WE WERE touched last month to receive a letter from the family of Chris Batten, a long-standing Town supporter who sadly lost his battle with mesothelioma in January.

Chris was a Town fan from the 1950s and held a season ticket at the County Ground for 25 years.

He was present on that glorious day at Wembley in 1969 and attended every play-off game up until last season, when poor health prevented him from being at the 5-5 draw with Sheffield United.

Just before he passed away at the start of the year, from a condition dubbed ‘Swindon Disease’ for its association with those who worked in the railway industry, one of Chris’ last requests was to donate money to Trust STFC.

Part of the letter from his family read: “One of his final wishes was to donate some money to Trust STFC to support you in the good things you do for the football club.

“The last game that he attended at the County Ground was back in September against Colchester, which unfortunately ended in defeat. I remember him being optimistic after the game, saying that our luck would improve.

“And to some extent he was right, as we’re now in a healthier position than we were then.’’ The Trust would like to thank the Battens for their donation and send our sincerest condolences to Chris’ widow and his entire family for their loss.

Now we at least know that relegation is no longer a threat and can all start planning for another year in League One.

It’s as good a time as any to remind fans about how to become a member of both the Supporters’ Club and the Trust.

For a £3 annual subscription, Supporters’ Club membership brings with it discounted coach travel when booking through SAS Travel, a five per cent discount in the STFC Store and further discounts at various establishments.

Full terms and conditions and an application form can be found by visiting the Supporters’ Club website: swindontownsupportersclub.com/how-to-join/member-benefits.

To pledge money to the TrustSTFC Red Army Fund, visit redarmyfund.co.uk.

Supporters can contribute between £1 and £25 per month, with £1 of the contribution ensuring their Trust membership.

The RAF’s current annual projection is around £11,000, which will be put towards a series of good causes - from the improvement of the County Ground infrastructure to engaging youngsters in the community with their local club.

As for now, there’s just a few weeks of the season remaining. Let’s see the boys over the line.

COYR.