Swansea City v Wycombe Wanderers – 20-21 – Issue 23

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Issue 23 - Digital Copy

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Swansea City v Wycombe Wanderers Saturday, April 17 - Kick-off 12.30pm

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CONTENTS Page 9 - Steve Cooper’s Notes

Page 14 - Meet the Opposition

Page 19 - Match Report

Page 28 - Q&A with Morgan Whittaker

Page 38 - U23s Embracing O’Leary

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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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, Ian Mitchelmore, 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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Chief Executive’s Notes

JULIAN WINTER G

ood afternoon and welcome back to the Liberty Stadium for today’s Championship game against Wycombe Wanderers.

It’s incredibly pleasing to come into this fixture on the back of two victories in quick succession.

After four defeats in a row, the players and management have shown great character to stick to the plan and get back to winning ways, not only in terms of the results but also the manner of the victories.

Millwall is always a difficult place to go so to score three goals and keep a clean sheet was very impressive, while we followed that up with another long trip just three days later against Sheffield Wednesday.

There is still so much to play for this season and we hope you are proud of what the squad, management and backroom staff are doing.

Last Thursday (April 15) also marked the end of our week-long social media boycott as we took the club-wide stance against online abuse and discrimination.

This decision was taken after discussions between senior staff, players and management, with three of our own players being racially abused online in the past couple of months.

We will always be unwavering in our support of our players, staff, supporters and the community that we proudly represent, and we continue to be united as a club on this issue. We also appreciate the huge swathes of support we have received in light of our stance and we hope that change is forthcoming with the powers that be, however as a club we will always make ourselves heard in the battle against abuse and discrimination of all forms.

As you are all aware, today ’s game will now kick off earlier than originally scheduled due to the funeral of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

A one minute’s silence will take place ahead of this afternoon’s game as we pay our respects.

This week also saw the club host its latest structured dialogue with a group of fans and the club’s senior management team.

Once again it was great to engage with our fanbase on a range of topics, with the minutes from the event being available to all supporters very soon.

Finally, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to the management, players, staff and directors from Wycombe 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.

I t wa s i n c r e d i b l y s a d w h e n news of His Royal Highness’ death was confirmed on April 9 and everyone at Swansea City Football Club sends their deepest condolences to Buckingham Palace at this sad time.

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Head Coach’s Notes

STEVE COOPER G

ood afternoon to you all as we look ahead to this Championship encounter with Wycombe at the Liberty.

It’s been a fairly busy week or so for our football club – both on and off the pitch.

Since my last programme notes, we endured a disappointing defeat at home to Preston but then followed that up with two victories on the road.

Over a long season, a run of defeats is not uncommon, and the important thing is how the staff and players respond to a losing streak.

I was delighted with the way we performed in the last two games – a 3-0 win at Millwall followed by a 2-0 victory at Sheffield Wednesday.

Andre Ayew took his goal very well just before half-time at The Den while Jamal Lowe struck twice to end a run without a goal. I was delighted for Jamal, because he works very hard for the team and is always looking to improve himself.

His confidence didn’t drop, and his goals were fine reward for his performance and what he does for the team.

He followed that up with another goal against Sheffield Wednesday thanks to an unselfish assist from Andre after

his pressure on the home defence paid off. Jay Fulton’s header in the second half really put us in control, and even before that I felt there was only one team that looked like winning the game.

The trip also saw Liam Cullen travel with the group as the 19th man. Liam has been out for a few months with an ankle injury that had looked set to rule him out for the rest of the season, but he’s back amongst the group, which is great for him and the squad.

T he last s two result s have strengthened our position in the play-offs, but we always look up and we still have mathematical chance of second spot.

However, our focus goes no further than Wycombe Wanderers. They are fighting for their place in the division, and will be giving everything they have to boost their cause.

So we know we’ll have to be right at it, and ensure our performance levels continue from the previous two matches.

Now to off-the-pitch matters.

We were without Ben Cabango for our trip to Sheffield Wednesday after he broke Covid protocols.

around him including his team-mates and the football club. There’s no hiding from that and he knows that.

He is a really good lad, he’s hurting and he’s very apologetic, he knows he’s done wrong. But I think it’s important that, on the basis everyone’s safe and well, we all move on from it and hopefully he can be a better professional than what he’s shown in this instance.

Meanwhile, last week we became the first club in world football to take a real stand against the racial abuse being posted on social media channels.

Three of our own – Yan Dhanda, Ben and Jamal – were subjected to vile abuse, and we wanted to send a strong message out to the social media companies that something has to be done to stop this from happening.

Our football club represents the city and everyone linked to Swansea City, and our stance has been commended by fans of not only our club, but many around the world. Now we wait to see what steps the platforms put in place to prevent this disgusting abuse from happening again.

Enough is enough.

He’s let himself and his family down first and foremost, and then everyone

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MATT GRIMES Captain’s Notes

H

ello and good afternoon to everyone joining us for this afternoon’s Championship fixture against Wycombe Wanderers at the Liberty.

After four disappointing results it has been great to win back to back matches on the road. It’s a long season and we were going to have dips in performances but we know why we are in the position we’re in. It was all about refocussing and trying to get back to the level that we know we can play at.

We spoke after the win at Millwall that it was a brilliant result but we needed to back that up. We had four losses so just one good game was not enough to put that to bed, and we managed to do so at Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday.

It was another great win and everything about Jamal’s goal was spot on, down to the work rate from Andre, the weight of the pass and the finish was superb. It’s not an easy finish, I know that sounds like a silly thing to say, but you’ve still got to put it in the back of the net. Both Andre and Jamal have been on fire the last two games so long may it continue.

We all know the quality Jamal has got, he showed that at the start of the season. It’s a long run to go without a goal but we’re all behind him and we all knew he was going to get back to his scoring ways. He’s showed that in the last couple of games.

Our focus soon turned to today ’s match, a lot can still h a p p e n , t h e r e a r e s t i l l f i ve games and fifteen points to play for. We’ll continue taking the next game as it comes and try and win that and see where it takes us.

Wyc ombe will be bang at it this afternoon, as are all of the te ams who are fighting for their lives at this stage of the season. It will be another tough test but if we play like we did on Tuesday and S at u r d a y t h e n i t w i l l b e a l l about us.

on social media, we have had enough and hope this move will make a difference.

As a close and diverse group of players, it is something we feel incredibly passionate about. Three members of our squad have been subjected to abhorrent racial abuse on social media since February, which made us take this stance to call on those at the forefront of social media companies to implement the change that is needed now and in the future.

We really appreciate the support and will continue to fight against injustice and support one another.

Enjoy the match!

I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support in the social media boycott. It was a collective decision to take a stand against discrimination

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A

dam Lewis writes... Today marks my final set of programme notes for this season. My experience as a trust board member has been fantastic, especially being part of a group who care so deeply about the success of our club on and off the pitch.

Modernisation is how I’d best describe the theme of my work with the trust, particularly in how we communicate with our members and with the wider fan base. It has been great to see the continued growth of our social media presence and how this has helped bring us closer to members on an ongoing basis. I sincerely hope you have enjoyed the increased opportunities to engage with us – there is plenty more to come.

On the topic of social media, the recent blackout initiated by the club was a significant development in the battle against the terrible scourge of racism that still affects not only our sport, but society at large. I am immensely proud that our club is leading the way and again bringing this important issue into the mainstream consciousness of our society to ignite change.

The response to this was overwhelmingly positive and replicated by our friends across the border at Birmingham City, Gloucester City, and the champions of Scotland, Rangers, but some of the pessimism around our stance shows just how far there is to go.

In the words of the late Robin Williams, ‘no matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world’ – Swansea City are leading the charge, but we as fans should remember this sentiment when faced with ridicule and pessimism from friends, colleagues, or foes, and continue to play our part by sharing the message that there is no place for racism in our game.

My work for the season is not finished, and I am focussed on leading the redesign of the trust website and supporting our 20th anniversary campaign, which will be launched at the commencement of the new season. These activities help us move forward without forgetting where we’ve been – the fresh look and feel will enable us to provide a better online experience for members and fans, while our anniversary campaign will celebrate what has been a remarkable 20 years for the trust. Stay tuned for more on both.

Today’s game takes place before the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Everyone at the trust wishes to place on record their sympathies to Her Majesty the Queen and the entire royal family for their loss. The Duke had a significant impact through his public service, and the Duke of Edinburgh scheme has helped thousands of young people in Wales gain skills and experiences that have helped them in later life, including yours truly.

A big game awaits us today against Wycombe; I’m sure we all breathed a collective sigh of relief at our last two performances, and hopefully this will generate much-needed momentum for the run-in.

It has been a stellar season, and the five games remaining will undoubtedly provide more excitement.

Three points please boys!

Enjoy the game. #YJB

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WYCOMBE WANDERERS

FACT FILE OWNER

NICKNAME

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Rob Couhig

@wwfcofficial

STADIUM Adams Park

The Chairboys

1887

/wwfcofficial

1990

9,448

OPENED

THE GAFFER

Ainsworth, nicknamed Wild Thing during his playing career, has just passed 450 games in charge of Wycombe since being appointed manager in 2012. His playing career included three spells at Preston, along with two stints with his current club, while he also impressed during time at QPR, Port Vale and Lincoln City. After two caretaker manager spells at QPR, Ainsworth returned to the Chairboys, and has led them to two promotions from League Two (2018) and League One (2020). Aside from football, music fanatic Ainsworth has appeared in a number of rock bands.

CLUB CAPTAIN

Bloomfield joined Wycombe Wanderers on a free transfer in 2003 from Ipswich, and he’s not looked back since.

He’s the club’s longest-serving player – this season is his 17th campaign – and made his 500th appearance for the Chairboys in a 1-1 draw against Sunderland in March 2019.

The club captain has experienced promotion three times and is an integral part of their midfield.

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FOUNDED

@wwfcofficial

MATT BLOOMFIELD GARETH AINSWORTH

CLUB DETAILS SOCIAL MEDIA FACILITIES

CAPACITY

STADIUM MEET THE OPPOSITION

Founded in 1887, Wycombe Wanderers have played their home games at Adams Park - named in honour of benefactor and former captain Frank Adams - since 1990, previously hosting matches at Loakes Park for a total of 95 years. The club won back-to-back FA Trophy finals in the early 1990s and were promoted to the Football League for the first time in their history in 1993, after winning the Conference by a substantial margin. The Chairboys also reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 2001, and the League Cup last four in 2007.

WYCOMBE’S FORM

After a bleek month of form in March, results turned in Wycombe’s favour at the start of April after two impressive victories over Blackburn Rovers and Rotherham United respectively.

However, defeat to in their last outing against Luton Town has left them nine points adrift of safety with just five games remaining.

THE KEY MEN

Cardiff-born defender Joe Jacobsen is joint top scorer this season, with all four of his goals coming from the penalty spot.

Former Fulham and Tottenham trainee Anis Mehmeti is among Wycombe’s bright sparks in attack, with the 20-year-old netting in the previous outing against Luton.

Jamaican international Garath McCleary offers huge experience in Ainsworth’s side, with the former Nottingham Forest and Reading midfielder arriving at Adams Park in November.

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ONES TO WATCH

JACK GRIMMER

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The Scotsman has played the full 90 minutes in every game he has started this season bar one. A product of Aberdeen’s academy, Grimmer went on to enjoy successful spells at Fulham, Shrewsbury and Coventry before arriving at Adams Park in July 2019, helping Wycombe secure promotion to the Championship in his first season.

POSITION

GK

NATION

AGE

POSITION

35 DF

The experienced shotstopper has featured for the likes of Leicester City, Brighton, Birmingham City and Fulham, where he gained Europa League experience, during his career. He’s played in all four divisions, along with the Conference, and has made 430 appearances in an 18 year-career. Joined the Chairboys last year following two loan spells, and is now between the sticks following injury to first-choice keeper Ryan Allsop.

DAVID STOCKDALE

NATION

AGE

27

UCHE IKPEAZU After a slow start to the season, the English-born Ugandan forward has started almost every game since Christmas for the Chairboys, sc oring four times and providing two assists. Started his youth career at Reading, with loan spells at Didcot, Crewe, Doncaster, Blackpool and a successful run at Cambridge United seeing him score 19 goals. Ikpeazu earned his first call-up for Uganda for the AFCON 2021 Qualifiers.

POSITION

FW

NATION

AGE

POSITION

24 FW

The Nigerian midfielder came through the youth ranks at Millwall and went o n t o m a ke 1 2 0 s e n i o r appearances for the Lions, scoring eight goals. After two consecutive loan spells at Wycombe, Onyedinma permanently put pen to paper in 2019, going on to help secure promotion to the Championship for the first time in the club’s history after winning the penalty to secure the victory over Oxford United in the play-off final.

FRED ONYEDINMA

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26 FW

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Ex-Swans striker Adebayo Akinfenwa marked himself in the histor y book s of Swansea City after scoring the first ever goal at the Liberty Stadium against Tranmere Rovers in 2005.

He has enjoyed a successful c a r e e r, p l a y i n g f o r 1 5 clubs over the span of 20 years. Known for his beastmode mentality and super strength. In 2020 he became Wycombe Wanderers’ record goal scorer with 53 goals to his name.

ADEBAYO AKINFENWA 17

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BIRMINGHAM CITY 1 SWANSEA CITY 0 MATCH DETAILS DATE: FRIDAY, APRIL 2 VENUE: ST. ANDREW’S REFEREE: TONY HARRINGTON

MATCH REPORT S

wansea City fell to a third c onsecutive defeat after sub Scott Hogan scored an injury-time penalty to boost Birmingham City’s survival hopes.

In a game that looked destined for a 0-0 draw, the Blues claimed the points with their second p e n a l t y of t h e n i g ht aft e r s u b Ya n D h a n d a slipped and tripped Ivan Sunjic.

Freddie Woodman had earlier kept out Lukas Jutkiewicz’s penalty following Connor Roberts’ foul on Jonathan Leko, but he could do nothing about Hogan’s late strike.

It proved high drama in a game that had provided little in terms of chances in open play, and it was a defeat that left the Swans in third place and nine points behind Watford, with a game in hand.

LINEUPS Birmingham City: Neil Etheridge; Marc Roberts, Harlee Dean (captain), Kristian Pedersen; Maxime Colin, Gary Gardner (Rakeem Harper 90), Ivan Sunjic, Steve Seddon (George Friend 46); Alen Halilovic (Jon Toral 68); Lukas Jutkiewicz (Sam Cosgrove 82), Jonathan Leko (Scott Hogan 82).

Subs not used: Andres Prieto, Jeremie Bela, Riley McGree, Mikel San Jose.

Swans: Freddie Woodman; Kyle Naughton (Morgan Whittaker 90), Ryan Bennett, Marc Guehi; Connor Roberts, Matt Grimes (captain), Jay Fulton, Korey Smith (Yan Dhanda 70), Jake Bidwell; Jamal Lowe (Wayne Routledge 88), Andre Ayew.

Subs not used: Ben Hamer, Ben Cabango, Joel Latibeaudiere, Ryan Manning, Conor Hourihane, Oli Cooper.

QUOTE OF THE GAME “WE CAN’T BACK AWAY FROM THE FACT THAT WE WERE NOWHERE NEAR GOOD ENOUGH, PARTICULARLY WITH THE BALL.” STEVE COOPER

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SWANSEA CITY 0 PRESTON NORTH END 1 MATCH DETAILS LINEUPS DATE: MONDAY, APRIL 5 VENUE: LIBERTY STADIUM REFEREE: PETER BANKES

Swans: Freddie Woodman; Connor Roberts, Ben Cabango, Marc Guehi, Ryan Manning; Jay Fulton, Matt Grimes (captain), Conor Hourihane (Yan Dhanda 80); Jamal Lowe, Andre Ayew, Morgan Whittaker (Wayne Routledge 81).

MATCH REPORT S

Subs not used: Ben Hamer, Ryan Bennett, Korey Smith, Joel Latibeaudiere, Jake Bidwell, Kyle Naughton, Ollie Cooper.

Having lost to a last-gasp Birmingham penalty on Good Friday, the Swans had looked set to end their sequence of defeats - and were pressing for a winner - when a shot from a half-cleared corner fell to Scott Sinclair in the 91st minute.

Subs not used: Mathew Hudson, Tom Bayliss, Louis Moult, Paul Gallagher, Jayson Molumby, Paul Huntington, Lewis Coulton, Billy Bodin.

wansea City suffered more late heartbreak as an own goal by Matt Grimes in stoppage time saw them fall to a fourth defeat in a row against Preston.

Freddie Woodman got down to make the save, but the deflection off the keeper hit the covering Grimes and bounced into the back of the Swansea net.

After a quiet first half the hosts had been improved after the break, with Morgan Whittaker and Jamal Lowe having shots blocked, while Ben Cabango had headed a good chance wide in the first half.

However, Preston had created a handful of good chances, with midfielder Brad Potts spurning three of them.

Preston North End: Daniel Iversen; Sepp van der Berg, Liam Lindsay, Jordan Storey, Andrew Hughes; Ben Whiteman, Ryan Ledson (captain), Brad Potts (Jayson Molumby 80); Tpm Barkhuizen; Ched Evans, Emil Riis (Scott Sinclair 75).

QUOTE OF THE GAME “WE HAVE TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED HERE AND TACKLE THIS RUN HEAD ON.” STEVE COOPER

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MILLWALL 0 SWANSEA CITY 3 MATCH DETAILS DATE: SATURDAY, APRIL 10 VENUE: THE DEN REFEREE: ROBERT JONES

MATCH REPORT S

w ansea City returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion as goals from Andre Ayew and Jamal Lowe sealed a dominant victory at Millwall.

Steve Cooper’s side had entered the game on the back of a run of four straight defeats without scoring but, once they settled into this contest, that run always looked like coming to an end. They took the lead right on half-time as Ayew superbly curled home his 15th goal of the season from just inside the area.

And Lowe then netted his 10th goal of the campaign with a sweet finish after running on to a pass from the excellent Wayne Routledge, who showcased all his skill and nous in his first league start of the current term.

That ended Lowe’s wait for a goal, and another was not long in coming as he rifled the ball into the top corner with five minutes to go. The result left the Swans fourth in the table, 10 points behind secondplaced Watford with a game in hand, and six points clear of seventh place Reading. It also took them past their points tally from last season with six games still to play.

LINEUPS Millwall: Bartosz Bialkowski, Murray Wallace, Alex Pearce (captain) (Kenneth Zohore 62), Jake Cooper; Dan McNamara (Mahlon Romeo 62), Billy Mitchell (Shaun Williams 78), Maikel Kieftenbeld (Connor Mahoney 62), George Evans, Scott Malone; Mason Bennett (Jon Dadi Bodvarsson 78), Jed Wallace.

Subs not used: Frank Fielding, Shane Ferguson, Ryan Woods, Tom Bradshaw.

Swans: Freddie Woodman; Kyle Naughton, Ryan Bennett, Marc Guehi, Ryan Manning; Jay Fulton, Matt Grimes (captain), Conor Hourihane; Wayne Routledge (Connor Roberts 78), Andre Ayew (Ollie Cooper 90+2), Jamal Lowe (Morgan Whittaker 90+2).

Subs not used: Ben Hamer, Korey Smith, Yan Dhanda, Joel Latibeaudiere, Jake Bidwell, Ben Cabango.

QUOTE OF THE GAME “WE HAVE STOPPED THE ROT, IF YOU LIKE, NOW WE HAVE TO BUILD ON IT.”

STEVE COOPER

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SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 0 SWANSEA CITY 2 MATCH DETAILS

LINEUPS

DATE: THURSDAY, APRIL 13 VENUE: HILLSBOROUGH REFEREE: MATTHEW DONOHUE

Sheff Weds: Keiren Westwood; Sam Hutchinson, Tom Lees, Julian Borner (Andre Green 77); Liam Palmer, Joey Pelupessy, Barry Bannan (captain), Adam Reach; Liam Shaw (Izzy Brown 65), Jordan Rhodes (Callum Paterson 65), Josh Windass.

MATCH REPORT S

Subs not used: Joe Wildsmith, Kadeem Harris, Matt Penney, Osaze Urhoghide, Alex Hunt, Elias Kachunga.

The south Yorkshire venue has not been a happy hunting ground historically for the Swans, but Lowe set them on their way to win number two from 18 visits as he slotted home his 12th goal of the season from Andre Ayew’s unselfish lay-off.

Subs not used: Ben Hamer, Kieron Freeman, Joel Latibeaudiere, Yan Dhanda, Ollie Cooper, Morgan Whittaker.

wansea City made it two wins and two clean sheets from consecutive away games as Jamal Lowe and Jay Fulton found the net to secure just a second-ever victory at Hillsborough.

That gave the Swans the interval lead before Freddie Woodman and Ryan Bennett made key defensive contributions for the visitors to deny Josh Windass after the break. Their efforts were rewarded when Fulton powered home a second-half header to seal the three points, with Connor Roberts claiming the assist with a wonderful leftfoot cross seconds after coming on as a substitute.

The victory, and a 20th clean sheet of the league season, left the Swans on 75 points, seven behind second-placed Watford and nine points clear of seventh-placed Reading in the promotion picture. And head coach Steve Cooper would have been pleased to see his side back up an important win at Millwall with another valuable points haul on their travels.

Swans: Freddie Woodman; Kyle Naughton, Ryan Bennett, Marc Guehi, Ryan Manning (Jake Bidwell 75); Jay Fulton, Matt Grimes (captain), Conor Hourihane (Korey Smith 80); Wayne Routledge (Connor Roberts 73), Andre Ayew, Jamal Lowe.

QUOTE OF THE GAME “WE SCORED TWO GOOD GOALS, GOT A CLEAN SHEET AND IT’S NOW BACK-TO-BACK AWAY WINS SO THAT’S A GOOD RETURN WHEN YOU FACTOR IN THE TRAVELLING.” STEVE COOPER

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STILETTOS & STUDS

BY JULIE KISSICK

T

he only place to focus attention today is on the club’s decision to boyc ott social media for a week.

The move was in response to three of our first-team players being abused in the space of seven weeks and it was designed to raise awareness of online abuse and challenge companies to take action against those involved in such acts.

Just two months ago, in my column ahead of the Nottingham Forest game, I said we all had a part to play in forcing change. I suggested that collectively suspending our accounts was an option.

It became a real talking point among people I k n ow a n d a l s o r e s u l t e d i n s o m e r e a c t i o n from people I don’t – unsurprisingly via social media.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t envisage the club taking the stance it has and I couldn’t be prouder of it for doing so.

L ike many of you no doubt , I did the same, refrained from sharing any content on my social media channels for a week.

I think the most important thing to say is that no-one expected this to fix anything. It was an awareness-raising exercise and in that sense, it generated publicity and got people talking.

Too many people trot out the ‘it won’t change anything’ mantra and therefore convince themselves that doing nothing is the only option. It isn’t, nor should it ever be.

S teve C ooper ’s explanation of the decision highlighted the importance of the people at the c entre of it , namely Yan Dhanda, J amal Lowe and Ben Cabango, and their friends and family.

The comment that stood out for me from the gaffer was this one: “ The saddest part of it is that when I found out about it, I went and sat on the team bus with him (Jamal Lowe) and he said ‘this is just what happens now, isn’t it?’”

It really is a terrible inditement on our society that anyone, footballer or not, should think and say that.

In February, West Midlands Police appointed the United Kingdom’s first football hate crime officer, PC Stuart Ward.

“It’s unacceptable. If you’re walking down the street and you’re abused, it’s an offence. If it happens online, it’s still an offence,” he told the Guardian newspaper.

He went on to say that social media companies needed to make it easier for police forces to prosecute hate crimes and joined calls for these companies to require formal identification, such as a passport or driving licence, from users.

His force arrested and, on the day of writing this column, charged a man with sending an offensive message to West Bromwich Albion’s Romaine Sawyer. The 49-year-old will appear before Dudley Magistrates’ Cour t later this month.

No set of actions or threat of consequences will completely eradicate these issues, but by making a stand and keeping the pressure on those who can do more, there is more chance of people who are inclined to do these things thinking before they act.

The boycott was a brave and significant move and I for one am proud to be associated with a club willing to take action in support of our players, as well as standing with all those being targeted.

Enough really is enough.

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Q&A WITH MORGAN WHITTAKER Age: 20 Position: Forward Nationality: English Clubs: Derby County, 32 Apps 1 Goal, Swansea City, 8 Apps 1 Goal

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HAVING ARRIVED FROM DERBY DURING THE JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW, MORGAN WHITTAKER HAS WASTED LITTLE TIME MAKING AN IMPRESSION AT SWANSEA CITY. HERE, THE FORWARD TALKS ABOUT GOING FROM MEETING WAYNE ROONEY AS A MASCOT TO PLAYING UNDER ENGLAND’S RECORD SCORER, SETTLING INTO LIFE IN SA1 AND WHY HE WAS MENTIONED IN THE SAME BREATH AS KYLIAN MBAPPE. Morgan, it’s been a busy few months since you officially became a Swan. How’s your time here gone so far?

Yeah, it’s been busy to say the least. Moving clubs, moving home to a completely new place, settling in with new teammates and tackling the busy schedule – the time has flown by!

Let’s talk more about the present a bit later on. We’ll start at the beginning of your career, which began as a sevenyear-old when you were scouted by Derby. As a Rams fan, that must have been a dream scenario?

I was playing for a local team at the time – Spondon Dynamos. A scout was at one of my games and liked what he saw, so I went on trial with Derby. I did have a trial with Aston Villa at the same time, but the journey from Derby was a bit too long, so I ended up signing for Derby. As a Derby fan, it really was a dream come true. When you’re a kid and you sign for the team you support and it’s your local club, it doesn’t get much better.

But it did get better for you, as a birthday gift you become a Derby mascot for the day, and you meet a football legend.

Ha ha, it was a good day to be fair. Derby played Manchester United in the League Cup and my birthday present was to be the mascot on the day. I had a photo with Cristiano Ronaldo, which was amazing. Derby won too, so that was the perfect day for me.

It’s crazy to think that a certain Wayne Rooney was in that United team when you were a mascot, and you’d later become team-mates, along with him becoming your manager. What was that like?

CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE...

If you had told me that day that I’d play alongside Wayne Rooney in the future, then I’d have thought you were crazy!

He’s obviously a football legend and done it all at the highest level in the game. So when he came to Derby as player and then manager, it was a case of trying to take as much as I could off him. When you have the opportunity of playing and working with someone like Wayne Rooney, then you must make the most of it and learn as much as possible.

You’d also work under Phillip Cocu, a Dutch legend and former Barcelona midfielder, while you had a minor involvement during Frank Lampard’s tenure. That’s a decent list of managers!

Derby have attracted some massive names in the last few years. I only had a few training sessions under Frank Lampard, but even then you try to make the most of that.

I made my debut under Phillip Cocu – he really gave the youth at Derby a chance to prove themselves, and I’ll be forever grateful for that.

Ronaldo, Rooney, Cocu, Lampard – they had incredible careers, but you had your own footballing hero growing up as a kid.

Yes, he’s probably not one you’d expect, but Kris Commons was always a player I loved to watch. He was an attacking player and was the best player at Derby during his time with the club. He actually scored the goal that beat United in the cup when I was mascot, so he went up even further in my estimations that night!

There is a small gap in your career, where you took time out from the Derby set up. What was behind that, and what did you learn?

My mum and dad moved to Grantham when I was in year nine at school, so I couldn’t get to Derby. So, I made the decision to take a year out of the Derby set-up and start playing Saturday and Sunday League football for Caythorpe and Fulbeck. The level was a good few steps down from what I was used to, but that wasn’t the point – I just wanted to play football and have fun.

It was a 10-minute walk from my village, and my mates were in the team, so there was a good bond.

I played for one team on a Saturday, and the other on the Sunday. It allowed me to play without shackles and express myself. When I look back, that was the best thing that ever happened to me. It may sound strange, but I learned a lot from that time. I played with a massive smile on my face, which was probably due to the fact I was scoring a lot of goals, but I also realised what I had at Derby.

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And then you returned to Derby with a huge lesson learned.

Exactly. I missed out on the under-14s at Derby, but then I returned for the under-15s. Derby had arranged for someone to take me to training and games, so that was a big help too. I went back with a big smile on my face and a determination to make the most of my opportunity.

But it’s also a good message to young players too. When you’re young, the most important thing is to enjoy yourself playing football.

Fast forward to 2021, and you become a Swansea City player in January. Was it a big wrench to leave a club you’d spent so much of your life at?

There wasn’t much to consider, to be honest. I wanted to get out on loan and I needed a fresh start. Swansea came in and, with what the club and the city possesses, it was a no brainer. It was a case of when we could get it done, rather than if we could get it done. For football and family reasons, it was a great move and it ticked all the boxes.

I also knew Mike Marsh from our time in the England youth set up, so it wasn’t a completely new environment for me.

I must say, the players and staff made it so easy to settle in, and although I’ve not played in front of the fans, they’ve been really, really nice with their messages.

When you arrive at a new club, you want to make an instant impression. Safe to say you accomplished that!

If someone had said I’d score on my debut against Manchester City and start in the derby within two months, I’d have been very happy!

The gaffer obviously said I’d be one for the future, but I managed to make an impact straight away. Now I have to keep training well, and take my opportunity when it comes my way.

There were a few mentions on Twitter after that Manchester City game mentioning you and Kylian Mbappe in the same sentence. Did you see that?

I did! It said Kylian Mbappe was the next youngest player to score against Man City, so I was a flabbergasted.

The goal was a nice way to show our fans what I can do.

The fans here are so positive. In the games I’ve played, all I’ve seen is positivity towards myself.

I’ve missed out on playing in front of the fans at the Liberty so far, and the lads tell me the away following is really noisy too, so I can’t wait to hear them singing away at games.

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How have you settled to life in Swansea? It’s been a difficult period with Covid, but have you managed to see much of the city?

My girlfriend Rachel arrived a week after me, so we’re really keen to see all the beaches. We have a yellow Labrador called Kobe, and we love taking him to Three Cliffs Bay and Rhossili – they are our favourite places to go. Myself and Rachel absolutely love it here, and we’ll be heading to all the other places we are recommended. Let me know if there are any hidden gems!

I’m sure you’ll get a few recommendations in your inbox!

You’re also keen on getting involved in the community, as seen by a recent litter pick. You’ve also helped out at food banks and the Dogs’ Trust during your time at Derby.

Is that important to you?

We do like to help people and animals as much as we can. At Derby, we were involved a lot in the food bank, where we’d go to the supermarket and then drop off food and necessities to the food bank. We are in a privileged position, and can get about, whereas some people can’t, so it was something we could do to help.

It was Rachel’s idea to support the Dogs’ Trust, and as we love dogs it was something we were thrilled to be involved with. So many dogs need homes and help, so we bought loads of beds, toys and food to help them.

We’ve wanted to continue helping the community, and we saw on social media and with our own eyes the amount of litter that was being left on some of the Swansea beaches.

So we went out and got involved with litter picking to help clean up the beach and show it in its best form.

We’d recently watched Seaspiracy too, and that gave us another big reason to ensure our beaches are clean from litter.

To finish on a football note, the end of the Championship season looks set to serve up more drama. How are you looking forward to it?

We know what is at stake. It’s hard not to think what it could mean for the fans, club and the team.

But you’ve just got to think about the game in front of you. I know it’s really boring to hear, but that’s the best approach. You can’t afford to focus on anything else other than what is front of us. Hopefully that helps us finish the season strongly and get us to where we want to be come the end of the campaign.

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WELSH COLUMN

BY IAN MITCHELMORE, WALESONLINE

R

ydyn ni’n drwchus i fewn i’r adeg pwysicaf y Bencampwriaeth. Mae Norwich City a Watford wedi bod yn timau rhyfeddol y n y s t o d y m i s o e d d d i w e t h a f, a c m a e e u perfformiadau a’u canlyniadau wedi gadael eraill mewn parchedig ofn.

Yn achos Abertawe, fe wnaethant gyrraedd yn ôl i ennill ffyrdd mewn ffasiwn ysblennydd gyda pherfformiad gwych a chanlyniad bendigedig yn erbyn Millwall.

Roedd mor annisgwyl ag yr oedd ei angen ar ôl rhediad o bedwar trech yn olynol lle methon nhw â sgorio un gôl.

Mae ochr Steve Cooper yn parhau i fod mewn sefyllfa cryf iawn i herio am ddyrchafiad ar ôl yr hyn sydd - ar y cyfan - wedi bod yn ail dymor trawiadol iawn o dan gyn-hyfforddwr ieuenctid Lloegr.

Mae gêm heddiw yn erbyn Wycombe yn cynrychioli’r gyntaf o dair gêm gartref y bydd Abertawe yn eu chwarae yn eu pum gêm olaf y tymor yma. Ar bapur o leiaf, mae’r gemau mae nhw’n eu chwarae yn Stadiwm Liberty yn edrych yn eithaf ffafriol, ac os ydyn nhw’n gallu bod yn gadarn ar bridd cartref, byddan nhw’n sicr yn casglu mwy o bwyntiau.

Mae’n edrych fel y bydd Brentford yn ymddangos unwaith et o mae’r gemau ail gyfle tra bod Bournemouth, Barnsley a Reading i gyd yn herio i orffen yn yr chwech uchaf.

Ond i’r Elyrch, mae’r cyfan amdanyn nhw eu hunain.

Mae Cooper wedi dweud hynny ar sawl achlysur y tymor yma, a gyda’r ddau uchaf hyd yn hyn o flaen y pecyn erlid, yn syml, mae angen i Abertawe gyflawni’r un lefel o berfformiad ag yr oeddent yn ei ddangos yn erbyn Millwall yn rheolaidd rhwng nawr a diwedd y tymor i gael eu hunain yn y siâp gorau o flaen yr hyn sy’n edrych i fod yn ymgyrch ail gyfle debygol.

Mae chwaraewyr profiadol fel Andre Ayew, Wayne Routledge, Ryan Bennett, Kyle Naughton a Korey Smith yn gwybod yn union sut deimlad yw bod yn y sefyllfa hon.

Profodd chwaraewyr iau gan gynnwys Ben Cabango, Marc Guehi a Freddie Woodman dorcalon ail gyfle y tymor diwethaf a byddant mewn sefyllfa well yn feddyliol am y golled gyfanredol anodd honno o 3-2 i Brentford ychydig dros flwyddyn yn ôl.

Mae wedi bod yn gyfnod anodd iawn i Abertawe, ond cymaint fu eu cysondeb yn ystod y tymor yn ei gyfanrwydd, ar hyn o bryd maent mewn sefyllfa well o lawer eu bod ar yr un cam o’r tymor diwethaf i herio dychwelyd i ddilynwr yr Uwch Gynghrair ar ol absenoldeb tair blynedd.

Mae’n amser i’r chwaraewyr a’r staff hyfforddi fod yn ddewr a chredu’n llawn yn eu gwaith. Mae nhw wedi cyrraedd y cyfnodau da a drwg gyda’i gilydd. Mae nhw nawr yn ymylu’n agosach fyth at roi ail ergyd i’w hunain o ddyrchafiad ar ôl colli allan o drwch blewyn ym Mis Gorffennaf y llynedd.

Mae angen iddynt fachu ar y cyfle hwnnw gyda ddwy law.

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A

JACK THE LAD s a Swansea City fan, I’m a sucker for an against all odds footballing Cinderella story.

Since I started supporting the Swans in 1978, the club has twice risen from the bottom of football’s professional pyramid to reach its top.

Back in the seventies, the Swans had to apply for reelection to the EFL – the ultimate indignity back then when a club basically had to beg to stay in the old Fourth Division.

J u s t s i x y e a r s l a t e r, t h e y were top of the First Division, looking down on the likes of reigning European champions Liverpool and the other giants of British football.

At the start of the new millennium, the Swans were again back in the bottom tier and fighting for their survival.

But a decade after beating Hull City to stay in the EFL – they were back at the top of the pile once again looking down at the cream of English football.

So the story of today’s visitors Wycombe Wanderers is bound to appeal to someone who supports a club which has experienced the highest highs and lowest lows British professional football can offer.

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Wycombe’s story should chime with every Swansea City fan who has experienced the good times and the bad.

The Chairboys may currently be at the wrong end of the championship, but the fac t they are here is an achievement right up there with football’s most unlikely success stories – including our own.

T he club was taken over by the Wycombe Wanderers Trust Supporters Group in 2012 and l at e r t h at ye a r fo r m e r c l u b captain Gareth Ainsworth was appointed manager.

Under Ainsworth’s stewardship, the club finally gained promotion to the Championship for the first time in its long history at the end of last season.

The achievement is particularly impressive when you consider t h a t A i n s w o r t h – t h e E F L’ s longest serving manager - took Wycombe to the second tier of English football without actually buying any players.

Until they purchased two players at the start of this season, the club had not paid for any players during Ainsworth’s long tenure.

In an interview at the start of this season, he said: “I don’t think we ever paid for anyone up front. There may have been appearance fees

to QPR when we took Michael Harriman (on loan for 20 games in 2013). “ There have been loans, free transfers and swap deals, but since I took over we’ve never had the opportunity to pay a transfer fee until now – even if we’ve sold a hell of a lot of players.”

In June 2019, Ainsworth only had seven outfield players on the first day of pre-season.

Then American investor Rob Couhig arrived to inject some much-needed funds and save the club.

Ainsworth is a hugely charismatic figure at the club. The former Preston and QPR midfielder always stood out on the pitch with his unmistakable flowing locks and rock star appearance.

If anyone thought Ainsworth would swap that persona for a suited and booted or even tracksuited boss when he swapped the dressing room for the manager ’s office, they would be proved well and truly wrong.

Not only did Ainsworth keep the hair, he adde d his now trademark leather jacket as h e p a c e d u p a n d d ow n t h e technical area like a brooding front man about to burst into his band’s latest hit.

And anyone thinking that Ainsworth is all rock and roll image and no footballing substance would also be wrong as he has proved.

His success had drawn admiring glances from other clubs, including his former employers as a player - Preston.

Of course the club is also h o m e t o a n ot h e r of B r i t i s h football’s most unmistakable and popular characters who will be particularly familiar to Swans fans.

B ayo A k i nfe n wa s e a l e d h i s status as a cult figure during a two-season stay at the Liberty Stadium.

T he long- serving front man describes his time at the Swans as his footballing education – quite a comment for a man who is plying his trade in the Championship at the age of 38.

T h e L o n d o n - b o r n s t r i ke r i s now a household name thanks to his exploit s both on and off the pitch.

But he was very much early on his career when he rocked up in Swansea back in 2005 h av i n g e nt e re d fo ot b a l l v i a spells at Lithuanian side FK Atlantas, before moving back to the UK when he joined Welsh P remier L e ague champions Barry Town.

A kinfenwa event ually c ame back to south Wales via stints at Orient, Boston and Torquay when he signed for the Swans, j u s t i n t i m e fo r t h e c l u b t o make its debut in a brand new Liberty Stadium.

And what an impact the big man made – thumping in the first competitive goal scored in the sparkling new stadium as the Swans celebrated a winning start at their new home with a 1-0 victory over Tranmere.

Bayo went on to become a popular figure at the Liberty as he struck up a productive partnership with another fan favourite in the shape of Lee Trundle.

And, of course, the duo combined to earn the Swans some silverware in 2006 when they were both on target in the Swans’ EFL Trophy final victory at the Millennium Stadium.

Trundle scoring an unforgettable opener with Akinfenwa claiming the winner in a 2-1 victory over Carlisle United.

Unfortunately, there were less happy Millennium memories for Akinfenwa when he missed from the spot as the Swans were beaten on penalties in the League One play-off final against Barnsley.

Despite that miss, Akinfenwa is still a hugely popular figure amongst Swans fans and it will be brilliant to see him back at the Liberty this weekend.

Wycombe’s stay in the Championship may well end up being short lived, but I’m sure if characters like Ainsworth and Akinfenwa stay around the club, hopes will be high for a swift return.

C’mon you Swans!

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BACK A JACK

*While stocks last. Available at Liberty Stadium Clubshop and store.swanseacity.com.

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SWANS ACADEMY

BY MARK ALLEN

A

fter such a long break it was good to get the under-9 to under-15 programme back under way as the players returned to training this week for the recommencement of the games programme.

We took the opportunity in this game, and will continue with the remaining six games to have a look at some trialists with all attention now focussed on our squads for next season.

As a result of the long layoff, we have extended this season to the end of June and we hope to recover ground for the players in these age groups.

This year, as we know, has been a difficult one for players and staff alike with the disruptions and curtailment of programmes, but the academy attention has now turned fully towards next season.

After the narrow defeat in the youth cup, the under-18s are now focussed on the remaining games of the season and we will continue to push the younger age groups through, not only to give them games but more importantly to give them the appropriate challenges ahead of them joining the professional development phase football programme next year.

We were delighted last week to see Ben Lloyd, Seb Debrowski and Dan Watts - all of whom have committed their immediate futures to us - feature in the Wales Under16s squad that defeated their English counterparts.

Over the next few matchday columns I intend to feature on the new staff members who have joined the club since my arrival in order to give you some insight to their background and the roles they have been brought in to fulfil.

All that remains is for me to join everyone in wishing the boys the best of luck today.

The under-23s programme returned this week after a month long gap with a home game against Crewe. After creating several early chances we fell behind but manged to get back on equal terms through Brandon Cooper in a good game that finished 1-1.

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U23S EMBRACING OPPURTUNITY WITH NEW COACH O’LEARY

A

li Al-Hamadi says he and his Swansea City Under-23s team-mates are fully embracing the opportunity to work with new coach Kris O’Leary.

He may only be a month into the job, but the forward feels the under-23s are already reaping the benefits of the wise words from the former first-team coach.

The former Swans midfielder, who made over 250 appearances between 1995 and 2010, returned to his boyhood club at the end of last month as lead coach of the development side.

“Kris has been brilliant since he’s come in,” the 19-year-old said.

Working alongside Anthony Wright, he watched on as the young Swans overcame Millwall 2-0 last month, while he subsequently took over the reins for the following two fixtures against Ipswich Town and Watford.

Al-Hamadi scored the first goal of the O’Leary reign in the draw with Ipswich; taking his tally for the season to five.

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“He’s really good with his man-management skills.

“He talks to you individually and lets you know what he wants from you.

“He demands a lot from the players in training and in games and the players have responded well. “ We must keep that momentum going and, hopefully, it’ll be a good end to the season.”

DATE: FRIDAY, APRIL 6 VENUE: LANDORE Swans U23s: Tyler Evans; Jacob

SWANS U18s 4 MILLWALL U18s 4 MATCH REPORT S

wansea City Under-18s twice came from behind to share the spoils with Millwall in an entertaining Professional Development League South encounter at Landore last week.

Despite falling behind to Tom Leahy’s early strike, Byron Anthony’s side turned things around through Morgan Clarke and Cameron Congreve.

Edwards, Scott Butler, Ryan Bassett (Iwan Morgan, 73), Cian Williams; Joel Cotterill, Morgan Clarke, Michael Murphy (Josh Carey, 81); Adrian Akande (Aaron Hillier, 30), Cameron Congreve, Rio Campbell.

Subs not used: Josh

Hutchings, Jada Mawongo.

Anthony ’s side responded well, though, and equalised in the 20th minute following a lovely move that culminated in Clarke sweeping home from Jacob Edwards’ cross.

And they completed the turnaround four minutes later as Congreve drilled a low shot into the bottom corner; taking his tally for the season to six.

But Millwall finished the half strongly. Ezekiel Miller hit the post, while Evans did well to deny Abdul Abdulmalik’s powerful strike.

Alfie Allen equalised for the visitors in first-half stoppagetime, while a fine individual effort from Leahy put them back in front after the break.

However, the hosts were caught napping in stoppage time and the visitors capitalised with a quickly taken corner resulting in Allen finishing at the far post.

Nevertheless, the hosts continued to rally and Rio Campbell slammed home midway through the second half, before Joel Cotterill regained their advantage six minutes from time.

Millwall continued to threaten after the break and regained the lead in the 63rd minute when Leahy fired home following a quickfire counter-attack.

But Leahy completed his hat-trick with two minutes remaining to earn a share of the points.

But the Swans responded within four minutes as the ball ricocheted kindly in the box for Campbell, who slammed it past Ryan Hammond to level once more.

Anthony made just two changes from the narrow FA Youth Cup defeat by Middlesbrough, with Ryan Bassett and Michael Murphy returning to the starting line-up The Swans were looking to build on an impressive display against Boro, but were on the back foot early on.

Scott Butler made a brilliant last-ditch challenge to deny Oli Bate in the fourth minute, but the hosts were powerless two minutes later when Leahy beat Tyler Evans from close range.

After Abdulmalik rattled the post with the clock ticking down, the hosts thought they had secured all three points in the 84th minute, when Cotterill tucked the ball home from an indirect free-kick inside the box.

But they were pegged back two minutes from time as Leahy raced away to complete his hat-trick and earn a point for the visitors.

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DATE: FRIDAY, APRIL 9 VENUE: OLD ROAD

BRITON FERRY LADIES 0 SWANS LADIES 2 MATCH REPORT S

Swans Ladies: Claire Skinner, Alicia Powe (captain), Jess Williams, Ellie Lake, Emma Beynon, Kelly Adams, Ria Hughes, Tija Richardson, Chloe Chivers, Katy Hosford, Stacey John-Davis (Laura Davies 75).

Subs not used: Gemma Border, Nieve Jenkins, Chloe Tiley, Kate Searle.

John-Davis then nearly squeezed the ball home at the near post from an awkward angle, but home keeper Courtney Young was equal to it.

wansea City L adies extended their lead at the top of the Welsh Premier Women’s League to five points with victory at Briton Ferry last week.

It was a frustrating first 45 minutes for the visitors as they dominated but Ferry’s backline held firm.

But the pressure paid off in the opening stages of the second half as Chloe Chivers opened the scoring, before Ellie L ake ensured the three points made the short trip back to Swansea with a screamer in the 77th minute.

The Swans made a quick start and threatened early on after Chivers picked out Stacey JohnDavis in the middle, but the striker was unable to keep her close-range volley down.

The Swans dominated possession in the first half but were unable to find a way through a stubborn Ferry rearguard.

The deadlock was very nearly broken by Jess Williams after she rose in the centre of the box to meet Chivers’ corner, but she could only divert her header wide.

The second half continued in similar fashion as the first, however, this time the pressure was converted into a goal.

A through ball from Katy Hosford fed in Kelly Adams. The threat was momentarily dealt with

by Young, but Chivers showed the awareness to catch the goalkeeper was off her line and dink the ball into the back of the net.

Chivers, in the hunt for her second, was put through by Emma Beynon but her shot across goal was gathered by the goalkeeper.

Lake then deservedly doubled the lead with a long-distance strike which left the goalkeeper stranded as the ball flew into the top left corner.

Moments later, the Swans were threatening once again after Chivers was through on goal, but she couldn’t quite get the desired connection on the ball to bag her brace.

Ria Hughes forced Young to tip the ball over the bar after she struck a curling effort from the edge of the box late on as Swansea’s 100 per cent record remained intact.

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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.

2010-2011 CHAMPIONSHIP (FINISHED 3RD)

The new manager certainly impressed all supporters with his team’s attacking displays and, with his contacts at former club Chelsea, he was able to bring in Scott Sinclair; a player with electric pace and an eye for goal.

The club were further boosted in January with the return of Leon Britton, the little midfield maestro having become disillusioned over the style of play under Sousa.

Britton left to sign for Sheffield United in the summer of 2010, only to return just five months after leaving for Yorkshire.

The side were in the top six all season, and the runin saw them defeat Norwich, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest at home, all sides that were also vying for promotion.

Unfortunately the surrendering of points away at teams in the lower half of the league meant that the side would finish just outside the automatic promotion places, and have to face the lottery that are the play-offs.

The Swans faced Nottingham Forest in the semifinals and – just 53 seconds into the first leg at the City Ground - were reduced to 10 men as Neil Taylor was dismissed.

Before the new season commenced, the club was still reeling from the tragic passing of striker Besian Idrizaj on May 15.

He had died in his sleep at the age of just 22 in his native Austria; his was a life of endless possibilities cruelly cut short, and was mourned by the club and all its supporters.

Just a few weeks later the club were once again on the search for a new manager, when Paulo Sousa quit to go and manage Leicester City. Once again the race was on to appoint a full-time manager in time for the new season, and the board opted for Northern Irishman Brendan Rodgers, a manager who had a lot to prove just six months after being sacked by Reading.

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But a magnificent display saw the Swans earn a 0-0 draw and, in a red-hot atmosphere at the Liberty Stadium four days later, the team booked their place in the final with a nerve wracking 3-1 win.

The final at Wembley pitted Rodgers against former club Reading and, in front of a record crowd of 86,581, a three-goal burst from Sinclair (2) and Stephen Dobbie sent the Swans in at the break with one foot in the Premier League.

To Reading’s credit they roared back at the beginning of the second half, scoring two quick goals to unsettle the Swans, and it took a second-half penalty from Sinclair to finally kill off a spirited fightback, and for Swansea City to become the first Welsh side to reach the Premier League.

2011-2012 PREMIER LEAGUE (FINISHED 11TH)

Everyone was excited at the prospect of the Swans playing in the most watched league in the world, even if the bookies already had the club as favourites to come straight back down at the end of the season.

Meanwhile the manager, realising the squad required strengthening, made six new signings in the form of Luke Moore, Wayne Routledge, Leroy Lita, Michel Vorm, record signing Danny Graham and Steven C aulker, the latter on a season’s long loan from Spurs.

The opening historic fixture saw the team take on Manchester City at their Etihad Stadium home; a solid first half effort was shattered when new signing Sergio Aguero came on as a second-half substitute and changed the game.

It ended 4-0 to the hosts but enough was shown to suggest Swansea would not be the whipping boys some had suggested.

The first-ever home Premier League game saw the Swans entertain former manager Roberto Martinez and his Wigan Athletic side. The game saw the sides share the points in a 0-0 draw - with Vorm saving a late penalty - and it took the side five games until they scored their first

CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE...

goals and first maximum points haul in a 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

B y the time the New Year c ame around the s i d e we r e i n a h e a l t h y m i d - t a b l e p o s i t i o n , gaining some impressive results along the way and rec eiving plenty of admirers with their style of play.

A master stroke from the manager brought G y l f i S i g u r d s s o n o n l o a n t o t h e c l u b, a n d w i t h h i s p r o m pt i n g f r o m m i d f i e l d t h e s i d e registered impressive victories over Arsenal and Manchester City, and away wins at Wigan, Fulham, and West Bromwich Albion.

The side confounded all pre-season predictions by s t a y i n g i n t h e l e a g u e c o m fo r t a b l y a n d , when manager Rodgers remembered remarks made before a ball was kicked that there wa s m o r e c h a n c e of s e e i n g E l v i s t h a n t h e Swans remaining in the top-flight, the fans responded.

T he final game of this historic season saw hundreds of supporters wearing Elvis masks and costumes as the team celebrated on the pitch, defeating L iverpool 1-0 to finish the season off in style.

43

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44

2012-2013 PREMIER LEAGUE (FINISHED 9TH)

Once again envious eyes had been cast over a Swansea management team, and one of the giants of English and European football, Liverpool, enticed manager Rodgers and his assistant Colin Pascoe to Anfield at the end of the 2011-12 season.

Another blow followed when local product Joe Allen followed his former manager to Liverpool, and Sigurdsson - after his excellent displays at the Liberty - signed for Spurs.

The man brought in to replace Rodgers was one of football’s legends, a certain Michael Laudrup, and the former Barcelona and Real Madrid superstar brought new faces into the club in the form of Chico Flores, Michu and Jonathan de Guzman.

With the high profile of the new manager, the whole of English football was interested in how he would deal with his introduction to Premier League football and, on a glorious sunny day in West London, the team responded with an amazing 5-0 hammering of Queens Park Rangers.

New man Michu and Nathan Dyer scored two piece, while Sinclair added the fifth before completing a move to Manchester City a few days later.

The season continued with the side picking up regular points, and Michu especially was proving a revelation with his goals and all-round play.

Come the New Year the side sat in ninth place in the division, and had beaten Barnsley, Crawley Town, Liverpool and Middlesbrough in the Capital One Cup to set themselves up with a two-legged semi-final against favourites Chelsea.

The first leg was played at Stamford Bridge and, although having to defend for large parts of the game, two opportunist goals from Michu and Graham gave the side a 2-0 lead to take into the second leg.

The day of the second leg of the competition saw heavy snowfall in south Wales and up until kick off there were doubts over whether the game would go ahead.

But, due to the efforts of the ground staff, the referee was happy with the pitch and the game was given the go-ahead.

The tie was played in a tense atmosphere, with limited opportunities for both sides until, with just 10 minutes of the game left on the clock, a frustrated Eden Hazard was sent off after being adjudged to have kicked out at a ball boy who he felt held on to the ball too long.

With this any chance of a Chelsea turnaround faded, and a 0-0 draw meant the Swans were on the way to Wembley to play in their first major final in the club’s centenary year.

The final saw the Swans take on League Two opponents Bradford City, a side who had created history themselves by getting to the final by disposing of three Premier League sides en route to Wembley.

But the final proved a game too far for the Bantams, and goals from Dyer (2), De Guzman (2) and Michu saw the Swans claim their first major honour with some ease.

The final league position saw the club finish two places higher than in its maiden Premier League season, and with cup success came the exciting prospect of European football at the Liberty the following season.

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

Woodman

Naughton

Bennett

Guehi

Manning 2

Fulton

Grimes

Sheffield Wednesday A W 0-2

Tues, Apr 13, 6pm

Wycombe Wanderers H

Sat, Apr 17, 12.30pm

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

Grimes 2

Grimes

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Booked =

Sent off =

Carabao Cup = CC

FA Cup = FA

Correct as of April 15, 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

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

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.

W D L

1

Norwich City

41

27

9

2

Watford

41

24

3

Swansea City

41

22

4

Brentford

40

5

Bournemouth

6

F

A

GD PTS

5

65

28

37

90

10

7

59

27

32

82

9

10

50

31

19

75

20

13

7

71

40

31

73

41

20

11

10

66

40

26

71

Barnsley

41

21

8

12

54

44

10

71

7

Reading

41

19

9

13

56

45

11

66

8

Cardiff City

41

16

11

14

57

45

12

59

9

Millwall

41

14

16

11

41

40

1

58

10

Middlesbrough

41

16

9

16

48

45

3

57

11

Queens Park Rangers

41

15

11

15

48

50

-2

56

12

Stoke City

41

14

13

14

45

46

-1

55

13

Luton Town

40

15

8

17

35

46

-11

53

14

Bristol City

41

15

5

21

40

55

-15

50

15

Nottingham Forest

41

12

13

16

34

39

-5

49

16

Preston North End

41

14

6

21

41

55

-14

48

17

Blackburn Rovers

41

12

11

18

52

47

5

47

18

Birmingham City

41

11

12

18

31

50

-19

45

19

Huddersfield Town

41

11

11

19

43

62

-19

44

20

Derby County

41

11

10

20

30

46

-16

43

21

Coventry City

40

10

12

18

36

56

-20

42

22

Rotherham United

38

11

6

21

41

52

-11

39

23

Sheffield Wednesday*

41

11

8

22

34

54

-20

35

24

Wycombe Wanderers

41

8

9

24

30

64

-34

33

UPCOMING FIXTURES QUEENS PARK RANGERS (H)

Tuesday, Apr 20, 7pm

READING (A)

Sunday, Apr 25, 12pm

DERBY COUNTY (H)

Saturday, May 1, 3pm

WATFORD (A)

Saturday, May 8, 12.30pm

Correct as of April 15, 2021

NEXT UP AT HOME - QUEENS PARK RANGERS

T

he Hoop s suffered relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 1995-96 season and have had two short stints in the top-flight since.

Their most recent Premier League season came i n 2 0 1 4 - 1 5 , b u t p o o r fo r m s aw t h e m d r o p straight back into the second tier after finishing bottom of the league.

They won the Championship title in 2010-11, and were promoted via the play-offs in 2014, whilst their only major silverware came when they won the League Cup in 1967.

16 SWANS

54

20 QPR

14 DRAWS 50 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: GARETH AINSWORTH 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 23 24 25 26 27 31 33 34 35

Ryan Allsop Jack Grimmer Joe Jacobson Dominic Gape Anthony Stewart Ryan Tafazolli David Wheeler Alex Pattison Uche Ikpeazu Matt Bloomfield Scott Kashket Josh Knight Cameron Yates Admiral Muskwe Giles Phillips Daryl Horgan Curtis Thompson Garath McCleary Adebayo Akinfenwa Darius Charles Fred Onyedinma Dennis Adeniran Alex Samuel Jason McCarthy Jordan Obita David Stockdale Anis Mehmeti Andre Burley Andron Georgiou

MATCH OFFICIALS REFEREE: KEITH STROUD ASSISTANT REFEREES: JONATHAN HUNT AND SAM LEWIS FOURTH OFFICIAL: JOSHUA SMITH