Police and ambulance services have informed the Swindon Advertiser that they have outstanding invoices and were paid late by Swindon Town last season.
Responding to Freedom of Information requests, Wiltshire Police and the South West Ambulance Service Trust [SWAST] have revealed that the club were repeatedly late with payments during last season.
When asked about these late payments, CEO Anthony Hall explained: “We have been late with payments, we acknowledge that and have had to lean on our suppliers this season as it has been difficult.
“We have a payment plan worked out with Wiltshire Police to make these repayments which we have been sticking to.
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“Bringing in processes has been one of the big things we have been working on, as we feel it is one of the key things we need to do as we continue to work through legacy issues at the club.
“It is very much a work-in-progress which is happening and being implemented for this coming season and financial year.”
In a request received on May 29, information from SWAST displayed that for their services, Swindon had been sent five invoices to be paid within 30 days of the invoice with a sixth invoice yet to be sent, with their per-match services costing £447 + VAT for a Commander and £400 + VAT for Specialist Paramedic upon request if the club had no crowd Doctor.
Of those invoices sent between August 1, 2023, and May 31, 2024, three of the invoices had been paid in full at the time of the request, but two had not been paid and were 84 and 40 days overdue for payment at that time.
In addition to those outstanding payments, the three invoices that had been paid were 26, 26, and 18 days late respectively when paid.
After an update was requested about whether those payments remained outstanding following the reception of the request to Wiltshire Police in July, SWAST revealed on July 22 that those two invoices had since been paid but were 95 and 59 days late respectively and the sixth invoice for the season is currently 22 days overdue.
Responding to a Freedom of Information request sent on May 27, Wiltshire Police responded on July 19, and they revealed that invoices are raised ahead of matches that require policing for the value that is set out by the NPCC National Policing Guidelines.
During the same time period of August 1, 2023, until May 31, 2024, the request revealed that two invoices were raised during that time frame with both being received outside of the agreed period and an unspecified number were outstanding.
Swindon were previously handed a fine and a one-window transfer fee restriction with a second window suspended in January for having more than 30 days in late payments to HMRC and another club and TrustSTFC have said stadium rent payments were repeatedly paid late last season, however, these late payments would not trigger the suspended second window as laid out in the EFL charge.
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