Swindon Town owner Clem Morfuni slams ‘abuse’ of players and staff and says that the club were 10 days from going into administration.
This statement comes in light of recent events where both on-field performance and off-field management have been subjects of fan unrest and discontent. Reaction from supporters to this statement is at the bottom of this article.
Morfuni inherited a financially troubled club in 2021, where issues included unpaid wages, legal battles over ownership, and financial mismanagement.
But the situation at Swindon has remained dire, the club facing significant financial challenges, including not paying staff and players in full for periods, and being under a transfer embargo due to these financial irregularities.
They sit 21st in the League Two table with 8 points from 10 games played, 2 points above the drop zone. They head to Cheltenham, who are a place above them, on Saturday.
Swindon Town Football Club would like to issue the following message from Clem Morfuni:
— Swindon Town Football Club (@Official_STFC) October 9, 2024
STATEMENT
Swindon Town Football Club would like to issue the following message from Clem Morfuni:
To all our supporters,
I want to take this opportunity to respond to the Trust’s recent statement and provide clarity on the issues raised.
When I acquired the Club in July 2021, we were just 10 days away from administration and the new season starting.
What we inherited:
1. Six players and no Manager.
2. The Club had £10 in the bank and the staff had not been paid.
3. The kit had not been ordered or paid for, therefore there was no kit for the players to play in.
4. There was no coach travel to take the players to the games.
5. No sponsors for the kit.
6. There was a £1.5 million HMRC debt which we had to pay, which is now cleared.
7. The Club had not paid the rent to Swindon Borough Council for 15 months, there was £300k of unpaid rent. The council had taken the Club to court to retrieve the monies. This has been cleared.
8. We inherited £4.5 million worth of creditors, these have been paid.
9. The Club had a £2.95 million debenture due to the previous exorbitant spending on the playing budget, which has been cleared.
10. There was an outstanding COVID EFL loan of over £500k, which had to be paid off.
11. There were outstanding legal issues, some of which continue to this day, which needed to be paid. We cannot discuss the details of these for legal reasons and confidentiality.
The things we have achieved since taking over:
1. Buying The County Ground 50/50 with the Supporters Trust. Without the great Nigel Eady and the Trustees Robert Carter, John Carter, Jez Webb, and Gary Herbert this would never have happened. I thank them for securing the future of the home of Swindon Town Football Club for generations to come.
2. Setting up an Advisory Board Meeting to meet with all the supporter groups to discuss items within the Club which I have attended in person or over teams only missing one meeting. As a Chairman, the supporters & supporter groups have more access to me than many other Chairpersons. I am always willing to discuss issues with any supporter or supporter groups either personally or on the phone regardless of where I am around the world.
3. We have injected monies into The Nigel Eady County Ground, very little funds have been spent on the stadium for 30 years.
4. We have paid the deposit for Statue Park and have organised the contractor to place the Don Rogers statue in the park.
5. We have appointed the Architects for the development of the Don Rogers Stand.
6. We have integrated the Women’s Team to secure their future as an integral part of the Club and are investing in the team to aim for promotion and building a pathway for younger female players into first-team football.
7. We have invested in the Academy so we can develop our youth and form both a pathway into the first team and potential player sales.
8. We negotiated a release from our contract with Puma which was costing the Club 100s of thousands of pounds per year. This has allowed us to negotiate a new contract with Pro-Direct and access to the Adidas kit.
9. We have opened our books to Fair Game and to the Supporters Trust which clearly confirms that I have never taken a penny from the Club. I do not take any payment or expenses for my flights, travel costs, hotels, or food, I even pay for my own replica shirts.
10. We have increased the budget on the football side, to the second biggest budget since Paolo Di Canio.
It is important to recognise that the Club’s journey must include building a solid foundation from which long-term success can grow. Simply put, it’s not just about quick fixes. It is frustrating for us all that it takes time, but we must ensure we have stability and sustainability.
I also want to address the criticism that my financial support for the Club is structured as debt. This is standard practice in football and ensures transparency and accountability. As I have said many times, I am not here to profit from Swindon Town Football Club. Every penny I’ve invested has been to protect and build the Club.
We signed up to Fair Game and provided them with all the information that they needed to produce their report earlier in the year.
In our meetings and at the Advisory Board meetings, the Trust has confirmed that few other Clubs provide as much access to the owner and the financial and general details of the Club as we do.
Swindon fans vent anger towards their own players after 2-1 defeat to Port Vale
Communication and Engagement
Regarding communication, I acknowledge there is always room for improvement, and we have been actively recruiting a Senior Digital Marketing professional to bridge this gap over the last five months.
At the beginning of last week, we conducted a second round of interviews with candidates and are hoping to appoint this position by the end of the month. It takes time to recruit this type of role, and we need to make sure that this key position is filled by the right person.
I am committed to making sure that our supporters are kept up-to-date and engaged with the Club’s activities.
We have appointed a Fan Engagement Officer. As this appointment includes ticketing queries and supporter liaison it naturally sat well with the SLO role as they are available to fans on matchday, and it offered an opportunity for a staff member’s progression.
We have produced a Fan Engagement Plan that is available on our website which will be updated each season and are fully committed to bi-monthly advisory board meetings (this was agreed by all our supporter group representatives in our January AB meeting, which included a Trust representative).
We have a team of staff that are looking at what we can do to enhance the matchday experience for all our fans which includes the men’s and women’s teams. The Junior Reds room has been a great success and as a Club, we are currently looking at what we can do for the 11-17 and 18-24-year-old supporters.
Our advisory board has welcomed new members from key supporter groups, and we also have more staff members available at the meetings to answer questions and give department updates. I have attended all but one of these meetings.
We will continue to hold our Fans Forums and are currently looking at different ways that we can make the forum more inclusive for all of our supporters’ groups, including our younger fans and overseas supporters.
We have been holding regular meetings with the OSC to discuss joint projects i.e. Charity of the Year and to find ways to improve our fan experience and listen to feedback from the fans.
Following our supporters’ group meeting in June, we have, as requested, been meeting with the Trust on a regular basis to answer any questions and to listen to their feedback.
We have confirmed, in our matchday programmes, our social media channels, and on our website, the delay of and reasoning for the completion of the Legends Lounge and Shop front and we will remain committed to providing updates as and when we have information to give you.
We have recognised the importance of keeping fans up to date with what is going on in the footballing side of the Club. We have greatly increased the information available regarding the men’s first team, academy and women’s teams with pre-match and post-match reviews, interviews and other articles which are available across all social media channels, on the website including our match day programme. We remain committed to providing more engaging and informative content for our fans, as always, we welcome our fans’ feedback on how we can improve.
On Field Performance
We know that all of you were as disappointed as we were with the results on the pitch last season and this season hasn’t yet met our expectations, but we moved to recruit a new head coach and team as quickly as we could for the start of the season. All the staff and players on the footballing side of the Club are fully committed and working very hard to get results on the pitch.
I increased the budget to enable us to recruit players and increased this again at the end of the last transfer window to recruit some additional players to enhance the squad further.
We are in the process of recruiting some additional staff for the Academy, we have introduced some additional roles and the Women’s teams have additional coaches working with them this season.
Investment is and continues to be made into the footballing side of the Club.
Alternative Ownership and Investment
As for the Trust’s call for alternative ownership and investment opportunities, I have always stated that I am fully committed to owning and running the football club.
In our meeting with Neil Hutchings and James Phipps, I stated that I wasn’t interested in selling the Club. However, if the Trust wants me to leave, I stated they should provide proof of funds and a formal letter of interest and I reiterated that the football club is not for sale and I remain dedicated and committed to building a Club that fans can be proud of.
Impact of Online Hate and Division
I feel strongly about the online abuse and negative behaviour that has surfaced in recent weeks. Criticism is part and parcel of football, and I accept my fair share. I am concerned by the levels of personal attacks and abuse directed at not only me but also at players, staff, and other supporters. This is not what being a Swindon Town fan is about.
Bullying is for cowards and online hate affects the mental health and performance of our players, especially the younger ones. It’s demoralising and it can even push talented individuals away from the Club.
The management and coaching staff also feel the stress of these attacks, making an already demanding job even harder. We all need to remember that there’s a human side to football that goes beyond wins and losses.
I urge all supporters to rally behind the team and positively channel their passion. We all want the same thing – to see Swindon Town succeed and move up the football ladder. Your support makes a real difference on match day, and I ask that we focus on creating an environment where players feel encouraged to give their best.
Support for Trust Initiatives and Next Steps
The joint ownership of The Nigel Eady County Ground is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together, and we are grateful to the Trust for their efforts in making this a reality and of course, the wonderful legacy left to us by Nigel Eady who made this possible.
Work has begun on Statue Park which we shared with you recently as we aim to provide a new outdoor meeting space for our supporters and enhance the matchday experience.
I welcome the Trust’s continued engagement and look forward to meeting in person next month when I return to Swindon.
Until then, I encourage all fans to stay united, support the team, and be mindful of the impact their words and actions can have on those who represent the Club.
Let’s focus on what we can build together.
COYR!
Regards,
Clem Morfuni
Here’s what Clem said 8 months ago in a video posted on the club’s YouTube channel…
Twitter users gave their take as the Swindon owner slams ‘abuse’ of players and staff and says the club were 10 days from administration…
@rachw101: The Nigel Eady fund bought the CG not you. We had our worst league finish. You’ve lied repeatedly. Get the basics right the rest is pure waffle. We need new ownership now.
@dickostfc: No mention of missed payments “admin errors” numerous terrible coaches and the involvement of the kielys hart Austin ranford etc oh and the abysmal on field performances we have had to endure
@ChisieWeirdo: Yet another new low for the Club. Who is advising the owner before statements like this are released? Is their no basic comms or PR strategy? Every week the senior management at the Club acts increasingly like a two bit non-league club
@haydenbedwell2: You missed off your achievements “lowest ever league finish in the clubs history”.
@DinseyRob: It’s not the kind of statement you put out when things are going well, is it?
@DeanMcMackin: Absolutely right, abuse is wrong and everyone would love to be fully behind the players but it’s been tough. Taking credit for what should be normal business practices is where fans get annoyed though. It shouldn’t be a privilege that bills are being paid and things are painted
@SN1Insider:
“CLEM MORFUNI, GET OUT OF OUR CLUB”
Loud and clear on Saturday, town fans!
@ijwilmer81: I fail to see how ‘getting a kit’ and appointing an architect as positive moves for a football club….. that’s just standard business. My suggestion would be appoint a PR professional and or agency as these statements are becoming more and more shambolic!!
@Simonhockey45: It’s not working Clem. We thank you for saving the club, but I do not have confidence that you have the financial means to take this club to the next level. Please look at all serious offers that come your way.The fans will appreciate you more for that, than sticking around..
@PaulD_70: Hi Clem, thanks for the statement. Don’t let the door slam on your arse on the way out. Love and kisses…
@pvfcken: Rivalry aside, no fanbase deserves (especially loyal EFL supporters) deserve to be taken for a ride by two bit businessmen who don’t give two hoots about the club they own. For the betterment of your club, I as a vale fan wish youse the best 👍🏻
@harryjjnicholas: We don’t care, sell up
@MarkHopgoo44290: Setting aside rivalry I hope you get your ownership sorted out. You should be challenging at the top end of League One. I am old enough to remember you beating Arsenal 4-3 at the County ground in 79 in front of 20k plus fans.
@mtholmes84: Just pack up and go Morfuni. The whole tone of that statement stinks of you claiming to be the victim & fans being wrong for expecting a competently run football club! Morfuni out! #stfc
@jackomanaco: We are not falling for this anymore. Continued gaslighting of fans and a regurgitation of ‘achievements’ that remind me of someone wheeling out their 90s record of Achievement Folder to show off their GCSE in food tech for a 2024 job interview. We are not fools
@ClaireFurnell1: What a load of waffle… sell up and get out of our club Clem and take all the “others” with you
@JamieD_STFC: If you wish to make this club something to be proud of, fuck that prick Hall out. I 95% agree with the targetting of club employees needing to stop, but I refuse to stop calling out this guy until he’s gone. Absolute fucking virus upon this club full of good people.
@Alfiesims08: Sell up and fuck off ✊🏻✊🏻
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