SWINDON AND PROUD: Proud to be fans of football club (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

SWINDON AND PROUD: Proud to be fans of football club

Swindon Town fans Kevin Spackman and his daughter Emily. Ref: 78761-18THERE would have to be a good reason to spend an August weekend travelling all the way to Barnsley and back.

And for this group of loyal Swindon Town FC fans it is pride in their local club that drives them around the country.

As they met at the County Ground to set off for the first game of the season early on Saturday morning they told the Advertiser about their hopes for the year.

Kevin Spackman, 38, of Avebury, was taking nine-year-old daughter Emily to South Yorkshire for the game.

"This is Emily's third year," said Mr Spackman, who has been a fan for 30 years. "She loves it.

"Her first match was a home local derby against Reading and she absolutely loved it.

"I am proud to have been a Swindon supporter all my life.

"I wish there was more money coming into the club so we could have a bigger squad but I still support them through thick and thin."

And Emily was even more positive about why she supports Swindon.

"Because they are the best," she said.

Gaz Dance, 19, from Haydon Wick, has been going to Swindon games for about five years and is a season ticket holder.

"Hopefully we will get automatic promotion but realistically the play-offs will do," he said.

"What we have done in the past has been good. Hopefully we can start getting up in the big leagues again.

"I would love to see us in the Championship next year.

"Then we would start generating more money and start doing better things.

"When we are doing well it gives a buzz around the town.

"I am proud to support Swindon. I get a lot of stick for it but I am proud to support Swindon."

Rob Lewis, 30, a maintenance engineer from Rodbourne, is also hoping Swindon will secure a play-off spot.

"This season, with all the new signings, I am pretty excited and hopeful," he said.

"We have come pretty close in previous seasons. Hopefully this is our season."

Richard Fyfe, 20, from West Swindon, is another life-long Robins fan and thinks every Swindonian should be too.

"You have got to be a Swindon supporter," he said.

"You have got to support your home club.

"What is the point of supporting Chelsea because they win everything? People who are born in Swindon have got to support Swindon.

"I am proud to be a Swindon fan.

"We have been up there, we are back down at the moment but we are a small club that is ready to get back up there again."

Despite their optimism, unfortunately Swindon failed to secure a victory against Barnsley.