Swindon Town fans asked to vote on buying stadium

Swindon Borough Council has already approved the sale of the stadium

A football supporters' trust hoping to buy its club's stadium is asking its members for permission to go ahead.

Swindon Town Supporters' Trust wants to buy The County Ground in a joint venture with the League Two club.

Stadium owner Swindon Borough Council would then lease the ground back to the club and the trust for 250 years.

"Contracts are ready to sign," the trust said in a letter to its members, who will now vote on whether to proceed.

"This vote is a critical milestone to secure the future of Swindon Town FC forever," it added.

The trust says the stadium purchase, first discussed in 2015, will cost £2.3m, and the ownership will be split 50:50 between the trust and the club itself.

A joint venture called The County Ground Stadium Custodians Ltd has been set up to facilitate the buying process, which was approved by the borough council in March 2022, it said.

Under the terms of the purchase, Swindon Borough Council would have "first refusal" should the joint venture decide at any point it wanted to sell the stadium.

Once the sale is completed, the club and supporters' trust plan to invest millions into upgrading the stadium, starting with a £1m redevelopment of the Stratton Bank stand in 2024.

They also plan to spend around £20m on a new Town End stand, conference centre and hotel, and a further £1.5m on adding corporate boxes in the Don Rogers stand, by 2027.

The stadium purchase is being made possible by donations from trustees of the late Nigel Eady, a lifelong Swindon Town supporter, who left a trust fund to benefit the club.

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