Swindon Town Football Club has moved to address recent reports regarding safety at the Nigel Eady County Ground, confirming that all necessary works have been completed ahead of the new season.
The club explained that this summer’s standard safety audit – carried out jointly by Swindon Borough Council and the Event Safety Advisory Group (ESAG) – highlighted a number of maintenance tasks. These included securing a section of unsupported roof decking near the south-west floodlight in the Town End, installing lightning protection, carrying out Legionella checks, and ensuring a back-up control room was ready for use.
Other measures involved confirming that static fire marshals would be on hand until upgrades to the fire detection system were finished, repairing gates E1 and E10, checking the generator control switch, and replacing the trophy cabinet in reception to meet current fire protection standards.
The club stated that all of these jobs have been completed on schedule and have now been signed off following inspection on Friday 8 August.
Attention has also turned to the Stratton Bank, which remains closed for now but could be reopened if demand requires it. Ongoing work there includes emergency gate repairs, replacing seating, removing outdated toilet blocks, and repainting access areas. The target is to have the stand ready for the home match against Reading on Tuesday 2 September, should it be needed.
Separately, the club has announced a new safety measure in the Town End’s T1 and T2 sections. Following a risk assessment, these areas will now be restricted to supporters aged 18 and over after incidents in which children were knocked over during goal celebrations. The change, which is backed by the Safety Advisory Group, will require age verification at the point of purchase.
Swindon Town says it continues to work closely with the council and ESAG to ensure the County Ground remains a safe and welcoming venue. Fans will see the improvements first-hand at this weekend’s fixture against Cambridge United.
