THE Swindon Town supporters' group driving a bid for part-ownership of the County Ground is confident it will hit its shareholder target.

TrustSTFC and the football club have stuck a deal to buy the ground from Swindon Borough Council for £2.2m.

The Trust has set itself the goal of attracting 2,300 shareholders, who will pay £19.69 per share. It says it settled on that figure "to show the club and council that fans are serious in investing in the future of the County Ground and to ensure fans are represented in strong numbers".

The source of the balance of the £1.1m the fans need to raise is confidential and covered by a non-disclosure agreement.

The Trust said: “If we can’t get at least 2,300 fans wanting to own a part of the County Ground at a cost of just £19.69 then we have an issue.

“We actually think we will have far more than 2,300 fans, which is wonderful, and we hope to have as many fans as possible buying shares.”

Buying a share also guarantees a vote for owners to have a say on future development of the ground.

It added: “Fans who purchase community shares would decide future policy. It’s one vote per community shareholder, equal rights for all involved.”