THERE is little chance of Swindon Town fans getting shirty this season they've already sold out.

Some 3,500 replica home shirts have flown off the club shop shelves and keen supporters will have to wait until the end of the season for their chance to buy another one.

In total a club record 5,000 shirts have been sold this year alone and although the on-field success of Andy King's team is a big reason for that, the situation is a yardstick by which the club can measure its off-field achievements. It would take around 10 weeks for a new batch to be delivered, so the club has decided to wait and hopefully have next season's shirt ready in time for the play-offs, at the end of May.

But there is some comfort, especially for the more generous fan. The shop still has a few XXXL and children's shirts.

Swindon Town chief executive Mark Devlin said: "There are just none left on the shelves. We had already sold around 5,000 shirts before Christmas and the takings were £50,000 more than the whole of last season.

"The fact that we've got XXXL shirts left means the fans obviously aren't eating enough pies during the match so we'll have to see if we can sell a few more pasties from now on."

The financial troubles of Swindon Town are well documented, but rarely has club shop business been as booming as it is now. To Mr Devlin's knowledge the club is the only one in the country where a replica shirt can be purchased for under £30. Last season the famous red jersey retailed at £36.99 this year it costs £29.99.

Mr Devlin said: "There are two reasons we're really busy. Firstly it's because the team is doing well on the pitch and is in a good position in the league and secondly we have a great range of merchandise and reasonable prices."

Fan Marc Severn, 24, walked into the club shop yesterday looking for a home shirt to send to his uncle, Peter Emery, in Malaga, Spain. He said: "I wanted a large shirt for my uncle, who runs a bar over there. I'm a bit disappointed because he'll now have to wait until the end of the season to hang one up in his bar."

Today Swindon travel to Blackpool searching for a win that would further cement them as serious promotion contenders.

gsheldrick@newswilts.co.uk