13/08/10 - Swindon Advertiser Weekly Article

football season is here, and like thousands of fellow Swindon Town fans, I think it’s great!

Every since being a young boy, I find the summer drags while I wait for the football season to resume. First task is to get my hands on the new kit, and thanks to the excellent open day in Wharf Green, I have bought my new Swindon Town shirt nice and early. Next the fixture lists would be published, and you can spend time planning away trips and predicting forthcoming results (which always add up to automatic promotion!). It is just a shame they don’t still produce the league ladder wall-charts in Shoot and Match magazines; hours were spent re-arranging the positions after Saturday’s results had come in.

Football and sport in general plays a huge role in our local community. Firstly through the sheer joy of watching live action, and in Swindon we are blessed with so many high profile teams across football, speedway, ice-hockey.... infact we pretty much cater for most sporting tastes. Secondly through playing sport, whether competitively or for fun, as I do when I play football at the Link centre. It’s just astonishing that my performances are still ignored by Fabio Capello no matter how many England players drop out of contention! Prior to being the MP, I spent four years as the Lead Member for Culture, Leisure & Recreation where I set up the successful Sports Forum, bringing together over 60 different sporting groups and organisations. The Forum provides help and support and provides greater opportunities for people of all ages to join in and be active. With much talk about the importance of the Big Society and communities coming together to make a difference, I am convinced sport can play a major and constructive role towards this.

Back to Swindon Town FC, I have met with the club officials on a number of occasions and I have been extremely impressed by their professionalism and long-term plans for the club. Behind the scenes a huge amount of work has been done to take the club forward, in particular improving the standing and profile of the club in the town, driving up season ticket sales and doing more to attract the next generation of young supporters – with average gates on the rise, this is a testament to their hard work. As an MP, I will do all I can to support them.

Now, despite our very frustrating opening two results, I am sure we have a squad that can kick-on from the Wembley Play-Off final – a big result is surely just around the corner. Come on you Reds!