SWINDON Town Supporters’ Trust chairman Steve Mytton believes they have laid the foundation blocks to help the club move forward in a positive manner after tonight’s annual general meeting.

More than 100 people filled a room at the Goddard Arms in Old Town to hear the Trust put forward a list of five challenges facing Swindon Town in a bid to open up a constructive debate to help find the solutions.

Topics included the atmosphere at matches, transparency over the club’s finances and feeling a lack of connection with the team.

Mytton, who chaired the meeting, was pleased with the response the Trust received on a whole and thinks the chance is now there to improve the current situation.

“The whole theme around tonight is that it is a non-emotive discussion,” he said.

“We’re looking at the challenges the football club faces and we’re looking at possible solutions.

“There is no reason why the football club, next year, couldn’t become the most community and fan engaged football club in the whole of the football league.

“It involves people having an open mind on both the club’s side and the fans’ side and giving each other a second chance to make this club great again.

“I think the atmosphere was great and the interaction with the people; there was so much two-way communication.

“The call was let’s do this more often and that is something we should do.”

One of the major talking points proved to be the Trusts’ proposed plans to buy the County Ground from Swindon Borough Council.

As revealed in today’s Advertiser, the Trust confirmed that they have put in a formal offer of £1.1million to the council to purchase the stadium.

While the idea is still in its infancy, with meetings between the Trust and the council having gone on for two years, Mytton is happy with the immediate reaction the idea has received.

“The response tonight was almost unanimous,” he added.

“I couldn’t see anybody with their hand down when I asked the question ‘should we try and buy the County Ground?’.

“It is going to take people power. We need people to back us on this and it’s very important that we justify that the people are behind this, it’s not about just getting one or two individuals to put the money in.

“We need the people to back us in numbers to prove there is the community need for us to take over the County Ground.

“We want to set the pace for the rest of the Football League and we want to be the front runners and an inspiration to other football clubs and other football trusts.”

The Trust were supported on the night by James Mathie of Supporters Direct, who were set up in 2000 to help supporters gain influence in running and ownership of their clubs, and he was impressed with the groundwork that has been put in by the board.

“I think it was a fantastic turnout and there was a lot of passion and good will and a lot of professionalism, led by the trust,” he said.

“It is in keeping with what we are seeing around the country, that supporters are taking the initiative.”

More information on the Trusts' AGM, including a full version of their meeting agenda, can be found at their website www.truststfc.tv.