Revealed: Swindon Town’s best players of the 1980s

As with the 60s-70s team, over 20 names were put forward, and Adver Sport endured the difficult task of whittling the list of players down to the 16 who made it into the final squad. Thank you to everyone who contributed.

After missing out in the previous decade line-up, Chris Kamara is included on the bench this time while Alan Mayes wins a starting spot.

In goal, there was only ever going to be one winner. After bridging the gap between Scott Endersby and the legend that is Jimmy Allan midway through the 80s, Fraser Digby began his 500-plus game run for Swindon one year after arriving on loan from Manchester United without featuring.

Digby’s best season of the 80s was in the 86-87 campaign where he took over from Kenny Allan, was named the Adver’s Player of the Season, and won promotion to Division Two thanks to victory over Gillingham.

Playing in front of Digby in this highly-attacking 3-2-3-2 formation is Phil King, Colin Calderwood, and Charlie Henry. 145 of King’s 150 games arrived in the 80s before Sheffield Wednesday came calling. But the left-back played in almost every game he was available for and was as steady as they came.

Calderwood – who will be vice-captain of this side – is a bona fide Swindon hero as a result of a wonderful eight-season stint at the heart of the defence in which he nabbed his fair share of goals while keeping plenty out.

To his right is Henry, who – given his early experience of the position – is playing at right-back to balance this attack-heavy XI – even though he was the club’s top scorer in the Division Four championship-winning season, with eighteen goals after being converted to an attacking midfielder by Lou Macari. Match that, Remeao Hutton.

Captain of this team, Alan McLoughlin endured a rough start to his time at Swindon but eventually found his way and became one of the most integral components in the late 80s under Ossie Ardiles. His 17 goals in 61 games during 89-90 was his stand-out campaign.

Leigh Barnard partners McLoughlin in centre midfield as one of the most consistent players of the time over the course of his 267 appearances. ‘Stumpy’ as he was affectionately known, helped the club to promotion in 85-86 and 86-87 while featuring for the majority of the decade.

The front five in Town’s Team of the 80s includes exclusively strikers as a result of the plethora of goal-poachers the club contained at the time. In no particular order, Alan Mayes slots in on the left as a result of his 83 goals in 184 games as well as his performances during the second Town stint – particularly in the League Cup.

Just in front of him was good friend and equally capable forward, Andy Rowland. The pair operated in different styles, but this team would cause havoc down the left with the old duo of Rowland and Mayes back together again. Rowland netted 98 times before moving further back into Town sides as his 345-game Swindon career wore on.

One of the most storied characters ever to be involved with Swindon Town, Jimmy Quinn began his association with the Robins by breaking through as a player in 83-84 and then enjoying a superb season in 87-88 thanks to 31 goals in 55 games. The Northern Ireland international plays as the central attacking figure in this all-star XI.

To his right, Duncan Shearer has every right to claim he belongs in both the 80s and (upcoming) 90s team of the decade. He replaced the goals of Dave Bamber and Quinn while forming a lethal partnership with the final member of this team – Steve White.

Speaking of, the best days of ‘Chalky’ primarily came in the 80s in the shape of 76 goals in close to 200 games. He netted on his debut and then never stopped – except for when he teed up his mate, Shearer.

On the bench, a couple more strikers in Paul Rideout (42 in 114) and Dave Bamber (47 in 137) just failed to squeeze themselves into the side. Kamara, Tom Jones, and Steve Foley are all capable midfielders to call on from the bench, and Jon Gittens completes the bench – one of the most ‘committed’ players ever to pull on a Town shirt.

The manager of this fine team will be Lou Macari, assisted by Ossie Ardiles.