7:10am Thursday 9th September 2010
By Sam Morshead
SOMETHING exciting is taking place at Greenbridge Road as Swindon embark on what could well be the first step of a grand plan to earn National League status.
Head coach Neil Loader insists talk of promotion from Southern Counties North is hopelessly presumptive, but the man who has overseen a mini-revolution at the club since his return from Italian rugby holds the majority of the league’s trump cards before the division kicks-off this weekend.
Rather than lay down an invitation for the rugby gods to teach him a lesson or two in humility, however, Loader has downsized the Swindon juggernaut, preferring to let his players’ rugby do the talking in the season’s embryonic stages.
“Talking about us getting promotion at this stage is premature,” he said.
“We could end up being one of the sides to beat this year, but we’re not going to go around shouting that from the rooftops.
“I have been very happy with pre-season and the way in which the players have approached it, but we need to take it onto the pitch.”
With fully 35 individuals meriting selection in the first-team squad in Loader’s eyes, the coach knows he will have a job on his hands to satisfy each and every one during the course of the coming campaign.
But after a sponsorship deal was struck with DW Sports over the close season, bringing a cash injection and several other perks with it, the former Rugby Parma boss is confident he will be able to keep his group incentivised as the term drags its course.
“We know the biggest task will be making sure everyone is motivated throughout,” he said.
“But there are a number of incentives we have given the guys and hopefully they will respond.
“It will be a difficult division, no doubt, but we hope to be seriously challenging.”
After their powerful displays in the final weeks of last season, Swindon go into a league filled with tough opponents full of self-belief.
And, following the acquisition of several new faces from local clubs across the region to complement the crop of talented youngsters and experienced heads already at Greenbridge Road, Southern Counties North had better beware.
Wingers Joe Williams and Rhys Thomas have left the frame, but Loader has recruited well throughout the ranks, bringing in Ross Saville and Ash Brown from Swindon College Old Boys and James Theobald from Cricklade, as well as tempting Richard White back to the set-up.
Pre-season wins over Gloucester Division outfits and a strong display against previously National League-level Chippenham bode well for a campaign which could send a message that Swindon are very much a club on the up.
“The squad in general is looking good and we have strengths in several areas, plus we have added to the coaching staff with Alan Low coming in to assist with the forwards,” said Loader.
“We are just looking forward to getting started.”
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