SWINDON Town supporters have been through the anger, dealt with the disappointment, endured the resignation, even reached a state of acceptance.

Yet in the wake of the club’s seemingly-inevitable relegation to League Two at the weekend, what many of those fans really want now is an explanation and reassurance.

As Town head into an uncertain future in the basement of league football, too many questions remain unanswered by those who must be held accountable for the club’s dismal demise this season.

Questions about the squad, the management, the leadership, the governance, the future.

Questions that cannot be adequately or fairly dealt with by the putting up of Luke Williams for yet another curtailed post-match press conference to explain another below-par - and ultimately fatal - performance.

While that may have ticked the relevant boxes, it was all too short an inquest - the familiar routine of being interrupted just two questions into the post-radio broadcast by the club’s press officer emerging again - on a campaign laced with so much friction and discontent.

There is only so much a head coach can explain, let alone a man who has visibly had his hands tied by those above him, as proven on numerous occasions this term when questioned on matters such as the future of players out of contract in the summer, training ground issues and the exact role of director of football Tim Sherwood.

Relations between the club and this newspaper have made huge leaps forward in the short time between November - when a 20-month ban was lifted - and now - highlighted by the recent joint campaign ahead of the Milton Keynes Dons game, when relegation was far from a certainty, or the allowance to present the long-standing Swindon Advertiser player of the season award on the pitch before Saturday’s game, and in no small part a result of the hard work of the club’s press officer.

Yet there are still significant strides to take.

Too often, the club’s old habits of sticking its head in the sand, failing to maximise its public relations opportunities, or failing to provide clarity have reared their ugly heads.

One has been the unwillingness to grant interviews with either chairman Lee Power or Sherwood since Town’s director of football was revealed to the wider media last year.

The Adver has frequently approached the club, especially so in this of all seasons, to attempt to pose questions to both Power and Sherwood yet has been told they are ‘off limits to the media’, despite the former’s occasional local radio interview and the latter’s recent commitments on Sky Sports and, bizarrely, to a video game maker.

That ‘omerta’ has continued since the weekend, even in this moment when answers are more important than ever.

Having requested an interview with the chairman after Saturday’s relegation confirmation, the Adver submitted a list of questions for him yesterday, questions you can see published below.

They included the invitation to sit down for a question and answer session with this newspaper to then be reproduced, in full, within the pages of the Advertiser and on our website.

That request was rebuffed, with the explanation that Power was still “very raw’’ - though still able to give a radio interview within minutes of Saturday’s final whistle - and would not be making any statement before the 2016/17 campaign was over.

The club later clarified this saying they would look to “respond’’ after this Sunday’s finale.

Why should he, some may ask? The radio interview was sufficient, others may feel.

Yet with so many questions swirling, about the club’s ‘debt-free’ status, its general standing, policies on transfers, management and general direction to name just a few, this paper respectfully disagrees.

In reality the season is over. Town are down. Sunday’s trip to Charlton Athletic is little more than a fulfilling of their obligations - and a chance for some to say goodbye.

With many fans disenchanted with a regime that has taken the club from the brink of the Championship to the basement of the Football League, that organisation should be on the front foot, explaining, reassuring, engaging and yes, even apologising.

The Adver will continue to press those at the helm of the club for those answers.

Key figures at Town may be unwilling to address those sometimes-awkward and tough questions. Their prerogative, but they cannot be surprised or upset if negative opinions are formed by that lack of engagement, or if a generation of supporters are rapidly falling out of love with their club.

Ten questions the Advertiser put to Lee Power:

  • What have you learned from your three-and-a-half years as owner at Swindon Town?
  • Has the ‘Swindon Town Way’ failed and do you need to rethink your five-year plan for the club, following relegation?
  • Do you accept the need to improve the engagement of both yourself and the club with the local media and supporters generally and how will you go about this?
  • You have said on numerous occasions that the club is on an even keel financially. Do you have proof of this away from the abbreviated accounts? How much does the club owe you and how much have you taken out of the club in your three-and-a-half years in charge?
  • Will you consider any possible outside investment expertise and influence, including recent plans from the Supporters’ Trust, to come into the club in a bid to improve fortunes?
  • How would you judge Tim Sherwood’s time at the club since being made director of football and do you regret the decision to make the announcement so publicly, especially given his recent comments that it was ‘never a job for him’?
  • Can you clarify the ownership status of the training ground? How do you plan on funding the project, what deal have you proposed to the Nigel Eady Trust and how will it be funded should they not give their backing?
  • You have said that you remain committed to Swindon Town despite relegation, how do you plan to get Swindon moving back in the right direction and will there be investment in the squad over the summer to achieve this?
  • You also threaten that there would be no club if you were to leave. Can you clarify what you mean by this and why the club is in such a precarious position that you allude to, given that you have stated on numerous occasions that the club is in its most secure position for a long time with no debts?
  • Finally, will you agree to sit down with the Swindon Advertiser for a question and answer session regarding your ownership of the club and its future, which – for clarity - we will publish in full within the pages of the Swindon Advertiser and on the Advertiser website.