There's further news from the County Ground today regarding season tickets: the club is going to offer an easy pay scheme to help fans find the money needed to buy a season ticket. The only amazing thing about this (it was on offer last year) was that they didn't think about it before the ticket prices were announced.
Meanwhile, Nigel Bennett from the supporters' club also voiced a good idea today on Wiltshire Sound - why not offer groups of three tickets, say, when we're playing on a Saturday, Tuesday and Saturday in the same seven day period? That would help lessen the burden of the £21 a ticket matchday prices - and maybe tempt the thousands of occasional fans back to the ground (as well as boost the frequently dismal Tuesday night crowds).

Is this a victory for fan power? Bob Holt has announced today that, because of the outcry over Town's season ticket price increases, the club is knocking off 15% - or £61.50 from the full-price ticket - for those who buy or renew their ticket before 20th May. The cuts will apply to all tickets apart from the Junior Season Ticket. They are also throwing in a £20 voucher for purchases in the club shop, redeemable until 20th July.
Without the voucher that makes the rise over this season a modest £18, with the voucher we're actually £2 in the black (by my dodgy, back of fag-packet sums), so that has to be a very welcome move by the club. It's great to see that Bob Holt and co have paid attention to the fans' concerns - but let's hope the row over the last few days hasn't put too many people off for good.
What the club now needs to do is make sure that it enters into a proper dialogue with fans' groups - the supporters' club and TrustSTFC - to make sure this kind of fiasco doesn't happen again, and that everyone is pulling in the same direction as Town looks to get out its huge financial hole.

Part of the great Bob Holt plan to save the club is to split it up into three different parts, with the marketing being sent out to a specialist firm.
It’s just as bloody well, because the “marketing” that has accompanied the announcement of big rises to Town’s season ticket prices for next season has been a fiasco that threatens the club to its core. Much more “marketing” like this, and the board will succeed where the creditors didn’t, and get this club closed down for good.
Holt called the new season ticket prices “a bitter pill to swallow” on BBC Wiltshire Sound yesterday. He wasn’t wrong. A season ticket for anywhere in the Nationwide or Arkell’s stand will be £410 – up by £80 for the centre stand this season, and up by £130 for those who sit in the popular wing areas.
Now, when I first read about the rises in yesterday’s match programme, I was pretty resigned to it. Maybe it was the drink, maybe it was the sunshine on the last day of the season. Yes, I thought, it’s a hellava lot of money, but with the club in administration, ITV Digital money posted MIA and the massive Neil Ruddock salary to bear, maybe this really is the cost of keeping the club alive.
And that, after all, is all we’ve wanted this year: boardroom fiasco after boardroom fiasco this year all we’ve really wanted is the promise that there will be a Swindon Town to watch next year. We’ve all prayed the club would pull through, put money in the trust buckets, and cheered on the team’s efforts on the pitch. So it would, I thought, be a bit much to cheer on the board’s efforts – and then turn around when we where asked to do our bit and say ‘well, actually, no – I don’t really care that much’. There’s no point in chanting “sing your heart out for the lads” if you’re not also willing to dip into your pocket and pay the going rate, I reckoned.
Easy for me to say. I’ve got a job, and no family to support. And, having looked at it a bit more closely, there seems a lot of very important things wrong with this demand for (lots) more cash from the fans.
First, no discounts: commit your money early and there’s no reward. The most loyal fans get to pay through the nose and lose the interest on the cash – or, more likely, end up paying more on their credit cards – but there’s no compensation from the club, other than a pissy prize draw for the cup final.
For fans who simply don’t have the cash now, or the credit card, there’s no pay as you go scheme like last year. And a deadline of May 20th has been set for renewals before all seats go on public sale (although, as has been pointed out, there’s hardly going to be a scramble at these prices).
Holt has simply said that this is the price to keep professional league football in Swindon, and that there will be a flow of good news to encourage fans to sign up over the summer.
But, at this stage, it looks like few fans will bother. It’s a lot of money to ask for, and the club just isn’t asking in the right way, or even looking for ways to make it easier for fans to manage – or justify – the expense. Jeez, even Tony Norris – Trust leading light and season ticket holder for over a decade – has said today that enough is enough. Here’s one of Town’s most committed fans saying he’ll be doing a few away games, the odd CG match, but nothing more. If he goes, how many will be left?
Bob Holt, take note: season ticket holders are important. They’re the ones who’re also most likely to buy the new strips in the club shop, and turn up on the wet Tuesday nights to encourage the team along (and buy food and programmes on top of their initial investment). They persuade their pals to come along too, and indoctrinate their kids so they become the fans of the future. They are so vital that many continental teams call them club “members” – Alaves, defeated UEFA cup finalists last season, have gone as far as to have their 3000 members’ names weaved through their shirts.
And at Swindon Town, they’ve been more loyal than at many clubs. Last summer they still sank their cash in the club - in their thousands – even when it looked like it might even go under before the season started.
Price rises on those tickets hurt the fans who are the most committed of any. This group is not just another demographic whose loyalty should be leant on harder and harder just because they’ve spilled the cash in the past.
These fans have stuck with the club through the bad times and worse, and deserve at least a little respect – and a lot more consideration - before they are screwed for more cash.
A fix? Hefty discounts for early buyers, an easy pay scheme and better perks for season ticket holders are needed – as a minimum – as sugar to make this "bitter pill" go down at all with Town's fans.

Swindon Town 1 Wycombe 1
A pretty drab end of season performance was lightened by a fantastic headed goal by player of the year, Matty Heywood, and the antics of a streaker who burst out from the Town End. The performance (on the playing side, at least) leaves Swindon Town at the very top of the bottom half of division two, and with plenty of hope for next season. Off out for a few end of season drinks, methinks...

Amazingly, Paul Edwards has decided to quit Swindon, despite being offered a new contract. Edwards wants to move to the north of England to be closer to his family and thinks he can get a second division club closer to home. Methinks he's a silly chap to be voluntarily turning his back on a contract - Graz has talked of perhaps having to look for a job outside football having been released by Town.

TeamTalk reports that Paul Edwards has been offered a new contract, but has yet to reach a decision on whether or not to accept. [update: this could, of course, be more TeamTalk balls. The report linked above says Edwards is one of the six offered new contracts. It then goes on to name... six other players - Alan Reeves, Sol Davis, Bart Griemink, Matt Hewlett, David Duke and Adam Willis - offered new deals. That makes the total seven, not six. Anyone's guess, really]

"A Danish man having surgery on his backside broke wind and set his genitals alight," reports Ananova. Hey - it's nothing to do with Swindon Town, but at least it's a hellava lot more entertaining than the increasingly grim debate on the merits - or otherwise - of Andy King.
Yes, I contributed to the argument over on MOS yesterday: despite King's seemingly barmy tactical decisions (probably, in the cold light of day, caused by his lack of options in the squad) I don't think he's done a bad job at all. And it's refreshing to have a manager who speaks his mind, not just about what happens on the pitch but about the stick he gets from a very small part of the CG crowd.
The people continually putting King down are, I suspect, in the minority - the aborted protest at the start of the year against his return showed how few fans really thought he was that bad then - but they are very noisy, especially on places like MOS.

More contract news today, with five players expected to announce their decision on whether or not they are happy with what they've been offered. The names are Bart Gremink (said to be unhappy at what he's been offered), Matty Hewlett (who, it is claimed, fancies he could move somewhere else for better money this summer), Sol Davies (ditto), David Duke (he'd have to be nuts to turn down an offer to stay) and Adam Willis (I thought he'd already signed on the dotted line, but not so according to the Adver).
I have to say it's a surprise that some of these players are quite confident they could get a good deal elsewhere, especially in a summer when hundreds of pro footballers will lose their jobs.
With the exception of Sol Davies, who has the benefit of youth and a good deal of promise, none of these players have really set our pulses racing over more than a few months. Certainly, Bart has played well this term, but is one good season enough to convince a manager to take a risk? They'd all do well to take a look at what happened to former team-mate Steve Mildenhall this season...

It's second division team of the year time - no real Swindon Town interest, alas, since none of our players were picked for the best 11 of the season. But, in a kind of small way, we can enjoy the fact that Joe Kinnear got all upset that only one of his Luton Town players made the final 11 in the division 3 list.

Andy King says he wants to add at least four players - preferably five - to the squad before the start of next season. Top of the list is a new striker - no surprises there - although he's still haggling with the board to determine if the new man will be a free transfer, or bought for a fee. Given that literally hundreds of players will be filling the transfer market this summer, as Nationwide sides trim their playing staff, I'd be surprised if we opted to shell out for a player still in contract.

Meanwhile, Neil Ruddock admits there's less of a whispering campaign about his fat salary, more of a shouting match (and, make no mistake about it, Andy King is one of those shouting loudest) but he plans to see out the remaining two years on his deal.

We'll still have the Bristol City derby games to look forward to next season, after the other Robins' season "ended in an embarassing shambles at Blackpool".

Brighton maybe won the Championship, but they failed to beat Swindon this season. Saturday's resolute performance meant another draw to add to the 1-1 draw we got at home at the end of November, and won us generous praise from Brighton fans after the match. You can read Dave Hanley's usual full report here, which is pretty much the only full report on the web at the moment as Brighton's website has yet to update. We can only assume that they are, quite rightly, still recovering from all those celebrations...

There hasn't been a great deal of comment on this, surprisingly, but this BBC Wiltshire Sound story reports on the plans being drawn up by Town's administrator. It says Sir Seton Wills will be bankrolling the club next season.

More contract news today, as we begin to get an indication of what next season's Swindon Town will look like - assuming the club can come out of administration. One player who will not be around - although he was hardly visable on the pitch this season anyway - is Bertie Brayley, who has been released by Andy King. Having not made a start all season in the first team, and hardly having set the heather alight in the reserves, the writing was on the wall for him, despite his friendship with Razor Ruddock.
The same story also reveals King has not made his mind up about Paul Edwards - he may get another chance against Brighton tomorrow after his disappointing show midweek. Another half-dozen have been offered contracts: I'd guess Davis, Gremink and Hewlett are certs (although we already know Gremink is stalling over a pay cut), and it's anyone's guess over the rest. King is hoping for decisions from everyone on Monday, as any say no then it looks like he may offer a deal to another current team member rather than bring someone in from outside.
Tomorrow's game looks like it'll be quite a test. Very impressive home form has helped bring Brighton to the brink of winning the division two Championship - they're certain to come out with all guns blazing tomorrow.

For those of you keen to read more on last night's near-debacle in Cambridge, My Only Swindon has a detailed report on events. Sadly, it sounds like Paul Edwards failed to impress - he was replaced after an hour - which has to cast doubt on his being given a new contract. His being released could well be the most controversial decision Andy King will make this summer - especially if David Duke, his rival at left back, gets a new deal.
The BBC also has some details of last night's game at the Abbey Stadium, although Andy Gurney will prefer not to read the Press Association report which has the second goal down as an OG - not his.

Cambridge United 1 Swindon Town 2
Well... serves me right for being cocky, I daresay. Andy Gurney got both the goals against the worst team in the second division, but they opened the scoring. Can't find any reports online yet, but it sounds like another uncomfortable night for Eric Sabin who, among some fans, has earned the nickname "the clown".

Last time we met Cambridge I annoyed a United fan by saying they were clearly the worst team I'd ever seen at the County Ground. The fact they're now down and out of the second division, ten points adrift, kinda suggests that was fair enough.
But it'll still be interesting for those who travel to see if they've picked up any now that John Bird has left the club. Their 5-0 drubbing away to Wrexham at the weekend suggests not, but John Taylor is expected to change things round - perhaps with an eye to next year's effort to get out of the third division.
He clearly has his work cut out: there can't be many teams who win by five goals and still go down, but Wrexham were also relegated on Saturday - which shows just how pisspoor Cambridge must be.
On the Town front, Graz scored a memorable goal at the County Ground against United back in October - he'll be missing tonight through injury, and has admitted he will probably not don the colours again.
One player who will be around next year - as long as the club is, of course, is Adam Willis, who was offered a new deal yesterday.

Swindon 0 QPR 1
On paper, it wasn't the thumping Town could have expected from playoff-chasing QPR - especially after November's rout at Loftus Road. But everyone present - a crowd said to be around 6700 although, again, it looked much bigger - would have to agree that QPR nicked the three points. On the balance of play Town deserved at least a draw, maybe even the win.
The key moment came 15 minutes from time when the otherwise rock solid Gurney and Heywood had a lapse of concentration. Gurney lost the run of Jerome Thomas coming in off the right wing as Matthew Rose slipped the ball through to him. Heywood dived in with a reckless challenge that the forward leaped, and Thomas dinked the ball neatly over Gremink from a tight angle.
But the blame for this defeat doesn't really lie at the back. Thomas? goal should have been an equaliser, maybe even only a consolation for QPR, such was Town's domination of the first half. Eric Sabin, however, was having one of his worst ever displays in a Town shirt, passing up chance after chance.
Losing the ball when a simple pass to a team-mate would have been an assist, trying to pass when he should be shooting, and an inability to find team-mates with crosses when forced wide all made for a pretty poor show. And, to be fair, he was unlucky too, when he was the filling in a QPR sandwich that should have resulted in a first half penalty. Other disappointments included David Duke - he barely put in a tackle all match.
On the plus side Matthew Hewlett put in a good shift in midfield and Adam Willis was rock solid at the back again, boosting his chances - we'd hope - of a new deal this summer. Alan Young played well again, showing a few flashes of skill that pleased the crowd, although QPR?s hefty defence made sure he barely saw the goal.
Town's best chance after QPR?s strike was a fluky effort by sub Paul McAreavey - a cross which was caught by the gusty wind and hit the crossbar. And, with five minutes to go, Andy King managed to further irritate the crowd by pulling off Young to send on Alan Reeves, with Heywood being pushed up front to look for a late equaliser.
It was the old Van der Linden move that failed last season, and failed again today. We just lost our shape - we?d always looked more dangerous when we strung some passes together and ran at them - and that, in turn, finished off any chance we had of snatching a result.

Here's a strange one. In today's Sunday Times there's their annual rich list, listing the richest 1000 people in Britain. Terry Brady, the one-time saviour of Swindon Town who walked out on the club last summer, is listed again, valued at £42m.
But that's not the strange bit. His entry is what caused the double take: "Terence Brady: Printing and property. Brady, 57, has £12.5m in Swindon Town Properties and owns four printing firms worth a total of about £20m. He is now involved in Portsmouth football club, although he is not a shareholder there.
Does Brady still have money in STPL and - if so - is it really that much? I thought he'd completely quit from STPL. Anyone have any answers? Drop me a mail... neiltosh (at) yahoo.com

For those of us who were at Loftus Road earlier in November, the memory of our 4-0 thumping there is not a particularly great one. Aside from a dismal performance on the pitch that left Roy Evans fuming, there was the horrendous issue of a complete lack of food underneath the stand at half time. A dark, dark night.
So the talk of gaining some revenge tomorrow for that debacle is predictable enough, with Eric Sabin showing a masterful command of the understatement in tonight's Adver, when he says "our own performance was not so good". I'll be looking to Danny Invincible to repeat last week's man of the match-winning performance against Blackpool, and banish the memory of his uninterested performance in London last year.
On the team news front, Graz and Paul MacAreavey are still struggling, and an ankle problem could keep Alan Reeves on the sidelines, which is bad news for him as he fights for a new contract.
QPR are, like us, in administration, although the light at the end of the tunnel appears brighter for them at the moment. They'll sport at least one familiar face on Saturday - on loan striker Dominic Foley, who came to Town on loan and scored on his debut against Bristol City, but did little else to impress us after that.
He's likely to start the match after Andy Thomson hurt his back on Easter Monday. Also missing for QPR will be Leroy Griffiths and Aziz Ben Askar.
We know Foley can finish nicely from the lobbed goal he got against City, but it has taken a while for form to return in a season hit by injury. He scored the winner for QPR against Notts County on Monday, and the irony would have us choking on our hotdogs should he come back to score at the County Ground for another team. He talks about the match on the QPR website, pointing out that QPR need the win if they are to keep their play-off hopes alive.

Last season we went up to Stoke's Britannia stadium and got gubbed, and nobody seemed to care because at least we were safe. This year, we went up and lost by a smaller margin - 2-0 this time - but I suppose it's a mark of progress that lots of folk are disappointed at the result. I didn't see the game - Bank Holidays off are a rare treat - but word has it we played well, especially in the first half, but just couldn't capitalise on the openings we were creating.
There are some interesting comments from Big Stan on Invincible and Sabin's footballing brains (or lack of them) over on MOS, while in another thread there's a related discussion on finding a new striker that can bang in 20 a season. Someone makes the point that we could reach the play-offs with a decent forward - although I wonder if, perhaps, some better service from our malfunctioning midfield might not let the current set of forwards do a lot better...

There were plenty of nice things about Saturday's 1-0 win over Blackpool at the County Ground. There was Alan Young's first league goal, a strike which lots of us have seen coming, and had been looking forward to. Here's hoping there are many more where that came from.
Then there was the shirtsleeves weather, a big crowd (much larger than the mysteriously poor just-over-5,000 figure quoted in the papers) and an in-form Danny Invincible (more on him in a moment) to shove the cherry on top of another good three points.
But capping it all, in a sad sort of way, was Steve McMahon's grumpy performance to the assembled press and radio after the game. The bruised pride just shone through and, even for relative McMahon neutrals like me, it reminded me just why so many fans just don't like him very much. Going by his moaning after the final whistle, and his team's occasionally ugly performance before it - he really wanted to win this one. He was, quite clearly, gutted to lose, despite the fact that his team simply didn't deserve to get anything from the game, other than a clutch of suspensions for some pretty nasty challenges.
On the matter of Danny Invincible, it was great to see him play so well - for me, it was a bit of a flashback to this time last year when the weather suddenly improved, and brought with it a warming in Danny's game. Surely he can't still be missing the Aussie sunshine? Mind you, I'd rather believe that than the suggestion that he was only turning it on to make a point to McMahon, who put in that pisspoor bid for him last year. Town should get that kind of performance week in, week out from Invincible - not just because he's got a point to prove (or because the sun's out).
Meanwhile, there's some team news ahead of today's game up at Stoke.