2011–12 Swindon Town F.C. season

Paolo Di Canio became Swindon manager in May 2011.

The club's early pre-season was dominated by reports of who would replace Paul Hart as the new manager of Swindon Town. Hart had left the club before the end of the 2010–11 season after the club's relegation had been confirmed. Hart was replaced by youth team manager Paul Bodin had managed the club on a caretaker basis. Previously, chairman Andrew Fitton also resigned in April and was replaced by fellow board member Jeremy Wray who was immediately placed with the responsibility of appointing a new manager.[1]

Names mentioned for the Town job included Bodin, George Burley, Paul Trollope, Dietmar Hamann, John Hughes, Gus McPherson and Paolo Di Canio.[2] In early May the tabloid newspapers were linking Di Canio with an unlikely move to the club.[3] Di Canio had enjoyed a popular but sometimes controversial career in England with Sheffield Wednesday and with West Ham United where he became a cult figure. On 20 May, the appointment was confirmed [4] with fellow Italians Fabrizio Piccareta (assistant), Claudio Donatelli (fitness) and Domenico Doardo (goalkeeping) joining the club as Di Canio's coaching staff, caretaker manager Paul Bodin reverted to his position as youth team manager.[5]

Before the arrival of Di Canio, interim chairman Jeremy Wray announced that he would be arranging one-to-one meetings with the entire playing squad to discuss their futures.[6] The outcome was a mass clear-out but it began with players initially declaring an interest in remaining at the club. David Prutton talked of "putting things right" before leaving to join Sheffield Wednesday shortly afterwards.[7] Meanwhile, Scott Cuthbert told the press that he would be "delighted"[8] to remain at Swindon but the club decided against triggering a clause on his contract to extend his deal but were rumoured to be open in renegotiating a new deal but Cuthbert later joined Leyton Orient. Former Swindon Town Player of the Year Jonathan Douglas looked set to sign a new contract but eventually turned it down for a move to Brentford.[9]

Swindon Town returned to pre-season on 29 June 2011. During the summer, Swindon spent 10 days in Italy at a training camp in Norcia, Umbria. During the course of the week Town played two friendlies against local select sides Norcia XI and Marche XI. Upon returning to England, Swindon visited local Non-League clubs Swindon Supermarine and Cirencester Town. Both fixtures concluded in 4–0 victories for Swindon Town. The club concluded their Pre-Season with a 1–2 loss to Football League Championship outfit Reading.

Norcia XI v Swindon Town

10 July 2011 Italy Training Camp	Norcia XI	0–11	Swindon Town	Norcia
19:30		Report	Devera De Vita Ritchie Kennedy (pen) J. Smith Amankwaah Bodin Ferry

Marche XI v Swindon Town

13 July 2011 Italy Training Camp	Marche XI	0–5	Swindon Town	Norcia
19:30		Report	Ritchie Risser Esajas Bodin

Swindon Supermarine v Swindon Town

19 July 2011 Friendly	Swindon Supermarine	0–4	Swindon Town	Webbs Wood Stadium
19:45 (moved back to 20:00 due to crowd congestion)		Report	J. Smith 13' De Vita 25' Esajas 67' Kennedy 75'

Cirencester Town v Swindon Town

25 July 2011 Friendly	Cirencester Town	0–4	Swindon Town	Corinium Stadium
19:45		Report	Ritchie 34' Greaves (og) 40' Kerrouche 53' Connell 75'

Swindon Town v Reading

30 July 2011 Friendly	Swindon Town	1–2	Reading	County Ground
15:00	Pearce (og) 19'	Report	Long 54' Manset 71'	Attendance: 4,820 Referee: Roger East (Wiltshire)

The fixtures for the 2011–12 season were announced on 17 June at 09:00 BST, and revealed that Swindon will begin their League Two campaign with a home fixture against Crewe Alexandra.[10]

Swindon's Carling Cup Round 1 tie against Bristol City drawn to be played on 9 August 2011 was postponed on police advice. This was due to fears of safety issues following the riots throughout England, including Bristol.[11]

Bristol City v Swindon Town

24 August 2011 Round 1	Bristol City	0–1	Swindon Town	Ashton Gate
19:45		Report	De Vita 71'	Attendance: 7,708 Referee: Gavin Ward

Swindon Town v Southampton

30 August 2011 Round 2	Swindon Town	1–3	Southampton	County Ground
19:45	Kerrouche 84'	Report	Guly 17' Forte 30' Lambert 90'	Attendance: 7,452 Referee: Fred Graham

As a member of League Two, Swindon Town will enter the FA Cup at the First Round stage.[13]

Swindon Town v Huddersfield Town

12 November 2011 Round 1	Swindon Town	4–1	Huddersfield Town	County Ground
15:00	Flint 36' De Vita 39' Kerrouche 76' Ferry 87'	(Report)	Novak 22'	Attendance: 5,728 Referee: Phil Gibbs (West Midlands)

Colchester United v Swindon Town

3 December 2011 Round 2	Colchester United	0–1	Swindon Town	Colchester Community Stadium
15:00		Report	Ritchie 59'	Attendance: 3,035 Referee: Michael Naylor (West Yorkshire)

Swindon Town v Wigan Athletic

7 January 2012 Round 3	Swindon Town	2–1	Wigan Athletic	County Ground
15:00	Connell 40' Benson 76'	Report	McManaman 35'	Attendance: 13,238 Referee: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire)

Leicester City v Swindon Town

28 January 2012 Round 4	Leicester City	2–0	Swindon Town	King Power Stadium
15:00	Beckford 5' 53'	Report		Attendance: 19,942 Referee: Darren Drysdale (Lincolnshire)

As of 6 May 2012

No.	Pos	Nat	Player	Total		League Two		FA Cup		League Cup		JP Trophy
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1	GK	ITA	Mattia Lanzano	7	0	5+1	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	1+0	0
2	DF	ENG	Jay McEveley (on loan from Barnsley)	9	0	8+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	1+0	0
3	DF	ENG	Callum Kennedy	23	1	18+0	1	2+0	0	2+0	0	1+0	0
4	DF	ENG	Aden Flint	40	4	28+4	2	3+0	1	2+0	0	3+0	1
5	DF	ENG	Joe Devera	35	2	28+0	2	1+0	0	1+0	0	4+1	0
7	DF	SCO	Paul Caddis	50	4	39+0	3	4+0	0	2+0	0	5+0	1
8	MF	SCO	Simon Ferry	53	2	36+8	1	3+0	1	1+0	0	4+1	0
9	FW	ENG	Paul Benson	25	12	20+2	11	1+1	1	0+0	0	1+0	0
10	MF	ENG	Matt Ritchie	52	11	40+0	10	4+0	1	2+0	0	6+0	0
11	MF	NED	Etiënne Esajas	9	0	2+4	0	0+1	0	0+1	0	0+1	0
12	MF	EIR	Alan McCormack	50	2	38+2	2	4+0	0	0+2	0	4+0	0
13	MF	NAM	Oliver Risser	40	4	23+9	3	3+0	0	0+0	0	3+2	1
14	MF	ENG	John Bostock (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur)	4	0	3+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+1	0
15	DF	ENG	Nathan Thompson	6	0	2+3	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+1	0
16	MF	ENG	Lee Cox	7	0	2+5	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
17	FW	ENG	Alan Connell	44	12	13+19	11	3+1	1	2+0	0	5+1	0
18	GK	ENG	Mark Scott	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
19	MF	ENG	Luke Rooney	20	2	13+7	2	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
20	MF	SOM	Abdul Said	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
21	MF	ESP	Lander Gabilondo	18	0	4+6	0	1+1	0	2+0	0	3+1	0
22	MF	ENG	Lee Holmes (on loan from Southampton)	11	1	7+3	1	0+0	0	0+0	0	1+0	0
23	FW	ITA	Raffaele De Vita	46	6	30+8	4	4+0	1	0+1	1	2+1	0
24	MF	ENG	Jonathan Smith	48	3	28+10	3	2+1	0	2+0	0	5+0	0
25	FW	FRA	Jonathan Téhoué (on loan from Leyton Orient)	3	0	1+2	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
26	GK	ENG	Phil Smith	11	0	8+0	0	0+0	0	2+0	0	1+0	0
27	DF	ITA	Alessandro Cibocchi	26	0	11+7	0	1+2	0	0+0	0	3+2	0
28	FW	ENG	Miles Storey	4	0	0+4	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
29	FW	CZE	Lukáš Magera	17	1	5+6	1	1+1	0	0+1	0	1+2	0
30	GK	ENG	Leigh Bedwell	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
31	FW	WAL	Billy Bodin	11	3	9+2	3	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
32	DF	ENG	Chris Smith	1	0	0+1	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
34	FW	EIR	Ronan Murray (on loan from Ipswich Town)	26	4	9+11	3	1+2	0	0+0	0	1+2	1
35	GK	ENG	Wes Foderingham	41	0	33+0	0	4+0	0	0+0	0	4+0	0
37	MF	ENG	Louis Thompson	1	0	0+0	0	0+1	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
39	FW	ALG	Mehdi Kerrouche	18	8	9+4	6	1+1	1	0+1	1	1+1	0
LOAN PLAYERS WHO HAVE SINCE LEFT SWINDON (Statistics shown are the appearances made and goals scored while at Swindon Town)
6	DF	ENG	Daniel Boateng (on loan from Arsenal)	2	0	2+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
32	MF	KSA	Ahmed Abdulla (on loan from West Ham United)	7	0	1+5	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	1+0	0
33	FW	ENG	Jake Jervis (on loan from Birmingham City)	14	5	10+2	3	0+0	0	0+0	0	2+0	2
34	FW	COL	Cristian Montano (on loan from West Ham United)	4	1	3+1	1	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
36	DF	ENG	Liam Ridehalgh (on loan from Huddersfield Town)	13	0	9+2	0	1+0	0	0+0	0	1+0	0
Players who left the club on a permanent basis during the season:
2	DF	ENG	Kevin Amankwaah (Released)	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
6	DF	ITA	Alberto Comazzi (Released)	5	0	4+0	0	0+0	0	1+0	0	0+0	0
9	FW	ENG	Leon Clarke (Part Exchange)	4	0	2+0	0	0+0	0	2+0	0	0+0	0
14	FW	ENG	Jordan Pavett (Released)	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
16	MF	GHA	Ibrahim Atiku (Released)	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
19	MF	ENG	Matt Clark (Released)	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
22	MF	EIR	Michael Timlin (Sold)	1	0	1+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
25	DF	ENG	Will Evans (Released)	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
--	FW	ENG	Elliot Benyon (Sold)	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0

Includes all competitive matches.

R	No.	Pos	Nat	Name	Competition	Opposition	Success	Technique	Notes
1	3	DF		Callum Kennedy	League Two	vs. Crewe Alexandra (6 August 2011)	Y	Bottom left corner
2	39	FW		Mehdi Kerrouche	League Two	vs. Port Vale (5 November 2011)	Y	Top left corner
3	17	FW		Alan Connell	Football League Trophy	vs. AFC Wimbledon (8 November 2011)	Y	Top left corner	Penalty Shoot-Out
4	13	MF		Oliver Risser	Football League Trophy	vs. AFC Wimbledon (8 November 2011)	Y	Top left corner	Penalty Shoot-Out
5	11	MF		Etiënne Esajas	Football League Trophy	vs. AFC Wimbledon (8 November 2011)	Y	Middle right	Penalty Shoot-Out
6	10	MF		Matt Ritchie	League Two	vs. Macclesfield Town (21 January 2012)	N	Missed target
7	2	DF		Paul Caddis	League Two	vs. Hereford United (18 February 2012)	Y
8	2	DF		Paul Caddis	League Two	vs. Aldershot Town (17 April 2012)	Y

Includes all competitive matches.

R	No.	Pos	Nat	Name	League Two	FA Cup	League Cup	JP Trophy	Total
1	1	GK		Mattia Lanzano	2	0	0	0	2
2	26	GK		Phil Smith	2	0	1	0	3
3	35	GK		Wes Foderingham	22	1	0	1	24
				TOTALS	26	1	1	1	29