NEW Swindon Town manager David Flitcroft understands the importance of rebuilding the relationship with the club’s fan base in the coming months.

While relegation from League One left a bad taste in everybody’s mouth, discontent in the way Town was being run on and off the pitch also bubbled to the surface.

A dark cloud hung over the County Ground and Flitcroft is not coming into the club blind to that fact and hopes that his experience, not only as a manager but as a football fan, will help to forge a strong link between Swindon and it’s supporters, which he knows will be key for them doing well in League Two.

“It’s massive,” explained the 43-year-old.

“I’m a football fan, I’m from a football family, I’ve got a massive football background. My mum is a football addict, my brother’s obviously played the game, I’m never away from football, my lads are fans so I really understand what it means to be a fan and what it means to fall in love with your football club.

“There was a dark cloud hanging over Bury when I first took over. We were fast falling out of the league, we stayed up easily that season.

“The season after that we got promoted, the season after that we finished with a record points total and the season after that I got sacked for being five points off the play-offs, when the mission was to get in the play-offs.

“I understand that that type of success will bring fans back in.”

While Flitcroft understands that results on the pitch will be the main catalyst for getting fans behind the club, he also believes that the club and players need to get out into the community to ensure that they are seen in a positive light both on and off the pitch.

“Fans associate with winning, fans associate with feeling good about the football club and the right messages and positivity,” he added.

“We can only do that on the pitch, in and around Swindon, letting people know what we’re about and I have got to be honest, I have been lucky in my life to fight for everything I have ever achieved and ever won.

“You want to go to a football pitch and watch your team and know that the least they are giving is commitment and endeavour and that they enjoy representing for the fans.

“The football club does belong to the fans, it is something that I understand more than most people and I have got to bring that and make sure my staff give those signals off and my players give those signals off.

“We want to put that pride back into the performance of being a Swindon player.”