STFC News
THE GARY ROSE COLUMN: Game off but Swindon still keep busy
6:00am Monday 6th February 2012
RATHER than writing about Swindon climbing to the top of League Two, my Saturday was largely spent sheltering from the snow waiting for Town’s players to arrive for an impromptu training session.
Despite the club’s best efforts, the game against Burton was called off at 10am.
Once the postponement was confirmed I raced down to the County Ground to catch a word with Nick Watkins, with the Town chief executive clearly disappointed that the heating equipment they had ordered was not up to the standard they had been given the impression they would be receiving.
A few hours later, and just as the first flakes of snow started to fall, I was on my way to Croft Sports Centre where Paolo Di Canio had arranged a training session to make up for the absence of a game.
As I sat perusing Twitter waiting for the players to arrive, I saw a number of tweets from other footballers who had had their respective games called off pondering how to spend a free weekend.
Such comments again highlighted the difference between the Paolo Di Canio regime and many other clubs.
Under the Italian, a postponed fixture does not mean a day off, instead it is an opportunity to switch focus and prepare for the next game.
Given the volume of games Swindon have had recently, and the congested fixture schedule that lies ahead, it would have been easy – and understandable – for Di Canio to give his players a day off to rest up.
Instead the players were out in near freezing conditions, being put through their paces as many other footballers were enjoying the rare opportunity to sit at home and watch Soccer Saturday.
Di Canio and his players seem to be always looking to go the extra mile.
The same can be said of the club as a whole, as they worked harder than most to try and get Saturday’s game to ahead. It is that determination to do more than most that should see Swindon promoted.