# 2008–09 Swindon Town F.C. season

The 2008–09 season was Swindon Town's second season in the League One since their relegation from the division in 2006. Alongside the league campaign, Swindon Town also competed in the FA Cup, League Cup and the Football League Trophy.

## Football League One

Leicester comfortably won promotion in their first-ever season at this level, leading the table for virtually the entire season, going half the season (23 consecutive games) unbeaten and losing just 4 games in the process, Nigel Pearson brought stability to the club in becoming their first manager in five years to last an entire season as they looked to turn the corner after several years of struggle. Peterborough were runners-up, winning their second successive promotion and entering the second tier for only the second time in their history. Scunthorpe grabbed the final play-off place on the last day of the season in a winner takes all match v 7th place Tranmere Rovers and won promotion through them, making an immediate return to the Championship after being relegated the previous year.
Stockport went into administration before the final match of the season and so suffered a 10-point penalty; however, there was no real chance of them being relegated as a result of this penalty, barring an extremely unlikely set of results on the final day.
Hereford made an immediate return to League Two, finishing bottom in their first campaign at this level for thirty years. Cheltenham improved late in the season, but it proved too late to prevent relegation. Crewe suffered a late collapse and went down to League Two, having looked safe a few weeks previously, while Northampton were undone by other results going against them on the final day of the season.

### Table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 13 | Walsall | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 61 | 66 | −5 | 61 |
| 14 | Leyton Orient | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 45 | 57 | −12 | 56 |
| 15 | Swindon Town | 46 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 68 | 71 | −3 | 53 |
| 16 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 55 | 70 | −15 | 52 |
| 17 | Yeovil Town | 46 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 41 | 66 | −25 | 51 |

## Results
### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### League One

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 9 August 2008 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 3–1 | Paynter 5', Cox 37', McGovern 51' | 7,975 |
| 16 August 2008 | Cheltenham Town | A | 0–2 | | 4,975 |
| 23 August 2008 | Colchester United | H | 1–3 | Cox 67' pen. | 7,031 |
| 30 August 2008 | Milton Keynes Dons | A | 2–1 | Paynter 52', Cox 90' pen. | 8,846 |
| 5 September 2008 | Hereford United | A | 1–1 | Ifil 45' | 4,061 |
| 13 September 2008 | Leeds United | H | 1–3 | Cox 45' | 13,001 |
| 20 September 2008 | Stockport County | A | 1–1 | Easton 49' | 5,536 |
| 28 September 2008 | Millwall | H | 1–2 | J. Smith 47' | 7,589 |
| 3 October 2008 | Hartlepool United | A | 3–3 | Cox 5', 39', 52' | 4,018 |
| 11 October 2008 | Huddersfield Town | H | 1–3 | Easton 88' | 7,071 |
| 18 October 2008 | Southend United | A | 1–2 | Paynter 60' | 7,965 |
| 21 October 2008 | Northampton Town | H | 2–1 | Paynter 48', Cox 61' | 6,653 |
| 25 October 2008 | Oldham Athletic | H | 2–0 | Morrison 25', J. Smith 34' pen. | 6,756 |
| 1 November 2008 | Scunthorpe United | A | 3–3 | Cox 15', 52', 80' pen. | 4,744 |
| 15 November 2008 | Leicester City | H | 2–2 | Cox 84', Corr 86' | 9,499 |
| 22 November 2008 | Bristol Rovers | A | 2–2 | Kanyuka 39', Corr 53' | 8,016 |
| 25 November 2008 | Peterborough United | H | 2–2 | J. Smith 10', Cox 81' | 6,616 |
| 29 November 2008 | Walsall | A | 1–2 | Paynter 90' | 3,844 |
| 6 December 2008 | Carlisle United | H | 1–1 | Murphy 50' o.g. | 6,787 |
| 13 December 2008 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 0–1 | | 3,941 |
| 20 December 2008 | Yeovil Town | H | 2–3 | Timlin 45', McGovern 47' | 7,072 |
| 26 December 2008 | Leyton Orient | A | 2–1 | Peacock 1', J. Smith 61' pen. | 4,349 |
| 28 December 2008 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 0–2 | | 8,438 |
| 13 January 2009 | Stockport County | H | 1–1 | J. Smith 62' | 6,002 |
| 17 January 2009 | Huddersfield Town | A | 1–2 | Cox 90' | 13,414 |
| 27 January 2009 | Walsall | H | 3–2 | Amankwaah 8', Cox 29', Paynter 49' | 6,100 |
| 31 January 2009 | Oldham Athletic | A | 0–0 | | 4,712 |
| 14 February 2009 | Leicester City | A | 1–1 | Cox 38' | 19,926 |
| 17 February 2009 | Millwall | A | 1–1 | Paynter 43' | 7,104 |
| 21 February 2009 | Scunthorpe United | H | 4–2 | Timlin 62', Wright 71' o.g., Robson-Kanu 82', Peacock 85' | 6,852 |
| 24 February 2009 | Hartlepool United | H | 0–1 | | 6,010 |
| 28 February 2009 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 0–1 | | 5,153 |
| 3 March 2009 | Cheltenham Town | H | 2–2 | Robson-Kanu 32', Amankwaah 66' | 6,293 |
| 7 March 2009 | Milton Keynes Dons | H | 1–1 | Paynter 18' | 7,453 |
| 10 March 2009 | Colchester United | A | 2–3 | Cox 38' pen., Robson-Kanu 64' | 3,827 |
| 14 March 2009 | Leeds United | A | 0–1 | | 21,765 |
| 17 March 2009 | Southend United | H | 3–0 | Robson-Kanu 13', Cox 19' pen., 90' pen. | 6,269 |
| 21 March 2009 | Hereford United | H | 3–0 | Cox 29', 46', Paynter 76' | 7,129 |
| 24 March 2009 | Northampton Town | A | 4–3 | Cox 18', 31', 79', Paynter 40' | 5,025 |
| 28 March 2009 | Yeovil Town | A | 0–1 | | 5,476 |
| 4 April 2009 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 0–0 | | 7,165 |
| 11 April 2009 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 3–2 | Greer 47', Paynter 50', Cox 58' | 6,549 |
| 13 April 2009 | Leyton Orient | H | 0–1 | | 7,735 |
| 18 April 2009 | Carlisle United | A | 1–1 | Tudur Jones 90' | 5,959 |
| 25 April 2009 | Bristol Rovers | H | 2–1 | Cox 4', 81' | 10,977 |
| 2 May 2009 | Peterborough United | A | 2–2 | Cox 17', 42' | 10,886 |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance | Ref. |
| First round | 8 November 2008 | Histon | A | 0–1 | | 1,541 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance | Ref. |
| First round | 12 August 2008 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 2–3 | Cox 34', Paynter 41' | 7,230 | |

### Football League Trophy

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round | 2 September 2008 | Aldershot Town | A | 2–2 7–6 p | Cox 32', Ifil 83' | 1,814 |
| Second round | 7 October 2008 | Hereford United | A | 2–1 | Cox 45', Peacock 84' | 1,458 |
| Third round | 12 November 2008 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 0–2 | | 2,234 |