Swindon’s tripple whammy

Friday, 29/04/2011

by Michael Baker, Shoot's Swindon blogger

Relegation. The "R" word. Some managers ban its use. Others would rather speak its name so that their players are fully aware of the enormity of dropping a division. For a club sliding out of its respective division, it can mean a loss of players, revenue and ultimately a lot of its fanbase. For the fans it brings emotional turmoil: What if we never come back up?

Unfortunately for Swindon, all this and more is now more relevant than even the most pessimistic of fans pre-season could have predicted. In a season that promised so much, they have been relegated from Npower League One with two games still to play.

A 3-1 defeat away at Sheffield Wednesday coupled with Walsall's point at Oldham means Town will play in the Football League's basement division in 2011-12. The results means Swindon now become the fifth third tier play-off final runner-up since the inception of the Football League Play-Offs in 1986-87 to be relegated the following season.

With relegation confirmed on the final whistle, the season must now be put to bed, allowing the inquest into this year's failures to begin. Preparation for the 2011-12 campaign has begun immediately and, with an expectant support behind them, Swindon Town must bounce back.

Following confirmation of the team's inevitable relegation on Easter Monday, many a Swindon fan could have been forgiven for thinking the turbulence of their season was over. However, as the week unfolded, supporters recieved a further two pieces of surprising news, both greeted with mixed emotions.

The raw feeling of relegation had barely sunk in for many fans when the club called a Press conference on Wednesday. First perceptions were that it would be regarding the managerial situation, with Paul Hart reiterating the board's previous comments in the media that he had a "decision to make". The revelation that followed was then predictably more shocking than relegation itself.

Just three years after announcing a three-to-five year objective for Championship football, a not entirely unreasonable and unrealistic ambition, chairman Andrew Fitton declared his intentions to resign from the position, suggesting he himself holds weight of responsibility for our under performance this season.

As a figurehead chairman, Fitton fully enjoyed the limelight. From passionate appearances addressing the matchday crowd announcing his arrival on the scene to renaming the Don Rogers Stand, Fitton would never shy away from the supporters and always wanted to be popular. His honest and open attitude was commendable.

There have clearly been tangible improvements off the pitch, but it is on the pitch that really matters in this game and the two must come hand in hand. Trying to apply his business attitudes to all things on the pitch through appointments and transfer strategy had failed. It was this that also contributed towards his decision to resign, and leaves with the eternal gratitude of all supporters.

Immediately after Fitton's shock resignation, fellow board member Jeremy Wray was announced as interim chairman. A major financial backer in the consortium, Wray set about preparing for next season's campaign immediately, relinquishing Paul Hart and his assistant Ian McParland of their duties.

Bought in to save the club from (a then) potential relegation, Hart was never the fan's choice and, towards the end of his 11-game tenure, captured a shared unity of hatred among supporters for his negative tactics, poor substitutions and ultimately inability to save the club from the dreaded drop.

In a move appease fans until the season's end at least, club legend and scorer of that renowned Wembley penalty Paul Bodin has been promoted from his role as youth and reserve team manager to take charge of the first team for the remaining two games. It is hoped that the games, meaningless now for all teams involved, will allow Swindon to regain some pride as well as start the preparation for what will hopefully be a promotion-winning side next season.

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