Your STFC
Get involved: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting 'SWINDON NEWS' to 80360 or email »
It's the gr-eight escape!
9:00am Wednesday 24th October 2007
Comments (13)PAUL Sturrock has revealed as many as eight of his current Town squad could be heading for the exit door as he is forced into drastic measures to meet budget demands.
The Town boss, pictured, invited rival managers and scouts to watch yesterday's behind-closed-doors win against Cardiff, with the fringe players given their chance to impress.
While again stating he hoped three of those departing would be the trio brought in former club suitors BEST Holdings, Sturrock has admitted more belt tightening is needed in a financially unstable environment.
Fears of a repeat of last season's Gareth Whalley scenario have been raised with the triumvirate, but he re-iterated his determination not to let the squad cuts have a detrimental effect on Town's League One push.
He said: "There are managers I have been in touch with, or they have been in touch with me. I have sent out some circulars to a lot of teams and I am very hopeful we get some response.
"The more we can get out on loan the easier the budget gets. There are some who need games, there are some that are not in my plans and there are some that are development players. That is how a football club should be run.
"I have been left in a position where this football club at this minute has no money. So due to the circumstances that have arose lately we have gone dramatically over budget.
"Before I was even asked by the owners I realised I have to do something so I have taken steps to try and find homes for some. I also reiterated I would do nothing detrimental to this squad and the situation we find ourselves in."
Steve Adams and Blair Sturrock were on the scoresheet at the County Ground yesterday, while Michael Pook, Chris Blackburn and Kaid Mohamed were others involved who could be departees.
Hull City loanee Sam Collins is expected to return up north once his loan spell ends on Saturday while foreign trio Ibon Arrieta, Mauro Almeida and Franklin Anzite are also heading out of the club.
Sturrock said: "Ibon, Mauro and Franklin will be in negotiations with this football club to discuss the termination of their contracts.
"At the same time they are attempting through their agents to be put out on a loan basis from this club as well. So they are working very hard to get somewhere to play regular football.
"We are duty bound to pay their contracts, if they don't agree on the sum we would ask them to take. It is a complicated business."
Your Say YourThis Is Swindon Town FC
dalekdave, Swindon says...
11:29am Wed 24 Oct 07
With regards to the new takeover, we can only hope and pray - sadly past experience suggests that the wait may be a long one. If it is true that our tax liability has been met (even if as a loan) it at least shows some commitment which was lacking from the BEST lot
red_gilly, swindon says...
11:41am Wed 24 Oct 07
jamesswuk, swindon says...
11:54am Wed 24 Oct 07
dalekdave wrote:I'm glad the Best holdings deal fell through. I fear PS wouldn't been the manager for long if they had taken over the club, they even brought in players that PS didn't want at the club and now he's got rid the club of the best holding players. I blame the board for letting best holdings bring in players when contract was signed completly, it just shows lack of forsight by currant board. Some of the players he's trying to off load aren't good enough anyway.
This is the kind of realism which has been sorely lacking in recent years - well done PS; at least you are doing your bit rather than waiting for someone else to tell you etc. It's called leadership and we are lucky to have you. With regards to the new takeover, we can only hope and pray - sadly past experience suggests that the wait may be a long one. If it is true that our tax liability has been met (even if as a loan) it at least shows some commitment which was lacking from the BEST lot
largey, london says...
11:58am Wed 24 Oct 07
it adds up for me, we have no money to pay players and flimsy rumours of investors so in the mean time we offload.
it may put us in a tough situation if we pick up alot of injuries over xmas but we'll cross that bridge when it comes ie. loans.
a look at any programme this season shows we have a bigger squad than most teams.
Peter Wilson, Wantage says...
12:02pm Wed 24 Oct 07
Whilst inflammatory remarks should be removed,it seems that legitimate criticism of the often contradictory remarks by the board and the 'pointing out' of uncomfortable truths have gone as well.
Coupled with the fact that last year's supporter of the year has been banned from the CG for the 'heinous' crime of being interviewed on tv it would seem someone somewhere has something to hide.
red_gilly, swindon says...
12:12pm Wed 24 Oct 07
largey wrote:Good for you if it adds up, lets hope that you are right and that if suspensions and injuries take a toll we are still able to fight for the championship at the end of the season, seeing that is what the club are going for!!!! I buy a programme every week thanks, seemed a bit daft bringing in the players in the first place - by that I mean the ones not under BEST holding>
i dont think anyone is saying 'vast amounts' of money are about to be pumped into the club by a 'big investor'. any money that is being put in will be attempting to pay off debt not funding the wages of fringe players. no-one is about to come in a make all our financial problems go away so in the mean time it looks like the squad will shrink. it adds up for me, we have no money to pay players and flimsy rumours of investors so in the mean time we offload. it may put us in a tough situation if we pick up alot of injuries over xmas but we'll cross that bridge when it comes ie. loans. a look at any programme this season shows we have a bigger squad than most teams.
largey, london says...
1:04pm Wed 24 Oct 07
the programme thing was just an obseration rather than a dig!
Hertz, swindon says...
3:49pm Wed 24 Oct 07
The glass is filling up
Mr_Flibble, Trowbridge says...
5:21pm Wed 24 Oct 07
We can start an offical government petition (http://petitions.pm
.gov.uk/)to end this stupidity. If (and when) we get 200 signitures we will get an offical response into the matter from the man at the top. Such action would not look good for the board and no adver censorship could work!
who dat?, says...
7:36pm Wed 24 Oct 07
Leicester.
Thanks for all you have done for STFC, you gave us all a glimpse of what might have been!
Wantage1, Wantage says...
7:53am Thu 25 Oct 07
PS is a victim of circumstances but if anyone thinks what he is now doing is going to benefit the club - they are so wrong.
the club is now in serious decline and it might be terminal because people seem to think that doing nothing is ok because it will turn out alright in the end !
PS is now just a tool of the discredited board, probably not through choice, but he is - and they pay his wages !
He'll be gone soon because he is better than this and other teams want him (he'll be at Leicester by the end of Nov).
Wake up everyone - get protesting at, around (and I'm afraid in)games.
A Tax Payer, Peatmoor says...
8:37am Thu 25 Oct 07
Wantage1 wrote:Interestingly enough under "normal" circumstances I would agree with you. However PS is our the fans greatest asset at the moment. For the board he is like the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. You see if Milan Mandric feels PS is the man for him he will have to pay the club his current contract which has about four years still to run. So, say 4 x 75k? = Positive. How many fans will stay away if he goes? 1,000, 2,000 more? = negative. For any new investor to even be remotely interested in buying into another company they have to be certain of a decent return on their capitol. With any thing up to 2,000 fans (maybe more maybe less) boycotting the club at a fortnightly cost 30k for the rest of the season it does not stack up for the club. Now Mandric is wealthy make no mistake and Sturrock is a good manger but I would like to think that for our money obsessed board they would or should not consider anything less than 500k. My bet is Mandric would consider that to much for a manager who lets be fair does not have a great deal of Championship experience. Adding in another thing is that Mandric would be looking at a manager to secure promotion from the Championship and to lead Leicester in the Premiership. I believe that Sturrock needs a few years in the Championship to be remotely good enough to try to keep a club like Leicester up. After all we have first hand experience as to how hard that is and the consequences of it when it goes pear shaped. In short I think we are safe. Besides PS cannot ask to leave for another six months according to the club. So if he does go it will either they sack him or they do get that offer they cannot refuse. That would be in my opinion suicidal.
One of the last acts of the proverbial rat !!
PS is a victim of circumstances but if anyone thinks what he is now doing is going to benefit the club - they are so wrong.
the club is now in serious decline and it might be terminal because people seem to think that doing nothing is ok because it will turn out alright in the end !
PS is now just a tool of the discredited board, probably not through choice, but he is - and they pay his wages !
He'll be gone soon because he is better than this and other teams want him (he'll be at Leicester by the end of Nov).
Wake up everyone - get protesting at, around (and I'm afraid in)games.
Paul Sturrock
In this section
- Swindon Town chase Irish duo O'Brien and Douglas
- Town track Alan
- Put through their paces
- Greer is leader of the pack
- BREAKING NEWS: Swindon Town striker Cox set to complete Baggies move
- Pearce: Everyone gets a chance
- Wilson hails coaching changes
- It's all in your head!
- Douglas linked with Town switch
- Wood believes Town are on the up
Sponsored Links
Local Advertisers
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
blobster, Bradford on Avon says...
10:40am Wed 24 Oct 07
After all that nice Mr Holt has found an investor to whom a £1m makes no difference either way.
And if that fails I expect the Greek one will be able to perform some more financial engineering to get rid of any liabilities that exist
So soon there will be more money than you can shake a stick at available
And I believe in Father Christmas, too