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Relegation fears

I’M A season ticket holder at STFC. The defeat on Saturday and more worryingly the overall performance was the worst I’ve ever seen in all the years I’ve been going to the County Ground.

Yes we pass the ball a lot, the majority of it appears to be for the sake of it simply because there is no end product, that is attempts on goal.

We’ve got injuries but that’s not an excuse. All teams get them.

I’ve never seen a Town team play so badly. There was no tempo about our game, it was so slow, it lacked passion, it lacked desire, it lacked commitment, it lacked everything.

It was like a training session on how to keep the ball without any attempt to penetrate the opponents’ goal.

We might win the possession stats but football is all about scoring goals to win games and we ain’t doing that.

Five home defeats already is, without doubt, even before we reach November, relegation form.

Yes, Lee Power may have sorted out our finances and I congratulate him for that.

But relegation back to the fourth division, I’m old school, cannot and must not be allowed to happen.

Lee Power has a duty to ensure this does not happen, even if it means dipping into his pockets to spend some of the money we’ve had from Wembley and the subsequent sale of a number of players.

I’m realistic. I’d settle for consolidation every season in the division we’re in.

God forbid we are relegated. If it happens, and our current form suggests it’s likely, then it could be the start of a massive slippery slope maybe out of the football league. No club is immune from this, just ask any fan of Bristol Rovers.

Lee Power has enough time to ensure this doesn’t happen. Yes it’s great to pass the ball, but we have to mix it up. Clubs have sussed us out. So we do need Plan B and we need it urgently.

Also, a couple of experienced players too, rather than simply kids.

Luke Williams maybe a good coach. But is he a manager? He seems to be too close to the players.

Certainly Saturday’s lack of performance would not be tolerated by any experienced manager. Just imagine if Paulo Di Canio was in the dug out. That would be interesting.

So my plea to Lee Power, is sort it out and ensure we are not relegated.

ALAN WILSON

Shapwick Close

Nythe, Swindon

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Bedroom tax anger

RE BENEFIT Clarification ( Adver. Norman Baker 19/10/16).

I am at a loss to understand Norman Baker’s smug reply regarding his two MP chums.

As for the ‘Comrade Corbyn’ comment - is this meant to be funny? Were Adver readers reeling about in fits of laughter?

There is an ongoing online petition, prompted by the Independent newspaper, which has reached 130,000 signatures plus.

It is protesting against proposed housing benefit cuts to pensioners, in essence another ‘bedroom tax.’

Other serious newspapers have commented upon the subject, including The Telegraph. Or perhaps, Norman Baker, they too have got it wrong?

What on earth are Norman Baker’s two MP chums up to? Are they pursuing other interests so much they have lost touch with newspaper editorial comments and online petitions against the proposed vile tax? In short, are they becoming complacent?

Labour MP Frank Field commented quite recently telling the Independent: “Having previously been protected from the viciousness of the bedroom tax large numbers of poor pensioners now look set to have their living standards cut by the Government’s new strategy.”

Charity leaders have also criticised this Government’s proposed new tax, agreeing with Frank Field.

Tory Ministers argue that ensuring “under occupying” households move would free up larger homes for families living in cramped conditions, as well as saving £465m a year.

It seems the Tories haven’t killed off enough of the poor yet.

Do have another word with your ‘two excellent MP’s’ Mr Baker!

JEFF ADAMS

Bloomsbury, Swindon

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Alarmist headline

YOUR headline “ 1 in 10 of us is a criminal” ( SA October 21) means on average there are at least 12 criminals living in my street alone.

There were 20,000 recorded crimes last year in Swindon which has a population about 10 times this number.

So your alarmist headline would only be true if every criminal committed only one recorded crime a year.

This is obviously not true as there are many criminals with a string of offences to their name.

I think that means that the vast majority of my neighbours are law-abiding and our road has maybe on average only one or two villains. Much less scary.

KEN STIMSON

Grosvenor Road, Swindon

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Disgraceful situation

JESUS Christ, the greatest being in human form to walk on our planet earth, said, ‘Suffer little children to come unto me.’

Who in their right mind would not remember their vulnerability as a young child?

The greatest insult to my intelligence, my failing eye sight and to the hardworking tax payers of the British Isles is to see grown adults with smiles on their faces being welcomed to my island as children, at taxpayers’ expense.

I have never ever had a free meal in my lifetime

But let us remember the poor innocent little children left to the French and replaced by grown men.

Another point, where are the little girls and their mothers?

Everlasting shame on the powers that be for allowing this disgraceful situation to incur.

How much more do we take of this nonsense before we all say enough is enough. Not much longer where I am coming from.

BILL WILLIAMS

Merlin Way

Covingham

Swindon