Swindon Town F.C. confirmed its retained and released list following the end of the 2025-26 League Two campaign, with several key players remaining under contract.
Experienced figures Connor Ripley, Darren Oldaker, Aaron Drinan, Ollie Palmer and Gavin Kilkenny will all stay at the County Ground.
New deals for Ryan Tafazolli, Harry Smith and Ollie Clarke had already been announced, while the club exercised the option to extend Lewis Ward’s contract.
A number of senior players will leave the club this summer, including Junior Hoilett, Billy Bodin, Ryan Delaney and Will Wright.
Danny Butterworth and Harrison Minturn have been invited back for pre-season training as they look to secure their futures, while loan trio Jamie Knight-Lebel, Michael Olakigbe and James Scanlon will return to their parent clubs.
Manager Ian Holloway acknowledged that the season did not meet expectations.
“We all know the objective was promotion, and because we haven’t achieved that, we must look at the season honestly and accept that it’s been a disappointment.”
He said the focus would now shift towards strengthening the squad’s mentality and durability ahead of a fresh campaign.
“We need to build on our resilience, and I’ll be working hard on the character of my group, making them physically and mentally stronger so we can deal better with the challenges a season brings.”
Ian Howard said the retained list signals a preference for continuity rather than wholesale change.
“Well Holloway has laid out his stall as he begins to rebuild for next season. Great to see a strong squad coming together with a mixture of youth and experience.
“Those released were either fringe players this year or those who never consistently achieved their full potential.
“Sorry to see Will Wright leaving but his performances did drop away toward the end of the season.
“I hope Danny Butterworth can earn a contract during pre season, following serious injuries after a good start to his Town career.
“With targeted additions to this squad over the summer I am confident that we will see Town pushing for the promotion that fell away from our hands last season. COYRs!”
The retained list suggests Holloway believes last season’s shortcomings were rooted more in consistency and resilience than in a lack of quality.
Keeping senior figures such as Tafazolli, Clarke and Palmer points to a strategy built around leadership and stability as Town aim to mount another serious challenge for promotion.
Full list:
Under contract:
Connor Ripley
Filozofe Mabete
James Ball
Tom Nichols
Ollie Clarke*
Paul Glatzel
Harry Smith*
Jake Tabor
Lewis Ward*
Ryan Tafazolli*
Gavin Kilkenny
Joe Snowdon
Ben Middlemas
Aaron Drinan
Fletcher Holman
Ollie Palmer
Joel McGregor
Darren Oldaker
Ollie Clarke, Harry Smith, and Ryan Tafazolli have all signed new contracts, as previously announced by the football club following the conclusion of the 2025/26 campaign, while the option to extend Lewis Ward’s contract has also been exercised.
The following player(s) have been offered new terms, and negotiations are ongoing:
Billy Kirkman
The following player(s) are currently out of contract and have been invited back for pre-season training:
Danny Butterworth
Harrison Minturn
Released:
Ryan Delaney
Will Wright
Jake Batty
Redman Evans
Junior Hoilett
Billy Bodin
Jaxon Brown
Dani Gonzalez-Birchall
Antony McCormick
George Alston
Loans, returning to parent club:
Jamie Knight-Lebel, Bristol City
Tom Wilson-Brown, Leicester City
Aidan Borland, Aston Villa
Michael Olakigbe, Brentford
James Scanlon, Manchester United
