2 days ago
Stratton Bank away end at County Ground cannot be used until further work is done
Swindon Town have confirmed that more work will be required for the Stratton Bank to be opened for away fans this season.
Ahead of the opening home game of the season against Cambridge United, Swindon Town and Swindon Borough Council have confirmed that the Nigel Eady County Ground has passed the safety audit from SBC and the Event Safety Advisory Group after necessary work to bring it up to standard was completed.
Whilst the Stratton Bank was not required for the Cambridge match, it was not opened last year despite demand from Birmingham City and Bradford City, with CEO Anthony Hall explaining that it would not have been financially viable to do so.
The stand has not been used since the visit of Wrexham on Boxing Day in 2023, and it appears that further work must be completed before that drought can be ended.
As part of their statement confirming that the stadium had passed a safety inspection on August 8, Swindon mentioned that further work was underway to ensure that the Stratton Bank could be opened.
Town will play local rivals Reading in the Vertu Trophy group stage on September 2, and the club hopes to put away supporters in that stand for the game, as there is likely to be a high demand; however, further work is ongoing to make that possible.
Swindon revealed that, under the advice of SBC for what work was required to open the stand safely, they have successfully tested the barriers in the Stratton Bank, but fixing the E10 Emergency Gate, painting of access and egress areas, and replacement of seating remain ongoing, whilst demolition of the toilets in the stand was scheduled for next week.
All of this work is scheduled to be completed ahead of the visit of Reading, but the club are working with SBC to guarantee that it will be safe to do so.
The statement said: 'Further work is required at Stratton Bank to ensure it can be opened, should demand necessitate its use.
'While these works are ongoing, Swindon Borough Council and Swindon Town Football Club continue to work closely to complete all necessary requirements.
'As Stratton Bank is not currently needed for standard matchday operations, the works can progress without disruption.
'However, should there be sufficient demand, it is our intention to have the Stratton Bank operational and ready for use for the fixture against Reading on Tuesday, 2 September.'
