Yeovil v Swindon official match day thread

[RobertT]

It's always amusing to read these things, to see how delusional fans are.  Given that Stags have had 1 Div 3 season in the last 25 years and a fairly lengthy spell in the Conference, including being locked out of Field Mill.... you'd think they'd know getting up to Div 3 isn't easy. If they win their game in hand, they'll be a point shy of us.... not great but in the mix.

I think they might be basing their current expectations off of spending some serious cash for this league and being 4th when Flitcroft rocked into Town and told them the players they had weren't up to it and he needed to overhaul the squad.  On that basis they have a point.  You yourself told us they would be up there, a team showing more ambition than us.  If you took it in isolation, losing only once, a game behind everyone else, then asking for a change of manager seems nuts.  But they have endured 20 games under him, we know what that feels like, and he's doing worse with them in that period than he did with us!  I can't imagine having to put up with that.

[StfcRusty]

Many years ago just post the Macari era, my old boss was Wolves fan and he called us Swindle. Unsure, but if memory serves me right I thought it was due to ticket pricing. We were at home to Wolves and the price of travelling fan admission went through the roof as wolves always sold full allocation. The price was considerably more than what we paid for a ticket and much more than who we previously played at home the week before. So it was no difference to what premiership sides do now with game banding.
Like I said I could be totally wrong and it would not be the first time.

The first time I heard it was from Wolves fans.  It was an early home again the season after the promotion/demotion season (ie 1990-91).  1-0 to Town and Fitzroy Simpson (who played as a striker that day) scored.  The Wolves fans were situated in the Town End and sang "Swindle Town" and "Naughty Boys" - presumably in reference to the reason we didn't get promoted.

I had no idea my brain had retained such useless trivia until I read your post. 

[Reg Smeeton]

One thing they're not deluded about Reg is that your old mate Flitters is a shit awful manager. They're bang on the money with that assessment...

Flitcroft is no friend of mine... I've never met the bloke. In my judgement he's a jobbing lower league gaffer, an assessment I've made on the basis of the job he did for us last season. That was an OK job in the circumstances, up until he jumped ship, the reason for which we may never know.  He may or may not do OK for Mansfield, and other than them being a direct competitor, like say Yeovil's gaffer, that's as far as my interest goes.

[FreddySTFC!]

Any news on Doughty's injury?

[Peter Venkman]

He may or may not do OK for Mansfield.

[Reg Smeeton]

It is of course too early to tell.

Now according to some Flitcroft was a complete disaster of a gaffer, yet we were a point better off last year after 9 games, than this. Does that mean that Brown is even more of a disaster?  Of course not,  as .it's too early to tell.

Div 4 is a grind, coming up we've a very difficult looking game v Oldham.... a dour grind of a draw would be acceptable.

[swindonmaniac]

I had to have a looky .

http://www.stagsnet.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=34395&sid=f305069536c68f1a47863a3deea9d93e

http://www.stagsnet.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=34403&sid=f305069536c68f1a47863a3deea9d93e

Think maybe now they can see what  Swindon fans said about him was not just sour grapes, We made the same mistake when Bury fans told us the same thing.    Basically he's a shit manager,  why anyone else would wish to employ him with his track record is beyond me.

[Audrey]

It is of course too early to tell.

Now according to some Flitcroft was a complete disaster of a gaffer, yet we were a point better off last year after 9 games, than this. Does that mean that Brown is even more of a disaster?  Of course not,  as .it's too early to tell.

Div 4 is a grind, coming up we've a very difficult looking game v Oldham.... a dour grind of a draw would be acceptable.

The difference being, we had witnessed having our arse handed to us by both Barnet and Crawley and got a footballing lesson by Exeter- harbinger of things to come re Barnet and Crawley. Most fan’s opinions of Flitcroft was honed by watching one appalling home performance after another. The fact our away form was rather good wasn’t enough for most.

[Reg Smeeton]

Think maybe now they can see what  Swindon fans said about him was not just sour grapes, We made the same mistake when Bury fans told us the same thing.    Basically he's a shit manager,  why anyone else would wish to employ him with his track record is beyond me.

Not all Swindon fans... there will always be others who see it differently to you.  It's a football cliche that in management, the only certainty is that sooner or later you'll get the sack.  Many try to be a boss and some fail sooner than others.... and never really recover. Take someone like Kevin Nolan, had a little taste at Orient in their worst time of basket casery, then picked up Notts where by general consensus, seemed to be doing a fair job.... as a young gaffer not long out of playing, looked to have some potential... within about 5 or 6 games of this season... gone. Will he come back?

The jobbing lower league gaffer is the sort who can rack up at least around 250 games at usually a few clubs... on his CV might be the odd promotion or a great escape, or perhaps with someone like a Jim Bentley keeping a a club up against the odds. Perhaps being associated with developing a player might help. 

A classic Div 4 operator is John Sheridan... now at Carlisle, and they're doing OK.  Sheridan has 569 games in all comps under his belt... Oldham like him for a bit when needing to stay up and then sack him... a bit like Martin Allen at Barnet.

Brown has 520 games in all comps... Flitcroft 268, but has a good few years left in him.

Cooper, interestingly, if you take his non league stints into account has 471 games....

[Reg Smeeton]

The difference being, we had witnessed having our arse handed to us by both Barnet and Crawley and got a footballing lesson by Exeter- harbinger of things to come re Barnet and Crawley. Most fan’s opinions of Flitcroft was honed by watching one appalling home performance after another. The fact our away form was rather good wasn’t enough for most.

For sure the home form was poor, but that had been the case for the 2 previous seasons, and sometimes it can be difficult to turn these things around.... Flitcroft had done that in the new year with 5 wins on the spin up until he bailed.

So far this season, the home form hasn't been convincing either.... now whether these things are just coincidence, or there is some other factor at work, I don't know.  Occasionally there are mutterings about the players findng it difficult at the CG.... the relentless negativity about certain players and staff, the lack of a vocal end, can create a very unpleasant atmosphere.  Certainly the players seem to find it a bit easier away, where the travelling fans tend to be a bit more positive

[tans]

My stepdad is a Mansfield fan. I facetimed them earlier and his first response to me discussing Flitcroft was to give me the finger and say ‘you can have that useless fucker back’

[Legends-Lounge]

My stepdad is a Mansfield fan. I facetimed them earlier and his first response to me discussing Flitcroft was to give me the finger and say ‘you can have that useless fucker back’

My ex work colleague supports them and we sat together in their main stand last season when we won 1-3 he won’t discuss ‘football’ with me at the mo 😂

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

Anyone know what the story is with that Town flag with what looks like a Sporting Lisbon badge on it? (or Sporting Clube de Portugal to use their correct name).

Edit: Just spotted that it says 'British Lions' on it (not the rugby kind, a reference to the Club emblem). I suppose they must be Portuguese ex-pats who support Sporting and moved over here. OK, so I've probably answered my own question - interesting link though, fair play to them.

Or - could it have something to do with when we played them in a pre-season game in the early 90's? A bit too long ago I would have thought...

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

No, they are very different! I like the Small Faces, but not a fan of Mr Stewarts!

Quite like a bit of early Rod / Faces. Love this track...

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

Re. Dave Bamber - this game here against Oldham in 87/88 sums up the great man for me. Oldham had come to 'park the bus' years before Jose first uttered the words. The game was clearly heading for a 0-0 draw before a couple of moments of Bambi magic changed the game. There's actually not much of the game on there but the clip is utterly magical for those of us of 'a certain age'. A fantastically non-pc quote from Lou in there as well - "I'm supposed to have hit one of my players - which I did" Fabulous. Imagine the reaction these days from the 'Twitterazzi' et al...



http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/MatchCentre.asp?Tab=Video&MatchID=19880112