FOUR Swindon Town Football Club legends spoke of their shock at how well-remembered and how highly-respected they remain, 40 years after featuring in one of the all-time great Robins sides.
Alan Mayes, Andy Rowland, Kenny Stroud, and Jimmy Allan all played for Swindon during the late 1970s and early 80s – taking on the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur in cup runs that will be talked about forever.
And earlier this week, Swindon Town Official Supporters Club brought them all together one more time to titillate a jam-packed Legends Lounge crowd with tales from their time in Wiltshire via a special Monday Night Panel Live.
At the event which was raising money for charity, Head for Change, Mayes and Rowland discussed their famous telepathic partnership, while Stroud and Allan entertained fans with stories from defence and in goal, respectively.
Stroud’s impression of League Cup winning manager Danny Williams when the player was asking for a pay-rise was a particular highlight.
Swindon Town Official Supporters Club with Jimmy Allan, Alan Mayes, Andy Rowland, and Kenny Stroud.
But reflecting on a night which all four heroes said they loved being a part of, Rowland and Mayes in particular were taken aback by how much love they were shown by Town fans who attended.
Rowland said: “Seeing the amount of people that turned up, obviously everyone is a keen Swindon supporter, and they showed us that by showing a lot of gratitude.
Mayes said: “It was phenomenal really that so many people turned out to listen to us has-beens.
“Their appreciation for what we did, people coming up and asking for autographs and photos, it makes it all worthwhile.
"That’s what we were playing for – to be appreciated and remembered.”
Former goalkeeper Allan, who now lives in Devon and is yet to retire as a roofer, said he had endured a tough few days before attending Monday’s show but was never going to miss it as the club remains a huge part of his life.
Allan said: “I was a bit nervous out the back because we could hear people but we didn’t know how many people were in. But the evening has gone really well.
“Put it this way – I’ve had no electric for three days before this, it came on Sunday night, and I told Vic Morgan I was going to be here because that’s how much it meant to me.
“I haven’t seen them for a while, so it was really good to catch up with Alan, Andy, and Kenny.”
Defender Stroud, who scored the goal of the season against Everton in 1977, was overjoyed to see not only fans who would have watched him in his prime, but also younger supporters who appreciated his status as a club great.
He said: “I really enjoyed it. Initially, I thought it was going to be very daunting, seeing all the fans, but the response was great to all of us.
“It was fun to tell the stories, and it’s amazing the fans remember it too.
“It was amazing to see the next generation here too – their kids and grandchildren are coming up to talk to us as well. They’ve heard about it, and they’ve seen videos of what we did – that was really nice to be remembered like that.
“I was talking to Alan Mayes about that, he was amazed at the response and people being really nice about it.”
In total, the OSC event raised £1,122.50 for Head for Change.
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