Alongside the league campaign, Swindon also competed in the FA Cup, League Cup and the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. The 2013–14 campaign was scheduled to be Kevin MacDonald's first full season as manager of Swindon Town after replacing Paolo Di Canio in February 2012 but the Scotsman resigned during pre-season.[1]
Chronological list of media reports
Early news
7 April 2013: Kayden Jackson wins the Samsung Win a Pro Contact competition. The one-year deal is scheduled to begin in the Summer of 2013.[2]
26 April 2013: The BBC report that Tottenham Hotspur youngster Nathan Byrne has agreed a permanent deal with Swindon.
29 November 2013: Rumours of a boardroom dispute emerge when an official statement suggesting that Lee Power has taken ownership of the club from Jed McCrory is later withdrawn.[97]
3 December 2013: Steve Murrall, the club's former general manager, tells the Swindon Advertiser that he did not resign from his position on the club's board.[98]
3 December 2013: Jed McCrory resigns as chairman. He also steps down from his position on the board.[99]
3 December 2013: Lee Power is confirmed as the new owner of Swindon Town Football Club.[100]
4 December 2013: New Swindon Town owner, Lee Power, moves to allay financial fears surrounding the club.[101]
12 December 2013: Swindon Town release the findings of a recent audit announcing that operating losses have fallen from £3.6m per annum to £1.2m.[102]
19 December 2013: Steve Anderson is confirmed as the club's new general manager.[103]
19 December 2013: Kidderminster Harriers defender, Cheyenne Dunkley, is linked with a move to Swindon Town.[104]
27 December 2013: Town manager Mark Cooper admits that the club may look to offload Nile Ranger within the January transfer window after the forward failed to turn up for training.[105]
Season news (2014)
1 January 2014: Swindon Town P–P Crawley Town (postponed due to a waterlogged pitch).[106]
11 January 2014: The club announces that Nile Ranger had issued an apology to his teammates regarding his truant behaviour thus saving him from the sack.[109]
18 April 2014: An ownership disputes emerges when former holding company Seebeck 87 Ltd attempt to place three new director on the club board claiming that they were still owners of Swindon Town Football Club. The current holding company Swinton Reds 20 Ltd unsuccessfully attempt to obtain an injunction and Seebeck get the three individuals on the board with 'advisory' roles.[119]
27 April 2014: The club release a statement reiterating that Swindon Town F.C. deplore acts of violence after newspaper reports publish a video involving Nile Ranger.[120]
28 April 2014: Nile Ranger is held for questioning regarding the alleged assault on a woman and criminal damage in Swindon.[121]
30 April 2014: Swinton Reds 20 Ltd and Seebeck 87 Ltd are locked in deliberations for two hours at the Rolls Building (Court rooms) before the ongoing ownership dispute was adjourned by Mr Justice Warren.[122]
Throughout 2013, Swindon Town seemingly built a close working relationship with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur. Massimo Luongo, Nathan Byrne and Dean Parrett joined on loan deals during the closing stages of the 2012–13 season and the partnership grew during the 2013 close season. This included Spurs loaning and transferring players to Swindon, friendly fixtures being arranged between the two clubs and members of the Tottenham coaching staff being linked to the managerial position after Kevin MacDonald's exit from Swindon Town.
In December 2013, owner Lee Power announced that there was no special relationship Spurs.[100]
Spurs connections linked to playing/coaching roles
Pre-season began with a comfortable 3–1 victory[147] at Swindon Supermarine. However, this was followed by a poor 2–0 defeat at Banbury United[148] where Kevin MacDonald criticised the standard of the Oxfordshire outfit's pitch.[149] Swindon Town got back to winning ways as a Development side beat Devizes Town 5–0 at Nursteed Road.[150] Days later, Town faced Non-League side Forest Green Rovers who easily beat Swindon 2–0.[151] Reports begin to circulate that manager Kevin MacDonald is set to resign from his post and this is confirmed 24 hours later citing "personal reasons" for his exit[152] and assistant Mark Cooper is named Caretaker manager.[153]
On 12 June 2013 it was confirmed that Swindon Town had been seeded for the first round of the competition.[157] It was later announced that Swindon would face Football League Two outfit Torquay United in the opening round of the competition.[158]
In June 2011 it was announced that Swindon Town would not compete in a Reserve League for the 2011/12 season and would therefore arrange friendlies with other clubs[221] and this continued during the 2012/13 and 2013/14 campaigns.