Clem Morfuni said that his position on selling Swindon Town remains the same following the formation of a fan group hoping to encourage a sale.

Last Tuesday, The Spirit of ’69 was formed by two former TrustSTFC board members, Terry Pierce and Dan Hunt, along with The Loathed Strangers Podcast and Fanzine founder Rich Pullen to put pressure on Town’s owner to publicly put the club up for sale and engage with interested parties.

The group has seen plenty of online support in the days since, having more than 1,200 followers on X, selling out branded hats in seven hours, and many fans changing their profile pictures in support.

The group intends to campaign on social media ahead of an in-person protest ahead of the Grimsby Town match on December 21.

When The Adver spoke to Morfuni this week, he was asked for his reaction to a group formed up to oppose him which has seen plenty of support in the days since its founding.

Morfuni said: “Was I happy? No, I wasn’t happy. Do I understand where they are coming from? Yes, absolutely.

“As I have said in the media numerous times: if there is anyone out there who can show me their proof of funds and a letter of offer then I will gladly sit down with them.

“If this Dan Hunt who has organised this 1969 group has a consortium with a proof of funds then I will look at it.

“I have never shied away from that and said that I am never going to sell the club.

“If these guys can do a better job than me then show me the offer; there are a lot of people who talk a lot and I have had a lot of people come to me saying they want to buy the club, so I ask for their proof of funds but nobody does.

“What do you want me to do? They are all full of BS.

“If Dan Hunt has got someone who is a billionaire and wants to put millions of pounds into Swindon Town and wants to sit down with the Advisory Board every month and wants to make sure that the development gets done then, by all means, bring them down, I will gladly sit down with them.”

The Adver is aware of and has been contacted by multiple parties who had held an interest in purchasing the club in recent months, but none have progressed to an advanced stage.

With The Spirit of ’69 advocating that Morfuni publicly says he is entertaining interest, the Australian businessman said that he has never stood in the way of a realistic sale as no such party existed.

Morfuni said: “I am a businessman at the end of the day and I will look at every opportunity.

“If the opportunity is there and I believe that they will do a better job of running this club then I will sit down with them and talk to them.

“I have always said that. In Fan Forums, in the press, and everything else.

“There is no point in protesting, just give me someone who wants to buy it.

“Protest about what? I am putting millions of pounds in every year, it is not like I am not putting the money in or taking money out.

“I don’t put anything to the club: my flight, my accommodation, or my travel – nothing goes to the club, everything is put to my other business.

“I haven’t taken a penny out, I am not paying myself a wage, I am not flying to games in a helicopter and charging it to the club as some other previous chairmen have.”

This group is a manifestation of the sentiment communicated by TrustSTFC’s survey of supporters at the end of last season, which displayed a lack of faith in the current leadership of the club.

When asked about the current state of the club’s relationship with its supporters, Anthony Hall said: “Obviously, the fans are very annoyed and frustrated and we understand that – it is not good enough from anyone’s point of view.

“Whether you work at the club or you are a fan, results have not been good enough and we accept that and we have looked at that.

“There is stuff off-the-pitch that we have been doing: architects have been appointed for the redevelopment and we have done Statue Park in association with the Eady trustees and the Trust.

“There is some good stuff going on but we accept that results on the pitch have not been good enough and we understand why, from a fan’s point of view, the relationship is strained and there are frustrations.

“However, we urge everyone to get behind the team that you love to get us out of where we are and join us in working hard to do that.

“That is what we need and that is what the players need when they are coming to The County Ground, they need a positive environment which is behind them.”

Morfuni added: “The players need it and the manager needs it. I said this in the Advisory Board, if you want to criticise then criticise me, not the players, they are young kids who are on the pitch and playing for you guys.

“Support the team and support Ian Holloway. You love this club, it is your club, I am just a custodian for the club and I want it to go up as much as anybody else in the town.

“That is what I am striving and working so hard for, I don’t want this to fail, I want to make sure it gets better.

“We have put improvements onto the pitch, we have done Statue Park, we have done the club shop, we have done the Legend’s Lounge (the flooring is not great and we are rectifying that), we have improved the pitch, and we have set up Advisory Board meetings that I have been to every one except one. In 25 years what work has been done to the stadium? None.

“I am not shying away from anything. People can say ‘Clem out, Clem out’ but it is not like I am taking money away from the club.”