Our TheWashbag.com Index has been calculatating each Swindon Town Player of the Month by assessing the key statistics from all league and cup matches. Now the season has finished we can finally publish the Player of the Season result for 2012/13…

Congratulations to super Wes Foderingham for winning our Player of the Season Award with a score of 206.2, a massive 49.2 points more than second placed Andy Williams on 157 points. The race for the third spot was tightly contested, however James Collins‘ just managed to overtake Matt Ritchie with 147 points. Wes celebrates by taking away the coveted Fraser Digby Tortoiseshell Comb Award.

Foderingham has played another stellar season, continue his impressive form between the posts which has culminated in 20 clean sheets (37%), a save rate of 73.7% and conceding a goal for every 95 minutes played. Wes played all but 69 minutes of the campaign, having been infamously substituted in the first half of the away match at Preston North End. His performances in recent months have stuttered, leading to several rash decisions and a few penalties conceded, and there’s no coincidence this slump had coincided with a downturn in the side’s fortunes. However, in the play-off semi-final second leg at Brentford, Wes proved his worth yet again. Despite conceding three goals, Fodders pulled off a string of fantastic stops, most notably in the dying minutes of extra time as Donaldson drew another fantastic save from Wes Foderingham.

Andy Williams joined Swindon last summer from Yeovil in the hope of scoring 20 plus goals and standing a better chance at promotion. In the end Williams managed neither as his 12 goals in all competitions showed a frustrating glimpse of what could have been and the Glovers are set to contest the play off final. Williams started the season with 9 games without scoring and finished without a goal for 11 games. But he did secure vital points in other areas, racking up the second highest appearances score and contributing 9 assists, as he showed he can be effective when filling in on the right wing. A goal against Yeovil before coming off injured in a 4-1 home victory was a highlight.

Top goalscorer James Collins’ 18 goals and a run of positive contributions when coming on as a substitute has secured his third place in the 2012/13 Player of the Season Award. Thankfully Collins managed to score a couple of goals in the final weeks of the season which ensures Matt Ritchie has missed out on third place. Collins arrived with much promise, but we never expected he’d nearly end the season with 20 goals. Those goals came infrequently throughout the campaign, however when he scored he frightened opposition defences with his clinical finishing. Who can forget Collins’ two hattricks in 2012/13 at Stoke City and versus Portsmouth at the County Ground, the later seeing Collins score an incredible four in 22 minutes after coming on as a second half substitute – the first Town player to score four in a game since Duncan Shearer.

Interestingly, if we were to have awarded the Player of the Season title by virtue of each player’s score per games played, Matt Ritchie would’ve been the clear winner with 4.38 score per game, Wes Foderingham in 2nd with 3.82 per game and Danny Hollands in 3rd with 3.7 per game. This measure does highlight the crucial contribution of both Ritchie and Hollands prior to their departures  – in different circumstances – in January. Had both been retained injury free and performance levels maintained, clearly Town would’ve stood an excellent chance of automatic promotion.

Previous Winners of TheWashbag Player of the Season:

2010 – Jon Paul McGovern

2011 – Nobody deserved to win…

2012 – Alan McCormack

2013 – Wes Foderingham

How the scoring works…

Swindon Town players receive a score based on their performance in all league and cup fixtures based upon the statistics collated by the Press Association and published by BBC Sport. The format of the scoring is very similar to that used in the Fantasy Premier League, with some exceptions.

• For playing up to 60 minutes = 1 point
• For playing 60 minutes or more = 2 points
• For each goal scored by a goalkeeper or defender = 6 points
• For each goal scored by a midfielder = 5 points
• For each goal scored by a forward = 4 points
• For each hat trick scored = 3 points
• For each goal assist = 3 points
• For a clean sheet by a goalkeeper or defender = 4 points
• For a clean sheet by a midfielder = 1 point
• For every 3 shot saves by a goalkeeper = 1 point
• For each penalty save = 5 points
• For each substitute appearance having a positive impact on the final result = 2 points
• For each substitute appearance having a negative impact on the final result = minus 2 points
• For each penalty miss = minus 2 points
• For every 2 goals conceded by a goalkeeper or defender = minus 1 point
• For each yellow card = minus 1 point
• For each red card = minus 3 points
• For each own goal = minus 2 points