| THE 2010's |
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Swindon spring a surprise during the close season, appointing controversial Italian Paolo di Canio as the club's new boss - sparking a media frenzy at the County Ground, with many pundits predicting things to go awry. With much of the squad departing after relegation to League Two, di Canio brings in an almost completely new team - and at first, it looks as though the pundits would be right - despite an opening day victory, Swindon lose their next four league games, including a first home defeat in 38 years to local rivals Oxford. Things come to a head when the Town are knocked out of the Carling Cup by Southampton - after the game, after initially attempting to diffuse a situation with new signing Leon Clarke, di Canio is caught on camera scuffling with the striker. Live on TV a few days later, the Town twice come from behind to beat Rotherham, and things begin to improve - Swindon gradually moving up the table. After a 3-3 draw with Hereford in October, Swindon only concede one more goal at home all season - and after knocking Premiership Wigan out of the FA Cup, a superb 4-1 victory at fellow promotion-chasers Southend in January sees the Town move into the promotion places for the first time since the opening day. That victory is recorded in the middle of a new club record of ten consecutive league victories as Swindon moved to the top of the league, and they also win through to the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final, but their second visit to Wembley in three seasons also ends in disappointment, as Chesterfield record a 2-0 victory. That is soon forgotten though as promotion is wrapped up with two games remaining, before a thumping 5-0 win over Port Vale on the penultimate weekend seals the League Two championship in style. Coca-Cola Football League Two: 1st of 24 - | |||
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Despite the summer losses of captain Gordon Greer and top scorer Billy Paynter over the summer, Town fans are still optimistic that their side can build on last season's push for promotion - but after a poor start, Swindon find themselves bottom of the table after five matches, before three successive wins seem to get them back on track. Over the next few months, the Town score many but concede more - and at the turn of the year, they sit just above the relegation spots, but with few points separating all the teams in the division, a play-off spot is still seen as a possibility. A superb 4-2 win at Charlton is seen by many as the game to kickstart the season - but when top scorer Charlie Austin submits a transfer request and soon leaves for Burnley, it proves to be a catalyst of a different kind - as the Town slump to a eighteen game run without a win, manager Danny Wilson leaving the club in the process. New boss Paul Hart is quickly appointed to save the season, but his negative tactics see Swindon score just six times during his short twelve match tenure, sparking an angry reaction from fans - and when relegation is confirmed at the end of April, he too is relieved of his duties. Coca-Cola Football League One: 24th of 24 - | |||
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After 31 goal striker Simon Cox leaves to join West Brom, most pundits predict a relegation battle for the Town - a 5-0 opening day mauling at Gillingham only strengthening that opinion. The thrashing proves to be a blip though - and, though perhaps lacking firepower upfront, they go unbeaten in their next twelve - winning five and drawing seven, to sit just outside the play-off spots at the end of October. Manager Danny Wilson then takes a gamble on unknown striker Charlie Austin - signed from Wessex League club Poole Town - and he immediately forges a superb partnership with Billy Paynter - after scoring on his full debut at Carlisle, he goes on to notch thirteen goals in his first fifteen games, and with Paynter netting fifteen himself during the same period, the Town catapult themselves into the play-off spots. A tough March programme ends with superb 1-0 victories at Brighton, Southampton and Hartlepool, and amazingly, after the Town record their second 3-0 victory of the season over Leeds at Elland Road, they leapfrog the Yorkshire outfit (who they had trailed by eighteen points at the turn of the year) into the second automatic promotion spot. After beating Tranmere, the promotion jitters then hit though, and Swindon then fail to win two games they dominate - somehow contriving to lose 3-0 at Colchester and drawing 1-1 with Exeter - when they draw twice more against Walsall and Wycombe, automatic promotion looked to be out of their grasp. Results go their way though on the penultimate day, and the Town still have hope on the final day - knowing that If Leeds slip up on the final day, the winner of the Town’s clash at Millwall would snatch second spot. The Town take an early lead at the New Den, but they eventually lose - but it is all made academic when Leeds come from behind to beat Bristol Rovers. The Town go on to meet Charlton in the play-offs, and after winning 2-1 at the County Ground, they lose goalkeeper David Lucas through injury in the opening minute, and then concede twice to go behind on aggregate - the game looks over when captain Gordon Greer is sent off for violent conduct. Somehow though, Danny Ward snatches a goal to level the tie on aggregate, and Charlton are also reduced to ten men at the end of normal time - the Town survive a few scares during extra time, then score all of their penalties in the shootout to reach Wembley. The fairytale ended there though - a poor first half performance seeing Millwall go in 1-0 up before half-time, and though there is some improvement in the second half, it’s not enough to get back into the game. Coca-Cola Football League One: 5th of 24 - | |||