Season Preview's - Swindon & Bournemouth.

Last updated : 19 July 2005 By Bigrich.....
Swindon Town

1) How did you fare last season? Best moment, worst moment etc. Fairly average season in the end finishing in 12th, we tried foor the play off's and came with a couple of points at one stage, but never quite made it this year. Best moment beating Bristol City at Ashton Gate in August, worse been beaten 3-0 at home by Colchester.

2) How do you think you'll do this season? Hopes, final position. Another season much the same. I don't think we'll go up or down. Just nother mid table finish.

3) What's your squad like, new signings, etc? We have sold our main scorer over the past 3 years to Ipswich, and have signed Jamie Cureton, and Tony Thrope, both have scored plenty of goals in the past, so we shall see what they do this season.

4) Which youngster will make the biggest impression in your team this season? Maybe Kyle Lapham who was going to be released, but played the final two games of last season, and has now been taken on after two great games.

5) What's your manager like and will he still be there at the end of the season? I expect so. The club can't afford to sack him. He's great at finding good players, but not so good at taking to people and the media.

6) Are you happy with your Chairman/Backroom staff? The Chairman is rarely at the games, but can often been seen on the TV on a saturday afternoon. (Willie Carson, ex Jockey)
7) Which team do you want to beat the most and why? I would like to beat Bristol City, and Yeovil (Westcountry derby games) but I think a lot of fans would like to beat Gillingham. This seems to date back to the 1980's and the play off's.

8) Predict your champions and runner up, the 4 Play-Off teams and the 4 to go down. Champ: Nottingham Forest, play off's Bristol City, Bournemouth, Tranmere and Bradford. Relegated: Milton Keynes, Southend, Swansea, Colchester.

Bournemouth

1)How did you fare last season? Best moment, worst moment etc.
Last season we finished just outside of the play-off places (by a point and 2 places) having spent most of the season in the top-6! There were many good moments for us …….. beating Blackburn (a) in the Carling Cup, outplaying Burnley in the FA Cup, a Steve Fletcher hat trick, creating a new Club record of 6 straight away wins towards the end of the season. But this is balanced with a simultaneous run of 5 straight home defeats, missing out on the play-offs on the final day of the season, injuries to most of the back 4 meaning that at least 2 or 3 were missing at a time!

2) How do you think you'll do this season? Hopes, final position.
With Wade Elliott and Garreth O’Connor moving to Burnley I don’t think we’ll be quite as good as we were last season, and I believe that mid-table will be our target as opposed to play-offs. With players opting not to sign for us because League Two Clubs can afford more in wages, I think it’s going to be difficult!

3) What's your squad like, new signings, etc?
The only new signing that we’ve made so far as been Stephen Cooke, who was released by Aston Villa. He’s played for us before (on loan), when he impressed. Hopefully he can prove himself next season.

4) Which youngster will make the biggest impression in your team this season?
Good question! I know that Clubs like us need to bring through younger players, but for some reason we’ve not done that too often in recent years. Of the younger players, the likes of Brian Stock and John Spicer will be the big influence in the midfield and I am sure will determine our season.

5) What's your manager like and will he still be there at the end of the season?
Sean O’Driscoll is a perfectly likable manager, but seems to blame the fans when things do not go right! I can guarantee that he will be around come the end of the season!

6) Are you happy with your Chairman/Backroom staff?
In a word - yes!

7) Which team do you want to beat the most and why?
Of the 23 other League One sides, I’d like us to beat Nottingham Forest, just in case they have an attitude of “we shouldn’t be in this division” attitude cos they’re a “big club”, and therefore keep them down for a season or two, as we did to Sheffield Wednesday! Other than that, to bet Yeovil Town – just in case they’re getting too big for their boots!

8) Predict your champions and runner up, the 4 Play-Off teams and the 4 to go down.
Tough one as I suspect that it will be a tight League One this season, but here goes: Champs – Nottingham Forest; Runners-Up – Huddersfield Town; Play-Offs – Hartlepool United, Bristol City, Doncaster Rovers and Bradford City; Relegation – Franchise FC (I hope), Southend United and Scunthorpe United.