Trust STFC express disappointment at Lee Power's ticket stance

The Swindon Town Supporters' Trust, Trust STFC, have said they are "disappointed" at chairman Lee Power's reluctance reverse the decision to re-charge non-season ticket holders for the match against Bristol Rovers.

Swindon's match against their West Country rivals was abandoned after an hour due to adverse weather conditions and a few days later the club released a statement saying that non-season ticket holders would have to buy another ticket if they wanted to attend the re-arranged fixture, despite a message over the tannoy on Saturday stating the contrary. 

Power then reaffirmed his position on the matter with a club statement yesterday, which led to the Trust contacting the club to address their concerns.

"Trust STFC formally approached Swindon Town regarding the decision to charge non-season ticket holders full price for the return of Bristol Rovers to the County Ground and urged the club to offer a £10 reduced ticket. 

"This was guided by email-driven feedback  and a poll of over 400 people, the results of which suggested 60% of supporters thought paying around half the price was acceptable.

"It is therefore regrettable that the subsequent press release by Lee Power on Wednesday afternoon confirmed that the club's position had not changed. 

"Although we acknowledge that Swindon Town have conformed to all EFL requirements and are not in breach of regulations, we are disappointed that middle ground could not be offered to the affected supporters of both Swindon Town and Bristol Rovers who had attended the initial match.

"Swindon Town general manager Steve Anderson responded to the Trust with a personal phone call on behalf of the club to clarify the reasons behind the full-price ticket offering and made it clear that this was the only sustainable option, given the licensed stewarding and policing costs incurred by a local derby mid-week fixture.

"The Trust acknowledges the financial difficulty placed on the club by circumstances such as those experienced on Saturday and does not wish to see the club spend beyond its means.