Where are they now? Dave Penney
Ever wondered what former Swans stars have been up to since hanging up their boots?
Well you are in the right place.
As part of a regular feature, we take a look at what some ex-Swansea City favourites have done since leaving SA1.
Here we catch up with Dave Penney.
Dave Penney originally joined Swansea City on loan from Oxford United at the back end of the 1990-91 season, making his debut in a 2-1 win over Stoke.
And as the tough-tackling midfielder remembers, it was a particularly busy time in his life.
“I made my Swansea debut on the Saturday, then travelled straight back to Oxford as my daughter was born at John Radcliffe Hospital the following day,” he smiles.
Penney returned to Oxford with a winner’s medal after playing and scoring in the 2-0 win over Wrexham in the Welsh Cup final.
However, the midfielder was back in South Wales for another loan spell with the Swans three years later, before making the move permanent the following summer.
He enjoyed a further three years with the Swans and was their top scorer in the 1996-97 season with 13 goals, while he also wore the captain’s armband as they reached the Third Division play-off final, where Northampton Town were the opposition.
“We had a great season,” Penney reflects.
“We didn’t start off that well, but we had an incredible run in the second half of the season and ended up getting to Wembley.
“To captain a club like Swansea City at Wembley was a very proud moment. There are many better players than me who have never got to play at Wembley, let alone captain a side there.”
However, there was to be no happy ending for Penney or the Swans, as John Frain struck late on to send the Cobblers up to the Second Division.
“Getting beaten in the last minute was an absolute sickener,” Penney adds. “There were all the highs and lows of football in one match.”
Penney later played for Cardiff City and Doncaster Rovers, where his coaching career began in 2000.
“As often happens in football, a manager (Ian Snodin) lost his job and I stepped in to help out as a temporary player-manager,” he remembers.
“Things went well for me on a caretaker basis and the rest as they say is history.”
Penney got the job on a permanent basis in January 2002 and subsequently guided Doncaster to back-to-back promotions.
He also oversaw an impressive run to the League Cup quarter-finals in the 2005-06 season that included victories over Manchester City and Aston Villa.
Penney left the Keepmoat in August 2006 and took the top job at Darlington two months later.
He also had spells with Oldham Athletic and Bristol Rovers.
He then served as assistant manager to Phil Brown at Southend United between 2013 and 2015, before operating in the same role under Adam Lockwood at non-league Guiseley.
Nowadays, the 54-year-old is the sporting director at National League North side York City, where times are exciting with a move from Bootham Crescent to a new stadium on the horizon.
“I’m not out there coaching or having any input on the team selection,” he explains.
“But if the manager wants to sign a new player, I’ll do the work with regards to the contract etcetera. I work a little bit like a chief executive in some respects.
“We are due to move into the Community Stadium in 2019 and I am very excited to be involved in the process.”