc. and a bit of positivity and future thinking.  I know he is disappointed but aren't we all and thats football.

I think he's said too much and caused more uncertainty than needbe. I don't really blame the adver as its Fitton's words not theirs. 

(If I've missed something completely I apologise as not read any post match stuff as not been in the country until today!)

I completely agree with what Luci has said and I'm really surprised that he's chosen the immediate aftermath to make some odd statements.

Doesn't sound good.

I dont like that statement one bit if im honest,I think we all know that owning football club you are hardly likely to make a profit.I wonder if it's backers like wray etc have had enough realising they are not going to make a profit or maybe it's something to do with our council yet again.

I see season ticket sales go back on sale again tomorrow and thats hardly going encourage more sales.I dont think releasing that statement was the best of timing was it.

I wouldn't panic too much - Andrew Fitton's always had a bit of a tendency to wear his heart on his sleeve, it's one of the things I like about him. He's not "released a statement", he's been interviewed in the immediate aftermath of a very disappointing game where he's feeling as crushed as probably most of us were. It's clearly been a knackering season in which it would seem he's had to contend with the ugly side of football as well as the positives and it's only natural in the grip of disappointment to think "Why do I bother?". And when asked, he's bared his soul a little bit, where other chairmen might have been more inclined to the platitude. I think after all he's done, and it really has been a tremendous achievement to take the club from where we were when he took over to where we are now, we can allow him that indulgence, surely?

I agree with Paul. I think the journo's deliberately incited those comments.

...and i assume the off field thing mean the legal crap we had from St Modwen saying we owed them 2million. It was them wasnt it?

I'm a bit disillusioned too.

We're all gutted, but for Mr Fitton it has to be worse.  

He's been keeping the season on track and now it's over and he has to start all over again.  He's not had a holiday, worked probably 6 days a week since August, given up plenty of family time etc etc and had to put up with a week of us lot moaning about the white kit.
I for one whould like to get him a decent 'bottle of red' and tell him to Chill Out, take a break and it will be even better next season.

His radio interview the night before suggested they had plans in place that were designed to be flexible based on whichever league we were in and he seemed quite pragmatic about the whole situation.  I'd suggest if they asked most of the peopl on here how they were feeling right after the game it probably wouldn't even be printable, let alone positive.

His take on it before the game was they'd take it with both hands if offered promotion this year, but it was not what they had based their idea of success on, that would be next season and all things considered any time in the next couple of years would still be a good thing.  I think the only thing annoying him was the prospect of the club finances in the top league forcing some sort of self survival restructure of the game again.

He hasn't chosen to make a satement at all. He was asked on the spot  how he felt and being a pretty open 'heart on the sleeve' type bloke as Paul suggested, he has given an honest answer. Guess what? He was a bit pissed off ??? Also, he has had to deal with some pretty unsavoury characters this season by the sound of it. Being a genuine football fan, he hasn't enjoyed doing that. He was just telling the reporter how he felt at that particular moment in time. He'll be back though, he's not going to throw the towel that easily. He's better than that.

Lets be honest-most of us are feeling pretty much the same as him.Time for a break.

Thanks for that i think you have reassured me with that post,sometimes i dont see things that other people see when reading press releases or statement's etc.

Reading it again I'd say he pissed off with; agents, the Wembley pitch, the new Premier League payments to the Football League, the ongoing hassle of sorting out the financial mess at the club, (maybe) sorting out the ground redevelopment amongst other things. But most of all he is frustrated that there isn't much he can do about a lot of it as its out of his hands.

He has been heavily involved in football for a long time and I can't see him walking away from it now, especially as running Swindon is a dream job for him and he'll want to finish what he came here to do. He just needs a break and to recharge for next season and he'll be back moving the club forward again.

I guess the unknown is what effect Fitton standing down would have, especially with the backers. Would they look to leave as well, or would they just put someone else (maybe one of them) in his place? I get the impression Fitton is the point man, bringing it all together and keep it together so losing him would be a worry especially as he has done such a good job.

I think pauld and OST have got this one spot on. He's been asked a question when he's in an understandably bad mood, he's given an honest answer and people have taken these off-the-cuff remarks as official confirmation of his disillusionment with STFC and the world of football. This time next week he'll be talking about looking forward to next season and everybody will be going mad about the prospect of winning the league.

It's unlikely to happen, but it would be a good thing to have a TEF moratorium on post season teeth gnashing and hand wringing. Refocus on 70's cheese, the wonders of fried egg sandwiches, the WC and cricket....not necessarily in that order.

Late June should be early enough...to consider what Steve Lomas is doing.

I really hope you're right and I'm worrying slightly over nothing.

I heard that he's signing for us Reg

Putting it into perspective. Palace have a deadline to get their takeover agreed by 3pm tomorrow or they will be liquidated.

Liquidated as in kaput?

Kaput as in no more?

No more as in they will no longer exist, leaving a space in the championship?

Leaving a space in the championship as in it has to be taken?

A space to be taken which would be taken the the losing playoff finalists?

Meaning us?

yes
yes
yes
yes
no
no

Boooo.

Why the last two no's?

because its us so wont happen.

I expect they will re-instate Sheffield Wednesday.

The problem with that is that it would filter throughout the leagues, so re-instating Wednesday, would mean Gillingham and Grimsby both get reprieves.

I hope Palace survive as it must be total shit for their fans. Would also be a bit shit to get promoted in that manner (though I suppose the league owe us one still!)

Perhaps we can have another play off at Wembley V Weds ?   :eek:

There's no way it would be us FFS. We didn't earn promotion. Wednesday would be re-instated.

Sounds like there is a deal in place for Palace to be saved (the club and the ground), the only sticking point is the calculation method for a balloon payment for the ground if it is ever sold off for redevelopment in the future.

I heard the balloon payment is up in the air.

Im not going.

But Wednesday did earn relegation.

Did Sunderland earn promotion when they took our place after we beat them at Wembley?

I think Dave is right though. It wont be us, because it is us.

It's what Town fans do best ::) 8)

So, if palace go under, and Wednesday get reinstated, does that mean the Pikeys get back to Lg 1?

Palace will survive, just like Pompey have survived or Southampton have survived. They always fucking find a last minute bidder!
Part of me actually wants to see a "big" club go under, just to see the repercussions and see if it will shake a few things up. Then the sensible part of me thinks how devestated I would be if it was Swindon, and feels sorry for the fans.

And back to the original topic - I feel the same as Fitton. Wembley was my 40th game of the season, and on the train home, I just wanted all football fans to piss off and couldnt be arsed to think about supporting a team, and was looking forwards to a rest.
Give it two weeks, and ill be creaming myself about the fixture list coming out.

Sunderland didnt earn promotion when we were demoted...the relegated team didnt stay up?
The losing playoff team went up...that would mean us.
But forget it Palace wont go bust...a team like that will never go under...FACT.

I think Mr. Fitton is tired of the bad grammar on here.

Its getting worser and worser.

Nor me if we have to wear white again!

Realistically the best we can hope for is that Palace go bust then 4 go up next season from League 1.

Hope they dont go under though.

I think Andrew Fitton needs to understand - if he doesn't already - just how grateful most of fans are for what he has already achieved in his first 2½ years in charge.  Maybe now would be a good time for a public show of appreciation for the way in which AF, Wray, Arbib etc. have stopped the rot and made the season we've just had possible?

Would the Trust be able to do something, maybe (accepting that the Trust needs to be seen as independent)?

I'm pretty sure he'll know how grateful we are.

I think the thing he'll probably have trouble getting his head round is the fact that over 32,000 turned up on Saturday for Swindon, yet we rarely get a five figure gate unless we're playing a team which used to be Premiership.

the way i read it, is that he may reduce his workload at the club, as it's too much.i dont think he'll ditch us.
highly likely it was knee jerk anyway

1.  Takes time.  We had to suffer boardroom mismanagement for over a decade, during which time the club took a serious dive in the minds of many people in the town.  Turning that perception around will need a sustained period of better management and results.  Saturday will have helped, despite the result.  Some of the day trippers will be back, I'm sure, especially if results are good early next season.

2.  Unlike a number of other clubs in the area (Oxford, Reading in particular) we have not yet had the benefit of our ground redevelopment boost.  When that happens, expect to see another rise in interest locally.

That's just for starters.  If we maintain our trajectory, I don't think the days of 5 figure average attendances will be far off.

I agree Ardiles.I just hope it's not the ground redevelopment that is causing him grief

fitton is great. speaks his mind and is refreshingly honest.

he knows how far he's taken this club and he knows that he's made mistakes. i doubt he got to where he is today by walking away from things.

we all know how fitton feels about some aspects of modern football - parachute payments, agents, greedy footballers - but i think the positives far outweigh any negatives.

Shite, hope this isnt true.

Heatbreaking if it is.

The one thing Fitton has done more than anything is that he has given the club its self respect back. We're now credible instead of a laughing stock. That alone makes me feel proud. It was gutting paying out way over the odds watching useless wankers put on the Town shirt. We're a million miles from those days.
There's no doubt, however, that we just haven't got enough punters any more week on week to support regular Championship football. Where have those from the late 80s / early 90s gone? This season's gates given the level of performance have been dogshit. 

Hope WHAT isn't true exactly? ::)

I have no doubt that a lot of fan's will come back if we get back into the Championship, Until that happen's the harsh reality is we will struggle to average 11,000 or more.

make that 7,500

It was 8,300 this year Arriba. In League One.

Why would it? Have I missed something? Thought all that was doing well.

It was still shit

No not at all just trying to think what could happen off the pitch that would make him feel disillusioned. Fwiw i think he is just taking away some of the pressure of managment and players and just doing it by saying these things.

Really? In the Championship we would average 10000 plus in the current ground and more in a redeveloped CG. there are teams in the Championship getting no where near these gates and competing...blackpool being the most spectacular but scunthorpe get no-one. The three sides who came down were hardly getting the crowds in. Preston, Barnsley and donny are hardly packing them in...even QPR only average 13000.

The bottom half of the Champ is not particularly strong, indicated by the fact that the winner of the L1 PO final hasnt been relegated straight away since 1994 and four of the last five are still up there now! I have no doubt the three sides who went up will stay up.

When Fitton and the rest of the board took over, Fitton talked about rotating the role of chairman so it is possible thathe may do that and possibly give Nick Watkins a bigger day to day role now the club is more settled. There has been loads of crap come out this year e.g. the St Modwen affair and the CVA not signed off formally. Sounds like Fitton is a bit weary and he mentioned non football stuff so maybe his other business commitments are taking over. Can't see Fitton and the rest of the board walking away at this point but we need to maintain the momentum next season

Yeah I mentioned that in another thread Oaksey, I was starting to wonder if I'd made it up.

They won't just walk away. With the amount of money which has gone into it, I'd suspect they'd want their money back - finding a buyer would be a challenge without planning permission.

Nah. Fitton doing match analysis on Beeb Swindon (and loving it) say a hell of a lot more about his intent and commitment than any post-disappointment off the cuff remarks after Wembley.

And hanging out of the car window and waving on the way back after we beat Saints.

He's hooked.

Does anyone not think that one of the things that Fitton must be pretty annoyed about is the failure of the administrator to still not sign of the CVA as this obviously has an effect on credit etc, and there was all the crap with St Modwen as well....none of it can help

The article in the adver is a load of tosh-Fitton basically said so at the awards dinner last night.

What did fitton say last night?

yes do tell

Please do tell because it didn't sound very good from a fans point of view.

just listened to the video and basically Fitton admited he was pissed off like the rest of us.

But has promised we will come back stronger next season and prove people wrong

He basically said that he was totally misquoted and his comments taken out of context.

He was also angry at the sky pundits comments- especially that wanker Grayson who said we were not big enough for the championship- to which Fitton commented how many goals did we put past Leeds United.

He also said that we need to get up in the next 2-3 years as the gap between the CCC and L1/L2 is going to get wider.

Think his interview is now on the o/s.

i wondered what his comments regarding those two were about.
Fucking cunting wankers.

As Fitton said how did we do against you this season.

God i hope we prove them all wrong and challenge again next season

Did you go to the awards dinner?  What was the general atmosphere like?  Must have been a bit strange if everyone's jumping ship as to seems they're going to according to the rumours that are circulating?!

Yes i did go, still nursing the hangover.

Atmosphere was good- as was whole evening. No mention of anyone going but rumours rife that Paynter is off to Leeds.

I am a new contributor and I would like to claim to be the oldest one on here.Not giving my age away but I was born in 1942--oops!anyway if Fitton says the Adver.is talking tosh why does he not get them to publicly make a correction.
                                                               Regards----ghost_of_noble

welcome you old cunt

Welcome Mr Noble,could you please reincarnate yourself as a new and young Peter Noble? Legend.

We need some older contributors on here to keep some of the young uns in check.  I hope you like swearing though or being called a few names because that is pretty much run of the mill stuff.

There is another old git on here called Dell Boy, you will probably have lots in common with him! :spoton:

Well magicroundabout what a splendid welcome,are you connected to the old Fanzine of the same name.If you are that probably accounts for your limited vocabulary.Still thank you  for associating me with something that most men have found useful in their lives.Look forward to more friendly banter in the future.
                                                            REGARDS-----GHOST OF NOBLE[G.O.N.]

Well, having watched the Fitton video on the O.S (why was it only 2.5 mins? Surely it could have been longer) all I can say is that ANYONE WHO THINKS THERE IS EVEN THE FAINTEST CHANCE OF HIM WALKING AWAY IS BEING PESSIMISTIC TO THE POINT OF UTTER FUCKING STUPIDITY.

I was inspired by that and there is no doubt in my mind whatsover that success is only just around the corner for this football club.

I'm sure this has already been mentioned in other threads etc, but just in case... confirmation that he's not going anywhere. Sounds like he just has as much feeling towards this club as the fans (not used to that in a chairman are we?!)...

http://www.thisisswindontownfc.co.uk/news/headlines/8198456.Fitton___I_m_not_about_to_walk_away/

 :beers:

I just hope some of those people aren't the council and/or people involved with the re-development.

He's spoken of that in really positive terms quite recently so I doubt it. Here's a small list of some possible candidates for "too many of the wrong people around football" who Fitton's had to deal with in the last year:

Diamandis
Andronikou
Agents
Premier League forcing PL2 thru the back door
Other Football League chairmen
Football journalists
Fred Elliott

I think that list would be more than enough to make anyone come out with phrases like "too many of the wrong people around football"  - don't think we need to be digging too deep for mystery off-putters here.

I love the cut of Fitton's jib. Talks a great game. In Fitton and Wilson I trust.

The two have done wonders for this club and long may it continue.

I wonder if his comments were sparked by Paynter's departure? A bit frustration at his improved offer getting turned down might have had something to do with it...

just a thought

I think they were more likely sparked by having a microphone shoved under his nose 5 minutes after losing at Wembley

The best part of AF's reaction is that Saturday hurt him as much as it hurt us. Could you have seen the fat greek being that bothered whilst he was counting up how much of the play off booty he could plunder!!

irrelevent, we'd never have got to wembley if diamandis was in charge. we'd have been dead bnuried by now

That goes without saying. I was just commenting on the contrast between a chairman who cares & the DTI's favourite son.

I think things are turning our way.

Fitton, Black and Arbib's faces when they had to stand 2 feet away from Millwall lifting the trophy at Wembley showed enough to me to say that they are determined to get the club where they want it to be.

I actually love Andrew Fitton.


http://www.thisisswindontownfc.co.uk/news/headlines/8201703.Town_s_CVA_finally_signed_off/ (http://www.thisisswindontownfc.co.uk/news/headlines/8201703.Town_s_CVA_finally_signed_off/)

I like everything he says. Can't say i like the Adver acting like they're the News of The World or some other piece of sensationalist crap though.

“And at the same time you have people who are not fit and proper going under the radar and getting into other clubs – it just doesn’t add up.”

Wonder who he's talking about there?!

Also, love the fact that from what he says he seems to hate all the League politics and other bullshit and just wants the club to be a success. Comes across as a real fan, we're so lucky to have him.

Is he talking about the CVA or Oxford?

Perhaps a certain employee at Hacker & Young now at Pompey ?