5 March 2024 – On the Sofa ….. Colin Calderwood

5 March 2024 – On the Sofa ….. Colin Calderwood

You He good evening everybody and welcome tonight’s on the sofa no it’s not a Monday it is a Tuesday so in case anybody’s worried um really pleased to say we’ve got Colin coldwood on tonight um we thank him enormously for taking the time out of his uh busy schedule to join us

So without further Ado let’s bring F on hello hi Chris how are you are you all right it’s a long time since I’ve seen you about 24 hours I know I’ll tell you um FAS travel they are open tonight for phone bookings of course that’s for Mansfield and for walal that’s right U

But of course they’re not open on Thursday don’t forget because of the fa youth cup quarterfinal at Ashton gate against Bristol City that kicks off at seven there is a bus running for that and that bus goes at 4:30 from the county ground and on Saturday the bus

Leaves the county ground at 9 30 for Mansfield so there you are that’s the SAS travel news brilliant and just another plug for the end of season uh presentation evening um it’s on the 11th of April and uh we still have a few spaces left um if anybody would like to

Join us for that right let’s make the most of it so let’s bring Colin on hello good evening good evening to you how you Vic how are you you’re right yeah very well thank you very jolly good jolly good indeed right right I’m going to leave you so if there’s any questions

For Colin please leave them in the comments and as I always say we’ll get through as many as we can okay see you later see you later Chris thank you very much first before we go on uh Colin this is from Dave the chair now he says can

You please wish Colin all the best and thank him for signing the photo uh that very kindly printed out for me by Andy chairman of the supporters Club my 18th birthday party in Newbury with Colin myself my M and dad that was 33 years ago this Thursday believe it or

Not and and he’s still got the gwr shirt that Colin gave me and it still fits uh many thanks Colin you’re still the best 27 and a half thousands oh he’s gone he’s back here there you are uh you’re the still the best 27 and a half

Thousand pounds the town has ever spent kindest recards Dave Foster AKA Dave the chair so there you are that’s nice isn’t it yeah good glad I’ve left someone with a happy memory H you’ve left many people with a happy memory Colin I have to say um right born in stran RA in

1965 no born Glasgow actually but grew up stran ra yeah ah okay fair enough well we’ll give stran ra a bit of credit then um but you started off I think it is in finesse is that right no some of these sort of um uh threads wouldn’t have been

Wikipedia then but that’s uh no grew up grew up in stra uh family born in Glasgow as I said and then uh the majority of my father’s family lived in sharo came from that area and when he came back from being in the deep sea in

The melon Navy he tried his hand at uh sort of working in the car factory in Glasgow and didn’t like it didn’t like factory Land work at all so he got he went back down to S the fairies and we moved down there when I was two in about

1967 so all my life is really a class myself as a shra person uh and this see this is the bigger this is the tune strar is the tune not Newcastle this is the original tune in football though where did you kick off so um as in professional

Football apart before that yeah as a youngster yeah as a youngster so School football and local football but West located and me we were we would be the weakest of any of the counties and the only way to get noticed football and he’s gone and he’s

Back again just lost you for a moment you’re back yeah so um uh we had a decent run or if you get drawn away in the Scottish cup School cup then that was a chance of getting maybe somebody uh saw you so we were fairly remote fairly Rural and the local team we

Played in a team I played in a team called old Lo Ryan who was ran by a great set of gentlemen who were really some parents and a man called Tommy McBride who was without him and my mother and father CED me all around the country I wouldn’t never have made it as

A professional footballer so Lo Ryan was the boys club school team and then air United I get picked up by air United boys club and that League was then playing in uh s against Celtic and drum chapel and and Glasgow amers so it was a Saturday league and that’s where the

Majority of Scouts for Scottish teams and a lot of English teams would have seen players right so um how I just messages coming in already by the way Steve says good evening uh Malcolm says good evening one and all hi Colin you’re a true gentleman you were the first

Captain of Swindon in my memory from 1992 thank you for your amazing service to Swindon I wish you all the very best there are more of those coming in thank you Ju Just Around that get the captain I got the captain very young and it wasn’t due to any leadership skills or

Anything like that Lou had the great idea I’d been booked so so often early in the season that was right on the brink of suspension so he felt that if I was introduced to the referee as the captain that might help the referee uh be more lenient with me and finally

Didn’t minut it as DED as it sounds so going from the edge of suspension after eight nine games I didn’t get booked again that season uh and that that I think that was the real reason well it was that was the real reason I Was Made

Captain to begin with plus the fact Andy Roland was just moving out the team and not playing as regular as as he always had sorry the dogs just come in that’s right what’s the dog’s name Betty oh hello Becky nice to see you um so how did Mansfield come into it

Then so playing with a United boys club we uh you get uh there was scouts and uh we had a chance we were actually going to switch Town Bobby Robson who were Ving with Liverpool at the top of the league and the week before we were four

Of us were going down there we got a phone call to say that the the there was no space at switch but uh don’t worry my mate is uh is a scout for Manfield and you’ll go there so it was quite a difference going from top two in

Division one to a division 4 Club but that’s how we ended up at Manfield in round about October of probably 84 and no been 1979 sorry um and went there got asked to go back and play a game got asked to go back in Easter holidays and was offered a contract at

That time and then they put it into the the draw and uh when I did make me debut for Manfield they actually get deducted two points because they they hadn’t reg registered me properly yeah tell us about that because I did read that and I thought is that right that you cost them

Two points so how did that work then well the rule at the time to keep H talented Scottish school boys in in Scotland rather than the droves that were leaving and signing down south uh the rule was that you weren’t you if you signed school boy forms for a Scottish

Team then you you weren’t allowed to go to England for trial um so uh uh and also the other rule was that you weren’t allowed to sign for an English Club until you’d actually left school which was either 16 of 18 and um I signed a

Contract and they said we’ll put it in the draw uh and you’ll come back to us preseason and I didn’t at that time I had no other offers to sign full-time or become a uh an apprentice footballer as it was so we signed it I get put in the

Draw and a went back in June of 1980 I presume probably around about that time and started as a 16y old at Mansfield one of four apprentices who did all the jobs that everyone else does nowadays uh and that was my ground and and made me

Debut That season in March time at crew uh and then after the game they found out I hadn’t been registered properly so we we won the game but we then got deducted two points zero de well done yeah did you get did you get holded the

Head in front of the Headmaster or was it no no but I think they the secretary at the time he was uh I put him under a lot more pressure than myself so what it did what it did do was it it it null and

Voided the contract that I had and uh so we had to uh we negotiated a new contract which uh wasn’t I still get the same money I just said yes Noy J said yes and signed whatever was offered no agents in those days I guess no uh and and funnny enough I

Never used an agent as a player uh ever really not until right at end probably when I left Swindon to go to Tottenham um and a and a couple of Agents had contacted us as they were coming in just before that but didn’t feel comfortable with them uh and in the

End I I just used the PFA r presentation that was around at that time and uh subsequently that in the manager and coaching career Colin Gordon the famous Colin Gordon was he was my agent or my representative representative uh and he’s he’s done very well on that side

Over it and other things yeah he’s turned out to be a decent agent hasn’t he um let’s have a look lots of comments coming in this is from Paul evening guys shout out to Colin brilliant memories of the 80s fantastic times Trav in up from one from Wantage swind till I die Thanks

For the Memories you gave me as a swiland fan over the years one of the most consistent Defenders I’ve ever seen Stephen says 50 years of watching Swindon there’ll only be one king king Colin and Tracy um hi Vick and Colin too many memories of Colin not only at

Swindon but also for many trips to Northampton to see Colin and David Kur Lake hopefully I’m no longer banned from coming to see you you’ll know Tracy Chatfield I’m sure yes I do yeah um in Andy says in my best ever sending Town 11 not only that Captain as well and any

Chance of an autobiography Colin would love to read that he says yeah I mean I did get ask on and I sort of sketched out something to was obviously the co writer at the time but he said he didn’t get any um uh traction on it really but there’s there’s Pro i’

Certainly feel a lot more comfortable doing one of those books now because I think the times passed long enough to really drill down on um my movement from Mansfield to Swindon and and what happened it Swindon that then costus us the the demotion after promotion and that type of thing and I

Think the story’s been it would be always my version of the story of course everyone may know it but there’s there’ll be little in inres that’ll be uh uh no one will ever heard whether that they’re interesting I don’t know but um there’s been there was a a lot

Went on at that time and very memorable that especially the early days at at swinden which were the really the foundation of me having some sort of career yeah those of us who were reporting on those times remember them very well we’ll get to those in a in a

Little while if that’s all right but so a 100 League games of Mansfield town and then Lou Mari comes knocking how did that come about well i’ U my contracted uh was end a contract at Mansfield and an experien Pro Steve wwor who used to play for

Leicester in England filback so it was a very experienced team at Mansfield at that time and I would one of two or three youngsters who who were playing uh and he gave me the advice that when when I went in to speak to the manager or the

Manager called me in whatever he said just say no he says because you’ll get more i’ obviously I was uh 20 just I’m 20 played a 100 games in League of League football so some established in some sort of way so when he went

In when I went in sorry I said no and the manager then said well what’ you want and that put me in the back foot because he hadn’t told me what my next line was um and um so what the manager did he offer me signing on fee and if I wanted

£500 a week he would have taken1 a week off me uh weekly wage so as I said can I think about it went home or back to the digs and thought about it I soon found out I was no better off than the original offer and at that

Time I don’t think he even rejected it anything like that you were you were basically held under contract to a certain degree and I’m sure they thought we’ll come back I’ll renegotiate so I’d gone home to stra I was um having the some time off I was actually at the golf

Course and I got a phone call at the golf course that I had to go home L Mari was going to wanted to talk to me and uh obviously Lou had joined Swindon the previous season and I remember the game at Swindon it felt like a big game there

Was a big crowd um and we’d gone down at some point in a very competitive game and had a clash of heads we call him golden and and played in the game and what Lou had done as he did with many players was ask Ask A Team

Who who they didn’t like playing against or who may have been a good player against them and Colin Gordon had mentioned myself so that whether that and lose little nose for players and Bargains that was how the contact first started and um I eventually couple of

Days I had to go and meet him and I met him and Kevin Morris strangely enough uh we met at Northampton services on the M1 yeah Northampton of course to play big part in your life later on didn’t it I mean what what did you know obviously

You played at swiland but what did you know about them as a club did you know much about them not not not so much only that um is a high-profile person player Lou mcari had gone to Swindon and there was a there was a lot of noise and there

Was the the Harry Greg incident that had brought Swindon at the Forefront but I think you’ll know better than me but there was some sort of quite outstanding results at that second half of the season and they looked as if or they looked as if they were getting publicity

And that didn’t happen too often to uh division 4 clubs at that time Lou was obviously a huge part of that the story line uh between him and Harry was obviously another bit of it but also there was some results that had sort of stuck in my mind from that game Lum

Marari played for Celtics Scottish International iconic figure took lots and lot myself and lots of other Scottish youngsters um and and Lou was really the the big pool I must admit so it didn’t get off to a great start did it if I remember rightly um I always

Remember you played to on a Friday night and whoever lost that game went bottom of the league so it wasn’t a great start of the season was it no no and um I I use I use this quite a lot when when people talk to you through

Preseason about aims and targets and how important it is to start the season um it’s this these memories of those starts and if you look at other leagues that uh the people who end up getting promoted the number of times they don’t win the first game of the season is shoes the

Number of times that they’re actually still in the bottom half are a lot larger than people think so the importance of the first and second games in essence is is almost nil in my head because it gives you a Feelgood factor of all the work through preseason and

You come out of the first game with points and feeling good about yourself and everything was worthwhile but in essence it’s what happens from the first 10 are are really the start of the season is uh when I sort of plan have a strategy about it so and it’s that

Swinden example is is really my history of it and my experience of it because uh the Improvement in results and the importance of getting through all those sort of difficult moments the early part of the Season thrashing out some rubbage between us and and getting

Rid of people and that type of thing I think that all helped because we were in we were in a very poor place to as we went into that early game and then the to to go over 100 points from a start like that just shows you the beginning

Of the Season can have no bears no relevance to how you can end up if I remember rightly it kind of all turned around after a an army camp trip up north and you were playing heartly poool on the Saturday played very well in that game and then it was Sunderland and the

Milk cup you lost at harleypool but that seemed to me to be the turning point because from that stage on things really started to motor yeah I mean that was um I think that early League League Cup results were quite good well obviously because we got through and we ended up with

Sunderland and and that that definitely helped us uh and as we had at the get together Paul Roberts said he came in and revitalized the club and it was him that made all the difference and it’s probably not too far wrong in terms of uh personality and and and the sort of

Um bringing players together because around about that time he joined we had the games against in Sunderland and the obviously the league form slowly improved a little bit but the cup is was an important part of or improving and how how do you get confidence by beating somebody from another Division I

Don’t know but you do but in essence the re the real confidence gained is by winning League points against your your basically your peers you’ve got to beat the people in your Division and everything else is extra but around that time it certainly helped us get started

In the season well cheffy Wednesday the magical night at the county Grand you remember that Peter coin’s goal I mean it really was the start of a buzz I always remember trying to get an evening Advertiser the next day and the bloking the news agent said they’re all sold out

They always do when swiland do well and it was suddenly it was suddenly that kind of feeling wasn’t it yeah me and it’s what what I remember and what I felt at the time was obviously the early games didn’t bring us a great atmosphere because we weren’t

Doing anything but those night games and the shrivenham road and and the way it was configured and the town end that really built those sort of Misty cold uh Early Autumn nights around that time and obviously getting good results against Sheffield wed and beginning to make an imprint on the season a little

Bit um and that was the first time I’d really experienced that just the way stand was the the the noise in the stadium definitely stayed in Andor that that that that was a big that attributed a lot to Our Success I mean I have to well there hang

On a minute more comments coming in um this is from shazza uh his car was always breaking down and my dad will always end up fixing it he was the AA Patrol man um he would always come home and tell me I told that story when I

Gave his EOG in August which is Lovely isn’t it you know um yes he he mended your car CLA says Colin you and my favorite player and you inspired me to become a center half of swind toown women FC wearing number five so you are inspiration how about that that’s lovely

Um always an enjoyment uh Colin chatting to you before the before games this is from Lee Cole always ready to stop and chat and your goal against Port Veil which we will get to a little later I did watch again uh this afternoon it was extraordinary uh John says col one of

The best defenders to wear a Swindon shirt so we we’ll keep dropping those in as we go yeah um thank you yeah you’re you’re amongst friends I think it’s fair to say it’s okay yeah um it’s extraordinary really we must talk about the fitness of this because everybody

Talks about the running and how fit they were compared to where they were before but what did it do for you as a player well what it did was it it definitely cut out the amount of food you ate because um it was really uncomfortable if you had like an almost

Normal food nowadays the the way we used to eat and then go training probably wouldn’t be allowed would would be it be classed as bullying probably but we we we ended up stripping a lot leaner than we we came in so everyone turned in and every there was a there was a good

Athletic ility in the team whether that was endurance or one or two players with some very good speed um but what it did it saw you through games when you were really really finding difficult to recover it’s really the recovery from bouts of action that’s what it gave us

And it gave us that uh it’s not it’s not more energy but it gave you the ability to recover and go again and and in the end we we definitely outwork teams because we were um we just had lasted longer we had more battery power and the

Way the way Lou went about it probably uh is was extreme Slightly bizarre and we’ve had some tremendous laughs about what we used to do but even now when when you do your Fitness sessions with a team players don’t get anywhere near or they wouldn’t they wouldn’t last uh in

The way that lots of the training sessions we used to have but I guarantee you there’s no Premiership team running round uh six miles round Swindon on the road on a Thursday amazing um yeah incredible stuff uh but it must have done you some good because I remember games like rdale

Away when you were trailing I think till about 75 minutes and then two goals in the last 15 minutes and that’s the sort of thing it enabled you to do wasn’t it yeah I think so I we just we became powerful didn’t we and and I think to

The detriment the skill level of some of the players in the team we were just we were we were we weren’t a nice team to play against because we were nonstop and we we didn’t give up too often uh and the fitness was a a telling Factor uh

Not not just in that first season but I think all through lose time it was very important as we were lesser players in the next Division and then into what is the championship now I’ve got absolutely no out that our fitness levels and the way that we trained helped us survive in

The next level up whe When was the moment you thought this is the cracking season this is working and you know when did you I mean there was that incredible run wasn’t there you lost at trir just after I think it was New Year on a snowy

Old pitch Lou wasn’t very happy that the game went ahead but after that it was like w to war wins wasn’t it when was the the moment when you thought this is a season yeah I I think the cop ties were the beginning of it definitely so Sunderland

And and Sheffield Wednesday um and then when you start to take an interest in how many points you need to get promoted um that’s that’s you beginning to think about it as a group we were having great fun we were uh there was we were in digs to

Begin with in the corner sh road we were then put into digs because we will misbehave too too much to be allowed to live on our own so we get put in digs with Fred and Elma coam who looked after us terrifically well and there was three

Of us in there and we used to have listen we weren’t super professionals at that time we would be on a Tuesday night we’ go out and Wednesday we play golf and we probably have a drink in a wedding day and then we train hard but we we trained

Everything out of us and we were ready and fit to go on the on the Saturday um I would say the cup ties was the beginning of it and then getting in a position in the league and funly enough the beginning of if you kept a clean

Sheet or if you won won another game away from home those unbeaten records be a new record for swind and town new record for the league that was they they I think they helped those little Stepping Stones to the ultimate success which was obviously winning the league

Yeah six away wins on the truck six wins on the truck away from home that’s a bunkers record really isn’t it I mean you know places like stop on a Monday night things like that I mean it was just fantastic and were you aware how

Good you were at the time or was it just case of each game it comes the old cliche how are you feeling no I I I don’t think we were I think we we were looked upon as uh we were getting there because we were F our sty of play wasn’t what every

Everyone wanted the the the opposition to play um I think we were the unwanted people at the top of the league no one like really playing against us or we were direct no doubt about it we were direct and we we used all the laws

Of the game in terms of the offside and and but we were competitive and and no doubt about it the harmony within that group um I think was probably the fact of it uh helped us overcome all the opposition the Chester and the mansfields and all all those teams that

Were in direct opposition to get promotion and go up yeah that that sort of chemistry sha to on the night that we had at the Legends Lounge recently and obviously you all really got on well which is fantastic to see more messages coming in uh this is from Sean says my

Favorite season that fourth division title I’ve had that image of you holding a the trophy in northand tattooed so there you go rob the red never ever forget the reception he got away to Spurs in the Premier League reckon if anyone had booed him they would have got lynched

The fridge was probably my favorite Town player ever used to see him around the town a lot always spoke Steve Barrett the Newcastle FAA Cup game we might mention that a little later couldn’t believe Colin was Mortal um Pete Lango who you’ll know um youth player hi the

Fridge top bloat the best trainer him and Camy um how different was it playing with less substitutions asked Nick which is a very interesting question because now there are five I think one in those days weren’t they it’s at all yeah I think that probably in the certainly

That season I would imagine there was only one person sat in the bench um yeah I’m sure people stayed on the pitch because they had to in those days um but I I think what what was what Pete said is is quite a compliment in my head is that um

The way Lou asked us to train and because he played at such a level we were I was a lap dog so I followed and um but it drove standards into training and and as we went up I don’t think we ever came away uh from that application

Of training and whether the training was enjoyable with any manager that we had it was always in a different style with the managers that we had at swnd but that location if if you’re asked to do something you do it and you and you do

It to try and win or get there as quick as possible or catch lose dog as quick as possible so you could go in well that season of course um oh there’s another one here Hannah deson she’s uh done a very great wall um she’s an artist and she’s painted this wall if

Anyone could find me a decent bit of wall I’ll add Colin to the swind and legends project so there you are oh very nice yeah so if you can offer um Hannah a nice nice piece of wo Collin’s face will be on it how about that that’s

Right oh very nice can I can I have me the one with when I had kly here yeah that would be good well with a trophy that’s the obvious one isn’t it um now then that season finishes with 102 points which is extraordinary there was that magical night against um

Against Chester but at the beginning of this you might have noticed that picture of you all at Mansfield which was a great day you were in the front there um and still you know Le Barnard still talks about it to this day doesn’t he with you know they all like to come back

Out after the shower most of you oh he’s gone again is he oh sorry I’ve lost you I can hear you but can’t see you so you’ve get you Right so can you hear you yeah okay so you you sort of all went in to get a shower and then Lou told you you’d come back out again no that’s right yeah um because because I’d been at Manfield I went I was going in to see landlord and

Land lady really and catch up with a couple of friends that I had there so I get changed quick and then we were all back outside because I never got promoted before didn’t really know the etic and ended up in the wrong position very good um right so that

Season wraps up 102 points the win at home against crew on the final day you’ll go away have a summer and then come back for another successful the season after which is an extraordinary uh season which ended in those playoffs at Gillingham of course you’ll remember what what another nine 10

Months I um yeah and and the step up I think we we found difficult and we had some interesting results at the beginning of that season but the the sort of uh doggedness of the of the fitness of the team and the additions that Lou made definitely helped is get improveed and

And you know probably we wen’t super super at the beginning of that season um it’s it it is it’s all about what improvements you make from whatever result you’ve had well one player I click on this link again Vic will I yeah do you want to log

Out and log back in again Colin and then we’ll yeah yeah okay I’ll read a couple more messages oh he’s back oh no he’s gone again uh try us again Colin and we’ll get back to you um so obviously that Following Season 8687 the playoffs against Gillingham losing Oneil away in the

First game then that extraordinary game at the county ground Charlie Henry’s rocket and Colin cwood returns to us which is lovely there we go so um yeah so that season you step up to to the third division or League one or whatever it is um I lose count of what they call it

These days but one important addition of course chalky white because there was a natural goal scorer wasn’t it yeah um unaggressive you know he scored goals but he was aggressive and he played at that level and and I think um he was someone we clung to in in more

Difficult moments of the game I mean he’d really made it difficult for the opposition in in lots of ways and as we went through I think L’s L’s special type of manager um but it’s I think one of his biggest attributes is his ability to improve

Players when they come in but also bring um his additions to the group that were normally excellent and as we went through that that that if there was anything that helped us it it would have been that knowledge that expertise and that Improvement in the playing Squad as

We moved up sure and those players were EX extraordinary weren’t they everybody remembers Charlie Henry’s rocket which got you back into it but that night at sellur Park the celery song 10,000 Town fans all that what a time to be a town player I would imagine yeah no it was

Um and you know but we were we were really dead and buried in the game and then Charlie gets us back into it um almost can still hear the roar in in my mind at the minute you know it was a and then did that help us because I think we

Were very dominant in the third game and and never looked at Los it but I think we’ broke the spirit of jilling him sure and what a night it was so then up to the second division which is an extraordinary leap isn’t it I mean to go

Once is is great but to go up two years in a row that’s a massive jump and Swindon weren’t actually outclassed in division two were they no I mean it’s probably that’s I can it’s probably the least of my memories is obviously the subsequent years were definitely more

Memorable but um that that was really about putting your head down competing get and managing to get a foothold in the division and and again you’ve got to prove prove you’re worthy of that level so um I think that would be one of the toughest Seasons you know but I think we

As we sort of went through it we always did enough I I think the again being a team that nobody really liked to play against and the style that we played in it definitely helped us sure um Neil says Colin a legend at Town Thanks For

The Memories We could do with his help to sort out our defending and fitness uh I still argue with opposition fans to this day it was our fans that started the Army chant after Lum Makari training regime I mean everybody talks about those but um I think you had some fun as

Well didn’t you on the camps I don’t think they yeah no it was just probably when we went the army camp some of the training wasn’t it was really just to keep us in bed under the watchful eye of Lou and the rest of the staff chick Bates

And Kevin Morris and and prepare a bit for either a cup tie or towards the end of the season I remember going in it was the sort of roundabout uh in the Masters is on so there were there were becoming consequential games if you were going to

Try and get promoted and in those moments he took us away so it was um but when we were there we’ somehow rig up a portable TV there would be sport on in whichever way it was back in those days and blou entertained his by giving his

Bet nods for the horse race or the snooker or if there was a football game on uh a football score and you know it was um there was there would be uh there’s definitely less more than then and we just we we packed a bag headed off

Because that seemed to be the right thing to do and obviously the other thing was because we’ve done it before it had brought a success so why would you not do it sure absolutely right and eventually you have another playoff of course unfortunately you lose ironically

At Crystal Palace um but then Lou does depart goes off to West h and how much of a shock was oard D becoming manager because I think anybody else we’re all going what this is extraordinary so what did you think yeah I mean it was similar type feeling like when Lou

Was on the phone and I had to go and ring him it was um what L marari and then what oie oras and and it was that name that uh that presence is probably as difficult to as you can see it is for teams to replace iconic managers um it

Probably it definitely needed someone of that presence and er Authority and level of player in the game so it was it was one of them this will be very interesting and we’re very quizzical coming into preseason training to see what um how this would go yeah I mean Lou famously t total of

Course but I always remember with Aussie you had a bottle of whiskey on the table before you went out didn’t you um he used to have a little nip when it was cold um and and as he used to tell us it’s always cold in Britain how different was it then with

The training I mean the running was loose thing but how about Aussie was it ball work more ball work well I I I think yeah we definitely used the ball a lot more but there’s a psychological side that we were um we were fit we were combative in a

Certain way did we believe that we would be able to play in the way aie wanted probably not to begin with I must admit but he what he drummed into is that we we were good players we were capable of it it was easy to pass the ball to the

Next person and um him been able to join in the early games of the season and then preseason definitely helped us and and somehow there was a change a little bit more light-hearted lots of what we did in training wasn’t there but again that that level of Fitness that was

There previously but also the application to the training and the knowledge that when you did run you had to run you did it you did it hard or you did it fast I think it was a good foundation that o found himself with the team he G certainly gave us more

Self-belief he believed in us in a different way he portrayed himself too as in a different way from what Lou did and you you know it’s it was almost oil and water in terms of the coaches but how the balance just just ended up being right we ended

Up finding ourselves capable of doing things that we didn’t believe we could it led to that final at Wembley of course against Sunderland as we know the most one-sided one-nil Victory ever in the history of football I’d suspect and then 10 days later of course as we all

Know uh the ruling from the football league came in what were your thoughts at that time um probably as they are now it’s it’s not right that’s a bit that that it’s unfair somehow it’ll get overturn we we were led to believe that it wouldn’t go through and then maybe we

Were getting we were get looking through Rose tinted spectacles really because when you talk to other people that who have been at the other clubs a Blackburn or Newcastle or or a Sunderland they all felt that um they Newcastle and Sunderland hoped that we would beat Blackburn because they felt

That whoever won that game was going to if it was Swindon in the final they’d been told they weren’t going up and when you get that narrative later on um then it should have been handled in a different way by the league and you can see the problems that the league are

Having now by deducting points and then re reinstating points and clubs in the Premiership so the uh the legal ities of the sanctions that a league are allowed to impose should impose and and do impose um it’s still unfair because we know everyone the majority in the

Country know there was other other clubs doing similar things and the way the the sort of story line came out wasn’t helped by the fact that there was a little bit of a uh a takeover bit at the time is probably one way to describe it yeah um

Of course you got arrested didn’t you um and released without charge I mean I remember being outside your house on the day you came out of jail I mean what was that like you know how did you feel when that happened yeah and probably the lads that

You’ve had on would have the Inland Revenue were trying to get statements from us to put a case against the the club and um the PFA were telling us that we didn’t have to uh just say no comment don’t engage with them so uh what they done was go go to

Players that had left the club maybe hadn’t had that information W to it wasn’t to the Forefront of their mind and people who had left started giving statements and that gave them a bit of evidence that then led to myself getting getting arrested along with Lou and and

Brian and um Vic not big was it the C anyway the um it was a sh it was a shock um we were down in Cornville we were having we’ going to open some lights down in Cornwell with oie and oie knocked the door at 5 in the morning and said the

Police were here and so we left there and headed back up to Bristol get checked in checked in if that’s the right words to police station and then back up to the house in Swindon and they came and search sort of draw and cupboards and they found Bits of Paper

That had wrote down that what people were du out of cup bonuses attendance bonuses and and money that we we’d sort of gained now with it coming outside the contract that was that was breaking the football league rules but also it was just extra money so the in essence they

They were doing it for not paying tax on that and that gave them enough of a it definitely helped the case but the PFA were very good had a lawyer down there by sort of early evening mid evening and they then got we all got immunity if we

Then gave statements which was really where we got to we gave statements and and in essence the club were culpable for tax due uh and in the FAS or the football league’s eyes uh the punishment of going down was what they deemed the right way to uh adjudicate the situation but the

Amount that we get paid I I believe I know that one player another club get paid more money for one offense uh so that and it’s a fairly high-profile club that did it and so when you know that storyline and other people tell you you they get paid

Similar cup bonuses or something like that then it noise out you a little bit was swind made an example of then Um yeah definitely definitely but the Um we made an example of but there was too many other other and there was too many other occasions that this had happened to players clubs um that they should they should have been looked into as well and it probably it probably tided it up it dotted eyes and crossed

Cross tees in terms of contract but everything around that area and business has definitely rat Ratched up from the early 80s late 70s early 80s we were definitely made an example of we were um small enough to get troen down Dan more comments coming in um do

You remember that night at IP switch I know the game didn’t go to plan but that has to be the one of the most important most 90 minutes of vocal support I come across inway game with us was certainly L by the end of the night 61 uh if I

Remember rightly in the milk cup do you remember that one yes yeah vaguely yeah vaguely yes yes I should know that to the Forefront of my mind but uh but actually what go on that’s quite nice when you when you um as you establish yourself as a smaller Club I’ve talked about iwi

Being the club I was maybe going to trial as a youngster and they were sit top of the league and swind with the fourth Division and then uh both come together and and we were AR we were not arguably we were the better football in

Team yeah um now you have to sort of somehow pick yourself up The Following season after that demotion it was originally of course two divisions and then put back in on appeal into the second division how difficult was that yeah I think um it’s very easy to

Say use um use that as a an agenda to get back there but we we actually we had to sell a couple of players the the balance of the team and the squad changed a little bit um and um that was hard because I think we started with a

Win Charon I think yeah yeah Charon played at fil and Beach Alon I think is that right yeah 3-1 I think remember right yeah and and and said all right well we’ll show them but in essence some sort of mental energy is drained out of the club not just the the

Players on the pitch a little bit and and when it it if you can keep going and you’re sitting at the right end of the table that inspirational stay there but as soon as there’s a little bit of a l which everyone can see happens in football um

Then I don’t think we were I don’t think mentally we were in the best place to really contest the league and we actually did uh I think it was an achievement really to stay in the division the way the the the season went we but so Aussie odas eventually departs

And then I took I took quite a serious injury that year as well you did yeah in a game against wolves I was going to mention that because I often say to people you know that’s the side of football we never talk about when players and I always remember you going

Off on a bike ride when all the rest of the players were going training and I was thinking boy oh boy you know this must be the loneliest place on the planet for a footballer yeah uh um I because it was I mean Paul gascoin did the same injury at

The end of that season in the cup final but really you know coming out and having the injury that I had the crucial ligament injury that was that was a career end and injury at that time and there wasn’t too many people the operation wasn’t really to the Forefront

Of everyone’s mind that you would get back so I remember getting told that and and basically shedding tears in the hospital thinking so in my mid 20s I’m I’m not going to be able to play football I’m not able to uh earn money and and look after the family

That type of thing and it felt I remember quite a serious chat that the the surgeon of the doctor gave us as a sort of woke up in the hospital in in swinden um but Swindon looked after we went to see a specialist in Cambridge uh

Dr Dandy who who looked after some rugby players and he he said he gave us the advice to and the protocol to follow and we get to the end of the season so I didn’t have an operation actually and did loads and loads of work whether that

Be on bikes or but really stabilizing hamstrings and produce uh like strength for your quads and then get to January and see if you can play again and although I did I did start playing January February you know uh I was hopeless really and I was probably

I didn’t have feel flection in me knee at that time and through that time Aussie left and Glenn joined and he gave me some great advice in terms of Rehabilitation and and um really the end of the season was the time that to do extra more work to get the leg stronger

Try and get rid of bit more of the adions that had built up but that that’s S three months where we’re fighting a little bit against relegation and get out the trouble sure actually we haven’t mentioned Newcastle away in the FA Cup really have we um what’s your side of that

Story yeah mean we we done the only difference in that was um we didn’t know anything about the the bet but the I could definitely say Lou’s mind was worked in uh what’s the best way of ensuring yourself so um if we win we’ll go in the next round and there’ll be

Money if we draw we’ll have a replay and there’ll be uh more Inc come at the club uh the the the way not to uh gain was obviously to go out so whether I don’t know if he was involved in the bet or not but it’s just an insurance claim

Against the fact if you go out you’ll cover yourself with a bit of money it doesn’t look great we knew nothing about it the fact that we lose 5-1 makes it look terrible they were they were a terrific team with Mandina and gas coin and and John Cornell like as well he

Played in the game as well but the uh the slightly different thing was in the Friday night instead of we we actually sort of went out and to a restaurant to have a bit of food and then back to the hotel which was different to what we’ done before but that

Wasn’t and that was that was out at seven and back at 9 that wasn’t out at 9: and back in at 3 in the morning or anything like that yeah I remember that was the day really when gascoin announced himself didn’t he I mean he was terrific wasn’t he that day yeah

Yeah and and again it was it just an indication of uh what you needed to be to be in the next league so Glenn hoddle comes in and you know my goodness to me the football kind of went from Aussie sber football to Glenn hodle and well Glenn hoddle um you

Know this is three high-profile managers in a row and Glenn hodle eventually after one attempt at the playoffs didn’t quite get there but eventually they do you do and a chance to redeem 1990 in 1993 in that incredible game against Leicester yeah which is just Bonkers

Wouldn’t it I mean you’re three and up and cruising and what on Earth happened yeah I mean it’s um what happened it’s not it’s not even that you’re relaxed but you I think when they score the first goal there’s a tendency that it would be all right but

They scored the second one so quick and the and and then there’s there’s definitely a fear comes into to you whether people would admit that or not but there’s definitely a fear because you’re thrown it all away and you’ve won it you had it won three nothing no one

Ever loses when you’re three nothing up all those thoughts are in your head probably a little bit as a player and how do we get the end of the game and hang on and listen the mindset now is all of it for me is all about how’ you

Score the next goal but that’s where when when people talk about how fragile or how poor players have played it’s it’s mental anguish for fans I accept that but it’s absolutely mental Devastation for you on the pitch when you it’s pure fear that you’re giving something away that you’ve worked so so

Hard for had taken away from you and you go into a self- protection mode I don’t know but they they had nothing to lose and they came at us and they scored three goals why why are they not allowed to score three three goals and we we’d scored three to go three up

What’s the logic behind that it’s competition it’s allowed to happen can you respond sometimes we in other days we might not have but we did that day well chalki did what chalky does and uh I always remember him outside the team bus anyway we’ll leave that one to

One side um Zippy of course who we had on the on our panel last night steps up and gets the penalty you’re in the Premier League except then Colin cwood you decided to go to Tottenham uh and and to this day I’ve said to people I

Don’t blame him you get a million pound move to Tottenham you’re not going to turn that down how did that come about yeah I mean again my contract was had run out towards the end of that season and um i’ I’d turned down an offer from Swindon and just uh just to

Get to the end of the season that had been two or three agents trying to speak to me about possibility of moving to to other clubs but there was nothing concrete and really it was just to get have the that opportunity to come to the

End of the season if we hadn’t gone up would that would Swindon have wanted me to move to generate some money I don’t know there’s that side of it but to I just sat and exercise a player’s right or my right at that time and I think I’m entitled to do

That uh and then as L would have it oie ended up getting the Tottenham job and Glenn obviously he left to go to Chelsea so um um o oie rang up and said that there was possibility Raza rck is going to go to Liverpool um and I want I would like to

Bring you in so I had to wait until uh rodic left to go to Liverpool and that that took a lot more days and I really wanted it and I talked to John Gorman at the time about try to negotiate a contract and went in but really Tor

About what was right and what was wrong if I stay would get a testimoni if a stay see through that Journey from division 4 into Premiership loyalty and and my heart were telling me to stay advice from everybody else was say uh was to leave

If you if you had the opportunity over a Tottenham um but because Tottenham didn’t move or the move didn’t happen straight away there was there was a number of times I I went into the countr and and I I felt in the head I’m going to say let’s

Just get this signed and let’s get on with it but um it it didn’t happen it something would happen a phone call say it’s going to happen tomorrow it never happened tomorrow it was it was unnerving timeing and probably not not one of my least favorite times at Swindon was those days

Of self-doubt about whether it was right to leave or whether it was ever going to happen well a couple of questions on that subject um how did Clin feel coming back to Swindon for the first time as a Tottenham player especially as Swindon won yeah um and CLA says totally

Devastated you went to Spurs but it got you International Football that you fully deserved and our time is running out but I was going to ask you about International Football first of all let’s address the feeling of coming back to swind with Tottenham and losing how

Did that feel yeah it felt Justin right didn’t it that’ll teach you but also SW the game at White art Lane was was a draw as well which wasn’t I think I’m sure it was a draw that right ni so um yeah it was it wasn’t the most enjoyable

You want to go back and you want to uh you want to W around the pitch and applaud everyone but you’re opposition so you’re going to take a bit of stick and uh it was a reminder of what the crowd and the atmosphere and the pitch in the stadium did to the opposition

Because you got right under the skins of us that day and um it became what I had experienced being in the red shot uh 36 caps for Scotland um one goal if I remember rightly against San Marino but 36 caps for Scotland including that game in uh in France against Brazil I

Mean hey when you’re a kid in stram ra kicking the ball about to playing the first game of the World Cup against Brazil that has to pretty be pretty much up there doesn’t it it is and it’s iconic game we were speaking before before the show but the

Real pride is the journey from League four to the the Premier League with swnd and that’s that is the foundation of M career and you only get to that Scotland Brazil game because of the nine seasons of doing what you did at Swindon and then sort of four or five at at

Tottenham and and being at Tottenham definitely elevates you into people’s mind a little bit but again fortunate there was a couple of injuries to high-profile players Craig LaVine and Alan McLaren that’s probably what got me into the Scotland Squad to begin with and then um yeah no that was that was

It’s still got the Brazil shot I’ve still got Tedy sheringham shut from Euro 96 they are they super super moments but also look back and uh if there’s one game I watch watch Newcastle away with uh Aussie’s team at St james’ Park which was on ITV and then funnny enough I’ve

Watched Peterburg against Winden on a uh a real dog end of a pitch and the football we played that day with Glenn’s team is you know it’s it’s a great reminder about how good footballers I was in there with Micky haard and Glenn and Martin Ling uh beat Bristol City 4-0

In 91 won one of our finest ever performances Mickey Hazard neest Lorenzo I mean Nester Lorenzo for goodness say he played a World Cup final when he joined swind and you thinking it’s the dest question dest question I’ve ever asked anybody was when I asked him how

Much of an influence was oard Dez on you joining Swindon you think yeah well obviously um uh but you know that’s just sort of caliber of player that was coming to swiland it’s incredible Mickey Hazard people like that extraordinary yeah I think I think those connections Glenn been able to have that

That connection with Mickey and and um also oie with Nesta but but Lou Lou and his connection with Manchester United bringing Al mlin and Fraser dby is is equally as important to Swindon story as as those other two at the other end of it yeah famously of course the late

Great Alan mlin missed all the post 1990 stuff because he went off to the world cut of the Republic of isand so so yeah incredible really um and much and sadly missed of course um our time is up Colin but I must mention where you are at the

Minute we didn’t even touch your managerial career which maybe another time you’ll come on and talk about because that’ll be fascinating um you’re at Southampton you got Preston tomorrow night you’re pushing on fourth place I think at the minute Preston just outside the playoffs big game for you it is been

With 11 games to go but it’s it’s still a quarter of the season but it’s the importance of the games is probably more important than the early part of the season now we’re in a position majority of Seasons we’d be in a a even healthier position than we are now you’ve got to

Trust if you maintain the level of points per game that would normally get you get you up or very close to going up if we do that I think we’ll have held a head up but we might have to do a little bit better and that means winning

Tomorrow night as a good starting point well we’ll be looking out for the result and many people have asked lost you and Swindon is it finished yet but I’ve s of I’ve been asked uh sort of once or twice but once a little bit more formal than before but I was

Still both times I still been within a job and I was probably managing at the time rather than being an assistant it’s um you would never say never there’s obviously enjoy enjoy the story story that we’ve told tonight about the the playing times um I wouldn’t want to go

Back and make a mess of a memory for someone but as we all get older I still got ambition I still like winning I still like managing and I still like working so you never know yeah if I remember right you were at Forest weren’t you and you get very close to

Getting the swind job and they said no and then you left Forest about three days later if I remember yeah sometime it’s all a bit timing yeah sure but you you might remember when you were at Cambridge and I always remember this it was a nil nil draw if I remember rightly

But the hole of the away end sang your name at the end yes very nice yeah so I me just just a quick one Vic to finish so they all my last game it was my last game in my playing career I was in not County on loan I gone there after

Another injury just to see if I had the anything left in the legs a little bit but I I wasn’t very good for not County and uh I tell the story which might be fabricated a little bit but bear with me so I knew I was going to retire come the

End of the season the manager told me in the way down listen I’m going to leave you out today I said fine I’m coming to see you Monday I think I’m going to hang the boots up and I knew it was time to retire that when I got up as a not

County player at the county ground to warm up and the home fans cheered and the not County fans booed and I thought there’s an indication get out I remember that actually yes now you say it yes uh well you’ll always be cheered at the county ground you know

That and uh that 85 86 evening that we had recently was a great great memory so we thank you and the other players and when you and John tret brought that trophy in I think the roof was going to lift off that was a fabulous moment so

Thank you I always I always feel sorry for the the Swindon team of today because they’ll always get reminded of we we always had the 69 team not that they really irritated but at some stage um it’s all about the team on the pitch at the moment and and the memories are

Great but I hate going back and seeing seeing our name on this day 25 years ago or 35 years ago we what we beat and it six away victories in a row or something like that I feel sorry for the boys because it’s it’s a high mantle you know

It’s very hard to achieve again nowadays definitely um simply this is from Hayden Bedwell who says bring him home there you go uh what a joy Colin and and if we could have you back and talk about your managerial career as well because it’s fascinating the amount

Of clubs that you’ve been involved with that would be really good if we could do that I would like to yeah no problem brilliant there you are we’ll sort that yeah brilliant thank you very much Colin it’s been great thank you thank you for giving it be time and good luck for

Tomorrow night thank you and best wishes to everyone there and all the sing fans cheers Colin bye bye so we will be back next Monday um we’ve got Keith Scott on next Monday um and so we’ll see everybody who’s going to Bristol City on Thursday for the Youth match or if we’re

Going to Mansfield on W on Saturday but if not we’ll see you next Monday bye