Chris Scott helped save the Fleming medals Picture Ref: 77198-3A GROUP of Swindon Town fans have saved medals belonging to one of the club's greatest ever footballers.

The Advertiser revealed earlier this month the Harold Fleming memorabilia was due to go under the hammer.

Fleming, who played for the club just before the First World War, was so feted by town fans that his name now adorns Fleming Way in the middle of Swindon.

And after seeing our report Swindon supporters decided his memory should be kept alive at the County Ground.

Chris Scott, 72, said: "When I saw the article in the paper I thought 'hang on, that's a bit of Swindon's history. We can't just let it go'. We're really pleased with how it's gone.

"It was all done in a rush but the medals are coming to Swindon. That's the main thing."

The Fleming memorabilia had been tipped to reach £5,000 at Bonhams in Chester yesterday but in the end it went for more than double that, pulling in £13,000.

The Swindon supporters did not manage to get all the lots.

They bought six of the 14 at a cost of around £8,000 with the others going to a private collector in Wales.

But they were far from disappointed.

"People have been excellent. We are just glad to get what we could," said Mr Scott, a retired accountant who lives in Haydon View Road.

The club were also over-joyed with the news.

Spokesman for Swindon Town FC, Chris Tanner, said: "It's great that the medals will be back in Swindon. The club is really proud to see how the fans have rallied round. We're looking forward to getting the medals."

Nigel Bennett, from the Swindon Town Supporters Club, said: "Chris has done lots of hard work to bring them back here and he deserves a lot of credit for what he has done for the club."

And Paul Plowman, 55, organiser of Swindon Away Supporters, said: "I was hoping to get four or five of them but six is great."

The medals they have secured are: Two Inter League Representative medals, a Swindon Town League Winners medal, Charity Shield Medals (1911 and 1913) and the Swindon Schools Football League Medal 1889.

Gareth Bethell