01/10/10 - Swindon Advertiser Weekly Article

I was delighted to see Swindon Town football club have brought forward proposals to redevelop the existing County Ground site. This is fantastic news for supporters and the whole town.

From a non-football perspective the County Ground is a major gateway site for visitors to Swindon, so an opportunity to see a modern stadium will enhance the site and help towards our long-term town centre regeneration. A successful football club will create new employment opportunities; help boost tourism, retail and hospitality income for the town.
 

For the supporters this will help not only secure the long term viability of the football club, but this sustainable redevelopment will allow the club to increase revenue and continue to push up the leagues. As any football fan can see, the County Ground as it stands hampers the clubs potential to kick on, in particular in attracting new fans, corporate business and non-match day income, all essential for the club to progress. Swindon as growing town has the potential to match the increased ambition of the football club.
We have seen many previous attempts to redevelop the County Ground fail, however the key difference here is the club and these plans can stand on their own two feet and actually deliver this project. This difference can’t be underestimated as these plans now have the ‘win, win’ appeal, essential to build the support of both Swindon Borough Council and the whole town.

I have been exceptionally impressed by the club since Andrew Fitton and co took control. The club has been steadily building a solid business base, improving gates and crucially improving the goodwill towards the club – with these efforts rewarded by the club reaching the Play-Off final last season. This caught the town’s imagination with over 30,000 Swindon fans heading down the M4 to Wembley, showing the positive impact a successful sporting club can be for a local community. The key to the potential success of these plans can be summed up when Andrew Fitton and Co ‘have preached about making Swindon a “sustainable business”, and the chairman reiterated his desire to not spend beyond their means but still create a new home for the club which will be a landmark in the area.’ I am sure everyone would agree this exactly the direction to take Swindon Town FC.
 

As the MP, I will do all I can to help Swindon Town progress with these plans.