THREE managers, three different owners, a transfer embargo, and a midnight raid from a former manager, just another year at Swindon Town.

In the past 134 years since the club’s creation, fans have experienced massive highs and extreme lows, but the past 12 months have included some moments that will live long in the memory of all the Town faithful.

In this short review of the past 12 months I will be looking at the moments that made us proud, angry and at most points, confused.

Ownership

In the last few months of 2012 a few signs of dissention behind the scenes started to surface, as the club walked into a transfer embargo.

A few weeks later, the clubs owner Andrew Black removes popular Chairman Jeremy Wray, and replaces him with Sir William Patey, who is given the task of selling the club.

To keep the administrators at bay, the Town board has no choice but to sell star player Matt Ritchie to Bournemouth for just £500K.

Finally on the 21st February, Andrew Black sells Swindon Town to a local consortium headed up by Banbury United owner Jed McCrory.

On the 3rd December, director of football and part owner Lee Power becomes the new Chairman and sole owner of the club.

I’m not sure how many clubs have had three owners in just one year but I’m guessing not many, and unfortunately I don’t think headlines about this issue will disappear in 2014.

Paolo Di Canio

In 2013 we saw the end of Paolo Di Canio’s reign at Swindon Town.

Di Canio joined the club in May 2011 and made an instant impact, the club was on its knee’s following its relegation to League Two and needed a figure head to take it forward, step forward Paolo Di Canio.

He was given the biggest budget in the entire league to achieve his goal of promotion, and he duly delivered by winning the League Two title in 2012, and taking the club to the JPT Final at Wembley.

After again spending heavily on players and more significantly on wages before the 2012/13 season, the club enjoyed a good start and looked odds on for consecutive promotions.

But as soon as Andrew Black revealed he was looking to move on and take his money with him, which signaled the beginning of the end for Di Canio at Town.

And on the 18th February, Di Canio resigned as manager, leaving the club on top of League One after his staff masterminded a superb win over Tranmere Rovers.

Di Canio’s time at Town was a non-stop ride full of highs and lows, but whatever you thought about him or his methods, he achieved success at Town under the remit he was given.

Playoffs

After Di Canio’s departure Darren Ward and Tommy Miller took charge on a caretaker basis, and following a humiliating home defeat to Bury, it was obvious a full-time boss was needed urgently.

Step forward former Aston Villa youth team boss Kevin MacDonald, who lead the club to the League One playoffs, but lost out in the semi-finals on penalties to Brentford.

Managers

Following the clubs summer holidays, Town reported back to training but quickly found themselves managerless again after Kevin MacDonald resigned, citing personal problems as the motive behind his decision.

At first his assistant Mark Cooper took over the club on a temporary basis before being appointed manager on a full-time basis after a good start to the season.

Players

Just like the 133 years previous, this year at Swindon Town we’ve been blessed by some great individual and team performances.

Massimo Luongo signed for Town on loan from Spurs in late March and since that point he has been the best player to put on a Town shirt this year.

After his successful loan spell, the club decided to sign the midfielder on a permanent basis in late August.

Town signed young winger Alex Pritchard in early July as one of three players to join the club from White Hart Lane on loan.

Ever since his first game for Town you could tell he wasn’t a League One player, and could easily make the jump up to the Championship, possibly the Premier League after he’s earned some more valuable experience.

Unfortunately its now looking almost certain that he will move on next month, with Huddersfield and Wolves making enquires to his parent club.

On the other side, we’ve also seen some terrible performances in 2013.

Gary Roberts was signed by Paolo Di Canio in July 2012 and claimed he turned down offers from Championship clubs to join Town, but Roberts never settled at SN1.

Roberts ultimate failure came at Griffin Park where the second half had just kicked off and Town have just got themselves back in the game, when Roberts passed the ball straight to the Bees best player Clayton Donaldson, and he restored the home side’s two goal lead.

Dean Parrett was another Spurs loanee who arrived in late March, but that’s where any similarities with Massimo Luongo end.

The attacking midfielder made his debut for Town at home against Oldham, and had a decent game, but the following away trips to Doncaster Rovers and Franchise FC told a different story.

His performance at Soulless:MK was one of the worst I’ve ever seen by a Town player, he simply didn’t look interested, and was eventually hauled off by Kevin MacDonald.

Unsurprisingly, Parrett was sent back to Tottenham shortly after that performance.

Town’s record (in all competitions) in 2013: P: 55 W: 24 D: 13 L: 18.

2014

Now that 2013 is coming to a close, what should the Town faithful expect in 2014?

Predicting anything to do with football is like giving Julian Alsop a banana in the Oxford dressing room, the outcome isn’t going to be pretty for anyone involved.

After what I’ve seen over the past five months from this current Town side, I see us finishing just short of the playoffs places.

The clubs chances our earning that important playoff spot all depend on how Town perform in the transfer window, and the loan window that follows.

Signing players who are on the same level as outgoing pair of Alex Pritchard and Nicky Ajose will be key.

Despite Raphael Rossi Branco impressing at the weekend, and Troy Archibald-Henville returning to fitness in January, signing a new centre back should be one of the clubs main priorities.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Follow me on Twitter @danjohnson_stfc.