Swindon Supporters Trust reiterates call for new owners
Swindon Town have never been relegated from the English Football League
- Published
Swindon Town Supporters Trust has reiterated its call for owner Clem Morfuni to sell the struggling League Two club.
The Robins are second-from-bottom of the table and have won just two league games all season.
Australian businessman Morfuni took over in the summer of 2021, but their results have gradually declined after making the play-offs in his first season of ownership.
The Trust says Swindon are "six months away from the National League".
"This hasn’t happened by accident," a statement added.
"It’s the culmination of years of mismanagement and poor leadership at our beloved club.
"Did it start when Clem Morfuni acquired the club in 2021?
"No, it started a long time before that, but he is the owner today and the last three years have seen a dramatic decline on and off the pitch."
'Heads are buried in the sand'
Swindon are in their lowest league position since they joined the English Football League when the fourth tier was set up in 1920.
Town sacked manager Mark Kennedy in October and replaced him with veteran boss Ian Holloway.
But since then the club's only wins have come in cup competitions - a 2-1 victory in extra time over Gillingham in the FA Cup first round and a 2-1 win over Tottenham's under-21 side in the EFL Trophy.
The Trust, which owns 50% of the County Ground in a joint venture with the club, is supporting planned protests at matches to try and force Morfuni out.
The club's head of football Jamie Russell left last month after just over three years in the role and will not be replaced, while other off-field personnel have also departed.
"Within the Trust Board we had a six month time frame in mind for the club to change the leadership and management strategy being adopted by the owner," the statement added.
"In that time, things have gotten worse, not better.
"It is said that one cannot do the same thing over and over and expect different results.
"Feedback is being ignored, lessons have not been learnt, and heads are buried in the sand."
The Trust said it recognised that any change in ownership would not come about quickly, and added they would continue to engage with the owners of the club in the hope of improving things on and off the field.
"Even if an interested party made an acceptable offer to the owner today, the time required for due diligence and the EFL Directors and Owners Test means that the upcoming transfer window (probably the most important transfer window in the club’s history) will take place under the current owner," the statement added.
"Secondly, it is unlikely that a sale will take place until Town’s EFL safety is assured.
"Ownership change is not going to happen quickly. Therefore, the Trust will continue to engage with the current leadership team, holding it to account and representing supporters at every opportunity."