Malcolm Bailey's Football Blog: DON ROGERS, SWINDON AND THE BRACELET

Thursday, 29 May 2025

DON ROGERS, SWINDON AND THE BRACELET

On March 15th 1969, Swindon Town became the second, Third Division, team to win the Football League Cup in three seasons and it was Don Rogers, who proved to be their midfield star, leading them from "the front" and making a name for himself. At the usually pristine Wembley, Rogers stunned Arsenal, dancing over the "quagmire" left behind by the Horse of the Year show, churned up after a silly decision by "Wembley" to host the competition shortly before the League Cup Final. Rogers turned on the style with one of his mazey dribbling solo runs, securing a seismic shock 3-1 victory. Winning the trophy should have qualified Swindon Town for a place in the next season's Inter City Fairs' Cup but the Football Association did not allow the club to represent their "Association" just as they have prevented Rodney Marsh's QPR from playing in the same cup in 1967, owing to the club's "lowly status".

Swindon did get their "day in the sun" by compensation, as the club was given a place in the newly provided Anglo-Italian League Cup. Swindon were drawn to play Coppa Italian winners, AS Roma, a team featuring midfielder, Fabio Copello. Swindon lost the first leg in Rome 1-2 and soundly made up for that by scoring 4 to NONE at their County Ground, winning 5-2 on aggregate. The competition was regarded as a success and it was decided to run more competitions in the future.

In 1970, Swindon entered the first official Anglo-Italian cup with five other teams from England and six from Italy. The Football League provided Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough, West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland and Wolves in the English group and Italian put in Napoli, Juventus, Roma, Fiorentina, Lazio and Vincenza (at the time known as Lanerossi). Swindon topped the English table and Napoli won theirs, so they were to meet Napoli in their stadium, the Sao Paulo.

Swindon went 3-0 up in 63 minutes with Arthur Horsfield leading the way; the home crowd erupted and chucked bottles and stones at the visitors. Benches were torn up, missiles thrown and the game abandoned! Swindon were awarded the trophy!! Over 100 fans were injured and around £20,000 worth of damage done. Don Rogers was not over come with emotion, he had won his medal and his wife got a nice bracelet.

https://www.townenders.com/reference.php?reference=1970_AIC

1969 Anglo-Italian League Cup