Thetownend.com

Surprised not been posted as yet

FOOTBALL : @Official_STFC fans' phone-in on @bbcwiltshire tonight at 7 with chairman Lee Power answering your questions #stfc

So any advance questions for him ?

"Can you turn your phone off until the end of the transfer window please Mr. Power?"

I'm sure one if you outrageous fellows has asked the cheese question already?

The reminds me : Jim Bob from Carter USM - babybell. I think he may have been taking the piss, but he tweeted about cheese so it was fair game to ask.

@TrustSTFC will be live tweeting it for those who can't listen

Do we know his favourite cheese?

I am guessing Swiss is easy to get where he lives.

On that subject does he even still live there?? Seems to be spending a lot of time in the UK lately :hmmm:

Can be listened to online here :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30711196

Hylton has signed then....

@TrustSTFC: Construction company in Aus, news in next 7-10 days. Sponsor and involved in redevelopment 'over next few years' No more details given

Hylton signed on 2.5 year deal. Pacey.

No love lost with Jed either!

Good.

@TrustSTFC: HYLTON HAS SIGNED 2.5 year deal done today #PowerHour #stfc

Jed did text him when Swindon approached Hylton apparently.

@TrustSTFC: Scouting is Lee, Cooper and Luke Williams. Praises Luke Williams role in gettting in 'cast offs' from other clubs #PowerHour #stfc

His favourite cheese is leerdammer apparently

And it was all going so well.

@TrustSTFC: Lee isn't worried about the FA, shenanigans from Jed apaz #PowerHour #stfc

@TrustSTFC: On Coops. he won't leave, he's got the best job in football 'Lee tells him' #PowerHour #stfc

No promotion: No more Williams or Foderingham.

That's a given

Got a year option on Byrne, which will take. Interest in him though, will see where we are in summer..

He said he'd come over from Switzerland specifically for the radio programme and a couple of meetings at the County Ground today, so yes he does

@TrustSTFC: Loan offer for Darren Ward today #PowerHour #stfc

AFC Wimbledon?

Power's for Safe Standing and would be willing to bring it in if it was accepted.

Ha they actually asked him?!

Might as well just make them a feeder club...

Pop at the adver there i think..

Wes should leave for the sake of his career if we don't go up anyway

Sadly not, but I'm pretty sure I'm on the right track!

Without a doubt.

@TrustSTFC: Thinks will get a deal with council next week, no animosity there #PowerHour #stfc

@Tbassam: 'Certain local media', hi Lee, we're here and we're not going to stop reporting the news. #stfc

Haha

Can someone clarify what the £300,000 maintenance has been spent on the ground or have I missed something?

Sounds like we have a decent relationship with Liverpool and Chelsea around future loanees.

50,000 posters of Alan Connell in the Arkells.

What was he talking about re: certain local media?

@TrustSTFC: Points out that new stadia means double attendances, first time heard mention of life away from CG from Lee in these phone ins

New ground to be developed in Boreham Wood. Attendances to triple.

Can we form some kind of TEF pressure group to try and get Lee Power a tank or armoured vehicle?

Get the man to Ashton Gate.

The adver

Yeah  :) but I missed the context. What was he unhappy about?

I like that he'd sign an anti-drum petition. I like this man more and more every time I hear him. /standard stfc don't get carried away disclaimer

I propose one of these. Only £40k!

http://www.mod-sales.com/direct/vehicle/,37,/70203/CVRT_Scimitar.htm

Alternatively, the cheap option is a Combat Engineering Tractor for £9.5k.

http://www.mod-sales.com/direct/vehicle/,37,/35549/CET.htm

And a petition against drums in the cg
even he hates them

Oooh!!

@TrustSTFC: Would have been happy with POs at start of season, points out City budget is TEN TIMES ours #PowerHour #stfc

It was in reference the council/CG news.

Adver reporter tweet..

@Tbassam: 'Certain local media', hi Lee, we're here and we're not going to stop reporting the news. #stfc

Nah better off going for one of these....in red though of course...the powermobile.

(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/11/27/article-2239294-0B2ECEE8000005DC-963_634x414.jpg)

Lee Power.... il papa.

Oh, cheers.

Couldn't help but read Bassam's tweet in a Chris Morris The Day Today voice.

Fixed

I can't help but like everything audible that comes out his mouth.

Where's the catch, there has to be a catch right?


edit: Much as I don't read it much now, I do agree with the Adver's stance.

@TrustSTFC: Money doesn't guarentee success, points out on Budget we are near bottom of L1 #PowerHour #stfc

Do all chairmen know other club's budgets?

I think he said they get a list from the FL

THIS IS THE NEEEEWS!


 :toocool:

@TrustSTFC: Lee hasn't had any bids for first team squad yet #PowerHour #stfc

Appatently we're 3rd from bottom in terms of budget.

@TrustSTFC: Million agent enquires a day, but thinks special squad and would take silly offer, can't see accepting any for players #PowerHour #stfc

His grammar is shocking.

Bristol city's wage budget is over 10 million! Barmy!

@TrustSTFC: Next season STs prob on sale in early feb. Sounds like will keep prices as the same level then #PowerHour #stfc

@TrustSTFC: YES A QUESTION ABOUT THE HAT!! It's his racing hat, put it on cos thought no one would see, and then Brendan sits next to him! #powerhour

I agree with their stance on 'reporting the news', but have yet to see any evidence to actually correlate this with.

That's it.

They have been losing a fair whack the last few years...

12.9M 2013
14.4M 2012
11.5M 2011

Ouch!

Missed the first half hour but rest was easy listening.
Seems to have a good grip on things and knows what he is on about.

Boo to the 'no cheese' question

I think the thing is the Advertiser have lost any interest in the football side as shown by there obvious lack of knowledge in their match reporting and thus the only was to steal a march on Linksport etc is to seek and push the more lurid headlines which they are quite within their rights to do so.

If it's 10 times be  nearer 15 million

I don't buy the paper (obviously) but I do follow it online and I noticed a shift a while back from a local news rag to something trying to be more like a red top with dramatic headlines and what not.

Perhaps it's being poorly managed or the internet is hitting it badly. Or something else, how the fuck would I know? Whatever the reason, their current reporters just don't seem to have any passion/enthusiasm for it. They can't even be bothered to proof their work.

10 x 1.8 = ?

As you said poorly managed, poor reporters and printed and generated in Oxford - there. that's all you need to know!!

Thought ours was 1.5 million

That's because no-one can read what it says.

LP said 1.8m, third lowest in our division!

Really positive vibes from Power again. He is starting to think about the longer term future of the club which is great now that the finances have been sorted out. He seems quite keen on redevelopment now we have this Aussie construction company willing to get involved. He clearly realises that in order for the club to keep progressing its the only option.

I've grown to really like Power, in the same way I've grown to love Coops. What I like about Power is that despite having once been a footballer, he's clearly not a total bellend or thick as fuck and even seems to have his head screwed on and get's his points across clearly and without fluff.

From my, very limited, experience, yes they do. I've heard 'exact' figures for several 3rd tier clubs in the last couple of years, all repeated in the media pretty well as I've been told eg Hudds, Sheff Utd, Yeovil. Ditto from the non-league side of things, be it County League or higher.

I had a great drunken evening a decade ago with a bunch of Western League managers / Chairmen (Melksham, Taunton, Tiverton, Chipp etc) and it seemed everyone knew every player's wage/club budget.

Guess its what makes the world go round.

He didn't get to where he is and having to be a tax exile by being thick.

At least the days of us getting fucked over (Ritchie) (Shearer) for example seem to be a thing of the past, he doesn't just accept the first shit offer for a key player.

Oh and he ain't Jed, a massive bonus in itself . . . . .

We can guess that Rochdale (least fans through the gate+ recent promotion) will probably be the lowest and Yeovil announced last week that their budget was £1.2m.

Walsall must be pretty low too. They've been running at or near break even for years and I assume their model hasn't changed.

Looks like that could go up a little bit with a trip to Wembley this year after beating PNE last night. They have some of the most up and down results. We beat them 4-1 at Bescot next game they go and win 3-0 at MKD then they get beat at home 2-0 by Coventry then they win 2-0 away at PNE.

Perhaps the Football League receive wage budgets as part of Financial Fair Play submissions and circulate them (although that in itself seems strange - what business do other clubs have in knowing the finances of another?) Maybe it's the budget - not the actual spend.

I struggle to see how a squad as small as City's can really be ten times ours. Not now. £18m per annum on a squad of barely 18 players would mean that their players are on just shy of £20k per week, which really isn't true.

I know JET is said to be on about £15k pw and Agard turned down Championship clubs and was offered £10k pw at Rotherham for a pay rise to join shitty...so maybe the sums do add up.

Also at Sheff Utd Ched Evans was on £20k pw, so clubs at this level do pay those sort of wages for the right players.

I suspect we always quote our wage budget for players only, whereas other sides quote their complete budget, there is no way clubs like Crawley, or Crewe for example have overall bigger budgets Imo.

Doesn't that reinforce the point that they cannot be anywhere near 10 times our budget?!

Whatever the exact difference, it's clear many other teams are offering loads more than we are. It simply adds to success of our first half of the season.

I remain cautious of Lee Power but from the outside he's done nothing wrong to date and says almost all the right things.

Hoping it continues for as long as possible.

When Power said City's budget was 10 times ours, it was a mistake on his part as he'd previously said on several occasions theirs was the division's highest and was between £11m and £12m. People have only heard the "10 times ours" and missed what went before.

I think people are taking the '10x' a bit too literally. I think he was speaking figuratively. People say stuff like that when they mean 'a lot more/bigger'.

Both correct I think, as FH says it was a "figure of speech" and not a literal one.

But that said, their playing budget must be in excess of 6 or 7 times ours so they should be 6 or 7 times better than us....they aren't.

As other shitty teams have done their manager has pissed his budget away on poor players, who even now are certainly player for player no better than any of our players, I wouldn't swap a single player of ours for one of theirs.

I wonder what happens with loan players? Is that a way around the budget/wages restrictions?

When a loan player comes, who pays their wages?

The loaning club will usually pay something, even if it's not the full wage - see the RAF paying for a series of loans (Proctor, Lonergan) years ago.

I believe it's not uncommon for young Prem players to be loaned out for free or with a very low wage contribution, but on the proviso that they're somehow guaranteed first team football - there were a lot of rumours around this when our relationship with Spurs started, but not sure how much truth was in them. For example in our playoff season Nouble was supposedly on 20k/week at Wham and I'm pretty sure we weren't paying even a quarter of that.

Bit of an exaggeration.....Frank was on a pauper's 10K a week.

http://thetownend.com/index.php?topic=38774.0

First comment from me as well. Clearly I'm losing it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30711196


Branco was in a car wash comment circa 13 minutes in. blimey scouting network really do have all options covered

You haven't had a baby in the last week? Jayo seems to be losing it as well....it's usually the bird who goes a bit Lady Gaga post natal....but new men now, so who knows?

What the fuck are you babbling about?

A man who can't tell a frenulum from a perineum, due to an inability to read a post correctly  :)

You're going senile.

I think Power has to be given credit as well last season he was givne criticism for his communication, ths season he seems to have improved that by doing things like the phone in and speaking more to the likes of Sam.

Credit where it is due

So I don't suppose anyone asked about the bequest (between £1-2m if I remember correctly) to the club for development purposes. That surely can't still be subject to probate - it dates back at least a couple of years. When's it ever going to surface?

First question of the phone-in.

They're in discussions with the trust of the deceased.

It's being used toward a new training ground in Chippenham (probably) there is an article about it today but i can't seem to find it.

Ta gents. Much obliged.

Shameless plug:
http://www.swindonlinksport.com/2015/01/08/towns-new-training-base-at-stanley-park-could-cost-5million/

Personally, if we've £5 mill to invest in a new training facility, I'd rather it was in the Borough of Swindon, I know Power says he's tried, but why should Chippenham benefit?

Could be the thin end of a relocation of ground wedge....

Finally catching up with this, I think its clear he is getting a lot more confident and natural talking to the media - seems a lot happier.

Is it me or does LP only really talk to Linksport (and BBC Wilts)? It seems like they have some sort of agreement to get all the 'exclusives' in exchange for not reporting anything remotely controversial.

Asking a similar question.... Is it me or do you only post negative things about the present board do you do this in exchange for something from Jed?

If you had listened to the phone-in you were told by Power that one section of the media are happy to print the negative things and generally stir it up out of all proportion - fairly obvious why he would prefer to talk to others I would have thought!!

If there is news to be reported then I think Link & BBC report it but maybe they tend to word things different than certain other media and try and find out the facts first instead of just writing a negative story with no hard facts.  
Sam had his issues with power last season but I think it shows that Power now trusts him to give him interviews and information, Sam has proved himself worthy of this in LP's eye's.

I heard that. But it depends how you define 'stir it up'. I think LP means anything other than positive, and unfortunately negative things go on at football clubs. As part of the community non footballing matters are important also.

With correct spelling, grammar and sources for instance - unlike the Adver!

That's a given!

Not sure about the relocation, but Stanley Park is an exceptional facility already, winning awards and is apparently regarded as one of the top venues in the country after Burton.

Town's Youth Teams already play there, Southampton's Academy Development Centres play there, Spurs Academy held a Summer Holiday session there and the Spurs training staff were blown away by it.

I don't mind that the funding will be leaving Swindon, its more important Town have outstanding facilities than location.

More likely tied in with the rent thing, "lets get talking or...."

If we do go there, we should definitely tell Southampton to fuck off.

Fed up with them nicking all the local talent

Lee Power is a fantastic bloke. I've got quite a strong friendship with him and he's genuine and down to earth. Top man.

That may not bode well for our defence m'lad.

Another argument for is that it will do the Club no harm at all to have more of a presence in West Wiltshire.

Im all for it.  But then again I live in Chippenham. 

Played at Stanley Park a couple of times and the facilities are amazing. Large amount of pitches, space, facilities ect. The surfaces there are also fantastic. The most recent time I played there it was on the same pitch the U18's played Pompey and that was the best pitch I think I have ever played on..... so to sum up no I don't mind it is outside of Swindon.

 If this Stanley Park place is so fantastic, why do we have to spend £5 mill on it....can't we just rent some space....don't suppose there's a huge amount of call for pitches mid week.

 It's a great sadness, that we lost the A Ground, which had been our training base for years....decent pitch, floodlights, little stand, the lot....and a short walk from the CG.

Good point, Reg.

Just what would £5m be spent on there if the facilities are already fantastic

I work right next to Stanley Park. How exciting.

He did mention we would need our own facilities, ie clubhouse, changing etc. plus additional 3G pitches.

Just listened to the interview, even though I knew all the salient points, LP came across really well and found I myself smiling a lot.

Just one 4G pitch is nearly £1 million apparently.

Yeah but streaming in 4G is much smoother, with no buffering.

Serious over use of the word obviously....

Having had a listen, I'd just like to say that on this occasion, I am happy to make an exception to the general rule that a chairman should wear a tie.

And the last place where I was lucky enough to see The Don play, by then barely walking. A sublime chip into the net from 20 yards during a charity match. It's the story of Swindon Town though, having to give up an asset when with a little foresight it would have been worth 10, 20, 30 times the value actually achieved.

At the time we were seriously skint in Div 4....difficult to anticipate that a long rented, seemingly worthless bit of land could just be sold off to a developer for peanuts....but that was the start of Thatcher's Britain, some winners, many losers. Unfortunately we fell into the latter category.

Perhaps Reg can tell us just how many houses the club actually owned in Shrivenham Road which were sold off, also the old hostel in County Road (by the Magic roundabout) which was used by youth team players - and subsequently sold off to a chairman of the club a few years ago, been a few bob made out of it now!!

Would that mean we have to have Kevin Bacon on the coaching staff?

Tom Bassam
‏@Tbassam
I arrived at this morning's press call and was refused entry, the Advertiser had not been invited at the request of the chairman. #stfc


I see that the Adver have been banned again, in what must be an annual tradition.

@Tbassam: I was told the chairman felt he got the media coverage he wanted from the outlets invited and that the Advertiser was not invited. #stfc

:Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

The quality of coverage has improved recently. At least now he does some research and proof reads his work!

I saw Rod Stewart and George Best play there in the 70's in charity matches. Used to watch training from top of the old metal railway footbridge that we used to call the bunky bridge.

Was he the guy that tweeted during the phone in?

Yep if you mean this one

@Tbassam: 'Certain local media', hi Lee, we're here and we're not going to stop reporting the news. #stfc

Ha ha ace.  The real Bunky Brdige, was or maybe still is the concrete job on Gypsy Lane...so called because the 0-6-0 pannier tanks used to rumble under it on the Highworth Branch....by the time I got to see them in the late 50's very early 60's, it was freight only, plus a couple of trains into and out of the works from Highworth for workers.

Did you get numbers at the same time as watching training?  I used to do that up until it was flogged off....the closest I get to multi-tasking.

Ronnie.....the only house owned on Shrivenham Road was #1.  An extension was built on it taking it right up against the ground, and apprentices used to live there and the occasional lodger like Stan Harland, who never moved here from Liverpool.

The club houses were in Walcot East....Wigmore Avenue way, off Upham Road.  Not sure how many, but I know the likes of Peter Noble, Owen Dawson, and John Smith had places there....

As for the place by the MR, that'd be Cliff Puffett, who you refer to, again don't know much about it...but didn't BB have something to do with it?

Yeah I know the stone bridge was the proper bunky brudge but as little kids we always called the metal bridge that name too, no idea why though.

Yes we did used to occassional collect numbers while watching training as it was close to our school at Gorse Hill, especially in the summer months close season where we used to go and sit and watch training in the stand which they didn't mind, watching Kamara, Rowland and Mayes et al doing their stuff which consisted mainly of 11 v 11 games and running round the pitch back then.

Their always used to be a charity match at least once a season and I saw Midge Ure and several TV stars like Dennis Waterman play there also. Something silly like 10p entry for games unless you crept through the fence ;)

Ha bet he feels clever this morning..

What is the Adver deemed to be guilty of specifically?

I dont blame Power for refusing them entry, all they do is report the bad and not the good things at the club, often storms in tea cups that turn out to be very trivial and not even newsworthy at all. The Adver does seem to have an agenda against the club now which is a total reversal of how it used to be.

I certainly missed the charity games...would be great if someone had a program or 2, that could be scanned, so that the washbag could nick it.

I was thinking the same, I lost all my old programmes when I left my ex wife. They always used to print out the teams with a little description of who they were (e.g. pop singer or tv presenter) alongside them and always cost 2p per sheet!

I don't know if it's a case of having an agenda against the club or just sloppy/lazy reporting. Either way, a fair few of us have recognised the same thing that Power has noticed.

I went to that charity match but don't think I have a programme from it anywhere.  all I remember is a host of mature ladies waiting outside the players entrance to ambush Dennis Waterman.  I've never understood the appeal myself

I used to babysit Gerry O'Brien's kids and their (STFC owned) house was on Upham Road

The other charity match I do remember well was played at the CG in 82 which was the last time I saw George Best play live.

For the widow of ex speedway rider Martin Hewlett.

Players included were Viv Richards, Ian Botham, George Best, Johnny Francome, Mick Channon, Don Rogers, Mike Summberbee and Phil Hughes (Bests agent at the time who also looked exactly like Best with a big black overgrown beard) and several others that I forget now.

http://www.swindonviewpoint.com/video/showbiz-v-swindon-town

I don't know if anyone's posted this before, this is a 90 second video of a charity game at the County Ground in 1975 (28.4.75)

Dan the fans joined in now haha

@danwjonson: The club could be sitting top of the Premier League under Mr. Power & he’d still be doing a bad job if he is banning local media #STFC

@danwjonson: Sir Alex was a great manager, but this was how the old fool treated the media at Utd for years, he ruled by fear, do we want that at Town?

@danwjonson: Just when u think the regime at Town is starting to get it right, they ban the local newspaper f/ the club, a pathetic move from Mr. Power

@danwjonson: Despite all the new media available, @swindonadver is the only daily print dedicated to #STFC, he’s harming the fans & club w/ this decision

@danwjonson: How can the Chairman expect local people in Swindon to be interested in #STFC & come to games if he bans local media?

He's such a prick.

Hope he gets banned :D

He does realise how low in terms of people accessing news the print media has dropped, his argument may have held some weight in 1985 but now not so much. On that basis I am going to contact Mr Power and say that I am going to report the news from STFC to the local media in the medium of interpretive dance and song, and as the only one I demand full media access!

I agree to a point that the adver shouldn't be banned, banning local press is just crazy but they really dont help themselves though, if they done a little bit of research then they may be taken more seriously.

The adver used to be the first place to go to for stfc related news but I think now for a lot of people they are the last place to look as they just seem to re-hash stories others have printed or copied what others are doing.

I don't think it's a great PR move from the club, other than that I really couldn't give a flying one.

I don't think matey-boy at the Adver Sports Desk helps himself.

They should be getting coverage but it's win/win for Power as banishing the Adver isn't as big a deal as it would have been a year or so ago.

I do think it's a bit tinpot banning local media. We may all be web warriors, but there's still a portion of less techy and less committed fans who won't get much news if they don't get it from a local print outlet. If you're not happy with the coverage, engage to correct it rather than shunning them.

I cannot stand that guy.

Firstly, he hasn't banned local media, he's banned the Adver - plenty of other local media.
Secondly, hell yeah I'd take being ruled like Sir Alex used to rule Manchester United, they did alright for themselves whilst shunning the media.

Quite. And double for the tinpot bit.

http://m.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/11714517.Advertiser_refused_entry_to_Swindon_Town_pre_match_press_conference/?ref=rss&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

I think the club should be careful. The adver might start writing nothing but negative articles about the club.

Oh, wait!

Went to junior school with Johnny, he was a great footballer already good enough to play in the school team when he was 2 years younger than the rest of us. What a waste he didn't carry on playing...whatever became of him?

My parents bought his family's house in Old Town in the late sixties. He was just a kid at the time sitting on the rails. It backed onto a field and they'd found space to build a small stable at the end of the garden. SO maybe there was parental pressure.

Poor form from the other journalists to attend while some if their colleagues are refused access.

Why?

They werent banned? And work for different media, not really their problem is it.

I wonder if they waved at them through the window :D

Looks like he has got plenty of publicity about it - even the Adver are reporting it!!  Dan the Fan can do one!!

Or perhaps he is not liked by the other journos?

Only after they'd licked it...

People might not like the Adver's coverage of late (and I'm no big fan of it myself, it's been laughably poor), but the danger in this ban is that it sets a precedent that may (and may even be intended to do so) intimidate the other media outlets so that when there is a need for someone prepared to report the bad news as well as the good, the local media self-censor. So that if things did take a turn for the worse, a malevolent owner would have a free hand.

Because that's what respected journalists would do.  

They're a news organisation not a cheerleader for the club, I'm sure the Adver would rather report on good news but "No news..."

I checked earlier and asides from the 'scoop' the adver did on the rent thing (which is what a scoop is generally all about), linksport have pretty much reported the same things as the adver have. The main difference being that link have reported on other things as well as the negative.

I, and others, have noticed that the adver appear to be more or less consistently negative in their reporting.

There's a difference between reporting bad news and stirring shit though.

For example, the Adver "exclusive" about the rent owed to the Council was tabloid worthy and purely for the shock factor. Whereas if it had been written as a genuine piece of objective journalism and the club were given a fair chance to represent their side before the story was released, it would never have caused such a furore.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't defending the Adver's reporting - as I said, it's been shit all season. But I worry about the effect of a ban on other media outlets in the future. My concern is not whether or not the Adver have been hard done by, but that it sets a worrying precedent.

Maybe there's some tax payers in Swindon that buy and read the Adver that might not be STFC fans.  It's all about balance.

What the beejaysus does paying tax have to do with it?

To be honest the reporting on the Adver has gone down the pan since they stopped reporting on stories relating to mattresses dumped in Alleys!

Er, one of the stories was about STFC not paying rent forcing SBC to start legal action. Do the other websites do news that isn't sports related?

Well, for example, at a time when the club are looking to work with the council on stadium redevelopment, it might be an idea to try to court rather than alienate broader public opinion in the town. The Adver is a potential conduit to that. As RedFrog said, if they're publishing stories the club don't like then courting them might be a better option than banning them which serves only to give the Adver a sense of grievance and runs the risk of looking tinpot/dodgy/arbitrary to the wider public who may therefore be less sympathetic to their council helping the club redevelop.

FLIC and the BBC do, Yes!

It's a shame they've been banned. Stupid in fact.

People seem to forget that they are still welcome at matches - it really isn't a full ban at all.

It's just one less local media outlet dragging out the tedious post match/midweek interviews - FLIC and Link will ensure we remain well covered on that front so I don't really see the issue.

Get in!

 :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

I also enjoyed the latest comment on the adver article:

Dan the Fan is a complete cretin

Upset that the only paper who will even consider letting him write for them has been given the chop by the club. Diddums.

We used to walk from Walcot down through the old canal bit by what we called the four squares which we full of water behind the old Coopers slaughterhouse. Down the side of there across Shrivvy Rd to the old training ground and we called the bridge simply Iron Bridge.

It all seems quite childish from both sides to be honest.

Having read the Adver religiously for the past 25 years  (or at least looked at the pictures in the brilliant Kick Off (?) supplement the used to do on Friday nights in the early 90s (?)) - I've always been a supporter of them and... nostagically, the printed press too. I enjoyed the resurrection of the Football Pink in the late 90s....the Adver really used to dedicate a lot to the club. We've had some really good journalists who, when needed, challenged, but seemed to gauge the mood of the fans. Matt Reader, Gary Rose, Sam, the bloke who went to Newcastle, even Andy 'City fan' Cryer, all did a bloody good job.

The new lot are the first who seem to have failed to gauge the mood of the fans in what they report and how they report it - so for the first time ever, I've stopped bothering to read it. It's a great shame and, I think, a bit if a misjudgement from the current reporters.

But that aside, I can't see there being any case whatsoever for banning them. Talk to them, manage them, encourage them to support the club rather than focus on headlines. I like what Power is doing, but not this.

If it's papers you are trying to sell, or more likely, advertising space, I agree you need to report stories such as the council issues. But equally, don't alienate the readers you already have (or had) with cheap stories and lax attention to detail.

I'll be genuinely sorry to see the Adver go. But it's a dead man walking.

Standards have gone down so far in recent years,when I worked there (print not journo) we had several editions including the "final" which would include the day's racing results and late news - today I can read about a toaster that caught fire in Ashton Keynes on Sunday, hardly major news and five days behind the times!!  Sadly on its way out and will become a weekly at some time in the not too distant future.

Link sport appear to have an unwritten agreement they get all the 'exclusives' in return for only writing positive things and not asking awkward, non football related questions. At least Adver dig a little below the surface, spelling errors and all.

Maybe I'm naive but Sam's a town fan. I trust him to report the negatives but only if there are any.

For the record, no such agreement exists.

Je suis Charlie.

Link are new so if they want to 'last' then surely they have to be more positive with content in order to get quotes from the club and therefore hits on their website etc.

Bring back The Football Pink i say.

Cue a few ripping yarns from Mr. smeeton

yup

Good for you to state your case.
By the way Link Sport is a good read....keep up the good work.

Still remember the picture of Chris Kamara in mid air scoring a diving header in the Bank against his former club Pompey.
Used to run out of the station and buy a copy before the train departed to Didcot.
Happy Days.

I can remember walking into the town centre to get a copy of the adver every lunchtime, even hanging around by Jimmy Wagstaff's stand for the Adver to be dropped off in our old Div 2 and Premier League days.

Now it seems to be falling behind the times. Stopped buying a copy a few years ago after working away and got out the habit.

Seems the Adver sports news might be trying catch up with the new boys. We seem to be going to have each of them out doing each other with exclusives or 'legend' interviews.

Hopefully this gets resolved soon. You would hope the Adver is trying to maintain it's editorial position to represent all of Swindon but can't help feel it's battling for survival.

Used to rush home from a game to deliver them  :cry:

The news guy used to rush up on to the platform selling the Pink before the Kemble train left at about 6 pm - calling at Purton, Minety and Ashton Keynes and Oaksey Halt!!  That was after getting chips from the shop in Wellington Street!!  Happy days, never to be repeated sadly.

Paulines fish bar,next to "Dingo"s" cafe.
Happy days indeed.

Really?

During the week there was a guy selling papers on the station in the afternoon. As a young trainspotter (yes, I know), he seemed to be yelling 'standing in the nude'.

It was only later I realised he was selling the London evening papers, ( the Evening) 'Standard, Evening News'.

Problem?

Ffs now you are going back down memory lane.
We used to go into the Hong Kong fish bar down Manchester Road after the game on route back to the station.
Best spring rolls I have ever tasted.
If closed then Pauline's defo in second place.
Great memories dodging the bricks from the bus station v Brentford in the FA Cup,:)

Still get that "tingle" even now when I make the train journey.
Do it a few times each season just to relive the experience.
Give the kids a commentary which they just look at me confused.
Old romantic me and so fucking glad I remember the detail.
Puts a knot in the stomach. Loyal bastard me like :)

Looking at their latest article I can't see bridges being rebuilt any time soon....
That Bassam character seems a bit of a cock which doesn't help, in fact none of the Adver writers tweeting about it today come across very well.
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/11714057.Redditch_chairman_Swan_bites_back_at_Power/?ref=rss

That looks suspiciously like reporting to me.

Letting Jed's mate have a cry and slag off the club? Does anyone really care about the Redditch chairman? He fucked up and made the decision not to offer players contracts, it's just another example of the Adver digging up the negatives.

Completely agree! whether right or wrong to ban the adver, the tweets sent out since ring out very similar to a someone who has been dumped by a partner and just cant seem to move on with their life. I half expect to see apologies and begging for forgiveness in a couple of days time after the adver realise how silly all the social media has made them look!

Im waiting for the article where there is a selfie of bassam stood outside the ground. Surprised it didnt happen today tbh

Or just giving someone's point of view. I think we're big enough to draw our own conclusions. Saying it shouldn't be reported is a bit like pressing the "ignore" button on here. Does anyone actually do that, however much they disagree with the poster?

But it's pointlessly negative it's nothihg more than a 'he said' 'she said' article, it's just a guy crying who is obviously having his strings pulled by someone with an axe to grind, it's not really news worthy. If the other clubs had offered all these great deals before us why was Hylton still with them then.
You could equally spin it to say what a great piece of business it is by Power to get the player for free and just report Redditch as being bitter about losing their star.
There are ways to write articles and this is another example of intentionally focusing on the negatives, it could have just been a subset of the Hylton article it didn't need it's own piece and headline.

It's a story about Swindon town. I don't think the press should be a propaganda machine that prints only stfc approved nice stories for fear of being banned.

The adver do like to sensationalise headlines, but they've got to sell papers. Anyone with an IQ higher than Joe Cole could see it was a slightly nothing story just by reading it. But yes they could have gone with "Swindon sign Hylton," as the headline and "Redditch to complain" as a secondary (smaller) heading.

Should point out I'm not really reading much of the adver output right now. I'm not a fanboy :)

Dingos!!!!  A bit of interest upstairs there as well with one or two no doubt, perhaps Reg will give us his views!!

Wouldn't that involve coming down from the office in Oxford though... from the quality of the match reports I am not convinced they even come to swindon to watch the games.

I think this is fair enough really:

http://www.thisisswindontownfc.co.uk/news/headlines/11715935.Why_it_is_our_duty_to_report_on_Swindon_Town_by_Swindon_Advertiser_editor_Gary_Lawrence/

Fact is, if people don't like the stories the Adver print then they won't but it to read them, and the paper will die a quicker death. The Adver are there to try and make money, not suck off the club.

But does the Adver, with it's limited and likely loyal readership, sell more copies because they went all Sun with the headlines? It grates me. The paper is small and local. So STFC hadn't paid a debt, why be cunty about it? You don't have to report a story like a redtop twat to sell 5 more copies.

I don't care if Power's barred them. Good. It's not like he could go all Berlusconi or Murdoch and ensure favourable print. I don't think they need muffling as such, and I don't think Power's doing that. They just need to learn to keep a fucking handle on the shit they print. You can spin shit both ways for fucks sake, so why print sensationalist drivel about a club in the town you work, be fucking gentle and honest, but don't be bellends.

This is what happens when you shit where you live. Tough tits.

From what I'm led to believe the adver's based in Oxford (albeit with an office in Swindon). One thing I do know is that the journo's are not responsible for the headlines, at least not where STFC are concerned. I'm guessing that the person that writes the STFC headlines sits behind an office and Oxford and, quite possibly, supports a team in yellow.

And the Adver getting a load more hits and selling more papers due to this furore. Some sort of irony.

Je suis Adver...

They can print what they want, I don't give a fuck.

The fact they seem to have a spastic filing the reports is a different matter.

Edit: And the fact the subby is obviously in Scumsville and not Swindon, bearing in mind he decides the headline and not the journalist, means I haven't been to the Adver site for about 3 months.

Exactly

"We, like our readers, will be behind the team long after Mr Power has departed"

I wouldn't put too much money on that.

This

The adver aka the thinking mans Beano.

It would be helpful if some of those that are "pro-adver", as it were, remember they were banned from a press conference, not threatened with being shot in the face if they came near the place again. It's nowhere near censorship of free speech or the right to report news. It's more "you're a bit useless, and you can fuck right off if you think you're getting first dibs on news from now on" Isn't it?

I know it's unusual for our fans to overreact but it's not exactly North Korea is it?  :suicide:

Al the negative story telling by the adver is having a direct effect on attendances. I really don't blame Power for having nothing to do with them as his sustainable model is attendance reliant.

They weren't banned from the press conference. It was invitation only an they weren't invited.

Thanks for the clarification. Its very helpful. Kim Jong-camerUN is watching you,

Whilst we are on clarifications, its not about being "pro adver" as such, stopped reading it when the Adver three left and their replacements couldn't be bothered. Its about it being a petty response to no liking what someone writes.

Je suis Batch.

As a fellow non adver buyer, but occasional reader (although much less now because of the other options)  I do think that there is a wider point here.  We as fans need / want to know what is going on at the club, both good and bad and rely on the local media to supply this.  If not we'll be forced to rely on the wild ramblings of various nutters on social media.

So I am slightly disappointed that Sam has kept his head down on this one, apart from saying that no agreement is in place for them not to report on bad news.  I may be doing a disservice to Sam and quietly behind the scenes he has lobbied for the adver to be included.  I appreciate that they are rivals, but there are some principles at stake here.

While I accept that there is no agreement in place for other outlets not to print negative stories, there may not need to be, if they see the risks involved, because these newer organisations rely massively on getting contact with players, manager and chairman to get stories and visitors and therefore revenue, to a greater extent possibly than the adver / newsquest? do.

So do we all feel confident that after what has happened that FLIC or Link would now print a negative story?? 

This isn't a slight against these organisations its really a case of the club trying to dictate what people get to know, and so is a different issue to whether the adver is any good, that will and is being determined by the market, and like others have said I can see it moving towards weekly or more likely web only at some point in the future.   

I personally don't think the issue is with negative stories, but the sensationalist over-the-top way in which they're reported. You don't have to pander to mongs who love this modern sensationalist negative crap, some of us do care for measured and balanced opinion.

The Adver being banned, doesn't mean there's a carpet ban on negative stories.  ::) (Although it would be nice if we have some positive, dare I say, "feel good", news every once in a while. The world, and STFC, isn't entirely filled with shit and hate.)

Isn't Link Sport owned by the same person who runs/owns Excalibur, one of the clubs sponsors/partners?

It is, but that doesn't equate to 'nice stories only'. I'd imagine Sam is once bitten twice as shy. All he did to be excluded was retweet Rangers shirt that everyone had already seen anyway!

Didn't know that, but you're bound to come across that kind of relationship cross over in a 200k town like Swindon.

The Adver has been sponsoring the club in various forms for years I think. Not really sure what difference that makes?!

Reviens, Voltaire, ils sont devenus focus.

Yes. James Phipps.

:nod:

Really? I very much doubt it. Unless you *know* (as opposed to just reckon) otherwise?

Bang on. Sets a precedent.

I don't take any pleasure in the Adver's predicament, but I do think they have been (and continue to be) extremely naive.  They should have seen this coming.

Until very recently, there was the Club and there was the Adver.  On the fringes there have been a few fanzines down the years and radio coverage provided by GWR and the BBC, but the main players were always STFC and the Evening/Swindon Advertiser.  The relationship was symbiotic.  The Club needed the Adver to spread news and for marketing purposes, and the Adver needed the Club to fill its back pages - very often the first place a reader would turn to.  STFC is just about the only institution in Swindon which can generate news on a daily basis, after all.

But as media has moved online and away from print, there are now other media outlets equally committed to reporting STFC-related news to a high standard.  The Adver no longer enjoys a local media monopoly.  It has been outmanoeuvred by both Link Sport and Flic Wiltshire - and even the Washbag, from a slightly different perspective - and it seems to be still working out how to respond.  None of these other outlets have the Adver's cost base and none are obliged to put out a print edition 6 times a week.  From a STFC perspective, the Adver looks lame and stuck in the 20th century.

And what is even worse for the Adver is that its editorial staff do not seem to have noticed this yet.  The tone of Gary Lawrence's piece yesterday indicates that he still believes the Adver should have privileged access to Club news and stories, just as it has done for over 100 years.  He hasn't got hid head around the obvious truth that things have changed.  The talk of the Adver's 'duty' to report on STFC was hilarious.  Get a grip, man.  STFC is a commercial organisation, as is the Adver.  You have no more 'duty' to report on the Club than I do.

The upshot is that Lee Power - or whoever owns the club in future - does have more power/influence now when choosing which media outlets to deal with.  And the ramifications of this are not all good.  During the Wills/Diamandis tenure, for example, the Adver was instrumental in bringing people together and reporting uncomfortable truths about how the Club was being (mis)run.  They were able to do this because they held a position of power...and could afford to get up the noses of those in charge of the Club at that time in the knowledge that there was no danger of the paper's position being seriously undermined.  I do worry that if we were ever to find ourselves in a similar position in future, local media organisations would not have the same confidence to hold the Club to account.

None of this excuses the Adver's current stance.  Power is doing nothing wrong.  He can invite or exclude whoever he wants to Club media updates.  No journalist, whoever he/she works for, has the divine right to a invitation to press conferences.  Gary Lawrence/Adver management seem to have their heads stuck firmly in the sand on this one.  It's time they woke up and developed a strategy for dealing with the Club that was more appropriate to the times - times in which they are now just one of several media firms wishing to serve the same audience.

That was a bit long.  Sorry about that.

Anybody else not give a fuck about the Adver/Club shenanigans?

Me.

Couldn't give a toss either way

Not bought in ages esp at 65p
Read occasionally online but have to say link sport and flic and bother better reads

I agree that its a bit of a dry subject, but unfortunately it may be that at some point in the future it becomes a very important issue, and what is happening here may determine how much local media outlets stand up to the future Diamandis or Jeds who run this club.

I hope the nodding symbol means that Sam is working with his colleagues so that we can talk more about the footie again!!

Eh? I can't remember the Adver crusading against the greasy Greek, or Jed. Maybe I'm mistaken?

I don't remember it either.

They didn't "crusade" against Diamandis. But they did a damn good job of reporting on the whole sorry saga and letting people make up their own minds. The point sheldon is making, as I did the other day, is if the club now have the whip hand over media outlets, and that means the media are intimidated away from reporting negative news by this kind of ban/un-invitation/whatever, then that's not necessarily a healthy thing for us or the club if a Jed or similar crops up again in the future.

What's stopping the adver from reporting negative news when they are 'banned' anyway?

:clap:

The club haven't, and couldn't, put a gagging order on the Adver - they can still write and publish STFC-related stories

Exactly.

A supposed 'crusade' against Diamandis by the Adver has been mentioned, yet were the adver not banned at that time as well?

Andy Cryer was very good in asking the questions that Diamandis hated to answer.  Much more effective than Ritson who preceded him.

Nothing, but it's clearly a punishment for reporting news the club would rather not have reported on. As such, the intended effect is, clearly, to deter the Adver, and any other news outlets who might consider doing so, from reporting news the club would rather not have reported on.

No. And the person who mentioned the word "crusade" did so in saying he didn't remember them doing one. What they did do, was be very effective at simply reporting what was going on, even if it was perceived as "negative" by the club who would rather they hadn't done so, as it shone a wider light on the shambles at the time.

Are we allowed to mentioned that when the Adver were taken in by Jed that Sam was at the paper? He does seem sainted by some.

You are. I don't deserve it to be forgotten.

Other outlets have reported on the same things that the adver have, they've not been 'banned'.

I think he just doesn't like them, Paul. They're not exactly in everybody's good books right now are they?

Read it all.

In fairness there was a large percentage taken in by lovable Jed and geezerish charms.

I am unable to check at the moment but have the Advertiser actually actually reported any news that the 'club would rather not have reported on' did Link and FLIC  not both the same stories just a little more accurately and without salacious headlines...

I think you're probably right FH, and as I've said repeatedly I'm no great fan of their recent output either. But I still think this "ban" or whatever it is sets a worrying precedent and looks a bit naff/childish on the club's part. Meh, think we've all done this to death now.

But I like Sam's "cryptic" sign language contributions to the thread :)

Haha. The conversations I feel I've needed to have relating to the whole furore over the past week I've had in private, and there have been several. Otherwise, I don't think I can help the situation in a public arena by chirping up. The people involved who would hear my views through social media etc have heard exactly the same in person. It's an issue which the owner and the Adver need to settle themselves and I hope they do quickly.

Do they feed you well at your new place, Sam?

Still feeding myself, Flash.

 ;)

I think it was the way the adver reported it, they had it leaked to them from the council and printed what they had been told by the council.

What I think Sam done differently, obviously he did not get the exclusive, but he seemed to report it and included info from STFC so giving them a right of reply I beleive, unless memory serves me wrong. I think Flic just reported what others was reporting on.

I would say the Adver article was more balanced in the write up of the council court case offering quotes from both parties. Link quoted Shah. STFC were 'not available ' to comment for the first Adver article. If they had bothered they could have put their case across. 'STFC to face court over unpaid rent' is hardly sensationalist. Let's be a bit objective and actually read things. Link is superior for the football side, but Adver at least get stuck in to other matters.

Two separate stories: http://www.swindonlinksport.com/2015/01/05/council-release-statement-after-rent-arrears-settlement/ and http://www.swindonlinksport.com/2015/01/05/club-and-council-reach-settlement-on-rent-arrears/ covered both sides after the brief hearing.

I did a quick search, obviously too quick!

Not having a dig, just wanted to point it out.

Did people see Sam went public in the end with his views on the Adver ban? Decent article. I seem to be surrounded by arguments about free speech at the moment. I liked the "Je suis Adver" comment though.

http://www.swindonlinksport.com/2015/01/14/sam-morshead-link-sports-stance-on-recent-off-field-events/ (http://www.swindonlinksport.com/2015/01/14/sam-morshead-link-sports-stance-on-recent-off-field-events/)

I must remember to stop looking at this thread  ::)

Yes its a good read, and a slightly risky one too. Nice one Sam

credit where its due  :nod: :nod:

looks like Mr Power is having to put another £200k in this month due to the lack of home games ,

http://www.swindonlinksport.com/2015/01/16/power-ready-to-invest-funds-to-cover-one-home-game-in-40-days/

All the more reason to turn out in force tomorrow.

Agreed. 1 home game this month only, no real reason for the people of Swindon not to turn out and support their team, which is top of the pile.

bit of a bugger to have to do this.. put money in.

shows cash flow is generally just in time..

 This is where the FA Cup comes in handy....Bradford reckon they'll make half a mill from the Chelsea game.

How much did we get from Sky for the Coventty game?

Plus, we'll get a few quid for Mass/Kas being on international duty

As long as he does not use a pay day loan company to finance it we should be alright as January's loss is February's gain

How can we be breaking even if power is having to put money in to cover losses like this, and he also claims to have already put in £3m is he suggesting that he has had this back ?

If we had played Bradford next week there would be no problem.

No game = no revenue.

Gap needs plugging

It's not losses, it's cash flow. He'll probably pay himself back once the matches catch up.

Peanuts from sky, and any money for mass and yass, wont be for ages.

Fingers crossed for 9k plus. Doesn't look too busy on the website but then I don't check it all that often, so it's difficult to tell how it compares.

Doesnt look too bad
All sections in DRS in yellow bar one, with centre one sold out
2 sections in TE plus most upper Arkells in yellow


Wasnt there 1600 walk ups to last home game ? If get anywhere near that should be a very decent crowd

Just got my seat, not much left on the TE side of the DRS. 8500 I reckon.

Been a problem all season because of the way the fixtures have panned out. We have had a lot of 2 week breaks and gone for long periods with no home games.

Agree, makes him look lovely in the mean time though.

He seems a bit of a cunt if he perceives someone has crossed him.

Surprised Jed isn't propping up a flyover

He's a ruthless cunt and I love him for it.

You guys seen Neville's article about DoFs: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/11366206/Gary-Neville-The-era-of-the-gaffer-is-over.html

With Power essentially DoF as well as Chairman it does mean we have a more sustainable (as foreseeable as it is possible in football) setup football-wise as any time in the modern era

Bit of bollocks though innit....almost like Gary Neville has noticed something so the rest of us have to listen to his opinion.

Reading stuck Nicky Hammond in as DoF in about 2003....he's still there, when they were going well, his stock was high....now their fans want him out.

Back in  2007, it was rumoured that Wenger wanted him at Arsenal....as they operate this sort of system.

Wenger has near autonomy of signings I thought?

David Dein, was the departing incumbent when Hammond was being mentioned....some say Arsenal haven't been as good without him.

Well it's sport, nothing works perfectly endlessly. Swansea a good example of managers/coaches being hired because they fit with the philosophy of the clubs hierarchy in comparison