THIS week 28 years ago, thousands of Swindonians were gripped by an agonising ‘will he or won’t he’ saga.

The man in question was Swindon Town manager Lou Macari, who’d arrived in 1984 and lately led the side in a successful promotion campaign to Division Three.

As fans know only too well, he would soon steer the club to its second promotion in as many seasons, but in late May of 1986 there were doubts as to whether he’d remain at the County Ground at all.

A vacancy had appeared at Division One side Leicester City, and word had it that former Celtic and Scotland star Macari would be welcomed with open arms.

It wasn’t until midweek that the Adver was able to allay fans’ fears.

“HE’S STAYING,” ran the gleeful sports page headline which was trailed on page one – no mean feat for a sport story in those days.

We wrote: “Lou Macari will be staying with Swindon Town next season.

“He contacted First Division Leicester City today to tell them he would not be taking their vacant team manager’s job.

“The 35-year-old Scot is currently unavailable, in Spain on a short family holiday.

“But he phoned Swindon Town chairman Brian Hillier late last night with his decision.”

Mr Hillier insisted he’d never doubted the outcome, but admitted he was relieved to have Macari’s decision confirmed by the man himself.

He said: “While there was even a one percent doubt, I must confess it was a bit worrying.”

Macari would remain with Town until 1989 before embarking on a series of other managerships, including at his old club, Celtic.

While Macari’s welcome in Swindon was universal, the same could not be said for two other local personages.

The unfortunate Blondinis – a statue of an acrobat standing on another’s shoulders, were unwelcome additions to Wharf Green even before they’d been cemented in place by Thamesdown Council. .

Debenham’s, Primark and bakers Christies were among the objectors to the planned siting of the sculpture, which was cast by artist John Clinch from some of the last metal at the Railway Works.

Their objections were not so much about the quality of work – after all, Clinch would later create the iconic Diana Dors statue in Shaw Ridge – as the location.

Debenhams manager Simon Dales said: “It could become yet another target for vandals.” Primark said it would just be another item to be leaned on and abused, while a spokesman for the bakery said “drunks and riff raff” already congregated there.

The objectors turned out to have a point. The sculpture was put up in 1987, and for many years was a target for vandals who inflicted indignities such as smashing the acrobats’ faces and using marker pens to render them obscenely anatomically correct.

They were also a popular place of relief for generations of drunkards who found themselves caught short between bouts of harassing passers-by.

The Blondinis were removed when Wharf Green was renovated in 2005, then restored by local artist Tim Carroll and given a new home in the revamped St Marks Recreation Ground in Gorse Hill in 2009.

They’ve seemed much happier ever since.

Another major story that week was one of the worst fires seen in the town in years: “Firemen braved exploding gas cylinders and a collapsing roof as flames wrecked a Swindon railway depot.

“The old engineering shop near the main line was destroyed last night in a mystery ‘fireball’ blaze.

“A pall of thick smoke hung over the railway complex as 30 firemen fought the flames.

“The Gloucester line was closed and a visibility warning went out to inter-city train drivers.

“The cost of the fire in the regional civil engineering depot runs into thousands of pounds.”

A British Rail worker told us: “The entire building was just a mass of flames. it looked like a fireball.”

On a cheerier note, some local celebrity news – well, nearly local – came courtesy of journalist and broadcaster Ludovic Kennedy and his wife, the actress and former ballerina Moira Shearer.

The two revealed they’d just moved into an 18th Century cottage in Avebury. The couple were both national celebrities. Mr Kennedy, who lived until 2009, was best known for presenting a television review programme called Did You See..? His wife, who lived until 2006, was best known for classic films such as The Red Shoes.

Mr Kennedy told us: “Swindon is only a short car ride away and the train to London takes only 50 minutes.”

IN OTHER NEWS...

MONDAY, MAY 26, 1986: “OFFICIALS from Swindon’s American football team today denied dirty play had caused their opponents to be taken to hospital in a punishing clash yesterday. All was sweetness and light this morning between the Swindon Steelers and rivals Windsor Monarchs, following the Steelers’ storming 78-8 victory over the Berkshire side. During the game, four Windsor players had to be rushed to hospital with injuries ranging from broken ribs to a fractured kneecap.”

TUESDAY, MAY 27, 1986: “PLANS for a desperately-needed extension to Princess Margaret Hospital’s maternity unit go before Thamesdown planners for approval in July. Swindon health bosses want the £412,000 single-storey building opened by late next year to ease chronic overcrowding pressures on the unit’s existing clinic space. The crisis has arisen as Swindon’s population has soared past the figures for which the unit was designed in the late 1960s. It has meant heavy over-booking of ante-natal and parentcraft clinic space. Problems have been increased by a lengthening of training periods for midwives.”

WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1986: “A NEW chapter is unfolding for Swindon Bookshop, now trading as Fleetline Books and Map Centre, with the decision to move from Victoria Road to larger and more accessible premises in Theatre Square. The official opening next Saturday, May 31, by Mr Alan Peck, author of Great Western at Swindon Works, probably the definitive history of the much-mourned workshops, will help to launch wide-ranging plans for expansion.”

THURSDAY, MAY 29, 1986: “WOMEN trade unionists in Swindon have launched a campaign for fairer pay. The manufacturing union TASS says it is ready to back the claims by employing barristers at industrial tribunals. The union reckons some women are losing out by up to 50 percent on pay, compared to men in similar jobs. And national women’s executive member of TASS, Cathy Shea, said up to five cases might be pursued in the Swindon area alone.”

FRIDAY, MAY 30, 1986: “WALCOT residents fighting to stop cars parking in front of their houses have suffered a setback. For the past six years householders have complained about workers at British Telecom’s Queens Drive House blocking driveways. But a scheme now being put forward by county surveyor John Davies is about to disappoint residents. Mr Davies says yellow lines in Calvert Road and part of Eastern Avenue will solve the problem. But Walcot Labour councillor Roger Green says his scheme doesn’t go far enough.