8:52am Friday 16th May 2008
By Andy Cryer
ALAN McLoughlin has urged the County Ground faithful to take heart from Portsmouth's rags to riches story - insisting the good times can return to Wiltshire.
The former Pompey and Swindon legend will be at Wembley for tomorrow's FA Cup final between Cardiff and the Fratton Park outfit, and insists Town can draw inspiration from a real success story on the South Coast.
McLoughlin describes his period at Fratton Park between 1992 and 1999 as "dark days financially" as the club now sit 90 minutes away from landing their first FA Cup since 1939.
Town fans can sympathise with McLoughlin's tales of players not getting paid and periods of administration after a financially disastrous last decade, but with better times seemingly ahead, he insists dreams can still be realised.
He said: "I think Swindon fans should look at what has happened at Portsmouth and take encouragement from that.
"When I was there we had periods when we were not getting paid and we went into administration.
"Milan Mandaric came in and saved the club, like Andrew Fitton has done here.
"Look at Portsmouth now. They are in an FA Cup final and a top side in the Premier League.
"Why can't Swindon look at that and dream of success like that one day themselves."
McLoughlin, who made more than 300 appearances for Portsmouth and more than 100 for Town in an illustrious career, is now a radio commentator for both clubs.
He has reported on every Portsmouth game for the last three years and will be taking his place in the press box for tomorrow's Wembley showpiece.
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