LIFELONG Swindon Town fan Darren Buzza will have to swap Wembley for the wedding chapel after a clash between his nuptials and the Robins’ Wembley date in the play-off finals.

The 40-year-old will be tying the knot with ‘footie-widow’ Vicki Wilkins at 2pm on Saturday, May 29 – just one hour before his beloved Swindon Town kick-off against Millwall for a place in the Championship.

The couple, from Baron Close, Stratton St Margaret, booked their big day out of season so it would not clash with any planned fixtures.

But as the season wore on Darren began to think he might be forced to choose between the love of his life and his bride-to-be.

“When we won on Monday night I was over the moon,” he said.

“But then all my mates were like ‘you know what day they’ll be at Wembley don’t you?’ and I realised that no matter how great Vicki is – and she is an absolute star – there is no way on earth I’ll be going to Wembley on our wedding day.

“I just didn’t think about the League One play-offs and I thought it would be more likely than not that Town wouldn’t be playing. So to be faced with Wembley – and on my wedding day – hadn’t crossed my mind.”

But Darren might be able to have his wedding cake and eat it after all.

Understanding Vicki, an auxiliary nurse at Great Western Hospital, is now trying to arrange for a television to be set up at their South Marston Hotel reception as a special wedding present for her football fanatic fiancé.

Vicki, 48, said: “I have had three years to get used to Darren as a crazy Swindon Town fan so when I heard Swindon were going to Wembley on the day of our wedding my heart did sink for him.

“Within moments of Swindon qualifying we had about 30 texts from people teasing Darren about how he would miss the match. At first I was going to have a blanket ban on the football on the day but I just feel too sorry for him so we’ll see what we can do.”

The couple will marry at St Margaret’s Church in Church Street, Stratton, before posing for pictures then heading to the reception where, after the speeches, Darren will be reunited with the Robins.

“If kick-off happened during the ceremony I would have security men at the door confiscating mobile phones and pocket radios but as it is I have an hour to say ‘I do’ before we lose half the congregation to the nearest telly,” said Vicki.

Darren proposed to his bride-to-be on Christmas Day 2008 surrounded by a throng of friends and family.

“I am a bit of a romantic,” said Darren. “But I have been in love with Swindon Town since I first saw them play in 1986 so knowing I wouldn’t see the match was sad.

“I’m hoping to catch the second half at the wedding breakfast so I might have the best of both worlds.”

But Darren’s dilemma doesn’t end there. If Town triumphs against the Lions, the players will be returning to a jubilant Swindon in style – an event Darren will once again miss because he will be more than 4,000 miles away in Florida for his 10 day honeymoon.

“If someone told me a year ago that Town would be playing Wembley the day I got married, I wouldn’t have believed them,” he said.

“I’m just glad I have such a wonderful fianceé who understands that Swindon Town will always be my bit on the side.”