Gwilym Joseph appointed Honorary President at Swansea City
19th January
Swansea City have appointed long-serving Gwilym Joseph MBE as the club's Honorary President.
Gwilym, 90, who has served the club for nearly 50 years in various capacities, takes up the post that has been left vacant since the sad death of the club's first President, David Farmer, back in 2010.
"It's a great honour for me to be bestowed this title,'' explained Gwilym, "especially following someone of David Farmer's stature. He was a close friend of mine with the Swans.
"I'm very proud and would like to thank the Board for the honour of representing this football club.''
Swans chairman, Huw Jenkins, explained: "Gwilym has worked tirelessly for this football club for more years than I can certainly remember.
"He was the club lead on the building of the Liberty Stadium and the training grounds at Landore and, more recently, Fairwood. His expertise can clearly be seen on the recently completed extension at Fairwood.
"There is nobody who deserved the title as Honorary President more than Gwilym and we are extremely grateful for his commitment, knowledge and dedication to this football club.''
The club stalwart, who was awarded the MBE in the 2014 Honours List for services to football and the economy in Swansea, was born in Morriston in 1927. He worked tirelessly from the ages of 14 to 16 to set up the only youth club in the area which opened in the premises of Pentrepoeth School in 1941.
Having established two football teams within the youth club - Morriston Athletic and Morriston United - he continued to support them and various charities through fundraising dances.
A former MD and chairman of Morriston-based Constructional Engineering and Construction Company, Rees and Kirby, one of the largest in the country, he first visited the Vetch with his father in 1940.
He became an avid Swans supporter and was a season ticket up until 1968 before joining the Vice Presidents' Club.
As well as personal contributions towards the club's upkeep, he also sourced financial support via Rees & Kirby.
He also formed the club's Executive Fund Raising Committee (EFRC) in 1974 which has so far raised in excess of £500,000.
It prompted the club's late chairman, Malcolm Struel, to award him life membership in 1980.
The Swans have remained close to his heart throughout and despite having picked up numerous prestigious awards along the way; he continues to work tirelessly to help the club, the community and the stadium move forward to even greater heights and success.
As well as becoming Honorary President, he will also continue in his role as project director, plus a director of Swansea Stadium Management Company.
While it's been a busy few years for Gwilym with the stadium and training ground projects, the tireless club stalwart who celebrated his 90th birthday earlier this month, declared: "I'm not finished yet!"
