I AM prompted to write to you following the match with Northampton on Saturday.

On behalf of the majority of fans in the Town End I would like to create some distance from the small minority who continually booed Andy Gurney throughout the match.

What Gurney did at Cheltenham was unacceptable but the players admitted that and apologised unreservedly.

He is now trying to atone for that by his performance on the pitch.

Barracking your own players is entirely senseless and the only ones it helps are the opposition.

If you want to boo Gurney then there's plenty of room in the Arkells stand with the rest of the away fans.

Leave the rest of us to apply our energies more positively!

I also wonder at the ongoing criticism of the manager.

King is not the greatest manager in the world but then I don't see the likes of Sir Alex, Sven and Arsene queuing up outside Mark Devlin's door asking for a job.

Some fans clearly want to add Steve Coppell's name to the long list of managers who have tried to overcome the club's difficulties and quickly departed.

Andy King is not here because he wants a slice of a property deal, a stepping stone to a big club or to get a Ruddock-style pension.

He is here because he wants the best for Swindon Town.

Bringing in Steve Coppell only demonstrates that.

What he offers us is commitment, passion and stability something a lot of fans seem unable to understand.

Let's cut him a bit of slack, get behind the players and cheer them on.

Who knows we might find that a bit of Coppellesque positive thinking works wonders for all of us.

ANDREW MILTON

Westfield Road

Kings Heath, Birmingham