Swansea City v Birmingham – Championship – 21-22 – Issue 21

SEASON 2021-2022

VERSUS

BIRMINGHAM CITY Saturday, March 19, 2022 - Kick-off 3pm

ISSUE 21

JOMA-SPORT.COM PAGE 2

CONTENTS Page 9 - Russell Martin

Page 16 - Meet the Opposition

Page 21 - Match Highlights

Page 32 - Interview with Michael Obafemi

Page 44 - History Makers

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.

STUDY STUDY AT AT ASTUDIWCH YM SWANSEA MHRIFYSGOL SWANSEA UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY ABERTAWE WHERE BRIGHT FUTURES BEGIN

WHERE BRIGHT FUTURES BEGIN DISCOVER MORE DISCOVER

MORE >

DRWS I DDYFODOL DISGLAIR DYSGWCH FWY

>

TEACHING EXCELLENCE & STUDENT OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK

FFRAMWAITH RHAGORIAETH TEACHING EXCELLENCE & &STUDENT DEILLIANNAU MYFYRWYR OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK

(The highest award for Teaching Excellence at UK universities)

(Y dyfarniad uchaf am Ragoriaeth Addysgu ym mhrifysgolion y DU)

(The highest award for Teaching Excellence at UK universities)

Chief Executive Julian Winter Board Of Directors Directors: Romie Chaudhari, Bobby Hernreich, Huw Jenkins, Jason Levien, Martin Morgan, Gareth Davies, Julian Winter, Jake Silverstein, Terry Sinnett, Sam Porter Honorary Club President: Alan Curtis; Associate Directors: David Morgan, Sian Davies Team Management Head Coach: Russell Martin Behind the Team Technical Development Coach: Matt Gill Goalkeeping Coach: Dean Thornton Head of Physical Performance: Matt Willmott Head of Medicine: Dr Jez McCluskey First-Team Performance Analyst: Ben Parker Sporting Director: Mark Allen Staff: Ritson Lloyd, Ailsa Jones, Matthew Murray, Adele Callaghan, Daniel Morris, Lee Watkins, Chris Watkins, Daniel Nisbet, Michael Eames, Shaun Baggridge, Huw Lake, Steffan Popham, Bethany Chaddock

Senior Management Group Andrew Davies (Head of Operations, Facilities & Development); Gareth Davies (CFO); Mark Allen (Sporting Director); Rebecca Edwards-Symmons (Head of Commercial) Club Staff Club Secretary: Ben Greenwood Football Operations & Administration Manager: Rebecca Gigg Head of Retail: Andrea Morris Head of Hospitality & Customer Services: Catherine Thomas Head of Safeguarding: Rebeca Storer HR Manager: Nicola Butt Senior Commercial Sponsorship Manager: Lee Merrells Head of Marketing: Katie Hughes Head of Media & Communications: Ben Donovan Ticket Office Manager: Lewis Bullen Operations & Events Manager: Matthew Daniel Facilities Manager: Gordon David Grounds Manager: Evan Davies Disability Access Officer: Catherine Thomas Swansea City AFC Foundation Manager: Helen Elton Club Ambassador: Lee Trundle

Programme Production Contributors: Ben Donovan, Andrew Gwilym, Sophie Davis, Hayley Ford, Sam Penfold, Adam Evans, Dom Hynes, Julie Kissick, Gwyn Rees Designers: Callum Rothwell, Jordan Morcom, Lewis Ward Photography: Athena Picture Agency, Natalie Davis, Alamy Swansea City AFC Swansea.com Stadium, Landore, Swansea, SA1 2FA CP-D Dinas Abertawe Stadiwm Swansea.com, Landore, Abertawe, SA1 2FA Telephone/Ffôn: 01792 616400 Web/Gwe: swanseacity.com Email/E-bost: info@swanseacity.com

Football is a game of many opinions, but there is one that we must all share. There is no place for discrimination in our game. If you do not agree, then you are not welcome.

If you see or hear discrimination in this stadium, please report it to the nearest steward or via the Kick it Out App. Because we are all #TogetherAgainstDiscrimination Download the Kick it Out app for free from your app store.

PAGE 6

EFL.com

A MESSAGE FROM

JULIAN WINTER G

ood evening and welcome back to the Swansea.com Stadium for today ’s Championship fixture against Fulham.

Good afternoon and welcome back to the Swansea.com Stadium for today’s Championship fixture against Birmingham City.

It’s been just three days since we we re l a st i n a c t i o n a n d it was extremely pleasing to secure three points on the road in midweek.

Two long away trips came in the space of four days, starting with last Saturday’s reverse against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.

B ut it was exc ellent to see the players bounce back from that defeat with the win over Peterborough, creating numerous chances to score more than the three goals we did on the night in difficult conditions.

However, it is nice to be back on home soil this afternoon as we play the final before the last international break of the campaign and the season finale.

To c e l e b r a t e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Women’s Day earlier this month, the club worked with the Swansea City AFC Foundation and the Football Association of Wales to provide complimentary tickets to girls football teams in the local area.

We hope to inspire the next generation of female footballers and look forward to welcoming them to the Swansea.com Stadium.

Off the field, the whole world has been shocked by the events that have unfolded in eastern Europe.

Football fans in this country and throughout the footballing world have made clear their solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

As part of the club’s recent appeal to help those in need, the Voice of Ukraine undertook a bucket collection at our home game against Fulham.

We also worked alongside Low Cost Vans and the Swansea City AFC Foundation to help collect items for those in need, which were subsequently delivered to St Mary’s Church.

It was great to see so many of the Jack Army travel up to Blackpool last Saturday, which made for a terrific atmosphere.

Yo u r s u p p o r t i s m a s s i v e l y appreciated by R ussell, his staff and the players and the way you all t urn up in your numbers week in, week out shows what a fantastic group of fans we have here.

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

Enjoy the game, Julian

Thanks to donations from supporters, from the club and the S uppor ter s’ Trust , over £5,000 has been donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal.

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A MESSAGE FROM

RUSSELL MARTIN G

ood afternoon and welc ome back to the Swansea.com Stadium for our Championship game against Birmingham City.

want to be and in the first half we were really controlled and really dominant, and we created a lot more than we did at Blackpool, which was really pleasing.

The weather was bad, it’s a long journey wherever we play because of where we are geographically, but the numbers you all travel in is unbelievable.

It’s great to be back on home soil after two long away trips in quick succession.

Then for 15 or 20 minutes we totally lost control of the game. We started the second half so poorly, and I was very frustrated about it. In a way it tainted how I felt about the win and about the points.

I said to Gilly (Matt Gill) on the touchline towards the end how amazing the fans had been once again and we have been blown away with your support since we arrived here.

Last Saturday’s result against Blackpool was really d i s a p p o i nt i n g a n d we g ave away a poor goal which shouldn’t happen.

But if you take that aside, I thought the way we responded was really good. They are a very good side at defending a lead, and unfortunately we gave them something to defend.

I wasn’t dissatisfied with the performance, however. To go away from home and have so much control and possession was excellent – we just didn’t effect the game enough in the final third which is something we spoke about as a group.

We wanted to bounce back in midweek against Peterborough and once again show the team we

The game should never have got to the point it did but, as always, we reviewed the game as a group of staff and with the players and pinpointed areas where we need to be a lot better collectively.

But the fact we still went on and won is testament to the players and the work they put in. They also showed the courage and mentality to wrestle back control of the game, to be brave and get back to being the team we want to be. That not only shows belief, but it shows conviction.

I’m delighted for the supporters too, because they were incredible again on Wednesday night.

To take 2,000 to Blackpool and have another great backing four days later is nothing short of brilliant and I’m so glad we could send you all home happy.

Today we welcome Birmingham to SA1 and L ee Bowyer has done a fine job under difficult circumstances and we know we will have to be at our best once again today.

Your support means so much to us as a group of staff and players, and hopefully we can put in another performance to be proud of this afternoon.

Enjoy the game, Russ

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A MESSAGE FROM

MATT GRIMES G

ood afternoon and welcome to everyone joining us from around the world for this afternoon’s Championship fixture against Birmingham City at the Swansea. com Stadium.

Our last home game against Fulham was completely changed by the red card, but there were plenty of positives to take from the first-half performance.

Fulham are top of the league for a reason and the first-half showed we are capable of going toe-to-toe with anyone in this league.

It’s challenging playing with 10 men against a team so clinical and they’ve got top players.

Next we faced a trip to Blackpool and we were disappointed about the goal we conceded and with the result.

We l e t t h e g a m e p l a y i n t o Blackpool’s hands and know we have to do the basics better there. We had a lot of the ball and created chances but we gave ourselves a mountain to climb.

The fans were amazing and didn’t stop all game so we were disappointed not to be able to get the three points for them but it made us determined to stick together and get back to winning ways as quickly as possible.

It was a proud moment for Nat making his Swans debut and C ameron making his senior debut and hopefully was the first of many for them both.

We will learn from the spell at the start of the second half but were proud for responding and coming back to seal the three points.

We’ll be looking to get another t h re e p o i nt s t h i s aft e r n o o n a n d b u i l d o n We d n e s d a y ’ s performance. Birmingham will be looking to bounce back from their defeat on Tuesday but we need to use the home advantage as best we can and approach the game with the right mentality.

Matt

I thought we played really well in the first half of Wednesday’s win at Peterborough and dominated the ball. We were frustrated with how we started the second half and felt we lacked composure but showed conviction to fight back in the manner we did.

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A MESSAGE FR M

TERRY SINNETT L

et’s hope the win against Peterborough United on Wednesday night is the start of a new and far lengthier run of wins.

The game last weekend against Blackpool saw debuts given to youngsters Nathanael Ogbeta and Cameron Congreve. There is no doubt that our future depends on the success of youngsters coming through from the under-23s and the academy. We hope the flow of these young starlets getting their chances at senior level continues and each can have long and successful careers with the club.

Finding the balance between youth and experience will be critical in their development on the field.

Off the field, the whole world has been shocked by the events in Ukraine. Football fans in this country and throughout the footballing world have made clear their solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

Thanks to the generous donations from the Jack Army at the Fulham game last week, from the club and the Trust, more than £5000 has

been donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal. Further fundraising is ongoing which we hope will provide some comfort to the very many who are suffering.

An immediate affect of this terrible war has been to throw the future of one of the ‘Big Six’ into doubt. Chelsea’s owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned and he proposes to write off £1.5bn debt owed by Chelsea FC and to sell the club.

I t c a n n o t b e g o o d t h at t h e accumulation of such massive amounts of debt on the books of any football club is in the interests of our game and there needs to be better regulation.

The current governance of football in the UK is not fit for purpose and we urge for the full implementation of the Fan-Led Review, which looks to provide protection for football clubs as community assets. The main recommendations can be found here ht tps://the f s a.or g.uk / our-work/fan-led-review

As mentioned recently, we will very shortly be inviting members and supporters to complete a survey on the review. This is being fully supported by the club and we appreciate their help in moving this project forward. We would like to thank all fans in advance for taking the time to complete the survey.

Aft e r a l ot of wo r k , we a r e thrilled that our new website has now been launched. The redesign has been undertaken to create a more welcoming and streamlined experience for our members and fans. We hope everyone can agree it’s easy to use and contains all our key information and documentation.

We are particularly grateful to Trust Board member Adam Lewis for the work he has put in to bring this redesign to fruition.

Today we welcome Birmingham City to the Swansea.com Stadium. We’ll be looking to continue our winning ways and to avenge the 2-1 defeat at St. Andrews back in October.

That match marked Oba’s first goal for the club. Let’s hope for some more today!

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S

wansea City AFC Foundation is excited to announce that sign-up for the Easter Holiday Soccer Camps is now open.

The Foundation will be delivering 14 camps from April 11 until April 22, across six different venues, in partnership with Ministry of Furniture.

Open to boys and girls of all abilities aged between five and 12, the camps are a great opportunity to keep young Swans active during the school holidays and provide the perfect environment for Junior Jacks to develop and hone their football skills.

Children attending will enjoy fun technical activities, small-sided games, competitions and prizes all delivered by our Football Association of Wales qualified coaches in a safe and friendly environment, with some special guests set to make appearances.

Week Two

The soccer camps will take place as follows:

Friday, April 22 – Pembroke and Llandarcy

Week One

All sessions are 10am to 2:30pm.

Monday, April 11 – Carmarthen Tuesday, April 12 – Pontypridd

Tuesday, April 19 – Llanelli and Bishopston Wednesday, April 20 – Llanelli and Bishopston Thursday, April 21 – Pembroke and Llandarcy

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Wednesday, April 13 – Llanelli and Pontypridd Thursday, April 14 – Pembroke and Llandarcy

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BIRMINGHAM CITY

BIRMINGHAM CITY BIRMINGHAM CITY BIRMINGHAM CITY THE GAFFER BIRMINGHAM CITY BIRMINGHAM CITY BIRMINGHAM CITY BIRMINGHAM CITY CLUB CAPTAIN BIRMINGHAM CITY BIRMINGHAM CITY BIRMINGHAM CITY BIRMINGHAM CITY OWNER

NICKNAME

FOUNDED

Birmingham Sports Holdings

Blues

1875

STADIUM

OPENED

CAPACITY

St. Andrews

1906

29,409

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

FACEBOOK

@bcfc

@bcfc

/BCFCOfficial

An energetic box-to-box midfielder in his playing days, Bowyer is perhaps best remembered for his stint at Elland Road where he helped Leeds to a Champions League semi-final and to become genuine title challengers.

After leaving Yorkshire he had spells with West Ham, Newcastle, Birmingham and Ipswich, winning the League Cup with the Blues in 2011. He won a solitary England cap in 2002.

LEE BOWYER

After stints on the coaching staffs for Watford Under-21 and Charlton, he became Addicks manager in September 2018 and led them back to the Championship. He took over as Birmingham boss in March 2021.

The experienced striker was named Blues club captain in January, but injury has limited his appearances since, with the likes of Gary Gardner skippering the side in his absence.

Deeney joined Birmingham last summer, but he will be synonymous with Watford where he spent 11 years and scored 131 goals in 389 league appearances.

TROY DEENEY

PAGE 16

He helped the Hornets secure promotion to the top-flight in 2015 and 2021 – scoring a dramatic late winner against Leicester in the play-offs in the first of those years – and was part of the squad that reached the 2019 FA Cup final.

Y

Y ST. Y ANDREWS Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y MEET THE OPPOSITION

The Blues have spent the majority of their 141year history in the top flight, but are currently in their 11th consecutive season in the Championship following their Premier League relegation in 2011.

HOW’S THEIR FORM?

W

D

L

L

W

They have finished higher than 10th on only one occasion during that time and they have battled relegation in five of the previous eight campaigns.

Consistently inconsistent. The Blues have managed to string together league wins on just a solitary occasions so far this term.

The Midlands club have won two FA Cups and two League Cups, with the most recent of those successes coming in 2011 when they stunned Arsenal in the League Cup final at Wembley as Obafemi Martins scored a last-gasp winner.

At the time of writing, they have recorded just three Championships wins in 16 games and that sequence has kept them in the lower reaches of the table, although they are a considerable distance clear of the drop zone.

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TEDEN MENGI

ONES TO WATCH

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ONES TO WATCH

POSITION

CB

NATION

AGE

SHIRT NO.

19 18

ONES TO WATCH

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ONES TO WATCH PAGE 18

C

urrently on loan from Manchester United, Mengi signed for the Blues in the January of 2022, so far making 8 appearances.

A celebrated player at youth level, Mengi has represented England as part of the youth teams spanning from the under-15s all the way to the under-20s.

He had also appeared in senior European competition for United, making his debut against Austrian side LASK in the UEFA Europa League.

He then went on loan to Derby at the start of 2021, where he was managed b y f o r m e r t e a m m a t e Wa y n e R o o n e y.

He now finds himself a solid option for Bowyer’s Birmingham side this season.

RYAN WOODS POSITION

DM

W

NATION

AGE

SCOTT HOGAN SHIRT NO.

28 6

oods joined Birmingham at the start of this season after making 41 loan appearances at Millwall.

He currently possesses the highest pass c ompletion rate in his side with 79%, something the Swans will surely want to be wary of during their clash.

Having spent the last 7 seasons in the Championship, Woods is well experienc e d with the physic ality and tenacity required to thrive in the league.

H e a l s o h e l p e d h i s f i r s t s e n i o r c l u b, Shrewsbury Town win promotion back to L eague 2 during the 2014/15 season, cementing himself as a sturdy, reliable player in the defensive midfield.

POSITION

ST

NATION

AGE

SHIRT NO.

29 9

H

ogan signed for the Blues in the summer of 2020 from Aston Villa after numerous loan spells in the Championship.

Since then he has made over 70 appearances for the club, scoring 10 goals this season.

He currently sits as Birmingham’s top g o a l s c o r e r t h i s s e a s o n . P r e v i o u s l y, the striker had played for multiple non-league football teams before being picked up by Brentford in 2014.

Hogan has also been involved in numerous International games for Ireland, including the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers.

Among Blues fans and Ireland fans alike, he is known for his goalscoring ability and attacking prowess.

PAGE 19

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WATCH HIGHLIGHTS

BLACKPOOL 1 SWANSEA CITY 0 SWANSEA CITY SUFFERED A FRUSTRATING DEFEAT AT BLACKPOOL AS GARY MADINE’S EARLY HEADER SETTLED MATTERS AT BLOOMFIELD ROAD.

TEAM LINEUPS Swans: Andy Fisher; Korey Smith (Nathanael Ogbeta 64), Ben Cabango, Kyle Naughton, Cyrus Christie; Flynn Downes, Matt Grimes (captain); Olivier Ntcham (Cameron Congreve 87), Joel Piroe, Jamie Paterson; Michael Obafemi.

Subs not used: Ben Hamer, Jay Fulton, Kyle Joseph, Joel Latibeaudiere, Finley Burns.

Blackpool: Daniel Grimshaw, Callum Connolly, Reece James, Kevin Stewart, Josh Bowler (Owen Dale 89), Kenny Dougall, Gary Madine (Shayne Lavery 74), Marvin Ekpiteta (captain), Charlie Kirk (CJ Hamilton 74), Dujon Sterling, James Husband.

Subs not used: Stuart Moore, Jerry Yates, Ethan Robson, Oliver Casey.

Referee: Stephen Martin

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PETERBOROUGH 2 SWANSEA CITY 3 JOEL PIROE FIRED HOME A STOPPAGETIME WINNER AS THE DUTCHMAN'S STRIKE AND A BRACE FROM MICHAEL OBAFEMI SAW SWANSEA CITY CLAIM VICTORY IN A BREATHLESS CONTEST AT PETERBOROUGH UNITED.

TEAM LINEUPS Swans: Andy Fisher; Cyrus Christie, Ben Cabango, Kyle Naughton, Korey Smith (Olivier Ntcham 68); Flynn Downes, Matt Grimes (captain); Hannes Wolf, Joel Piroe, Jamie Paterson (Jay Fulton 90); Michael Obafemi (Kyle Joseph 80).

Subs not used: Ben Hamer, Nathanael Ogbeta, Finley Burns, Cameron Congreve.

Peterborough: David Cornell, Ronnie Edwards, Frankie Kent, Sammie Szmodics (Jack Taylor 68), Jonson Clarke-Harris (Joe Taylor 77), Josh Knight, Oliver Norburn (captain), Ricky-Jade Jones (Jack Marriott 61), Joe Ward, Bali Mumba, Jeano Fuchs.

Subs not used: Will Blackmore, Mark Beevers, George Grant, Harrison Burrows.

Referee: Oliver Langford

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MICHAEL OBAFEMI KEEN TO KEEP HOT STREAK GOING

M

ichael Obafemi hopes his Swansea City hot streak is a long way from being over after making it six goals in nine games with an important brace in the 3-2 win at Peterborough United.

After a difficult start to life in Swansea as he adjusted following a move from Southampton, the 21-year-old has really hit his stride over the last couple of months.

He put the Swans ahead at the Weston Homes Stadium with a nice finish from an acute angle, and then brought the visitors back level later in the contest with an instinctive cushioned volley after the ball had flown at him having struck the woodwork.

Obafemi now has seven goals to his name, but he has no intention of stopping there as he enjoys his “warm” spell.

“It’s good to add to the tally, I feel I am warming up, that’s how my friends would describe it,” said Obafemi with a smile.

“I am just glad to be scoring goals and contributing, but I don’t want to just stop and think this is it, I want to keep going and get a few more.

“My job is to score goals, that’s what strikers are paid for. I’ve got my targets in my mind of what I want to do.

“I think double figures has to be the first aim, I hope I can get there quickly and keep going from there.”

Obafemi also praised the quality of the Swans’ dominant firsthalf display, where they could easily have led by more than the one-goal advantage they had at half-time, with the forward

acknowledging he should have finished off one wonderful period of build-up play.

“We played really well in that first half, I thought we were exceptional at times and they could not get near us,” he added.

“We dominated the ball, and if anything they were fortunate to only be 1-0 down. I should have taken some of the chances we created.

“The one where I put it over, it probably would have been one of the goals of the season so I need to do a bit of work and make sure those go in.

“We knew they would come out second half and look to put us under pressure, but ultimately we were able to react well and get the three points.”

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STILETTOS AND STUDS BY JULIE KISSICK

F

ootball, it is often said, is about fine margins. We also know that teams fighting for survival often find something in their armoury at the tail end of the season which galvanises them and, sometimes, helps propel them to accumulate points.

Our midweek game against Championship basement side Peterborough United on a sodden Weston Homes Stadium pitch turned out to be anything but straightforward.

Twenty-three points from 36 games might tell the tale of the season so far for Posh, but they were certainly not surrendering, despite our dominant display in the first half.

Michael Obafemi’s goal just before the break rattled Grant McCann’s men and two goals from the hosts in eight minutes made for a difficult start to the second half for us.

A second Obafemi goal another eight minutes later and the nerves steadied before Joel Piroe got the party started just before the final whistle.

T he full-time st at s showed us with 71% possession and 17 shots - nine on t arget . T hey don’ t look like fine margins, but ultimately, it’s goals that matter. They win games. They increase the points tally. They determine the league position.

So, let’s talk about our goals, and our goal scorers. In reverse order: Piroe, who got his 17th of the season to keep him in the top five goal scorers in the Championship. He is clearly loving life in a Swansea City shirt.

Obafemi’s brace means he has scored six in nine games. Cast your mind back to the start of November when he’d made just four appearanc es following his summer move from S outhampt on. He’s worke d hard t o change things around.

And those goals – the first was the epitome of a fine margin. Jamie Paterson played Obafemi through on goal but the tightness of the angle meant he had to strike the ball with absolute precision – and he did.

The second appeared more straightforward after Cyrus Christie was unlucky with a header hitting the post but Obafemi showed his striker’s instinct to be in the right place to produce a volley which saw the ball safely into the net.

Swans great and honorary club president, Alan Curtis MBE, was on co-commentary duty on Swans TV for the game.

He had this to say about Obafemi and the partnerships he is developing: “The more goals he gets, the more confident he will get. Two different goals but two exceptional strikes.

“It’s a good partnership him and Joel Piroe and Jamie Paterson as well. I can’t stress enough what a good a player Jamie is and the pass for the first goal was top, top class.

“It was a much more difficult night than I thought it would be. Maybe the wet conditions played a part but no doubt we were the better team and we deserved to win.”

Football doesn’t always deliver what’s deserved, though focusing on the fine margins is where long-term improvement happens. And, three points ahead of the international break would set us up nicely for the game in a fortnight’s time. Anyone remember who we’re playing?!

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ASTUDIA YM MHRIFYSGOL ABERTAWE DRWS I DDYFODOL DISGLAIR DYSGWCH FWY

FFRAMWAITH RHAGORIAETH & DEILLIANNAU MYFYRWYR PAGE 28

(Y dyfarniad uchaf am Ragoriaeth Addysgu ym mhrifysgolion y DU)

KYLE JOSEPH " I'VE COME BACK HUNGRIER THAN EVER "

K

yle Joseph believes he has returned to Swansea City all the better for his loan spell at Cheltenham, and is determined to kick on for Russell Martin’s side.

Striker Joseph joined the Swans from Wigan last summer, and went on to spend the first half of the campaign on loan with Cheltenham Town where he scored five goals in 22 appearances.

Having featured in the Swans’ Carabao Cup games against Reading and Plymouth at the outset of the campaign, he has since returned and racked up six Championship appearances from the bench.

The 20-year-old dropped down into the under-23s’ side for their home fixture against QPR on Monday, and marked it with an impressive four-goal haul.

And the S cottish age-grade international is hungry and motivated to make his mark and earn more opportunities over the remainder of the season.

“It’s been really good since I came back,” said Joseph.

“It was a beneficial loan spell for me. It’s done me the world of good to be getting out, getting games, and scoring a few goals.

“Since being back, the level of training I’ ve been doing, the standard, it’s all good for me.

“I’m still 20 years old, it’s just hopefully a case of learning off the lads that are here, the senior players, seeing how they act around the place day to day.

Joseph showed a mixture of cool finishing and belligerent forward play as he helped himself to a four-goal haul at the Swansea. com Stadium on Monday.

“It’s just about taking in as much as I can for the rest of the season.

Two of his goals finished off fine flowing moves by the young Swans, while the other pair were as a result of excellent, aggressive pressing that saw him win the ball and hold off defenders to find the net.

“I could have taken the easy option, I could have just stayed here and been around the first team, but I wanted to go out and show the manager I could handle playing regular first-team football.

“I think that I did that to an extent, and I’ve come back in and I hopefully want to carry on and continue showing him that I can be a player in the first-team squad.

“It’s gone well since coming back.

Coming off the bench is quite difficult, but I think anytime I get on the pitch I’ve just got to try and take my chance and do the job that’s asked of me.

“I just want to be involved as much as possible, whether that be starting or coming off the bench. I just have to crack on and keep working hard.”

“It was good to get some minutes and it was good to get some goals, I was happy to help the lads put in a good performance and ultimately get a good win,” he added.

“I thought it was a really good team performance, with and without the ball. Some of the chances were coming from a lot of hard pressing work, others were from good play with the ball.

“That’s both sides of the game.

You’ ve got to be as good in possession as you are out of possession.

“I hope that will do me the world of good.”

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PAGE 32

MICHAEL OBAFEMI IS THE FIRST TO ADMIT HIS TIME AT SWANSEA CITY DID NOT GET OFF TO THE START HE HAD HOPED FOR, BUT AFTER KNUCKLING DOWN AND PUTTING IN THE HARD YARDS WITH THE COACHING STAFF THE STRIKER IS A YOUNG MAN IN THE VERY BEST OF FORM. HERE, HE TALKS ABOUT ADAPTING TO LIFE IN SA1, HIS UPBRINGING IN LONDON, AND BECOMING AN UNEXPECTED VIRAL SENSATION. CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE....

Well Michael, it’s four goals in the last four home games.

How much are you enjoying playing in this team?

I mean, I’m enjoying a lot. The gaffer’s had a lot of faith in me to put me in. I’m thankful. I’m trying to repay him with goals and help out the team as much as possible.

The gaffer was quite clear at earlier on in the season that there were things for you to work on and things for you to improve on. It certainly looks like you’ve taken that advice on board and you’ve reacted positively, do you feel that’s the case?

Ye a h , 1 0 0 % . T h e b a c k r o o m staff and the gaffer, they ’ ve put a lot of work and effor t into me and it ’s time that I repay them with the stuff I do on the pitch.

So you moved to Southampton in 2016, you were there for 5 years before coming to Swanse a in the summer.

That’s been quite a big transition in itself. How have you found the adjustment to moving away and adjusting to living in Swansea?

I mean, it was difficult in the beginning, being so far away from my natural surroundings.

But I think now I’ ve come to terms with where I am, I’m really enjoying it. There’s a lot to Swansea that I haven’t seen still, but I will eventually get looking.

Yo u ’ v e b e e n w o r k i n g q u i t e close with the gaffer and the coaching staff, and one thing they’ve mentioned

they’ve found useful are the post-match attacking unit meetings they do. How helpful have you found their support and advice?

Definitely helpful. I think it’s important that layers look b a c k at t h e i r g a m e s t o s e e what they did and what they can improve on. That ’s what we do. We sit down, analyse, and just go through what we did in the game and how we can improve for the next one.

One aspect I want to talk to you about is heading. I know that’s something you’re working on and you went and scored the winner against Blackburn with a header. Is it rewarding when you see that hard work paying off ?

Yeah, of course. It just shows that when you practice something, it will come to pass. Is that the word? Yeah, that ’s the word for it . I was practicing my heading all week, and thankfully I got on the end of Pato’s ball and sc ored the winner, I’m ver y happy about it.

We’ ve recently been seeing you alongside Joel [Piroe]. You both seem to be loving that partnership. How much have you enjoyed playing alongside him?

It’s definitely enjoyable. Joel’s a very technical player; more technical than I am. But it ’s definitely good. If Joel comes short, he can play me in behind. I don’ t want to give t h a t a w a y, b u t k i n d o f l i k e a big-man-small linkup. I’m defiantly enjoying it and I think it’ll be good for the team.

PAGE 33

We recently saw the video of you celebrating Joel’s goal against Bristol City. Now that shows the team spirit here, and it is a case that you all support each other here, isn’t it?

100%. From training to matches, we all support each o t h e r ; e ve n o ff t h e p i t c h . I believe in him, and it shows in the video. I knew he was going to score as soon as he [nutmegged] him, but I’m happy he got his goal and the team could kick on.

The fans seem to be loving you, you’ve even got your own song.

How does it feel when you hear that?

What song? It does give me goosebumps. The song is sick.

T h e s i n g w a s o r i g i n a l l y fo r Wilfried Bony, so I’m going to try and carry the torch; follow in his footsteps.

We can’t do an interview without talking about one of your most recent interviews, which took about 200 attempts. It’s been seen by nearly 8.1 million people.

It went well, didn’t it? Did your Twitter go mad?

N o, t o b e h o n e s t . B u t t h i s one, started awful like that. I don’t expect it to go that well, I know I’m a bit of a character, but I’m just being me. I’m glad the world can see it, I guess.

I have to take you back to growing up in London, and when you first got into football. Your brother also played football. How much of an influence did he have on you?

A big influence. The main reason I play football is because of him. I went to

PAGE 34

go and watch his games and support him. He got me trials at L eyton Orient when I got released from Watford. So he definitely helped me in my career and to get it kickstarted again. I’m definitely thankful.

What was it like growing up in London? Were you good in school?

Was I good in school? I wouldn’t say I was good, but I wouldn’t really say I was b a d e i t h e r. Yo u k n o w t h a t mischievous kid that was just annoying?

I can see that…

Ye a h , t h at wa s m e. I wa s a bit annoying for teachers. I got sent out of lessons and stuff, but I was just enjoying it, funnily enough.

You were 17 when you made your Premier League debut for Southampton. That must have been something you dreamt of all your life, but to make it at such a young age it must have made it even better.

Ye a h , 1 0 0 % . I m e a n , l o a d s of kids around the c ountry ; the world even, dream of playing in the premier league and I was lucky enough to do it at such a young age. I will say, I din’t really expect it . I remember I c ame in on the Saturday, playing for the under-18s against Fulham.

My youth team coach at the time pulled me aside and said “ Yo u ’ r e n ot p l ay i n g ” , I wa s like “ Why am I not playing?”.

He said: “You’re going to train first team and be on the bench a g a i n s t To t t e n h a m . ” I w a s like “Oh, top!”. Then I trained with the team that day, and the next day was Tottenham.

I remember warming up, obviously I’d ever been running on the sideline with s o m a n y p e o p l e. I wa s j u s t like “Wow!” It was just crazy. I remember it was like the 80th minute, who called me over? I think the manager called me over, and he said “Get ready” and then I came on. You know them old Pepsi adverts? When t h e c a m e r a s j u s t fo l l ow i n g around. I just felt like I was in the advert. It was so weird, so surreal. Obviously being on the pitch with Harry Kane, at such a young age. I’d watched him on TV. I remember I had a chance to win it in the game.

But it was definitely a moment I will always cherish for the rest of my life.

CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE....

You spent a large chunk of your life at Southampton, how much did you enjoy those years? And are you still in touch with quite a few of the boys from there?

Ye a h , I m e a n , i t f e l t l i k e home. I’d moved away from home when I was 15 or 16, t o l i ve i n d i g s . S o t h at wa s like my safety net, sort of. To move away was difficult, but I knew it was the right decision for me. I still keep in contact with the boys, they still check up on me.

A n d f i n a l l y, b a c k t o Swa n s matters, what are your hopes for the rest of season here?

To score as many goals as I can, help the team out with assists, even. And for the team to finish as high as possible.

I mean, we have what? 16 games left, [we want to] win as many as possible. And do myself proud, the fans proud and my family proud.

PAGE 35

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PAGE 37

JOEL PIROE TARGETING 20-GOAL MARK FOR SWANSEA CITY

J

oel Piroe is targeting the 20goal mark for Swansea City after his injury-time winner sealed victory over Peterborough United on Wednesday.

The Dutchman's left-footed strike in the second minute of added time saw Russell Martin's men take all three points against the Championship's bottom side.

It was goal number 17 for the striker who began the season hoping to reach 10 after hitting a combined four goals in his previous two seasons in the Netherlands.

The Swans began the game in full control despite the pouring rain creating a challenging playing surface at the Weston Homes Stadium, and Russell Martin’s side were excellent value for their 1-0 lead at half-time courtesy of Michael Obafemi's cool finish.

But the Posh made an extremely bright start to the second half and two goals in eight minutes left the Swans trailing midway through the second period.

The visitors got more of a grip on the game after going behind and Obafemi showed striker’s instincts to stroke home with 20 minutes to go, and – just as both sets of fans seemed resigned to sharing the points – Piroe popped up to make sure the three points returned to SA1.

“I just came back to the middle and when I saw Hannes put the ball back, I thought this is my shot,” said Piroe.

“I’m very happy with the 17 goals this season, I just want it to carry on and reach the 20-goal mark.

“It was great to score in front of the away fans. When you look at the weather and the travel and everything the fans did to get there, it was very nice to be able celebrate with them.”

Despite boasting more possession and shots on target than the hosts, Piroe and his team-mates were left disappointed that the scoreline was so tight at full time – especially after such a dominant first-half display in which they created several big opportunities.

“ We st ar ted really well and played very well in the first half, I think we should have s c o re d m o re by h a l f -t i m e, ” Piroe added.

“In the second half, we didn’t start that well and the way we conceded the goals was not like us – it wasn’t good enough.

“We showed good mentality to bounce back again and win the game.

“Like the gaffer always says, we have a 90-minute game plan. It doesn’t matter if it’s scored in the first minute or the last minute, a winning goal wins the game.

“We just have to carry on. If we look at the first half, that’s how we need to be the whole game.”

PAGE 39

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PAGE 40

SWANS LADIES 2 CARDIFF MET LADIES 1

G

oals from Chloe Chivers and Stacey John-Davis secured a hard-fought win for leaders Swansea City Ladies over second placed Cardiff Met in the Genero Adran Premier on Wednesday evening.

The victory opens up a sevenpoint lead at the summit of the top-flight, with another title firmly in the Swans' grasp.

It was a near perfect start for the Swans as they took the lead in the 11th minute through Chivers. The in-form striker made no mist ake when she hammered in from close range after some excellent build up play by Karmyn Carter.

It was a tight game with few chances, but the best of the first-half opportunities went the

visitors’ way as Swans’ defence cleared one effort off the line and watched another one clatter the crossbar.

It was a stunning finish from JohnDavis, who lifted the ball over Sweeney to double the advantage in the 68th minute.

But Carter continued to be a good outlet in attack, and she forced an excellent save from visiting shotstopper Annabel Sweeney just after the half-hour mark.

The two-goal lead was shortlived, however, and less than a minute later striker Emily Allen had pulled one back for Cardiff Met, beating Claire Skinner at her near post.

It then took some excellent last ditch defending from the Swans to deny Cardiff Met a goal right on half-time.

But the Swans finished the game the stronger of the two teams.

Jessica Williams shot narrowly wide with 15 minutes remaining, while Sweeney made an excellent save one on one late on before Carter saw an effort go just over the bar shortly before full-time.

Swans started to pile the pressure on the visitors around the hour mark and Carter was close to converting from Chivers’ freekick before the second Swansea goal came.

The win puts the defending champion Swans in pole position to retain their title as the season reaches its final stages

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CARDIFF CITY WOMEN 4 SWANS LADIES 3

S

wansea City Ladies bowed out of the FAW Women’s Cup at the semi-final stage after a seven-goal thriller away at Cardiff City Women.

It was the perfe c t st ar t for the Swans who took the lead within three minutes when Laura Davies headed in at the back post from Chloe Chivers’ corner delivery, but the lead only lasted seven minutes with Amy Williams pulling one back for the home side after being played through brilliantly by Lily Billingham.

It was a tight affair after that.

Williams nearly got a second for Cardiff but her effort whistled over the crossbar, while at the other end Chivers had a goal ruled out for offside and Ellie Lake fired narrowly wide.

The Bluebirds took the lead on the 35th minute when in-form striker Phoebie Poole converted from the spot, but Swansea were

back on level terms in the 42nd minute when another Chivers delivery from a Swans corner caused the home side problems.

This time Jessica Williams was there to head in.

Swans kept pushing and pilled on the pressure late on, but Alicia Powe’s header from the edge of the box was the closest they came to an equaliser.

They couldn’t hold on though and Cardiff retook the lead just before half-time. Seren Watkins’ corner evaded everyone and found the back of the net to make it 3-2 just before the break.

TEAM LINEUP

Much like the first half, Swans had a quick start and scored a leveller within seconds of kick-off. A foul outside the box, gave Chivers a shooting opportunity and she converted in stunning fashion as she found the top corner.

Swans Ladies: Skinner, Powe, Adams, Lake, K Adams, Chivers, Hosford, John-Davis, Davies, Williams (Oakley 83’), Carter.

Subs not used: Border, Jenkins, Horgan, Rees.

Once again, Swans struggled to build on their fast start and, while they battled hard, they were unable to get another goal.

Billingham and Poole linked up again shortly before the hour mark for the latter to slot calmly into the net to secure a place in the final.

PAGE 43

T

he final game of a dismal 1972-73 season against Charlton Athletic at the Vetch Field was unremarkable in itself, but it would see the league debut of a young boy who would go on to become a Swansea City legend. That boy was Robbie James.

Robbie was born in Gorseinon, but spent his formative years in the Mayhill area of the city.

After finishing school he joined the ground staff at the Vetch Field, where he graduated through the ranks of the Welsh L eague and Football Combination sides, to find himself knocking at the door of the first-team squad.

Even at his tender age Robbie was extremely strong in the tackle, and had a powerful shot that would see him score many spectacular long-range goals in the future.

H i s i m p r e s s i ve p e r fo r m a n c e s o n t h e p i t c h saw him join A r senal in November 1974 on an initial month-long loan, but this lasted only twenty-four hours, before ret urning to Swansea due to homesickness.

Consistency on the pitch, allied with acceleration over the vital first 10 yards, and a rocket of a shot saw Robbie become the Football League's youngest player to reach 100, 200 and 300 league appearances as he established himself at a remarkably young age.

In fact, after finishing his professional career, Robbie would end up with an incredible 782 Football League appearances and 137 goals, leaving him seventh in the all-time Football League appearances list.

The basement divisions of league football in the UK in the early seventies could be brutal, but it turned the young Robbie into a man.

Under the guidance of Harry Griffiths the team began to take shape after some years of struggle, but it was when John Toshack took over in February 1978 that the impossible began to become a reality.

Two consecutive promotions followed, seeing the club reach the Second Division (Championship) for the first time in 14 long years.

PAGE 44

Robbie's performances at club level saw him earn Wales honours at both youth and under- 21 levels, before in October 1978 he was awarded the first of his 47 full Welsh International caps when playing against Malta.

The rise of the club under Toshack reached its peak with promotion from the Second Division to the First after an historic season that saw Robbie influential in midfield, alongside other local players in Jeremy Charles, Alan Curtis and Wyndham Evans to name but a few.

The inaugural season at English football's top level was successful for the club, who finished sixth, while Robbie himself finished the season as top goalscorer, and won the player of the year award.

Unfortunately financial realities at the club reared their ugly head in the second season, and after relegation Robbie - along with a host of other top players - was allowed to leave the Swans at a knockdown price, as the club looked to try and stabilise itself.

Stoke City were the beneficiaries of his signature in a deal worth £160,000, but after just a season in Staffordshire he was on the move again; this time to London and Queens Park Rangers.

It was during his time in London that Robbie played in the 1986 Milk Cup final at Wembley, playing against Oxford United, who had former Swan and close friend Charles in their line up.

After two seasons in London, Robbie was once more on the move, this time to Leicester City, before finally returning to the Vetch Field in 1988 in a £35,000 transfer deal.

It all began well for both club and player with promotion gained in his first season, but a falling out with the then chairman Doug Sharpe saw the player join Bradford City, before returning to Wales two seasons later joining Cardiff City.

Robbie retired from professional football in 1993, though he continued playing non-league football for Merthyr, Llanelli and Weston-SuperMare before ret urning to L lanelli as player manager in 1997.

It was during this time at the club that tragedy struck when, during a game against Porthcawl Town, Robbie collapsed on the pitch, and died at the tragically early age of just 40.

A bust of one of the club’s mo st loyal and loved players was unveiled at the new Liberty Stadium, and it adorns the Robbie James Wall of Fame.

It was a fitting tribute and testament to a player whose performances on the pitch saw him win player of the year at both Bradford City and Cardiff City to go alongside the ones won at his hometown club.

PAGE 45

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F

our goals from Kyle Joseph inspired Swansea City Under23s to a handsome victory over QPR in their Professional Development League clash at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Joseph netted two in each half before Ruben Davies made it five in a dominant performance for the Swans.

The hosts had trailed to an early goal from Harry Murphy, but they soon assumed control to ease to the three points.

Kris O’Leary’s side had been boosted by the inclusion of firstteam squad members Joseph, Yan Dhanda and Nathaniel Ogbeta, although all of the trio are still young enough to be eligible for under-23s' football.

The first chance of the game fell to Joel Cotterill, Joseph’s deflected effort finding the midfielder on the edge of the box, but his shot was easily held by the goalkeeper.

The Swans had a goal ruled out after just 10 minutes, Dhanda finding Joseph who turned well in the box and found the bottom corner, but was deemed to be offside.

Instead it would be the visitors who would break the deadlock, with a QPR corner only being cleared as far as Harry Murphy, who steered a half-volley into the bottom left corner from the edge of the box.

Joseph would soon find an equaliser, pressing the Rs defence to win the ball back in their penalty area, before levelling with a composed finish.

Midfielder Cotterill continued to be a problem for QPR, almost scoring directly from a corner before finding Joseph on the edge of the box.

WATCH HIGHLIGHTS

SWANS U23s 5 QPR U23 1 The striker arrowed his second of the afternoon into the back of the net, ignoring white shirts in support to his right, to put the Swans ahead.

Joseph almost made it a hat-trick before half-time, turning the QPR defender inside out before putting his shot just wide of the post.

But the hat-trick would come straight after the break, Dhanda breaking forward and finding the former Wigan man, who finished well from close range.

Joseph wasn’t done there as he soon made it four.

Picking up Congreve’s blocked effort in the box surrounded

by QPR defenders, the forward somehow held off all comers to squeeze the ball beyond the keeper and into the net.

Substitute Davies made it five shortly following his introduction in place of Joseph.

Lincoln Mcfayden, who was impressive throughout, once again finding space down the left before picking out Davies for a simple finish.

The Swans were given a warning by QPR who came close to pulling one back; Murphy’s free-kick finding Alfie Lloyd, who cannoned a header onto the underside of the crossbar.

Jacob Jones almost made it six, his excellent footwork working himself the space to curl a left-footed effort towards the far corner, but a good save from keeper Matteo Salamon denied him.

However, it did not matter in the final analysis as the Swans eased to victory.

TEAM LINEUP Swans: Nico Hansen, Lincoln Mcfayden, Tivonge Rushesha (captain), Cameron Evans, Jack Stafford, Nathaniel Ogbeta (Jacob Jones 45), Azeem Abdulai, Joel Cotterill, Cameron Congreve (Ben Lloyd 62), Yan Dhanda, Kyle Joseph (Ruben Davies 62).

Subs not used: Trialist, Scott Butler.

PAGE 49

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L

ooking at social media last weekend, it felt like I was one of the only Swans fans who wasn’t enjoying the delights of Blackpool.

JACK THE LAD

The Jack Army had certainly descended on the famous old Lancashire seaside resort in their numbers and were making the most of their visit.

I know from previous experience just how much fun a weekend away in Blackpool supporting the Swans can be.

On one such visit I remember walking into a nightclub in the town the night before we played Preston in 2011 to find a sea of Swansea “faces”. It was like walking into Barons during its heyday!

So I was feeling pretty sorry for myself missing out on the trip – even if the result didn’t end up going our way.

However, my spirits were lifted by a visit to Ammanford AFC’s Recreation Ground for the home side’s clash with Undy Athletic in the JD Cymru South League.

The Carmarthenshire club prides itself on the work it does in the local community – something that was recently recognised as the club was awarded the county's Community Sports Club of the Year.

A big part of that work is in conjunction with the Jac Lewis Foundation.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with its work, the foundation was set up following the loss of a hugely popular figure within the town’s close-knit sporting community.

In 2019, the former Ammanford player and avid supporter of the club, died at the age of 27. The town was stunned by his sudden death.

As well as being a huge supporter of Ammanford, Jac was also a seasonticket holder with the Swans.

There, lining up for Ammanford, was a genuine Swans legend – old Magic Daps himself - Lee Trundle.

H o w e v e r, t h r o u g h t h e g r i e f o f h i s loss came a determination to try and prevent the loss of another member of the community.

And those Magic Daps still have the ability to spellbind defenders as Trunds got himself on the score sheet with a smart finish from close range.

The result was the Jac Lewis Foundation, set up to provide support for mental h e a l t h a n d we l l b e i n g t h r o u g h f r e e professional counselling.

His strike helped Ammanford on their way to a much needed three points as they eventually ran out 5-2 winners.

Builders and businesses came together t o b u i l d t h e " We l l b e i n g C e n t r e" at Ammanford's Recreation Ground home.

The old maestro would have been well impressed with his fellow goals scorers too as all of Ammanford’s goals were of the highest quality in what was a thoroughly entertaining match.

There, those who need it can receive counselling. The building also acts as an office and training centre for the foundation's counsellors. On matchdays fans can buy refreshments and merchandise there.

But it wasn’ t just seeing Trundle in action which cheered me up and made me forget about what I was missing up in Blackpool.

As well as the action on the grass, I was really heartened by what’s going on away

PAGE 52

from the pitch at Ammanford – work which also boasts a strong link with the Swans.

The Wellbeing Centre is literally situated on the touchline in one corner of Ammanford’s Recreation Ground home.

Such has been the success of the Jac Lewis Foundation in making a difference

in the Ammanford area, the foundation has expanded its service with more than 1,000 hour s of c ouns elling having been provided sinc e its inception.

The expansion and good work of the foundation brought it to the attention of the Swans, who decided they wanted to work in collaboration with the service.

The association with Swansea is a sign of how the foundation has grown at an enormous rate over the past three years with local individuals, organisations, sports clubs and companies raising funds to help support the service.

L ast S eptember, the Swans and the Jac Lewis Foundation announced a fortnightly mental health hub at the Swansea. com Stadium to provide a prevent ative wellbeing and mental health service.

Due to the demand of this service a ‘One-Stop Mental Health Hub’ has been created, funded by the club’s majority shareholders, Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien, together with director and investor Jake Silverstein.

It aims to offer supporters, along with local residents, the oppor t unity to attend more regular drop-in sessions in the city facilitated by qualified counsellors to receive professional help and support for mental health difficulties.

Sessions are hosted every Friday between 9am and 5pm when there are members of the Jac Lewis Foundation, South Wales Police, Samaritans and Swansea City Council in attendance and available to provide professional support.

Silverstein has said of the facility: “As a club, we wanted to do something to aid mental health in our area and offer our support wherever possible. “ We a re c o n s c i o u s t h at we have lost several supporters in recent months due to mental health challenges and we want to make a difference to anyone who might be struggling.

It’s fantastic to see the Swans working in collaboration with local clubs to provide such a potentially life-saving service, which supplements established formal mental health services provided by the NHS and p r i vat e l y, w h i c h h a ve b e e n inundated and stretched to the limit by a rising tide of people needing support.

It’s reassuring to know that in these difficult times our football clubs are not just there to provide a welcome distraction to what’s going on in the world, but to also provide practical support to their communities.

Anyone wanting to help raise money for the Jac Lewis Foundation or feels they ne e d the foundation’s support can find out more at https://jaclewisfoundation.co.uk/ C’mon you Swans!

“ We are grateful for the opportunity to play a part in providing tools and resources to support mental health and psychological wellbeing in the community.”

PAGE 53

FORMER PLAYERS’ ASSOCIATION PAGE 54

F

ew former players who were around during the Vetch Field days will not be able to recall the ‘tea lady’.

D olly P hillips was the most famous female to be employed by the club. A bit like honorary club president Alan Curtis MBE, she was a legend in her own lifetime.

When she joined the Swans staff in 1947 the Vetch Field-based outfit was still Swansea Town.

Dolly lived next to the ground and became a surrogate mother to players and staff alike. It didn’t matter how long a player was with the club, he’d have known Dolly.

She did much more than make the tea.

She was confidant to many and a constant figure on the Vetch Field scene.

She never kicked a ball, but she made sure those who did had clean kit, a clean bath, (it was a large communal structure during most of her days) and she always had a brew on the go, inside and outside of working hours.

Dolly’s kit washing days were long and physically challenging. It was washed by hand, no mean feat in any era, but when you consider the training regime at the time involved running up and down the Swansea Bay sand dunes and drills were done on the Vetch Field pitch, it was even more remarkable When Dolly died in 2013, a year short of her hundredth birthday, John Toshack referred to her as an ‘unsung hero’.

all framed, you didn’t do that in those days, they were stuck on the wall and there were stories attached to every one of them.

“I remember calling in to see her regularly and one day I asked her who her favourite player was. It was my brother-in-law Len Allchurch at the time but once Alan Curtis came along I don’t think anyone else got a look in for the title! “ The players were always her focus.

It was about their welfare rather than the football and whoever they were they were always referred to by her as ‘my boys’.

“She was always very welcoming of the wives and girlfriends too. I always felt she mothered me as well and I looked on her as someone who was always willing to give advice and have a chat and of course a cup of tea and piece of cake.”

Former club secretary, Jackie Rockey, was introduc ed to D olly before she started working for the Swans – because meeting the woman who was part of the fabric of the club was just something that just had to be done.

“Frank Burrows’ wife, Wendy took me to meet her. She was so well known and loved around the club and she did so much for the players, ‘her boys’.

“She had so many stories to tell. I used to love listening to them about Curt and so many of the others.

“She lived in the house right by the players entrance and she was such an important part of the club for so long.

“I used to go and have lunch with her about once a month and there would always be something new to hear about.

She really did love being a part of the club and being responsible for looking after the players. She was always more than ‘the tea lady’.”

“When you sat in her front room you saw pictures of players everywhere, over the fireplace, on the wall. They weren’t

Dolly featured in a radio documentary the year the club moved to the then Liberty Stadium in 2005.

“She really was a surrogate mum to so many,” explained Esme Allchurch, widow of Ivor.

In it she recalled the various roles she undertook, from washing the kit to keeping the tea flowing whenever there were people at the Vetch. She was there on match days and for meetings and always happy to chat.

She was the keeper of secrets, the confident to many and the person most of the players relied on, especially those who were missing a familiar friendly face, away from home and in unfamiliar surroundings.

Few people associated with the Vetch Field era would not have seen or heard of Dolly ‘the tea lady’, a woman who remains part of the lifeblood of Swansea City.

Ex Swans who want to be involved with Swansea City Former Players’ Association are asked to fill in the registration form HERE. The club is also keen to hear from relatives and friends of former players who are not online but who might still want to join the FPA. Anyone in this category is asked to call the FPA secretary, Catherine Thomas, on 01792 616420 or email catherinethomas@swanseacity.com Alternatively, the three former players on the c ommittee, chair L ee Trundle, deputy chair Leon Britton and lifelong president Alan Curtis, are also happy to talk to players or their families directly.

PAGE 55

JUNIOR CYRIL'S HALF-TIME QUIZ QUESTION ONE What is the name of Birmingham City’s home stadium?

QUESTION FOUR The Birmingham City club badge includes a football, a blue ribbon, and what else?

QUESTION TWO Who scored Swans’ goal when the two sides met earlier this season?

QUESTION FIVE Which former Watford striker ended an 11-year stint at the Hornets when he signed for Birmingham in August?

QUESTION THREE What is Birmingham City’s nickname?

QUESTION SIX Birmingham City’s mascot is a bulldog, but what is his name?

CYRIL AND CYBIL'S PREDICTION SWANS 2 BIRMINGHAM 1

PAGE 56

PAGE 57 Cyril’s Half-Time Quiz Answers Question One - St. Andrews Question Two - Michael Obafemi Question Three - The Blues

Question Four - A Globe Question Five - Troy Deeney Question Six - Beau Brummie Cyril Disguise Answer: Flynn Downes

CAN YOU HELP CYBIL WORK OUT WHICH PLAYER THIS IS?

R JACKS

PLAYER SPONSORS 2021~2022 BEN HAMER

CYRUS CHRISTIE

KYLE NAUGHTON

ANDY FISHER

RYAN BENNETT

BEN CABANGO

RYAN MANNING

JOEL LATIBEAUDIERE

FINLEY BURNS

WESTACRES

NATHANAEL OGBETA

BEN LLOYD

MATT GRIMES

JAY FULTON

FLYNN DOWNES

KOREY SMITH

TRAVEL

HOUSE .CO.UK

OLIVIER NTCHAM

CALL 01792 616 624 OR PAGE 58

JAMIE PATERSON

MICAHEL OBAFEMI

JOEL PIROE

HANNES WOLF

EMAIL L.MERRELLS@SWANSEACITY.COM FOR AVAILABILITY

TODAY'S MASCOTS

GRACE RICHARDS AGE: 10 GARDEN VILLAGE

BRADY DAVIES AGE: 9 BIRCHGROVE

KARA-MAE TODD AGE: 10 SWANSEA

CAIDEN ROBERTS AGE: 9 SWANSEA

JACK REES AGE: 9 SWANSEA

JACOB HOLMES AGE: 10 LLANELLI

PAGE 59

FIXTURE LIST SEA FIXTURE

DATE

TEAM

Blackburn Rovers A L 2-1

Sat, Aug 7, 3pm

Benda

Naughton

Reading (CC R1) A W 0-3

Tue, Aug 10, 8pm

Benda

Naughton

Sheffield United H D 0-0

Sat, Aug 14, 8pm

Benda

Stoke City H L 1-3

Tue, Aug 14, 7.45pm

Bristol City A W 0-1

Fri, Aug 20, 7.45pm

Cabango

Bennett

Latibeaudiere

Bidwell

Smith 1

Cabango

B.Cooper

Latibeaudiere

Bidwell 3

Williams

Manning

Cabango

B.Cooper

Latibeaudiere

Bidwell

Downes

Benda

Manning

Cabango

B.Cooper

Latibeaudiere 3

Bidwell

Downes

Benda

Laird

Manning

B.Cooper

Latibeaudiere

Bidwell

Fulton

2

Plymouth Argyle (CC R2) H W 4-1

Tue, Aug 24, 7pm

Hamer

Manning 1

Joseph 3

Bennett

Latibeaudiere

Bidwell

Fulton

Preston North End A L 3-1

Sat, Aug 28, 3pm

Benda

Manning

Laird

Bennett 2

Latibeaudiere 1

Bidwell

Fulton 3

Hull City H D 0-0

Sat, Sept 11, 3pm

Hamer

Laird

Williams

Bennett

Naughton 3

Bidwell 2

Downes

Millwall H D 0-0

Wed, Sept 15, 7.45pm

Hamer

Naughton

Cabango

Bennett

Laird

Manning

Downes

Luton Town A D 3-3

Sat, Sept 18, 3pm

Hamer

Naughton

R Williams 1

Bennett

Laird

Manning

Downes 3

2

Brighton & Hove Albion (CC R3) A L 2-0

Wed, Sept 22 7.30pm

Benda

R Williams

Cooper

Cabango 1

Latibeaudiere

Walsh 2

Fulton

Huddersfield Town H W 1-0

Sat, Sept 25, 3pm

Hamer

Naughton

Cabango

Manning

Laird

Bidwell

Downes

Fulham A L 3-1

Wed, Sept 29, 7.45pm

Hamer

Naughton

Cabango

Manning

Laird

Bidwell 3

Downes 2

Derby County A D 0-0

Sat, Oct 2, 3pm

Hamer

Naughton

Cabango

Manning

Latibeaudiere 1

Bidwell

Downes

Cardiff City H W 3-0

Sun, Oct 17, 12pm

Hamer

Naughton

Bennett 2

Manning

Laird

Bidwell

Downes

West Bromwich Albion H W 2-1

Wed, Oct 20, 7.45pm

Hamer

Naughton

Bennett

Cabango 2

Laird

Bidwell 3

Downes 1

Birmingham City A L 2-1

Sat, Oct 23, 3pm

Hamer

Naughton

Bennett

Manning

Latibeaudiere

Laird

Smith 1 Smith

Peterborough United H W 3-0

Sat, Oct 30, 3pm

Hamer

Naughton

Bennett

Manning

Laird 3

Bidwell

Coventry City A W 2-1

Tue, Nov 2, 7.45pm

Hamer

Naughton

Bennett

Manning

Laird

Bidwell

Smith

AFC Bournemouth A L 4-0

Sat, Nov 6, 3pm

Hamer

Naughton

Bennett

Manning

Laird

Bidwell 2

Downes

Blackpool H D 1-1

Sat, Nov 20, 3pm

Hamer

Naughton

Cabango

Manning

Laird

Bidwell

Downes

1

Barnsley A W 0-2

Wed, Nov 24, 7.45pm

Hamer

Bennett

Naughton

Cabango

Laird

Bidwell 2

Downes 1

Reading H L 3-2

Sat, Nov 27, 3pm

Hamer

Bennett 2

Naughton

R Williams

Laird

Manning

Ntcham

Middlesbrough A L 1-0

Sat, Dec 4, 3pm

Hamer

Naughton

Cabango

R Williams 2

Laird 3

Downes

Manning

Nottingham Forest H L 1-4

Sat, Dec 11, 3pm

Hamer

Laird 1

Cabango

Bennett

Manning

Downes

Smith

Southampton (FA C R3) H L 2-3 (AET)

Sat, Jan 8, 5.30pm

Hamer

Naughton

Bennett

B.Cooper

Manning

Downes

Smith 5

Huddersfield Town A D 1-1

Sat, Jan 15, 3pm

Hamer

Cabango

Naughton

Manning

Christie 1

Latibeaudiere

Grimes

Preston North End H W 1-0

Sat, Jan 22, 3pm

Hamer

Cabango

Naughton

Manning

Christie 3

Latibeaudiere

Grimes

2

Queens Park Rangers A D 0-0

Tues, Jan 25, 7.45pm

Hamer

Cabango

Naughton

Manning

Christie

Latibeaudiere

Grimes

Hull City A L 2-0

Sat, Jan 29, 3pm

Hamer

Cabango

Naughton

Manning

Christie

Latibeaudiere

Grimes

Luton Town H L 0-1

Tues, Feb 1, 7.45pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton 1

Bennett 3

Christie

Manning

Grimes

Blackburn Rovers H W 1-0

Sat, Feb 5, 5.30pm

Fisher

Cabango

Downes

Manning

Christie

Wolf

Grimes

Stoke City A L 3-0

Tue, Feb 8, 7.45pm

Fisher

Cabango

Downes

Bennett

Christie

Wolf

Grimes

Bristol City H W 3-1

Sun, Feb 13, 1pm

Fisher

Cabango

Burns 1

Manning

Christie

Wolf

Grimes

Sheffield United A L 4-0

Sat, Feb 19, 3pm

Fisher

Cabango

Burns

Manning

Christie

Latibeaudiere

Grimes

West Bromwich Albion A W 0-2

Mon, Feb 28, 8pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton

Manning

Christie

Wolf

Grimes

Coventry City H W 3-1

Sat, Mar 5, 3pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton

Manning

Christie

Smith 3

Grimes

Fulham H L 1-5

Tues, Mar 8, 7.45pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton

Manning

Smith

Ntcham 1

Grimes

Blackpool A L 1-0

Sat, Mar 12, 3pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton

Christie

Smith 1

Downes

Grimes

Peterborough United A W 2-3

Wed, Mar 16, 7.45pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton

Christie

Smith 1

Downes

Grimes

Birmingham City H

Sat, Mar 19, 3pm

Cardiff City A

Sat, Apr 2, 3pm

Millwall A

Tues, Apr 5, 7.45pm

Derby County H

Sat, Apr 9, 3pm

Barnsley H

Fri, Apr 15, 3pm

Reading A

Mon, Apr 18, 3pm

Middlesbrough H

Sat, Apr 23, 3pm

AFC Bournemouth H

Tue, Apr 26, 7.45pm

Nottingham Forest A

Sat, Apr 30, 3pm

Queens Park Rangers H

Sat, May 7, 12.30pm

Correct as of March 18, 2022.

PAGE 60

3

Match Statistics Key

2

Goal =

ASON 2021~2022 SUBSTITUTES Cullen 2

Lowe

Paterson

Grimes

Defreitas-Hansen, Mcfayden, B.Cooper, Dhanda 1, O.Cooper, Joseph, Whittaker 2

Dhanda

Piroe

Whittaker

Defreitas-Hansen, Manning 1, Mcfayden 3, Lloyd, Joseph 2, Lowe, Cullen

Grimes

Paterson 3

Lowe 1

Cullen 2

Webb, Mcfayden, Williams, Dhanda 3, Joseph, Piroe 1, Whittaker 2

Grimes

Fulton 2

Dhanda 1

Lowe

Webb, Laird 3, Williams, Paterson 2, Cullen, Piroe 1

Grimes

Paterson

Piroe

Cullen

Hamer, Mcfayden, Williams, Dhanda, Joseph, Lowe 2, Whittaker 1

Williams

Dhanda

Lowe

Whittaker

Webb, Naughton 2, Piroe, Cullen, Cooper, Cooper 1, Laird 3

Grimes

Paterson

Cullen

Piroe

Hamer, Cooper 1, Williams, Dhanda, Whittaker, Lowe 2, Naughton 3

Grimes

Ntcham 1

Paterson

Piroe

Benda, Cabango 3, Latibeaudiere, Manning 1, Fulton, Cullen, Obafemi 2

Grimes

Ntcham 1

Paterson 2

Piroe 3

Benda, Fulton, Obafemi 1, Cullen 3, Latibeaudiere, Bidwell, Walsh 2

Grimes

Walsh 2

Paterson

Obafemi

Benda, Cabango 1, Fulton, Smith, Ntcham 2

Bidwell

Smith 3

Whittaker

Cullen

Webb, Manning 1, Rushesha, Laird, Downes 2

Grimes

Ntcham 3

Piroe

Grimes

Ntcham 1

Piroe

Grimes

Smith 3

Piroe 2

Grimes

Smith 1

Piroe

3

Grimes

Smith

Piroe

3

Paterson

Benda, Latibeaudiere 3, Williams 2, Walsh, Ntcham 1, Cullen, Whittaker

Grimes

Ntcham 2

Piroe 3

Paterson

Benda, Cabango, Williams, Fulton, Walsh 2, Cullen 3, Obafemi 1

Grimes

Ntcham

Paterson

Piroe

1

Benda, Cabango, Latibeaudiere, Downes 2

, Whittaker 3, Obafemi 1, Cullen

Grimes

Ntcham 1

Paterson

Piroe

2

Benda, Cabango, Latibeaudiere, Downes 2

, Whittaker, Obafemi 1, Cullen

Grimes

Ntcham

Paterson

Piroe

Grimes

Ntcham 2

Paterson

Piroe

Grimes

Smith

Paterson

Piroe 3

Benda, R.Williams, Latibeaudiere, Manning 2, Walsh, Ntcham 1

Grimes

Smith 1

Paterson

Piroe

Benda, Downes 1, Cooper, Cullen 2, Latibeaudiere, Bidwell, Walsh

Grimes

Smith 1

Paterson

Piroe

Benda, Bennett, Obafemi 2, Ntcham 1, Cullen, Latibeaudiere 3, Bidwell

Grimes

Ntcham

Paterson

Piroe

Benda, R. Williams, Latibeaudiere 1, Bidwell, Walsh, Obafemi 2, Cullen

1

Grimes

2 3

2

, Whittaker

, Piroe 3

, Latbeaudiere

, Dhanda 3, Piroe

Paterson 1

Benda, Cooper, Latibeaudiere, Fulton 3, Smith 1

Paterson

Benda, Cooper, Latibeaudiere 3, Fulton, Smith 1, Walsh, Cullen 2

Paterson

Benda, Williams, Laird 1, Fulton, Walsh, Cullen 2, Whittaker 3

Paterson

Benda, Cabango 2, Latibeaudiere, Walsh, Ntcham 1, Cullen 3, Whittaker

, Walsh, Cullen 2

Benda, Cabango, Latibeaudiere, Smith 1, Walsh 3, Whittaker 2, Cullen Benda, R.Williams, Latibeaudiere, Smith 2, Walsh, Obafemi 1, Cullen

1

, Cullen 3

Cullen 3

Obafemi 4

Piroe

Benda, R. Williams 5, Abdulai, Bidwell, D. Williams, Fulton 4, Grimes 1, Ntcham 2, Dhanda 3

Downes

Smith

Ntcham 2

Piroe

Fisher, Bennett, Abdulai, Fulton, Walsh, Joseph 2, Obafemi 1

Downes

Smith

Ntcham 1

Piroe 2

Fisher, Bennett, Fulton 3, Walsh, Wolf 1, Joseph 2, Obafemi

Downes

Smith

Wolf 2

Piroe 1

Fisher, Bennett, Abdulai, Fulton 2, Walsh, Joseph, Obafemi 1

Fulton 1

Smith 3

Wolf 2

Piroe

Fisher, Bennett, Abdulai, Walsh 3

Obafemi

Hamer, Latibeaudiere, Burns, Fulton, Smith 1, Joseph 3, Piroe 2 Hamer, Bennett 1, Latibeaudiere 3, Burns, Fulton, Smith 2, Joseph

Walsh

1

Downes

2

Ntcham

Wolf

Ntcham

2

, Ntcham 2, Joseph, Obafemi 1

Paterson

Obafemi

1

Piroe 3

Fulton

Smith 1

Ntcham

2

Obafemi

Hamer, Latibeaudiere, Burns, Dhanda, Paterson 2, Joseph 3, Piroe 1

Ntcham

Paterson 3

Obafemi

Piroe

Hamer, Latibeaudiere 2, Fulton, Smith 3, Dhanda, Ntcham 1, Joseph

Downes

Paterson

Ntcham 1

Piroe 2

Hamer, Bennett, Fulton, Smith 2, Dhanda, Joseph, Obafemi 1

Downes

Paterson 1

Piroe

Obafemi 2

Downes

Paterson

Downes 2

1

2 3

Hamer, Burns, Latibeaudiere, Fulton, Smith 2, Ntcham 1, Joseph 3 2

Hamer, Burns, Congreve, Latibeaudiere 2, Fulton 3, Ntcham 1, Joseph

Piroe

Obafemi

Paterson

Piroe

Obafemi 3

Hamer, Burns, Congreve, Latibeaudiere, Fulton 2, Bennett 1, Joseph 3

Ntcham 2

Paterson

Piroe

Obafemi

Hamer, Burns, Congreve 2, Latibeaudiere, Fulton, Ogbeta 1, Joseph

Wolf

Paterson 3

Piroe

Obafemi 2

Hamer, Ogbeta, Burns, Fulton 3, Joseph 2, Congreve, Ntcham 1

Hat-trick =

Captain =

Sub = 2 (number denotes player replaced) Booked =

Sent off =

Carabao Cup = CC FA Cup = FA

PAGE 61

TABLE 2021~2022

POS TEAM 1

Fulham

37

P W D 23

8

L 6

90

F

32

A GD PTS 58

2

Bournemouth

35

19

9

7

56

31

25

66

3

Huddersfield Town

38

17

12

9

51

40

11

63

4

Blackburn Rovers

38

17

10

11

49

38

11

61

5

Luton Town

37

17

9

11

53

41

12

60

6

Queens Park Rangers

37

17

8

12

53

45

8

59

7

Middlesbrough

37

17

8

12

48

40

8

59

8

Nottingham Forest

36

16

10

10

53

35

18

58

9

Sheffield United

37

16

10

11

50

40

10

58

10

Millwall

37

15

12

10

39

34

5

57

11

Coventry City

37

15

9

13

48

45

3

54

12

West Bromwich Albion

37

14

11

12

40

34

6

53

13

Blackpool

37

14

10

13

42

41

1

52

14

Preston North End

38

12

15

11

40

44

-4

51

15

Swansea City

36

13

8

15

41

52

-11

47

16

Stoke City

37

12

10

15

46

44

2

46

17

Cardiff City

38

13

7

18

45

56

-11

46

18

Bristol City

38

12

7

19

47

67

-20

43

19

Hull City

38

11

8

19

32

41

-9

41

20

Birmingham City

38

10

11

17

42

58

-16

41

21

Reading *

37

10

6

21

43

73

-30

30

22

Barnsley

37

6

10

21

28

52

-24

28

23

Derby County *

38

11

12

15

37

44

-7

24

24

Peterborough United

37

5

8

24

29

75

-46

23

77

Correct as of March 18, 2022.

*Derby County deducted 21 points and Reading deducted 6 points under EFL Regulations.

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THE TEAMS SWANS

Head Coach: Russell Martin 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 21 22 23 26 27 30 33 35 45 47

Ryan Bennett Ryan Manning Flynn Downes Ben Cabango Jay Fulton Korey Smith Matt Grimes Michael Obafemi Olivier Ntcham Jamie Paterson Hannes Wolf Kyle Joseph Nathanael Ogbeta Joël Piroe Ben Hamer Tivonge Rushesha Yan Dhanda Joel Latibeaudiere Cyrus Christie Kyle Naughton Josh Gould Finley Burns Andy Fisher Lincoln Mcfayden Cameron Congreve Azeem Abdulai

BIRMINGHAM CITY

Head Coach: Lee Bowyer 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 19 20 21 23 24 25 26 28 31 33 35 43 49

Neil Etheridge Maxime Colin Kristian Pedersen Marc Roberts George Friend Ryan Woods Taylor Richards Scott Hogan Lukas Jutkiewicz Jérémie Bela Teden Mengi Jordan James Gary Gardner Juninho Bacuna Jordan Graham Onel Hernández Connal Trueman Lyle Taylor Ivan Šunjić George Hall Troy Deeney Zach Jeacock Adan George Nico Gordon Kyle Hurst Marcel Oakley Tate Campbell Keyandrah Simmonds

NEXT UP AT Derby County Saturday, April 9 Kick-off: 3pm

NEXT AWAY Cardiff Saturday, April 2 Kick-off: 3pm

FOLLOW US

~ Referee: Jeremy Simpson ~ ~ Assistant Referees: Graham Kane and Adam Crysell ~ ~ Fourth Official: Tom Reeves ~

Correct as of March 18, 2022

PAGE 64