Danny Wilson Resigns

[Ninja Elephant]

Paul Hart did a pretty decent job for Portsmouth and Palace in the not too distant past.

Call me irrational, but I don't think that's why he's got the job. I think Fitton has gone down the route of hiring a firefighter type manager who is tall, bald, and wears a baseball cap. Russell Slade was busy, so he got the poor mans version.

 

[Giraffe]

I would have stuck with Wilson.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

That's what I meant. He did a decent job in staving off relegation for both those teams. Not a long term replacement, but probably realises that times are tough in Swindon and Fitton is going to need to appease the masses with season ticket renewals not so far away.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I think it's funny timing that all Swindon season ticket holders are entitled to a free adult ticket for saturdays huge match with Walsall, nicely coincides with the appointment of a new manager. I do love a good conspiracy. I feel sorry for Danny Wilson though. I've been discussing this subject at length for the last hour or so, and the picture that's been painted to me is one of Fitton (the chairman, for anyone who didn't know) being very controlling and hardline. Billy Paynter (who had already scored 20 goals) asked for a new contract last easter time, because his contract was running out and he wanted to get it sorted. Fitton said no, wait until the end of the season. Ok, they didn't know which league they would be in so it's difficult, I can see that argument. But surely, you tie down your top scorer to a new contract when he asks for one? Then, a few months later, after they lost the play-off final, Greer asked for his contract to be negotiated (possibly after our interest was confirmed), but he was told contact negotiations wouldn't happen until september of this season, once the transfer window was closed. A few weeks after that, he had signed for us. In january, they sold Morrison to Reading for £250,000, which is a fantastic fee for a 19 year centre back and a good bit of business, which led to them signing Elliot Benyon from Torquay. But they didn't sign the centre back they desperately needed, and have needed all season. Wilson basically said he didn't want to sell Morrison, but he had no choice. Surely, he would have wanted a replacement for Greer? They signed Frampton on loan from Millwall in september/october but he's been constantly injured.

Personally, it seems to me that Fitton has played at manager and Wilson was just the figurehead.

 

[Pot noodles for everyone]

I would have stuck with Wilson.

Nah. I'm glad that Wilson has walked. It wasn't working out and Wilson had nothing left in the tank. This way he's left with a lot of integrity and he deserves that at least.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

The Swindon lot on the http://www.footballforum.net were boasting about Fitton being exceedingly wealthy and how they were only stopping in League One for a short while - possibly true! There certainly seemed to be that deluded expectation that a rich owner would be willing to plough in millions, break the wage structure and turn them into a force to be reckoned with. Fitton didn't make his money overnight. If he had wanted to turn Swindon into a footballing megalith, he wold have stepped in well before he did, rather than being 'forced' into saving them. They don't even own their ground, do they?

He seems to want them to be run like a business and it has backfired a bit, thus far. It does seem strange that they were willing to let Greer go without lining up a suitable replacement. Was Wilson calling the shots or was Fitton? Dangerous territory when a chairman will intervene and veto footballing matters. I guess they control the cheque book. I suppose you will not get many lower league managers standing up to chairmen as they can be yesterdays news at the drop of a hat and there are not a great deal of jobs to go round.

 

[bhaexpress]

Wislon is the scapegoat for his board's lack of foresight. Mind you looking at the 606 board seems that Adkins popularity has plummeted now, Lee Clarke has already become a target for abuse as well. I just hope we don't turn on Gus like that.

 

[severnside gull]

It must be nice being Paul Hart.

Knowing that you are going to be employed for 3 months every year by a club in trouble who will pay top dollar so you can try to get them out of it and then having 9 months holiday to recuperate from your exertions

 

[Simster]

As a divisional rival of Swindon, it's easy for us from our standpoint to talk about what a ridiculous decision this is. But when you're an optimistic season ticket holder watching your side fall apart in a few short months, it's not so easy to stomach. How is what is happening to Swindon any different to Albion under Barry Lloyd in 1991? OK, it's a division lower but Lloyd got us one game from the Premiership, was then forced to sell his best players and was unable to properly play the cards he was left with.

Same thing happening with Wilson - he lost his best players but has apparently made some dubious/shocking decisions this season and hasn't even half adequately replaced his key men, Paynter, Greer and Austin.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

This is most excellent news. I can't abide Swindon, but felt guilty revelling in their demise whilst one of my favourite ever Albion players was the boss. Now Wilson's out of there, I can enjoy their relegation properly.

 

[Icy Gull]

From the arrogant behaviour and comments of their chairman around the time we put in an offer for Greer, I think that they are stuck with an egomaniac control freak and are likely to suffer a relegation because of it. Their fans were getting a bit haughty last season so they can be this season's Southend and plummet to League 2 for all I care now. I like Danny Wilson, so hoped he'd pull them around. Now he's left, f*** 'em.