FA Cup memories: Swans in the last eight
Swansea City will feature in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in 54 years when they take on Tottenham Hotspur at the Liberty this Saturday (12.15pm).
This is only the fourth time in the club's history that the Swans have reached the last eight.
We look back at each of their three previous ties at this stage of the competition.
MARCH 6, 1926
SWANS 2 ARSENAL 1
The Swans had plenty of momentum going into their first ever FA Cup quarter-final.
They had won their last seven matches in all competitions ahead of facing First Division Arsenal at a packed Vetch Field.
The home side, though, had to make do without manager Joe Bradshaw, who was suffering with the flu and unable to attend the big game.
Nevertheless, they held their own in the first half against the Gunners, and took the lead when Len Thompson (above) rounded off a neat move by firing home.
They doubled their advantage after the break when Jack Fowler’s shot rocketed beyond the helpless Bill Harper.
The Swans were forced to dig deep when Arsenal pulled a goal back soon after but did so effectively to book their place in the semi-finals.
MARCH 5, 1927
SWANS 1 READING 3
The Swans were not in such good shape heading into the same stage of the competition 12 months later.
Now under the guidance of Jimmy Thomson, they had won just one of their last five games in all competitions.
That was a 2-1 success over South Shields in the fifth-round replay.
By contrast, Reading were full of momentum after a resounding 6-1 victory over Oldham Athletic the previous weekend.
On the day, the tie went with the form book as, despite Lachlan McPherson’s (above) strike, the Swans succumbed to a commanding defeat against the Royals.
FEBRUARY 29, 1964
LIVERPOOL 1 SWANS 2
The Swans had to wait 37 years before they next appeared in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
Once again, they were struggling for form having failed to win any of their four most recent away games, losing three of them.
Therefore, fans feared the worst at the prospect of facing Bill Shankly’s Liverpool at Anfield, where the Swans had lost on seven of their eight previous visits.
However, despite the fact they were struggling at the wrong end of Division Two, the Swans edged their noses in front in the 38th minute, when Jimmy McLaughlin latched onto Herbie Williams’ through ball before drilling past Tommy Lawrence.
And the visitors were in dreamland when they doubled their lead just four minutes later. McLaughlin was involved again as he delivered a dangerous cross into the Liverpool area, and Eddie Thomas pounced to make it 2-0.
The Swans were clinging on after the break as Liverpool pulled a goal back and constantly threatened to find an equaliser.
But Noel Dwyer (above) performed heroics in the visitors’ goal and when Ronnie Moran missed a penalty for the hosts later on, Trevor Morris’ men could celebrate the most incredible victory.
