Swindon Town Football Club is delighted to be able to, this week, launch their ‘Former Players' Association’.
An inaugural dinner, hosted by the new Association’s Chairman Dick Mattick will see 25 former Swindon Town players from throughout the years assemble for the official initiation of the union.
The Association are delighted to be able to announce that club-record appearance-maker John Trollope (889 appearances between 1960 to 1981) and talisman Don Rogers (180 goals from 490 appearances from 1962 through to 1977) will be Ambassadors for the Association.
The Association intend to ensure that all players who have made a first team appearance for Swindon Town are contacted and are, at the very least, given the opportunity of becoming a member.
There are, unfrotunately, players that are unable to attend the inauguration. Chris Kamara, Martin Ling, Fraser Digby and David Moss all have work commitments on the evening with David Kerslake working away in Boston Massachusetts.
85-year-old Arnold Darcy advisd: ‘My mobility isn’t as good as it used to be when I ran down the left wing! In view of this , its not really an option for me to get to Swindon anymore so, with regret, I will be unable to attend the dinner although I am honoured to have been asked.’
With players from different eras making contact all the time wanting to be involved, the future for this section of the Club looks highly promising. There has been a wealth of talent that has passed through the County Ground throughout the years and plenty of high-profile players and managers - one of which is Glenn Hoddle to whom we all send out best wishes for a speedy recovery following the news of his illness at the weekend.
Events currently at the planning stages include a Charity Game for a Swindon Legends side which will include Lee Peacock, Steve Mildenhall, Alan McLoughlin, Mark Walters and Martin Ling. We will have further news of this shortly.
