Swindon Town Football Club is a professional
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
club based in
Swindon
Swindon () is a town in Wiltshire, England. At the time of the 2021 Census the population of the built-up area was 183,638, making it the largest settlement in the county. Located at the northeastern edge of the South West England region, Swi ...
,
Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...
, England. The team, known as the "Robins", currently compete in , the fourth level of the
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the ...
.
Founded as Swindon AFC in 1879, the club became Spartans the next year, before finally settling on the name Swindon Town in 1883. It became professional in 1894 as a founding member of the
Southern League, later also entering the
Western League between 1897 and 1902. The club was crowned Western League champion in 1898–99 and Southern League champion in 1910–11 and 1913–14, before being elected into the
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
in 1920. It remained in the third tier for 43 years until finally securing promotion into the
Second Division in 1962–63, where it remained for just two seasons. The team lifted the
League Cup after beating
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
3–1 in the
1969 final, and went on to secure promotion at the end of the 1968–69 season with the help of talismanic winger
Don Rogers. Relegated again in 1973–74, the club dropped into the fourth tier for the first time at the end of the 1981–82 season.
Swindon won the
Fourth Division title in 1985–86 and secured a second successive promotion the following season under the stewardship of
Lou Macari. They went on to claim victory in the
1990 Second Division play-off final under
Osvaldo Ardiles, but were denied promotion into the top-flight after admitting to breaching Football League regulations.
Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle (born 27 October 1957) is an English former football player and manager. He currently works as a television pundit and commentator for ITV Sport and TNT Sports.
He played as a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, Monaco, Chelsea and ...
coached the team to victory in the
1993 play-off final to finally secure a place in the top-flight for the first time in
the club's history. However they were relegated out of the
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
at the end of the 1993–94 season and dropped into the third tier with a second consecutive relegation. Promoted again as champions to avoid an FA expulsion and a hat-trick of relegations in 1995–96, they remained in the second tier for four seasons until relegation in the 1999–2000 season. They dropped into the fourth tier
League Two in the 2005–06 for the first time since 1986. Since then, Swindon have spent their time between the third and fourth tiers; earning promotion from League Two on three occasions.
Their home colours are red and white. Since 1896 the club has played home matches at the
County Ground, which now has a capacity of 15,547. Hall of Fame inductee
John Trollope played 770 league games for the club between 1960 and 1980, a
professional record in English football until it was broken in 2023 by
Dean Lewington.
History
Early history
Swindon Town Football Club was founded by Reverend William Pitt of
Liddington in 1879.
The team turned professional in 1894 and joined the
Southern League which was founded in the same year.
During this period
Septimus Atterbury played for the club.

Swindon reached the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
semi-finals for the first time in the
1909–10 season, losing to eventual winners
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
.
Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. It is the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. The town's population was 71,422 in 2021, while the wider boroug ...
and Swindon were invited to compete for the
Dubonnet Cup in 1910 at the
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes (, ) is an all-seater stadium, all-seater football stadium in Paris, France. It is located in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin (P ...
Stadium in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. The result was a 2–1 victory for Swindon with
Harold Fleming scoring both of the club's goals.
The following season,
1910–11, Swindon Town won the Southern League championship, earning them a
Charity Shield match with the
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
champions
Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
. This, the highest-scoring Charity Shield game to date, was played on 25 September 1911 at
Stamford Bridge with Manchester United winning 8–4. Some of the proceeds of this game were later donated to the survivors of the
''Titanic''. In 1912 Swindon Town reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup for a second time in 3 years, losing to Barnsley after a replay 1–0.
Swindon's exploits at this time owed a lot to the skilful forward
H.J. Fleming who was capped by
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
11 times between 1909 and 1914 despite playing outside the Football League. Fleming remained with Swindon throughout a playing career spanning 1907 and 1924 and went on to live in the town for his entire life.
Swindon entered
the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in the world, and was the top-level football league in England from ...
in 1920 as a founding member of
Division Three and defeated
Luton Town
Luton Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club from Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The club currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "The Hatters", L ...
9–1 in their first game of the season. This result stands as a record for the club in League matches.
After the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the War Department took over the
County Ground in 1940, where for a while POWs (
Prisoners of War
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
) were housed in huts placed on the pitch; for this the club received compensation of £4,570 in 1945. World War II affected Swindon Town more than most other football clubs and the club was almost disbanded; the club needed a large amount of time to recover and for this reason it failed to make any real impression in the league and would not climb into the second division until 1963 when they finished runners up to
Northampton Town
Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1897, the c ...
. The club was relegated back into Division Three in 1965, but it was about to create a sensation.
1969–2000

In 1969, Swindon beat
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
3–1 to win the
League Cup for the only time in the club's history. As winners of the League Cup, Swindon were assured of a place in their first European competition: the
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, most commonly referred to as the Fairs Cup and sometimes as the European Fairs Cup or Fairs Cities' Cup, was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The Fairs Cup was the idea of FIFA vice-presid ...
. However,
the Football Association
The Football Association (the FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest footb ...
had previously agreed to inclusion criteria with the organizers which mandated that only League Cup winners from
Division One would be able to take part. As the team were not eligible, the short-lived Anglo-Italian competitions were created to give teams from lower divisions experience in Europe. The first of these, the
1969 Anglo-Italian League Cup, was contested over two legs against
Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since.
Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
winners
A.S. Roma. Swindon won 5–2, with the scorer of two goals in the League Cup final –
Don Rogers – scoring once and new acquisition
Arthur Horsfield acquiring his first
hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...
for the club.
The team then went on to win the
1970 Anglo-Italian Cup competition in a tournament beset by
hooliganism
Hooliganism is disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying and vandalism, often in connection with crowds at sporting events. A hooligan is a person that engages in illicit reckless behaviors and is a public nuisance.
Etymology ...
. The final against
S.S.C. Napoli was abandoned after 79 minutes following pitch invasions and a missile barrage, with
teargas being employed to allow the teams to return to the dressing room.
Following management changes, Swindon had a long unsuccessful period culminating in them being relegated in 1982 to the
Fourth Division, the lowest professional Football League at the time. They were eventually promoted as champions in 1986 with the club achieving a Football League record of 102 points, the second club to score over 100 points in a season,
York City having totalled 101 two years earlier.
A year later they won the Third Division play-offs to achieve a second successive promotion.
Promotion campaign Manager
Lou Macari left in 1989 to take charge of
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
with veteran midfielder, and former
Argentine international,
Ossie Ardiles
Osvaldo César Ardiles (born 3 August 1952), more commonly known as Ossie Ardiles, is an Argentine football manager, pundit and former player.
A competitive and skilled midfielder, Ardiles became a cult hero in England, along with Glenn Hoddl ...
replacing him. In his first season, Swindon were
Second Division play-off winners,
but the club later admitted 36 charges of breaching league rules, 35 due to illegal payments made to players, and were relegated to the Third Division — giving
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
promotion to the First Division and
Tranmere Rovers to the Second Division. The scandal saw then-chairman
Brian Hillier being given a six-month prison sentence and chief accountant Vince Farrar being put on probation. A later appeal saw Swindon Town being allowed to stay in the Second Division.
Ardiles remained in charge until March 1991, when he departed for
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
and was succeeded by new player-manager
Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle (born 27 October 1957) is an English former football player and manager. He currently works as a television pundit and commentator for ITV Sport and TNT Sports.
He played as a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, Monaco, Chelsea and ...
. Swindon progressed well during the
1991–92 season, Hoddle's first full season as manager, and just missed out on the Second Division play-offs, having briefly led the table in the autumn. A year later they beat Leicester City 4–3 in the new
Division One play-off final to achieve promotion to the
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
— bringing top-division football to the club for the first time.
Hoddle moved to
Chelsea before the
1993–94 FA Premier League season began, and was replaced by assistant
John Gorman, but Swindon never adjusted to the pace of Premier League football.
They were relegated after recording only five wins and conceding 100 goals — the latter record stood until Sheffield United broke it in 2024 — and have never returned to the top flight. One of the few successes of the season was a 2–2 draw against champions Manchester United in the league.
The
following year, Swindon were relegated for the second consecutive time and slipped into Division Two. Gorman had been sacked as manager in November 1994, and although his successor, player-manager
Steve McMahon
Stephen Joseph McMahon (born 20 August 1961) is an English football manager, former professional footballer and current television pundit.
As a player, he was a midfielder from 1979 to 1998, most notably playing for Liverpool in the late 1980s. ...
, was unable to avoid relegation, he did take Swindon to the semi-finals of the League Cup.
McMahon then succeeded in getting Swindon back into Division One on his first attempt, winning the Division Two championship in
1995–96.
McMahon remained as manager until September 1998, when he left by mutual consent after Swindon lost five of their nine opening games of the
1998–99 season.
2000–2020
The club then went through five managers in five years (
Andy King was appointed twice), during which time they were again relegated into Division Two. The highlight of the next few seasons was a fifth-place finish in
2003–04 as financial troubles persisted. A first-round
playoff
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
loss to
Brighton & Hove Albion on penalties meant Swindon extended their stay in the third tier, now renamed
League One.
The club has been beset by financial difficulties throughout its recent history, having been placed into administration twice
and also twice fought off winding-up orders from
Her Majesty's Customs and Excise
HM Customs and Excise (properly known as Her Majesty's Customs and Excise at the time of its dissolution) was a department of the British Government formed in 1909 by the merger of HM Customs and HM Excise; its primary responsibility was t ...
over unpaid tax.
The board was paying £100,000 to creditors annually (2% of the annual turnover),
and only managed to begin the
2006–07 season after sourcing £500,000 to pay for players' wages.
In 2006, caretaker manager (and former player)
Iffy Onuora was unable to save Swindon from relegation to
League Two meaning they became the first ever former
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
team to be relegated to the lowest
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
division.
Dennis Wise agreed to become the new Swindon manager in May 2006 following the relegation, with
Gustavo Poyet joining the coaching staff. After a good start to the season, the pair moved to
Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system.
Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
in October. Veteran defender
Ady Williams and
Barry Hunter took temporary charge until
Paul Sturrock
Paul Whitehead Sturrock (born 10 October 1956) is a Scottish former football coach and former player.
As a player, Sturrock spent his entire senior career with Dundee United, making more than five hundred appearances between 1974 and 1989. He w ...
was appointed on 7 November. Sturrock guided Swindon to promotion back to
Football League One
The English Football League One, known as Sky Bet League One for sponsorship reasons, or simply League One, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League One is the second-highest division of the English Football League an ...
in his first season with the club, earning the third automatic promotion place in a 1–1 draw with
Walsall
Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located ...
in the last game of the 2006–07 season.
In 2008, Swindon Town was taken over by a consortium, fronted by local businessman
Andrew Fitton, with plans to clear all club debts by the end of the
2007–08 season.
Paul Sturrock having departed for
Plymouth Argyle, the consortium appointed Sturrock-recommended
Maurice Malpas manager, and Swindon finished their first season back in League One in 13th, helped by 15-goal signing
Simon Cox. However, the
2008–09 campaign started badly and Malpas was sacked on 14 November 2008, with
David Byrne
David Byrne (; born May 14, 1952) is an American musician, writer, visual artist, and filmmaker. He was a founding member, principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of the American New wave music, new wave band Talking Heads.
Byrne has ...
taking over temporarily.
Danny Wilson was unveiled as the new manager on 26 December 2008. Wilson helped maintain Swindon's League One status and finished in 15th position, though only four points from the relegation zone, in his first season in charge.
The
2009–10 season would prove a vast improvement, despite the sale of League One top-scorer Simon Cox. The club maintained a play-off position going into the new year, and were at one point in second place with automatic promotion in their own hands. However, a slight slip in form towards the end of the season saw Swindon finish fifth, entering the play-offs against
Charlton Athletic. Swindon won the tie on penalties and went on to play in the
Football League One play-offs final against
Millwall at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
for a place in the
Football League Championship
The English Football League Championship, known simply as the Championship and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Betting & Gaming, Sky Bet Championship, is a professional association football league in England and Wales. Contested by 24 clubs, i ...
. However, they lost 1–0 in what was their first defeat in four appearances at Wembley.
After losing the final Swindon lost their top scorer
Billy Paynter who joined Leeds United on a free transfer, and sold club captain
Gordon Greer. Still, many bookmakers had Swindon as one of the favourites for promotion to the Championship going into the
2010–11 season. Inconsistent form left Swindon in mid-table for much of the season; however, a 4–2 win at
Charlton Athletic in January left fans hoping for a late-season surge. Instead, top-scorer
Charlie Austin was sold to
Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
and the team did not win again for 19 matches. When Danny Wilson resigned on 2 March,
Paul Hart
Paul Anthony Hart (born 4 May 1953) is an English football manager, coach, and former professional player who made 567 appearances in the Football League as a defender. Hart was most recently assistant manager to Nathan Jones at Charlton ...
was brought in but failed to save the Robins, and on 25 April 2011 Swindon were relegated to League Two yet again after losing 3–1 to
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
Formed in 1867 as an off ...
. Paul Hart was replaced for the last two games of the season by former player and current reserve and youth team coach
Paul Bodin
Paul John Bodin (born 13 September 1964) is a Welsh former professional footballer and coach who is the coach of the Wales under-21 team. His son, Billy Bodin, is also a professional footballer.
A former Chelsea youth team product, he moved ...
.

Soon after the season ended, the board revealed that high-profile former player
Paolo Di Canio
Paolo Di Canio (born 9 July 1968) is an Italian former professional footballer and manager. During his playing career he made over 500 league appearances and scored over one hundred goals as a Forward (association football), forward. He primari ...
would take his first management position at the club. After losing seven of his first 13 games in charge, Swindon went on a 15-match unbeaten run which put them into promotion contention by the midpoint of the
2011–12 season. After a defeat on Boxing Day 2011 to
Torquay United
Torquay United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the National League South, the sixth level of the English football league system. They have played their ho ...
, Swindon broke a club record by winning 10 consecutive league games, and by March they were well clear of the chasing pack at the top of League Two. They also enjoyed success in both the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
, beating Premiership side
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, they have p ...
in the third round before losing to Championship side
Leicester City in the fourth round, and the Football League Trophy, reaching the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
at Wembley, where they were runners-up to League One side
Chesterfield. On 28 April 2012, Swindon, already promoted, guaranteed their championship of League Two on 28 April after a 5–0 drubbing of
Port Vale at the County Ground.
On 18 February 2013, with Swindon riding high in League One and in contention for a second consecutive promotion, Di Canio announced his resignation, alleging mistreatment by the board of directors, including the sale of Matt Ritchie behind his back, and the financial instability of the club at the time. In his place came
Kevin MacDonald who had previously held caretaker roles at
Leicester City and Aston Villa. MacDonald guided Swindon to the League One play-offs; however, they were knocked out after a penalty shoot-out defeat to
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross.
Its economy has dive ...
. On 13 July 2013, MacDonald left Swindon Town by mutual consent, only three weeks before the start of the
2013–14 season and only five months after taking the Swindon job.
In the
2014–15 season, Swindon reached the League One Play-off final again where they lost 4–0 to
Preston after a season in which they were competing for automatic promotion. They went top of the league after a 3–0 win away to
Coventry
Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...
; however, a 2–0 defeat to
Sheffield United was the first of a series of results that saw Swindon's form dip, and a 1–0 defeat to bottom club
Yeovil Town meant that Swindon were consigned to finish in the play-offs. They reached
Wembley
Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in the London Borou ...
after a record-breaking 5–5 draw (winning 7–6 on aggregate) against Sheffield United, the highest-scoring EFL play-off match in history.
In the
2016–17 season, Swindon were relegated to League Two for a third time; they finished third from bottom on 22 April 2017 after losing 2–1 to
Scunthorpe United with only one more fixture on the road in hand. Following this relegation, manager
Luke Williams was sacked after Swindon lost 3–0 at
Charlton Athletic.
2020–present
On 9 June 2020, Swindon were crowned League Two champions on the basis of average points per game, matches in the
2019–20 season having been suspended from March due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United Kingdom, it has resulted in confirm ...
.
However, in the
following season, the pandemic created financial difficulties for the club, with the chairman,
Lee Power, warning in February 2021 of potential bankruptcy,
and then, in April 2021, being charged with breaching FA regulations concerning the club's ownership and/or funding.
On 18 April, manager
John Sheridan resigned after winning just eight of 33 matches, with the club seven points from safety with four matches to play.
The club's relegation to League Two was confirmed following a 5–0 defeat by
Milton Keynes Dons on 24 April 2021.
On 26 May 2021,
John McGreal was appointed Swindon manager but, on 25 June 2021, after less than a month in the job, he left Swindon by mutual consent, citing ownership uncertainty which was preventing him signing new players.
Chief executive Steve Anderson also left the club on the same day, followed by director of football
Paul Jewell.
Swindon supporter groups urged fans to boycott games until the ownership problems were resolved, with High Court hearings due to start on 6 September 2021.
On 30 June 2021, the Official Supporters Club was told that a deal to transfer ownership to Australian businessman Clem Morfuni's Axis group would be completed "in the next couple of weeks",
though the club later complained that the Axis group was delaying payment.
In early July 2021, it emerged that players and staff had not received their June wages,
and that the County Ground's owner,
Swindon Borough Council
Swindon Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Swindon in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire, England. It was founded in 1974 as Thamesdown Borough Council, and was a lower-tier district council until 1997. In 1997 it was re ...
, was taking legal action after receiving no rent since April 2020.
The EFL described the ownership wrangle as "concerning"
and imposed a transfer embargo on the club.
In pre-season friendlies at
Melksham Town and
Hungerford Town, Swindon fielded sides featuring just a few experienced first-team players,
with the rest of the squads being composed of youngsters and trialists.
The club then cancelled its planned pre-season friendly with
Swansea City at the County Ground on 17 July 2021,
citing "ongoing logistical and operational issues".
On 15 July 2021, it was reported that the club had paid 60% of the outstanding wages due in June.
On 21 July 2021, it was reported that Power had transferred ownership of his shares in the club, and that the EFL had granted Morfuni consent to acquire additional shares, having passed its owners' and directors' test.
Morfuni appointed
Ben Garner
Ben Garner (born 19 May 1980) is an English professional football coach who is currently head coach of Right to Dream International Academy.
Garner started his career as a youth coach at Crystal Palace's academy before being promoted to first ...
as head coach and
Ben Chorley as director of football plus Rob Angus (a former
Nationwide director) appointed as CEO and, on 26 July 2021, the new management announced their first signing, with midfielder
Ben Gladwin returning for a fourth spell at Swindon.
On 16 September 2021, Swindon Town was given a suspended three-point deduction by the EFL, relating to the non-payment of player wages in June.
Garner led Swindon to a sixth-place finish in the
2021–22 season with the club beaten on penalties by
Port Vale in the play-off semi-finals.
The manager then left Swindon to join
Charlton Athletic in June 2022, being replaced by his former assistant
Scott Lindsey, who spent half a season in the role before moving to
Crawley Town
Crawley Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Crawley, West Sussex, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1896 as Crawley Foo ...
. On 31 January 2023,
Jody Morris was appointed manager; he was sacked on 1 May 2023 after just four wins from 18 games. The side finished the season in 10th place.
On 8 May 2023,
Michael Flynn
Michael Thomas Flynn (born 24 December 1958) is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the 24th U.S. national security advisor for the first 22 days of the first Trump administration. He resigned in light of reports tha ...
was appointed team manager on a two-year contract, officially taking charge following the last match of the season that same day. Rob Angus stood down as CEO in September 2023.
In January 2024, a 2–1 defeat at
Crewe
Crewe () is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, the parish had a population of 55,318 and the built-up area had a population of 74,120. ...
meant Swindon had lost ten of their last 15 matches,
and Flynn was sacked as manager after just over eight months in charge.
Appointed caretaker manager to the end of the season,
Gavin Gunning questioned his players' "heart" after they won only two from ten games and dropped to 18th place in mid-March.
Ultimately, the club finished the
2023–2024 season in 19th place and Swindon supporters called for a change in the club's ownership.
Morfuni did not "fully agree" with the fans but acknowledged the last season had not been "up to our club's standards".
Kit and badge
Crest
Swindon Town have used at least five different kit badges since their inception.
The original badge depicted a robin inside a shield with the letters STFC in the four corners, this changed to the "steam train" badge which was a coat of arms for the club based heavily on the coat of arms used by the local council.
The "steam train" badge was in the form of a traditional shield, bisected with the club's name, a GWR steam locomotive (as Swindon is a
railway town
A railway town, or railroad town, is a settlement that originated, or was expanded, as a result of a railway line being constructed there.
North America
During the construction of the First transcontinental railroad in the 1860s, temporary, ...
), a football and with a
robin sitting on top. Beneath the shield was a motto on a scroll – "''Salubritas et Industria''" – meaning "health and industry".
This motto is also that of the town of
Swindon
Swindon () is a town in Wiltshire, England. At the time of the 2021 Census the population of the built-up area was 183,638, making it the largest settlement in the county. Located at the northeastern edge of the South West England region, Swi ...
itself.
During the 1970s the club changed the badge to one referred to as the "ST arrow" or "traffic sign" badge.
This was circular and had the letters ''S'' and ''T'' interlocked, which both ends of the letter ''S'' being made into an arrow. Also shown was a simple football and the club name.
Following the 1985–86 season, the "steam train" badge was re-introduced onto the kits. The crest was re-styled and the text "Division Four Champions 1985/1986" replaced the motto.
A diamond shaped crest for Swindon Town was introduced at the beginning of the 1991–92 season following a series of financial problems for the club. The idea behind the new crest was to give the club a new fresh image.
:"The 'travelling' football represents the club that is looking to the future with successful progress. The diamond shape clearly has the letter ''S'' (for Swindon) running through it, while a green section was also introduced to match a new 'green trim' on the team's home (red and white) shirts."
On 5 April 2007, the club unveiled plans to change the badge, claiming the diamond badge was correct for the time, but did not represent or show any of the club's heritage or history.
Swindon offered fans the chance to vote on-line for the three new choices, which were all similar to the original steam train design, and a fourth option of keeping the 1991 design.
On 23 April 2007, it was announced that option three of the logo vote was the winner of the poll (it can be seen on the far right of the picture).
Winning the vote with 68% in favour, the new badge includes the club name, a robin, a GWR steam locomotive – the rail industry being an important part of the Town's heritage – a football, and re-introduces the town's motto – 'Salubritas et Industria'. It has been in use since the beginning of the 2007–08 season.
Home kit
Originally playing in black and white with the addition of blue
sash
A sash is a large and usually colorful ribbon or band of material worn around the human body, either draping from one shoulder to the opposing hip and back up, or else encircling the waist. The sash around the waist may be worn in daily attire, ...
for away games,
the club changed to black and red quarters on entry to the
Southern League in 1894.
The club changed again in 1897 with the ''
Swindon Advertiser
The ''Swindon Advertiser'' is a daily tabloid newspaper, published in Swindon. The newspaper was founded in 1854, and had an audited average daily circulation at the end of 2017 of 8,828.
It claims to have been the UK's first provincial 'penn ...
'' reporting:
:"The new colours of the Swindon Town F.C. are to be green shirts, with white sleeves. Good-bye to the old well known red and black."
With problems obtaining green dyes, the kit was short-lived and Swindon Town changed their shirts to the more familiar red in 1901.
Initially a dark maroon, a lighter shade was chosen for the start of the 1902–03 season and also resulted in the club's nickname "the Robins" appearing in print for the first time in programme notes for the first game.
The nickname is a reference to the former name of the
European robin
The European robin (''Erithacus rubecula''), known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in the British Isles, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that belongs to the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is found across Europe, ea ...
– "redbreast".
Swindon Town have played their home games in variations on the red and white theme since then, wearing a red shirt with white collars and white or red shorts for much of their history which has led to the team being known as the "Red and White Army". For example; the kit worn during the 1985–86 Division Four Champions season consisted of a red shirt with white pinstripes, white shorts and red socks and chants of "
Lou Macari's Red and White Army" were heard from the supporters at the final stages of the season.
Following the rebranding of the club in 1991, green elements were re-introduced onto the home strip and badge to represent the team's short-lived kit from the turn of the century. These were removed in 2007.
Away kit
The club's
away kits have only begun to change since the 1990s and the advent of the lucrative replica kit market. Swindon's first away kit (that was entirely separate to the home kit) consisted of an all-blue strip; this was not used for the club's
1969 League Cup Final victory where they elected to wear an all-white strip.
For a period in the 1980s the club changed their away kit to white shirts and black shorts and introduced a new third kit of yellow shirts and blue shorts.
The club alternated between these two schemes as its away kit for the 1980s.
When the club re-branded in the 1991 close season, it introduced a new away strip: the white and green "potato print" shirt with dark blue shorts.
This remained in use until its replacement in 1993 with another yellow and blue strip, integrating the new colour scheme by adding a green collar.
A special third kit was added for the 1996–97 season and was coloured "petrol green" in honour of sponsors
Castrol.
Swindon wore black and gold striped away shirts for the 2003–04 season with an all-white third kit, following this with variants on the blue theme until returning to all-white in 2007.
In 2008–09 they returned to the dark blue away kit that was used previously for the 2006–07 season but this time they had white shorts instead of a whole dark blue strip. In 2009–10 they returned once again to the all-white kit, but unlike the home kit, which showed ''
FourFourTwo
''FourFourTwo'' is an association football magazine published by British company Future. Issued monthly, it published its 300th edition in May 2019. It takes its name from the football formation of the same name, 4–4–2. Future acquired the ...
'' on the front, this showed ''
FIFA10'' on the front as a part of sponsorship with
EA. They also this year had an all-blue third kit which was featured for the FA Cup and also the play-off away game to Charlton.
In 2010–11 they had an all-black third kit. The all-black kit became the club's away kit for the 2011–12 season with an all-white kit as a third kit used for the FA Cup run. This kit caused controversy among some fans, because it had the sponsors ''
The People The People may refer to:
Legal jargon
* The People, term used to refer to the people in general, in legal documents
* "We the People of the United States", from the Preamble to the U. S. Constitution
* In philosophy, economics, and political scienc ...
'' printed on the shirts.
For 2012–13 they had a blue and yellow away kit, again controversial as these are the colours of Swindon's close rivals
Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club () is a professional association football, football club based in Oxford, England. The club compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football league system, English football. Founded as Headingto ...
.
For the 2021–22 season, they released a checkered gold and green kit. The colours of the
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
national team, paying homage to the new Australian owner Clem Morfuni. Later in the season they also released a special all black third kit. This included a darkened club badge, intended to signify the club coming "out of the darkness" following the take over of the new owner.
Shirt sponsors
The current manufacturer is Adidas, restarting in 2024. From 2015 - 2024 Swindon's kit had been manufactured by
Puma. Previous manufacturers include Umbro, Admiral, Adidas, Coffer Sports, Spall, Diamond Leisure, Loki, Mizuno, Lotto, Xara, DGI, Strikeforce, and Lonsdale. The club's shirt sponsors have included ISIS, Lowndes Lambert Group, GWR FM, Burmah, Castrol, Nationwide, Kingswood Group, FourFourTwo, Samsung, EA Sports FIFA, C&D, Imagine Cruising, Bartercard, First City Nursing & Care and MiPermit.
Stadium

Swindon Town's original pitch was located south of Bath Road, in the region of Bradford Road, adjacent to the
Okus Quarry
Okus Quarry () is a 2,500 square metre geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Old Town, Swindon, Wiltshire, SSSI notification, notified in 1951.
The site was formerly notified under the name "Okus Quarries".
Sources
Natural England c ...
.
After a young spectator fell into the quarry the team decided to move first to Lansdown Road and then to a pitch near The Croft where they were to remain for the next 11 years.
Swindon Town have been playing at the
County Ground since 1896. They played their games on the site of the adjacent cricket pitch also called the County Ground from 1893 until the ground opened.
Thomas Arkell of
Arkell's Brewery donated £300 to finance the construction of a stand on what was then known as the 'Wiltshire County Ground', this investment was enough to begin development of a purpose-built football ground. Since its original construction, the ground has been periodically updated with new features or fittings. A cover on the Shrivenham Road side was erected in 1932, followed by the current roof at the Town End. This cost £4,300, which was raised by the Supporters' Club, and was opened on 27 August 1938 by local
MP,
W.W. Wakefield.
The War Department took over the ground in 1940, where for a while
POW
POW is "prisoner of war", a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict.
POW or pow may also refer to:
Music
* P.O.W (Bullet for My Valentine song), "P.O.W" (Bull ...
s were housed in huts placed on the pitch. For this the club received compensation of £4,570 in 1945.
The addition of
floodlights
A floodlight is a broad-beamed, gas discharge lamp#High-intensity discharge lamps, high-intensity artificial light. It can provide functional area lighting for travel-ways, parking, entrances, work areas, and sporting venues to enable visibil ...
in 1951 at a cost of £350, gave Swindon the honour of being the first League club to do so. These were first tried out ''v.'' Bristol City on 2 April 1951 beating
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
by six months.
These original set of lights were supplemented by lights on both side stand roofs, which were sufficient for the
County Ground to stage its first floodlit league match on 29 February 1956 ''v.''
Millwall. (seven days after
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a association football, football ground in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, and is the home of Portsmouth F.C., Portsmouth Football Club. Fratton Park's location on Portsea Island is unique in English professional football, as it ...
became the first ground to stage a floodlit league fixture). The present pylons date from 1960.
[Inglis, Simon: "Football Grounds of Britain.", page 358. CollinsWillow, 1996.]
The ground currently contains elements constructed between 1950 and 1995, with the latest addition being the large sponsored stand on the south side. The County Ground is also the only football stadium in the world with a
Rolex
Rolex () is a Swiss watch brand and manufacturer based in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 1905 as ''Wilsdorf and Davis'' by German businessman Hans Wilsdorf and his eventual brother-in-law Alfred Davis in London, the company registered ''Rolex ...
watch acting as its timekeeper, the clock on the Stratton Bank stand featuring its name was erected to celebrate promotion in 1963.
The ground itself was on land owned by
Swindon Borough Council
Swindon Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Swindon in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire, England. It was founded in 1974 as Thamesdown Borough Council, and was a lower-tier district council until 1997. In 1997 it was re ...
to which the club pays rent. Swindon had in the past considered a move to a club owned stadium to generate more revenue, but did not have the financial backing to do so. In 2006 a redevelopment campaign for the County Ground began,
with the club and TrustSTFC (the
supporters' trust
In British sports, a supporters' trust is a formal, democratic and not-for-profit organisation of Fan (person), fans who attempt to strengthen the influence of supporters over the running of the club they support. There are over 140 supporters' tru ...
) raising a petition to 'Save Our Home' urging the Borough Council to "facilitate the redevelopment of the stadium and do everything they can to keep the club within the Borough"
including the proposed upgrading of the adjacent Cricket Club to County standard and Athletic Club to Olympic standard.
On 24 March 2023, Swindon Town bought the County Ground for £2.3 million, as part of a joint venture with TrustSTFC, giving fans the opportunity to own a percentage of the Ground.
Supporters

As an expanding railway town, the club had attendances of up to 32,000 on match days until the early 1970s. Due to Swindon's low unemployment rate (one of the lowest in the United Kingdom),
more people work in the town than live there and so are unlikely to support the team.
In addition; poor team performances, the financial instability in the club and the change to an all-seated stadium following the
Taylor Report
The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry report is the report of an inquiry which was overseen by Lord Justice Taylor, into the causes of the Hillsborough disaster in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, on 15 April 1989, as a result of which, ...
have led to attendances at the County Ground dropping.
With an all-seated capacity of 15,728 at the County Ground, Swindon averaged a home attendance of 5,839 for the 2004–05 season.
Only 37% of the grounds seats were occupied at a game on average.
This rose to 5,950
(37.8%) in 2005–06 and was reported as 7,109 (45.2%) for the 2006–07 season.
A core group of fans has inhabited the Town End of the stadium since the 1980s, producing past fanzines such as ''The 69'er'', ''Bring the Noise'', ''Randy Robin'' and ''The Magic Roundabout''
amongst others. Supporters call the team The Town, The Reds, STFC and also the Red and White Army, the latter being a term the supporters use to identify themselves as well. The Junior Robins is the children's supporters club which operates to provide lower ticket prices, away game activities and transport to young fans.
Membership of the club also allows them to be nominated as game mascot and gives them the opportunity to train in one of the many Football Schools run by the club.

The
supporters' trust
In British sports, a supporters' trust is a formal, democratic and not-for-profit organisation of Fan (person), fans who attempt to strengthen the influence of supporters over the running of the club they support. There are over 140 supporters' tru ...
, TrustSTFC, was established in 2000. This organisation is a democratically elected group of fans who raise funds for the club and aim to give supporters access and input into decisions made by the club's board.
The group run a number of schemes including the Loan Note Scheme, the aim of which is to buy shares in the club and assist with investment.
Another scheme is the Red Army Fund; the money raised by this fund is given to the club to contribute towards the purchase and wages of new players.
TrustSTFC also take part in the Fans' Consortium, which aims to place a supporter with a large stake-holding in the club onto the board of directors.
The trust is also currently campaigning with the club for the re-development of the County Ground.
The ''Football Fever Report'' published by statisticians of the
Littlewoods Football Pools was released in January 2007. It researched those teams that were the most stressful to support. Swindon Town was placed fifth out of all 92 League clubs,
with the report stating –
"It's only just over a decade ago that Swindon were a Premier League side, but the past 10 years have been tough going for fans at the County Ground. Relegation from the top flight in 1994 was followed by a second successive drop, and although promotion from Division Two was secured a year later, the team struggled in Division One in the next three seasons, finishing 19th, 18th and 17th. In 2000 came relegation, and a year later Swindon avoided another 'double relegation' by just one point. A glimmer of hope came when the play-offs were reached in 2004 – ending in a semi-final loss to Brighton – but last term Town became the first club to drop into the bottom tier of the Football League having once been in the Premier League. We bet Robins' fans can hardly believe it."
With the dwindling support during matches in the 2004–05 season, another fans' group, Red Army Loud and Proud was formed.
It is a small group of fans attempting to bring back the atmosphere and fun to match days. With the stated aim of being "the 12th man on the pitch",
the group sponsors players and also provides large colourful flags to the matches.
However, in more recent years 2010–11 Swindon has rapidly increasing attendances with an 8,400 average attendance for the 2010–11 season despite relegation.
Hooliganism
Swindon Town has had problems with
hooliganism
Hooliganism is disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying and vandalism, often in connection with crowds at sporting events. A hooligan is a person that engages in illicit reckless behaviors and is a public nuisance.
Etymology ...
since the 1970s, with the first known group being called the Swindon Town Aggro Boys (STAB).
In a home game against
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in the North East Wales, north-east of Wales. It lies between the Cambrian Mountains, Welsh mountains and the lower River Dee, Wales, Dee Valley, near the England–Wales border, borde ...
in March 1978, STAB were responsible for pelting the opposing goalkeeper with darts, stones and a golf ball. Club chairman Cecil Green later said: "We intend to stamp out this thuggery. The incidents were diabolical."
A new hooligan gang emerged in the 1980s, the Swindon Southside Firm (SSF), who were named after the area of terracing they occupied.
In a match at
Northampton Town
Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1897, the c ...
, then manager
Lou Macari walked straight into a group of more than 100 SSF members chasing Northampton fans up the street. Macari said the incident was "worse than a
Celtic–Rangers game".
In the 1990s, the Swindon Active Service (SAS) came to prominence and it is believed they were at the centre of several hostilities with fans of local rivals
Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club () is a professional association football, football club based in Oxford, England. The club compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football league system, English football. Founded as Headingto ...
and
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
.
In September 1998, 19 SAS members were arrested at the home match with Oxford.
A fracas at an away game versus
AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth ( ) is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. ...
on 18 December 2004 resulted in the arrest of seventeen and the imposition of banning orders on those found to be guilty.
The fighting, involving more than forty supporters, occurred in a busy shopping centre before the game. "District Judge Roger House said it had been a 'frightening and terrifying' experience for scores of Christmas shoppers who witnessed the scenes."
The ''
Swindon Advertiser
The ''Swindon Advertiser'' is a daily tabloid newspaper, published in Swindon. The newspaper was founded in 1854, and had an audited average daily circulation at the end of 2017 of 8,828.
It claims to have been the UK's first provincial 'penn ...
'' reported that "The area was packed with Christmas shoppers, who watched in horror as pub windows were smashed and fans traded insults."
On 16 December 2006, Swindon recorded one of their highest attendances of the season: 10,010 at a home win against rivals
Bristol Rovers.
The game was marred by supporter trouble which resulted in 11 arrests and saw an area of seating in the Arkell's Stand damaged,
with the ''
Western Daily Press
The ''Western Daily Press'' is a regional newspaper covering parts of South West England, mainly Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset as well as the metropolitan areas of Bath and North East Somerset and the Bristol area. It is published Mon ...
'' reporting that "the incident
..ended with damage to 60 seats after they were used as missiles between opposing fans".
On the day of the return game in Bristol, 20 Rovers fans attacked a number of Swindon supporters with baseball bats at a local pub.
Nick Lowles, author of ''Hooligans 2: The M–Z of Britain's Football Hooligan Gangs'', said: "If you look at Swindon, the police have been very proactive in the last five years in terms of stopping hooliganism".
Swindon Town has imposed banning orders on those supporters who cause disruption, criminal damage or are violent when attending games. There were 29 banning orders in place in 2006, which was an increase from a total of 11 in 2005. The increase in banning orders has resulted in a reduction of arrests at games, with only 22 people being arrested attending games in 2005–06 compared to 39 arrests in 2004–05. Of the 22 arrests in 2005–06; 11 were for Public Disorder, five for
violent disorder
Violent disorder is a statutory offence in England and Wales. It is created bsection 2(1)of the Public Order Act 1986. Sections 2(1) to (4) of that Act provide:
:(1) Where 3 or more persons who are present together use or threaten unlawful violenc ...
and the rest were made up of offences relating to missile throwing, racist chanting, pitch invasion, alcohol-related offences and one incident of being in possession of an offensive weapon. 33 Swindon fans were also banned from travelling to the
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international Association football, football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to FIFA World Cup hosts ...
.
In 2013, 10 Swindon fans were charged with violent disorder following an incident outside the Royal Oak pub in Brentford before the club's League 1 play-off semi-final defeat.
On 23 November 2013 a Swindon fan was arrested after running onto the pitch and punching
Leyton Orient's goalkeeper,
Jamie Jones.
On 10 October 2023, Swindon Town met rivals
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
in an
EFL Trophy
The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Motors, Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football, football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and ...
game for their first competitive fixture in over 21 years. After the game, fighting broke out between the two sets of fans, leading to four arrests by the
Thames Valley Police
Thames Valley Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the Thames Valley region, covering the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire in South East England.
It is the largest non-metropolitan police force ...
.
Rivalries
Many clubs share either minor or more major rivalries with Swindon. In 2013 a poll of supporters of all Football League clubs to find out which teams they see as their main rivals was conducted by the
Football Fans Census, the results of which put Swindon in joint 4th place on the list of teams with the most rivals. This result was calculated by ranking clubs on how many supporters of other clubs viewed others as first, second, and third rivals.
Swindon Town's fiercest rivals are
Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club () is a professional association football, football club based in Oxford, England. The club compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football league system, English football. Founded as Headingto ...
, with whom they contest the
A420 derby
The A420 derby is a Association football, football match played between Oxford United F.C., Oxford United and Swindon Town F.C., Swindon Town. It takes its name from A420 road, a primary road between both cities, which are only 30 miles (48 km) ap ...
. This bitterly contested fixture has been marred with controversial and violent events both on and off the pitch over the years and the hatred has also been known to extend to other sports including
speedway
Speedway may refer to:
Racing Race tracks
*Daytona International Speedway, a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida.
*Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta.
*Indianapolis Motor Spe ...
, with both riders and fans getting into regular scuffles over the years. As of 2025 the sides have met 62 times in all competitions, with Swindon winning 25, Oxford winning 17, and 20 games ending in a tie.
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
are also seen by many Swindon fans as a major rival, however this rivalry has become less intense over the years with both teams being in different divisions and not playing each other for a period of over 21 years. The rivalries between Swindon, Reading, and Oxford were labelled as the "Didcot Triangle" (owing to the train station which lies at the centre of the 3 cities) when the sides shared the same division in 2001, however the rivalry between Swindon Town and Oxford United is generally regarded as being by far the most intense, with both teams fans viewing each other as main rivals in the most recent polls.
This is because Swindon and Oxford have spent most of their history in higher divisions than Reading, and recently in lower divisions than Reading, and Reading's traditional biggest rivalry is with
Aldershot
Aldershot ( ) is a town in the Rushmoor district, Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme north-east corner of the county, south-west of London. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Farnborough/Aldershot built-up are ...
.
Additionally, Swindon share historical rivalries with
Bristol City and
Bristol Rovers. The rivalry with Bristol City was most recently relevant in the
2014/15 season where both clubs were fighting for promotion to the
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
, with former Swindon defender
Aden Flint causing outrage via an interview conducted after Bristol City's decisive 3-0 win over Swindon at
Ashton Gate in the closing part of the season. Swindon last shared a division with Bristol Rovers in the
2021/22 season, with Swindon playing under Bristol Rovers' former manager
Ben Garner
Ben Garner (born 19 May 1980) is an English professional football coach who is currently head coach of Right to Dream International Academy.
Garner started his career as a youth coach at Crystal Palace's academy before being promoted to first ...
. The rivalries with the
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
clubs tend to be felt more strongly by people in areas of
West Wiltshire, where the catchment for the club's fanbases overlaps.
Other more minor rivalries exist with multiple clubs, the most notable of which being with
Gillingham. This rivalry stems from an ill tempered match in the
1978/79 season where both teams were vying for promotion from the old
Third Division, during which the referee was assaulted by a fan, multiple players ended up in court after a fight in the tunnel, and fan violence erupted on the terraces.
Newport County have also emerged as a minor rivalry during Swindon's recent stay in League 2, with occasional trouble occurring whenever the two teams meet.
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...
teams
Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1887, ...
and
Forest Green Rovers also consider Swindon a local rival, however this is not very often reciprocated as strongly by Swindon fans, due to the clubs not historically playing competitively at the same level. Other
West Country
The West Country is a loosely defined area within southwest England, usually taken to include the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Bristol, with some considering it to extend to all or parts of Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and ...
clubs including
Plymouth Argyle and
Exeter City have also been labelled as
derbies by fans and the media.
Swindon Town Women F.C.
Swindon Town Ladies FC were established on 28 September 1993, after breaking away from the established Swindon Spitfires Women's and Girls' Football Club, while they rebranded to Swindon Town Women in July 2019. The current Swindon Town Women Football Club (STWFC) first team play in the
FA Women's National League South West Division 1. Swindon Town Women currently play their home games at Foundation Park and the County Ground. In April 2023 the club officially came under the main Club umbrella with their first actions to replace the management team of the First and Development sides, while folding their U18s.
Players
First team squad
.
''For recent transfers, see
2024–25 Swindon Town F.C. season.''
Out on loan
Reserves and Academy
''For further information:
Swindon Town F.C. Reserves and Academy''
Out on loan
Club management
Club officials
.
Managerial history
As of May 2023, 44 men have been appointed as a manager of Swindon Town Football Club, excluding caretaker managers.
Danny Williams and
Andy King are the only men to have been given the job on a permanent basis twice.
*
Sam Allen 1902–1933
*
Ted Vizard 1933–1939
*
Neil Harris 1939–1940
*
Louis Page 1945–1953
*
Maurice Lindley 1953–1955
*
Bert Head 1956–1965
*
Danny Williams 1965–1969
*
Fred Ford 1969–1971
*
Dave Mackay 1971–1972 (Player-Manager)
*
Les Allen 1972–1974
*
Danny Williams 1974–1978
*
Bobby Smith 1978–1980
*
John Trollope 1980–1983
*
Ken Beamish 1983–1984
*
Lou Macari 1984–1989 (Player-Manager)
*
Osvaldo Ardiles 1989–1991 (Player-Manager)
*
Tony Galvin 1991 (Caretaker)
*
Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle (born 27 October 1957) is an English former football player and manager. He currently works as a television pundit and commentator for ITV Sport and TNT Sports.
He played as a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, Monaco, Chelsea and ...
1991–1993 (Player-Manager)
*
John Gorman 1993–1994
*
Andy Rowland 1994 (Caretaker)
*
Steve McMahon
Stephen Joseph McMahon (born 20 August 1961) is an English football manager, former professional footballer and current television pundit.
As a player, he was a midfielder from 1979 to 1998, most notably playing for Liverpool in the late 1980s. ...
1994–1998 (Player-Manager)
*
Mike Walsh 1998 (Caretaker)
*
Jimmy Quinn 1998–2000 (Player-Manager)
*
Colin Todd
Colin Todd (born 12 December 1948) is an English football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Esbjerg fB. As a player, he made more than 600 appearances in the Football League, playing as a defender for Sunderland, ...
2000
*
Andy King 2000–2001
*
Roy Evans
Roy Quentin Echlin Evans (born 4 October 1948) is an English former footballer who played as a defender for Liverpool, where he also had a spell as manager. Aside from his time at Liverpool, he had a short spell in the United States; and also ...
2001
*
Andy King 2001–2005
*
Iffy Onuora 2005–2006
*
Dennis Wise 2006
*
David Tuttle 2006 (Caretaker)
*
Ady Williams 2006 (Caretaker)
*
Paul Sturrock
Paul Whitehead Sturrock (born 10 October 1956) is a Scottish former football coach and former player.
As a player, Sturrock spent his entire senior career with Dundee United, making more than five hundred appearances between 1974 and 1989. He w ...
2006–2007
*
David Byrne
David Byrne (; born May 14, 1952) is an American musician, writer, visual artist, and filmmaker. He was a founding member, principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of the American New wave music, new wave band Talking Heads.
Byrne has ...
2007–2008 (Caretaker)
*
Maurice Malpas 2008
*
David Byrne
David Byrne (; born May 14, 1952) is an American musician, writer, visual artist, and filmmaker. He was a founding member, principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of the American New wave music, new wave band Talking Heads.
Byrne has ...
2008 (Caretaker)
*
Danny Wilson 2008–2011
*
Paul Hart
Paul Anthony Hart (born 4 May 1953) is an English football manager, coach, and former professional player who made 567 appearances in the Football League as a defender. Hart was most recently assistant manager to Nathan Jones at Charlton ...
2011
*
Paul Bodin
Paul John Bodin (born 13 September 1964) is a Welsh former professional footballer and coach who is the coach of the Wales under-21 team. His son, Billy Bodin, is also a professional footballer.
A former Chelsea youth team product, he moved ...
2011 (Caretaker)
*
Paolo Di Canio
Paolo Di Canio (born 9 July 1968) is an Italian former professional footballer and manager. During his playing career he made over 500 league appearances and scored over one hundred goals as a Forward (association football), forward. He primari ...
2011–2013
*
Fabrizio Piccareta 2013 (Caretaker)
*
Tommy Miller &
Darren Ward 2013 (Joint Player-Caretakers)
*
Kevin MacDonald 2013
*
Mark Cooper 2013–2015
*
Lee Power 2015 (Caretaker)
*
Martin Ling
Martin Ling (born 15 July 1966) is an English Association football, football manager and former player currently director of football for Leyton Orient F.C., Leyton Orient. He played in over 100 The Football League, Football League matches for ...
2015
*
Luke Williams 2015–2017
*
David Flitcroft 2017–2018
*
Matt Taylor 2018 (Player-Caretaker)
*
Phil Brown 2018
*
Richie Wellens 2018–2020
*
Noel Hunt 2020 (Caretaker)
*
John Sheridan 2020–2021
*
Tommy Wright 2021 (Caretaker)
*
John McGreal 2021
*
Ben Garner
Ben Garner (born 19 May 1980) is an English professional football coach who is currently head coach of Right to Dream International Academy.
Garner started his career as a youth coach at Crystal Palace's academy before being promoted to first ...
2021–2022
*
Scott Lindsey 2022–2023
*
Gavin Gunning &
Steve Mildenhall 2023 (Joint-Caretaker)
*
Jody Morris 2023
*
Gavin Gunning &
Steve Mildenhall 2023 (Joint-Caretaker)
*
Michael Flynn
Michael Thomas Flynn (born 24 December 1958) is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the 24th U.S. national security advisor for the first 22 days of the first Trump administration. He resigned in light of reports tha ...
2023–2024
*
Gavin Gunning 2024 (Caretaker)
*
Mark Kennedy 2024
*
Ian Holloway 2024–
Player awards and recognition
Swindon Town Hall of Fame ()
On 15 December 2011, local newspaper the ''
Swindon Advertiser
The ''Swindon Advertiser'' is a daily tabloid newspaper, published in Swindon. The newspaper was founded in 1854, and had an audited average daily circulation at the end of 2017 of 8,828.
It claims to have been the UK's first provincial 'penn ...
'' announced that the club were to launch the Swindon Town Hall of Fame. Former players
Don Rogers,
John Trollope and
Paul Bodin
Paul John Bodin (born 13 September 1964) is a Welsh former professional footballer and coach who is the coach of the Wales under-21 team. His son, Billy Bodin, is also a professional footballer.
A former Chelsea youth team product, he moved ...
were the first three confirmed inductees with the others announced during a
BBC Wiltshire radio broadcast on 30 December 2011.
Hall of Fame (in alphabetical order)
*
Paul Bodin
Paul John Bodin (born 13 September 1964) is a Welsh former professional footballer and coach who is the coach of the Wales under-21 team. His son, Billy Bodin, is also a professional footballer.
A former Chelsea youth team product, he moved ...
''(inducted 2011)''
*
Don Rogers ''(inducted 2011)''
*
John Trollope ''(inducted 2011)''
English Football Hall of Fame
''The following have either played for or managed Swindon Town and have been inducted into the
English Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum in Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and man ...
''
Statistics and records
John Trollope holds the record for Swindon Town appearances, having played 889 first-team matches between 1960 and 1980. Trollope also holds the
English Football League Record of most appearances by a player at one club, having played in 770 League games.
Central defender
Maurice Owen comes second, having played 601 times. The record for a goalkeeper is held by
Sam Burton, who is third with 509 appearances.
Harry Morris holds all of Swindon's goal records, having scored 229 goals for the club between 1926 and 1933.
Harold Fleming is second with 203, with
Don Rogers third with 178. Morris scored the most goals in a season with 48 during 1926–27, 47 of which were in League games which is another club record. The most goals scored by an individual is also held by Morris and Keith East, who have both scored 5 against League opposition (Morris having achieved this in 1926 and 1930).
The highest attendance at the County Ground of 32,000 was recorded on 15 January 1972 in a
FA Cup third round match against
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
.
The capacity of the ground is now 15,728 so it is unlikely that this record will be broken in the foreseeable future.
Swindon Town have also set records in English football, being the second team (after York City in 1983–84) to score over 100 points in the League when they became
Fourth Division champions in
1985–86. The total of 102 that the club scored has since been beaten. They also hold the
Premier League record for most goals conceded in a season, 100 in
1993–94, though several teams have finished with a lower points tally.
On 20 February 2007 the club played in a landmark League game away to
Barnet, a 1–0 loss. The completion of this match meant that Swindon had, during their history, played a League game at home and away against every team who, in the
2006–07 season,
2011–12 season and
2019–20 season, were in the
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
,
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
,
League One and
League Two but not the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
.
Honours

League
*
Second Division /
First Division (level 2)
**Play-off winners:
1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
,
1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
*
Third Division /
Second Division (level 3)
**Champions:
1995–96
**Runners-up:
1962–63,
1968–69
**Play-off winners:
1987
Events January
* January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency.
* January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade.
* January 3 – Afghan leader ...
*
Fourth Division /
League Two (level 4)
**Champions:
1985–86,
2011–12,
2019–20
**Promoted:
2006–07
*
Southern League
**Champions:
1910–11,
1913–14
*
Western League
**Champions:
1898–99
Cup
*
League Cup
**Winners:
1968–69
*
Football League Trophy
The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and U-21 teams from the Premier Le ...
**Runners-up:
2011–12
*
FA Charity Shield
The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup. If the Premier ...
**Runners-up:
1911
Events January
* January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia.
* January 3
** 1911 Kebin earthquake: An earthquake of 7.7 m ...
*
Anglo-Italian Cup
The Anglo-Italian Cup (, also known as the Anglo-Italian Inter-League Clubs Competition and from 1976 to 1986 as the Alitalia Challenge Cup, Talbot Challenge Cup or Gigi Peronace Memorial) was a European football competition.
The competition was ...
**Winners:
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
*
Anglo-Italian League Cup
**Winners:
1969
*
Wiltshire County FA Senior Cup
**Winners: 1886–87, 1887–88, 1888–89, 1889–90, 1890–91, 1891–92, 1892–93, 1896–97, 1903–04, 1919–20
References
General
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Specific
External links
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{{Authority control
1879 establishments in England
Association football clubs established in 1879
Sport in Swindon
Football clubs in Wiltshire
Football clubs in England
Southern Football League clubs
English Football League clubs
Premier League clubs
EFL Cup winners
United League (football)