All week the Swindon Advertiser will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Swindon Town's promotion to the Premier League following their 4-3 play-off final victory over Leicester City at Wembley on May 31, 1993.

FRASER Digby described the personal turbulence felt during Town’s promotion winning season to the Premier League in 1992/93.

Elation, despair and relief from the 12 months building up to Town’s dramatic play-off final win at Wembley against Leicester City was concentrated into that one game against the Foxes, which Town won 4-3.

Digby played a faultless first hour as Swindon established a three-goal lead, but that elation turned to despair as Julian Joachim, Steve Walsh and Steve Thompson levelled the game before Paul Bodin’s penalty six minutes from time secured Town’s first promotion to the top tier.

The match epitomised Digby’s season, after he was shipped out on loan to Manchester United after being dropped by player-manager Glenn Hoddle.

Digby said: “Glenn didn’t think I was playing at my best so he dropped me, that was a real down point for me.

“Then I had a call from Sir Alex Ferguson to ask if I would come on loan.

“I spent two months at United, which was probably the best two months of my career, working with an abundance of talent.

“To work with Peter Schmeichel was a dream come true really.

“To be able to work with him, Sir Alex and the rest of the players was fantastic.

“I then got called back so I went straight back into the first team and had a great run through to Wembley.

“And obviously the Wembley final was an incredible game.

“That game had highs and lows, but we came out on top and it was great to be involved.”

Relief is word that can be thrown around often in sport.

But Digby has reason to justify his words, especially following his play-off win three years earlier against Sunderland – before Town were relegated after being found guilty of financial irregularities.

“There was a lot of frustration from the lads that were involved in 1990,” said Digby.

“It was motivation more than anything, we realised we were back at Wembley and deserved to go up the first time around.

“At the end of the game it was more relief.

“There was jubilation because we had reached the Premiership but from my view there was more relief.”

Now 51, Digby - whose last involvement in the professional game occurred 15 years ago when appearing from Kidderminster Harriers – manages his time by running the Silks on the Downs pub in the heart of the North Wessex Downs near Marlborough.

It’s a positive change of lifestyle for the former Town stopper, who added the game is in a ‘different world’ now compared to the glory days of the early 90s.

“The money that Sky and BT Sport have put into the game, has changed it massively.

“There are people involved in the game now that are from all different aspects of the physical being, that’s from the mental side of the game to the fitness.

“Everything's monitored – we never had belts to monitor hearts rates and blood pressure.

“It’s changed incredibly, all the analysis that’s done on players and matches.

“Teams get the most out of individuals.”

DON'T MISS THE SWINDON ADVERTISER'S 16-PAGE SPECIAL CELEBRATING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF TOWN'S PROMOTION TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE. OUT WITH YOUR SWINDON ADVERTISER ON THURSDAY