Swindon Supporters Trust Renews Call for Owner to Sell Club

Swindon Town has a history of never being relegated from the English Football League. The Swindon Town Supporters Trust has reiterated its call for owner Clem Morfuni to sell the struggling League Two club. The Robins are currently positioned second-from-bottom in the table, having achieved only two league victories throughout the entire season. Australian businessman Morfuni assumed ownership in the summer of 2021. Despite the club reaching the play-offs in his initial season, results have progressively worsened since then. The Trust asserts that Swindon is “six months away from the National League.” A statement from the Trust further declared, “This hasn’t happened by accident.” The statement continued: “It’s the culmination of years of mismanagement and poor leadership at our beloved club. Did it start when Clem Morfuni acquired the club in 2021? No, it started a long time before that, but he is the owner today and the last three years have seen a dramatic decline on and off the pitch.” Swindon currently occupies its lowest league position since the club became part of the English Football League when the fourth tier was established in 1920. In October, Town dismissed manager Mark Kennedy, appointing veteran boss Ian Holloway as his replacement. However, since Holloway’s appointment, the team’s only victories have occurred in cup competitions: a 2-1 extra-time win against Gillingham in the FA Cup first round and a 2-1 triumph over Tottenham’s under-21 squad in the EFL Trophy. The Trust, which holds a 50% stake in the County Ground through a joint venture with the club, is endorsing scheduled protests at upcoming matches with the aim of compelling Morfuni’s departure. Jamie Russell, the club’s head of football, resigned last month after serving for just over three years and will not be replaced. Additionally, other non-playing staff members have also left the organization. The statement further noted: “Within the Trust Board we had a six month time frame in mind for the club to change the leadership and management strategy being adopted by the owner.” It continued: “In that time, things have gotten worse, not better.” The Trust’s statement included the observation: “It is said that one cannot do the same thing over and over and expect different results. Feedback is being ignored, lessons have not been learnt, and heads are buried in the sand.” The Trust acknowledged that any ownership change would not materialize rapidly, stating its intention to continue engaging with the club’s owners in an effort to improve conditions both on and off the pitch. The statement further explained: “Even if an interested party made an acceptable offer to the owner today, the time required for due diligence and the EFL Directors and Owners Test means that the upcoming transfer window (probably the most important transfer window in the club’s history) will take place under the current owner.” It also noted: “Secondly, it is unlikely that a sale will take place until Town’s EFL safety is assured.” Given that an ownership change is not expected to occur swiftly, the Trust intends to maintain its engagement with the current leadership team, holding them accountable and advocating for supporters whenever possible.