The Giant Killers
SWINDON TOWN
Swindon Town were formed officially in 1881, although there is evidence to suggest that the first steps towards the formation of the club could go back to 1879, and first entered the FA cup in 1886 as an amateur side. The club turned pro in 1894 and joined the Southern League that year going on to shatter the cup dreams of seven top flight sides during a golden period of cup football for the side in the six years prior to World War one, most notable being a 2-1 defeat of Everton on the way to the semi finals in 1912. After the war Swindon joined the newly formed Third Division where they remained for the next forty years, a period which included arguably Swindon's greatest day in the cup when Burnley were beaten at their own patch in 1948. Second tier football was secured for the first time in 1963 but they were unable to push on and top flight status eluded them. Despite a major League Cup shock, winning the trophy in 1969, Swindon dropped to the league basement in 1982 yet within a decade they finally made it to the big time. Sady however this coincided with revelations of financial irregularities at the club which led them to have their top flight status revoked before a ball was kicked. Two years later in 1993 top flight football was finally secured, and this time Swindon were allowed to take their rightfull place among the elite clubs, albeit for a solitary season before being relegated again in 1994. The time since has been spent in the second, third and fourth tier.
Magic Moments
3-2 @ Sheffield United
First round replay: Thursday 16th January 1908 {after extra time}
Attendance: 19,566
Scorers: Frank Warburton, Billy Tout, Jimmy Johnston
Ranked at the time: 33
Today: Outside the top 300
3-2 vs Tottenham Hotspur
Third round: 19th February 1910
Attendance: 11,818
Scorer: Harold Fleming {3}{image left}
Ranked at the time: 56
Today: Outside the top 400
Team: 1:Len Skiller 2:Harry Kay 3:Jock Walker 4:Billy Tout 5:Charlie Bannister 6:Billy Silto 7:Bob Jefferson 8:Harold Fleming 9:Freddy Wheatcroft 10:Archie Bown 11:Jack Lavery
3-1 vs Notts County
First round: 14th January 1911
Attendance: 12,332
Scorers: Archie Bown [2] [image right], Harold Fleming
Ranked at the time: 46
Today: Outside the top 300
Team: 1:Len Skiller, 2:Harry Kay, 3:Jock Walker, 4:Billy Tout, 5:Charlie Bannister, 6:Billy Silto, 7:Bob Jefferson, 8:Harold Fleming, 9:Freddy Wheatcroft, 10:Archie Bown, 11:Tommy Bolland

1-0 vs Woolwich Arsenal
Second round: 4th February 1911
Attendance: 14,861
Scorer: Jefferson
Ranked at the time: 55
Today: Outside the top 300
Team: 1:Fred Hemmings, 2:Harry Kay, 3:Jock Walker, 4:Billy Tout, 5:Charlie Bannister, 6:Billy Silto, 7:Bob Jefferson, 8:Harold Fleming, 9:Jack Burkinshaw, 10:Archie Bown, 11:Tommy Bolland

2-0 vs Notts County
Second round: 3rd February 1912
Attendance:13,780
Scorers: Harold Fleming, Freddy Wheatcroft
Ranked at the time: 53
Today: Outside the top 300
{image: Albert iremonger clears a Swindon corner}
Team: 1:Len Skiller, 2:Harry Kay, 3:Jock Walker, 4:Billy Tout, 5:Billy Silto, 6:Frank Handley, 7:Bob Jefferson, 8:Harold Fleming, 9:Freddy Wheatcroft, 10:Archie Bown, 11:Sammy Lamb
Quarter final: 9th March 1912
Attendance:13,989
Scorers: Bob Jefferson, Archie Bown
Ranked at the time: 6
Today: Inside the top 100
Team: 1:Len Skiller, 2:Harry Kay, 3:Jock Walker, 4:Billy Tout, 5:Billy Silto, 6:Frank Handley, 7:Bob Jefferson, 8:Harold Fleming, 9:Freddy Wheatcroft, 10:Archie Bown, 11:Sammy Lamb
1-0 vs Manchester United
First round: January 10th 1914
Attendance: 18,187
Scorer: Harold Fleming
Ranked at the time: 76
Today: Outside the top 400
Team: 1:Len Skiller, 2:Harry Kay, 3:Charles Giles, 4:Billy Tout, 5: Billy Silto, 6:Frank Handley, 7:Bob Jefferson, 8:Harold Fleming, 9:Freddy Wheatcroft, 10: Archie Bown, 11:Tommy Bolland
1-0 vs Sheffield United
First round: Saturday January 8th 1921
Attendance:16,865
Scorer: Harold Fleming
Ranked at the time:86
Today: Outside the top 300
Team: 1:Len Skiller, 2:Harry Kay, 3:Tober Weston, 4:Tommy Langford, 5:Fred Hawley, 6:Billy Wareing, 7:Bob Jefferson, 8:Harold Fleming, 9:Dave Rogers, 10:Billy Batty, 11:Bertie Davies
2-0 vs Newcastle United

Third round: Saturday January 12th 1929
Attendance: 17,689
Scorer: Harry Morris {2}
Ranked at the time: 56
Today: Outside the top 200
{image left: Harry Morris {extreme right} breaks the deadlock}
Team: 1:Ted Nash, 2:Wally Dickenson, 3:Tommy Wylie, 4:David Low, 5:Danny Bew, 6:Bob Archer, 7:Bertie Denyer, 8:Joe Eddleston, 9:Harry Morris, 10:Les Roberts, 11:Alec Thom
3-2 vs Burnley
Fourth round replay: Wednesday January 30th 1929
Attendance: 24,730
Scorers: Wally Dickenson, Joe Eddleston, Harry Morris
Ranked at the time: 45
Today: Outside the top 100
Team: 1:Ted Nash, 2:Wally Dickenson, 3:Tommy Wylie, 4:David Low, 5:Ralph Viggars, 6:Bob Archer, 7:Bertie Denyer, 8:Joe Eddleston, 9:Harry Morris, 10: Les Roberts, 11:Alec Thom
2-0 @ Manchester United
Third round: Saturday January 11th 1930
Attendance: 33,226
Scorers: Joe Eddleston, Les Roberts
Ranked at the time:25
Today: Outside the top 100
Team: 1:Ted Nash, 2:Tommy Penn, 3:Hector Girvan, 4:David Low, 5:Brinley Humphries, 6:Bob Archer, 7:Bertie Denyer, 8:Joe Eddleston, 9:Harry Morris, 10:Les Roberts, 11:Jimmy McCartney
2-1 Grimsby Town
Third round replay: Wednesday January 12th 1938 {After Extra Time}
Attendance: 23,101
Scorers: Ben Morton, Alan Fowler {image right}
Ranked at the time: 89
Today:Outside the top 200
Team: 1:Billy Bryan, 2:Arthur Tonner, 3:Jack Smith, 4:Harry Cousins, 5:George Morrell, 6:Stan Wilcockson, 7:Eddie Jones, 8:Alan Fowler, 9:Ben Morton, 10:Jack Bradley, 11:Arthur Hetherington


2-1 Wigan Athletic
Third Round: Saturday January 7th 2012
Attendance: 13,238
Scorers: Alan Connell, Paul Benson
Ranked at the time:104
{Image above Wigan keeper Ali Al Habsi is powerless to prevent Swindon's equaliser}
Swindon: 35:Wes Foderingham, 3:Callum Kennedy, 4:Aden Flint, 7:Paul Caddis, 8:Simon Ferry, 10:Matt Ritchie, 12:Alan McCormack, 24:Jack Smith, 17:Alan Connell {29:Lukas Magera-sub 66mins}, 23:Raffaele De Vita {27:Alessandro Cibocchi-sub 87 mins}, 34:Ronan Murray {9:Paul Benson-sub 46 mins, Manager-Paulo Di Canio