THE groundswell of support already pledged for Trust STFC’s County Ground purchase proposal has convinced chairman Steve Mytton that it will not become another ambitious plan to fall by the wayside.

The Trust stepped up their efforts to make buying Swindon Town’s home a reality this week by unveiling a community shares scheme which they hope will move the eye-catching project on to the next level.

Mytton wants supporters to sign up to the Trust’s Red Army Fund - for anything between £1 and £25 a month - paving the way for a community share launch in September, the initiative by which they hope to complete the County Ground purchase.

Mytton believes the project represents a significant opportunity to ensure the club’s future has a brighter outlook.

“Basically, I’ve been involved with the Trust for four years, I’m on a mission," Mytton told the Swindon Advertiser.

“Everybody else on the Trust board is absolutely committed to making this happen. We’re all fervent Town fans and we’re going to make this happen.

“There is no danger of this falling by the wayside. It’s an exciting time to be a Swindon Town fan, despite what’s happened on the pitch, but let’s do more than moan and try and make Swindon Town a success for the future in our own little way."

“We’re not about (Lee) ‘Power Out’. Let’s be financially stable and secure and any emergency situations we’ll be ready for it.

“But if Lee Power or anyone else in the future decides to sell this football club to the fans, that’s ultimately what we want to achieve. Fifty-one per cent fan ownership and a secure future for the club for ever more."

He added: “We’ve had extremely promising conversations with the council, they’re very positive about what we’re doing.

“We very much see it as a partnership between the community and the council. We’ve been very impressed with the openness and their reasoning behind why we would be a community group to own the County Ground.

“I think they want to see Swindon thrive and improve and that’s what we want. It’s not just about Swindon Town, but something that’s good for Swindon as a town itself."

Backing the Red Army Fund would give the Trust a stronger hand for their County Ground plan ahead of the community share launch in September.

“(The) support gives us financial support but also gives us the ability to tell the council and other funding bodies - and there are a lot of other funding bodies that would give us capital and revenue grants to help us buy the surrounding County Ground area - that Swindon Town fans are serious about this and it will make all the difference,’’ added Mytton.

“We need to engage various professional bodies and it’s going to cost at least £8,000 to set up community shares. We need money to do that.’’

For information about the Red Army Fund, see redarmyfund.co.uk.