Swansea City v Stoke City - 20-21 Season - Issue 4

Cadwch yn ddiogel Jacks

Issue 4 - Digital Copy

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Swansea City v Stoke City Tuesday, October 27 - Kick-off 7.45pm

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CONTENTS Page 9 - Steve Cooper’s Notes

Page 14 - Meet the Opposition

Page 19 - Match Reports

Page 28 - Croeso Ryan Bennett

Page 37 - Ayew joins the 100 Club

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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SWANSEA UNIVERSITY IS THE PROUD FRONT OF SHIRT PARTNER OF SWANSEA CITY FOOTBALL CLUB.

PRIFYSGOL ABERTAWE YW’R PARTNER BALCH AR FLAEN CRYSAU CLWB PÊL-DROED ABERTAWE.

At Swansea University there are many master’s courses on offer that may be of interest to you, our fans.

Ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe, mae nifer o gyrsiau meistr a allai fod o ddiddordeb i chi, ein cefnogwyr.

Whether you’re looking to build on existing skills or retrain for a new career, Swansea University offers courses in a wide range of subject areas, including:

P’un ai yr ydych am ehangu eich sgiliau neu ailhyfforddi ar gyfer gyrfa newydd, mae Prifysgol Abertawe yn cynnig cyrsiau mewn ystod eang o feysydd pwnc, yn cynnwys:

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Nursing

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Medicine

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Meddygaeth

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Management

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Rheolaeth

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Teaching

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Dysgu

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Health Sciences

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Gwyddorau Iechyd

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Engineering Law

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Cyfraith Peirianneg

You can find out more at the University’s next ONLINE POSTGRADUATE OPEN DAY on Wednesday 4 November.

As a Swansea City fan, you’ll receive exclusive access to virtual activities, such as: •

Postgraduate finance and funding talk

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Employability webinar

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Student Q & As

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Departmental talks and webinars

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Gallwch ddysgu mwy yn ystod DIWRNOD AGORED ÔL-RADDEDIG RHITHWIR RHITHWIR nesaf y Brifysgol ddydd Mercher, 4 Tachwedd.

Fel un o gefnogwyr Clwb Pêl-droed Abertawe, bydd gennych fynediad arbennig i weithgareddau rhithwir megis: • •

Sgyrsiau ar gyllid ac arian i ôl-raddedigion Weminar cyflogadwyedd

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Holi myfyrwyr

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Sgyrsiau a weminarau pynciol

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Sgyrsiau byw gyda staff cefnogi ac academaidd arbenigol

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Teithiau byw o’r campysau

ARCHEBWCH NAWR

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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 Manager: Nigel Rees Staff: David Tivey, Ritson Lloyd, Ailsa Jones, Matthew Murray, Adele Callaghan, Daniel Morris, Lee Watkins, Chris Watkins, Tom Jenkinson, Tom Goodall, 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 Partnership Sales Manager: Cory Richards Media Manager: Chris 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, Julie Kissick, Ian Mitchelmore, Chris Barney, Andrew Gwilym, Jonathan Davies, Sophie Davis, Adam Evans, Gwyn Rees 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/FfĂ´n: 01792 616606 Fax/Ffacs: 01792 616606 Web/Gwe: swanseacity.com Email/E-bost: info@swanseacity.com

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Chief Executive’s Notes

JULIAN WINTER G

ood evening to all Swansea City supporters around the world.

Last week saw us take in two tough away games against Coventry City and Bristol City, and we picked up two points to keep our unbe aten away record intact.

The challenging nature of the C hampionship s e e s us now look forward to two home games in succession against Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers – two teams who have, like ourselves, made promising starts to the season.

We’ve already taken in seven league games, so it’s been a

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busy st ar t . It ’s now getting busier with midweek games, which I’m sure you’re all enjoying.

It’s also been very busy off the pitch. Last week signalled my first month at Swansea City, and it has certainly flown by.

It has been an interesting four weeks with the transfer window to contend with and getting to know staff.

L ast week , we published an update on a number of issues on our website.

Clear and honest communication is crucial, and I hope all of our supporters found the update useful.

The squad had already been strengthened before I had started, but we were very happy with the acquisitions we made on transfer deadline day. Obviously, Joe Rodon’s departure was a great loss, but the fee has enabled the club to be more financially secure in the short to medium term, while it has allowed us to create a much deeper squad in terms of competitiveness for the league we are in.

We had to make a decision where we could be financially secure and develop the squad in the way we have. I think we have a good platform at the moment, in what we all know are incredibly challenging times due to Covid.

The transfer market has been affe c t e d by C ov i d . Yo u c a n argue at the top level about the amount of money that has been spent in the Premier League, but further down the food chain there hasn’t been much activity.

I think that will get more challenging moving into J anuary. We have to understand the market that is in front of us, and plan accordingly.

I think we got to a good solution all things considered and on the whole I think we’re i n g o o d s h a p e . We a r e n o t burdened by huge amounts of debt, there is a small loan that is recent, but the club is well geared to prepare and plan for life with no fan income for

t h e r e s t o f t h e s e a s o n . We are hopeful of getting pilots going, but we won’t get back to the revenue levels that we would normally be expecting.

Planning for all these scenarios is difficult, but we have a really good platform.

A number of teams in this league have huge ongoing losses and a debt burden, but we a re o p e rat i n g i n a g o o d way while at the same time producing a team that we are all proud of.

Enjoy the game tonight.

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Head Coach’s Notes

STEVE COOPER G

ood evening to all Swansea City fans as we look ahead to tonight’s Championship clash with Stoke City.

After two consecutive games on the road, it’s great to be back at the Liberty.

We c a m e t h r o u g h t wo ve r y different challenges last week i n w h i c h we p i c ke d u p t wo points against Coventry City and B ristol City – the same scorelines, but very different feelings after the game.

Our intention is always to win games, but we were happy to come away from St Andrew’s with a share of the spoils as I don’t think we played to the level we are capable of.

Then we travelled to Ashton Gate and again picked up a point in a 1-1 draw, but we came away feeling we really should have won the game.

The boys had worked very hard throughout the game, and it was an excellent finish by Jamal Lowe for our goal. We were delighted for Jamal as he’s a great lad and works so hard for the team.

But the penalty decision against Connor Roberts was something we c ouldn’ t understand. It was a bad decision, and that ’s putting it extremely lightly, so we felt harshly done by to get back to Swansea with just a point.

You have to battle very hard for everything you get in this l e a g u e, a n d o u r e ff o r t a n d application certainly deserved three points, and that ’s the frustrating thing.

That means there hasn’t been a great amount of time in terms of preparation and recovery, but the lads have been excellent in the last few days.

We host a Stoke side that has started the season well, and they go into the game on the back of a good home win over Brentford, so we’re expecting a tough encounter.

B u t , a s e v e r, t h e f o c u s i s always on what we do and how we can influence the result.

We’re unbeaten on our travels so far, which is a nice record to have, but we really want to improve on our home form.

We’ll do everything we can to give you the result you deserve.

It was disappointing, but we had no time to dwell with another game in front of us.

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MATT GRIMES Captain’s Notes

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ello and welcome to everyone joining us from around the world for this evening’s Championship home fixture against Stoke City.

It has been a busy period with three games in eight days, especially with two of those matches being away fixtures.

Every game is tough and we were really disappointed to lose against Huddersfield in a game I thought we played very well in.

I think the match at Coventry was also a tough game, they have obviously just got promoted from League One so they are at it and they played some decent stuff. It was probably one of the toughest games we have faced so far this season. I know you could look at it and think that we should beat a newly-promoted side but I think a point there was decent in the circumstances, we were not at our best at all.

We then headed to Ashton Gate on Saturday to face Bristol City, a fixture which usually stands out in the calendar due to the atmosphere. We got ourselves into

a very good position, at 1-0 up. I thought we limited them to very few chances but when a penalty decision like that goes against you at the end, it knocks the wind out of your sails and loses you two points.

Throughout the game we limited them to next to nothing, I think Freddie only made one save from a free-kick. They were throwing bodies on to try and get the winner and it changed the dynamic of the game and put us under the cosh.

Don’t get me wrong, a point away from home is a good point, especially against a team that has been flying. But in the manner we got that point we are certainly disappointed, we should have come away with all three.

We had to show something at Bristol and I think we did that in the first-half and had some good chances in the second-half but were then on the wrong end of the penalty decision.

I was chuffed to bits for Jamal to get his second goal of the season.

He’s come in and settled in really quickly, I think everyone can see what he’s about and his finish

against Bristol City is one that we see most days in training.

Saturday also marked Jay’s first start of the season. He’s one of them that you know exactly what you’re getting, he’s a fantastic lad and brilliant in training. He knows that if he’s called upon, he can come in and do a job which he did in the second half against Coventry and against Bristol City at the weekend. He’s a fantastic lad and a fantastic player to have around.

This season is unique, I think there will be a lot of games where things will be up in the air and you’ll see a lot of shock results. I think we just need to try and stay as consistent as possible throughout the season, whatever team does that will have the best chance of promotion.

We now have two home games ahead of us and it’s a brilliant opportunity to build on our home form, we are really looking forward to them.

Enjoy the game this evening!

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upporters Trust board member Ceri Stone reflects on a busy period for Swansea City – on and off the pitch.

Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. And Welcome Back.

This last transfer window seemed to last forever!

It has certainly been one of the most interesting in recent history. We’ve seen another academy graduate move to a top-six club in the Premier League and we have been able to bring in some talented young players to bolster the squad. We have also seen changes to the structure of the club at boardroom level.

Just your average Swansea City start to a season.

Now that the dust has settled this seems to be a good time to welcome all the new faces.

Firstly, we extend a very warm welcome to all of our new signings. You are now officially Swansea Jacks (I don’t think I am allowed to use the term we use in the East Stand)! At first glance it looks like we have done some excellent business in the transfer market and we have a side that the Jack Army can get a little excited about.

We have youth, pace, skill and a bit of bite in the team.

As a purist I am delighted that we are maintaining the ‘Swansea Way’, and the first six games (at the time of writing), have given us plenty of cause for optimism. The only sad note is the injury to Morgan Gibbs-White. We wish Morgan a speedy recovery and can’t wait to see him in a white shirt again.

Secondly, we would like to welcome our new chief executive, Julian Winter. Julian took time out of his busy schedule to meet the Supporters Trust at our last board meeting and we had some very productive conversations.

It is early days in his tenure, but we were impressed with his knowledge of the club and how thorough he has been so far. As a Trust, it is important for us to be in regular contact with the club so that we can ensure that the fans’ voices are heard. We appreciate how busy Julian’s first month has been - starting at the end of a transfer window cannot be easy - and we look forward to working with him and maintaining a positive relationship. As a Trust, and as fans, we just want to be kept involved in the running of our club.

Thirdly, welcome to all the new members of the Supporters Trust. By the weekend of the Huddersfield match we had surpassed 1,450 members, which is an increase of roughly 30 per cent compared to last season, and this number is growing by the week. On social media, we have over 8,000 followers on Twitter and over 12,000 followers on Facebook, but only a small proportion are members of the Trust.

There hasn’t been a better time to join, with a 50 per cent discount for new members running up to the end of December. By doing so you can actively contribute to the club as well as having your say on social media. All Jacks are welcome and you can enlist at www.swanstrust.co.uk Finally, we want to wish Joe Rodon all the success in the world at Tottenham. He is one of us and will always be welcome back home at the Liberty.

As is a returning favourite this evening in the form of Joe Allen. I have a big soft spot for Joe because my father was his headmaster at Narberth Primary School and we’ve followed his career closely through the years.

We wish him well in the final stages of his recovery from an Achilles injury.

With the dust settling on a busy transfer window it is time for us to be entertained. COYS.

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STOKE CITY FACT FILE OWNER

NICKNAME

The Potters

1863

@stokecity

@stokecity

@stokecity

bet365 Stadium

1997

30,089

TWITTER INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK STADIUM OPENED CAPACITY

THE GAFFER

The former Northern Ireland boss is embarking on his first full season in charge of Stoke, having steered them clear of danger to a 15th-place finish last term.

Ex-midfielder O’Neill turned out for 13 different clubs during his playing days, before beginning his managerial career with Brechin City and Shamrock Rovers. Then followed his nine-year stint with Northern Ireland, who he led to the European Championship finals for the first time in 2016.

CLUB CAPTAIN

Shawcross misses out today as he continues to recover from the ongoing injury problems that limited him to just five appearances last season.

Captain at the bet365 Stadium for the past decade, the defender is now in his 14th season with the Potters, for whom he has racked up 450 appearances in all competitions. The 33-year-old began his career at Manchester United, but made just two senior appearances at Old Trafford.

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FOUNDED

bet365 Group

RYAN SHAWCROSS MICHAEL O’NEILL

CLUB DETAILS SOCIAL MEDIA FACILITIES

STADIUM MEET THE OPPOSITION After a 10-year stint in the Premier League, Stoke are now in their third season back in the Championship after suffering relegation from the top-flight alongside the Swans in 2018. Tony Pulis guided them to an FA Cup final appearance in 2011, which led to a Europa League campaign, before Mark Hughes oversaw three successive ninth-place finishes in the top-flight.

A 1972 League Cup victory brought them their only piece of major silverware, but their attempts to return to the Premier League have not matched expectations after keeping together what looks a strong squad on paper.

STOKE’S FORM

Despite a sluggish start to the Championship season, Stoke headed into the international break with plenty of momentum on their side.

After failing to score in their opening two league games, the Potters embarked on a four-match unbeaten run, while overcoming Wolves and Aston Villa on their way to reaching the EFL Cup quarter-finals.

They have since beaten Luton and drawn with Barnsley, and will be looking to maintain their impressive recent record against the Swans, which has brought them five wins in the last six meetings between the sides.

THE KEY MEN

The Potters added to their attacking quality in the summer by signing the experienced Steven Fletcher, who joins forces with the likes of Tyrese Campbell, James McClean and Sam Vokes.

They also strengthened in the middle of the park with the arrival of two-time Premier League title winner John Obi Mikel, while Wales international James Chester came in to bolster the defence.

In goal, Adam Davies has made the number-one jersey his own after deputising for the injured Jack Butland towards the end of last term.

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ONES TO WATCH

JOHN OBI MIKEL

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The experienced Mikel is embarking on his third spell in England, having arrived from Trabzonspor during the summer.

The midfielder enjoyed a trophyladen decade with Chelsea; winning two Premier League titles and three FA Cups, as well as the Champions League and Europa League. The former Nigeria international, who has also turned out for Lyn, Tianjin TEDA and Middlesbrough during his career, represented the Eagles at two World Cups, while captaining them to a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics.

POSITION

DF

NATION

AGE

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31 MF

Chester joined Stoke on a permanent deal in the summer following an initial loan spell at the bet365 Stadium last season. With over 400 career appearances, the centre-half brings plenty of experience to the Potters’ back line. The Wales international, who was part of the side that reached the Euro 2016 semi-finals, represented Hull and West Brom in the Premier League, while making over 100 Championship appearances for Aston Villa.

JAMES CHESTER

NATION

AGE

33

TYRESE CAMPBELL Academy graduate Campbell is looking to build on his tally of nine goals in the Championship last season. It was a productive campaign for the former Manchester City youngster, who established his place in the starting line-up and signed a new long-term contract with the Potters.

Campbell is the son of exArsenal and Everton striker Kevin, who also played for Nottingham Forest and West Brom in the Premier League.

POSITION

MF

NATION

AGE

POSITION

31 MF

Now in his third season with Stoke, McClean is approaching 100 appearances for the Potters. The winger was directly involved in 14 goals for his side last term; scoring seven and assisting seven. The 31-year-old has turned out for Sunderland and West Brom in the Premier League; racking up over 150 appearances along the way. The Republic of Ireland international has played 73 times for his country, while representing them at two European Championships.

JAMES McCLEAN

NATION

AGE

POSITION

20 FW

NATION

AGE

33

Fletcher joined Stoke in August on a free transfer following his departure from Sheffield Wednesday. The Scottish striker, who topscored in two of his four seasons at Hillsborough, brings plenty of experience to the Potters’ attack, having turned out for Burnley, Wolves and Sunderland in the Premier League. He is one of only five players to net multiple hattricks for Scotland; achieving the feat against Gibraltar home and away in 2015.

STEVEN FLETCHER

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MATCH DETAILS DATE: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17 VENUE: LIBERTY STADIUM REFEREE: TONY HARRINGTON

SWANSEA CITY 1 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 2 MATCH REPORT LINEUPS S wansea City ’s unbeaten start to the Championship season came to an end as Huddersfield claimed the three points at the Liberty Stadium.

The Swans had started the afternoon the far sharper and brighter of the sides, but were punished for a defensive lapse when Harry Toffolo put the Terriers ahead.

Andre Ayew – on his 100th Swansea appearance – levelled from the spot before the break, but Josh Koroma struck a second-half winner.

Prior to Koroma’s goal, Ayew and Lowe had been unable to convert good chances, while the Swans also spurned opportunities during an opening half when they had been firmly on top.

Swans: Freddie Woodman; Kyle Naughton (Liam Cullen 81), Ben Cabango, Marc Guehi; Connor Roberts, Korey Smith, Matt Grimes (captain), Jake Bidwell; Andre Ayew, Viktor Gyokeres (Kasey Palmer 62), Jamal Lowe (Jordon Garrick 81).

Subs not used: Steven Benda, Jay Fulton, Yan Dhanda, Cameron Evans.

Huddersfield Town: Ben Hamer; Richard Stearman, Christopher Schindler (captain), Naby Sarr; Pipa, Juninho Bacuna (Lewis O’Brien 72), Jonathan Hogg, Carel Eiting (Demeaco Duhaney 85), Harry Toffolo; Isaac Mbenza (Fraizer Campbell 62), Josh Koroma.

Subs not used: Jacob Chapman, Adama Diakhaby, Alex Pritchard, Romoney Crichlow-Noble.

QUOTE OF THE GAME "WE DIDN’T TAKE OUR CHANCES, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE ATTACKING QUITE WELL. WE MADE A FEW MISTAKES. THEY SCORED IN THE FIRST HALF, BUT WE CAME BACK. THEY THEN GOT THE SECOND GOAL AT A TIME WHEN IT LOOKED LIKE WE WERE GOING TO GET IT INSTEAD."

VIKTOR GYOKERES 19

COVENTRY CITY 1 SWANSEA CITY 1

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MATCH DETAILS

LINEUPS

DATE: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20 VENUE: ST. ANDREW’S REFEREE: KEITH STROUD

Coventry City: Marko Marosi; Michael Rose, Kyle McFadzean (captain), Dom Hyam; Sam McCallum (Josh Pask 79), Jamie Allen, Ben Sheaf, Ryan Giles; Callum O’Hare, Jordan Shipley (Liam Kelly 64); Matt Godden.

MATCH REPORT S

Subs not used: Ben Wilson, Leo Ostigard, Max Biamou, Amadou Bakayoko, Gervane Kastaneer.

wansea City remained unbeaten on their travels in the Championship after Andre Ayew’s third goal of the season secured a point at Coventry City.

Steve Cooper ’s side had fallen behind in Birmingham, with Jordan Shipley finding the net thanks to an excellent finish in the 19th minute.

But the visitors levelled just before the break as Ayew showed all his class to steer home from Jake Bidwell’s pull-back.

They looked the more likely winner during the second half, but could not find the goal that would have given them all three points.

The game started scrappily as the two sides struggled for fluency, but Coventry hit their stride first as they picked off a loose midfield pass to tee up Shipley, who dispatched a clever left-footed finish into the net via the inside of the post.

Swansea responded four minutes before the break. Matt Grimes sent Bidwell motoring down the left to hook the ball to Ayew, who beat a man before flashing a strike into the bottom corner.

The visitors had the better of the game for the 25 minutes after the break, with Korey Smith and Marc Guehi having efforts on goal.

But they were grateful to Connor Roberts, as the defender made two late blocks to prevent Ryan Giles stealing the points for the Sky Blues.

Swans: Freddie Woodman; Ben Cabango, Ryan Bennett, Marc Guehi; Connor Roberts, Korey Smith, Matt Grimes (captain), Jake Bidwell; Andre Ayew, Viktor Gyokeres (Jay Fulton 46), Jamal Lowe (Liam Cullen 65).

Subs not used: Steven Benda, Kyle Naughton, Ryan Manning, Yan Dhanda, Kasey Palmer.

QUOTE OF THE GAME "I’M NOT OVERLY HAPPY WITH THE PERFORMANCE, BUT I’M HAPPY WE STAYED IN THE GAME AND THAT WE DID NOT GET BEAT, AS A PERFORMANCE LIKE THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO SHOW OTHER SIDES OF YOUR GAME. BUT THE WAY THE GAME WENT, I’M NOT TOO DISAPPOINTED WITH A POINT." STEVE COOPER 21

BRISTOL CITY 1 SWANSEA CITY 1

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MATCH DETAILS DATE: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 VENUE: ASHTON GATE REFEREE: OLIVER LANGFORD

MATCH REPORT S

wansea City were denied just a second win at Ashton Gate in 27 years as a late penalty from Nahki Wells cancelled out Jamal Lowe’s opener.

In a fixture that has historically been low scoring, Lowe netted early in the second half with a sweeping leftfooted strike.

It put the Swans on track for a third win in four away games this season, only for Wells to score with eight minutes to go after Connor Roberts had been adjudged to have fouled Antoine Semenyo.

The result extended the Swans’ unbeaten away run in league fixtures to 10 games, but Cooper and his squad were left frustrated having coped with any threat from the hosts with relative comfort.

After a opening half short on goalscoring chances, with Andre Ayew striking the bar with a header from a corner, it was the Swans who surged into the lead five minutes after the break.

Roberts was heavily involved as he started the move and got forward to deliver the final pass, with Lowe turning and smashing an unstoppable left-footed shot into the top corner.

But parity was restored in debatable fashion when referee Oliver Langford harshly adjudged Roberts had fouled Semenyo as he fell when defending a set-piece.

Substitute Wells made no mistake as he drove the spot-kick down the middle.

There was still time for Swansea to craft two good chances to retake the lead, but Viktor Gyokeres and Korey Smith could not find the target.

LINEUPS Bristol City: Daniel Bentley; Zak Vyner, Taylor Moore (Nahki Wells 78), Tomas Kalas (captain), Chris Brunt; Steven Sessegnon (Famara Diedhiou 73), Andreas Weimann (Callum O’Dowda 65), Jamie Paterson, Jay Dasilva; Antoine Semenyo, Chris Martin.

Subs not used: Max O’Leary, Jack Hunt, Tommy Rowe, Tyreeq Bakinson.

Swans: Freddie Woodman; Ben Cabango, Ryan Bennett, Marc Guehi; Connor Roberts, Korey Smith, Jay Fulton, Matt Grimes (captain), Jake Bidwell; Andre Ayew, Jamal Lowe (Viktor Gyokeres 76).

Subs not used: Steven Benda, Ryan Manning, Wayne Routledge, Liam Cullen, Yan Dhanda, Kyle Naughton.

QUOTE OF THE GAME "IT’S SO HARD TO GET POINTS IN THIS LEAGUE, SO TO GET A PENALTY DECISION LIKE THAT AGAINST US WHEN WE WERE SO COMFORTABLE IN THE GAME, IT’S A DIFFICULT ONE TO TAKE, TO BE HONEST." STEVE COOPER 23

2018 GlobalData UK Market Analyzer (released Aug 2019)

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STILETTOS & STUDS

BY JULIE KISSICK

A

s many of you who read this column regularly will know, my first introduction to Swansea City came at a very young age.

I was a child of the John Toshack era and I was fortunate enough to witness first-hand the incredible highs of our promotion to the ‘old’ first division and not so fortunate to see the club almost fall out of the league during some very dark days.

In between the two extremes lay some of the best and worst days of my life as a football fan, and I’m no exception there. There won’t be a fan of any club who hasn’t been through the ringer with their club at some stage.

One of the biggest disappointments is the loss of a player who epitomises the club as we as fans perceive it.

You know where I’m going here of course - Joe Rodon. It is a rarity for a club to have a player who was born in the town or city, supported the club as a boy, a season ticket holder, came up through the academy ranks and broke into the first team in such a decisive way as Joe did.

The “he’s one of our own” chant was never more applicable and rarely carried such meaning as when it was sung to him. He may be plying his trade wearing different colours now, but he was, is and always will be, one of our own. Once a Jack, and all that!

I know we’ll all wish him loads of luck at Tottenham and I’m delighted he gets to work alongside another former Swan, Ben Davies, as well as his Wales teammate Gareth Bale, in the top league.

No-one would begrudge him the opportunity to progress, in fact, I’m quite sure that’s what we all want to see our best talent do. Of course, we wish it was with us, but when opportunity knocks, most of us open the door to it, and Joe is no exception.

So, we go into the rest of the season minus Joe Rodon, and plus several new signings. I was asked to take part on BBC Radio Wales Sport last Saturday afternoon to talk about the changes to the squad and my thoughts on the season so far.

It’s difficult sometimes to balance that sense of disappointment in losing a fans’ favourite with the excitement that new signings bring, but I think it’s important that we do.

Whether a player is with us for a season or several, they all have a role to play in shaping the future of the club and I really don’t think we’ve got anything to complain about with the new additions from this transfer window.

It’s more important than ever to show support for the new boys – as difficult as that is in the current climate. They won’t get to hear their own songs, they won’t feel the roar of the Jack Army behind them, they will be reliant on social media and message boards probably to find out what we think of them.

So, on behalf of the fans, a big, warm, Jack welcome to the newbies. We’re delighted to have you with us and we’re looking forward to seeing each of you in action over the coming weeks.

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ERTHYGLAU CYMRAEG

BY IAN MITCHELMORE, WALES ONLINE

W

ythnos ar ôl i’r ffenestr trosglwyddo cau, mae Abertawe yn parhau i deimlo’r tristwch o weld Joe Rodon yn gadael y clwb.

Un (neu pedwar!) positif mawr i Steve Cooper oedd gweld nifer o chwaraewyr yn ymuno’r clwb ar diwrnod olaf y ffenestr.

Ar ôl dechreuad bendigedig i’r tymor, agorodd y drws i’r dyn ifanc o Langyfelach symud at yr Uwch Gynghrair.

Croesawodd yr Elyrch Joel Latibeaudiere, Ryan Manning, Kasey Palmer a Ryan Bennett i Abertawe 11 diwrnod yn ôl, ac yn sydyn, mae’r carfan yn edrych yn cryfach gyda mwy o gytbwys.

Mae yna lawer o rwystredigaeth hefo’r swm cafwyd yr Elyrch am Rodon, pwy symudodd i Tottenham am £11m, swm sydd yn gallu cynyddu at £15m yn y dyfodol.

Ond ar lefel personol i Rodon, mae’r symudiad yn un sy’n dangos pa mor dalentog mae’r amddiffynwr, sydd yn barod wedi ennill saith cap i Gymru o dan Ryan Giggs.

Gyda chwaraewyr fel Oli McBurnie a Daniel James yn gadael y clwb ers i Abertawe disgyn allan o’r Uwch Gynghrair, mae’n anodd unwaith eto i’r cefnogwyr dod i delerau gyda’r ffaith bod dyn arall sydd wedi graddio o’r system ieuenctid y clwb wedi gadael.

Ond, ar yr un pryd, mae’n dystiolaeth i’r Elyrch bod gymaint o glybiau yn cadw llygad barcud ar Abertawe wrth weld y nifer o chwaraewyr mae’r clwb wedi cynhyrchu yn diweddar.

Gyda chwaraewyr fel Mike van der Hoorn, Ben Wilmot, Bersant Celina, Rhian Brewster a Conor Gallagher yn gadael y clwb ar ôl diwedd y tymor 2019/20, roedd angen i Abertawe bod yn brysur yn y farchnad drosglwyddo.

Yn gyfan gwbl, mae yna 10 wyneb newydd mewn carfan Cooper sydd yn pwysig iawn, enwedig gyda’r ffordd mae’r pandemig coronafeirws wedi cael effaith ar yr amserlen.

Fel Abertawe, disgynodd Stoke City allan o’r Uwch Gynghrair yn 2018, ond mae carfan tîm Michael O’Neill wedi aros yn cryf iawn dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf.

Mi fydd gêm heddiw yn prawf enfawr i’r Elyrch unwaith eto, ac fydd angen i’r dîm c ar tref perfformio o’r munud cyntaf i’r munud olaf i gael canlyniad positif yn erbyn y Crochenwyr.

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CROESO RYAN BENNETT Age: 30 Position: Defender Nationality: English Former Clubs: Grimsby Town, 117 Apps, 6 Goals Peterborough (Loan), 10 Apps, 0 Goals Peterborough, 74 Apps, 6 Goals Norwich City, 101 Apps, 2 Goals Peterborough (Loan), 4 Apps, 0 Goals Wolves, 74 Apps, 2 Goals Leicester City (Loan), 5 Apps, 0 Goals

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HE MAY BE ONE OF THE NEW BOYS, BUT SWANSEA CITY DEFENDER RYAN BENNET T ALREADY RANKS AMONG THE MOST EXPERIENCED PLAYERS IN STEVE COOPER’S SQUAD.

“That is the case throughout the week too, and not just in matches. You need that when things aren’t going so well, that is when the experience can sometimes play a part.

The 30-year-old centre-half, who arrived in SA1 in a deadline-day move from Wolves, is one of just four players in the Swansea squad aged 30 or over.

“We can help everyone to relax, focus and realise that it is normal, there are going to be difficult times but you just have to keep pushing, working towards your goals, and staying positive.”

But it’s not so much his age and experience, as where all that knowledge and know-how has been gained, that makes Bennett an intriguing and astute acquisition for the Swans.

The former England Under-21 international revealed the ongoing ‘project’ at the Swans played a huge factor in his decision to make the move to South Wales.

After all, we are talking about a man who has experienced three promotions during his career.

“There have been different clubs and different opportunities offered to me but I didn’t want to jump at the first one and this was something that excited me,” he added.

He has over 100 Championship appearances under his belt, and also has extensive top-flight knowledge from his time with Norwich City, Wolves and Leicester.

Indeed, as recently as the end of last season, Bennett was playing his trade in the top-flight under former Swans boss Brendan Rodgers.

“ There are a few lads here who have got experience, including Korey Smith who I played with before; he is a good head in the changing room too.

“You’ve got a mix of young players and you saw the season they had last year, it’s the sort of project that is exciting to be a part of.

All of which means he is a player arriving in Swansea with a desire to make a mark, and bring all his expertise to bear as the club eyes a return to the top-flight.

“It was a straight one for me once I had the phone call, it was a no-brainer. It was a project that I kind of knew about already through Morgan GibbsWhite coming here,” said Bennett, who made an assured debut in last week’s draw at Coventry.

“Deadline day is always a bit of a rush but it’s been good to come in and it’s been nice to meet the lads over the last week or so and get started.

“I have been around a little bit now, I’ve been through good times and bad times as well.

“Sometimes it can be nice for the younger players when you’re in those games and battles to have someone there who has been through it to just organise things and calm everyone down.

CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE...

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“THE STYLE OF PLAY AT SWANSEA IS A PART OF THE FOOTBALL CLUB THAT BROUGHT ME HERE, SEEING THE WAY THE TEAM PLAY AND THE IDENTITY THEY HAVE, THAT WAS A BIG PART OF THE REASON WHY I AGREED TO COME. “I wouldn’t come here if there wasn’t a project h e r e, a n d i t w a s t h e s a m e w h e n I we n t t o Wolves and there was a projec t there; that turned out to be very good.

“Hopefully with the set-up, the staff and the players that are here, it will be a very good season and we continue what has been started.”

T here will be a c ouple of familiar fac e s t o greet Bennett in the shape of Korey Smith and Morgan Gibbs-White, with the latter being a team-mate of Bennett ’s during their time at Wolves. “ I d i d n’ t g et a c h a n c e t o s p e a k t o M o rg a n before I signed, but we previously spoke about how it’s going with him,” added Bennett. “ We’re in the same WhatsApp group and we always see how he’s doing; he’s loved every minute of being here.

“I knew in that sense that it would be a good move, but it was a very last minute call that I got and he did try and ring me, I actually had a missed c all from him so I had to c all him back later.

“I knew from his point of view how much he liked the club and how things are going for him so it was a no-brainer, it’s nice to be here.”

Having experienced promotions with P eterborough U nited, Norwich and Wolves, B ennett knows the ingre dient s ne e de d for promotion and will be hoping to replicate that success with his new club.

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“It’s tough, there a lot of things that have to come together along the way,” he said.

“It sounds good that I have had a lot of promotions but there are difficult times within that. “ T here are times when you lose two on the bounce and times when you have to deal with certain things and injuries, but it ’s how you come out of them and mentally how strong you stay, and obviously how you keep results on track.

“It’s going to be bumpy at times but it’s riding those waves and making sure you reach your end target. “ There is one aim that everyone throughout the club will want and that is promotion. “ There’s no point sitting here and saying that isn’t the aim because it is. “ There are plenty of other clubs that have got the s ame ambition, it is going to be tough but I think if you look at it and ask what will be deemed successful, that will be the only answer.

“I believe the squad here and the st aff are capable of doing that.”

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I

JACK THE LAD

t’s been long debated whether tonight’s visitors should be known as a Midlands club or a northern club.

Stoke fan Anton Booth claims to be responsible for Sir Tom’s song being adopted by the Potteries club.

Pulis, of course, will go down as one of the club’s most successful managers during his two spells in charge.

Apparently, this argument is the subject of much conversation within the city of Stoke itself.

“It all began at an away game in Derby (in April 1987) where we were all in a pub and the police asked us not to sing a song with swear words in,” said Booth.

The former Newport County defender led them into the Premier League, to an FA Cup final and a place in Europe during his second tenure.

S o m e i n h a b i t a nt s c o n s i d e r themselves to be fully fledged northerners, while others feel they are pure midlanders.

The local paper, the Stoke Sentinel, even had a vote on it. The result reinforced the uncertainty with 58 per cent voting Midlands and 42 per cent for the North. Not exactly an overwhelming outcome.

But there is an argument to suggest that those walking into the football club may think they are in Wales, rather than an area of England.

Think about it, what is Stoke City’s signature song?

That’s right, our very own Tom Jones’ anthem Delilah!

I can understand why Tom Jones’ famous standard is much loved by Welsh rugby supporters, drunkenly clambering over each other to get seen on the big screen during Six Nations matches at the Principality Stadium.

But how did it come to be belted out around the bet365 Stadium on a blustery Staffordshire Saturday afternoon?

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“So we put Delilah on the jukebox, and I got up on a table and started singing it. We sang it in the ground and it just went from there.”

Other theories include a concert by the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, held at Stoke’s former home the Victoria Ground in May 1975.

The group unleashed their own version of the hit, which struck a lasting chord with Stoke fans.

But the Potters’ faithful belting out Delilah isn’t the only reason for a Welsh flavour around the ground.

Four of the club’s last eight managers have been Welshmen - Tony Pulis, Mark Hughes, Eddie Niedzwiecki (caretaker) and Nathan Jones.

Jones and Niedzwiecki may not have lasted long in what has proved to be a particularly hot seat in recent years, but Pulis and Hughes were in charge for a total of 15 years, quite a stint in managerial terms these days.

Go back a little further and another Welshman helped Stoke reach the top-flight of English football.

Margam-born former Wales international Alan Durban led the club to promotion back to the old First Division in dramatic fashion, beating Notts County on the last day of the 1978-79 season.

After shocking the club in 1981 by leaving to manage Sunderland, Durban returned briefly as caretaker for five games at the end of the 1997-98 season, but was unable to prevent Stoke falling into the third tier.

But it’s not just in the manager’s office the club has enjoyed a heavy Welsh influence, the dressing room has also been known to echo with a strong Welsh accent.

N eve r m o r e s o t h a n t o d a y.

The first-team squad currently boasts five Welsh players - young goalkeeper Adam Davies, defender Morgan Fox and Euro 2016 heroes James Chester, Sam Vokes and Joe Allen, who, of course, was a huge fans’ favourite here at the Liberty Stadium.

In fact, Vokes even admitted to the Welsh connection at the club having an influence on his joining back in January of last year.

Older Swans fans will particularly remember another long-serving Welshman, at what was then the Victoria Ground, back in the 1970s.

Back then, former Swans and Wales skipper Ashley Williams was also plying his trade in the Potteries and South Walian Jones was in charge of the club.

John Mahoney, who was capped 51 times for Wales, also made 337 appearances for Stoke in a career which spanned 10 years between 1967 to 1977.

Like the managerial situation at Stoke, go back a few decades and there was also a strong Welsh influence on the pitch in the shape of two of the club’s long-serving players.

The Cardiff-born midfielder helped Stoke win the League Cup when they beat Chelsea 2-1 at Wembley in 1972.

Welsh international George Berry was a hugely popular figure at the club during his stay between 1982 and 1990, when he made 269 appearances.

Berry captained the club and became something of a cult hero with supporters. He was given a testimonial match in recognition of his service for the club.

Following Stoke’s relegation from the old First Division in 1977, Mahoney moved to Middlesbrough where he made 90 appearances, before joining the Swans at the start of the 1980-81 season.

At the Vetch, Mahoney teamed up with a number of his Welsh international team mates, including the late Robbie James, who would himself later play for Stoke - yet another Welsh influence.

Mahoney became a real fans’ favourite with the Swans, even earning his own distinc tive song. Fans of a certain age will now have “ The one and only John Mahoney, la, la, la,la,la la . . .” going around their head on a loop for the rest of the day.

He helped the club reach the top-flight of English football for the first time during his debut season.

And the following campaign he was a major influence as the Swans recorded their highestever finish in the league, placing sixth in the old First Division.

So, there you have it, Stoke City: some may say it’s a northern c l u b, ot h e r s m ay c l a i m i t ’ s from the Midlands, but there’s no arguing against its Welsh connections.

C’mon you Swans!

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SWANS ACADEMY

BY NIGEL REES

G

ood evening everybody/noswaith dda pawb.

This continues to be a very challenging time in terms of the Covid restrictions, particularly with the announcement of a full lockdown in Wales.

As an academy we were on the verge of inviting all our Foundation and Youth Phase players back into training but, unfortunately, we have again had to postpone this process. This is frustrating for both the players and staff and our concern is that the players have almost lost a whole year in terms of their development. We will continue to deliver our online programme and sessions, but this process only goes some way to engaging with the players in the same fashion as when they are in the academy environment at Landore. Throughout this period our main concern has always been the safety of our players and staff, and this will always be paramount when our players return to the environment.

The under-23s continue to work hard, and recently travelled to Hull. This was our first away fixture in the league programme and a very different experience in terms of the Covid protocols for travelling and staying overnight. We worked hard and battled throughout the game but eventually lost the fixture. We fielded a very young team, which is our strategy this season, and the players will gain experience from the opportunity of playing in a much older environment. This is a very challenging transition for the some of the players as they enter the more senior games programme for the first time. The games become far more competitive and the intensity is a new challenge both individually and collectively. Our next fixture is at home to Birmingham on Monday afternoon.

boys continue to be upbeat and positive and have shown excellent resilience throughout this difficult time. On a more positive note our fixture against Wigan next week has been confirmed and we are all eagerly awaiting the game.

On a personal note I would like to wish Joe Rodon all the very best wishes on his move t o S pur s . Joe always worked hard through the different age groups at the academy and epitomises the dedication and commitment players require to make a career in professional sport. I have watched Joe develop into a top player as well as an excellent role model for all our younger players within the academy.

Both the players and staff have created a very positive and professional atmosphere for our players to develop. The infrastructure both in terms of our staff and physical facilities are developing every year to meet the needs of the players and the demands of the Elite Football programme. A s stated previously, our aim is to make young players the focal point of our d eve l o p m e nt p ro g ra m m e. N u r t u r i n g yo u n g talent requires hard work, perseverance and above all patience. There is no quick fix and as we constantly tell the players “anything worth having is worth working for �. T he A c ademy programme requires a great deal of dedication, hard work, commitment and sacrifice for all the players and I am extremely proud of every one of the players involved in our Academy. We can never sit back on our past achievements and will always strive to reach our goal of becoming the best Academy in the programme.

Enjoy the game this evening!

The under-18s continue to push forward and are working hard within the environment. Owing to the Covid situation our last scheduled game against Sheffield United was cancelled which sees the group having another non-fixture weekend. The

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AYEW JOINS THE 100 CLUB I

t may not have come in a winning cause, but Andre Ayew was a proud man after recently bringing up his Swansea City century.

The Ghanaian, 30, registered his ton in the recent meeting with Huddersfield, marking the occasion with a goal having previously accumulated 99 outings in Swans colours across his two spells with the club.

While Ayew was unaware of the approaching landmark, it meant a huge amount for him to achieve the feat at a club he feels a particular attachment too.

“This is a special thing for me, because this is a special club for me, I think I have something special with the fans,” he said.

“That’s why, when we’re playing at home, I don’t like that there aren’t any fans to watch us at the moment.

“I hope they will come back soon. I need them; when I play, I feed off their passion. This is how it is now.

“To play my 100th game is great. Everyone knows this club means a lot to me. I need to keep on going and hopefully there will be more games to come..

“For me, it’s a big number. I played over 200 games for Marseille and to get three figures here is a good feeling for me - especially to show the fans I’m one of them.

“Hopefully, we can keep going and winning after a good start to the season.”

Ayew has experienced highs and lows during his time with the club, scoring memorable goals against Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool in his debut season, but also seeing the club relegated from the top-flight in 2018.

He helped drive Steve Cooper’s squad to within sight of a Premier League return as they reached the playoffs last term.

But it is that first outing in the famous white shirt, against Jose Mourinho’s champion Chelsea side in August 2015 that stands out.

“My first goal versus Chelsea was one of my best moments at Swansea,” he said.

“It was my first game in the Premier League. That season was great for me.

“I’ve had great moments and bad moments. I came back in January 2018 to try to help keep us up.

“I had an injury at the time. I played with it a bit, but couldn’t do what I wanted to.

“Also, almost as soon as I came into the squad, Leroy (Fer) and Wilfried (Bony) got injured - it was a difficult period for me. Jordan (Ayew) also got suspended.

“So, all of a sudden, the strike force I was coming to play with - nobody was there! The gaffer had to mix things up, we nearly did it but we came up short.

“We were so close to coming back up last season, but I think we lacked a little bit of experience in the game at Brentford. But we’ve learned from it and will see what happens this season.”

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SWANS LADIES FACE APOLLON IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

S

wansea City Ladies will face Apollon Ladies in their UEFA Champions League first qualifying round tie.

Ian Owen and Colin Staples will take their side to face the Cypriot champions, with the tie due to be played in Limassol on November 3.

The Swans qualified for the elite E uropean competition thanks to their Welsh Premier Women’s League title success of last term.

This marks their first European campaign since the 2017-18 season, when they competed in the preliminary group stage.

The competition format has been altered this year, with the preliminary rounds now consisting of single knock-out ties.

“It will be a bit different with the way the tournament is set up this year,” said Swansea City Ladies captain Alicia Powe.

“Some of us experienced the group-stage format previously, and this will put the ties in a different perspective as there is no margin for error.

“IT’S VERY EXCITING TO BE ABLE TO TEST OURSELVES AS PLAYERS AT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LEVEL, AND WE WANT TO PERFORM AS WELL AS WE CAN AND DO OURSELVES PROUD. “The women’s game is getting more exposure and constantly growing, and this is a competition that plays a big part in that.

“We are looking forward to being a part of it again.”

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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.

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COMMUNITY TRUST AND LOCAL MPS JOIN FORCES FOR CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN S

wansea City AFC Community Trust has teamed up with Carolyn Harris MP and Julie James MS, to help deliver the Everyone Deserves a Christmas Hamper campaign.

Now in its fourth year, the annual campaign aims to provide festive cheer to those who require an extra helping hand in the local community.

Once again, in addition to local politicians, the Community Trust is working with several other partners including the South Wales Evening Post, Mecca Bingo, Ospreys in the Community, Swansea Council and many banks and local businesses.

The aim is to create food hampers with a value of £50 each.

Last year’s Christmas Hamper appeal raised £6,000 and supported many families during the festive season.

The campaign is already well on course to better that total in 2020 and reach its target of £10,000, having amassed just over £1,800 so far.

Helen Elton, head of community at the Trust, said, “This project is very close to our hearts at the Community Trust.

“Christmas should be a time of joy, not of worry. It is also a time of giving.

“We want to help spread the joy and reduce the worry for those in our community who need a little help, by giving our support to this campaign.

“If you also want to play a part in this campaign, then you can either donate chocolates at local banks, or contribute to our JustGiving page.

“BY WORKING TOGETHER, AND WITH YOUR HELP, WE CAN ENSURE THAT EVERYONE IS ABLE TO ENJOY THE CHRISTMAS THEY DESERVE.”

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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.

1931-1932 FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO (FINISHED 15TH)

1930-1931 FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO (FINISHED 20TH)

Just before the new season began, manager James Thompson resigned. The club had hardly progressed during his time in charge, but he could point to having inherited an aging side, and with any players of quality being sold to balance the books and no money available to him to strengthen the squad, his time at the club was seen as one of treading water somewhat.

The opening game of the new decade saw the Swans play at home to neighbours Cardiff City, a healthy crowd of over 20,000 saw both teams contribute to an excellent game of football played in scorching heat.

Cardiff took the lead early on, but two goals from Ronnie Williams and one from Billy Easton saw the home team win an entertaining game 3-2.

The early results were mixed, with the team finding itself in mid-table at the turn of the year. However, an alarming run of results in March saw the team slide down the league, unable to gain maximum points in 10 consecutive games. The whole season came down to the final game at home to Barnsley, a solitary goal from George Thomas in a nervy match was enough to help the side retain its Second Division status, but it was a close run thing.

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The board of directors once again took the decision not to appoint a manager to run team affairs, a decision that was roundly condemned by supporters. But the financial realities around the country were such that Newport County who finished 21st in the Third Division (South) league, were not re-elected back into league football, and as a result the Swans were able to bring County centre forward Cyril Pearce to the club. Pearce was leading goal scorer at Newport, and it was hoped that he could reproduce that form at Swansea. Time would show that he was more that capable, scoring a record 35 league goals, and another five in cup games, creating a record for the club that still stands 88 years later.

Unlike the previous couple of seasons, the team - due to Pearce’s goals - were never under threat of relegation, remaining in a mid-table position throughout the season. Also in this season, loyal fullback Wilf Milne made his 400th appearance for the club, while the season ended on a high note, with the Swans winning their second Welsh Cup by defeating Wrexham in a replay at the Vetch Field.

1932-1933 FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO (FINISHED 10TH)

The summer saw the departure of goal scoring ace Cyril Pearce to Charlton Athletic. Ronnie Williams, who the previous season had injury problems, though he still managed to play most games and score eight goals throughout the season, was deemed to be back to full fitness, and the board felt that due to the economic climate and dwindling gates, the sale of Pearce would keep the creditors happy.

The goals of both Williams and Tudor Martin meant the side started the season in an encouraging style, and in January the club found itself fifth in the league.

But as the season progressed to its conclusion, the lack of depth in the squad was exposed, and the side finished the season in a mid-table position. The cup games brought no joy for the club, but a brave 2-3 loss in the third round of the FA Cup at home to First Division Sheffield United saw over 23,000 in attendance, that helped boost the clubs coffers.

1933-1934 FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO (FINISHED 19TH)

In November, Ronnie Williams was transferred to Newcastle United, yet another move that had all supporters angry and mystified as to why you would sell your better players when you’re in a relegation battle.

One record that was welcomed came in an FA Cup tie at the Vetch Field, when the Swans entertained First Division Portsmouth in the fifth round. Despite a battling performance, that saw the side lose narrowly 0-1, a crowd of 27,910 created a new attendance record at the Vetch Field.

The season ended in dramatic fashion, with a 2-1 home win over Plymouth Argyle with goals from Jack Firth and Wilfred Milne meaning the club would retain its Second Division status.

1934-1935 FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO (FINISHED 17TH)

Finally, after two seasons without a manager, the board relented to the obvious and appointed Scotsman Neil Harris to the Vetch Field hot seat. Unlike previous seasons, the manager entered into the transfer market, bringing in Walter Bussey, Joe Brain and the manager’s son John.

An opening day 5-1 win over Oldham Athletic was a boost for the side but, as the season progressed, that same old feeling of slipping down the division continued, and as late as March the side found themselves 20th in the division with just nine games won.

The whole of this season was one that saw the side struggle from an opening day defeat away at Bury by 1-4.

It was a season that would create a new record at the club, albeit an unwanted one, as the team didn’t record a win on their travels, the first time this had happened in the history of the club.

With the side looking certainties for relegation, the team put together a run of six wins in their final 10 games, doing just enough to stave off relegation, and once again just retaining their place in Division Two. All supporters were relieved with the outcome of the season, but the retirement of the legendary Joe Sykes saw one of the links with the great teams of a decade previous end his playing career at the Vetch Field.

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FAN FOCUS RAMAN TANEJA ABOUT RAMAN Name: Raman Taneja Age: 42 From: Morriston

How long have you been supporting the Swans?

What is your most memorable Swans moment?

Since 1986.

The play-off final at Wembley is the obvious recent one. Before the club went on its upward spiral from 2005 onwards, the game I always remember is West Brom away in the early 90s. We were 2-0 down with 10 minutes left. Substitute Steve Thornber came on and hit a hat-trick and we won 3-2. It is a great memory from what was a really hard working team.

What was the first Swans game you attended/ watched on TV? It was against Stockport County at the Vetch. We won 3-0 too, so that was a good game to start!

Why did you start supporting the Swans?

My dad took on a role with the club and took me along to the Vetch with him. At the time I was in junior school and I loved football but liked watching Man Utd and the big teams on TV. If I’m honest, at the time I didn’t even know who the Swans were but after a couple of times down the Vetch I was absolutely hooked for life!

Can you tell us about the greatest sacrifice you have made to watch the Swans?

I wouldn’t call it a sacrifice but in 2009 I was working up in Manchester and got given complimentary tickets to an executive box, all expenses paid drinks package etc to watch Man City play Arsenal, which at the time was a top of the table clash. I turned it down instead to watch the Swans play at Preston, which we lost 2-0 when Sousa was the manager. My colleagues who went to the Man City game and had a good day out still remind me of what I missed out on!

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Who is your favourite Swans player of all time, and why?

What is your favourite Swans kit from over the years?

There’s quite a few. Roger Freestone, Keith Walker, John Cornforth, Alan Davies, Russell Coughlin, Paul Raynor to name but a few. These are players of a bygone era in lower league football and not illustrious names that young kids may know about but they always gave 100 per cent for the shirt. In recent years my favourites have been Lee Trundle - this guy got the Vetch buzzing again after the Tony Petty era - Leon Britton, Darren Pratley and Alan Tate.

They were all 100 per cent for the shirt as was Angel Rangel, whom I think was not only a great servant on the pitch but a good ambassador off it and a real role model to young kids.

T he orange Gulf Oil top - the away kit from season 94-95 – tops the lot for me.

What has been your most disappointing moment watching the club?

Who is your favourite current player, and why?

Has to be Wayne Routledge. I’m so glad he got a contract extension. He was inspirational throughout the Premier League years and has to be one of the most skilful players that I’ve ever seen play for the Swans. His goal against West Brom at the Liberty a few years ago, his Rabona cross up at Brentford the season before last and that finish at Reading last season. If these had been done in La Liga or by a Brazilian at the World Cup they’d be showing these pieces of skill over and over again for years to come.

When Petty was about to close it. I remember I was working up in Bristol at the time. Friends in Swansea were telling me what was going on.

It was a Tuesday night, I made my excuses to leave work early, dashed up the M4 with Real Radio’s sports phone in painting a picture of doom and gloom. T hat night game against Brighton in the LDV Cup was made out to be our last. I was quite worried, a tad bit emotional and very disappointed that someone could have planned to take away an institution as great as Swansea City.

What makes Swansea City special to you?

My memories of my childhood at the Vetch. A great place.

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BECOME A VIRTUAL MASCOT Calling all young Swans fans, do you want to be a Swansea City virtual mascot from the comfort of your own home?

T h e r e a r e o n l y t wo s p a c e s available for each fixture so we would encourage you to book early to avoid disappointment.

CALL US 01792 616628

EMAIL US

mascots@swanseacity.com *Terms and Conditions apply

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MAIN PARTNERS

CLUB PARTNERS

WESTACRES

OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS

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PLAYER SPONSORS 20-21 FREDDIE WOODMAN

STEVEN BENDA

RYAN BENNETT

BEN CABANGO

MARC GUEHI

JOEL LATIBEAUDIERE

KYLE NAUGHTON

CONNOR ROBERTS

JAKE BIDWELL

RYAN MANNING

MATT GRIMES

KOREY SMITH

KASEY PALMER

WAYNE ROUTLEDGE

WESTACRES

JAY FULTON

GEORGE BYERS

JORDON GARRICK

CALL 01792 616 624 OR

YAN DHANDA

JAMAL LOWE

MORGAN GIBBS-WHITE

ANDRÉ AYEW

LIAM CULLEN

VIKTOR GYÖKERES

EMAIL L.MERRELLS@SWANSEACITY.COM FOR AVAILABILITY 51

SEASON 2020-21

52

Match Statistics

Key

Goal =

Captain =

Sub = 2 (number denotes player replaced)

FIXTURE

DATE

TEAM

Newport County (CC R2) A L 2-0

Sat, Sep 5, 3pm

Woodman

Routledge 3

Naughton

Rodon

Fulton

Bidwell 1

Preston North End A W 0-1

Sat, Sep 12, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Rodon

Guehi

Bidwell

Birmingham City H D 0-0

Sat, Sep 19, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Rodon

Guehi

Bidwell

Waycombe Wanderers A W 0-2

Sat, Sep 26, 12.30pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Rodon

Guehi

Bidwell

Millwall H W 2-1

Sat, Oct 3, 3pm

Benda

Roberts

Cabango

Rodon

Guehi

Bidwell

Huddersfield Town H L 1-2

Sat, Oct 17, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Naughton 3

Guehi

Bidwell

Coventry City A D 1-1

Tue, Oct 20, 7.45pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Bennett

Guehi

Bidwell

Bristol City A D 1-1

Sat, Oct 24, 3pm

Woodman

Roberts

Cabango

Bennett

Guehi

Bidwell

Stoke City H

Tue, Oct 27, 7.45pm

Blackburn Rovers H

Sat, Oct 31, 3pm

Brentford A

Tue, Nov 3, 7pm

Norwich City A

Sat, Nov 7, 3pm

Rotherham United H

Sat, Nov 21, 3pm

Sheffield Wednesday H

Wed, Nov 25, 7.45pm

Nottingham Forest A

Sat, Nov 28, 3pm

Middlesbrough A

Wed, Dec 2, 7.45pm

Luton Town H

Sat, Dec 5, 3pm

A.F.C. Bournemouth H

Tue, Dec 8, 7.45pm

Cardiff City A

Sat, Dec 12, 3pm

Derby County A

Wed, Dec 16, 7.45pm

Barnsley H

Sat, Dec 19, 3pm

Queens Park Rangers A

Sat, Dec 26, 3pm

Reading H

Tue, Dec 29, 7.45pm

Watford H

Sat, Jan 2, 3pm

Barnsley A

Sat, Jan 16, 3pm

Blackburn Rovers A

Tue, Jan 19, 7.45pm

Brentford H

Sat, Jan 23, 3pm

Rotherham United A

Sat, Jan 30, 3pm

Norwich City H

Sat, Feb 6, 3pm

Sheffield Wednesday A

Sat, Feb 13, 3pm

Nottingham Forest H

Wed, Feb 17, 7.45pm

Huddersfield Town A

Sat, Feb 20, 3pm

Coventry City H

Wed, Feb 24, 7.45pm

Bristol City H

Sat, Feb 27, 3pm

Stoke City A

Wed, Mar 3, 8pm

Middlesbrough H

Sat, Mar 6, 3pm

Luton Town A

Sat, Mar 13, 3pm

A.F.C. Bournemouth A

Tues, Mar 16, 7.45pm

Cardiff City H

Sat, Mar 20, 3pm

Birmingham City A

Fri, Apr 2, 3pm

Preston North End H

Mon, Apr 5, 3pm

Millwall A

Sat, Apr 10, 3pm

Wycombe Wanderers H

Sat, Apr 17, 3pm

Queens Park Rangers H

Tues, Apr 20, 7.45pm

Reading A

Sat, Apr 24, 3pm

Derby County H

Sat, May 1, 3pm

Watford A

Sat, May 8, 3pm

Booked =

Sent off =

Carabao Cup = CC

FA Cup = FA

Correct as of October 26, 2020

SUBSTITUTES Grimes

Smith 2

Gibbs-White

Grimes

Smith

Gibbs-White

Grimes

Smith

Grimes Grimes

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

Lowe

Ayew

Lowe 2

Ayew

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

Gibbs-White

Lowe 1

Ayew

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

Smith

Gibbs-White 1

Lowe

Ayew

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

Smith

Gibbs-White 2

Lowe 1

Ayew

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

Grimes

Smith

Gyokeres 1

Lowe 2

Ayew

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

Grimes

Smith

Gyokeres 1

Lowe 2

Ayew

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

Grimes

Smith

Fulton

Lowe

Ayew

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

1

2

1

53

CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE 20-21 POS TEAM

P

*Sheffield Wednesday deducted 12 points subject to appeal.

W D L

F

A

GD PTS

1

Reading

7

6

1

0

11

1

10

19

2

Bristol City

7

4

2

1

11

6

5

14

3

Watford

7

4

2

1

7

3

4

14

4

Bournemouth

7

3

4

0

10

6

4

13

5

Norwich City

7

4

1

2

8

6

2

13

6

Swansea City

7

3

3

1

8

5

3

12

7

Millwall

7

3

3

1

8

5

3

12

8

Stoke City

7

3

3

1

9

7

2

12

9

Luton Town

7

4

0

3

6

6

0

12

10

Blackburn Rovers

7

3

1

3

16

7

9

10

11

Brentford

7

3

1

3

12

10

2

10

12

Preston North End

7

3

1

3

10

8

2

10

13

Middlesbrough

7

2

4

1

6

5

1

10

14

Huddersfield Town

7

3

1

3

6

8

-2

10

15

Cardiff City

7

2

3

2

6

6

0

9

16

Queens Park Rangers

7

1

4

2

6

7

-1

7

17

Birmingham City

7

1

4

2

3

4

-1

7

18

Rotherham United

7

1

3

3

5

9

-4

6

19

Nottingham Forest

7

1

2

4

4

9

-5

5

20

Coventry City

7

1

2

4

6

14

-8

5

21

Barnsley

7

0

4

3

6

10

-4

4

22

Derby County

7

1

1

5

3

11

-8

4

23

Wycombe Wanderers

7

0

0

7

2

15

-13

0

24

Sheffield Wednesday *

7

2

2

3

5

6

-1

-4

F

UPCOMING FIXTURES BLACKBURN ROVERS (H)

Saturday, Oct 31, 3pm

BRENTFORD (A)

Tuesday, Nov 3, 7pm

NORWICH CITY (A)

Saturday, Nov 7, 3pm

ROTHERHAM UNITED (H) Saturday, Nov 21, 3pm

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (H)

Wednesday, Nov 25, 7.45pm

Correct as of October 26, 2020

NEXT UP AT HOME - BLACKBURN ROVERS

ree-scoring Blackburn have made a solid start to their third season back in the Championship.

Rovers headed into the first international break as the leading scorers in the division, having netted 11 times in their opening four games.

Despite losing their opener away at Bournemouth, Tony Mowbray’s side responded in emphatic fashion by thumping newly promoted Wycombe 5-0, before inflicting an equally impressive 4-0 rout on Derby. They followed that up with a goalless draw against Cardiff, giving them their third consecutive clean sheet.

It is almost a decade since Blackburn were in the Premier League, but the attacking credentials they have demonstrated so far this season suggests they could put themselves in contention for a return to the top flight.

54

14 SWANS

22 7 BLACKBURN

DRAWS 43 PAST MEETINGS

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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 Morgan Gibbs-White Steven Benda Viktor Gyökeres Wayne Routledge Liam Cullen Yan Dhanda Joel Latibeaudiere Connor Roberts Jake Bidwell Kyle Naughton George Byers Tivonge Rushesha Oli Cooper Daniel Williams Cameron Evans Jordon Garrick Lewis Webb Ben Cabango Kasey Palmer

1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 20 21 22 23 24 26 28 30 31 37 38 41 42 44 45

MANAGER: MICHAEL O’NEILL 1 3 4 5 6 7 9 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 34 35 36 37 40

Angus Gunn Morgan Fox Joe Allen Liam Lindsay Danny Batth Tom Ince Sam Vokes James McClean James Chester John Obi Mikel Tommy Smith Adam Davies Ryan Shawcross Jacob Brown Lee Gregory Tashan Oakley-Boothe Steven Fletcher Sam Clucas Thibaud Verlinden Jordan Cousins Nick Powell Tyrese Campbell Jordan Thompson Josh Tymon Harry Souttar Nathan Collins Blondy Nna Noukeu

MATCH OFFICIALS REFEREE: ANDRE MARRINER ASSISTANT REFEREES: SCOTT LEDGER AND SIMON LONG FOURTH OFFICIAL: KEVIN JOHNSON

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