Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion - Championship Match - 21-22 - Issue 9

SEASON 2021-2022

VERSUS

WEST BROMWICH ALBION Wednesday, October 20, 2021 - Kick-off 7.45pm

ISSUE 9

JOMA-SPORT.COM PAGE 2

CONTENTS Page 16- Leon Britton Returns in New Role

Page 20 - Meet the Opposition

Page 25 - Cardiff Highlights

Page 32 - Interview with Ben Hamer

Page 47 - Swans Ladies

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, 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 Assistant Head Coach: Luke Williams 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 Head of Recruitment: Andy Scott Staff: Ritson Lloyd, Ailsa Jones, Matthew Murray, Adele Callaghan, Daniel Morris, Lee Watkins, Chris Watkins, Daniel Nisbet, Michael Eames, Shaun Baggridge, Huw Lake, Ashley Gill, Steffan Popham

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 Assistant Football Secretary: 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 Media Manager: Chris Wilson-Barney Ticket Office Manager: Luke Hughes 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, Chris Wilson-Barney, Andrew Gwilym, Sophie Davis, Adam Evans, Dom Hynes, Rachael Tucker, Efan Willis, Julie Kissick, Gwyn Rees, Ian Mitchelmore 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

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A MESSAGE FROM

JULIAN WINTER

G

ood evening and welcome back to the Swansea.com Stadium for tonight’s game against West Bromwich Albion.

We had ground staff here at 2am, while operationally across all departments saw staff working at 6am to get the day off to a good start.

We are three days on from the South Wales derby victory over Cardiff on Sunday and what an afternoon it turned out to be.

It was the first football fixture in Wales to see the use of NHS Covid passes and while that brought about a huge challenge for us, it was executed superbly and that is testament to the work of our operations team working in conjunction with our ticketing, marketing and communications department to ensure our messaging was carefully planned.

Russell, his staff and the players produc ed a memorable day for our supporters and put on a real show in front of a global television audience.

The manner in which we won the game, playing our way and sticking to our principles, is testament to the continued hard work that is taking place on the training ground at Fairwood.

As well as our performance on the pitch, our operation off the pitch was just as impressive.

We have a dedicated team of staff behind the scenes across all areas of the club, and a huge amount of work went in to ensuring that Sunday’s game was a success and an enjoyable experience for our supporters.

But it was you, the supporters, who made it a seamless transition by playing your part. You arrived p r o m p t l y, w i t h t h e c o r r e c t documentation and, in turn, you created an atmosphere that was second to none.

From the first minute to the last, you got behind Russell and the players and the scenes throughout were something to behold – so thank you.

We now move on to tonight’s game and what will be a tough test against a West Brom side who have enjoyed a solid start to the campaign.

With the Sky Sports cameras in position once again, let’s hope we can put on another good performance and keep showing the progress that is being made here both on and off the pitch.

Yesterday we announced that the club is backing local initiative The Boot Room as their main sponsor and partner for the next three years.

The Boot Room is the idea of Swans supporter Carl Bradley, who wanted to help provide football boots for children whose families were unable to afford to kit out their young footballers.

This is a hugely important local facility and will allow families to have access to kit and boots for their children should they have financial restrictions and need support.

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

Enjoy the game, Julian

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A MESSAGE FROM

RUSSELL MARTIN

G

ood evening and welcome back to the Swansea.com Stadium as we take on West Brom.

It’s safe to say that everyone around the club and city had an extra spring in their step on Monday morning following our south Wales Derby.

First of all, I must comment on the atmosphere you created in the stadium. It was absolutely incredible.

We c o u l d r e a l l y s e n s e j u s t how much that game means to everyone connected to the c l u b a n d t h e c i t y, a n d yo u r support lifted the guys onto another level.

Our performance on the day was fantastic. It was something that we’ve been close to delivering for a while, and we were so, so happy that we could deliver that performance and result in return for your backing. The noise at the stadium was phenomenal, and the derby certainly lived up to expectations.

After the game, myself and the coaching staff sat down with Lee Trundle, Kris O’Leary and Huw Lake.

That was really satisfying because we could sense their happiness with the outcome – it’s important to have people like Trunds, Kris and Lakey around because they have been a part of the club for a long time, and understand what it means to the community.

It’s something that I’ve said ever since I’ve been here – this club really looks after former players who have done so, so much for the club on and off the pitch. That shouldn’t go unnoticed. It was also great to see Leon Britton, who’s back with the club in a playermentor role with the academy, Nathan Dyer, Angel Rangel and Wayne Routledge at the game.

That shows how much that game and this club means to them.

I’m sure you’re all still talking about the game, and I’m glad that ’s the case because we want you to enjoy it as much as possible. But for the coaching staff and players we were straight onto analysing the game and pointing out areas where we could have been better along with the good points.

The challenge for us now as a group is to back that performance and result up. We’ve spoken a lot about delivering that kind of performance and result, but now we have to maintain that. It’s no good playing like that and not building on it.

We’ve only had a few days to prepare, while West Brom have had two days more as they played on the Friday, but the lads have been really focussed in training.

We have a really good group of players here who understand what it means to represent you and our club, and it’s a pleasure to work with them.

We’ve spoken a lot about the support you gave us, and the energy that provided us on the pitch, and we’re really looking forward to playing in front of you again. Now, as a team, we have to rise to the challenge of repeating our performance levels from Sunday and deliver a positive result against a West Brom side that has started the season very well following their relegation from the Premier League.

Enjoy tonight’s game.

Russell

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A MESSAGE FROM

MATT GRIMES G

ood evening and welcome to everyone joining us from around the world for this evening’s Championship match against West Bromwich Albion at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Sunday was an incredible day for us as a club and a city, it was a superb performance that we are all very proud of.

In recent weeks we have been talking about turning draws into wins and there was no better occasion to do that than in the south Wales derby.

It’s a huge fixture that means a lot to everyone connected to the club and the city and we’re happy that we were able to repay the fans for their magnificent support.

For some of the boys, it was their first experience of a south Wales derby and the atmosphere certainly lived up to expectations for them. From the moment we walked out for the warm-up the stadium was bouncing and it certainly gave us all an extra boost throughout the game.

We felt that we were on the front foot throughout the game and as soon as Pato scored the opener we were in complete control.

To win in the manner we did whilst playing our way, scoring three goals and keeping a clean sheet was amazing. Cardiff are a tough team who have a very direct playing style but we ensured we matched that with our own playing style.

To be able to celebrate with the fans at the end of the game is something we were very grateful for after playing the previous two derbies behind closed doors and is something that will live with us forever.

I’d like to take the opportunity to pass on the very best wishes of everyone at the club to Norwich City goalkeeper Dan Barden after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer this week. The news comes after David Brooks was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin Lymphoma last week and we are wish them both well in their recovery.

We all know we have to back the derby victory up with another good performance against West Brom this evening. West Brom are a very good side with Premier League quality but we’ll be ready and will look to play our way.

It’s a game we’re really looking forward to and we can’t wait to be back in front of the Jack Army.

Matt

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A MESSAGE FR M

ADAM LEWIS

A

s far as Sundays go, I’d s a y t h at O c t o b e r 1 7 , 2021 is one we will remember for some time.

It was a dominant display from start to finish by a team that is starting to click – the celebrations for each of our three goals, as well as those at the end of the game point to a team that is truly united. Jamie Paterson won’t have to buy a drink in the city anytime soon, and if he’s reading tonight’s programme not e s , I’ll have one ready for him at any local establishment of his choosing.

It’s a busy time at the club – we are delighted to see the return of Leon Britton in a player mentor capacity with the U23s. He is a club legend and the young players coming through the ranks couldn’t ask for a better mentor as they forge their own paths towards our first team.

Wayne Routledge, another player who has had a significant mark on our club’s recent history, announced his retirement last week – everyone at Swansea City Supporters’ Trust would like to thank him for his decade

of service and wish him all the best for his retirement. We hope he will continue to be involved within the community and the club; he is another great ambassador for Swansea City.

S p e a k i n g o f Wa y n e, i t w a s great to see him and several former Swans in attendance for Sunday’s derby game – it speaks volumes that players want to come back to the club and the city. We should be proud of the community that we have fostered as a fanbase, and the Supporters’ Trust is working closely with the club on the Former Players’ Association to bring more explayers back to SA1.

We were pleased to see the return of Julian Winter’s updates for the fans last week – communication and transparency about important and sometimes contentious decisions is vital in building trust and understanding with the fans. Our Supporters’ Director Terry Sinnett meets with Julian on a regular basis, and we are always looking to bring the topics that are most important to our members and fans to those meetings. We have re-opened the

Supporters’ Trust Pod for each home game, so please do come along and speak to us – you can also contact us via social media (@SwansTrust) or email us at info@swanstrust .c o.uk. We exist to serve you, the fans, and we are committed to sharing your questions with the club. If you’re not a Supporters’ Trust member yet but would like to sign up, you can do so HERE in under five minutes.

On to tonight’s game – West Brom are sure to be Championship front-runners come May and this will be a more stringent test of our newfound confidence and playing style than we faced on the weekend.

The Championship is the most competitive league in the world, and even though we may enter as underdogs, if we play like we did on Sunday we are sure to give them a tough night.

Enjoy the game!

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S

wansea City AFC Foundation is excited to announce the sign up for our October Soccer Camps is now open.

Our camps provide the perfect environment for Junior Jacks to develop and hone their skills.

Open to boys and girls of all abilities aged between five and 12, the camps are a great opportunity to keep your young Swans active during the halfterm break.

The soccer camps will take place at the following venues: Tuesday, October 26 – Bishopston and Coleg Sir Gar Wednesday, October 27 – Bishopston and Coleg Sir Gar Thursday, October 28 – Pembroke and Llandarcy Friday, October 29 – Pembroke and Llandarcy All sessions are 10am to 2:30pm You can sign up HERE

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

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LEON LOOKING FORWARD TO NEW CHAPTER AT SWANSEA CITY

L

eon Britton is looking forward to his new chapter at Swansea City as the club legend takes up a player mentor role within the academy.

Britton is back involved at the club he served with distinction during a 16-year playing career, while he also took on roles as player-coach, caretaker-manager and sporting director during his time in SA1.

The 39-year-old will be available to feature as a player for the under-23s side in the near future, operating as an experienced player offering on-pitch guidance to the Swans’ rising talent.

But his primary focus will be on his mentor role as he looks to nurture and guide the academy’s young talents, along with developing his own coaching skills in the future.

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“I have had a bit of time away from football, which I needed and enjoyed with my family, but now is the right time to come back,” said Britton, who stepped down as the Swans’ first ever sporting director in June 2020.

“I have spoken to (sporting director) Mark Allen quite a bit about it, and we felt it was a great opportunity for me to be something of a mentor to the young lads in the academy.

“I have been in these lads’ shoes – I was Britain’s most expensive 16-year-old at the time, but then didn’ t really live up to expectations in some people’s eyes. I dropped down from a Premier League club and went to play in League Two, so it was a big learning curve for me.

“Of course, from there I was part of the club’s rise to the Premier League, winning the League Cup and enjoying a Europa League adventure.

“I HAD SO MANY EXPERIENCES – GOOD AND BAD – THROUGHOUT MY CAREER, AND I THINK IT’S A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO PASS ON MY KNOWLEDGE AND HELP NURTURE THESE YOUNG PLAYERS. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A REALLY BIG SHAME IF ALL OF THAT KNOWLEDGE WASN’T PUT TO GOOD USE.

“ There is only one club I want to do that at, and that’s Swansea City.”

Britton’s knowledge and experiences during a hugely successful playing career will undoubtedly benefit the Swans’ next generation of players hoping to progress into the first-team plans.

His mentor role is seen as a perfect fit for a man that has been there, done it and worn the t-shirt at the Swans – a club in which he made over 530 appearances, won three promotions and lifted the League Cup. “Working with Kris and Anthony will allow me to learn a lot in a short amount of time, plus it’s a new opportunity for me to work with young players and understand their way of thinking," he added.

“My time as a player-coach under Paul Clement was pretty brief, as was my time in charge as caretaker-manager, but they were useful experiences for me.

“I’m someone who has lived and breathed this football club for 18 years or so, and I feel I can give a lot more to Swansea City in this new role.”

The Jack Army will also relish the thought of watching Britton in action in a Swansea City shirt once again.

Britton, who has been playing for JD Cymru South league side Ammanford AFC, will be available to play for the under-23s, although he is not expected to be involved immediately.

However, as he explains, playing for Swansea City once again will mean a tremendous amount to him as he looks to help develop players with on-pitch advice.

“Pulling on the shirt with the Swansea City crest on it was something I never thought I’d get to experience again, but I get a huge buzz just thinking of it,” added Britton.

“The new role is not so much about playing lots of games, but it still means a lot to me to play in a Swansea City shirt again. I’m not sure how much I’ll play, but I am looking forward to it.

“I’VE GOT MY SHIRT FROM THE STOKE CITY GAME FRAMED IN MY HOUSE – I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE FINAL TIME I’D PLAY FOR THE SWANS AGAIN. I’M NOT SURE WHEN I’LL BE READY TO PLAY IN GAMES, BUT IT WILL BE GREAT TO BE ON THE PITCH SEEING HOW THE LADS THINK AND PLAY. IT WILL GIVE ME A DIFFERENT INSIGHT INTO THEIR GAME AS OPPOSED TO WORKING WITH THEM IN TRAINING. “It will be another opportunity for me to understand them more, whilst at the same time I can pass on my wisdom and help nurture them.”

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EFL.com PAGE 19

WEST BROMWICH ALBION

WEST BROMWICH ALBION OWNER

NICKNAME

FOUNDED

Lai Guochuan

The Baggies

1878

WEST BROMWICH ALBION STADIUM OPENED CAPACITY

WEST BROMWICH ALBION The Hawthorns

1900

26,688

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

FACEBOOK

@WBA

@wba

@WestBromwich AlbionOfficial

WEST BROMWICH ALBION

WEST BROMWICH ALBION THE GAFFER

WEST BROMWICH ALBION

WEST BROMWICH ALBION Ismaël was appointed head coach of the Baggies in June 2021, replacing Sam Allardyce after a season that saw the Baggies relegated from the Premier League.

Before arriving on British shores in 2020 to take over at Barnsley and lead them to a Championship play-off berth, he spent most of his early managerial career in Germany, coaching Hannover 96 II, VfL Wolfsburg II, FC Nürnberg, VfL Wolfsburg, and Greek sides Apollon Smyrnis and LASK.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION

WEST BROMWICH ALBION VALÉRIEN ISMAËL

In his playing career, the centre-back started his career at Strasbourg before making moves to Crystal Palace, Lens, Werder Bremen, and, most notably, Bayern Munich. The Frenchman made 31 league appearances for the German giants between 2005-2007.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION

WEST BROMWICH ALBION CLUB CAPTAIN

Livermore joined West Brom on a four-and-a-half-year deal in 2017 after spending three years with Hull City, and was named Baggies captain in the 2019-20 season as they celebrated promotion to the top flight.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION

WEST BROMWICH ALBION The 31-year-old is primarily deployed as a central midfielder, but has also lined up as centre half in his tenure with West Brom. He has made over 150 appearances and netted seven times for the club.

Livermore began his professional career at Tottenham Hotspur before spending time on loan with MK Dons, Crewe Alexandra, Derby, Peterborough, Ipswich, Leeds, and Hull. His loan spell with the Tigers was made permanent in 2014. Making his international debut in 2012, Livermore has made seven appearances for the England national team.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION JAKE LIVERMORE

WEST BROMWICH ALBION PAGE 20

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THE HAWTHORNS

STADIUM MEET THE OPPOSITION

HOW’S THEIR FORM?

Founded in 1878, West Brom are one of the most tenured clubs in the English football system. The Baggies are credited with being one of the 12 founding members of the Football League, and boast an impressive haul of silverware; their sole League Championship came in the 1919-20 season, and they hold five FA Cups, which they won between 1888 and 1968.

The Baggies have proved a tough nut to crack following relegation back to the Championship.

Under Ismael they have lost just once in the league - a 1-0 defeat at Stoke on October 1 - and have won three and drawn two of their other matches on the road, which includes a 4-0 win in Cardiff last month. Last time out, they beat Birmingham City 1-0 at The Hawthorns.

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They have spent 80 of their 121 football seasons in the top flight. Through the 2010s, the Baggies only spent two seasons outside of the Premier League, before being promoted again in 2019-20.

T hey were, however, relegated back to the Championship after one season under Sam Allardyce.

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ONES TO WATCH

ONES TO WATCH

SAM JOHNSTONE

ONES TO WATCH

ONES TO WATCH ONES TO WATCH

ONES TO WATCH

POSITION

GK

NATION

AGE

SHIRT NO.

28 1

ONES TO WATCH

ONES TO WATCH ONES TO WATCH ONES TO

ONES TO WATCH

WATCH ONES TO WATCH

ONES TO WATCH ONES TO WATCH

ONES TO WATCH ONES TO WATCH

ONES TO WATCH ONES TO WATCH

ONES TO WATCH ONES TO WATCH

ONES TO WATCH ONES TO WATCH PAGE 22

J

ohnstone is a product of Manchester United’s academy, quickly becoming first choice goalkeeper for the academy. He was given his first professional contract by the Red Devils in 2011, but failed to make a league appearance.

In the seven years he was under contract at United, the keeper was loaned to Oldham Athletic, Scunthorpe, Walsall, Yeovil Town, Doncaster Rovers, Preston North End and Aston Villa.

The 28-year-old found a permanent home with West Brom in 2018, joining them on a four-year deal. After returning to the Premier League in the 2020-21 season, Johnstone enjoyed an impressive individual season, despite seeing his side relegated back to the Championship.

Last season, the keeper earned the Supporter’s Player of the Year Award, the Player’s Player of the Year Award, and for his efforts off the pitch, the PFA Community Champion Award, while he won his third England cap earlier this month.

ALEX MOWATT POSITION

CM

NATION

AGE

KARLAN GRANT SHIRT NO.

26 27

POSITION

FW

NATION

AGE

SHIRT NO.

24 18

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The 26-year-old made 116 league appearances for Leeds in three years, netting 12 times. He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Barnsley in 2017, becoming a mainstay in midfield after a successful loan spell at Oxford United.

He made 80 appearances for the Addicks over five years, enjoying loan spells at Cambridge United and Crawley Town, netting an impressive return of nine goals in 15 appearances for the latter.

owatt began his career at Leeds United, joining their academy in 2004 and progressing through the club’s youth teams before signing a professional contract with the club in 2013.

He was instrumental in Barnsley’s return to the Championship after suffering relegation after the 2017-18 season.

Last season, Mowatt was named Barnsley’s player of the season in a campaign that saw them reach the play-offs before being knocked out by the Swans. He was also named Championship player of the month in March.

He followed gaffer Valérien Ismaël to West Brom ahead of this season, signing a threeyear deal with the newly-relegated Baggies, and has scored three goals since joining them.

rant signed for the Baggies in 2020 on a six-year deal for an undisclosed fee. The forward started his career in Charlton Athletic’s academy in 2009, earning his first professional contract in 2014.

The 24-year-old made a permanent switch to Huddersfield Town in 2019, making 56 league appearances and scoring 23 goals and catching the eye of the Baggies.

Since signing for West Brom, Grant has scored five goals in 32 league appearances, four of which coming during this season. The Englishman has also notched two assists, making his mark as a creative facilitator in Valérien Ismaël’s side.

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WATCH HIGHLIGHTS

SWANS 3 CARDIFF CITY 0 JAMIE PATERSON STRUCK THE OPENER AND PROVIDED TWO ASSISTS FOR JOEL PIROE AND JAKE BIDWELL AS SWANSEA CITY CLAIMED THE SOUTH WALES DERBY BRAGGING RIGHTS WITH AN EMPHATIC VICTORY OVER CARDIFF CITY AT THE SWANSEA.COM STADIUM.

TEAM LINEUPS Swans: Ben Hamer, Kyle Naughton, Ryan Bennett (Ben Cabango, 80), Ryan Manning, Ethan Laird, Matt Grimes (capt), Flynn Downes, Korey Smith (Olivier Ntcham, 67), Jamie Paterson, Jake Bidwell, Joel Piroe (Liam Cullen, 85).

Subs not used: Steven Benda, Joel Latibeaudiere, Liam Walsh, Morgan Whittaker.

Cardiff City: Alex Smithies, Mark McGuinness, Sean Morrison (capt), Aden Flint, Leandro Bacuna (James Collins, 68), Joe Ralls (Will Voulkes, 85), Kieffer Moore, Curtis Nelson, Marlon Pack, Ryan Giles, Ciaron Brown (Rubin Colwill, 80).

Subs not used: Dillon Phillips, Joel Bagan, Mark Harris, Perry Ng. Referee: Gavin Ward Attendance: 19,288

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SWANSEA CITY REAPING REWARDS OF PATERSON AND PIROE PARTNERSHIP

R

ussell Martin paid a glowing reference of Jamie Paterson and Joel Piroe’s growing partnership as they played a key role in Swansea City’s derby day win over Cardiff City.

Paterson was named man-of-thematch as he capped a memorable first appearance in the south Wales derby by scoring the first goal and creating two more as the Swans were rampant in SA1.

The midfielder broke the deadlock with a 25-yard effort that struck both posts before crossing the line in the first half, before setting up Piroe and Jake Bidwell for goals two and three after the break.

And Martin revealed the Swans squad showed Paterson what they thought of his performance as soon as he returned to the changing room.

“He got a chant as he came into the dressing room from his team mates and staff,” said the Swans boss.

“Pato’s understanding is growing, he’s playing in a different role to what he has played for most of his career I think and he’s being asked to do different things and he’s totally gone with it.

“When you’ve been playing in the Championship for as long as he has and you’re being asked to completely drop your ego and run really hard and wait until you get the ball it can be difficult, but he’s been incredible with how he’s taken it on.

“He’s appreciated by us, not just on the pitch but what he brings off the pitch as well for his team mates and I think he’s really improving and that is the point of playing this way, trying to improve everyone whether they’re 33-years-old or 21 and we’re trying to do that.”

While Paterson’s opening goal was sublime, his assist for Piroe’s goal was equally as good. He timed his diagonal pass perfectly over the top of Aden Flint and onto the chest of Piroe, who controlled possession before dinking his shot over onrushing keeper Alex Smithies.

His link up play with Paterson proved a big factor once again for the second goal – almost a repeat of Prioe’s goal in the recent win over Huddersfield.

And Martin was full of praise for his attacking duo.

“They have a brilliant understanding of what each other wants - Pato and him,” he said. “You’ve seen it repeatedly this season, it’s not a coincidence or a fluke, they’re two good players who understand and are connected with each other and it’s trying to build that connection between everyone on the pitch.”

PAGE 27

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I

was doing some research ahead of writing this column (before the derby, so no references here) and I came across an interview that Jordi Amat had done with the club website ahead of a game against West Brom five years ago.

Bob Bradley was in charge in those Premier League days and Amat was about to play his 40th game for the club.

Fast forward just a year and the same fixture featured Wilfried Bony and Lukas Fabianski, Paul Clement was in the dugout and we were bottom of the top flight.

The Englishman who replaced the American was with us for less than 12 months after we parted company with Bradley after only 11 games.

It was Michael Laudrup who brought Amat to the club in 2013 as he sought to bolster the squad ahead of the club’s Europa League campaign.

Remember the European adventure and the 3-0 win against Valencia at the Mestalla?

Bony, Michu and Jonathan de Guzman got the goals in front of fans who in the previous 14 years had twice witnessed their side play in the final of the Champions League.

It was the game where the Swans fielded more Spaniards than Valencia and the press referred to ‘the most remarkable result’ and asked, ‘how much further can they go?’

As those examples show, things change SO fast in football and often we don’t have time to reflect on the impact players and managers have on the club because the focus is always on the next game.

Regular readers of this column will know that I grew up supporting the Swans. Weekly trips to the Vetch were the norm for us as a family and I’ve been fortunate enough to work as a sports reporter and producer covering the Swans and as a regular columnist for the matchday programme.

I guess I’ve seen the club from more angles than most and I’ve met and interviewed players and managers as well as those who work so hard behind the scenes to make everything tick.

And now I have another role. This season I’m working to promote the newly-formed Former Players’ Association.

You’ll see that the FPA has a section on the club website and this programme and I’ll be providing regular content explaining what it is doing, interviewing former players and producing a monthly newsletter for those explayers to keep them across what’s happening.

One of the things that has struck me over the last few months is how highly the former Swans I’ve spoken to value their time with the club.

Many didn’t play in the ‘modern’ era where footballers are paid considerable sums and are well supported in terms of their future away from the game. Nor were they part of a Swansea side which experienced promotion or cup success.

Nevertheless, there is a real fondness for the club, their time in the city and perhaps most notably, the fans who cheer them on each week, stop them to chat football or to just say ‘hello’.

I hope over the next few weeks and months you’ll enjoy hearing from some of them as they share their stories with us.

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Prifysgol Abertawe yn Cyflwyno:

Gwyl Wyddoniaeth Abertawe 2021 23 - 30 Hydref CADWCH EICH LLE BYDD YN FAWR!

PAGE 30

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WELSH COLUMN BY IAN MITCHELMORE, WALES ONLINE

C

afodd cefnogwyr Abertawe eu breuddwydio’n llwyr am ddiwrnod darbi wrth i ddynion Russell Martin guro eu cystadleuwyr chwerw Dinas Caerdydd 3-0.

Tynnodd Jamie Paterson y llinyn drwyddo ac creuodd o'r cyfleon i Joel Piroe a Jake Bidwell ymestyn fantais yr Elyrch ar ôl agor y sgorio ei hun o flaen y cefnogwyr oddi cartref.

Dyma'r math o berfformiad lle roedd popeth y mae chwaraewyr a hyfforddwyr wedi bod yn gweithio arno yn clicio i'w le.

Ac roedd maint y fuddugoliaeth yn hen bryd hefyd.

Dangosodd Abertawe ddigon o gyffro, egni a chyd-berthyn wrth iddyn nhw bentyrru’r pwysau ymlaen i dim Mick McCarthy sydd bellach wedi colli chwe gêm gynghrair yn olynol.

Ond yr allwedd nawr yw i ddynion Russell Martin gynnal y lefelau perfformiad uchel a ddangosir yn y fuddugoliaeth dros Gaerdydd pan fyddan nhw'n herio West Brom heno.

Meddiannodd ochr Valerien Ismael yr ail safle yn y Bencampwriaeth ar ôl hawlio buddugoliaeth galed o 1-0 dros eu cystadleuwyr lleol eu hunain Birmingham City - y tim mae A ber t awe yn c ydddigwyddiadol yn chwarae ar y penwythnos.

Mae gan y criw o'r Stadiwm Hawthorns hunaniaeth glir iawn, un sydd yn gofyn am lefelau dwyster enfawr ynghyd â pharodrwydd i fod yn gyflym ac yn uniongyrchol.

Bydd record drawiadol Abertawe o saith dalen lân y gynghrair hyd yn hyn y tymor hwn yn cael ei rhoi ar brawf yn gadarn gan ochr sy’n cael eu tipio gan lawer i sicrhau dychweliad ar unwaith i’r Uwch Gynghrair y tymor hwn.

G yd a l efe l a u ff i t r w yd d y n p a r h a u i wella, bydd Martin yn teimlo'n hyderus y gall ei ochr efelychu eu hymdrechion o fuddugoliaeth Caerdydd pan ddaw i wynebu pobl fel West Brom a Birmingham.

Mae chwaraewyr gan gynnwys Michael Obafemi, Rhys Williams a Liam Walsh yn aros yn yr adenydd am gyfleoedd i brofi eu gwerth tra bydd eraill fel Jay Fulton, Morgan Whittaker a Liam Cullen yn ysu am fwy o amser gêm.

Yn hynny o beth, mae gan Martin yr opsiynau sydd ar gael iddo i gylchdroi ei garfan yn unol â hynny mewn ymgais i ymdopi â'r hyn sy'n amserlen Bencampwriaeth sy'n profi drwg-enwog.

Ac mae'r her sydd o'n blaenau ar gyfer Abertawe bellach yn amlwg. Fe wnaethant brofi y gallant barhau i greu siawns yn erbyn tîm o Gaerdydd sy'n ei chael hi'n anodd, ond, yn hollbwysig, fe wnaethant eu trosi'n dair gôl, rhywbeth nad ydyn nhw wedi llwyddo i'w wneud ar adegau hyd yn hyn y tymor hwn.

Ond roedd Dydd Sul yn cynnig cryn dipyn o obaith i'r rhai sydd wedi rhoi eu ffydd yn y staff hyfforddi newydd. Yr allwedd nawr yw adeiladu arno.

PAGE 31

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HAVING SIGNED FOR THE SWANS IN JANUARY 2021, BEN HAMER HAS HAD TO BE PATIENT FOR HIS OPPORTUNITY BUT HAS RECENTLY TAKEN HIS CHANCE TO MAKE AN IMPACT AS A STARTER IN HIS STRIDE. HERE THE GOALKEEPER TALKS ABOUT GROWING UP IN GERMANY, BEING A MASCOT AGAINST THE SWANS AND HIS RISE THROUGH THE LEAGUES. CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE....

Not many people may know this but you were born in Somerset but then moved to Germany for five years. How did that move come about?

I moved to Germany when I was three. My dad was doing the same job in England but he got offered a job out in Munich so we ended up living out there until I was eight. We came back and funnily enough I had to do English lessons because my English was so bad. German was my first language when I was growing up and was what I was learning from when I could start talking. They had to get me private English lessons for six months because my English was so bad. I moved back and integrated into English school and by the time I was there I was fine because I was doing all the English lessons beforehand.

Can you still speak some German now?

Throughout school I stopped talking German completely because I wasn’t around German people. When we were in the house in Germany we’d just spe ak G erman t o e ach other because my family had to improve their German too.

I got to secondary school and did German there but I was a bit of a terror in school. I’d get an A* in it but I didn’t really work at it because I knew I was good at it so could sort of cruise through it.

I can sort of have a basic conversation in German now whereas my parents said to me that when I was seven or eight I was completely fluent. They said I sounded like a Bavarian

but now I struggle to have a proper conversation. I can get by with very simple German but anything above that I struggle with which is weird because it was my first language.

How did you find playing football in Germany at such a young age?

Was that the first time you knew you wanted to be a goalkeeper?

They coach kids from a very young age there. When I was four we were getting proper coaching at that age. I was playing for a loc al te am and it ’s hard to remember all of it but I actually remember my first session. I remember the coach said ‘Hands up who wants to go in goal’ and everyone put their hands up. I saw everyone put their hands up so I put my hand up as well and I think I was one of the tallest so he chose me and that’s how I ended up playing in goal.

Yo u u s e d t o g o a n d w a t c h Bayern Munich when you lived in G ermany. W hat are your memories of that and do you feel that motivated you even more to become a footballer?

I would have been four or five and my Dad had a season ticket at Bayern Munich at the old Olympic Stadium. I remember him taking me to my first ever game there, we watched Bayern Munich against Hamburg and I can just remember walking into the ground and seeing all of the people around. I was fixated on the goalkeeper, Oliver Kahn, I remember watching him in the warm-up and throughout the game and I think that was the moment I realised that that was what I wanted to do.

PAGE 33

That was the inspiration for me, just purely from my old man living in Munich and taking me to a Bayern Munich match. The Germans are amazing supporters, there’s flags everywhere and they sing all through the games, it makes a massive atmosphere. The old Olympic Stadium was like a big bowl, it was all one tier with a running track around it and held about 60,000.

We heard that you were once mascot against the Swans on a trip back to England, what do you remember about that?

Bristol City was our closest club so when my Dad was growing up he supported Bristol City.

He was a big fan so used to go with his mates and he’d travel to away games too. We were living in Germany at the time and we came back for Christmas and I went to my first Bristol City game which was against Swansea and my Dad had sorted for me to be mascot. I remember the Swansea goalkeeper was called Roger Freestone, his name was quite unique so I remembered him through that and remember seeing him when we walked out to the pitch. That was my first Bristol City game at Ashton Gate, and my first English football experience.

You were playing for Somerset at county level when you got scouted

by Reading, that must have been something you had dreamt of and worked towards ever since you started playing football, how did that come to fruition?

I played for Bournemouth Centre of Excellence from when I was 12 and I got released when I was 14.

At the time I thought it was all over and I was heartbroken. Through the school you get put through

PAGE 34

to district and the district put you through to the county so I ended up playing in goal for the county at 15. One of the academy directors at Bournemouth was now a scout and he was now scouting for clubs around the south west. I was playing a game and saw him after the game and he said ‘You played well today, what’s your house number? I’ll give your old man a call and sort something out.’

I think I got a call on the Tuesday evening and he said he’d got me a trial at Reading and that was a long way from home, it was about two hours away from where we were living. My dad then had to start doing two hour drives to Reading on a Tuesday night and my mum and dad were a massive support. They’d take me to training and all the games and it was a four-hour round trip just to play football. I went on trial with them and after four weeks I signed for them and the rest was history. I signed an apprenticeship with them when I was 15 or 16 and just went on from there and ended up being at Reading until I was 23.

Your first big break in professional football came with a loan move to Crawley in 2006, only missing one league game and being named Player of the Season. That must have been a great time so early on in your career.

When I was 18, I wasn’t anywhere near the first-team in Reading and the first thing I was saying was that I wanted to go out on loan.

They must have thought that I was quite confident and cocky because I was knocking on the director of football’s door and saying ‘I want to go out on loan, where can I go?’ I think they quite liked that about me because I just wanted to go and rough it anywhere and everywhere. Luckily for me, Crawley went into administration and had a points deduction and I had just turned professional. John Hollins was the manager and he got me down there a couple of days before the season started, had a look at me in training and pretty much said ‘Yeah, you’ll do.’

I played my first game on the Saturday against Rushden and Diamonds and I was playing against some big strikers and I loved how much I was getting roughed up with the big boys. I played the whole season that year and it was the best thing I ever did.

You then went on to have four loan spells at Brentford, with the third standing out as the most successful. In the 200809 season you were first choice goalkeeper, and as a team you were crowned champions of League Two. You also won the Golden Glove for 20 clean sheets in the season. Where do you think that season ranks in your career?

At the time it was really big for me. I did two separate loan spells at the start because I joined them a day before the season started as their keeper got injured. It wasn’t the best preparation but I went into it head first. I played eight or 10 games and the other keeper got fit again but then he got injured again in January so I went back there for a second spell and I played more games there in the second spell. I really loved that.

Leading into the next season, I still wasn’t really ready for the Championship with Reading. I’m still slim and lean now but back then there was nothing to me, I wasn’t a physical specimen and was never going to be strong enough to hold my own. I went back to League Two for a third spell, and we won the league that year and I got the golden glove. I played pretty much every game, I think I only missed one through injury or suspension.

It was big but at the time for me it was a stepping stone because I wanted to play in the Premier League. It was a gradual process of I’d played in Conference, played League Two and it would then be to go on and play in League One and then Championship and that’s kind of how it went.

Your loan spells in Brentford marked your first time working with Andy Scott too, did he play a part when it came to you joining the Swans later down the line?

I think it makes it easier if they know what someone’s character is like and he worked with me for a good two or three years. He knew what I was like as a human.

Sometimes you get players in and you don’t really know what they are like as people. I think that’s

CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE....

quite important in a football club, you want good people who are going to affect the place positively not negatively. I’m getting on a bit and I’ve been around a long time, last season I came here and knew I wasn’t going to be playing as Freddie was doing so well but he knew I wouldn’t come in and upset the apple cart. He knew I’d be positive around the place. He knew I could do a job but he was also quite big on the fact that he knew me as a person so that’s why he thought it would be a good option for them to bring me here.

and in that season they bought about 18 players, and we gelled straight away as they were all great lads. There were some great players there, I think they just picked the best player from each club in the league and brought them to Charlton. We went up with 101 points, it was amazing.

I did two more years in the Championship with them and we missed out on the play-offs by about two points in the first year but the club started to decline with the ownership in the second season there. You could sense it was getting a bit toxic. Coming to the end of that third year, my contract was up and it was actually perfect timing for me to leave. The year after that they got relegated and I was gutted that they went down, they’re a big club Charlton.

You must have played against some top strikers but we heard a story that there’s one you didn’t like playing against that may shock people.

How much did you enjoy your time at Charlton? It was another successful time in your career, winning promotion to the Championship. Do you feel you gained a lot of confidence from that time?

I wasn’t playing for Reading and was 23 at this point so I it got to the point where I had to look for the next step. That age is like a crossroads, I’d racked up about 150-200 games by that age, and obviously I wanted to carry on playing – I didn’t want to sit around at Reading doing nothing.

Charlton came in and bought me

Yeah, Jon Parkin! He was playing for Huddersfield at the time and I don’t know why but I was just scared of him, he was such a big lad, a beast of a man. I remember when I was playing for Charlton, I was 22 or 23 at the time, and I remember we were winning the game and I was time wasting. I used to do this thing where I’d keep the ball at my feet and wait for the striker to come up to me and I’d pick the ball up. I’d done it twice to him and I could see he was seething and on the third time I did it he came up to me and he threatened to put me in the stand. The next time I just picked the ball up and didn’t make him come towards me!

PAGE 35

Your success at Charlton got you a move to the Premier League with Leicester. How did it feel that you were now a Premier League player?

As soon as the chance to go to Leicester came up I was buzzing, I snapped their hands off. They’d just got promoted to the Premier League and I’d happened to play well against them every time I’d played against them in the Championship, so I think that played a part in getting signed there. I think it was after two or three weeks and Kasper got a knock so I played against Stoke away and we won 1-0. I felt like I had a really good game for my Premier League debut and I was buzzing after it. We were playing Manchester United the following weekend and naturally I thought I’d done alright so just thought I’d play the next game but Kasper was then fit and played the next game. I just thought then that it was a sign of things to come then. Kasper is a top goalkeeper and it was always going to be tough for me to get in the team.

At that age I was confident and I thought that if I played well I’d stay in the team but it wasn’t the case at all. I had to stick with it at Leicester for a good few years and just worked hard and kept my head down. I’d gone from playing every week until I was 26 to now all of a sudden not playing every week so that was quite a tough transition for me. I did it for two or three years and in the last season at Leicester, Craig Shakespeare came in as manager and involved me a lot more, he was brilliant with me. He played me a few times after that and it ended up being a really good last season compared to the two middle ones.

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Leicester won the PL in your second season at the club. That must have been an incredible thing to be a part of but was it tough not playing a bigger part in it and not getting the medal?

I was just buzzing for the lads, it was something that you want to be a part of. It was 5000/1 and for them to go on and win it was unreal. I was really happy for the boys, they deserved it. I didn’t play so I wasn’t involved in all the celebrations. I was there in the stadium when they lifted the trophy but I just wasn’t on the podium. I couldn’t really grumble because I was supposed to be with another team for the whole season, I was just happy for the boys to be honest.

You joined Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan in 2015 but you only ended up being there 11 days, was that difficult after you’d had your mind set on the move?

It was a bit of a weird one really because at the time I had just finished my first season at Leicester and I’d played eight games in the first part of the season and was doing quite well.

Leicester then signed another keeper in January and I kind of got pushed to the side and I wasn’t really enjoying it because I wasn’t involved. I wanted to be playing, I didn’t want to be sitting around doing nothing and I had three years left at Leicester so I went to speak to the director of football and said ‘If I’m not going to be used here I’d like to go out on loan.’

We kind of came to an agreement and I spoke to Dougie Freedman at Forest in the summer and he wanted to take me on loan. I had

a conversation with him, agreed with him and went down to Forest and signed a week before the season started. It took about six weeks to get the deal done which wasn’t ideal and when I got there I did my first week of training and then got a call from the director of football saying I had to report back to Leicester. He said Forest were in an embargo so the FA wouldn’t allow the loan to go through. I’d only been there a week so I went back to Leicester and had missed the first game of the season so I was back to square one. I could have gone to other clubs that summer but because I had already spoken to Dougie, I had already given him my word that I was going to sign for them.

Just over a week later you signed on loan at Bristol City, how much did that mean for your dad despite it being another short stint?

Frankie Fielding got injured for Bristol City in the first week of the season and it came about that they needed a keeper. My agent rang them up and asked them if they needed a keeper and then it was just a case of ‘Right, let’s do it.’ I went there and I’d obviously supported them since I moved back to England so naturally I was happy and my dad was buzzing so it made perfect sense as I’d always wanted to play for them.

I went there and for one reason or another the manager there didn’t really take a shine to me.

It happens sometimes in football, whether it was the way I was at the time, I don’t think I gave him the best version of myself. I played a few games and could sense he wasn’t really happy with me.

Frankie got fit again and he put him back in goal for a couple of CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE....

games and I had a conversation with Steve Cotterill and he said it wasn’t really working out. I agreed it wasn’t but I was a bit gutted because my dad was so excited to see me playing for them and I only ended up playing five games.

I went back to Leicester in the October and that was the season we won the league. I ended up training with the boys for the rest of the season. I came back and was obviously was able to be a part of that amazing season and could see the big strides they were taking. I was third choice, I wasn’t involved but I was a part of it every week and it was an amazing season.

When you left Leicester to go to Huddersfield, was it a case of wanting to challenge yourself and push for the number one spot there?

I was out of contract at Leicester and got offered a new contract there but I also got offered a contract at Huddersfield. I just knew that I was never going to play at Leicester because what I was up against was a worldclass keeper. In my heart I knew he was better than me so even though I tried to train as hard as him he just had it. I thought that if I went to Huddersfield I’d have more chance of playing in the Premier League because it was always my dream to play in the Premier League. I loved it at Leicester even when I wasn’t playing, it’s an amazing football club, but it was a big decision and I knew that if I didn’t go then I’d regret it because I actually had a chance of playing.

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I went and it didn’t go well at all.

I played the first few games and I think we got battered by Chelsea and Manchester City and then the third game I had a 50-50 with one of Cardiff’s players and ended up getting injured. I was out for three or four weeks and couldn’t get back in the team then. I started the season and then next thing I was out of the team until February and I think I only played one game against Arsenal at home. I played a few games at the end of the season too but by that point we’d been relegated and it was doom and gloom.

I ended up going to Derby on loan for the season and returned to Huddersfield for half a season before the move here came about.

On the topic of Derby, what was it like working so closely with such an experienced keeper, Shay Given, as your coach?

He was a great guy, I really enjoyed working with him. He’s a funny guy and a good coach, my memory of him was just how much I enjoyed working him. I hope he does get back into coaching because I think young goalkeepers and even goalkeepers my age will benefit from it because he’s such a legend in the game, especially in our position. He’s got a lot to give.

You had to be patient to get your chance at the Swans but how have you been enjoying playing this season?

I came in in January and I knew I wasn’t going to play because Freddie was on loan from Newcastle and he was doing really well. Also in the back of my mind if I’m being honest I was at Huddersfield and we were doing okay but Swansea were flying and I really saw it as an opportunity seeing the way Swansea play that there was a real chance of going up. That was a big draw too because the club had been in the Premier L eague for a

long time and it’s a club that is big enough to be in the Premier League so I thought I just had to suck it up and if anything god forbid happened to Freddie or if he got sent off or whatever, then I could just come in and do a job.

It turned out that I just sat on the bench all last season and then came in pre-season and the aim was to try and play this year in the Championship and do well.

Steve started the season and did well and I was struggling with my health with COVID. I had a conversation with the manager when I came back and he said what he wanted for me, what he wanted me to work on and wanted me to get my head down which I was doing anyway. If I’m playing or not, I’m always the same guy.

He gave me an opportunity and I’ve really enjoyed playing.

PAGE 39

Become an extraordinary leader ionleadership.co.uk

PAGE 42

MILLWALL U23s 3 SWANS U23s 1

T

hree late goals saw Swansea City Under-23s beaten 3-1 at Millwall in the Professional Development League.

The Swans led for the majority of the game, but three goals in the last six minutes snatched the three points for the Lions.

The Swans started the game brightly with narrow misses from distance by Daniel Williams and Dylan Morgan.

Jaden Forrester had the ball in the net after 13 minutes as he got onto the end of Rio Campbell's pass, but that effort was ruled out by the offside flag.

Millwall had a good chance to break the deadlock just four minutes later via Seb Drozd, but his effort was parried by Nico Hansen.

But it was the Swans who took the lead - a great passing exchange found Dylan Morgan on the edge of the box and he

slid a great ball across to Lincoln Mcfayden and he buried the effort into the bottom right.

Mcfayden almost had his second of the afternoon just before the break as a fantastic ball from Jacob Jones found the left wingback in space, but his thunderous strike cannoned off the post.

Millwall came out with renewed energy in the second half but struggled to form any clear-cut chances.

Tyrese Briscoe went closest with a long-range effort, but it was easily held by Hansen, while Scott Butler went close to making it 2-0 late on, but his strong header from Jones’ corner dropped wide of the post.

But with six minutes left of the game, Millwall found an equaliser. A low cross found Briscoe in the box and his low effort hit the post and went in to make it 1-1.

With one minute left of normal time, Millwall found a winner.

Jayden Davis’ looping free-kick from a seemingly impossible angle squeezed into the top corner.

To add insult to injury, Millwall were handed a penalty in stoppage time, with Davis converting for his second of the day with the final kick of the game.

TEAM LINEUP Swans: Nico Defreitas-Hansen, Scott Butler, Jacob Jones, Ben Erickson (capt), Tivonge Rushesha, Lincoln Mcfayden, Azeem Abdulai, Daniel Williams, Rio Campbell (Adrian Akande, 76), Dylan Morgan (Joel Cotterill, 64), Jaden Forrester (Tarelle Whittaker, 30).

Subs not used: Ben Hughes, Harry Jones.

PAGE 43

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THIS IS A LEARNING CURVE FOR THE PLAYERS

S

wansea Under-18s manager B yron Anthony saw his side's 3-0 defeat away to Watford as an opportunity for his players to learn and adapt.

The Swans had the chance to go ahead in the first half, but C a m e ro n C o n g reve’ s s ave d penalty saw the opening 45 minutes end goalless.

A quick goal from Watford in the second half was followed by an injury to Filip Lissah that left Swansea down to 10 men and Watford capitalised.

Anthony thought that his side put in a good performance in the first half and acknowledged that they need to learn from this fixture.

“In the first half I think we played some really good stuff, we passed the ball really well even though it was a tough tough pitch to play on,” said Anthony.

“ T h e b oys h a d a re a l g o at playing in the first half, we missed a penalty through Cam and he hit the post not long after that, if we put those away we go into the break 2-0 up and it’s a totally different story.

“But overall, I was pretty happy at half-time, we only wanted to make some small changes in how we got behind the lines through the middle.

“In the second half we started quite brightly but we lose a goal and we lose a man and all of a sudden our back is against the wall, whether it’s first-team level or academy level that’s tough, to play with 10 men away from home after four hours of travelling, it’s a challenge.

“It was a big learning curve fo r t h e p l aye r s i n t e r m s of understanding the game and what type of pitch they are playing on and learning what to do in those scenarios, but lots for us to look at as coaches for individuals.

“I think there were some individual performances that we can look at and say we did okay, as a collective it’s still a young group that is naïve in its decisions at times.

“There won’t be any kneejerk decisions from me, it’s just about re-enforcing our messages and understanding when they do play in those sorts of games where the spaces are to play.”

Next up for the U18s is a trip to Colchester on Saturday (11am).

PAGE 45

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PAGE 46

CARDIFF WANDERERS LADIES 0

SWANS LADIES 6

S

wansea City Ladies progressed to the third round of the FAW Women’s Cup with a commanding win over Cardiff Wanderers Ladies, despite playing over 80 minutes with 10 players.

Captain Alicia Powe was shown a straight red card in the ninth minut e for t aking out J ade Croft, who would have been through on goal.

However, the Welsh champions pushed on and displayed their class as they took the lead just five minutes later after Alisha Northmore-Benson turned the ball into her own net.

Chloe Chivers then doubled Swansea’s lead as she ran through and found the back of the net.

Swansea further increased the deficit in the early stages of the second half as Ria Hughes finished from inside the penalty area following some neat build-up play.

T ija R ichardson then firmly sealed Swansea’s place in the next round after she turned home Katy Hosford’s corner.

In the dying stages the visitors were relentless with Stacey John-Davis neatly flicking the ball over Beca Jones after the fo r wa r d wa s p i c ke d o u t by Rhianne Oakley.

The match was signed off in style from Nia Rees, who bagged her first goal for Swansea after she found the top corner with a half-volley.

TEAM LINEUP Swans: Gemma Border, Ellie Lake (Nieve Jenkins, 62; Gwen Horgan, 79), Alicia Powe (capt), Jess Williams, Ria Hughes, Tija Richardson, Kelly Adams, Chloe Chivers (Nia Rees, 40), Stacey John-Davis, Katy Hosford, Rhianne Oakley.

Subs not used: Claire Skinner, Jemma Parfitt.

PAGE 47

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PAGE 48

I

f you looked at the last four clashes between the Swans and West Brom, you’d assume that the Midlands club very much had the upper hand in the history of meetings between the two clubs.

JACK THE LAD

The Albion have won three of the last four matches in the Championship, scoring 10 goals and conceding just three.

But when you look at the overall results between the two clubs, it’s the Swans who are marginally ahead on 18 wins to 17 with 10 matches drawn.

In truth, when you look back through the history books, it’s pretty much a results rollercoaster when the Swans play West Brom.

Early matches between the two clubs in the late 1920s were highscoring affairs played out in the old Second Division.

West Brom drew first blood with a 5-2 home win in October of 1927, but the Swans had their revenge at the Vetch with a 3-2 win.

The next three matches were pretty extreme affairs going very much in favour of the home team.

In September 1928, the Midlanders won 5-1 at the Hawthorns, but by February it was the Swans who were very much on top, completing a remarkable turnaround in fortunes with a 6-1 thumping of the visitors at the Vetch.

By the early months of the following season, West Brom were back on top with a comprehensive 6-2 win on October 26 in Birmingham.

My first memories of matches between the clubs produced equally topsy-turvy results in the early 1980s.

PAGE 50

With the Swans having made an unforgettable start to life in the First Division in August of 1981 with backto-back wins against Leeds United and Brighton, it was the Midlanders who once again brought them back down to Earth with a bump.

Looking to further extend their winning start to life in the top flight, the Swans were well-beaten 4-1 in Birmingham with the late great Cyrille Regis scoring a hat-trick.

The return match is one of my alltime favourite Swans occasions.

Like tonight’s fixture, it was a midweek match, which always seemed to add to the sense of anticipation.

There was always a special atmosphere for matches under the Vetch Field floodlights, but those played during that debut First Division season seemed to generate an electricity of their own.

I was a big admirer of the West Brom side of the time as it boasted the likes of Regis – one of my favourite non-Swans players despite that early season hat-trick.

The Swans had suffered two straight home defeats which had seen them knocked off the top of the table and down into fourth place. So the pressure was on for a result against the Albion.

An added ingredient was the Swans were looking to avenge that he avy defe at they had suffered at the Hawthorns in the early weeks of the season.

And they did just that! Steve McKenzie put the visitors ahead just before half-time but the Swans came roaring back in the second half through goals from Chris Marustik, another player who has sadly left us; Alan Curtis and Bob Latchford.

One of my favourite memories from the game involved tough as Swans centre-half Ante Rajkovic and Regis setting off in pursuit of a through ball meant for the Albion striker.

The pair met shoulder to shoulder, bouncing off each other several times, like a couple of demolition derby bangers, as they tried to get the upper hand in their race for the ball, which eventually ran harmlessly out of play.

Swans v West Brom matches have often been landmark occasions.

In 1993, the clubs met in the Division Three play-off semi-finals.

The first leg was played at the Vetch and despite heavy rain it attracted by far the biggest crowd of the season as an attendance of almost 14,000 dwarfed the previous highest figure of 8,366.

And the vast majority of the crowd were delighted by what they saw especially early in the second half when the Swans went into a 2-0 lead thanks to Andy McFarlane and Martin Hayes.

The Swans looked well in control of the tie until the visit or s fortuitously gave themselves a lifeline when Daryl Burgess's speculative effort found the net via the bar and McFarlane's head.

The second leg was a tempestuous affair played out in what many Albion fans believe to be one of the best ever atmospheres at the Hawthorns.

The 26,045 crowd saw Micky Mellon and Colin West sent off before Ossie Ardiles' team eventually won 2-0 thanks to goals from Andy Hunt and Ian Hamilton. West Brom went on to beat Port Vale at Wembley.

In more recent times, this fixture has largely been played in the Premier League, where it was the Swans who very much had the upper hand.

Of the 14 games played in the top flight, the Swans won eight compared to Albion’s four with two drawn.

And once again there were a couple of real landmark matches – especially from a Swans point of view.

September 17, 2011 saw the Swans chalk up their first ever win in the Premier League when they defeated the Baggies 3-0 here in Swansea thanks to goals from Scott Sinclair, Leroy Lita and Nathan Dyer.

Just over a year later the Swans produced arguably their best performance during their stay in the Premier League when they tore the Baggies apart during 45 dazzling first-half minutes.

When the Swans walked in at halftime goals from Michu, Dyer and Wayne Routledge meant they led 3-0 but it could easily have been six.

The final score was 3-1, but the first half performance will go down in Swans history.

There was another historic victory on August 30, 2014, when the Swans once again scored three against West Brom, this time without reply.

Two goals from Dyer and an unforgettably brilliant volley from Routledge sent the Swans briefly to the top of the Premier League.

Another performance anywhere approaching one of those hattrick of top-flight wins would be more than welcome tonight.

C'mon you Swans!

PAGE 51

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O S T

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A H S S A

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OVER HALF A MILLION OVER HALF A MILLION SKY SKY BET BET CUSTOMERS USE USE DEPOSIT LIMITS CUSTOMERS DEPOSIT LIMITS TO MANAGE THEIR BETTING BUDGET. TO MANAGE THEIR BETTING BUDGET.

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PAGE 53

FORMER PLAYERS’ ASSOCIATION PAGE 54

O

ver the season we will be talking to former players and those who worked with them. You will be able to find some of those interviews here in the matchday programme, and on the club website.

Today, we hear from the man responsible for reporting on Swansea City for two-and-ahalf decades. John Burgum documented the Swans for the South Wales Evening Post up until his retirement at the turn of the millennium. It was an era when football and journalism was changing, ‘professionalism’ became a central part of the game and the desire to hear from players was increasing.

B urgum s aid: “I st ar ted my career in Llanelli as a cub reporter, learning on the job and covering everything from court to council meetings. When I joined the Evening Post early on, from 1968-70, I covered some Swansea matches but I was offered the job to cover football permanently in December of 1974 when I took over coverage of the Swans and I did it for the next 25 years.

“It was a dream job in many ways. I loved being out and about covering matches. I was a social kind of person anyway, so I enjoyed meeting people and particularly players, many of whom became friends and still are to this day, I'm delighted to say.”

D u r i n g h i s c a r e e r, B u r g u m reported on the highs and the lows at Swansea City, but the era that changed the club forever was the one which saw the arrival of John Toshack.

“ I t ’ s f a i r t o s a y w h e n To s h came in everything changed and that was the more professional era coming in. “ The manager before him, Harry Griffiths, had been nagging, literally nagging the chairman Malc olm Struel to bring a ‘ tracksuit manager ’ in and when he arrived from Liverpool, a side that had been winning everything in the 70s under Bill Shankly, things changed at Swansea. “ Tosh had done it all really, starting at C ardiff and then L iverpool and had won just about everything and he had his own ideas and he had players at Swansea that really bought into his philosophy; people like Alan Curtis and Robbie James, w e’ r e t a l k i n g a b o u t t w o o f the best players of their generation, no question.

“But in the early days, players played football, you didn’t really hear from them and the fans accepted that; you didn’t actually see players after the game - you knew they went into the tunnel and that was the end of it.

“I can never actually remember people coming up to players apart from wanting them to sign autographs. P layers weren’t interviewed to the extent that they are now, that developed over the years and obviously television coverage had a big say in that.

“It was Sky that changed a lot of it. In the 1990s when they started showing live games the appetite to know about players and hear from former players increased and of course that has grown to the point now that you can see live football seven days a week.

“You can turn on the television and see players in the studio analysing the games and taking part in programmes in a way that they just never had the opportunity to do.

“Before the game became more professional, players would stop playing and disappear and of course, some still do, but in those days, it was much easier to do that.

“Today, players can talk about anything and they’re asked to talk on a range of subjects, which never used to happen. Football was about success and talking about anything beyond matches was rare. I certainly hadn’t heard the phrase ‘mental health’, for example, as we use it today. “ S a d l y, s o m e p l a y e r s h a v e fallen by the wayside and been completely forgotten about and yet they played an important part in the history of the club or clubs they played for. Finding those former Swans players and hearing from them if they want to talk will add to the history and there is only so long before that is lost, of course.”

You can read and hear more of John Burgum’s recollections of covering the Swans on the Former Players’ Association pages on the club website, which you can find HERE.

PAGE 55

JUNIOR CYRIL'S HALF-TIME QUIZ QUESTION ONE

QUESTION TWO

QUESTION THREE

Who were the opposition when the Swans won their first ever Premier League game?

Who scored the Swans' first goal that day - the club's first in the Premier League?

Tip: They play at The Hawthorns

Tip: He scored a hat-trick in the play-off final win in 2011.

The last time the Swans beat West Brom was in December 2017 in the Premier League. Who scored the only goal that day?

Tip: He is Ivorian.

QUESTION FOUR

QUESTION FIVE

QUESTION SIX

West Brom have a former Swans player in their squad. Who is he?

From which club did we sign that player from?

Tip: He's a centre-back.

Tip: They are known as the Gunners.

Who is the Swans' top scorer this season with seven goals in all competitions?

Tip: He's Dutch.

CYRIL AND CYBIL'S PREDICTION SWANS 2 WEST BROM 1

PAGE 56

PAGE 57 Cyril’s Half-Time Quiz Answers Question One - West Brom Question Two - Scott Sinclair Question Three - Wilfried Bony

Question Four - Kyle Bartley Question Five - Arsenal Question Six - Joel Piroe The missing men are 26. Kyle Naughton, 51. Roque Mesa, 15. Wayne Routledge

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RYAN BENNETT

JOEL LATIBEAUDIERE

ETHAN LAIRD

TIVONGE RUSHESHA

LINCOLN McFAYDEN

BRANDON COOPER

RYAN MANNING

FLYNN DOWNES

KOREY SMITH

MATT GRIMES

JAY FULTON

YAN DHANDA

DANIEL WILLIAMS

LIAM WALSH

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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

Benda

Bristol City A W 0-1

Fri, Aug 20, 7.45pm

Benda

Cabango

Bennett

Latibeaudiere

Bidwell

Smith 1

Cabango

B.Cooper

Latibeaudiere

Bidwell 3

Williams

Manning

Cabango

B.Cooper

Latibeaudiere

Bidwell

Downes

Manning

Cabango

B.Cooper

Latibeaudiere 3

Bidwell

Downes

Laird

Manning

B.Cooper

Latibeaudiere

Bidwell

Fulton Fulton

2

Plymouth Argyle (CC R2) H W 4-1

Tue, Aug 24, 7pm

Hamer

Manning 1

Joseph 3

Bennett

Latibeaudiere

Bidwell

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 Downes

2

Millwall H D 0-0

Wed, Sept 15, 7.45pm

Hamer

Naughton

Cabango

Bennett

Laird

Manning

Luton Town A D 3-3

Sat, Sept 18, 3pm

Hamer

Naughton

R Williams 1

Bennett

Laird

Manning

Downes 3

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

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

Wed, Oct 20, 7.45pm

Birmingham City A

Sat, Oct 23, 3pm

Peterborough United H

Sat, Oct 30, 3pm

Coventry City A

Tue, Nov 2, 7.45pm

AFC Bournemouth A

Sat, Nov 6, 3pm

Blackpool H

Sat, Nov 20, 3pm

Barnsley A

Wed, Nov 24, 7.45pm

Reading H

Sat, Nov 27, 3pm

Middlesbrough A

Sat, Dec 4, 3pm

Nottingham Forest H

Sat, Dec 11, 3pm

Queens Park Rangers A

Sat, Dec 18, 3pm

Millwall A

Sun, Dec 26, 3pm

Luton Town H

Wed, Dec 29, 7.45pm

Fulham H

Sat, Jan 1, 3pm

Huddersfield Town A

Sat, Jan 15, 3pm

Preston North End H

Sat, Jan 22, 3pm

Hull City A

Sat, Jan 29, 3pm

Blackburn Rovers H

Sat, Feb 5, 3pm

Stoke City A

Tue, Feb 8, 3pm

Bristol City H

Sat, Feb 12, 3pm

Sheffield United A

Sat, Feb 19, 3pm

AFC Bournemouth H

Tue, Feb 22, 3pm

West Bromwich Albion A

Sat, Feb 26, 3pm

Coventry City H

Sat, Mar 5, 3pm

Blackpool A

Sat, Mar 12, 3pm

Peterborough United A

Wed, Mar 16, 7.45pm

Birmingham City H

Sat, Mar 19, 3pm

Cardiff City A

Sat, Apr 2, 3pm

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

Nottingham Forest A

Sat, Apr 30, 3pm

Queens Park Rangers H

Sat, May 7, 12.30pm

Correct as of October 19, 2021.

PAGE 60

Match Statistics Key

Goal =

ASON 2021~2022 SUBSTITUTES Paterson

Grimes

Cullen 2

Lowe

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

Grimes

1

Hat-trick =

Captain =

2

3

, 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, Cooper, Williams, Laird 1, Fulton, Walsh, Cullen 2, Whittaker 1

Paterson

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

Sub = 2 (number denotes player replaced) Booked =

, Walsh, Cullen 2

Sent off =

Carabao Cup = CC FA Cup = FA

PAGE 61

TABLE 2021~2022

POS TEAM 1

Bournemouth

2

West Bromwich Albion

3

P

13

W D L

F

21

A

8

GD PTS

9

4

0

13

31

12

7

4

1

21

9

12

25

Fulham

12

7

2

3

27

14

13

23

4

Coventry City

12

7

2

3

18

14

4

23

5

Queens Park Rangers

13

6

3

4

24

20

4

21

6

Stoke City

13

6

3

4

16

14

2

21

7

Huddersfield Town

12

6

2

4

18

14

4

20

8

Reading

12

6

1

5

18

19

-1

19

9

Luton Town

13

4

6

3

22

18

4

18

10

Millwall

13

4

6

3

13

14

-1

18

11

Blackburn Rovers

13

4

5

4

21

17

4

17

12

Nottingham Forest

13

5

2

6

18

16

2

17

13

Bristol City

13

4

4

5

15

17

-2

16

14

Middlesbrough

12

4

3

5

13

13

0

15

15

Sheffield United

13

4

3

6

17

19

-2

15

16

Blackpool

12

4

3

5

12

16

-4

15

17

Swansea City

12

3

5

4

12

14

-2

14

18

Preston North End

12

2

6

4

12

15

-3

12

19

Birmingham City

12

3

3

6

10

16

-6

12

20

Cardiff City

12

3

2

7

12

22

-10

11

21

Hull City

12

2

3

7

8

17

-9

9

22

Barnsley

12

1

5

6

7

15

-8

8

23

Peterborough United

12

2

2

8

12

25

-13

8

24

Derby County *

13

3

7

3

9

10

-1

4

Correct as of Oct 19, 2021.

* Derby County deducted 12 points under EFL Regulations.

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THE TEAMS SWANS

Head Coach: Russell Martin 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 35 37 46

Steven Benda Ryan Bennett Ryan Manning Flynn Downes Ben Cabango Jay Fulton Korey Smith Matt Grimes Michael Obafemi Olivier Ntcham Morgan Whittaker Jamie Paterson Brandon Cooper Joël Piroe Ben Hamer Tivonge Rushesha Liam Cullen Yan Dhanda Joel Latibeaudiere Jake Bidwell Lewis Webb Kyle Naughton Ethan Laird Liam Walsh Lincoln Mcfayden Daniel Williams Rhys Williams

WEST BROMWICH ALBION Head Coach: Valérien Ismaël 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 14 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 25 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 35 36 37 41

Sam Johnstone Darnell Furlong Conor Townsend Dara O’Shea Kyle Bartley Semi Ajayi Callum Robinson Jake Livermore Kenneth Zohore Matt Phillips Grady Diangana Jayson Molumby Matt Clarke Jordan Hugill Karlan Grant Adam Reach Cedric Kipre Kean Bryan Robert Snodgrass David Button Alex Mowatt Rayhaan Tulloch Taylor Gardner-Hickman Rico Richards Quevin Castro Caleb Taylor Ethan Ingram Zac Ashworth Alex Palmer Ted Cann GK Tom Fellows

NEXT UP AT Peterborough United Saturday, Oct 30 Kick-off: 3pm

NEXT AWAY Birmingham City Saturday, Oct 23 Kick-off: 3pm

FOLLOW US

~ Referee: Simon Hooper ~ ~ Assistant Referees: Daniel Robathan and Derek Eaton ~ ~ Fourth Official: Lee Swabey ~

Correct as of October 19, 2021

PAGE 64