EFL

Cooper is 18. Last weekend, his main assignment was meant to be a North Wilts Youth League Under-14 Division Three clash between Swindon Supermarine and Lydiard Millicent. Instead, he ended up filling the role of fourth official in the EFL.

Regardless of whether or not senior figures at the club feel it is a fair situation, Swindon fans are voting with their feet in a way that’s not been seen since the darkest days of Lee Power’s abominable administration.

SPECIAL Q&A: To mark the occasion, The Moonraker met up with Bodin to chat about his life in football, the lessons he has learned, and how the game has changed over the course of his professional career.

Since the 1993/94 Premier League term, the longest period of time – in days – that Swindon fans have had to wait for a competitive victory in any given season had never crept above 25. Until now.

He regularly, nay routinely fields a blunderbuss barrel’s worth of criticism, much of it well placed, some of it a little more conspiratorial. He does not come from a football background, nor does he appear to have long ties to the sport beyond fandom. He lives on the other side of the world. Why persist, then?

The Moonraker reported on Saturday that Swindon's recruitment team had only been able to get several deals done in the final fortnight before deadline because the playing budget had seen a considerable increase, in proportion to where it previously stood.

Regardless of which of Bycroft and Barden becomes Swindon's regular number one, the fact both are in the squad will allow Town to move Redman Evans out on loan.