SWINDON Town have featured in 43 games in the Football League Trophy - to give the competition its formal name.

It started out as the Associate Members Cup in 1983, but has carried a sponsor’s name since 1984/85. Johnstone’s have been the sponsors since 2006.

Swindon’s first-ever tie was a 3-1 win at the Manor Ground Oxford in February 1984, Jimmy Quinn scoring twice.

The furthest stage that Town have reached in the competition prior to this season was the area semi-final - on three occasions. In the first, against Aldershot in 1986/87, they led 2-0 three minutes after the break but went down 3-2. Just two minutes after Quinn had netted the second, he had to take over in goal following the dismissal of Fraser Digby for a foul outside his area.

The other two semi-finals were both at Southend - in 2001 and 2005 - and both under the reign of Andy King, who had scored for Aldershot in that 1987 meeting.

The 2001 tie was decided by a golden goal 10 minutes from the end of extra time, by which time Town were down to nine men, Keith O’Halloran and Mark Robinson having been red-carded.

Town’s only other tie to end with a golden goal came at Kidderminster in 2002/03. Again, a 2-0 lead was squandered, with the hosts levelling the scores within just two minutes.

They grabbed a third in the 105th minute, which was at 11.05pm - the kick-off had been delayed by a floodlight failure.

Trainee Dean Casserly started the preliminary round tie at Brentford in January 1987 but after a kick in the face, he had to go off with concussion after only four minutes and never made another first-team appearance.

Eight other players also appeared in this competition but failed to make a Football League appearance for the club : Mauro Almeida, Will Evans, Kevin Halliday, Nicky Hughes, Ben Martin, Lloyd Opara, Marcus Phillips and Gary Thorne.