[funkidaniel2001]

Thought I would start a thread on the mighty Town. No doubt I will be inidated with millions of replys about are great club.

Not much to say really. We have just got Jimmy Davis on loan from Man Utd. We have him for a month but are trying to negotate for the season. With him and Parkin (from chelsea) and Sabin (are french god) we look quite attacking. But its the same old same old. Start brightly and end up 19th in the table. I get sick of paying my money to go watch us get beat. They even have to the cheek to put ticket prices up! I know we are struggling (just got out of administration) but you thought that they would be encouraging fans to go to the ground rather than put them off. Cheapest ticket is £10 in the town end (which is a crap view) !!!

[funkidaniel2001]

Steve Coppell is to join Swindon Town as assistant manager.
In a shake-up of the Robins' backroom staff, manager Andy King has stripped former Liverpool defender Neil Ruddock of his coaching duties.

Coppell's appointment casts doubt on the future of current number two Malcolm Crosbie, who will take control of the reserve team for the time being.

King approached former Crystal Palace, Manchester City and Brentford boss Coppell after the Robins' sixth successive defeat.

Coppell will be employed by King on a weekly basis to help him organise the Swindon side.

God help him................

[funkidaniel2001]

Cheltenham secured their first Nationwide League win of the season with victory over 10-man Swindon.

Graham Allner's side opened the scoring on the half-hour when Hugh McAuley's curling free-kick was deflected off the head of Swindon's Matt Hewlitt and into the top corner.

Matters went from bad to worse for the visitors, who slumped to a record seven straight defeats, when striker Sam Parkin was ordered off two minutes into the second half for a challenge on home goalkeeper Steve Book.

Cheltenham wrapped up the points on 65 minutes when Russell Milton collected a cross-field pass from Tony Naylor before finding the net from 25 yards.

God we are shite, seven defeats. Coppell better sort us out. King is useless, never liked him. Never wanted him there! In the words of Cromwell, "you sir have sat in that chair for far to long, in the name god please go" someone help us!

Swindon managed their first real shot on goal in the dying seconds when Danny Invincible was denied by a fine save.
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Cheltenham: Book, Howarth, Mike Duff, Walker, Victory, McAuley, Yates, Finnigan, Milton, Alsop, Naylor. Subs: Brough, Brayson, Higgs, Spencer, Williams.

Swindon: Griemink, Edds, Gurney, Heywood, Duke, Invincibile, Robinson, Hewlett, Jackson, Parkin, Sabin. Subs: Farr, Miglioranzi, Edwards, Young, Dykes.

Referee: J P Robinson (E Yorkshire).

[sydtheeagle]

Originally posted by funkidaniel2001
Steve Coppell is to join Swindon Town as assistant manager.

You've just got yourself a great (assistant) manager and an even greater man. Saint Steve, as he's known down our way, is the only person in football honestly believed to walk on water. The man has more integrity than the other 91 manager's in football put together, and quite apart from that he knows how to get a football team playing. His sides are not always pretty, but he gets 102% percent out of whatever resources are at his disposal and right now I suspect that will be good enough for Swindon. Anyone who can lead Palace out at Wembley five times, get us promoted into the top flight twice, and take us to a third place finish in the Premiership (or the First Division, as was) is the ideal manager for a lower division side. And that's quite apart from keeping a team in administration for twelve months in the top half of the first division table throughout. You'll find a lot of Palace fans will be wishing Swindon well from now on. The man is, as I said, quite literally a saint in SE25.

[funkidaniel2001]

Originally posted by sydtheeagle


You've just got yourself a great (assistant) manager and an even greater man. Saint Steve, as he's known down our way, is the only person in football honestly believed to walk on water. The man has more integrity than the other 91 manager's in football put together, and quite apart from that he knows how to get a football team playing. His sides are not always pretty, but he gets 102% percent out of whatever resources are at his disposal and right now I suspect that will be good enough for Swindon. Anyone who can lead Palace out at Wembley five times, get us promoted into the top flight twice, and take us to a third place finish in the Premiership (or the First Division, as was) is the ideal manager for a lower division side. And that's quite apart from keeping a team in administration for twelve months in the top half of the first division table throughout. You'll find a lot of Palace fans will be wishing Swindon well from now on. The man is, as I said, quite literally a saint in SE25.

Well what can I say, with a recommendation of like that I will be expecting him to take one good player and make 12 great players out of him! The shout is already ringing around the ground for king to be replaced by Coppell! I personally think (with many other town fans) that Coppell has been brought in to replace King at the helm. Like you said, Coppells CV speaks for its self. What a great track record he has. My only concern is that with what he has to work with. We are a struggling club, fresh out of administration for the third time in 2 years! With Chairmen who would be better at home running their wife’s tuber wear club than a football club. Yes, they are bad. It’s going to be a real challenge for him if he is given the reigns but I would feel slightly more confident in the club with him at the helm. Would also believe that the club is finally taking some steps in the right direction. He isn’t the first high profile coach that we have had here. Hoddle, Steve Mc-moran and Evans have all tried and failed to manage this cursed club! I hope, I really hope he takes charge and does well. Some proper coaching and tactics that’s what we need at the Country ground. You never know given the opportunity he may well become a saint SN5 as well!!!! Cheers dude

Dan

[sydtheeagle]

Remember that Coppell has worked effectively with Ron Noades for years, and where chairmen are concerned that's about as difficult as it gets. We (Palace) are not a big club and like you, we have been in administration. Coppell stuck to the task, worked through it all, never deserted us, and at every opportunity maximised what he had at his disposal. As I said, five trips to Wembley for a club which before he took the helm had never even been there once, and furthermore, he got us up through the playoffs not once but twice. Plus, he took us to a third place finish in the Premiership.

If you want more good news, look at his development of players. Amongst them:

Ian Wright, signed from park football, sold for millions.

Mark Bright, signed from Port Vale reserves, sold for millions.

Nigel Martyn, bought for a million from the third division, sold for much more to Leeds.

Geoff Thomas, signed from Crewe, somehow became an international.

John Salako, signed as a youth, became an England player, and believe me but for the injury would have been playing for Liverpool and England for many years.

Chris Armstrong, signed from Millwall, sold on for millions to Spurs (though in the end, it didn't quite out for him there).

Those are just some of the best known. Palace in recent years have survived on Coppell's no-name signings who haven't just gone on to play a role, but who have become in most cases seriously good.

Tactically, he is a pragmatist. You can expect a team that will be highly organised, who put in 102%, and who know their roles. They will be very good at set pieces and they we will be as creative as their skills allow (which may be a little or a lot). The reality is that he will give you two things: 1. A side which when it loses games will never beat itself. That is important. If they lose, they will lose to a better team and go down fighting. They will not drop careless points. 2. Committment. Coppell demands it of his players, and he leads by example. A Coppell team will work harder on the pitch than any team you've seen before.

All I can say is that, living in Oxfordshire, I expect to be making a trip to Swindon next time Palace aren't playing to cheer on Saint Steve. If we ever draw you in one of the cups at Selhurst, come to the game and you will see what respect really is. Most Palace supporters would like to rename Selhurst Park after Steve Coppell. That is how much he means to our club.

[funkidaniel2001]

Mate, you are more than welcome to come down to Swindon to see us play. It’s not the most attractive site at the moment. In fact are football is bloody awful at the moment. Look like schoolboys thrown together in some sort bad make shift movie. I am personally not going to Swindon at the moment and I wont until King is removed. Plus they have put the ticket prices up. Cost £13 to go and watch them in the ************ part of the ground. Its bloody ridicules should be trying to get fans in not scary them off with stupid prices! I will go once coppell takes over. You have filled me with optimism and a little bit of hope with your big up speech of coppell. Cheers dude. We will be a real test, but lets hope he can do it. I personally think he can and I just want him to be given the opportunity now!

Dan

[funkidaniel2001]

On-loan midfielder Johnnie Jackson scored on his home debut as Swindon ended a run of seven successive defeats with a win against Northampton.

Jackson, in his third league game for the Robins since his loan switch from Tottenham, bent a 25-yard free-kick into the top left corner of Lee Harper's goal in the 31st minute.

And Swindon, who were dominant throughout, doubled their advantage 10 minutes from time thanks to Sam Parkin's fifth goal of the season from the penalty spot.

Parkin had been upended by Harper and he sent substitute Nathan Abbey the wrong way from the spot after Harper had been given his marching orders.

Northampton's best chance came midway through the second half when Armand One had a near-post shot blocked after latching onto substitute Derek Asamoah's right-wing cross.

Steve Coppell, Swindon's assistant manager, was at the County Ground for the first time since joining the club earlier this month.
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Swindon: Griemink, Gurney, Willis, Heywood, Duke, Jackson, Hewlett, Robinson, Invincibile, Parkin, Sabin. Subs: Farr, Edds, Miglioranzi, Reeves, Young.

Northampton: Harper, Gill, Sampson, Spedding, Carruthers, McGregor, Harsley, Trollope, Hargreaves, One, Gabbiadini. Subs: Abbey, Rickers, Lincoln, Forrester, Asamoah.

Referee: P Prosser (Gloucestershire)

Get in lads, sorting are selfs out now............gulp.

[funkidaniel2001]

Swindon have been hit with a transfer embargo because of an outstanding loyalty payment which is owed to transfer-listed player Neil Ruddock.
The former Liverpool player is owed money under the loyalty bonus clause which forms part of his contract.

Under the restrictions the Robins can still sign players but will first have to ask for Football League approval.

Chief executive Mark Devlin told the club's official website: "We are disappointed that the Football League have taken this action but not surprised.

"The Football League are aware that we have met with Neil Ruddock and his representatives and are doing everything we can to reach a negotiated settlement.

"I hope that the Football League will now show common sense when we apply for cover in any of our key playing areas, given that we are operating on one of the smallest squads in the division."

Back to normal then a lads?

[sydtheeagle]

There you go, what did I tell you? The Messiah arrives and straight away, a win. Incidentally, Simon Rodger is joining Swindon on a trial basis with a view to a permanent contract. He's a Palace stalwart who had his testimonial at the start of this season, having been at the club since the early 90's (with one or two loan spells thrown in) and who, I think, may really help Swindon.

Rodger is a combative midefielder, left sided and with that rare commodity, a sweet left foot. He has, for the most part, taken all of Palace's set pieces from that side in recent years. He is not a spectacular player but he is a decent passer, a fierce tackler, and has intelligent positional sense which makes up for an occasional lack of speed. He also leads by example. He's the sort of player that supporters often don't give enough respect to, but whose team mates sing his praises at every opportunity. Here's an example: our best ever midfield, arguably, was Lombardo, Rodger, and Curcic. He's the paint that allows the glamour to work.

"Jolly", as he's known, first broke into the Palace team alongside the likes of Gareth Soughtgate and John Salako in the early to mid-nineties and, though changes of manager have sometimes seen him fall out of favour, he has always clawed his way back into the side. He is a long-standing Coppell favourite (when Steve had his abortive spell at Man City, Jolly followed him there on loan) and he's a player who will certainly give you 100%. Most Palace supporters were by and large surprised to see him go (and disgusted at the way Trevor Francis released him after suggesting a new contract would be given) and the likelihood is that he'll do well in second division football. Another reason for me to go to the County Ground soon!