Morfuni offers response to scathing open letter from Swindon Town Supporters Trust

Swindon Town chairman Clem Morfuni vowed the club had “taken steps towards addressing known issues” after the Supporters Trust declared they had “lost all confidence” in his leadership and ownership.

Town recorded one of the worst seasons in their history this campaign, finishing 19th in League Two.

They have been without a permanent manager since January after sacking boss Michael Flynn – Gavin Gunning has been acting as interim head coach since then.

The club released no fewer than 11 players following the end of the campaign, with a massive overhaul likely to take place before the start of the 2024/25 season.

The Trust issued an open letter to Morfuni earlier this week following a fans’ survey, part of which said: “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.”

A day later, Morfuni insisted his hierarchy had “started working on solutions” towards addressing “known issues”.

Swindon Town Football Club would like to issue the following statement from Clem Morfuni:

— Swindon Town Football Club (@Official_STFC) May 16, 2024

His response, issued on the club website, said: “We have carefully considered the Swindon Town Supporters Trust's open letter published yesterday and acknowledge the concerns expressed.

“Respecting all viewpoints, we plan to request a meeting with supporter groups in the coming weeks to discuss both the letter and the recent fan-led survey.

“Our main activities since the end of the 2023/24 season have been to conduct thorough reviews of our performance on and off the pitch, ensuring that we learn from our mistakes and make positive changes for the 2024/25 season. We recognise that last season was not up to our club's standards.

“While we value the feedback from the Supporters Trust and the wider fan community, we would like to mention that we do not fully agree with all the points raised in the open letter. Nevertheless, we believe that open dialogue and collaboration with our fan base is essential to future success.

“Our team has already taken steps towards addressing some known issues, as we sat down together during my recent visit and started working on solutions.

“We will keep you informed of our progress and any updates on these matters in the coming weeks.”

(Picture: Rob Noyes)