Swansea City v Queens Park Rangers – 20-21 – Issue 24

Cadwch yn ddiogel Jacks

Issue 24 - Digital Copy

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Swansea City v Queens Park Rangers Tuesday, April 20 - Kick-off 7pm

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CONTENTS Page 14 - World Book Day Winner

Page 16 - Meet the Opposition

Page 21 - Match Report

Page 28 - Q&A with Ollie Cooper

Page 42 - Century of Football League

Polite Warning: The British courts have now imposed a standard minimum three-year ban from all football grounds for football-related arrests – both inside and outside the ground. CCTV is currently in operation inside and outside the stadium, while police are also using handheld video cameras.

Offences include: obscene or racist chanting or gesturing; consuming alcohol in seated areas; continual standing in seated areas; aggressive behaviour; going onto the pitch; throwing of items; drunk and disorderly behaviour or under the influence of drugs. Please note there is also a no-smoking policy within the stadium. If broken, you could be ejected. Sales of goods inside and outside the stadium is prohibited unless via official registered sellers. The club badge is a registered trademark and unauthorised use of it will not be permitted. High-quality cameras are not permitted inside the stadium.

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Reliable and fully vetted staff to meet your needs when demand requires.

visit www.prosolutionsuk.co.uk to get in touch 4

WATCH ALL THE

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES VISIT SWANSEACITY.COM

Chief Executive Julian Winter Board Of Directors Directors: Romie Chaudhari, Bobby Hernreich, Huw Jenkins, Jason Levien, Stuart McDonald, Martin Morgan, Gareth Davies, Julian Winter, Jake Silverstein, Sam Porter Honorary Club President: Alan Curtis; Associate Directors: David Morgan, Cath Dyer Team Management Head Coach: Steve Cooper Assistant Coach: Mike Marsh Behind the Team Goalkeeping Coach: Martyn Margetson Head of Medicine: Dr Jez McCluskey Head of Performance Analysis: Steve Rands Head of Recruitment: Andy Scott Academy Director: Mark Allen Staff: David Tivey, Ritson Lloyd, Alan Tate, Ailsa Jones, Matthew Murray, Adele Callaghan, Daniel Morris, Lee Watkins, Chris Watkins, Tom Jenkinson, Daniel Nisbett, Michael Eames, Shaun Baggridge, Huw Lake, Ashley Gill, Steffan Popham

Senior Management Group Andrew Davies (Head of Operations, Facilities & Development); Gareth Davies (CFO); Rebecca Edwards-Symmons (Head of Commercial) Club Staff Club Secretary: Ben Greenwood Assistant Football Secretary: Rebecca Gigg Head of Retail: Andrea Morris Head of Hospitality & Customer Services: Catherine Thomas Legal Counsel, Head of Safeguarding: Rebeca Storer HR Manager: Nicola Butt Senior Commercial Sponsorship Manager: Lee Merrells Commercial Marketing Manager: Katie Hughes Head of Media & Communications: Ben Donovan Media Manager: Chris Wilson-Barney Ticket Office Manager: Luke Hughes Operations & Events Manager: Matthew Daniel Facilities Manager: Gordon David Grounds Manager: Anthony Harry Disability Access Officer: Mark Phillips Community Trust Manager: Helen Elton Club Ambassador: Lee Trundle

Programme Production Contributors: Alex Bennett, Ben Donovan, Chris Wilson-Barney, Andrew Gwilym, Jonathan Davies, Sophie Davis, Julie Kissick, Owain Llyr, Adam Evans, Gwyn Rees, Ben Jones, Dylan James, Luke Evans, Rachael Tucker, Adam Lewis Designers: Callum Rothwell, Jordan Morcom Photography: Athena Picture Agency, Natalie Davis, PA, REX Print: DWJ Group Ltd Swansea City AFC Liberty Stadium, Landore, Swansea, SA10 2FA CP-D Dinas Abertawe Stadiwm Liberty, Landore, Abertawe, SA1 2FA Telephone/Ffôn: 01792 616400 Web/Gwe: swanseacity.com Email/E-bost: info@swanseacity.com

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CHWARAEON YM MHRIFYSGOL ABERTAWE

SPORT AT SWANSEA UNIVERSITY

CHWARAEON I BAWB

SPORT FOR ALL

Rydym yn ymfalchïo yn ein hymrwymiad i chwaraeon, gan ddarparu ar gyfer pob lefel o ddechreuwyr i athletwyr perfformiad uchel.

We pride ourselves on our commitment to sport, catering for all levels from beginners to high performance athletes.

Gyda 55 o glybiau chwaraeon myfyrwyr i ddewis ohonynt a chyfleusterau rhagorol ar y ddau gampws, rydym yn cynnig popeth sydd ei angen ar fyfyrwyr ar gyfer profiad chwaraeon cyflawn.

With 55 student sports clubs to choose from and excellent facilities on both campuses, we offer everything a student needs for a complete sporting experience.

Am ragor o wybodaeth am chwaraeon ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe ewch i’n gwefan:

For further information on sport at Swansea University visit our website:

ABERTAWE.AC.UK/CHWARAEON SWANSEA.AC.UK/SPORT

Chief Executive’s Notes

JULIAN WINTER G

ood evening and welcome back to the Liberty Stadium for tonight’s Championship game against Queens Park Rangers.

There are now just four games left of the regular season and we are very much at that stage where the excitement is building for everyone.

We have already amassed six more points than we did during the whole of last season, which is a great achievement and testament to the work of Steve, his staff and the playing squad.

This is our second home game in the space of just three days following the 2-2 draw against Wycombe last Saturday.

I thought the players showed great character to stick to the plan and work their way back into what was a very tough game against a Wycombe side who are fighting hard in their first season in the Championship.

To come back from two goals down - the first time we have done that since December 2018 – shows great mental strength and that point could prove crucial come the end of the season.

Last Saturday’s game also saw two milestones within the squad, as Wayne Routledge and Matt Grimes made their 300th and 150th appearances for Swansea City, respectively.

Wayne has been a fantastic servant for this football club ever since he arrived in the summer of 2011. He played a crucial role in the club’s maiden season in the Premier League, before going on to be part of the Swansea team that lifted the League Cup in 2013 and played Europa League football in 2013-14.

Three hundred appearances for a single club is something that isn’t too common in the modern era, and he is only the 32nd player to reach this milestone during the club’s 109-year history.

He has enjoyed a truly memorable career at the highest level, and is a great role model both on and off the pitch. His contribution has been immeasurable and the tributes from his team-mates on our website in recent days shows the high regard that he is held in.

He has performed consistently and has been almost ever-present during the past three seasons, as well as taking on the captain’s armband under the management of Steve Cooper.

The draw against Wycombe also saw the return to action of Liam Cullen, which was really pleasing.

Liam was unlucky to suffer an injury back in January during the FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest, but to come back and score at such a crucial moment is great for him and everyone at the club is delighted to see him back on the pitch.

Finally, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to the management, players, staff and directors from Queens Park Rangers who have made the trip to Wales for today’s game.

As always, we thank you for your continued support as we look forward to the final stages of what we hope is an exciting end to the season.

Enjoy the game.

Meanwhile, while Matt is only halfway to Wayne’s milestone, his contribution should never be underestimated.

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Head Coach’s Notes

STEVE COOPER G

ood evening everyone as we look ahead to our next Championship clash with QPR.

We got back on level terms and could have gone on to win it, so we left that game with mixed emotions.

We go into the game on the back of a 2-2 draw here against Wycombe three days ago.

One positive from the game was the return of Liam Cullen from an ankle injury. He had been sidelined since January, and we didn’t expect to see him again this season.

It was a missed opportunity on our behalf, and we were disappointed to have taken only a point from the game.

QPR arrive here on the back of a 2-1 win at Middlesbrough, which is a very tough place to go, so they’ll be in buoyant mood.

That led to us failing to make enough passes to get up the pitch and hurt Wycombe.

But we place full focus on what we can bring to the game, and we have to make sure we are performing at the right levels to get the performance and result we are after.

We talked about that at half-time, but when you fall behind less than 20 seconds after the restart then that’s a really poor start.

But, to be fair to the players, they showed a lot of heart, courage and good phases of play to get ourselves back in the game.

That’s a good sign.

There was little time to dwell on the draw, and our focus quickly moved onto tonight’s opponents and preparing for this game.

I understand there is a lot of talk about the remaining games, and what could happen, but our focus will always be on the game in front of us.

We are honest enough to admit that we weren’t good enough with the ball in the first half, while our positional play wasn’t how we expect to be in the middle of the pitch.

We were not doing the nonnegotiables, and we conceded another soft goal.

The key thing for us is not to rush him back into things and expect too much, so we’ll be careful in his next steps.

But his rehab went very well, and it’s been great having him back around the squad. He’d only had two training sessions prior to the Wycombe game, so for him to get the equaliser was testament to his attitude and the work put in by the medical team.

Enjoy the game.

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MATT GRIMES Captain’s Notes

H

ello, and good evening to everyone joining us from around the world for this evening’s Championship fixture against Queens Park Rangers at the Liberty.

It was disappointing not to come away with the three points in Saturday’s game here against Wycombe as the objective, as always, was to win. We didn’t play up to the level we expect of ourselves in the first half and were disappointed to concede two goals in the manner we did at the start of the second half.

There were positives to take, however, in the character and courage shown to come back from two goals down to put the game back on level terms.

It was a proud moment for myself to reach 150 appearances for the club on Saturday. It feels a little surreal to reach this milestone, but every appearance has been an absolute pleasure and an honour.

I had a difficult start at the club, didn’ t make too many appearances and then went out on loan a couple of times. The last few seasons I have played game after game after game and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped me along the way.

He is the ultimate professional, a big part of the dressing room, and you can learn so much from him.

He’s been out injured until recently, but as we’ve seen in recent games he still has a lot left to give and his ability has never been in doubt.

He’s become a club legend and I’m proud to play with him.

As cliché as it sounds, you don’t think about how many games you are playing because you’re so focused on the next appearance. It is only when you reach milestones like this that you realise how many appearances you have actually racked up. I have a feeling of immense pride every time I pull on the shirt and hope for many more appearances to come.

We go into this evening’s match with the sole aim of winning the game and hoping to build on the performance from the latter stages of Saturday’s match. QPR will be looking to continue momentum following their win at the weekend but we will focus on ourselves and what we can control.

Enjoy the game this evening!

The Wycombe match also marked Wayne Routledge’s 300th appearance for the club, which is an outstanding achievement.

He’s a player I look up to and he’s been fantastic both on and off the pitch in my time here.

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C

eri Stone says it has never been a better time to join the party… Recently we have focused on some negative aspects of the beautiful game in our programme notes. The ugly head of racism has appeared too readily on social media, but in turn we are proud to support the club in being the leading light in combatting this disease.

The actions of the club have been decisive, and the Supporters’ Trust wholeheartedly stand alongside the squad and champion the club’s pioneering stance.

Now it is time to celebrate all that is great within the Swansea City family and possibly start to dream a little.

My dreams consist of reaching the Premier League and cheering from the East Stand as this happens. I also wouldn’t mind saying a big thank you to Charlie Austin for a favour he did for me a few years back.

Speaking of dreams. Have you ever wandered what it would be like to have your opinion matter in a topflight football club? It may seem fanciful but because of your Supporters Trust it could be a reality.

As a trust, we have a stake in the ownership of our club. This means that a healthy membership is crucial to our existence and it means that by becoming involved your opinion matters.

Now is a perfect time to join the Supporters’ Trust and build upon the great foundations from those pioneers who helped save our club back in 2001.

This summer marks that tremendous milestone as we celebrate our 20th anniversary and we have some exciting events lined up to commemorate

this achievement. To be involved you need to be a member and this is really easy: Simply visit www.swanstrust.co.uk and click on the Join Now link.

Membership is still only £10 for adults and £2 for juniors.

By joining you help select the trust board of directors for the coming year (elections take place every summer and are coming soon). You could even put yourself forward to represent our fanbase and who knows, if we maintain our current form, you may get to say you are a member of a stakeholder in a Premier League club.

We have cause for cautious optimism because the squad have turned a difficult corner and, at the time of writing, put in two tremendous performances with successive away victories. Combine this with superb work from the leadership teams who are spearheading the fight against racism and at the same time have guaranteed season ticket sales for 2021-22 at more than 12,000, we have much to look forward to.

We are an inclusive family and we welcome people from all communities to our club. The same can be said with the Supporters’ Trust and we would love to see more female and junior members come on board and lend your voice to our season’s celebrations.

We also welcome the Hoops of QPR, including Charlie Austin, to the Liberty today. The well wishes will have to wait until after the game, where we hope to take a step closer to fulfilling our wildest of dreams. Dreams you could be a big part of.

Time to join the party at www.swanstrust.co.uk

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SWANS WORLD BOOK DAY WINNER JACK LEECH

INTERVIEWS FREDDIE WOODMAN 14

W

e ran a recent competition for World Book Day, which offered a Junior Jack the chance to put questions to their favourite player.

Fans were asked to design their own Swansea City match day programme, and Jack Leech was the winner chosen from a huge volume of entrants.

Jack’s favourite player is goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, and you can see his interview below.

Why did you start playing football and have you always been a goalkeeper?

My dad was a professional footballer and played in goal, so football has always been part of my life. I started playing when I was really young, but I actually didn’t play in goal until I was 12 for a school trial.

After that one session, I was offered a trial with Crystal Palace later that night.

They say all goalkeepers are crazy, is this true with yourself and if so do you have any weird superstitions before a game?

Well, the boys here tell me I’m the most normal goalkeeper they’ve known, so I’m happy with that.

I’ve not got any superstitions either, as I don’t like to get caught up in things like that before a game as I prefer to be fully focused. I’ve known some crazy keepers though, but I’ll keep their names under wraps.

We know you love the Swans and are contracted to Newcastle but is there any other team you support?

I’m a London boy, and grew up around the corner from Selhurst Park, so I’m a massive Crystal Palace fan. So when Wayne Routledge broke onto the scene as a 16-year-old, he was the player we all pretended to be on the school playground. It’s quite surreal that I’m in the same team as him now.

Now that you are a Swansea Jack, do you wish your dad had conceded a few goals for Northampton in the 1997 play-off final?

To be fair, I think if Swansea had won that game then it would have changed the course of history. Would Swansea have got promoted to the Premier League and won the League Cup? We’ll never know. I was actually born the year Northampton beat Swansea in the final, and I’ve been reminded by a few Swans fans about my dad doing so well in it.

Away from football what do you like doing?

I love fishing, so I get out as much as I can to do that. I find it very relaxing, and it gets you away from the pressures in life. I’m also a big darts fan, and I play every day with our kit man Mike Eames – he’s a good player but I usually come out on top.

I’ve hit two 180s too, and I’m on the achievement wall along with Gylfi Sigurdsson, Gerhard Tremmel and Erwin Mulder.

Who is the best manager or coach you’ ve played under ?

I’ve been lucky enough to work under Rafa Benitez at Newcastle United. He was a very experienced manager with a wealth of knowledge, and he’s managed at the top level with massive clubs.

But our gaffer is the best I’ ve worked under.

His attention to detail is phenomenal, and he’s done such a good job here. I’ve really enjoyed playing under him, and he’s helped develop a lot of young talent.

What is your favourite game you’ve been involved in and why?

I imagine most people will expect me to pick one of the wins over Cardiff, but my favourite was the 1-0 win over Leeds United at Elland Road. The derby matches are surrounded by pressure, so you can’t really enjoy them, but I really enjoyed the win over Leeds. We were under a lot of pressure, but Wayne scored late on and our fans went absolutely berserk in the away end.

On the international stage, I saved a penalty for England in the Under-20s World Cup final in 2017, which we won, so that is my favourite for my country.

I’m a goalkeeper and my aim is to play for us one day. What is the best advice you could give me in achieving my dream?

Good question Jack. My advice to you would be to just enjoy playing football. I think you’re at your best when you’re playing football with a smile on your face. I’m the same – I love playing football, and when I’m on the training pitch or in a game, I’m always trying to enjoy myself.

Football is to be enjoyed.

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QUEENS PARK RANGERS

FACT FILE OWNER

NICKNAME

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK

Total Soccer Growth @officialqpr

STADIUM

Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium

The Hoops

1882

@OfficialQPRFC

1904

18,439

OPENED

THE GAFFER

The former currency trader worked for the likes of Bank of America, IBJ, AIG, the Royal Bank of Scotland before electing to pursue his passion for football and coaching.

He got his first big break with Watford, becoming academy manager, and not long after he joined Brentford in February 2011 and went on to become first-team boss. He led the Bees to the Championship before departing and going on to have spells with Glasgow Rangers, Nottingham Forest and now QPR.

CLUB CAPTAIN

The 35-year-old United States international is an accomplished and experienced figure and brings real leadership to a predominantly young squad. Having started his career in his homeland, Cameron made the move to English football with Stoke City in 2012 and went on to become an important figure for the Potters over a seven-year period, impressing with his versatility.

He had a spell on loan at QPR during the 2018-19 season, and that was made permanent at the start of last term.

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FOUNDED

@QPR

GEOFF CAMERON MARK WARBURTON

CLUB DETAILS SOCIAL MEDIA FACILITIES

CAPACITY

STADIUM MEET THE OPPOSITION

QPR’s best league finish was second in the old First Division in 1976, when they missed out on the title to Liverpool by a solitary point, having claimed their only major silverware when winning the League Cup in 1967. The Hoops suffered relegation from the Premier League in 1995-96 and have had two short stints in the top-flight since.

Their most recent Premier League stint came in 2014-15, but poor form saw them drop straight back into the second tier after finishing bottom of the league.

QUEENS PARK RANGERS’ FORM

Their recent form has been up and down, with three of their last four wins at the time of writing followed immediately by a defeat.

They have found wins hard to come by on their travels, winning just five times away from the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, while the Rs have yet to win at the Liberty Stadium in eight visits.

THE KEY MEN

Fulham midfielder Stefan Johansen has impressed since joining on loan in January, with the Norwegian chipping in with important goals in wins over Bournemouth, Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday.

Ilias Chair possesses the guile to unlock defences, while Scotland international Lyndon Dykes has hit form in front of goal with four goals in three games.

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ONES TO WATCH

ROB DICKIE

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The former England U n d e r - 1 9 i n t e r n at i o n a l has experienced football at Conference South, National League, League Tw o , L e a g u e O n e a n d Championship level through a busy career which has seen him feature for Reading, Basingstoke Town, Cheltenham Town, L inc oln City and Oxford United. Joined the Rs in September, and has made over 30 appearances under Mark Warburton this term.

POSITION

GK

NATION

AGE

POSITION

26 DF

The shotstopper was sprung into action last weekend after first-choice keeper Seny Dieng was sent off in the victory at Middlesbrough. Lumley has made 16 appearances this season, though nine have come during a loan spell at Doncaster Rovers. He’s also spent previous loans with Accrington Stanley, Morecambe, Stevenage, Bristol Rovers, Blackpool and Gillingham. He will be using this opportunity to strenghten his case for a run in Warburton’s starting XI.

JOE LUMLEY

NATION

AGE

26

CHARLIE AUSTIN A prolific striker who has scored goals for all of his clubs, Austin is back at QPR for a second spell after joining on loan from West Brom. After proving himself in non-league, his goals for Swindon Town in League One earned him a move to Championship side Burnley. Another imprssive goal return led to a transfer to QPR, whom he fired to the Premier League. He scored 18 goals in 35 games, but couldn’t prevent relegation. Southampton offered a route back to the top flight, before joining West Brom in 2019.

POSITION

MF

NATION

AGE

23 FW

Born in Antwerp, Chair has represented Morocco at under-23 level, and is a popular figure with Hoops fans. Since impressing then boss Ian Holloway while on trial, he signed a permanent deal and he is now in his fourth season in west London. Also spent time on loan with Stevenage, where he scored six times in 16 appearances. Has shone under Warburton, scoring eight league goals this season, and signed a new deal in January which keeps him at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium until 2025.

ILIAS CHAIR

POSITION

NATION

AGE

POSITION

31 FW

NATION

AGE

25

The tall striker was born on the Gold Coast in Australia, but has earned 10 caps for Scotland – the home country of his parents. Joined Queen of the South, where he was a team-mate of former Swan Stephen Dobbie, and made over 100 appearances for the Doonhamers before moving to Scottish Premiership side Livingston. QPR snapped him up early into his second season with Livi, and has struck 10 league goals this term during an impressive spell.

LYNDON DYKES 19

Ministry

Group

Ministry

Graphics

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SWANSEA CITY 2 WYCOMBE WANDERERS 2 MATCH DETAILS LINEUPS DATE: SATURDAY, APRIL 17 VENUE: LIBERTY STADIUM REFEREE: KEITH STROUD

MATCH REPORT A

late Swansea City fightback saw Steve Cooper’s side earn a point against Wycombe Wanderers and close the gap to the automatic promotion spots at the Liberty Stadium.

After a goalless first half, the visitors struck twice inside the first six minutes of the second half as Admiral Muskwe and Garath McCleary found the net. That left the hosts facing an uphill battle, but a Jamal Lowe penalty and a header from Liam Cullen inside the final 10 minutes saw the spoils shared.

And Watford’s defeat at Luton meant the gap between the Swans and the Hornets came down to six points with four games of the season remaining. But there was a sense of an opportunity missed for the home side, who could not mark Wayne Routledge’s 300th appearance – and Matt Grimes’ 150th – with a three-point haul.

Both sides had a number of chances to emerge victorious, with Lowe, Connor Roberts and Routledge all denied by a combination of saves and clearances for the Swans.

Swans: Freddie Woodman; Kyle Naughton (Morgan Whittaker 53), Ryan Bennett, Marc Guehi, Ryan Manning; Jay Fulton (Korey Smith 53), Matt Grimes (captain), Conor Hourihane (Yan Dhanda 53); Connor Roberts, Andre Ayew (Wayne Routledge 9) (Liam Cullen 76), Jamal Lowe.

Subs not used: Ben Hamer, Joel Latibeaudiere, Jake Bidwell, Ben Cabango.

Wycombe Wanderers: David Stockdale; Jack Grimmer, Anthony Stewart, Joe Jacobson (captain); Jason McCarthy, Dennis Adeniran, Curtis Thompson, Fred Onyedinma; Garath McCleary (Daryl Horgan 74); Uche Ikpeazu (Adebayo Akinfenwa 85), Admiral Muskwe.

Subs not used: Ryan Allsop, Giles Phillips, Alex Samuel, Jordan Obita, David Wheeler, Anis Mehmeti, Matthew Bloomfield.

QUOTE OF THE GAME “IT’S A MISSED OPPORTUNITY, THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO WIN THIS GAME.”

STEVE COOPER

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2018 GlobalData UK Market Analyzer (released Aug 2019)

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STILETTOS & STUDS

BY JULIE KISSICK

A

nother Tuesday, another must-win game in the Championship. It was disappointing to drop two points on Saturday, even though Wycombe Wanderers didn’t play like a side almost certain to be relegated.

Watford though, dropped three points. Every cloud, eh? Who predicted that? Not many I’m sure,and although we can only look after our own business, their loss was a tiny consolation.

I’m writing this with one eye on the Norwich v Bournemouth game. The Canaries, already promoted, (congratulations, well deserved), are a man down and losing 3-1.

In this league, anything and everything has the potential to happen, as we saw when it was obvious, minutes into the game on Saturday, that Andre Ayew had a problem. Talk about exceptionally bad luck.

He’s played such a pivotal role for us again this season and his loss was certainly felt when he left the pitch after eight minutes.

We can’t underestimate his importance and if, as seems likely, he doesn’t figure this evening, that will be a body blow, particularly at such a crucial time in the campaign.

I’m literally at that point now where I have butterflies in my stomach throughout match days. It means so much, doesn’t it?

I watched the game with my dad, the first one this season. We sat outside in my garden and we kicked every ball, offered an opinion on every stray pass, every setpiece, every comment made by the commentary team.

The neighbours must have wondered what the din was in aid of.

By half-time, we were absolutely exhausted and after the two Wycombe goals early in the second half, not a word. It was almost as though we were afraid to speak, stunned into silence.

But, there’s no time to dwell and no point dissecting the ‘could have’, ‘should have’, ‘would have’ of a game past.

One huge plus from the weekend was the return to action of Liam Cullen. Back on the score sheet too, which clearly delighted him and was a boost for us.

If he features tonight against 10th placed Queens Park Rangers, he’ll be looking to keep the momentum going and add to his tally and make up some ground after injury sidelined him earlier this season.

Momentum is something we seemed to be lacking on Saturday. Alan Curtis said in commentary that the game needed to find its flow and the stop-start nature of it just didn’t suit us. I’m sure getting into an early rhythm will be what the players will be looking to achieve tonight.

If Cullen has the potential to get 90 minutes from his legs it will be good to see him start. He’s a natural goal scorer, primed to do what they do. Let’s hope he can bag some for us in the last few, sure to be, nail-biting games of the season.

And if our friends in the capital can assist with a win at Brentford this evening, even better...

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HELPING FAMILIES ENJOY FOOTBALL AT HOME The ‘homemade waste pipe goal’. Waste pipes, push-fit knuckle bends and some barrier fencing. It doesn’t seem like much, but sometimes it’s all you need to transform your garden into a proper footy pitch.

OFFICIAL TRADE & HARDWARE RETAIL PARTNER

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ERTHYGLAU CYMRAEG

BY DAFYDD PRITCHARD, BBC WALES

R

yda’r tymor yn tynnu tua’r terfyn, mae Abertawe yn dal yn y ras am ddyrchafiad i Uwch Gynghrair Lloegr yn union fel ag yr oeddan nhw llynedd.

A gan gofio faint o arian wariodd Yr Elyrch ar chwaraewyr newydd yr haf diwethaf o’i gymharu â chlybiau eraill, mae Steve Cooper yn haeddu cryn dipyn o glod.

Fe wariodd Norwich tua £3miliwn ar chwaraewyr fel Jordan Hugill a Przemyslaw Placheta, tra fod ‘na adroddiadau fod Watford wedi talu arian mawr ar chwaraewyr fel Williams Troost-Ekong a Stipe Perica. £800,000 oedd y mwyaf wariodd Abertawe ar chwaraewr, a hynny ar Jamal Lowe. Unwaith eto y tymor yma mae Cooper wedi arwyddo chwaraewyr da am ddim neu ar fenthyg, a dyna’r rheswm pam fod Yr Elyrch yn dal yn y chwe safle uchaf yn y tabl.

O ran y chwaraewyr sydd ar fenthyg, mae Freddie Woodman yn cael tymor gwych arall yn y gôl, mae Marc Guehi yn edrych fel chwaraewr fydd yn chwarae’n rheolaidd yn Uwch Gynghrair Lloegr am flynyddoedd i ddod, tra fod Connor Hourihane wedi ychwanegu creadigrwydd a goliau o ganol cae. Mae’n

bosibl dadlau mai arwyddo Ryan Bennett am ddim yw bargen y tymor yn y Bencampwriaeth, tra fod Korey Smith wedi ychwanegu profiad hollbwysig yng nghanol y cae.

O ran y gêm heno, mae yna nifer o gemau cofiadwy wedi bod rhwng y ddau glwb dros y blynyddoedd.

Yr un amlwg sy ’n dod i’r cof i yw gêm gyntaf Michael Laudrup fel rheolwr yn 2012, a’r Elyrch yn ennill o 5-0 yn Loftus Road gyda Michu yn sgorio ddwywaith. Mi fyse canlyniad a pherfformiad tebyg heno yn plesio pawb.

Mae’n anodd gwybod be i’w ddisgwyl gan QPR. Does ganddyn nhw ddim byd llawer i chwarae amdano rhwng rwan a diwedd y tymor. Dydyn nhw ddim yn gallu ennill dyrchafiad, ond dydyn nhw chwaith ddim mewn perygl o syrthio. Mae gemau yn erbyn timau fel hyn ar adegau yn gallu bod yn rhai anodd achos does ‘na ddim pwysau o gwbl ar QPR. Pan enillodd Abertawe o 2-0 yn Loftus Road ar Wyl San Steffan roedd yn rhaid iddyn nhw fod yn amyneddgar iawn cyn sgorio’r gôl gyntaf. Mae gen i deimlad mai’r un fydd y stori heno.

25

F

JACK THE LAD

ootball fans of a certain age like me may have been enjoying ITV ’s Big Match Revisited on Saturday mornings.

The programme does exactly what it says on the tin and revisits old editions of The Big Match, which was ITV’s rival to the BBC’s Match of the Day. As someone who first started watching football in the 1970s, it’s right up my street as the show’s various series have pretty much covered the decade in its entirety.

While football was suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak last year, it provided me with a regular football fix from one of my favourite footballing decades.

However, last Saturday’s edition left me with real mixed feelings as it featured what was a rare 1970s national TV appearance for the Swans.

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players like these played a huge part in the Swans’ meteoric rise under player-manager John Toshack.

It was also great to see the likes of fringe players like Jimmy Loveridge getting an outing at Stamford Bridge – just three days after signing professional forms – and goalkeeper Glan Letheren between the sticks.

And then there were some of the more familiar names like Ian Callaghan, Leighton Phillips, John Mahoney, Alan Waddle, David Giles, Jeremy Charles and, of course, the late great Robbie James.

Even though the Swans lost the match 3-0, and the highlights were less than 30 minutes long, Robbie’s class shone through the grainy and flickering 42-year-old footage.

It’s sometimes easy to forget just how good the Welsh international was.

It was great to see the Swans in action on what was a must-see football programme of its day – unfortunately the match in question was a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea in the old Second Division at Stamford Bridge in 1979.

Wearing the number nine shirt on this particular occasion, Robbie was the Swans’ main attacking threat on the day, rattling the crossbar and warming the hands of Peter Borota with his trademark rockets.

But despite the result, it was a hugely welcome trip down memory lane for someone who grew up watching some of these players in the flesh.

T his was an extremely rare glimpse of the Swans on either of TV ’s top-rated football programmes during the 1970s.

Names like Dave Rushbury and Brian Attley may not mean much to younger Jacks these days, but

But regular viewers will have spotted a number of past or future Swans players popping up on the The Big Match Revisited.

Of course, there are the usual suspects like the aforementioned Callaghan, who was a regular on the show alongside former Liverpool stars such as Tommy Smith, Toshack and Ray Kennedy, who all arrived at the Vetch later in their careers.

Then there were the likes of Garry Stanley, who appeared in the blue of Chelsea, before making his way to the Swans and starring in the First Division.

A number of Swans goalkeepers regularly star on the programme, including Jimmy Rimmer for Manchester United and Arsenal, D ai D avie s for E ver t on and Keith Barber who makes a few appearances for Luton Town.

The programme has also been a reminder of the qualities of another Swansea City player with the James surname and another, like Robbie, who turned out for today’s opponents Queens Park Rangers.

Leighton James seems to be the Swans player who appears on the show more than most, dazzling on the wing for Burnley, Derby County and, like his namesake Robbie, for QPR. Leighton burst onto the scene as a youngster with Burnley in 1970, helping the club gain promotion to the First Division, reach an FA Cup semi-final and come within a whisker of qualifying for Europe.

W h e n h e m ove d t o E n g l i s h champions Derby County in 1975 for £310,000, he became Wales’s most expensive ever player and one of the most costly stars in the whole of British football.

A two-year stay, which saw a n o t h e r FA C u p s e m i - f i n a l reached, ended when new m a n a g e r To m m y D o c h e r t y decided James was surplus to requirements at the Baseball Ground. James then joined QPR. Although his stay at Loftus Road was relatively short-lived, Leighton provided at least a couple of real highlights for The Hoops.

The winger set QPR on their way to a 2-0 win over Liverpool after just 45 seconds of their clash at Loftus Road in November of 1977.

And a brilliant individual display inspired the club to a memorable 6-1 FA Cup replay win over London rivals West Ham the following year.

After a brief return to Burnley, James, of course, arrived at the Vetch.

Even Swans fans who weren’t regular viewers of The Big Match back in the 70s would have been familiar with Leighton’s exploits for Wales.

The Loughor-born star had a knack of being involved in some of Wales’ greatest wins during the 1970s.

In 1975, Hungary were the victims of a Welsh upset involving James.

Mike Smith’s side triumphed 2-1 in a European Nations Cup match in the same Nep Stadium where Hungary were unbeaten since the Second World War.

He continued to be a thorn in England’s side after he had joined the Swans, playing a huge part in the never to be forgotten 4-1 win over the Three Lions at Wrexham in 1980.

James enjoyed an inspired afternoon - setting up the first two goals with crosses, unusually from the right wing, and then scoring the third.

The result helped Wales qualify for the quarter-final stage of the 1976 European Nations Cup.

There was another Swans player on the scoresheet that day in the shape of David Giles, with a future Swan, Ian Walsh, also netting.

The following year saw another two memorable Welsh victories.

The first was a James-inspired destruction of Czechoslovakia in a World Cup qualifier at Wrexham.

Of course, us Swans fans got the chance to see Leighton weave his wing magic on a regular basis live as he helped fire us into the top flight and to the summit of the old First Division.

The flame-haired winger was rampant, scoring twice as Wales won 3-0 against the Czechs who had won the European Nations Cup the previous summer and were unbeaten in 22 matches.

And that, in turn, brought more appearances on The Big Match and it’s BBC counterpart Match of the Day as the Swans soared into the early 1980s.

A few months later, he was at it again. This time making history as his penalty secured a memorable Home International 1-0 win over England at Wembley – Wales’s one and only victory at the grand old stadium.

The original Big Match may be gone, but hopefully the Swans will play a starring role in tonight’s EFL on Quest highlights show as they continue their bid for a return to the Premier League and a weekly spot on Match of the Day! C’mon you Swans!

27

Q&A WITH OLLIE COOPER

Age: 21 Position: Winger Nationality: Welsh Clubs: Swansea City, 3 Apps 1 Goal

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THE 2020-21 SEASON HAS PROVED A BREAKOUT CAMPAIGN FOR OLLIE COOPER. THE YOUNG MIDFIELDER HAS MADE HIS SWANSEA CITY DEBUT AND SCORED HIS FIRST SENIOR GOAL FOR THE CLUB. HERE, HE TALKS ABOUT GROWING UP WITH A FOOTBALLER FATHER, THE COINCIDENCES AROUND HIS DEBUT AND FIRST GOAL, AND HOW A SPELL ON THE SIDELINES HAS ACTUALLY BENEFITED HIS GAME.

But for my first experience of playing a men’s EFL side and then my first experience of firstteam football came against the same club and at the same ground.

Ollie, as we sit here we are getting towards the end of a season where you have made your first-team debut and scored your first senior goal. Those are two pretty big milestones you have ticked off?

Dad was a youth player at Derby and I supported him. He played for a number of teams, and I was never quite at the age to appreciate him as a player. It was just what he did and I wanted to support him.

I know, it’s incredible that the two things should happen so close together. I mean, these are the things you dream of when you are in the academy.

Making my debut is a massive moment, and you just want more once you’ve had that taste, be it more minutes, more goals, more assists. I think some people look at making your debut as though you have made it, but you haven’t, and it only adds to the desire to get more game time.

In terms of the goal, that is the sort of thing you always imagine as a kid when you kick the ball about in the garden. For me to score a goal in the FA Cup, such a famous and brilliant competition, was a great moment for me.

With the goal, my family have big links to Derby.

We are from there, my father played for them and they are all big Derby fans. My grandad could tell you everything about some of the great sides and success they had there over the years, so to score against their big rivals in Forest went down well.

So were you a Derby fan as a kid?

Not so much myself as I tended to sort of support the teams my father played for, as I obviously wanted him to do well. But my grandad, like I say, he would tell me all about it. He used to go to the home and away games, and it meant a lot to him especially.

It would be different now, but at that age you don’t have much concept around things like that.

You’ve been with Swansea since under-12 level, but football has always been a part of your life with your father Kevin having a long career with the likes of Derby, Stockport, Wolves, Cardiff and Newport. What was that like?

My father has always been my biggest supporter, and he has never been afraid to pass on advice.

I didn’t join Swansea’s academy until under-12 level, which seems quite late by modern standards, but before that he encouraged me to play as much as possible.

And there was a nice bit of symmetry as your debut came at Stevenage in the FA Cup, where you had first played against a senior men’s team in the Checkatrade Trophy. Also, your goal against Nottingham Forest had particular significance for your family?

With Stevenage it seems mad to think that those Stevenage games were at the same stadium, too!

I’ll be honest and say I would like to forget the scoreline from that Checkatrade game was we lost 5-0, so maybe we won’t mention that!

CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE...

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I played for three teams at one point, I was playing for a Cardiff development team, Pencoed and Cowbridge. It just allowed me to make up the hours that I would have got if I had been in an academy.

Local sides normally train once a week and then play at the weekend, so playing for three teams meant I got that workload and chance to always learn and improve.

When you are a kid you can do that, I mean I would play football during break times at school and then go and train in the night. You just have that energy and you cannot get enough of having the ball at your feet.

He did push me, but it has paid off and I made sure I took as much as I could from him.

He is never shy of giving me feedback, and he knows what he is talking about unfortunately! So even if there might have been times I felt I did not want to hear it, you know in the back of your mind that he is right. He had a long playing career and now coaching career, and there’s very good reason for that.

When do you first remember going to watch your father play?

The ones I have were towards the end of his career when we were in Wales and he played for Newport and Neath.

I think he would admit himself he did not enjoy it as much as he would have liked because he knew he was coming towards the end of his career and that’s not an easy thing to accept or have to look towards.

I remember some of the goals he scored at Newport and Neath, I was too young before that to appreciate it. You are in the stand, but you’re not watching like you do when you are older.

But he still has a lot of DVDs from his career and he still likes to get them out to show me. He’s got his games from Stockport, Wimbledon, and some from Wolves.

He was in his prime then, so he loves them and he knows which ones have the goals in.

I love watching it, because I was too young to appreciate it at the time, but I look at them now and I can see what a good player he was and what he was capable of. I understand it more because I am trying to forge my own career.

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I recognise some of the movements he makes, and I guess we are both attack-minded players. He was left footed but he could play on either side, and he has always told me that the ability to be able to go inside and outside is such an important one.

Your father went on to have a role in the Cardiff academy, so a lot of people may wonder how you ended up in the Swansea academy?

Yeah, my dad was at Cardiff and I did have a number of trials with Cardiff. I did day trials, week-long trials, six-week trials, I have done all of them and most of them would be a few times a season.

But, for whatever reason, they never decided to actually sign me. Which is fine, it’s each to their own, but it’s tough to take as a kid.

I then played for Port Talbot – a team run by one of my father’s mates – and a Swansea scout came to a game to watch one of my team-mates.

But after the game they asked me to come for a trial with Swansea development. I went down there for a week and then we played the academy. From there they offered me an academy trial for six weeks, and I was offered a contract on the back of that.

It was fate I guess, just that luck that there happened to be a scout at that game. If there hadn’t have been, it would not have mattered how I had played because no-one would have seen it. Or I could have had a stinker with the scout there watching.

Who knows where I would be?

But that’s how I ended up at Swansea and I have worked my way up to where we are now.

The timing was great as well as it happened just as the club were getting into the Premier League and were playing a style of football I loved and I could see myself playing.

Clearly, I am not going to do well with hoofball, the part I like is getting the ball down and it was so exciting.

I would come down and watch when I could, Britts stood out for me in that side but I have also trained with guys like Wayne Routledge and Nathan Dyer, who I used to watch from the stands.

It feels mad, and Wayne is such a great player with such a great career and his help means a lot. Ryan Bennett is good with that too. The senior guys are very helpful.

CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE...

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When you look around the dressing room you see some familiar faces who you have played with all the way through the academy. The likes of Ben Cabango, Brandon Cooper, Liam Cullen, Jordon Garrick. Does that make it easier to adjust?

The step up is big, but having those guys with you makes it more comfortable and makes you more confident. It’s definitely helped me.

I think us all being there – and guys like Joe Rodon before us – is a big tip of the cap to the academy.

They have developed us to get to this point and the coaches should take so much pride in what they did for us.

Jon Grey looked after and helped me a lot, then there are guys like Anthony Wright, Cameron Toshack and Gary Richards, Alan Tate also.

I remember when I was age-grade sides, Tatey would stay out with me at the end of most days to work on extras. That’s been a big help to me, and I cannot thank them enough.

I was not the most physical then and I had to rely on my technical ability, and Tatey would work on a variety of finishing drills, crossing drills, working space to beat a man or create room for a pass.

Those little details helped me get into the team and stay there.

Jon was someone who has always been there, whether in the background or coaching first hand.

If I have needed help or advice, he has always been there to offer what I need. He has been a big figure for me on and off the pitch. He knows my father well, but it’s not to do with that, he is just a great help to all the lads.

I could not play or go out on the grass to train, so being fatigued was not a problem and it gave me a sense of purpose to go with the recovery. We have great support from the physios and coaches, that physio room is almost like a safe space where everyone has a chat and you don’t feel out of it.

You are in the building and around everyone, it helps with the boredom and loneliness.

I’m doing the same now, I am looking to improve physically. The step from under-23s to the first team is a big one and I feel I need to be stronger.

I can feel the difference that work is making, it just adds to the confidence when you get out there to play.

You talked earlier about that appetite for more action and minutes, and I suppose that is only added to by the fact there is so much at stake and so much to play for?

You just want to be on the pitch. Look, there is nothing better than being in the matchday squad, but any footballer will only tell you that they want more.

I have had a brief introduction to what first-team football is like, but I know I want more. I want to play, to score, to set up goals. I want to show people what I can do.

It is tough not to play, and I understand it’s not always easy to give young players a chance. But that is my goal, it’s simple, I want more.

Your progress was briefly halted by an ankle injury a few years ago, which was the first big setback of a young career. How did you cope with that?

It was difficult, and it is never nice to get injured. But the way I saw it was there were just a few games left of that season, and I saw it as an opportunity.

I was physically small, and I felt I needed to put on a bit of size and I decided that I would really focus on gym work. My foot was in a boot so it was all upper body work, and I felt I needed to make the most of that time.

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SWANS AND COMMUNITY TRUST SUPPORT FOOTBALL WELCOMES MONTH

S

wansea City and Swansea City Community Trust are joining football clubs across the country this month (April) to welcome refugees and people seeking asylum, as part of Amnesty International’s Football Welcomes campaign.

Now in its fifth year, Football Welcomes celebrates the contribution players from a refugee background make to the game, and highlights the role football can play in bringing people together and creating more welcoming communities for refugees.

Football Welcomes this year coincides with the return of grassroots sport as lockdown rules ease, which provides a much-needed opportunity for people to reconnect with each other and their communities and to improve mental and physical health.

Swansea City’s Community Trust run weekly BAME sessions, which have been put on hold due to the current restrictions. These sessions are designed to be inclusive for all and are regularly attended by refugees and asylum seekers and are hoped to resume 28th April 2021.

Chief Executive Julian Winter states that “we have a duty in football to welcome and unite communities and these sessions are a fantastic way in which people of all backgrounds can come together”.

Refugees and asylum seekers are welcome at these sessions and if you wish to know more about them, please contact us on Craig@scfccommunitytrust.co.uk Swansea City and Swansea City’s Community Trust work with South Wales Police in helping to deliver and contribute towards an annual Swansea Community

Cohesion Cup tournament. This event provides BAME communities an opportunity to come together, using competitive sport to inspire and unite individuals from the communities to take part. The event was not able to proceed last year due to the pandemic, however Swansea City remains committed to assisting in this tournament when it is able to safely resume.

Swansea City is one of many clubs from across the Premier League, English Football League, FA Women’s Super League, Championship and National League, Cymru North and South, and grassroots teams that have signed up to take part in Football Welcomes.

Naomi Westland, Movement Building Manager at Amnesty International UK, said: “Clubs like Swansea City are at the heart of their communities and football can be a powerful force for good, bringing people together and providing a sense of purpose and belonging. For those who’ve fled conflict and persecution and had to leave everything behind, this is incredibly important.

“It’s heartening to see football clubs across the country doing great work in their communities to show there is more that unites us than divides us.”

Amnesty International UK media information: Kai Akram: 07721 398984: kai.akram@amnesty.org.uk Out of hours: 07721 398984: www.amnesty.org.uk Follow us on Twitter: @NewsFromAmnesty

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SWANS ACADEMY

BY MARK ALLEN

G

ood evening everyone. A very young under-18 squad including four under-16 players and three under-15 gave an excellent account of themselves in a very good game against Colchester recently.

Having taken the lead in the first half through Mike Murphy, the boys worked hard both on and off the ball and gave a resolute display, holding out for a much deserved 1-0 victory. As mentioned in the last academy notes, over the next few programmes I will introduce you to several new and existing staff in order to familiarise everyone with who they are and the roles they perform.

We have previously mentioned the new coaching and recruitment staff of Kristian O’Leary, Byron Anthony and Neil Roberts respectively and today is the turn of Rebeca Storer, who is the head of safeguarding and academy operations, and who also forms part of the academy management team.

Rebeca has a keen interest in the development and progression of young people, ensuring that they not only achieve their goals but are good citizens and role models.

She is an organised, hard-working, reliable individual who strives for quality and efficiency and continually seeks to progress in her career. Rebeca effectively communicates with all stakeholders, motivates her team and understands the needs and wants of young people across the academy.

S he graduated with a law degree from the University of Surrey in 2008 and from Swansea University in 2009 following successful completion of the Legal Practice Course.

Rebeca qualified as a solicitor in 2013 at Jennings Solicitors in Llanelli, having specialised in family law and care proceedings whilst in practice. She is also a certified GDPR Practitioner and has a level 5 qualification in Leadership and Management.

Rebec a started her c areer at the Swans as education officer in the academy. Her role quickly progressed to legal counsel and data protection officer for the club, and within a year she took on the role of head of safeguarding as well.

Part of her role as legal counsel involves transfers and loans. She was involved in the transfer of Gylfi Sigurdsson to Everton for the club’s record transfer fee received and the return of Andre Ayew from West Ham for the club’s record transfer fee paid.

Rebeca now sits at head of safeguarding & academy operations, with responsibility for all aspects of the academy apart from coaching and recruitment. Her strategy for academy operations involves numerous plans to improve the operational provision, ensuring everything runs smoothly for the benefit of the young people, including enhancing the lifestyle management programme to boosting the education provision throughout the academy.

Rebeca lives in Llanelli with her husband and cocker spaniel and hosts an academy player.

All that remains for me to do is wish the boys the best of luck for tonight’s game.

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DATE: TUESDAY, APRIL 13 VENUE: LANDORE TRAINING CENTRE

SWANS U23s 1 CREWE ALEXANDRA U23s 1 MATCH REPORT S

wansea City Under-23s held Crewe Alexandra to a draw as a Brandon Cooper header cancelled out Tyreece Onyeka’s first-half goal in this Professional Development League clash.

Kris O’Leary made eight changes from the team that started against Watford in the under-23s’ last fixture in March, with five trialists all coming in to the starting 11. There was also a first-team influence as Steven Benda featured as he returns from injury, while Cooper also started at centre-back.

Swans U23s: Steven Benda, Trialist, Trialist (Harry Jones 85), Brandon Cooper, Dan Williams (captain), Trialist, Trialist, Ryan Bevan, Ali Al-Hamadi, Trialist (Michael Murphy 65), Rio Campbell (Bradley Gibbings 75).

Subs not used: Jamie Searle, Jake Thomas.

the box, but his flicked header cannoned off the woodwork as the visitors looked to double their lead.

Campbell forced Booth into action once more as he looked to chip the goalkeeper from the right, but it was comfortably stopped by Booth, before a Swansea trialist looked to capitalise on a Booth mistake, only to see his effort denied by Bailey Marsden.

In the final minutes of the first half, Benda produced magnificent reflexes to deny Crewe as they looked to punish the Swans following a slick attacking move.

After the break, the Swans showed their intent on getting back in the game with some good attacking play, with Al-Hamadi forcing a save from Booth.

The first real chance for the Swans came after five minutes when Ali Al-Hamadi drilled a low shot at goal which forced Crewe’s keeper Sam Booth into making a fine save.

The Swans continued to apply pressure and their efforts were rewarded when Cooper levelled the scores with a great header at the far post in the 49th minute.

The visitors were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position after Benda fouled outside the area, Crewe’s skipper Joe Robbins stepped up to take the free-kick but it stung the grateful palms of Benda in goal.

Crewe looked to take the lead once more but Cooper was on hand to head clear, before Robbin’s driven shot went wide.The visitors continued to search for a second goal, with an Onyeka shot forcing a fingertip save from Benda.

At the other end, Rio Campbell unleashed a low effort from the right but he saw his shot blocked by Lewis Billington.

The Swans appealed for a penalty after Bradley Gibbings was brought down in the box but the referee dismissed their appeals.Big chances followed for the Swans as a trialist picked up the ball on the edge of the area and swivelled to take a shot which rattled the woodwork, just minutes before a beautiful Bevan strike hit the bar.

The visitors took the lead in the 16th minute when Onyeka drilled a low shot from close range to beat Benda.

The young Swans had a superb opportunity to level the scores just minutes later when a trialist found himself in space, but he saw his effort narrowly miss the woodwork. Soon after, Joe Levey whipped a fine ball into the area which found Connor Salisbury in

Skipper Dan Williams pulled the trigger on a powerful strike from outside the area in the dying minutes but there was too much power on the shot that went well wide as it ended all-square.

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DATE: SUNDAY, APRIL 11 VENUE: VICTORIA ROAD

PORT TALBOT TOWN LADIES 0 SWANS LADIES 0 MATCH REPORT S

Swans Ladies: Claire Skinner, Alicia Powe (captain), Shaunna Jenkins, Ellie Lake, Ria Hughes, Emma Beynon, Kelly Adams, Chloe Chivers (Chloe Tiley 86), Katy Hosford, Laura Davies, Tija Richardson.

Subs not used: Gemma Border, Nieve Jenkins, Kate Searle, Jess Williams.

pass from Ellie Lake presented her with a one-onone situation, but her effort was hit straight at Vicky Beddows in the Port Talbot net.

wansea City Ladies dropped points for the first time this season as they were held to goalless draw at Victoria Road against Port Talbot.

Hosford then tried her luck from the edge of the box but it was comfortably gathered by Beddows and Swansea were soon reduced to 10 in first-half stoppage time after Beynon was shown a second yellow card.

The defending Welsh Premier Women’s League champions were reduced to 10 players at the end of the first half after Emma Beynon was given her marching orders.

Despite being a player light, the Swans still looked the more threatening and Davies teed up Tija Richardson for a first time shot on the edge of the box but she couldn’t keep her effort down.

The visitors had enjoyed the best of the chances in the first half and were fully in command of possession.

Hosford had a chance to break the deadlock after Chivers picked her out to release her in behind the Port Talbot defence, but Beddows held her ground to come to the home side’s rescue.

And, despite the numerical disadvantage, the second half was entirely made up of Swansea piling pressure onto the opposition defence, but they couldn’t find what would have been the all-important winner.

Chloe Chivers put a powerful shot over with a little more than 10 minutes gone after she was played through on goal by Ria Hughes; pressure from Chelsey Harris put the striker off.

The Swans were looking dangerous and Chivers dinked a cute pass to Laura Davies but the midfielder was deemed offside by the officials.

Chivers was presented with a golden opportunity in the closing stages of the first half after a pinpoint

With the clock ticking away Davies attempted to divert Chivers’ free kick into the back of the net with a header but it was a simple catch for Beddows.

Port Talbot were constantly under pressure in the closing stages with Swansea desperately in the hunt to find the winner.

In the last chance of the game Hosford tested the goalkeeper from a set piece which was safely collected by the goalkeeper as it ended goalless, but with the Swans maintaining their unbeaten record and holding a three-point lead at the top.

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A CENTURY OF LEAGUE FOOTBALL Historian Gwyn Rees looks at the club’s campaigns throughout its 100-year involvement in the Football League divisions and Premier League.

2013-2014 PREMIER LEAGUE (FINISHED 12TH)

By the time the Premier League season had got under way on August 17, the Swans had already played two competitive games in the Europa League against Malmo of Sweden. An aggregate 4-0 win gave the side a second qualifying tie against Romanian side Petrolul Ploiesti, and once again the Swans triumphed to march on into the Europa League group stages with a 6-3 aggregate victory.

Bony and Michu were amongst the goals to the delight of all supporters, while the league campaign began with some mixed results, and a 1-0 loss away at Cardiff City saw the beginning of the end of Michu’s extraordinary time at the club due to persistent ankle problems.

The Europa League saw the side drawn with Valencia of Spain, St Gallen of Switzerland and Kuban Krasnodar from Russia in their group and, after a stunning 3-0 win in Spain and a victory at home over St Gallen, plus draws home and away with Krasnodor, the team sealed their place in the Europa League knock-out stages.

But all was not well at the club and, after a disappointing defeat away at West Ham United in February, manager L audrup was sacked.

Garry Monk was installed as caretaker manager, and just four days later he could celebrate a significant 3-0 win over Cardiff City at home.

The European adventure ended in a brave defeat to Napoli in Naples, with the Swans left to rue the failure to take the numerous chances they created in a goalless first leg at home.

T he summer bre ak s aw the club smash it s transfer record, with the capture of forward Wilfried Bony from Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem for £12.5million. A tall powerful striker, he was joined at the club by Jonjo Shelvey, Jose Canas, Jordi Amat and Alejandro P ozuelo amongst others.

42

Domestically, a first-ever win over Manchester United in the FA Cup at Old Trafford was not backed up by defeat at Everton in the fifth round.

With the cup commitments out of the way the side could concentrate on its precarious league position, and in April a victory over Aston Villa secured safety.

2014-2015 PREMIER LEAGUE (FINISHED 8TH)

A number of signific ant arrivals signed on during the off-season as L ukasz Fabianski, Bafetimbi Gomis, Federico Fernandez and Gylfi Sigurdsson joined, with Michel Vorm and Ben Davies moving in the opposite direction to the Iceland international as they joined Tottenham.

The opening fixture of the season saw the side face the daunting prospect of playing away at Old Trafford, but goals from Ki-sung Yueng and Sigurdsson gave the Swans a dream start to the new season.

The first four fixtures saw the side unbeaten in league and cup, while the League Cup campaign saw wins over Rotherham United and Everton, the latter a first-ever win over the Toffees.

The league form was consistent throughout the season and, along with the goals scored by Bony - who became the Premier League’s top scorer in the calendar year of 2014 - the side were in the top 10 for the majority of the campaign.

CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE...

However, envious eyes were cast in the Ivorian’s direction, and in early January 2015 the player signed a four-and-a-half year deal with champions Manchester City, with the Swans collecting a club record initial payment of nearly £25million.

Gomis took over as the side’s lead striker and, while not being able to match his predecessor goal for goal, did enough to show that he could be an effective Premier League option.

T he se ason ended with the club as rec ord breakers, with the final position of eighth its highest placing while in the Premier League, and also the 56 points obtained being another record.

The supporters could look back with pride on notable achievements this season, especially being the only team in the Premier League that term to complete the double over Arsenal and Manchester United.

43

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44

2015-2016 PREMIER LEAGUE (FINISHED 12TH)

After the highs of the previous season there was genuine optimism ahead of the new campaign as manager Monk added to the squad with the likes of Andre Ayew, Eder, Franck Tabanou and goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt.

The season began at reigning champions Chelsea where, in a game full of drama, the Swans performed well to earn a much deserved 2-2 draw thanks to goals from Ayew and Gomis.

This was followed up with defeats of N e wc a s t l e U n i t e d a n d M a n c h e s t e r U n i t e d , to leave the club undefeated in it s opening month of the new season.

But, with a break for international fixtures came a dramatic turn in the club’s performances.

Eleven games went by with just one win and a 3-0 home defeat to Leicester brought an end to Monk’s 12-year association with Swansea City.

It was a sad end for one of the club’s finest servants of that period. Alan Curtis was named interim manager until the end of the season, only for Italian Francesco Guidolin to then be named the new full-time boss in January.

It was a chaotic time, but the new manager brought a level of stability to the team, and slowly defeats turned into draws and draws into wins.

Though the Italian himself had some health issues that saw him hospitalised and miss a handful of games Curtis was on hand to steady the ship and between them some vital wins away at Arsenal, and at home to Chelsea and Liverpool, meant the club could celebrate retaining its Premier League status for another season at least.

However, off the field, the emergence of details of a potential takeover and disagreements over the manner in which discussions had been conducted, did not fit with the happiness of remaining in the top-flight.

45

46

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SEASON 2020-21 FIXTURE

52

Match Statistics

Key

Goal =

Sub = 2 (number denotes player replaced)

Captain =

DATE

TEAM

Newport County (CC R2) A L 2-0

Sat, Sep 5, 3pm

Woodman

Routledge 3

Naughton

Rodon

Fulton

Bidwell 1

Grimes

Preston North End A W 0-1

Sat, Sep 12, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Rodon

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Birmingham City H D 0-0

Sat, Sep 19, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Rodon

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Waycombe Wanderers A W 0-2

Sat, Sep 26, 12.30pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Rodon

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Millwall H W 2-1

Sat, Oct 3, 3pm

Benda

Roberts

Cabango

Rodon

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Huddersfield Town H L 1-2

Sat, Oct 17, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Naughton 3

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Coventry City A D 1-1

Tue, Oct 20, 7.45pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Bennett

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Bristol City A D 1-1

Sat, Oct 24, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Bennett

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Stoke City H W 2-0

Tue, Oct 27, 7.45pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton

Bennett 3

Guehi

Manning 1

Grimes

Blackburn Rovers H W 2-0

Sat, Oct 31, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Naughton

Guehi

Bidwell

Smith

Brentford A D 1-1

Tue, Nov 3, 7pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton

Bennett

Guehi

Bidwell

Smith

Norwich City A L 1-0

Sat, Nov 7, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton

Rotherham United H W 1-0

Sat, Nov 21, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Sheffield Wednesday H D 1-1

Wed, Nov 25, 7.45pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Bennett

Naughton 2

Bidwell 4

Grimes

Nottingham Forest A W 0-1

Sun, Nov 29, 12pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton

Bennett

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes Smith 5

1

Bennett

Guehi

Bidwell

Smith

Bennett

Naughton

Bidwell

Grimes

Middlesbrough A L 2-1

Wed, Dec 2, 7pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango 2

Bennett

Guehi

Manning

Luton Town H W 2-0

Sat, Dec 5, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton

Cabango

Guehi 3

Bidwell

Grimes

A.F.C. Bournemouth H D 0-0

Tue, Dec 8, 7.45pm

Woodman

Roberts

Latibeaudiere

Cabango

Naughton

Bidwell

Grimes

Cardiff City A W 0-2

Sat, Dec 12, 12.30pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton

Bennett

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Derby County A L 2-0

Wed, Dec 16, 5.30pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton 2

Bennett

Guehi

Bidwell 3

Grimes

Barnsley H W 2-0

Sat, Dec 19, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Bennett

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Queens Park Rangers A W 0-2

Sat, Dec 26, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Bennett

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Reading H D 0-0

Wed, Dec 30, 8pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Bennett

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Watford H W 2-1

Sat, Jan 2, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Guehi

Cabango

Bidwell

Manning 1

Grimes

Stevenage A (FA R3) W 0-2

Sat, Jan 9, 3pm

Woodman

Garrick 4

Naughton

Cabango

Evans

Barnsley A W 0-2

Sat, Jan 16, 7.45pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton

Cabango

Nottingham Forest H (FA R4) W 5-1

Sat, Jan 23, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts 5

Latibeaudiere

Brentford H D 1-1

Weds, Jan 27, 7pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton

Rotherham United A W 1-3

Sat, Jan 30, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

1

3

Manning

Byers

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Bennett

Guehi 4

Manning

Hourihane 3

Cabango

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Cabango

Bennett

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Norwich City H W 2-0

Fri, Feb 5, 8.15pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton

Bennett

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Manchester City H (FA R5) L 1-3

Wed, Feb 10, 5.30pm

Woodman

Roberts 3

Latibeaudiere

Cabango

Guehi

Manning 4

Grimes

Nottingham Forest H W 1-0

Wed, Feb 17, 7pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton 1

Bennett

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Huddersfield Town A L 4-1

Sat, Feb 20, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton 3

Bennett 1

Guehi

Bidwell 5

Grimes

Coventry City H W 1-0

Wed, Feb 24, 7pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Naughton 3

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Bristol City H 1

Sat, Feb 27, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Latibeaudiere 3

Cabango

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Stoke City A W 1-2

Wed, Mar 3, 8.15pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton

Cabango

Guehi

Manning

Middlesbrough H W 2-1

Sat, Mar 6, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton

Cabango

Guehi

Manning

Blackburn Rovers A D 1-1

Tue, March 9, 6pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton

Cabango

Guehi 1

Bidwell

Grimes

Luton Town A W 0-1

Sat, Mar 13, 12.15pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton

Bennett

Latibeadiere

Manning

Grimes

A.F.C. Bournemouth A L 3-0

Tues, Mar 16, 7.45pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton

Bennett

Latibeadiere 1

Manning

Grimes

Cardiff City H L 0-1

Sat, Mar 20, 5.30pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton 2

Bennett

Guehi

Bidwell 3

Grimes

Birmingham City A L 1-0

Fri, Apr 2, 8pm

Woodman

Roberts

Naughton 3

Bennett

Guehi

Bidwell

Grimes

Preston North End H L 0-1

Mon, Apr 5, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Guehi

Manning

Fulton

Grimes

Millwall A W 0-3

Sat, Apr 10, 12.30pm

Woodman

Naughton

Bennett

Guehi

Manning

Fulton

Grimes

Grimes 2

Grimes

Sheffield Wednesday A W 0-2

Tues, Apr 13, 6pm

Woodman

Naughton

Bennett

Guehi

Manning 2

Fulton

Grimes

Wycombe Wanderers H D 2-2

Sat, Apr 17, 12.30pm

Woodman

Naughton 2

Bennett

Guehi

Manning

Fulton 4

Grimes

Queens Park Rangers H

Tues, Apr 20, 7pm

Reading A

Sun, Apr 25, 12pm

Derby County H

Sat, May 1, 3pm

Watford A

Sat, May 8, 12.30pm

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Booked =

Sent off =

Carabao Cup = CC

FA Cup = FA

Correct as of April 19, 2021

SUBSTITUTES Smith 2

Gibbs-White

Smith

Gibbs-White

Smith

Gibbs-White

Lowe 1

Smith

Gibbs-White 1

Lowe

Smith

Gibbs-White 2

Smith Smith

1

Lowe

Ayew

Benda, Rushesha, Evans, Williams, Dhanda 2, Peterson 3, Asoro 1

Lowe 2

Ayew

Benda, Naughton, Fulton 1, Dhanda, Routledge 2, Peterson, Cullen

Ayew

Benda, Naughton, Fulton, Dhanda, Routledge, Peterson, Cullen 1

Ayew

Benda, Naughton, Fulton 1, Dhanda, Routledge, Peterson, Cullen 2

Lowe 1

Ayew

Webb, Naughton, Fulton 2, Routledge, Garrick, Cullen, Gyokeres 1

Gyokeres 1

Lowe 2

Ayew

Benda, Evans, Fulton, Dhanda, Palmer 1, Garrick 3, Cullen 2

Gyokeres 1

Lowe 2

Ayew

Benda, Manning, Fulton 1, Dhanda, Palmer, Garrick, Cullen 2

Smith

Fulton

Lowe

Ayew

Benda, Naughton, Manning, Dhanda, Routledge, Cullen, Gyokeres 1

Fulton

Dhanda 2

Lowe

Ayew

Benda, Cabango 3, Bidwell 1, Smith, Palmer 2

Fulton

Dhanda

Lowe

Ayew

Benda, Bennett, Manning, Grimes, Routledge, Palmer 2, Gyokeres 1

Dhanda 2

Lowe 3

Ayew

Benda, Latibeaudiere, Manning, Grimes 1, Routledge, Palmer 2, Gyokeres 3

Palmer 3

Lowe

Ayew

Benda, Latibeaudiere, Manning, Grimes 1, Dhanda 3, Routledge, Gyokeres 2

Fulton

Dhanda 2

Lowe 3

Cullen 1

Benda, Latibeaudiere, Manning, Rushesha, Williams, Smith 3, Cooper, Routledge 1, Palmer 2

Smith

Dhanda

Lowe 3

Cullen 1

Benda, Latibeaudiere, Manning 4, Rushesha, Fulton, O.Cooper, Routledge 3, Palmer 2, Ayew 1

Smith

Fulton

Lowe 1

Ayew

Benda, Cabango, Manning, Dhanda, Routledge 1, Palmer, Garrick, Cullen, Gyokeres

Palmer 4

Lowe 3

Ayew

Benda, Naughton, Bidwell, Grimes 1 , Dhanda 4

Dhanda 2

Cullen 2

Ayew

Fulton 1 Fulton

Fulton

2

1

Smith Smith

Dhanda 2

Lowe 1

Smith

Fulton

Lowe

Smith 5

Fulton 1

Fulton

Dhanda

Fulton

Dhanda

Fulton Fulton Fulton 1

Routledge

Fulton

Smith

Dhanda

Grimes

Fulton

2

1

, Cullen, Gyokeres

, Routledge 2, Garrick 5, Cullen, Gyokeres 3

Benda, Latibeaudiere 3, Manning, Fulton, Routledge, Palmer 2, Garrick, Lowe 1, Gyokeres 4

4

Benda, Evans, Manning, Fulton, Routledge, Palmer 2, Garrick, Cullen, Gyokeres 1

Ayew Ayew

Benda, Latibeaudiere, Cabango, Manning, Routledge 1, Palmer, Dhanda, Cullen, Gyokeres

Lowe 4

Ayew

Benda, Latibeaudiere, Cabango, Manning 3, Garrick 4, Palmer 3, Dhanda 1, Cullen 5, Gyokeres

Lowe

Ayew

Benda, Latibeaudiere, Manning, Smith, Routledge, Palmer, O.Cooper, Cullen, Gyokeres

Lowe

Ayew

Benda, Latibeaudiere, Manning, Smith 1, Routledge, Palmer, Garrick, Cullen, Gyokeres

Smith 2

Lowe 3

Ayew

Benda, Latibeaudiere 1, Manning, Routledge, Palmer 2, Dhanda, O.Cooper, Garrick, Gyokeres 3

Smith

Lowe

Ayew

Benda, Evans, Routledge, Palmer, Dhanda, Gibbs-White 1, O.Cooper, Garrick, Gyokeres

Dhanda

Gyokeres

Webb, Guehi, Bidwell 3, Grimes, Smith 1, Williams, O.Cooper 4, Cullen 2, Lowe

1

2

1

Lowe

Ayew

Hamer, Latibeaudiere, Manning, Routledge, Byers, Dhanda, O.Cooper, Garrick, Cullen

Routledge 1

Cullen

Webb, Cabango, Naughton, Bidwell 4, Fulton 2, Cooper 3

Hourihane

Lowe 1

Ayew

Hamer, Bennett, Latibeaudiere, Manning 1, Williams, Dhanda, O.Cooper, Garrick, Morris

Dhanda 1

Hourihane

Lowe 2

Ayew

Hamer, Latibeaudiere, Evans, Manning, Williams, Fulton 1

Fulton

Hourihane

Lowe 1

Ayew

Hamer, Latibeaudiere, Cabango, Manning, Freeman, Dhanda, O.Cooper, Morris 1, Whittaker

Fulton

Dhanda

5

Lowe 1

Morris 2

Webb, Naughton, Freeman 3, Bennett, Bidwell 4, Hourihane 5, Arriola 1, Whittaker 2

Fulton

Hourihane 3

Lowe 2

Ayew

Hamer, Cabango, Latibeaudiere, Manning, Smith 3, Dhanda, Arriola 2, Morris 1, Whittaker

Fulton 4

Hourihane

Lowe 1

Ayew

Hamer, Cabango 1, Latibeaudiere, Manning 5, Smith, Dhanda 4, Arriola, Morris 2, Whittaker 3

Dhanda 1

Hourihane 2

Lowe

Ayew

Hamer, Latibeaudiere 3, Manning, Freeman, Smith 1, Fulton 2, Arriola, O.Cooper, Whittaker

Dhanda 1

Hourihane 2

Lowe

Ayew

Hamer, Naughton, B.Cooper, Manning, Smith, Fulton 1, Arriola 2, O.Cooper, Whittaker 3

Fulton

Smith

Lowe 1

Ayew

Hamer, Latibeaudiere, Bidwell, Freeman, Hourihane 1, Dhanda, Arriola, O.Cooper, Whittaker

Fulton

Smith 1

Hourihane

Ayew

Hamer, Latibeaudiere, Bidwell 2, Bennett, Dhanda, Arriola, O.Cooper, Arriola, Lowe 1, Whittaker

Fulton 2

Hourihane 3

Smith

Hourihane

Smith 2 Fulton 4

2

, Garrick 5, Ayew, Lowe 1

, O.Cooper, Garrick, Morris 2

Lowe 4

Ayew

Hamer, Bennett, Latibeaudiere 1, Manning, Smith 3, Dhanda 2, O.Cooper, Routledge 4, Whittaker

Dhanda 1

Ayew

Hamer, Cabango, Bidwell, Freeman, Fulton 2, O.Cooper, Routledge, Lowe 1, Whittaker

Hourihane 3

Lowe

Ayew

Hamer, Cabango, Bidwell, Freeman, Fulton, Dhanda 2, O.Cooper, Routledge 3, Whittaker 1

Hourihane 1

Ayew

Whittaker

Hamer, Cabango, Latibeaudiere, Manning 3, Smith 1, Dhanda 4, Routledge, Lowe 2

Smith 1

Fulton

Lowe 2

Ayew

Hamer, Cabango, Latibeaudiere, Manning, Hourihane, Dhanda 1, Routledge 2, O.Cooper, Whittaker 3

Hourihane 1

Whittaker 2

Lowe

Ayew

Hourihane

Ayew

Routledge 1

Lowe

Hourihane 3

Ayew

Routledge 1

Lowe

Hamer, Latibeaudiere, Freeman, Roberts 1, Bidwell 2, Smith 3, Dhanda, O.Cooper, Whittaker

Hourihane 3

Roberts

Lowe

Ayew 1

Hamer, Cabango, Latibeaudiere, Bidwell, Smith 3, Dhanda 4, Routledge 1, 5, Whittaker 2, Cullen 5

3

2

Hamer, Bennett, Latibeaudiere, Naughton, Bidwell, Smith, Dhanda 1, Routledge 2, O.Cooper 2

Hamer, Cabango, Latibeaudiere, Roberts 1, Bidwell, Smith, Dhanda, O.Cooper 2, Whittaker 3

We are a family, and we will always stand shoulder to shoulder with each other, whether that’s on the pitch or helping to fight injustice off it.

53

CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE 20-21 POS TEAM

P

*Sheffield Wednesday deducted 6 points. P = Promoted.

W D L

F

A

GD PTS

1

Norwich City P

42

27

9

6

66

31

35

90

2

Watford

42

24

10

8

59

28

31

82

3

Swansea City

42

22

10

10

52

33

19

76

4

Brentford

41

20

14

7

71

40

31

74

5

Bournemouth

42

21

11

10

69

41

28

74

6

Barnsley

42

21

8

13

54

46

8

71

7

Reading

42

19

10

13

57

46

11

67

8

Cardiff City

42

16

12

14

58

46

12

60

9

Millwall

42

14

17

11

41

40

1

59

10

Queens Park Rangers

42

16

11

15

50

51

-1

59

11

Middlesbrough

42

16

9

17

49

47

2

57

12

Stoke City

42

14

14

14

45

46

-1

56

13

Luton Town

41

16

8

17

36

46

-10

56

14

Bristol City

42

15

6

21

41

56

-15

51

15

Blackburn Rovers

42

13

11

18

54

48

6

50

16

Nottingham Forest

42

12

13

17

34

41

-7

49

17

Preston North End

42

14

7

21

41

55

-14

49

18

Coventry City

42

12

12

18

39

56

-17

48

19

Birmingham City

42

12

12

18

32

50

-18

48

20

Huddersfield Town

42

12

11

19

45

62

-17

47

21

Derby County

42

11

10

21

31

48

-17

43

22

Rotherham United

40

11

6

23

41

54

-13

39

23

Sheffield Wednesday*

42

11

9

22

35

55

-20

36

24

Wycombe Wanderers

42

8

10

24

32

66

-34

34

T

UPCOMING FIXTURES READING (A)

Sunday, Apr 25, 12pm

DERBY COUNTY (H)

Saturday, May 1, 3pm

WATFORD (A)

Saturday, May 8, 12.30pm

Correct as of April 19, 2021

NEXT UP AT HOME - DERBY COUNTY

he Rams have been in the Championship since a record-low Premier League points tally of 11 saw them fall into the second tier at the end of the 2007-08 campaign.

T h ey h ave m a d e fo u r p l ay - off a p p e a ra n c e s s i n c e, w i t h t h e i r m o s t r e c e n t s e e i n g t h e m miss out on promotion to the top-flight in May 2019 as they lo st the Wembey final t o A ston Villa.

19

18 8

The East Midlands side have two First Division titles to their name, with successes in 197172 and 1974-75 c oming with B rian C lough and Dave Mackay at the helm respectively.

SWANS 54

DERBY

DRAWS 45 PAST MEETINGS

55

SQUAD LIST V

HEAD COACH: STEVE COOPER Freddie Woodman Ryan Bennett Ryan Manning Marc Guéhi Jay Fulton Korey Smith Matt Grimes Jamal Lowe André Ayew Jordan Morris Steven Benda Conor Hourihane Wayne Routledge Morgan Whittaker Ben Hamer Paul Arriola Liam Cullen Yan Dhanda Joel Latibeaudiere Connor Roberts Jake Bidwell Kyle Naughton Tivonge Rushesha Ollie Cooper Kieron Freeman Brandon Cooper Daniel Williams Lewis Webb Ben Cabango

1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 30 31 34 36 37 42 44

MANAGER: MARK WARBURTON 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 30 34 35 37 45

Joe Lumley Todd Kane Lee Wallace Rob Dickie Jordy de Wijs Yoann Barbet Macauley Bonne Luke Amos Lyndon Dykes Ilias Chair Dominic Ball Seny Dieng Stefan Johansen Sam Field George Thomas Geoff Cameron Chris Willock Tom Carroll Osman Kakay Niko Hämäläinen Faysal Bettache Charlie Owens Ody Alfa Joe Walsh Albert Adomah Charlie Austin

MATCH OFFICIALS REFEREE: JARRED GILLETT ASSISTANT REFEREES: PAUL HODSKINSON AND GRAHAM KANE FOURTH OFFICIAL: JOHN BROOKS