The Best Watermelons in the Shop - A Chairman Story

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Swindon Town bought by Italian Millionaire

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Swindon Town have been owned by Lee Power since 2013

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League 1 club Swindon Town have confirmed that they have been bought by Italian millionaire Cosimo Garibaldi.

The takeover sees the club's shares transferred from previous owner Lee Power to Garibaldi in a deal thought to be worth £9.5million, with Garibaldi taking the role as both chairman and owner.

In his first message to the clubs supporters, Garibaldi states his ambitions to take 'The Robins' to "where a club of its history and fans belong, and establish Swindon Town as a brand known across the world."

Swindon are now one of many Football League clubs to have Italian owners, following clubs such as Leeds United and Leyton Orient.

The new-look board at County Ground will consist of four members, drawing from employees of Garibaldi's former company.

With the new owner announcing that Mark Cooper will not be leading the club going into 2015-16 season, Garibaldi has made clear his belief in establishing a European style head coach role at Swindon, emphasizing his belief that "the manager runs the training field and the dressing room, no more than that".


This is my first attempt at a FMBase story so any advice would be really appreciated. This will be a chairman style save so i'll be in control of the club, appointing managers and upgrading facilities using the in-game editor.

 

[naterr]

Sounds good! nice original idea, I'll be following!

 

[LoeyUK]

Gary Smith: Swindon name former Stevenage Manager as head coach

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Smith managed Stevenage between 2012 and 2013.
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Swindon have appointed former Stevenage manager Gary Smith as their new head coach, as the first managerial appointment under Cosimo Garibaldi.

Smith, a MLS Cup winner with Colorado Rapids, was most recently head coach of NASL side Atlanta Silverbacks, and returns to English football for the first time since 2013.

In his previous role in England, Smith was appointed by Stevenage in 2012 and led the club to the League One play-offs after taking over in January, before losing out to Sheffield United in the semi-final 1-0.

Announcing his new head coach, Garibaldi said Smith's objective is "to build a team that are beautiful, strong and will take Swindon to the next level".

He added: "Gary has an exciting philosophy, as has shown an ability to transform that philosophy onto the pitch."

"He has an excellent track record both in England and abroad, and promises to be one of the most exciting appointments this club has seen in many years."

Smith will take charge of his first game on July 11th, in a pre-season friendly against National League North side Stockport County, before making his official debut against Doncaster Rovers the following month.

 

[LoeyUK]

Pre-season Roundup

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With the preparations for the 2015/16 season now nearly complete, Gary Smith will be positive that his side will start the new season in top form, after The Robins finished their pre-season unbeaten over their three games.


11/7/2015: Stockport County 1-2 SWINDON TOWN (Fabien Robert X2)

Swindon Town kicked-off their 2015/16 pre-season campaign with a positive 2-1 win over National League North side Stockport County at Edgeley Park, giving Gary Smith a winning start to his tenure as head coach. Two goals from Fabien Robert in the second half helped to down the non-league side, with Gareth Roberts' late strike proving to only be a consolation for The Hatters in a game in which they rarely troubled their Football League opponents.

25/7/2015: Ebbsfleet United 1-2 SWINDON TOWN (Nathan Thompson, Fabien Robert)

A trip to National League South side Ebbsfleet United proved to be a more difficult prospect for The Robins, despite dominating possession for large parts of the match.
An early goal by Nathan Thompson seemed to indicate a more one sided contest, though a thumping header from Tom Bonner got the home side back into the game.
Despite a period of pressure from Ebbsfleet after the equalizer it was Swindon who would score the winner, with Fabien Robert scoring late in the game to give Swindon the win.


3/8/2015: Leyton Orient 1-1 SWINDON TOWN (Jonathan Obika)

In their final pre-season match Swindon were held to a draw by League 2 side Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road, in a hard-fought match where both sides showed promise for the upcoming league campaigns.
Jonathan Obika opened the scoring in the second half with a long range effort, before Leyotn Orient's Armand Gnanduillet tapped in at close range to draw the Orient level.
Though their where chances for both sides, the game ended level, with both sides going into the new season with a positive result

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[LoeyUK]

Transfer Window Summer 2015 Additions

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Adil Chihi made over 100 appearances for Koln between 2004 and 2014.

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Swindon Town have made three additions to their squad over the winter transfer window with Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Jordan Spence and Adil Chihi joining the club.

Campbell-Ryce, a former Jamaican international with 20 caps, joins from Sheffield United for an undisclosed fee, scored four goals in 14 outings during his one season with the Blades and finished last season on loan at Notts County.

Head Coach Gary Smith spoke of his excitement about working with Campbell-Ryce "I'm glad we managed to bring him in. He has experience at this level, and will play a very important role in our plans."

Joining Campbell-Ryce at the Robins is former West Ham defender Jordan Spence who joins from Championship side MK Dons, for a fee believed to be in the region of £200k.

Having made 4 Premier League appearances for West Ham, as well as helping MK Dons to promotion from League 1, Spence will provide "valuable experience to the team, despite his young age" according to Smith.

Ex-Köln winger Adil Chihi joins on a free transfer after his release from Fulham, where he managed only one appearance for the London club. However Chihi made 133 appearances over a ten year period for Bundesliga side Köln, so the club will be hoping he can recapture the form he showed in Germany.

 

[LoeyUK]

August Roundup


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Swindon will be looking to build on their unbeaten start.

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Swindon Town got off to an unbeaten start to their League 1 campaign, with one win and four draws from their first 5 games leaving them 9th in the table. Despite an exit in the second round of the Capital One Cup at the hands of Premier League side Sunderland, the Robins can be pleased with the start they have made under new coach Gary Smith, and will be looking to build on this positive start.


SkyBet League 1


8/8/2015: SWINDON TOWN 1-1 Doncaster Rovers (Michael Doughty)

An opening day draw with Doncaster Rovers may not have been the result the club would have wanted, but the desire and quality shown by both sides made this a fair result for both teams. An early Curtis Main header seemed to sink the Robins in the first half, with Doncaster having a number of chances to extend this lead in the first half. After the break however, Swindon seemed revitalized and pushed for an equalizing goal. This goal came from winger Michael Doughty, whose curling shot from range drew the Wiltshire club level. A fair draw for two side who will be looking to challenge near the top of the table.

15/8/2015: Wigan Athletic 0-2 SWINDON TOWN (Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Nicky Ajose)

Goals from Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Nicky Ajose earned Swindon Town a hard-fought win over Wigan Athletic, giving Gary Smith his first league win as head coach. Former Jamaican international Jamal Campbell-Ryce's strike near the end of the first-half put the Robins in front with his first goal for the club. Swindon hit again early in the second half, with Nicky Ajose converting a free-kick from the edge of the area to extend their lead. The Latics were unable to come back from this, and Gary Caldwell will be looking at what went wrong in their first home game of the season.

18/8/2015: SWINDON TOWN 1-1 Port Vale (Louis Thompson)

Swindon had to hold on to earn a point against a hard-working Port Vale side, who frustrated their hosts throughout the match and will be disappointed not to be leaving with all three points. An early sliced shot by Louis Thompson gave Swindon the lead, but from there it the visitors who dominated, having several good chances to equalize in the first-half. It took until the 63rd minute for Vale to draw level, with former Derby striker Theo Robinson slotting home past Lawrence Vigouroux, to earn the visitors what might be an important point come the end of the season.

22/8/2015: Oldham Athletic 2-2 SWINDON TOWN (Jonathan Obika, Michael Smith)

A late header by Michael Smith gave Swindon Town a fortunate point during their visit to Oldham Athletic. Two goals in the first 25 minutes for Oldham including a quality chip from range by Dominic Poleon, will have pleased Latics manager John Sheridan. However the manner of their second-half performance will be cause for concern. Obika's close range finish appeared to only be a consolation, before an error by on-loan goalkeeper Freddie Woodman allowed Michael Smith to score for the visitors.

29/8/2015: SWINDON TOWN 1-1 Fleetwood Town (Jamal Campbell-Ryce)

Those who arrived late to The County Ground late will have missed the only major action in this match, with two goals within three minutes early in the first-half giving Swindon and Fleetwood a draw in an overall disappointing match for both sides. Eggert Jónsson opened the scoring for Fleetwood from close range after 13 minutes, before Jamal Campbell-Ryce claimed his second of the season to draw Swindon level after just three minutes.

Capital One Cup

11/8/2015: Crawley Town 0-3 SWINDON TOWN (Michael Smith, Michael Doughty, Raphael Branco)

Goals from Michael Smith, Michael Doughty and Raphael Branco gave Swindon an easy first round win over League Two side Crawley Town, in a fairly one sided encounter at Broadfield Stadium. A full strength Swindon team exerted their superiority over their lower league opponents early, with Michael Smith tapping the ball home 15 minutes in, before Doughty's similar effort in the first-half to give Swindon a 2-0 lead. Crawley did not improve after the break, and it seemed inevitable that Swindon would score again, with Raphael Branco capitalizing on a defensive mix up to finish the game for Swindon.

25/8/2015: Sunderland 2-1 SWINDON TOWN (Jonathan Obika)

Premier League Sunderland were too much for Swindon Town, though it took a late Ola Toivonen goal to sink the plucky League One side. Surprisingly it was Swindon who struck first, with Jonathan Obika heading home to give the League One side an unexpected lead. Sunderland hit back however, with Jeremain Lens heading past Lawrence Vigouroux to give The Black Cats an equalizer late into the first-half. In the second-half Sunderland took control, though a winner would not come until on-loan Ola Toivonen powered home from close range to give Sunderland their ticket into the third round.

End of Month Table

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[LoeyUK]

September Roundup

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Former England international Wes Brown will look to boost Swindon's promotion hopes.

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Former Manchester United defender Wes Brown and ex-Watford fullback Lloyd Doyley join Swindon Town, while their league form stutters early in the season with the club dropping from 9th to 11th over the course of the month. With the new ownership looking for quick success, former Stevenage boss Smith will know that another month like this will force owner Cosimo Garibaldi into considering his position as head coach.

SkyBet League 1

5/9/2015: Coventry City 2-1 SWINDON TOWN (Michael Smith)

Tony Mowbray admitted his side were fortunate to take all three points against a Swindon side who failed to capitalize on a number of chances throughout the match. Jacob Murphy's early goal on the break set the tone for the game, with long periods of Swindon pressure followed by a quick Coventry breakaway. A toepoke equalizer by Michael Smith before the break gave the Swindon hope that they could take advantage in the second-half, but this was not the case. A well placed volley from Gael Bigirimana turned out to be the winner, with Swindon unable to break down a resolute Coventry defense.

12/9/2015: SWINDON TOWN 1-1 Crewe Alexandra (Jermaine Hylton)

A seventh minute goal by Jermaine Hylton represented a high point in another frustrating game, where they were again unable to secure a result against a plucky Crewe Alexandra. Hylton's early header created a sense of optimism around the County Ground, but a creative lop by captain Harry Davis seemed to deflate this mood only 10 minutes after scoring. Despite securing a point, some sections of the crowd booed at the final whistle, showing their discontent about the clubs inability to hold a lead at home this season.

15/9/2015: Scunthorpe United 2-0 SWINDON TOWN (none)

Goals from Dominic Vose and Tom Hopper won Scunthorpe three points against a Swindon Town side described by head coach Gary Smith as "spineless and without passion". Former England international Wes Brown did not endear himself to his new club on his debut, giving away an free-kick for a reckless foul on Vose from which he converted. Lawrence Vigouroux's replacement following an injury did not help, with replacement Tyrell Belford unable to keep out Tom Hoppers header soon after coming on. Finding themselves in 18th, Smith stated that a meeting would take place "before our next match" with owner Garibaldi over his future, only 10 games into his tenure.

19/9/2015: Chesterfield 1-2 SWINDON TOWN (Nathan Thompson, Michael Smith)

Pressure was mounting on Gary Smith following six matches without a win, and Cosimo Garibaldi had made obvious his discontent about his teams position so early in the season. So a comfortable win against a poor Chesterfield side will have pleased the owner, and kept Smith off the chopping block for now. Goals from Nathan Thompson and Michael Smith gave the Robins a much needed win, with a Dale Jennings strike late on proving a consolation.

26/9/2015: SWINDON TOWN 3-1 Colchester United (Michael Smith X2, Nicky Ajose)

A first home win of the season and second successive win took further pressure off of Gary Smith, with his team giving a dominant performance against a deflated Colchester side. A Chris Porter goal sandwiched between two Michael Smith headers did little to motivate a side who finish the month outside the relegation zone on goal difference, with Nicky Ajose adding a third to help the Robins to the win, and keep Smiths job safe for another week.

End of Month Table

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