Off-field events no distraction to Swindon players - Miller (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

SWINDON TOWN: Off-field events no distraction to Swindon players - Miller

6:00am Wednesday 17th October 2012 in Sport By Andy Warren

MIDFIELDER Tommy Miller has insisted the Swindon Town squad will not be distracted by the boardroom shake-up at the County Ground.

Jeremy Wray was replaced at the helm by Sir William Patey on Monday at the request of majority shareholder Andrew Black, following a hugely successful spell in charge which saw him appoint manager Paolo Di Canio and oversee Town’s League Two title win.

The Town squad have met to discuss the recent changes at board level, but experienced campaigner Miller does not expect Wray’s departure to have much of an effect on the footballing side of the club.

“We find out about these things like everyone else and we have had a little meeting, but it will not affect us as players because things carry on and stay the same,” he said.

“The manager has had a little word with us as well, and Jeremy did a fantastic job to take this club forward, but unfortunately he is not going to be chairman any more.

“But we move on.”

The Town squad have yet to meet new chairman Patey, but Miller is excited to hear the former diplomat’s ideas.

“We don’t really know all that much about him, but I am sure we will in the next week or two.

“Jeremy has gone now and he did a fantastic job for the football club, but we look forward to meeting the new man and hearing his ideas too.

“The manager runs a lot of things at this football club and then the chairman is above him, and all chairmen are different.

“I have played at a lot of clubs and some chairmen are hands on and some let the manager get on with it, and it works either way.”

Having served as Great Britain’s ambassador to Sudan, Afghanistan and Iraq, Patey arrives at the County Ground with no experience of working in football, but Miller does not see that as a problem.

“I don’t really think their background makes all that much difference, and if they have business ideas and trust and back the manager then I think it is irrelevant.

“ If they know a little bit about football it may help, but it is not vital.”