Swindon Town finances 'on the brink', says chairman Lee Power

Lee Power managed Swindon Town on an interim basis for three games after Mark Cooper's sacking in October 2015

Swindon Town are 'on the brink' of bankruptcy, says owner Lee Power.

The impact of no fans being allowed to watch matches due to Covid-19 has hit the League One club's finances.

The Robins sold Diallang Jaiyesimi to Charlton for an undisclosed fee on Monday which will keep the club afloat until the end of February.

"It's a ridiculously hard position that we're in. I use the words on the brink, that's probably where it is," Power told BBC Radio Wiltshire.

"Every month I have to worry about finding funding to get the wages paid and that's where we are.

"I'm surprised we've got this far with no supporters and no income since March."

Swindon won the League Two title in 2019-20 on average points per game after the season was ended early because of the pandemic, but are only one point and two places above the relegation places in League One this term

Power, a former player with clubs including Norwich City, Bradford City and Peterborough United, has been in control at Swindon since December 2013, but warned that the club could go into administration last May after he failed to overturn an injunction to prevent him selling it to an American company.

Swindon played two matches in front of crowds of 2,000 earlier this season, but actually lost money on them as the costs of putting the games on with extra stewarding outweighed the income from tickets.

"I'm sure there are other businesses in the world that are suffering like us and there's definitely other football clubs," Power added.

"I speak to the other owners and chairmen all the time and this is the situation that football finds itself in.

"We're all doing our best, I'm doing my best. It's sleepless nights every night and I'm just trying to wheel and deal to keep this club alive.

"I funded the club and invested very heavily for promotion last year to make sure that the team got out of League Two, that was from me personally, no-one else contrary to what people say.

"At that time I believed that from that funding in League One the crowds would be back and we'd be back to normal, but that hasn't happened so it's been a double whammy.

"Monies and funds that were used to get us up aren't there now to keep us alive."

Swindon were formed 142 years ago and played in the Premier League in 1993-94. Their achievements include an upset victory over Arsenal at Wembley in the 1969 League Cup final.