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Reliving 95/96: The Departure Of Martin Ling
Twenty years on from Swindon Town’s title-winning season in Division Two, David Wallis tells the story of the departure of Martin Ling. Now in 2016, Ling leaves the County Ground once more, this time as first team manager.
After a weather-induced break in Town’s League fixtures and as 1996 began it’s second week, Town took on Vauxhall Conference side Woking in the FA Cup, and the headline in the Swindon Advertiser had the look of something that was twenty years ahead of its time.
‘Ling sizes up his new Swindon role’ proclaimed the local paper.
Town manager Steve McMahon had last donned a Town shirt before Christmas, and the fact that Martin Ling had been presented with the boss’s number four shirt to take on the non-leaguers had tongues wagging.
Suffering from a groin injury, the fact that McMahon had named himself amongst the substitutes but failed to don a shirt prior to the pre-match warm-up compounded the speculation.
Was McMahon finished as a player?
McMahon explained afterwards: "It was all very embarrassing. I just left my tee-shirt on and nearly got on the pitch."
Transfer listed Ling, making just his sixth start that term, was named to play behind the front men and McMahon said: "We don’t want to be too predictable. We played Martin in the hole and he had an excellent game."
The reliable Wayne Allison opened Town’s scoring after 17 minutes, converting a Kevin Horlock cross to claim his 11th of the season while Paul Bodin, like Ling available for transfer, added a second with a cross-cum shot that ended in the net to produce a 2-0 win for Town.
More of Bodin later.
After four home League games without a win the break for the FA cup gave Town the chance to regroup, and the result took the Robins through to round four, the sort of stage supporters have only been able to dream of for the last four years.
Ling was reflective about his position: "I’m still on the transfer list but it’s not worrying me. I’ve got five months left on my contract and I’m just taking it one game at a time."
His reappearance on the field of play turned out to be a false dawn. Another nine starts, including the last three consecutive fixtures of the season, appear to have been little more than to put Ling in the shop window.
In July Martin left Town as his contract ran out, with Leyton Orient being the benefactor of gaining such an influential midfielder for no financial outlay.
The following Saturday though Town hosted Swansea City at the County Ground with a return to Division Two action, and with the Welsh club sitting in the relegation zone the Robins justified their superiority in the pecking order by beating the Swans by three goals to nil.
A first half goal from Wayne Allison gave Town the lead, and a Peter Thorne second half brace wrapped up a satisfying victory, taking Swindon back to the top of the table after an annoying two weeks of playing second fiddle to Crewe.
The return to Division Two action was also the return to League involvement for Bodin after almost two months of displacement by Jason Drysdale, and Cardiff-born, ex-Bluebirds defender Bodin would have taken particular satisfaction in the victory over the other south Wales’ side.
In truth, as Drysdale would never make six consecutive League appearances for Town without sustaining injury, Paul had only to patiently await his next opportunity.
Bodin was in his second spell at the County Ground, originally arriving from Newport County in March 1988. A fee of over half a million pounds took him to Crystal Palace three years later, but less than twelve months on, good business by Town saw him return for less than half that price.
Town’s regular penalty taker, Bodin netted 40 times over almost 300 appearances but the Welsh international will have mixed feelings over a couple of spot kicks.
The first claimed Town’s Premier League place at Wembley in May 1993, while his miss from 12 yards against Romania in November the same year cost Wales a place in the World Cup finals in the USA the following summer.
Like Martin Ling, Bodin left Swindon in the summer of 1996 at the end of his contract when he made the short trip to Reading, and also like Martin, Paul undertook managerial responsibilities, now fulfilling the role of assistant manager at Port Vale.
Returning to the County Ground to coach the Town youngsters, and after a two match spell in temporary charge of the first team following the departure of Paul Hart in 2011, Bodin was treated disrespectfully by Paolo di Canio and left the club under a cloud in July 2013.
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