IT was an appointment met with hope and promise, but Phil Brown’s brief reign as Swindon Town boss is over – and the club’s search for their fifth manager in just three years has started.

A former manager at Premier League level, now 59-year-old Brown arrived at the Energy Check County Ground with promotions at both Championship and League Two level on his CV with Hull City and Southend United respectively.

After joining SN1 in March of this year, Brown was challenged by chairman Lee Power to secure a play-off spot with the club – at the time – level on points with seventh and eighth-placed Lincoln City and Coventry City with 10 games of the League Two season remaining.

A 3-1 win against Cambridge United at the Abbey Stadium just five days after taking up his new role filled supporters with optimism.

But a reverse result in Devon against Exeter City a week later was the first of 11 losses suffered by Town under Brown’s ruling.

Seven winless games followed before a 3-0 rout over already-crowned champions Accrington Stanley on the final day of the season secured Brown’s second victory as Town boss.

In the opinion of many, it was that three-goal win over Accrington that earned Brown a fresh two-year deal at SN1 – which was confirmed by the club on May 10.

Having made regular reference to managing a squad that ‘wasn’t his’ throughout his initial 10 games in charge at the County Ground, Brown ended the summer with a refreshed squad on a reduced budget.

After announcing winger Jermaine McGlashan as his first signing on June 18 – a date many fans considered as worryingly late – Brown proceeded to add a further nine men to his squad.

In came Steven Alzate, Elijah Adebayo, Sid Nelson, Michael Doughty, Martin Smith, Toumani Diagouraga, Luke McCormick, Jak McCourt and Luke Woolfenden.

Players that left included goalkeepers Reice Charles-Cook and Stuart Moore, defenders Ben Purkiss, Ryan McGivern and Matt Preston, plus midfielders Ollie Banks, Tom Smith, Tom Ouldridge and Donal McDermott.

Strikers Luke Norris and Paul Mullin were also sold to League Two rivals Colchester United and Tranmere Rovers respectively.

With a two-year contract and his completely overhauled dressing room in place, Town were priced up by bookmakers as one of the leading contenders to record a top-seven finish – at least.

A spectacular – if unconvincing – win over Macclesfield Town on the opening day of the season fuelled what was still quite a dim fire.

A heavy away loss at Lincoln City followed before Brown’s men again came from behind to beat Tranmere Rovers 3-2 at the County Ground.

But that proved to be Brown’s final league win at home as County Ground boss. Only triumphs over Newport County in the Checkatrade Trophy and York City in the FA Cup – Brown’s final game – gave home supporters something to cheer about.

Successful away days in the league at Yeovil Town and Notts County were the book ends to a dire run of form – which saw Brown’s squad earn 15 league points from 14 games.

Brown may well have talked a good game, but stats often live to tell the truth.

Ten wins from 32 games in charge was not what Power was looking for – but where can Town look to move forward from here?

The story continues.