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Swindon Town have been given the green light to host their home season opener against Cambridge United on Saturday. Ian Holloway's side confirmed that their stadium had passed a safety audit amid claims it needed £250, 000 worth of safety upgrades. The Robins got their League Two campaign underway with a 2-1 defeat away to ten-man Walsall last weekend. The club returns to the County Ground, ranked 17th in Adrian Durham’s list of stadiums in the fourth tier, on Saturday for the first time since a goalless draw with MK Dons on May 3. The 15, 728-capacity venue did not host a single pre-season friendly, leading a fan group to claim that it may not meet safety standards. Spirit of 69 said in a post on X: "After three years of total neglect and a recent lack of investment and upkeep, Swindon Borough Council's Event Safety Advisory Group have identified critical stadium safety upgrades that will cost £250, 000 to remedy, including emergency vehicle access. " Local council leader Jim Robbins said earlier this week: "We want the match on Saturday to go ahead, and for the fans to be able to enjoy the first home game of the season against Cambridge United. "A multi-agency safety advisory group provides independent advice and sports grounds safety certificates, so events can take place safely in line with legal requirements. "Swindon Town Football Club are currently implementing the recommendations provided by the Advisory Group after a full audit of the ground and its safety arrangements was carried out in June by the Council and the club are in regular contact with our team. "There will be a further meeting ahead of the game this weekend to ensure all of the compliance work has been fully completed. " The final inspection took place on Friday, the day before the home opener against Cambridge United. Swindon have now confirmed that the Nigel Eady County Ground has passed the safety audit from Swindon Borough Council and the Event Safety Advisory Group after completing all the necessary work. A statement read: “As part of the annual safety audit conducted by Swindon Borough Council and the Event Safety Advisory Group (ESAG), a series of routine maintenance tasks were identified at the County Ground earlier this summer. “These assessments are standard practice ahead of every new season and ensure the safety and operational readiness of the stadium. “Despite reports, we would like to reassure supporters that all outstanding and necessary maintenance works have been completed as scheduled, in line with our annual summer maintenance and upgrade programme. “Following the removal of the existing trophy cabinet to allow for reinstatement of proper fire protection, a new, compliant cabinet has been ordered and will be installed in accordance with current fire safety regulations. “As is standard practice every season, Swindon Borough Council and the ESAG (Event Safety Advisory Group) conduct a full safety audit of the stadium. "This year’s audit highlighted a number of routine maintenance tasks, none of which were considered a concern by either Swindon Town Football Club or Swindon Borough Council in terms of timely completion. As per Swindon Town “We have worked in close coordination with the relevant local authorities throughout this process to ensure that all necessary safety measures and compliance work are in place ahead of Saturday’s fixture against Cambridge United. “As of today, all required work has been fully completed and finalised in accordance with the agreed schedule, and has now been officially approved by ESAG and Swindon Borough Council following their inspection this morning (Friday 8 August). ” Swindon did admit that more work will be required for their Stratton Bank stand to be opened for away fans this season. The visitors section is usually closed unless the away allocation is sold out - which is not the case for Saturday's opponents, Cambridge. However, the Stratton Bank was also not opened last year despite demand from Birmingham City and Bradford City. The stand has not been used since Wrexham rolled into Swindon and claimed a 1-0 victory on Boxing Day in 2023. The statement added: “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. ” © 2025 talk SPORT Limited

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