Swindon fans call for change in open letter to Clem Morfuni while Charlie Austin speaks out

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Swindon Town fans call for change in an open letter to owner Clem Morfuni while Charlie Austin speaks out via his social media.


The League Two club’s Supporters Trust have written to Clem Morfuni saying they have lost “all confidence and trust” in his leadership.


It came the morning after Charlie Austin, who left Swindon at the end of the season, tweeted: “Why are you all acting surprised and shocked at what’s going on! You’ve been moaning about it for the last 6 months if not longer, so all of a sudden you thought it would change.”








OPEN LETTER:


Dear Mr. Morfuni,


We write this open letter, not only out of a sense of deep frustration but also through a duty to look after the best long-term interests of Swindon Town Football Club.


We, at the Trust, led the agreement to purchase the County Ground from Swindon Borough Council with the help of the Eady Trust in order to give the Club a significant reduction in rent and the ability to invest in the facilities to make the Club sustainable moving forward.


In addition, we have tried to support, encourage, advise you and give you constructive feedback in order to give you the best chance of success in running the Club.


We made sure that throughout an incredibly hard second half the season we remained focused on supporting the Club and its players, putting the relegation battle first. Although we avoided relegation, we did still end in the worst league position in modern history.


There are many things we have and continue to appreciate, including the creation of the Advisory Board, joining us in a Joint Venture to own the County Ground and bringing the Women’s team into the Club.


However, with the season over we hoped that our survey, which over 2,000 of your customers completed, would be used to finally make you see both the level of feeling of the fans and to take on our advice to avoid another disastrous season.


But the advice, feedback and survey results are still met with a consistent level of denial and a version of reality which does not relate to the facts. For example, you continue to insist the Club is debt-free. It is not.


You have declined to transfer the shareholder debt into equity, which would fulfil the commitment you made at the last Fans Forum where you said you would ‘wipe the debt’.


Consistently over your tenure you have repeatedly not been honest. The Club has been found guilty of EFL charges relating to both undisclosed shareholdings and late payments and it is clear that the Club is constantly struggling with cashflow.


With the County Ground Joint Venture, the club has conducted a secret Master Plan project without the expected collaboration and denied all knowledge that it existed when initially first asked about it. The rent has been persistently getting paid later and now that we have set the ground rule and limit of 30 days past it’s due date, it’s unsurprising that the rent is now being paid exactly 30 days after it’s due without fail.


Your persistence in appointing an entire team running the Club (with few exceptions) who have never performed their role before and/ or come from a football background, has meant nobody can be surprised at where the Club finds itself now – and frankly, relegation would not be a surprise to us next season.


You have had over 100 days to find and appoint a first-team manager and it is indicative of the lack of leadership, overall strategy and ability at the Club, which the fans have recognised and voiced in our survey, that we remain managerless today.


We do not doubt everyone is working hard, but the Club requires both investment and experience if we have any chance of progressing both on and off the pitch.


At the Fans Forum on January 30th, you committed to better communication. Since then, there has been silence from the Club’s leadership, including the recent period when you were in Swindon for a week and conducted zero interviews and published zero articles through the Club’s official channels.


We, as a Trust led by our recent survey, are today declaring we have lost all confidence and trust in the leadership and ownership of our beloved Swindon Town Football Club. Further, we have no faith that a promised re-development of the County Ground is plausible under your ownership.


We call today for:


an immediate and significant investment in both money and experienced personnel into the Club;

a clear and credible funding plan for the ground re-development; and

a commitment to complete transparency and honesty in more frequent communication.

Alternatively, it is time for you to sell the Club and find a new owner who can provide these things as soon as is practically possible.


We are a proud Club which has cherished our football league status for well over 100 years and we implore you to make the changes now before we lose that status under your tenure.


The Board of TrustSTFC



This is how Twitter users reacted as Swindon fans call for change in open letter to Clem Morfuni while Charlie Austin speaks out…


@pieman80: We’ve got our trust back. I’m renewing my membership ❤


@OffTheLineBlog: Fancy a season @ #TUFC with your old gaffer, Charlie?


@paulw36: It’s a shame how far stfc have fallen, I do fear for next season, its good players like yourself & FBT speak out as you are respected and trusted. Know anyone that can afford to fund a football club 😆


@PaulD_70: Assuming you’re talking about Swindon, no-one is shocked or surprised, just massively fed up. Still.


@BernimanUK: I don’t think you will find that many are shocked or surprised…


@RedsssSeaside: This is huge. Well done @TrustSTFC 🚩


@Aidan__420: Yeah… why are we moaning that our club is most likely on its way to non league and potentially non existence? How dare we


@pieman80: Out with it Chaz, the fans deserve to know what’s going up. It’s deeply concerning


@bcks109: Have you received your call from Clem yet to become Gunnings Assistant next season Chaz? Lest we forget


@80HBK: fair play and about bloody time 👏🏽 you’re just get the same old excuses and waffle back in response from the crooks running the club


@TrevorSTFC: Charlie. Someone needs to blow it out the water. Someone with clout. Someone respected by #stfc fans. Someone who cares for the club. Sound like anyone we know? ….


@airlie_bird: Charlie fancy a stint @bevtownfc next season? Club on the rise. You and the family would be more than welcome up here. #Ifyoudontask


@TJMEERKAT: With all due respect Charlie, we’ve known what’s been going on and we’re not surprised.


@JamieColeTufc: Fancy linking back up with @warnockofficial for one last dance Charlie 👀


@topbinsno2: Well worded, think about how you can get this moving nationally and bring more attention to it now E.g. Sky Sports, TalkSport Etc 100 years in the football league – sure we will have support of others 👍🏻


@JayBox325: This is a Trust I could get behind.


@GeorgePBishop8: 👏👏 amazing fair play too everyone at the trust. You new guys are doing us supporters proud.


@paulw36: Sadly I think the response will be….. more silence


@simon_maisey: Exactly what is needed, unfortunately. Well done. I deactivated my Trust membership in September last year due to the direction the Trust were going in, but with this new board and direction I have now reactivated my silver membership. Lets hope for a positive response from STFC


@DarrenH041968: Not the only one to hint at what’s happening behind the scenes. Gutting as when you came back it was to start something big for the club. A statement. Now it feels ruined. Good luck wherever you end up.


@JonaOnDrums: Fans aren’t surprised or shocked…we’re just pissed off. Massively justified too. Probably time you spoke out about your take on everything. Talk to the fans & tell it how it is! #stfc 👍


@paulhatchie: We’re saddened and disillusioned mate 🇦🇺😢


@SteveRyles1: We didn’t THINK it would change. We prayed that it would.


@RichHarrris: If this is stfc related, I’m sure I’m not the only one who doesn’t know exactly what is going on in the background. But the decisions made, particularly in the last 6 months, and silence from the ‘owner’ just gives off a sinking ship vibe, and they don’t seem to care about it.


@ChisieWeirdo: Not completely sure what this is referring to TBH. Most have known at least since the January window if not last year that the Club was going down hill. Not sure what we can do about it when all there is to go on is gossip and half truths floating around.

No one is talking


@AshleyE52865: If it is about Swindon should come out with it instead of putting this on here either own up to the facts of the statement or don’t. Just say it for the fans. What can Clem actually do to you if you do nothing at all


@PaddyStavros: If that’s a Swindon Town themed tweet then nah, in truth Charlie we KNOW nothing will change. Not with this hierarchy. They shoot their chops off with whatever came into their heads at a fans forum cos the heat was on but then forget all that when they walked out of the room.


@Benjami87690026: You have to Expose it, if you love the club as much as you say you do, you won’t let it ROT and you will speak up, so that things can be done and changed otherwise we will loose our Club. #STFC #32


@stfcmezza: This is excellent @TrustSTFC , thank you! Sums up exactly how I feel. Now fingers crossed from some real action from the club, although I won’t hold my breath!


@Simonhockey45: 100% agree with everything. Its time for Mr Morfuni to be honest with the fans. My preference is he sells to someone who has interest and the finances to push our club forward.I think it’s clear Mr Morfuni has neither!!


@RobGage2: A very well composed letter which hammers home all our sentiment and concern. Excellent piece of work unlike our current ownership #stfc




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