1. Historic League Cup Victory: In 1969, Swindon Town achieved a remarkable triumph by winning the Football League Cup. They defeated Arsenal 3-1 in the final, a significant accomplishment for a Third Division team at the time. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
  2. Record-Breaking Player Appearances: John Trollope holds the club record for the most first-team appearances, playing 889 matches between 1960 and 1980. His 770 league appearances for Swindon stood as a professional record in English football until 2023. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
  3. First Top-Flight Promotion: Under the management of Glenn Hoddle, Swindon Town secured promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history by winning the 1993 play-off final. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
  4. Home Ground - The County Ground: Since 1896, Swindon Town has played their home matches at the County Ground, which currently has a capacity of 15,728 spectators. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
  5. Recent Managerial Appointment: In October 2024, Ian Holloway made a surprising return to football management by taking over as Swindon Town's manager. (The Guardian)
Ian Holloway Sent Off in Bizarre Pre-Season Incident

Ian Holloway Sent Off in Bizarre Pre-Season Incident as Swindon Win in Alicante

By Football Desk | July 11, 2026

Swindon Town manager Ian Holloway was sent off in dramatic fashion during his side’s pre-season friendly against Costa City in Alicante on Friday night, despite the Robins securing a victory on Spanish soil.

The incident occurred late in the match as tensions rose following a moment where a Costa City player struck the ball into Holloway’s face from close range. The 62-year-old boss reacted by pushing the opponent, sparking a brief altercation involving players and coaching staff from both sides. Holloway received a red card, while no other dismissals were issued.

Despite the drama on the touchline, Swindon produced a strong performance in their second pre-season outing. Having opened their campaign with a comfortable 4-0 win over local neighbours Swindon Supermarine last weekend, the Robins continued their positive start under Holloway’s guidance during the warm-weather training camp.

The trip to Alicante has been described by Holloway as highly productive, with the manager stating the squad has completed the equivalent of a fortnight’s work in just six days. The focus has been on fitness, tactical organisation, and integrating several new signings who joined the club over the summer.

Among the recent arrivals are defender Mitch Clark from Port Vale, centre-back Stephan Negru from Oxford United, and midfielder Matty Virtue from Fleetwood Town. These additions have strengthened the squad following the departure of 13 senior players at the end of the 2025/26 campaign, which ended with Swindon narrowly missing out on the League Two play-offs.

One notable exit confirmed on Saturday was former defender Will Wright, who has joined League Two rivals Barnet. The 29-year-old, who earned Swindon Advertiser Player of the Season honours in his first campaign, becomes the first major departure to secure a new club as Barnet look to push for promotion.

Swindon’s pre-season schedule remains demanding. After returning from Spain on Saturday, the team will face Chippenham Town on Tuesday before taking on Premier League opposition Crystal Palace in a behind-closed-doors fixture on July 18. Further matches against Bristol City and Leyton Orient round off their preparations ahead of the 2026/27 League Two season, which begins on August 15 away at Northampton Town.

Holloway, who signed a long-term contract last year after steering the club away from relegation danger, has emphasised the importance of squad depth and the right balance between youth and experience. The club is reportedly prioritising the addition of at least one more creative winger to enhance their attacking options before the transfer window closes.

Supporters will be encouraged by the early signs in pre-season, particularly the clean sheets and clinical finishing displayed so far. Key players like Aaron Drinan, who netted a hat-trick against Supermarine, and new recruits are already showing promising chemistry.

As the Robins build towards another promotion push, the focus remains on maintaining the momentum generated during the Alicante camp. Holloway’s fiery passion, even if it led to his dismissal on Friday, reflects the intensity he demands from his players as they prepare for what promises to be another competitive season in League Two.

With the new adidas home kit unveiled recently featuring a classic pinstripe design, excitement is building at the County Ground for the campaign ahead.

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The County Ground

Opened 1892

Capacity 15,728

SWINDON WEATHER

History (from Wikipedia)

Thomas Arkell of Arkell's Brewery donated £300 to finance the construction of a stand on what was then known as the 'Wiltshire County Ground', this investment was enough to begin development of a purpose built football ground. Since its original construction, the ground has been periodically updated with new features or fittings. A covered stand on the Shrivenham Road side was erected in 1932, it was replaced in 1960 with one obtained second hand from Aldershot Military Tattoo. At a cost of £4,300 a roof was erected over the Town End, this was raised by the Supporters Club, and was opened on 27 August 1938 by local MP, W.W. Wakefield.[2]

The War Department took over the ground in 1940, where for a while POWs were housed in huts placed on the pitch. For this the club received compensation of £4,570 in 1945.[2]

The addition of floodlights in 1951 at a cost of £350, gave Swindon the honour of being the first League club to do so. These were first tried out v Bristol City on 2 April 1951 beating Arsenal by six months. These original set of lights were supplemented by lights on both side stand roofs, which were sufficient for the County Ground to stage its first floodlit league match on 29 February 1956 v Millwall. (7 days after Fratton Park became the 1st ground to stage a floodlit league fixture). The present pylons date from 1960.[2] In 1963, the Italian architect Pier Luigi Nervi, who had been responsible for stadia in Florence and Rome, was commissioned to design a replacement for the North stand. However, his futuristic design was never realised due to the high construction cost and the club's on-field relegation.[3]

Additions included the building of the "new" all-seater Arkell's (or North) stand in 1971 (behind the original) and following the Hillsborough disaster; the County Ground was converted to an all-seater stadium beginning with the addition of extra seating in front of the North Stand and the building of a sponsored stand (originally the Intel Stand, then the Nationwide Stand, now the Don Rogers Stand) in the early 90s. The Nationwide Stand replaced the Shrivenham Road enclosure, a two-tiered terrace. In its last years, due to safety concerns, the upper tier was used by TV cameras and for crowd monitoring only.

A Rolex clock is located at the rear of the Stratton Bank stand, next to the scoreboard. Erected in 1963 following the club's promotion to the Second Division, it is the only Rolex clock to be found at any football stadium in the world.[4]

The ground itself is on land owned by Swindon Borough Council to whom the club pay rent. Swindon have in the past considered a move to a club owned stadium to generate more revenue, but have not had the financial backing to do so. In 2006 a redevelopment campaign for the County Ground began,[5] with the club and TrustSTFC (the supporters' trust) raising a petition to 'Save Our Home' urging the Borough Council to "facilitate the redevelopment of the stadium and do everything they can to keep the club within the Borough"[6] including the proposed upgrading of the adjacent Cricket Club to County standard and Athletic Club to Olympic standard.

Talks with the council resurrected again in 2021 when Clem Morfuni took control of the club and restarted plans to buy the County Ground in a joint venture with the supporters' trust. On 16 March 2022 Swindon Borough Council confirmed it would sell the stadium to the joint venture. Early plans included a £22.5m redevelopment project including a refurbished Stratton Bank, executive boxes in the Don Rogers stand and a new Town End with a conference centre and hotel. Work is expected to be completed by 2027.[8] On 21 March 2022 the council officially approved the sale of the stadium to the joint venture. Finalisation of legal documentation to complete the sale was expected to be completed in May/June 2022.[9] However, completion of the sale took several further months, through to the end of January 2023.[10]

Things to do in Swindon.