STFC 2023/24: The final diagnosis by Link Swindon Town correspondent Alfie Howlett

Swindon’s suffering is temporarily over. The month of May brings the end of our season and the opportunity to restock and analyse a crazily contrasting campaign. A campaign which will no doubt go down as one to quickly forget.

You’d be forgiven for forgetting that Town had their best start to a league season in history. But, although it seems like an age ago, they were in fact sitting on top of the tree after eight games. And at that point I and many people were adamant that this new exciting attacking team would have a strong season.

Manager Michael Flynn seemed to be the answer and Dan Kemp and Jake Young were the key to unlock the desire. Then Autumn came and as the leaves fell to the ground so did Swindon’s threadbare squad. The injuries stacked up and brought to light the lack of investment in the squad.

Soon, it all came tumbling down before it was even fully built. Kemp and Young were recalled, and Flynn departed having visibly lost parts of the dressing room. Under the stewardship of interim head coach Gavin Gunning, the rest of the season proved an almighty struggle. Swindon had fallen off a cliff. Fears of an unimaginable relegation began to linger, fears which no doubt would’ve been realised had it not been for the first eight games.

Spring saw Swindon make a mini recovery and cobble together the remaining points to ensure survival. Although, at a football club of such prestige, this shouldn’t even be considered a bare minimum.

So, who is your player of the season? I hear you ask. I laugh before preparing to name a player who only wore red for four months. Dan Kemp. His time at SN1 was short but incredibly sweet. After joining on loan from MK Dons in the summer, the number 10 quickly became Swindon’s star man. In just 27 games, Kemp made an outstanding contribution as he racked up 16 goals and eight assists. Figures which would top the Town charts for the remainder of the season.

In my opinion, Kemp’s main selling point was his admirable work ethic. In a team where questions concerning individuals' desire were so rife, Kemp could never be questioned. He always gave 110%.

I think in only such a damp squib of a season can you get away with naming a player of the season who only just played over half the matches. But there is simply nobody, except perhaps Godwin-Malife, who has consistently impressed since August. There can be no question that Paul Glatzel has been the star of the post Kemp era.

There we have it. 2023/24, a season which brought a temporary glance at relegation to the National League and a player of the season who only played half of the campaign. Certainly not a season to remember. But the next one could prove to be even worse. 

However, like any August I’ll be glad to see Swindon back and hopefully they positively surprise us all.