Due to plans to redevelop the County Ground, which he feels are not a priority at the moment, FLW’s Swindon Town fan commentator has lambasted owner Clem Morfuni and asked him to leave the club.
Despite Swindon’s erratic on-field performance this season, a probable mid-table League Two finish would be widely acknowledged as a solid starting point for Ian Holloway and company to build upon next season.
The situation off the pitch has been different, with Australian owner Clem Morfuni facing widespread criticism for the club’s financial difficulties and for being the reason behind their overall downfall in recent years.
When Morfuni came over in 2021, he was heralded as the Robins’ saviour. However, since then, there has been a gradual decline in confidence that he is the proper guy to lead them forward, as evidenced by the multiple financial sanctions levied due to his poor board management.
Swindon fan pundit offers ‘sell up’ Clem Morfuni verdict amid stadium plans
In an open letter to chairman Morfuni in May 2024, Swindon’s supporters group, Trust STFC, expressed their lack of faith in his abilities to lead the team and demanded more funding, greater openness, and a stadium renovation plan.
After almost a year, the club announced last month that a Joint Venture board consisting of trust members and club representatives had convened to deliberate on the next steps for a possible reconstruction of specific sections of the County Ground. This indicates that the latter is moving forward.
In mid-April, Trust STFC members will cast their votes on whether or not to approve the renovation. For the proposals to proceed, all members must agree unanimously. However, Ciaran Daniel, a Robins fan commentator for FLW, has stated that he will vote against the changes and has called for Morfuni to quit the team since he does not think he has them headed for success on and off the pitch.
Clem Morfuni has admitted that he will sell the club if the right offer comes in
Given the uncertainty surrounding Swindon’s place in the EFL during the past few years and the fact that they have had six permanent managers in the roughly four years since Morfuni took over, it is reasonable to suggest that the team’s supporters have good reason to be angry.
The club’s most recent annual reports showed a £1 million loss, demonstrating the terrible board management over the previous few seasons.
Morfuni has not shied away from speaking publicly about his aims in recent times, and he reiterated his stance on selling the club if the right offer was to come in, after a fan group was set up to put pressure on him to put the Robins up for sale, in a December interview with the Swindon Advertiser.
He said: Was I happy? No, I wasn’t happy. Do I understand where they are coming from? Yes, absolutely.
“As I have said in the media numerous times: if there is anyone out there who can show me their proof of funds and a letter of offer then I will gladly sit down with them.
“I have never shied away from that and said that I am never going to sell the club.
“If these guys can do a better job than me then show me the offer; there are a lot of people who talk a lot and I have had a lot of people come to me saying they want to buy the club, so I ask for their proof of funds but nobody does.
“I am a businessman at the end of the day and I will look at every opportunity. If the opportunity is there and I believe that they will do a better job of running this club then I will sit down with them and talk to them.
“I have always said that. In Fan Forums, in the press, and everything else. There is no point in protesting, just give me someone who wants to buy it.”
Swindon fans have continued to peacefully protest against their owner on matchdays outside the County Ground, but a sale certainly does not seem imminent with plans to redevelop the stadium currently in their infancy.
The club’s main aim right now has to be to finish the League Two campaign strongly, after they were able to pull away from relegation danger under Ian Holloway. It remains to be seen whether Morfuni will still be in his role come the start of 2025/26, but what is clear is that fans will not be happy until something seriously changes at board level.
