CLUB captain Nathan Thompson has launched a staunch defence of chairman Lee Power in an effort to silence the Swindon Town boo boys.

During Swindon’s final game of what was overall a lacklustre 2016 calendar year at Milton Keynes Dons on December 30, there were audible chants from the away end at Stadium MK as supporters voiced their opposition at Power’s regime.

Skipper Thompson used his programme notes ahead of Saturday’s clash with fellow League One strugglers Shrewsbury Town to tell of the unease he felt at fans’ disgruntlement towards the chairman and insisted the sustainable model being implemented by Power at present is the best one for the club.

However, that did not prevent more loud anti-Power chants during the clash with the Shrews, while a chorus of boos greeted the full-time whistle at the County Ground following the 1-1 draw.

Thompson wrote: “I was disheartened to hear at the MK Dons game chants about Lee Power and heated arguments between our fans.

“We have a chairman who has invested his own money, saved this club from financial difficulty and is trying to implement a system which is sustainable for years to come at this club.

“In the world of football, that isn’t sexy and what fans want to hear, but it’s realistic and what needs to be done.

“It’s easy to point the finger of blame at him but he hasn’t changed the goalposts this year from previous years which brought us success.”

Thompson is hoping for brighter prospects in 2017 after closing the curtain on a tough year both personally and professionally.

The Town skipper believes only a united front from players, staff and supporters alike can help haul Town out of the mire they find themselves in at present and has urged fans to keep the faith as he is sure solid foundations are in place on which future success can be built.

Thompson added: “2016 was a very tough for me off the pitch. I lost numerous people close to me for all sorts of different reasons and I was extremely grateful to see the back of it.

“However, every experience offers lessons and if I learnt anything from last year it’s that when things get tough, we’re stronger together than we are alone.

“I believe this applies to this football club as well. Everybody associated with Swindon Town wants the best for this team. If we’re going to move forward we need to be united as one.

“I can appreciate we all show our loyalty in different ways, but if we can support this club together, we will achieve a lot more than if we don’t.

“Results have been way below the standard we expect and after tweaking and tinkering with different options, there isn’t a straight-forward answer for that.

“At this club, we have the raw ingredients for a young, successful team that should be able to dominate League One, we just haven’t found the right recipe to bring those components all together.”