Thetownend.com

Just thought I'd drop in and say hello!

I've a feeling quite a few Terriers wouldn't be too disappointed if your lads progressed through to Rd 2 on Saturday. The last thing we need is a replay that's for sure. Our main focus this season has to be promotion from League One (as is yours in League Two no doubt) so anything that potentially detracts from that is a hinderance to be honest. The only positive I can see for either of us is if we manage to reach the 3rd Round and pull a big club away from home. Arsenal at the Emirates in last season's 3rd Round was fantastic for us in that sense. The match was televised and the gate was something like 60,000, so the financial benefits were very welcome.

It sounds like Lee Clark will make a considerable number of changes from our last starting eleven so anything could happen actually! I'm not making the journey myself so I'll be trying to seek out an internet link for the reported television coverage!

How important is this game to Swindon Town fans and how do you see going?

AceT (HTFC) ;)

Will Danny Ward play? 

I don't get this rubbish about detracting from the league.  Winning is a habbit, as is losing.  This season we've got a large squad (probably too big) so a cup run would do us no harm at all, and as you say if you get a plum tie in the third round it can help with some very important January transfer window funds.

I'm an old romantic and like the FA Cup and would love to see us do well - especially as recently we've had a very poor record.  That said, I won't lose any sleep if we lose - plus we might get a trip to Wembley for the all-important LDV...!

I love Clarkie (not Leon) - the SMB tshirt incident was superb

I was going to reply, but walrus has done it for me.  I don't think a club like ours can afford to turn its back on the FA Cup.  If we did, there would be one less reason to be a fan.

I'm not sure on that one I think he has slight injury at the moment but if he's fit I'd say he'll be in the team. He's not started many games this season mainly because Gary Roberts has been in such good form.

I can take the point about winning being a habit and we too have depth in the squad but the more games you play the more chances you have of picking up injuries and suspensions and we could do without those.

AceT

When this was drawn, I thought "that's that, out then". Now i'm thinking this is quite tight to call, as we'll take this seriously i.e full strength side, and you may be resting one or two. Anyway I demand we go through as the FA cup isn't right unless you get drawn away to some non league side that invariably beats you, well us anyway, So I demand we win!

We managed to beat you at the County Ground last season with what turned out to be our worst ever team. Took a last minute goal, but a win's a win :D

I fancy us to go through, personally.

Welcome back Acetripper. I preferred your old avatar!

I want to win this and I am bothered. It keeps the belief going and if a win adds 1 person to the gate of a league game then that's 1 more fan. But as said, it keeps the belief and confidence up, even if you play a weakened side.

We are in a no lose situation really. If we go out to a high flying league 1 team that hasn't lost for a gazillion games then so what, as long as we battle and make you work.

[early excuses]
As for 'can we win'? It depends on how injured a couple of player were last night. It'll be tough not least because some clubs (cough) won't let their loan play (understandably in your case:) ).

Town fans may laugh, but I think Mageria being out it is a massive loss, even if he hasn't featured much this season I think he has the quality to worry a league 1 defence. Not sure Connell or Kerouche do. Guess we'll see. Then there is the left back spot, Cio' will start I guess?
[/early excuses]

Anyway bring it on!

Changed it just for you!  ;D

We looked a lot more dangerous for the short time Magera was on last night, he put himself about and made their defence panic. Think he would of started Saturday and is a loss. Probably now go with Connell and Kerrouche up front who are both capable of getting goals. Like you say Batch it's a no lose situation for us and I'm thinking it could well go to a replay. The replay will clash with the evening with Paolo on the 22nd if anyone else has tickets for it.

All I'll say is any team that beats us will have to play well. We're much tougher than last season and our confidence is sky high with the League One unbeaten run.

We defend as a team these days and our midfield works very hard to get the ball back and supply the front players with quick quality passes. We attack at pace and use the flanks a lot. Teams that do well against us at The Galpharm tend to push  defenders out and pack midfield, away from home we get more freedom and as a result, we've done better on our travels. I think Saturday's Cup Tie has the makings of a great game because the onus will be on both teams to attack.  ;)

Think it could be a good game with two teams trying to play football the right way.

To be honest I'm expecting a battling loss, anything else is a bonus.

Not sure how the potential ensuing midweek trip to Yorkshire get a fisting is a 'bonus'

Not going but enjoyed the Vulcan at your place last season....you can get pissed with the missus for about £15 in there!!

Erm, good point. I guess we get extra cash and, um. Nope you got me there.

A win would be nice, but I won't lose any sleep about going out - providing we don't roll over for them.

Agreed. At the end of the day a cup run is always nice and yes there is potential money there but the priority is to get out of this league as soon as we can. We're still in the JPT and are taking that fairly seriously so I think too much focus on the cups will distract our push in the league which we don't want.

It's going to be another 6-0.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy_jsizI0zg&feature=player_embedded

http://swindon-town-fc.co.uk/MatchCentre.asp?Tab=Video&MatchID=19970112

To this day, one of the most bizarre games I ever saw at the County Ground.  Every time we went forward, we seemed to score.

Ah I remember that game so well. I was in the Town End - only 10 years old!

Ha ha I remember that game so well, I am the steward in the bottom right of the frame when we score the last goal that gives a little jig of excitement when the ball hits the net!

I would be happy with that result on Saturday ;)

I know I always mention it, but Huddersfield also produced the best sending off ever at the County ground

http://swindon-town-fc.co.uk/MatchCentre.asp?MatchID=20000135

Gorre, yellow 65 minutes for (I think) complaining about a throw in that was given to us, and a second yellow for having a hissy fit at the first yellow.

My feelings too! Last minute unstoppable rocket into the top corner by one of your lads after we've made a good game of it would be about right. Plus no 'cards' or injuries! :nod:

Not a pub I frequent to be honest but I've heard it's a decent enough watering hole. In fact, I think most pubs in Huddersfield are pretty away fan friendly as long as people are respectful and behave themselves. ;)

Funniest one I have seen at the County Ground.
My personal favourite of all time was Tim Sills (Hereford away during the promotion season 2006/07)

Real yorkshire puddings.

Hee hee

If I was on a grand a week I'd play with a broken leg, and could avoid suspensions.  Footballers are fucking molly-coddled these days.

not so sure the manager would pick a criple though

You haven't seen me play football....


No really, I'm dogshit.

good test to see which our players are capable of making the grade next season.

Huddersfield is the sort of standard we should be looking to be within the next couple of years.

Reckon we potentially have enough in our locker to cause an 'upset'

Well...we took 4 points off them last season and I'm pretty confident that this year's Swindon team is better than last years. Admittedly Hudds unbeaten league record speaks for itself but wouldn't be exactly a shock to me if we did win.

Frankly, I reckon this is one of the plum ties of the round. Both sides play football & Huddersfield have been my tip to get promoted for the past 2 seasons - surely they will do it this season.  In my view they have more quality than either of the Sheffield clubs and only Charlton can possibly match the calibre of the players in their squad.  Ridehalgh for example is a very good defender and has impressed me every time I have seen him play.

But I also think Paolo has put together a squad that can give Huddersfield a game so I'm looking forward to a real FA Cup tie between 2 sides who play football as it was meant to be played with the ball on the ground.  If it lives up to my expectations then I shall be well pleased - whoever wins it.

My favourite as well. Gorre went ballistic after he gave away a free kick on half way. The ref, told him to calm down, but he kept on having a go at the ref, so he booked him. Gorre walked towards the centre of the pitch, where there was a piece of mud, which Gorre decided to boot towards the DRS, where the ref booked him again. It turned out to be our first wn in about 20 games !!

Well the draw is before kick off on Saturday(after the midday cup match on TV) for round two.....so that could provide even more incentive to get through.

What a fucking ridiculous time to do the draw, before most fixtures have been played.

ITV wankers.

Should be a cracking game saturday.

Hangabout leefer, the ITV game is on Sunday, so the draw will be then.

Previous comments seem a little silly now :oops:

Apologies...been a long day,did think it a bit weird. :-[ :-[

Huddersfield have never exactly been a hate team for us but that night we were able to find a glorious edge as we sang to the Terriers' manager "Cheer up Brian Horton, Oh what can it be, to a sad oxford bastard, with a shit football team" and the chants just got louder and more gleeful as the goals just kept going in

There's some glorious individual acts of disdain within the Huddersfield fans.

My thoughts exactly but the outcome is secondary to me if I'm honest. If we get through then fair enough but if your lads turn us over then that's okay with me too. I wouldn't want us to take a hammering or anything silly but losing by the odd goal would be acceptable to me. I realise this stance could be seen as slightly bizarre, I mean why would any fan be happy to see their team beaten? But as I say, we need to focus fully on promotion. We're not going to win the FA Cup and although we might pull a big club if we reached Rd 3 I'd take promotion every time, even over playing Man Utd at Old Trafford.  :D

Thats a load of bollocks to me. 1 game at a time. Footballers dont need an excuse to slack off, and if fans make it clear that they are not that interested, then you can bet that most footballers will 'take their eye off the ball' so to speak.

The disaster last season really started with the FA Cup defeat against Crawley.

If Huddersfield can afford to have Danny Ward on the bench, then they should be blowing the rest of that league away, regardless of a few extra cup games. In fact, the pressure should be on Lee Clarke, there are plenty of other managers around who could get Huddersfield promoted to the Championship with those resources.

I don't rate that Lee Clarke at all. I think a better manager would have got them promoted a year or 2 ago to be honest. He's had so much money to spend there. That said 42 games unbeaten in the league is pretty impressive.

 For those not going on Saturday.......SHAME ON YOU!

Only kidding folks and i have been informed that John at the Swiss Chalet is showing the Town match v Huddersfield on Saturday.

I'll be at work and no longer have a radio here, so if someone could provide me with a decent stream I would be extremely grateful.

Despite what I've posted so far I'm actually getting excited about this one now and wish I was traveling down. Alas that's not possible due commitments in the morning so I'll be desperately searching for an internet stream and or listening to the local radio commentary.

While I've said I don't mind if we lose the idea of losing any game has become very alien in 2011. Never before have we been in such a position, we've been considerably higher in the Football League but we've never been beaten so infrequently. In 52 matches in all competitions in 2011 we've lost only 5 times. Three of these have been in JPT competitions (when we played mainly reserve players), one was in the FA Cup against Arsenal at the Emirates (2-1) and the other in the League Cup at Cardiff City 5-3 aet.

As a result of this every team we play wants to send us packing and no doubt your lads will be trying just as hard as anyone to knock us out of the FA Cup tomorrow.

Here's to a good game and may the best and most deserving team progress to Round 2

AceT (HTFC(

 

 

How have you managed to lose three times in the JPT? You won the second leg against carlisle

Oppps... my mistake, we've lost just two JPT matches 4-0 at Carlisle last season in the Northern Area Final and to Bradford City this season 2-2 and then 3-4 on penalties.

The mysterious third game was of course the Play-Off Final defeat to Peterborough last May at Old Trafford. I must have subconsciously erased that nightmare from my memory :D

Looks like we have a few players out for tommorrow's game.

Ridenhalgh & Jervis not given permission to play tomorrow. Ciobichhi is injured  for tomorrow's game so we will see the return of Kennedy at Left back

Magera is also out injured & Kerrouche is 50/50 which means De Vita & Connell are the only 2 fit strikers we have.

Ferry could also be a doubt for tomorrrow's clash against Huddersfield.

Not sure who we'll play to be honest!

Jordan Rhodes is definitely out because he's with the Scotland squad who are playing Cyprus tonight. Hope he gets a game! I think Liam Cooper's club Hull City don't want him Cup Tied so he won't play. We could completely rest last week's midfield and play any combination of Tommy Miller, Danny Ward, Anton Robinson, Oscar Gobern, or Donal McDermott. I guess Novak and Lee will start up front. Anthony Kay and Pete Clarke the centre backs with Jack Hunt and Calum Woods in the full back positions. Although Gary Naysmith might get a game at left back I suppose. We have plenty of strength in depth these days so I'm happy with any combination we play. ;)

Just remembered jack Hunt is suspended doe he won't play!

Yeah, my Peterborough supporting mate always poo poos the fact that you guys go on about your long unbeaten run in the league, despite getting dicked in the biggest league game of last season, as if it doesn't count! :)

Yeah...we get that thrown at us a lot! I can see why but according to the official statos Play-Off games are a knock out competition and not League games! So we didn't exactly invent our unbeaten run did we?  ;) I don't think we go too overboard about our record either considering how monumental it is! Christ, if it was any of the 'big six' we'd never hear the last of it!

Ask your mate where all the Peterborough fans were at Old Trafford? I didn't actually see any in Manchester for their biggest league game of last season, before or after the game. Their seating inside Old Trafford was pitifully sparse too. That should shut him up! :D

I think his reply would be '3-0, 3-0' with him dancing around the room to be honest!!

I see where you are coming from but good support doesn't win matches so I doubt the fact they have a poor support makes no difference. Bit of a shame as they must be brilliant to watch with all the goals they score and concede!

We went to sleep for eight minutes at a crucial time in that game and they had players who could exploit our lack of concentration. Grant McCann was simply awesome and ran midfield. As a result, believe it or not some of our fans still want Lee Clark to leave our club, unbeaten run or not. They blame him for that defeat where he played 17 year old Arsenal loanee, Benik Afobe, alone up front against a team that scored freely but conceded plenty too. When we lose our unbeaten tag (which we will at some point) those fans will be out in force again calling for him to go!

It really was an amazing day all the same, being part of a 35,000 following of your own fans, hell bent on having a great time was very special and while they ended up winning and being promoted, I'll never forget the atmosphere as long as I live! 

Different contrast to when we went to wembley, it was full of happy clapping cunts that wouldnt sing.

Shit atmosphere

if there is even a sniff of wembely this year (or a final at some other large ground) the club need to be bombarded with emails re: singing blocks etc...

Or perhaps there was a higher proportion of sober people, overawed by a bunch of drunken oiks ?

Nah

I could've accepted it if I thought they were in awe of me.

One of the most cringing moments of that day was witnessing a pissed up lad, barely able to stand, berating a couple of families sat behind him for not joining in his hoarse rendition of 'Sing your hearts out for the lads!'  At first, they looked a bit bemused.  Then they just moved seats.

At our Old Trafford Play-Off Final last May a group - well an excuse for a father and two sons and a few other knuckle draggers, decided they didn't like how some people 'weren't 'supporting't lads properly' so they thought they'd teach them how to support the team with a level of violence I've rarely seen inside a football ground. A sustained attack ensued where they proceeded to assault stewards and police officers. Thankfully these sub-humans were given long prison sentences.

In fact, this incident was the only downside that day - despite losing our most important game for years! ;)

I can well imagine this was cringeworthy, but I would rather see the former at matches than the latter...there should be room for both, but suitably segregated...

This

Yes maybe a crèche for those that can't hold their beer

Not that at all.

It was full of day trippers who have no interest in STFC. If they want to go for the day out, fine - if they 'support' a Premiership club but wanted to come along, fine.

...if...your coming into our domain you play your part and you support the team. If you dont want to join in and support the team, then quite frankly you can fuck off.

I went to wembely and didn't sing one song in the ground 8)

Part time forever

Singing at football creates atmosphere. If there is no atmosphere, what's the point?

Even at a funeral there is singing

What i hate even more is, using the last wembley trip as an example, how the "Day Trippers" walk among the true fans after the game discussing how shit STFC are, how they knew we were going to lose, how Billy Austin was shit and How Phil Lucas didnt score a touchdown.  :suicide:

I didn't mind the day trippers. Just didn't want to sit with them. Its a shame those with young kids didn't have a designated "sit down" family section so they could see properly and be happy.

Next time we go to Wembley, we will get ourselves sorted and we'll blow the opposition away.

I was suprised how easy it was to get the exact seats I wanted last time using that website.

Yep I think fans will be able to coordinate it easily, pick an area before the tickets even go on sale for example.

That's not my point though..  While I agree with you about prefering a decent atmosphere, if there are people/families/whoever out there who want to pay to go to a game of football, that's their look out.  And there is no obligation whatever to sing, dance or do anything else...least of all at the behest of a pissed up idiot who you don't even know.  You can't tell people to create an atmosphere.  If they want to, they will.

Singing areas is a great idea, by the way - and given our experience at Wembley last year, I'm sure it will be implemented next time we're there.

Completely disagree with this.  Clearly, the day trippers did have some interest in STFC, or they wouldn't have been at the game.  They weren't coming in to 'your domain' or mine.  They went to Wembley.

It really irritates me that siome people think they have a right to dictate how others should conduct themselves simply because they attend games on a regular basis.  We've no more right to dictate to day trippers how they should show their support at Wembley any more than we should tell them how to do their shopping at Tesco.  It's all bollocks.

I hated the 'Wembley experience'
Went with my old man & dear old mum. Fair enough she was a day tripper as it was her first Swindon match, but she knew how much STFC meant to me & my dad. The people we were sat behind were clear day trippers - scarf on (still with tag I expect) & clearly no clue about Swindon.

When Austin went through and missed, of the whole block we were in, only me, my dad & my mum were on on feet with our head in our hands. The rest were just sat there. And I mean SAT there like gormless twats. The people in front of us gawped at us and said so each other "good grief those people are loud, why don't then sit down & enjoy the match"

At which point my mum, told them they probably have had been before & never will again watch Swindon play & that they should go home and stick to supporting Man Utd on sky.
Highlight of the day

We failed to sell out the Semi Final 1st leg against Charlton, which tells you we need more fans.

They clearly had no interested in STFC and we there for a day out at Wembley.

It is our domain, supporting STFC is what we do. Its not rocket science - but you go watch a football team in order to support them. 

I'm sure (know) we had a few day trippers at Charlton away but they joined in with the rest of us and had an ace night, we all did.

If i was more eloquent, I'd have attempted to write something like this. The arrogance of some of our supporters (and I accept I drift into this territory from time to time) is embarrassing

But how else do sides gain fans? We have 7k consistently. If we are ever to get to 10-12k plus, these are the people who must come along, see, enjoy, and be tempted to come again. Unless that happens, we are stuck where we are. Anyone who feels otherwise should think back to their first game and wonder how all the 'established fans' viewed them then.

Win games, win fans.

When I arrived in Swindon on the train the other month the amount of people on their way to West Ham and Chelsea was surprising.

The focus should always be about filling the County Ground.

I really am becoming to hate the so called top league in this country, probably the final straw is that EPPP where they can stiff the small clubs for as little as possible. They are basically just a greedy bunch of money grabbing cunts, just a shame these exiles don't see it that way. The sooner it implodes the better

Agree....all clubs have part time fans not just Swindon,and all fans should be treated the same.
If you go to a restaurant once a month you should be treated the same as those who go three times a week.
Huddersfield get 13,000 a week but would take 35,000 to Wembley....all clubs have casual fans and to be honest sometimes its good to get there views as an honest opinion is usually better without bias or passion....only sometimes though :D

Charlton away was a Cup Final atmosphere and was a great day out.

Wembley just went downhill as soon as I walked out of the Pub. It didn't feel right and the atmosphere was poor. Unlike the other times at Wembley with Swindon.

Don't bite Ardiles, he's a cunt, I doubt he even went.

The day trippers asking people to sit down and shut up were just as bad as those moaning at them to sing.

Agree with the fact if we get back to Wembley (and I still have a nice little earner on us going up and winning the JPT) their has to be 2 or 3 designated singing blocks either organised by the club or by ourselves!...I was stood right behind the goal in the lower tier, half way up and I think a majority of us trying to create the noise were located in the 3 blocks behind the goal!

Great that we had 33,000 people in our end, shame the majority of the bastads didn't get behind the team!

For me I think the biggest mistake was allowing too many tickets per season ticket holder. I couldn't buy a ticket at all in the bottom tier, because they were sold out, which is theoretically where the atmosphere spills up from but nothing got going. Personally I love standing up and singing but my daughter struggles to see (and it gets bloody painful holing her up all game) so when you lobby the club can you please ask for a sit down and sing but you are allowed to stand up at exciting times (and nobody mones at anybody) section!

Stand up and sing you miserable bunch of cunts, that is all.


Edit: or, sit down and shut the fuck up. Now I'm done.

..but...if you went to the restaurant once you wouldn't just have a tap water would you? You'd have a meal same as the more regular customer.


Me?

I can assure you I was there. One of the most anti climatic, frustrating and damn right disappointing days of my life. Actually scrap that - the most anti climatic, frustrating and damn right disappointing day of my life.

rararar boohoo. of all the thingw to be piswsed off about that day, the fact not everyone had a knees up in the ground is a very minor one

I'd put the crap support up there right after not fucking winning.

Been away all week. Just read this and I'm to be honest a little miffed as I bought my tickets at 4.55 pm yesterday. Doh Doh

2-1 defeat.