SWINDON Town benefactor James Wills has leapt to the defence of his family's role at the County Ground insisting their main aim has always been to ensure the club's survival.

Wills, who along with father Sir Seton are Town's majority shareholders, has been accused of being greedy' by some supporters but ahead of tomorrow's home clash with Tranmere he insists personal profit has never been a driving force.

It was revealed in an exclusive meeting with the Swindon Advertiser on Wednesday, the Wills family have put more than £10million into the club over several years just to keep it in existence.

Wills also reveals his support for Town goes back to cheering them on in the Town End from the age of five and admits, if the new takeover bid goes through, he would gladly return to the terraces as an everyday fan.

BEST Holdings accused Town's greed as the reason for the deal dying but, having his say for the first time, Wills insisted his families motives have always been honourable.

He said: "My father and I want the football club to survive and prosper and that is what we thought would happen with Jorge Rubenstein and BEST Holdings.

"For me I saw a football man who was bringing in players that he said had all these valuations. What we saw later from these players was very disappointing.

"All we wanted was for someone to come into the club and make sure it was financially secure.

"If down the line and with property in place then maybe we could get something back from that. That was all we wanted."

Wills has often been accused of being an Arsenal fan in the past but, while admitting he likes Arsene Wenger's side, he insists his passion is still Swindon.

He said: "I have been going since I was five. Whatever happens to me I will still go and watch it in the Town End.

"I always used to watch the games in the Town End and would probably rather be there than watching it with this lot in the directors box.

"The criticism of the family does hurt but every football fan has their rights and they get carried away by what they see and read.

"As a fan I would probably be doing the same thing."

While happy to see someone stepping in to save the club from the financial crisis, Wills insists his family will still be around if wanted.

"It depends on what the new people have in mind," he said. "If they want us to be part of it then we would continue with them but on a reduced level.

"We would have given the club to the fans' consortium but we actually never had any offer from them.

"We have been waiting for Bill Power and his people but they never made an offer.

"If they had come up with a sensible offer we would have listened and we would have gone."