Here's some team news for today's match against Blackpool at the County Ground. Lovely sunny day, bank holiday, good crowd? Here's hoping - and remember to take along any spare cash for the Trust STFC collection that's going on round the ground.

Here's something to offer a little hope: the Adver reports that there are no fewer than five potential saviours for the club. Four of those are thought to be property developers. It's interesting how, already, things are looking better than when we last went into administration. Then, Terry Brady appeared to be the only option. Of course, had Brady been able to stick around we might not be in the hole we are now...

Transfer deadline day has proved to be amazingly quiet, as clubs look to hang on to whatever cash they have...

It's not just us anymore. The whole of what the Financial Times today calls "lower league football" - that is, everything outside the Premiership - is in turmoil, thanks to ITV Digital going into administration.
For the first time since at least the second world war, perhaps in the history of the game, we can't be sure how many teams will kick off the new season in August.
Our primary worry is, of course, Swindon Town, which itself went into administration - for the second time - yesterday. As this story from the BBC explains, the move means funds are guaranteed to the end of the season. Administration means that Town's debts cannot be called in suddenly, and the administrators are now looking for ways to guarantee we'll be around next season.
This is where it gets interesting. Director Bob Holt has been on the radio this morning echoing what the administrators have said: that the future of Swindon Town remains tied up in some kind of property deal, either to redevelop the County Ground or build a stadium elsewhere.
Bryant Homes still have a plot of land earmarked on their controversial "front garden" development for a stadium, so we have to assume that's the most likely spot at the moment, although there's been talk in the past of another site near the Motorola factory on the Town's eastern fringe.
Either new site would be a shame for us traditionalists who like their football stadiums in town, but an out-of-town Swindon Town to watch is better than no Swindon Town at all, which appears to be the alternative.
The same BBC report mentions "a consortium hoping to take over the club", but given the lack of any mention of this in today's Adver report I assume this is simply the existing board of directors - plus, perhaps, a property developer.
There's been some speculation that Donegan and Blatchley could make a comeback, but with all the apparent bad blood between them and the current board, and the suggestion it could all spill into the courts later this year, I'd be amazed if they came back.
But despite what some reports are saying today (bracketing Swindon in with all the other financially stricken clubs facing bankruptcy because of ITV), Bob Holt is making it clear that the TV fiasco will not cripple the club (any more than it already is). Losing the money will be a blow, but not the one that knocks Swindon Town out.

(And now a little bit of politics, ladies and gentlemen...) Meanwhile... while the government finds itself able to use taxpayers' money to bail out Railtrack shareholders, it said today it will allow the national game to wither and die without any injection of public money.

MediaGuardian.co.uk: The football league of debtors
What - no Swindon Town? Here's one table where we should at least be in a play-off place, alas...

Andy King has 30 hopefuls at the County Ground today. Ideally, he's looking to snap up a dozen or so on pre-contract agreements (with the full deals to be signed when the transfer embargo is lifted). Top of his shopping list is a goalscorer.
His comments on player wages are interesting. He mentions there are players from the reserves of Premiership and first division sides who are coming to the trial having never played in the first team - yet they still want more than £1000 a week, which is the kind of money Town is going to pay.
With the ITV Digital money looking less and less likely to arrive, we won't be the only club paying lower wages than in the past - how many of these young players will end up unemployed, or playing part-time in non-league, come August?
Perhaps King will find his hand strengthened, in a strange way, by the cash crisis facing the non-Premiership game... players might decide just to cut their losses and sign up for less than they'd hoped, rather than face the scrapheap before they've ever had a shot at first team football because they're too greedy.

The weekend Advertiser does a good job of explaining what going into administration means, although Swindon Town fans must be one of the most financially-literate group of football supporters anywhere in the land, the way things have been the last couple of years...
Their guide to administration explains that it's all about protecting the club from its creditors and coming up with a way to pay them. Sir Seton Wills will invest £400,000 during this time (not the £1m mentioned until now - I presume the rest of the money will, in time, go to the Inland Revenue).
There's a little history here, for those with short memories, or for those who still think Donegan and Blatchley were our financial saviours (and yes, there are still a few out there).

The (in)famous Plan C is revealed: Town has applied to go back into administration, reports the BBC. The application will be heard next Wednesday and, if it is approved, the club will remain in administration until the end of April. That will allow Sir Seton Wills to inject his £1m and protects the club from creditors - namely Donegan and Blatchley's Swindon Town Properties Ltd - from suddenly calling in debts. The club then has to come up with a plan to repay its creditors.

No match tomorrow, but before we all go off to spend a despair-inducing afternoon in the outlet village, or something, there's plenty to read around the web this morning on the state of the Nationwide league - especially now ITV Digital is looking to back out of their three-year TV deal with the league.
The excellent David Cohn explains everything very well in today's Independent. He says deal is worth £200,000 to division two clubs like Swindon Town next year, plus smaller monthly payments, and a pretty staggering £2 million plus monthly payments to first division sides. Other reports put the value of the deal, to division two clubs, at closer to £750,000.
Still, even with the lower figure, the money Town gets represents at least a quarter of Andy King's wages budget for next season. If ITV gets its way and manages to renegotiate that money, of course, will not completely vanish. But around half of it probably will - blowing a hefty hole in the carefully balanced books for next season.
And spare a thought for the rest of the Nationwide. Town, bizarrely, might not be in the most vulnerable position of all the teams because we have few players on big, long term contracts. Plenty of others have inked big-money deals with players to last the length of the ITV deal and, without the TV money, will be facing serious problems.
Today's Guardian reports that 50 to 70 of the Nationwide's 72 clubs could go bankrupt if ITV doesn't meet its promises. There's plenty of fighting talk from the league, but imagine: a TV company could bring the national game, with all its proud history, crashing round our ears in a matter of months.
There's also Stephen Moss' piece on how TV is killing sport, which gives a broader look at TV's role elsewhere.

Town will meet Chippenham in the Wiltshire Shield final after last night's victory over Wootton Bassett. A young Town side, which included Neil Ruddock and Paul Edwards, won in pretty grim conditions thanks to goals from Nathan Edwards and Bertie Brayley.
Perhaps more importantly in first-team terms, Ruddock and Edwards both came through the match OK, despite the mud, rain and wind. Ruddock says today he'd like to get back into first team action before the end of the season, to "thank the fans and say see you next year."
Paul Edwards would like to say "see you next year" too, but - ironically, perhaps - he's the one in doubt for next term. Edwards, who is coming to the end of his first contract as a professional player, impressed under Roy Evans - few present could forget his FA cup goal earlier this season. But he injured himself on Andy King's first day back and, as a consequence, King's not seem him at his best, and might not offer him a new deal. That would be quite a loss to Town, but at least King looks likely to give him a chance, hinting today that he should get 90 minutes before the end of the season.
Indeed, Sol Davies' loss (through that groin injury on Saturday) could be Edwards' gain, if he can get a little run going in the side as the season draws to a close.

Neil Ruddock is making his comeback against Wootton Bassett tonight, in the semi final of the Wiltshire Shield.
Tonight in the Adver Ruddock says his relationship with "the gaffer" is just fine, and the paper adds that it is one in the eye for the "cynics" who said he'd never play for the club again. Of course, what the story doesn't add is that the cynics were people high up inside the club itself... even if Ruddock's relationship is hunky dory with King, there are a few others inside the CG who are less happy about him being around. Personally, I'm happy to see him back playing, as he's still able to make a contribution to the side - even if I think Haywood and Willis should be ahead on merit at the moment.
Meanwhile Paul Edwards, a sub on Saturday against Wigan, is also likely to start the match. Kick off is 7pm at the County Ground.

It's a long time since we've heard anything of Town midfielder Keith O'Halloran, who broke his leg so nastily at Bournemouth back in September. But the news is that the influential midfielder, who was our top scorer when his season ended, is finally back on the comeback trail. It's been a long slog so far - the cast has only just come off because the leg had not been healing properly - and he's only back to walking again. This season remains a write-off, with the earliest target being that when the rest of the side comes back for pre-season training, he'll be fit enough to join them. Fingers crossed - we miss his ability in the middle of the park.

The superb Andy Gurney is featured in tonight's Adver saying how his move from Reading to Swindon has reignited his career. He could, most likely, have been collecting a second division championship medal this spring had he stayed, but he says he has no regrets about his move down the M4. Hopefully he'll act as encouragement for other quality players struggling to get a game, helping persuade them a free move to Town this summer is worth the risk. Take note, Wayne Carlisle...

The often unreliable TeamTalk correctly reports that Andy King is to hold a series of trial matches, to let him cast his eye over free transfer hopefuls. Now's our chance! Meanwhile, Neil Ruddock and Juan Cobain could both play for the reserves tomorrow, against Brentford.

All told it was a good performance and result against Wigan on Saturday. Nothing too silky about it, granted, but a gritty performance in which nobody really had a bad game (although the normally utterly reliable Matty Heywood looked strangely shaky at points, for some reason). Man of the match had to be Andy Gurney, putting in some good tackles, looking dangerous down the right and nearly - oh so nearly - bagging all three points at the end with a crashing drive from 30 yards out, which the Wigan keeper saved quite brilliantly. I can't help thinking Gurney would still be better suited to a more central midfield position, where he'd most likely be far more effective than Robinson or Hewlett, but perhaps right back is where the need is. Maybe King can rustle up a Bosman right back in the close season to free Gurney up.

Match reports: the Evening Advertiser rightly highlights the dodgy display by Phil Prosser, the man in black. He irritated fans of both sides, but it doesn't make his showing any better. Over at Rivals.net Dave Hanley points out that some fans had called for Bart Gremink to be dropped after his blunders in recent weeks, but that the stopper had a good game against Wigan. Oh - and some bloke from the Guardian wrote about the match as well (although I've always been told that self linking is a sin, and can make you go blind).

This is a great story about the generosity of Man U fans, who donated £14,000 to help keep Bury going. Bury fans have showed their generous side: Tony Norris revealed last night that one had even sent a donation to Swindon's Supporters' Trust, along with a message to keep the faith.

Three hundred people must have left last night’s public meeting at the County Ground, called to discuss Town’s future, a little happier than when they arrived. After all the uncertainty, we learned one important, heartening fact: Swindon Town can survive its financial crisis and move forward to profitability - and a push for promotion - over the next three years... to read a special (much longer) report, go here....

Swindonlog special: Trust meeting report

On the pitch, Andy King is starting to plan for next season now it looks certain that - if the club manages to keep trading - it will at least be in the second division. The suggestion in the Adver's story is that there could be a player or two leaving before transfer deadline day, but it's a quote further down that got me thinking. "Nothing is set in stone," says King. "In my own mind I might have decided I want a particular player to stay."

I assume he's talking in a hypothetical way - a singular-really-means-plural sort of way - as that sounds like he only wants one player out the team to remain at the County Ground. But... who would you keep, if only one could stay? My pick: Matty Heywood.

Another hurdle cleared in the Nationwide to-the-death stakes, reports today's Adver, with the Inland Revenue agreeing to allow Town a little more "breathing space" to find the £700,000 they owe. All that's left is the council, which needs to be persuaded of Bob Holt's mysterious plan C before Sir Seton Will's £1m+ is pumped in. Trouble is, I've so little faith in the borough I'm worried this could be Racin' Bob's highest fence yet.

Don't forget: Tonight at the County Ground, at 7.30pm in the Winners' Lounge, there's an open meeting to discuss events at the club over recent weeks. This is our big chance to get some answers, straight from the horses' mouths (so to speak).

In the spring of '93, less than nine years ago, Town won promotion to the Premiership, beating Leicester City 4-3, cheered on by tens of thousands of fans. Hoddle graced the Wembley turf, scoring one and setting up the winner in a match described at the time as "a minor English classic". In an idle moment, the Wiltshire Sound audio from the day remains a great listen, no matter how many times you play it.
Forward to the present day, and it's a battle of another kind. As Jon Ritson rightly says in today's Advertiser, now it's for a bigger prize than even that bright May day: survival.
Andy King is urging the stayaway fans to return to the County Ground just this once, for Saturday's match against Wigan.
King, as ever, is pretty honest about what he's asking for. "I accept that it is usually a winning team that attracts new supporters," he tells the Adver. "But the position of this club is so serious that, for the first time, I'm asking people who have worked hard all week to spend some of that money on helping this great football club survive."

Indeed, yesterday's talks did go well, with the league approving Bob Holt's plan - whatever that is. The Adver is now calling it a "mystery" plan which, let me tell you, is journalese for "we don't know what he's doing either".
Sadly, just when we're relying on 'em, the Adver is getting even the facts which are in the public domain wrong: Thursday's crisis meeting is at 7.30pm, not 8pm as in today's paper. Wonder if we'll see the paper's finest wandering in half an hour late, then?

It has been confirmed that Andy King will be attending Thursday night's open meeting, organised by the Swindon Town Supporters' Trust, TrustSTFC. He'll be joining in a question and answer session with the fans.
It's vital fans turn out in force, both for this free event - Winners' Lounge at the County Ground, 7.30pm - and Saturday's home game against Wigan (you have to pay for this one). It would be great to get really big crowd for that, so that the town shows creditors and potential investors how important it is that League football stays here.
How about you Log readers at work (and the access logs suggests there might be a few :-)) turn to your colleagues now and set about bullying them into coming back to the County Ground after all this time? Go on. Go on, go on, go on. You've nothing to lose - and a football club to save.

We'll perhaps get confirmation of this later today, but it seems that Bob Holt's meeting with the Football League went OK yesterday, and that talks continue about reorganising the club to allow investment from Sir Seton Wills. We may hear tomorrow if the various approvals needed - from the league, town council, Inland Revenue and assorted smaller creditors - have come through.

There's no news yet this afternoon on Bob Holt's visit to the FA. Holt, along with Town's lawyers, are seeking league approval for a deal which would allow money from Sir Seton Wills - Town's owner - to flow into the club without fear of it being snapped up by Donegan and Blatchley.
Today's Adver - infuriatingly - doesn't give any hint of what the FA are being to approve, but my guess is it might involve some way of creating a new company to manage the football club and assume the debts - but not the debenture - held by the "old" company.
Sir Seton could invest in this company, which would be new and debt free. And, best of all, Donegan and Blatchley would have no claim on "new" Swindon, thus making the Wills investment safe. All this would begin to ensure some kind of future for the club - especially if the books could be balanced going into the new season, by lowering the wage bill.
What is certain is the league has pretty strict rules on how clubs are run, which date back decades. Essentially, the rules say football clubs cannot be run as normal companies. Players' contracts ultimately belong to the league, as does the club's membership of the league, and if the club gets it wrong, league football vanishes from the town.

When you start seeing perfectly genuine, heartfelt messages like this on Rivals, you know the club's in trouble...

Date for the diary: This Thursday, Winners' lounge at the County Ground, 7.30pm: an open meeting to discuss the ongoing problems at the club. Bob Holt has already confirmed he's going to attend, and Andy King is hoped for as well. If you're looking for answers - and who isn't - as to what's going on, this is your chance to ask the only people who are really in the know.

Want to help? Look to the Swindon Town supporters' trust if you want to make a donation towards some kind of effort to keep the club afloat. Supporters Direct, the UK-wide organisation which helps such trusts get going, is reminding everyone not to donate directly to the club - we all know what a black hole that is. See the discussion here to find out what people are proposing.

If those of you back in the UK think watching a Town match unfold on Teletext is bad enough, try watching it on SMS message. That's how I followed last night's 2-0 defeat away to Brentford, and that's how I'm continuing to follow Town's desperate fight to stay afloat this week. Put simply, the club needs a million quid just to stay afloat, and that still doesn't deal with the massive debenture held by Donegan and Blatchley's STFC Properties Ltd, which could be called in at any time, and which would close the club in itself. Talks last night failed to resolve things, and without agreement no money goes into the club, and the players - and the rest of the bills - remain unpaid. Dark days.

First up, I find myself far away from Swindon Town in this essential week, and typing on a foreign keyboard on a dodgy internet link paid for by the minute. So, with all the essential stuff going on back at the County Ground, I'm now realising how all the Log readers from abroad must have been feeling all season...
I did manage to see the game against Port Vale first hand on Saturday, though, and for those who couldn't make it, suffice to say it was a tremendous performance. There were lots of good individual shows, but the team passing and closing down was, for most of the game, just great. We had two goals ruled out for offside and handball, but another hit the woodwork as Town outran their in-form opponents. As a few people have said - during and after the match - a few more shows like that and the doubters might even think about paying to watch this side.
Particularly impressive was Matty Heywood, who won man of the match for his performance. Matty's pretty straightforward in the post match interviews, as direct as his play on the pitch, and he put part of his showing down to their keeper "thinking I can't head the ball or something. A few of their players weren't too happy about it, neither."
Others worth a mention include Bobby Howe, who took a warm round of applause for his performance, and Alan Young. There was a buzz around the ground when we heard he was starting, and he added a new dimension to the attack for the 70 or so minutes he was on. Eric Sabin might have pace, but he lacks Young's touch and vision - the youngster should have scored, but won plenty of praise for the chances and moves he helped create.
To matters off the field, briefly: on a high after Saturday's game, I had the wind taken out my sales a little by an Observer report which stated that Town might go into receivership this week. I don't think that's the case, although there is no doubting the severity of the financial situation now. At least this report from Monday's Adver suggests the new regime is becoming as crafty with the setting up of limited companies surrounding STFC as the previous regime(s) were. This is plan B, which allows Sir Seton Wills to invest, and at the moment it's our only hope of survival. Here's hoping - from a slightly frustrating distance - that it's going to work.

More murky financial confusion surrounds Town today and, once again, it looks like our club is within hours of being closed.
The problem centers on the £1.2m debenture held by former "directors" Danny Donegan and Ian Blatchley (even though the High Court said in November that they were not directors of the club. No. I don't get it either). They haven't signed a deal to promise the current board they won't call that debenture in, and until they do the current board won't invest the £1m they have waiting in a bank account somewhere.
Meanwhile, the taxman waits for his money, and taxmen are notoriously impatient people. Back in January, Town agreed a deadline of yesterday to cough up £650,000. But, at the time of writing, they hadn't paid a bean of that sum, and were asking for another 72 hours to stump up £300,000, with the rest following within ten days.
It looks like the plan b revolves around going cap in hand to the club's owner, Sir Seton Wills, and asking him to make a donation.
Donegan says he hasn't been approached by anyone from the County Ground since his departure, and that if someone called he'd be happy to talk, but this is misleading. All the dealing between him and the new board has been done via lawyers, as you'd expect.
The question is: will he sign on the dotted line, and leave Swindon be? And will the taxman then accept a further delay while the cheque's put in the post?