Swindon Town overview

The County Ground

INTRO:

Swindon Town founded in 1879 and based in the county of Wiltshire have experienced the highs and lows of the English football pyramid having significant achievements such as winning the Football League Cup in 1969 against Arsenal and in impressive FA Cup run to the semi-finals in 1968/69. However none bigger than in 1993 when the club won promotion to the top flight for the first time in their history.

Swindon gained their nickname of ‘The Robins’ deriving from the dark maroon colour of their kit before changing to the lighter shade of red and white in the 1902/03 season. After they were relegated from the Premiership with merely a one year stay at the end of 1993/94 recording only 5 wins whilst conceding 100 goals, the Wiltshire side experienced the lows of back-to-back relegations and made steady progress yo-yoing between Division 1 and 2 for the next decade before being relegated to League Two in 2006 following the formation of The Football League.

Former West Ham striker Paolo Di Canio achieved great success with Swindon at the start of his tenure earning the club promotion back to League One in his first season as well leading them to Wembley where they were on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline against Chesterfield in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final. The next few seasons in the 3rd tier were the closest Swindon have come to reaching The Championship reaching the play-offs in two out of the next three seasons including a 4-0 defeat in the 2015 final to Preston North End.

MANAGER:

In October 2024 Swindon Town appointed Ian Holloway as their new manager until the end of the season following the sacking of Mark Kennedy due to the threat of relegation to The National League. The Swindon boss took charge of The Robins after having almost four years out of management since resigned as Grimsby Town manager in December 2020.

The 61-year-old has had a successful career in the dugout having managed the likes of Queens Park Rangers who he won promotion to The Championship with as well as managing in the top flight of the Premier League with Blackpool and Crystal Palace after play-off triumph with both clubs.

Other clubs he has managed include Plymouth Argyle, Leicester City and Millwall and Holloway has become part of the few English managers to have achieved 1000 games on the touchline.

3 KEY PLAYERS:

Harry Smith:

High flying striker Harry Smith signed for Swindon Town in the summer after making the move from now National League side Sutton United on a free transfer. The former Robins man made his return to Wiltshire after previously playing for the club when on loan from Millwall during the 2017/18 season where he found the net twice in 14 appearances.

After making 42 appearances last season for Sutton United and netting 14 times in all competitions, this caught the attention of many sides with Smith falling into the bracket of a player too good to go down.

His return to life in red and white has been promising with the forward being the club’s shining light in their relegation scrap with 9 league goals in 19 games including an injury time equaliser to salvage a point against Gillingham as well as a hat-trick at home to Fleetwood back in December.

Will Wright:

Defender Will Wright signed for Swindon in the summer as a free-agent after turning down a contract offer from his former club Crawley Town after winning promotion via the play-offs with The Red Devils. The 27-year-old centre back was a pivotal figure in that Crawley side where he scored 4 times after moving from Gillingham.  

With his promotion-winning mindset alongside the defensive stability he offers and threat in the attacking third also, Swindon knew what they were getting and he hasn’t disappointed. With 3 goals and 2 assists by the halfway point in this campaign, Wright’s impact has been pivotal so far in what looks like a relegation battle for The Robins. His contributions could prove to have a big impact on Swindon’s season with the defender rescuing a point with a stunner against Chesterfield as well as a goal against Cheltenham earning them three points.

Gavin Kilkenny:

The 24-year-old Irishman signed for Swindon in August 2024 after spending last season on loan at Fleetwood Town where he made 16 league appearances. Kilkenny came through the Bournemouth academy system before making his debut for The Cherries in an EFL cup tie against Forest Green Rovers in 2019. After spending five years at the Premier League outfit with season long loans out Stoke City, Charlton Athletic and Fleetwood Town, Kilkenny has struggled to kickstart his career.

With the youngster being on Bournemouth’s roster for quite a few years, it suggests to fans that Kilkenny has some real ability and can have high hopes for him to be a key part of Swindon’s future after such a stagnated career in his early years.

His start to life in the red and white of Swindon has been promising, making 23 out of 26 league appearances so far this season and proving to be a vital part of the midfield.