SWINDON open their 2012/13 League One campaign on Saturday with a trip to Hartlepool United.
With seven new signings joining the club over the summer, manager Paolo Di Canio’s additions have created a lot of competition for places as the Town look to start the new season with a valuable three points away from home.
After Tuesday’s comprehensive 3-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in the Capital One Cup, the manager will want to build on the team’s winning start by registering a first league win of the season.
Defender Troy Archibald-Henville could make his league debut for the Town at Victoria Park and he remembers the 688-mile round trips with Exeter City all too well. “It was a long place to go to from Exeter,” he said. “There are going to be tough places to go to in this league and I think if we play our game this season then we’ll do well. That’s the main thing to just play our game.”
Pools will also be looking to start the new campaign with three points especially after being dumped out of the Capital One Cup by Crewe Alexandra last Saturday. Neale Cooper’s men were beaten 5-0 by the League One newcomers.
Town have kicked off a campaign at Victoria Park as recently as the 2006/07 season. Manager Dennis Wise took his League Two title hopefuls to the north east and returned with a hard-fought victory courtesy of a Lee Peacock goal. Debutant goalkeeper Peter Brezovan was the Town hero however, saving two penalties to ensure Town returned to Wiltshire with all three points.
