Good afternoon and welcome to the Swansea.com Stadium for the south Wales derby against Cardiff City.
This is a special date in the calendar that we all look forward to, and I know from the day the fixtures for the 2024-25 season were announced all eyes would have been drawn to just how early in the campaign today’s game is taking place.
We, of course, have great memories of last season’s derby here where we secured a 2-0 win in a display which perfectly encompassed how powerful the connection between you, the supporters, and your team can be.
Players and fans fed off each other’s energy that day, the atmosphere was absolutely fantastic and we are all hoping we will have a similar experience today.
We head into this game off the back of a fine performance and result against Preston last weekend, but we know these fixtures are one-off games and form goes out the window.
We have a very good record at home against our rivals and while we of course are desperate to continue that run today, there is also a very important message both clubs are keen to share ahead of kick-off.
This is a famous fixture dating back some 112 years, and is a game that carries a significant resonance in our own communities and in the wider football world.
With today’s eagerly-anticipated match being broadcast around the globe, it is worth pausing to remember that there is more that unites us than divides us, as fierce a rivalry as this undoubtedly is.
Swansea City and Cardiff City are united in the stance that racism has no place in football, or our communities, and you will see that message within this programme and during the build-up to kick-off.
Whether you have a Swan or a Bluebird on your chest, whether you wear black and white or blue, football is a game for everyone and we ask you to remember that message as we all represent our respective teams at today’s game.
Enjoy the game,
Andy
Good afternoon and welcome to the Swansea.com Stadium for our south Wales derby fixture against Cardiff City.
It’s exciting to be back in front of you all following our victory against Preston North End here last time out, and we all know what a special fixture this is for everyone connected to Swansea City.
I am fortunate enough to have been involved in two derbies and to have experienced the wonderful mix of emotions that come with winning one of these games.
The celebrations following those wins in 2021 and 2024 remain vivid in my mind, and the connection we all share and feel around these fixtures is something we want to build on a more consistent basis moving forward.
These games always bring an additional layer of pressure because we are all acutely aware of what a derby day means for the supporters, all the staff who work at the club, and the players and coaching staff when it all comes together and you get the performance and the result you are looking for.
These games are worth three points in the table, like all the rest, but there is no denying the extra emotional lift you get from winning a derby and we are desperate to experience that feeling again.
We have a lot of players in the dressing room who have played in these games, and been successful in these games before. They understand what it requires physically and mentally, and we hope that will stand us in good stead this afternoon.
We know the passion and the ferocity that a south Wales derby throws up, and that is one of the reasons this game is being broadcast live across the UK and further afield.
On these occasions, we all have a responsibility to represent our clubs in a manner that benefits a proud 112-year history.
That’s why the clear message from ourselves and Cardiff City that racism is simply not acceptable is an important and timely one. One that you will see displayed in a number of places and formats ahead of kick-off.
I know you share and hold dear the values we have as a club, and that will be a big part of how you get behind us and support the team on a special day in the Welsh sporting calendar.
Enjoy the game,
Luke
Today is the day of days. Every fan of both Swansea City and Cardiff City circles two dates in their calendar each year – and they put a big red circle around one in particular. The home fixture.
The last few years have been good to Swans fans in this fixture, and we go into today with confidence after dispatching both Gillingham and Preston North End last week with a brand of attacking football that fans have longed to see.
But, as we know, the derby is a different animal – form does not matter. What will ultimately decide the fixture is which team wants it more, and who is brave enough to take chances. Let’s hope that Luke Williams can work the same magic today as he did last season, in his first derby match as head coach, and bring us three points and the associated bragging rights.
The squad is shaping up well, and it’s clear that the work done by Paul Watson and the football department is paying dividends – we have signed young, hungry players who are confident with the ball at their feet and want to play the ‘Swansea Way’. It is brilliant to see that our new arrivals have joined on permanent deals, creating much-needed security for us. We know the club are looking at further options, and this will be welcome news to many, but we should also be hoping that the club ensures there are places in the squad for our academy prospects to come through and progress.
It has been fantastic to see Azeem Abdulai getting plenty of minutes – he is a young player with huge potential. He didn’t have the easiest of starts this season, but his bounce back performances against Gillingham and Preston show his resilience and passion to improve. Hopefully we will see additional game time for Filip Lisah and Sam Parker in the months ahead too.
Central to the Trust’s role is governance and oversight of club business – our Board members are in regular contact with the club’s leadership team about a wide range of topics, and in particular right now squad management and transfers. We are reassured by the ongoing desire and effort to strengthen before the window closes. It’s clear to us that lessons have been learned from previous years.
Last weekend, the ‘Mel Nurse Bar’ was officially opened in the East Stand. It is a great tribute to a man who has given so much to the club and the city – the bar is fitted out with memorabilia and imagery from Mel’s playing days, and I’d recommend everyone to pay a visit.
The Trust was a key partner in this venture, working with the club and Mel’s family to bring the vision to life. We have seen plenty of great ideas online about other ways to honour Mel, and are continuing discussions with the club and Mel’s family about these.
Mel is a private man, and so it’s very important to us that we don’t do anything that is against his or his family’s wishes as we look at options to recognise his contribution. Rest assured, we’re on the case.
It's early in the season, and there is still plenty of time to join the Swans Trust – it only takes a few minutes and, as our position and influence continues to grow within the club, it’s a great time to join and have your say. We have an exciting year ahead and I hope you’ll be part of it with us.
Whilst derby day needs very little stimulation to create a raucous environment, the Matchday Experience Working Group has been continuing to identify ways to improve things. We are looking locally and internationally for ideas to test, and I’m so pleased to see the collaboration between the club, the Trust and the supporters who make up the group. This is a brilliant example of organic fan engagement, and I’m proud to see the Swans Trust leading the way on this.
Enjoy the game today. Be loud, get behind the team early, and be the 12th player on the field that we need.
Adam
The ‘Swans Big Sleep Out’ will return to the Swansea.com Stadium this November as Swansea City AFC Foundation and Matthew’s House partner up to raise awareness of homelessness.
Sleeping out for one night is no comparison to the realities of homelessness, but it does give a better understanding of what some people are dealing with everyday.
The Foundation is inviting individuals and businesses to sign up to spend the night at the Swansea.com Stadium and raise crucial funds for Matthew’s House and Swansea City AFC Foundation, with both charities working to tackle homelessness head on.
This year’s event will take place on Friday November 15 2024, almost exactly one year on from last year’s ‘Swans Big Sleep Out’ which raised over £28,000.
Sign up now and start fundraising!
To register, please click HERE to complete the registration form and pay a £25 registration fee.
Places are limited to 100 so the registration fee secures your place, makes a contribution towards administration costs, and kick starts your fundraising with a 50/50 contribution to each charity.
Participants are encouraged to raise £200 each in the lead up to the event, with the 'Big Swans Sleep Out' hoping to raise a target of £30,000, which will be incredibly valuable in supporting homeless people in Swansea.
Any person raising over £1,000 will receive a signed Swansea City shirt and the person raising the most will be invited into hospitality at a Swansea City match, being presented with their shirt on the pitch before the game.
If you need any support with fundraising, please get in touch with Swansea City AFC Foundation by emailing helen@swansfoundation.org.uk or Matthew’s House by emailing friends@matthewshouse.org.uk
BIRTHDAYS
Happy birthday to Ugo Vallario for his birthday on 21st August love
from your wife Julie and all your travelling friends x
________________________
Happy 38th birthday on the weekend of the Cardiff game to Ceri Gamage.
CELEBRATIONS
Congratulations to season ticket holder Jamie Ranford and his partner Kyla James who tied the knot on Friday 23rd August. Although many drinks and good food will be had, there will always be one eye on the derby game that follows on Sunday! Come on the Jacks!
SWANSEA CITY TO BRING BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE TO MATCHDAYS
Swansea City is pleased to announce it will be introducing British Sign Language to the 2024-25 matchday.
Following the success of one-off BSL social media gifs marking Deaf Awareness Week in 2022, the first BSL stadium tour in 2023, and the recent introduction of BSL interpreters to the club’s Fans' Forums, Swansea City is delighted to go one step further with the introduction of BSL on a matchday for the new league campaign.
Our interpreter, Talina Jones, will appear on the stadium big screen with stadium announcer Kev Johns to bring the matchday to Deaf supporters at the stadium.
And Talina will also be on hand to support fans for whom BSL is their main language.
“I am very excited for this opportunity with Swansea City,” said Jones.
“It’s an absolute pleasure to work with a football club that is promoting inclusion for all fans.”
Swansea City head of supporter services, Hayley Ford, added: "We're delighted that Talina is on board for the 2024-25 season.
"We are always looking for new ways to make matchdays more inclusive, and this is an important step forward in improving the matchday experience for our Deaf supporters."
RIVALS ON THE PITCH, UNITED AGAINST RACISM.
Swansea City and Cardiff City have been rivals for 112 years, but we are united in our stance that racism has no place in football or society.
Football has always been about bringing people together, it is a game forged in our communities, with the power to show there is far much more that unites us than divides us.
Racist rhetoric and discriminatory language will be met with zero tolerance. There is simply no place for it in the game we love, and what we have witnessed recently and historically is unacceptable.
Ours is a rivalry dating back over a century, but both clubs stand together in condemning discrimination of all kinds.
Whether you are a Swan or a Bluebird, wear black and white or blue, football is a game for everyone and we ask you to remember that message at today’s game.
Mae pel-droed yn ein huno
(Football unites us)
SWANS SIGN ABBEY & BIANCHINI
Swansea City added to new faces to the squad ahead of the south Wales derby on Sunday.
The Swans have signed defender Nelson Abbey on loan from Olympiacos, subject to international clearance.
The 20-year-old defender will spend the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign with the Swans, and will wear the number 32 shirt.
He is available to be involved in the squad for this game, and provides head coach Luke Williams with an additional option at the heart of his defence.
Swansea City have also completed the signing of Florian Bianchini from SC Bastia for an undisclosed fee, subject to visa approval and international clearance.
The 23-year-old has signed a four-year contract through to the summer of 2028 in SA1, and will wear the number 19 shirt for the Swans.
The pacy forward will add to head coach Luke Williams’ choices in the final third, and provide competition for places with the Swans boss having spoken of his desire for exciting wing play to be part of the identity of the team he is building.
Initially founded as Riverside AFC in 1899, the club changed their name to Cardiff City nine years later and joined the Football League in 1920.
The Bluebirds have spent 17 years in the top tier over their 124-year history, with the majority of these season coming during the 1920s and 1950s. Their highest league position came in the 1923-24 season, when they finished runners-up to Huddersfield Town on goal ratio.
They have spent two years in the Premier League during the 2013-14 and 2018-19 seasons, but immediately returned to the Championship at the conclusion of those campaigns.
Cardiff became the first non-English team to lift the FA Cup in 1927 when they defeated Arsenal 1-0 at Wembley. They have reached the FA Cup final on two further occasions, with their most recent appearance being in 2008 when they were beaten by Portsmouth.
The Bluebirds also made the final of the Football League Cup in 2012 but were defeated by Liverpool on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
CARDIF CITY STADIUM
Built: 2009
Location: Leckwith Road, Cardiff.
Capacity: 33,280
Erol Bulut is starting his second season in English football, after replacing Sabri Lamouchi last summer.
The German-born Turk had a successful playing career, winning titles at Fenerbahçe in Turkey and Olympiacos in Greece, he also represented Turkey at under-21 level.
Bulut started his career at Eintracht Frankfurt, and featured for Fenerbahçe, Trabzonspor, Adanaspor, Panionios, Bursaspor, 1860 Munich, Olympiacos, Metalurh Donetsk, Olympiacos Volos, OFI Crete and Veria over a 20-year period.
Bulut started coaching in 2012, when he became assistant manager at Kartalspor, he continued this role at Yeni Malatyaspor, Elazigspor and Istanbul Basaksehir.
In 2017, Bulut took his first head-coach role when he re-joined Yeni Malatyaspor, he also had spells at Alanyaspor, Fenerbahçe and Gaziantep, before moving to south Wales in 2023.
Joe Ralls is the club captain. After an ACL injury ruled then captain Sean Morrison out for the remainder of the 2021-22 season, Ralls was handed the armband and he has remained as club captain since.
The academy graduate had a breakthrough season in 2011-12, scoring a 30-yard half volley after coming off the bench for his league debut against Hull City.
After time on loan to develop, the midfielder returned to become a key figure within the Cardiff side.
He has made more than 350 appearances for them over the past decade and is an industrious, bustling presence in midfield, while possessing quality in the final third and at set-pieces.
Dimitrios Goutas has been an ever-present at the back for the Bluebirds since joining in 2023, playing the most minutes out of any member in the squad over that period.
The Greek defender started his career at Xanthi where he moved up through the academy and made over 70 league appearances for the club, before moving to Olympiacos.
Goutas never made a senior appearance for the Greek side over four years with the club, and had several loan spells with the likes of Xanthi, KV Kortrijk, St Truiden and Lech Poznan.
The defender then signed for Atromitos where he went on to make over 60 league appearances before moving to Turkey in 2021.
Goutas scored a brace on his Super Lig debut scoring in Silvasspor’s 2-2 draw at home to Goztepe. He was also part of the squad that won the Turkish Cup in the 2021-22 season.
The Greek defender then moved to south Wales in the summer of 2023; he has scored four goals for the Bluebirds in 48 appearances.
Goutas also has three Greece caps to his name at international level.
Aaron Ramsey's return to his boyhood club represented Cardiff City's highest-profile summer recruit in 2023.
Ramsey came through the academy system at Cardiff as a teenager, helping the club reach the 2008 FA Cup final, before enjoying an 11-year spell with Arsenal that yielded three FA Cup triumphs.
Ramsey won a Serie A title during a three-year stint with Italian giants Juventus, while he was a Scottish Cup winner with Rangers before spending a season with Ligue 1 club Nice.
At international level, the midfielder has 84 Wales caps to his name, and has featured at three major tournaments for his country, including the memorable march to the semi-finals of Euro 2016.
One of the summer recruits for the Bluebirds has been former Queens Park Rangers midfielder Chris Willock.
The Arsenal youth product found a permanent home at Loftus Road after spells with Benfica and on loan at West Bromwich Albion and Huddersfield Town.
The former England youth international scored 20 goals in 140 league appearances for the Hoops, and was a key creative force for them.
His best return came during the 2021-22 campaign, when he scored seven goals and racked up 11 assists.
Willock joined Cardiff following the end of his QPR contract in the summer.
It was not a goal or an assist, nor was it a goalline clearance, a crunching challenge or a block, but it will go down as an iconic south Wales derby moment.
To set the scene, it’s the last derby day at the Swansea.com Stadium back in March. Swansea are leading 1-0 thanks to Liam Cullen's first-half goal but, without a second, the game remains in the balance.
Just past the 55-minute mark and Cardiff send a long ball in behind the right-hand side of the Swansea defence, leaving Swansea in a foot race against Callum O’Dowda.
As the players near the ball, it becomes obvious Naughton is in discomfort, but he does not let up. He makes sure he gets to the ball first, and hooks it away into the safety of the stands. It proves to be his last action of the 2023-24 season, the hamstring injury suffered ends his campaign.
But there was no way the experienced defender was not going to reach that ball first, injury or no injury.
It’s that sort of courage, shown with the ball as much as without it, that has made Naughton such a firm favourite among supporters.
He will bring up 10 years as a Swan in January, having first arrived from Tottenham in 2015, and he has passed through 300 appearances for the club; a feat achieved by fewer than 40 players across Swansea’s 112-year history.
Home may well be in south Yorkshire, Naughton hails from Sheffield, but there is no denying the connection and affinity he and his family feel for this part of south Wales.
“It is absolutely crazy how quick it goes,” says Naughton with a smile.
“Ten years is not bad going, is it? I would be lying if I said I ever thought I would be here that long, but I have been and I have loved every year and every moment of it.
“Obviously there have been positives and negatives, but I love Swansea, I love the club, I love life here and I am very happy that this has been such a big part of my life.
“I am from Sheffield but there’s no doubt Swansea feels like home to me and my family. I have three kids who love it here and it has been the perfect place to bring them up.
“It’s a family-orientated club and city. I am a northerner but my connection to Swansea is so strong.
“Whenever you play for any team, you pull on the shirt and you want to do well for the team and for yourself. You don’t want to let anyone down.
“But when you have that connection maybe there is that little bit extra where you want to do it for the staff you see every day, the fans who cheer you on and are so desperate for you to succeed, and your family.”
Naughton was raised in the Park Hill area of his home city, and played football with his mates in Hillsborough, but it was United – rather than Wednesday – that were always his family’s club, even if the man himself is a Manchester United supporter.
With his mother working any number of jobs to make ends meet for Naughton and his three siblings, the full-back admits life was not always easy but he is eternally grateful for the sacrifices made by Patricia.
Naughton’s talent as a young footballer was such that he was picked up by Sheffield United at the age of just six and was brought into their centre of excellence having been spotted playing with his friends in the park.
“I can remember it all clearly,” he says.
“I grew up in a big block of flats called Park Hill. It was massive and I think I am right in saying it was the biggest development of its kind in Europe, which gives you an idea of its size.
“I grew up playing football with some of the older boys there, I picked the game at a young age and we used to play over in Hillsborough, which is near to Sheffield Wednesday.
“Either my mum or someone from the estate took me down just to play, and there must have been some scouts just looking around to see if there were any talented local guys, and someone got in touch with us quickly after that to ask me to come down and have a trial for United’s school of excellence.
“I went and I think almost immediately we had papers through and they wanted to sign me. I could not believe it, and from that day I was with them all the way through.
“It was incredible for the family as so many of my family and friends are Sheffield United fans, my mum made so many sacrifices for me and for us. My father was not around much and she worked three jobs and more. She worked wherever she could to make sure we could make ends meet.
“I look back now and I just cannot imagine how she managed to do it. To work all those jobs and raise four children. My sister and I played football, and I just do not know how on earth she got us all around to where we needed to be. She’s incredible.”
Naughton would come all the way through the ranks to reach the first team at Bramall Lane, although his first professional senior appearance would be for Gretna against Rangers during a loan spell north of the border.
His eye-catching performances alerted top-flight clubs and, in 2009, Naughton and fellow Bladesman Kyle Walker, made the move to White Hart Lane with Spurs.
Across his time in north London, Naughton would work under Harry Redknapp, Andre Villas Boas, Tim Sherwood and Mauricio Pochettino.
He made 75 appearances in total, featuring in European competition along the way, but as he looks back Naughton admits he often felt like the Tottenham jersey weighed heavy on his shoulders.
The defender would enjoy successful loan spells with Middlesbrough, Leicester City and Norwich City, but the belief and confidence Naughton would often experience during these temporary stints with other clubs would evaporate upon returning to Tottenham’s training base.
He acknowledges it was a tough time in bis career, but one which he can reflect on with clarity and perspective with the benefit of hindsight.
“I had a full season in the team at Sheffield United and I assume it must have been a good season because that summer there were a few clubs in for me,” says Naughton.
“Everton were one, I spoke to David Moyes, and at the same time there was Tottenham with Harry Redknapp. I had the choice over which one as the club were happy with the offers they had.
“Everton was closer to home, and it might have been easier but I made the decision I did. You can look back and wonder if I did the right or wrong thing, but ultimately you make the decisions you do and you get on with it.
“If I am honest, I struggled at Tottenham. At first it was being away from home, but I got around that in time.
“It’s hard to explain how it feels when you sign for a club of that size, in a different competition and I think from the get-go I just had doubts over whether I should be there.
“I was always fighting with myself to convince myself that I belonged there. That I was good enough to work with all those players.
“Every time I went on loan, it would feel like a weight lifted from my shoulders and I would play well.
“I’d come back to Tottenham and I would not have that feeling. It was almost like the shirt felt heavier. I kept my head down and worked hard, everyone deals with it differently, but that was how I approached it.”
The move to Swansea, flying high under Garry Monk, followed in January of 2015. Naughton would play his part in an eighth-place Premier League finish – Swansea’s second-highest ever placing in the football pyramid across their entire history – and quickly become a regular.
Having been drawn to south Wales by the brand of football he had watched and admired from afar, Naughton has no hesitation in admitting that the toughest times he has experienced across almost a decade in black and white have come in periods where Swansea have moved away from that identity.
But he believes that has returned with the appointment of Luke Williams in January of this year.
“The move to come here happened really quickly,” recalls Naughton.
“I had played with James Beattie at Sheffield United, and he was on the staff at Swansea at the time. I had also played with Nathan Dyer and knew some of the lads which helped the decision.
“I heard Swansea were keen, I had watched Swansea a lot on TV and I absolutely loved the way the team played football. That was one of the big selling points, and it remains one of the things I love at the club.
“Then I got here, saw how beautiful a place it was and I just felt like it was perfect for me.
“There’s been some tough times over the way. Relegation was horrible, just horrible, and we had some play-off chances where we’ve probably not given as good an account of ourselves as we maybe should have.
“But the good far outweighs the bad, and the best thing for me is the feeling there is at this club, in the group. It feels like a family.
“There are good things happening here, the club continues to produce really talented players, some of them go on but that’s a good feeling to have at a club.
“If we have that feeling, and this way of playing, then I believe good things will happen.”
Naughton put pen to paper on a one-year contract extension over the summer, and Williams has often spoken of his love and admiration for the Yorkshireman, and his influence in setting an example for others to follow.
While Naughton is glad to be viewed as a leader and a senior figure, he is very clear that he has not signed on for another season just to be a cheerleader or set a good example.
The fire still burns brightly and he is determined that his impact is felt on the pitch on matchdays, rather than solely in the quieter moments at the club’s Fairwood training base.
“I have been really looking forward to the season, every single one brings something different,” he said.
“As a professional this is what you look forward to, you’ve done the hard work in pre-season, I am back from injury and it is always exciting.
“Pre-season tend to start off as feeling very hard when you are younger, then they become easier and then they become harder again, and I’m definitely in that latter phase now!
“But you learn how to cope and manage your body, there are a few perks of getting a bit older in terms of some of the demands, and as a group we are feeling great.
“I have been here a long time, and I hope I do set a good example but, first and foremost, I want to be a footballer. That’s why I have signed my contract, I want to play football.
“I want to perform on the pitch, I am not happy just to be around and spurring the team on from the background.
“I want to be doing that on the field. I am always happy to help people, to provide advice for the younger players or whoever needs it, but I don’t want that to be the only thing I am here for.
“If I am not here to play football, then I might as well retire. I feel I still have something to offer, I believe that, and that’s why I am here.”
Dim ond wythnos tri o dymor newydd y Bencampwriaeth yw hi, ond mae gêm ddarbi gyntaf de Cymru eisoes wedi cyrraedd.
Roedd gemau'r tymor diwethaf yn adrodd holl hanes y sefyllfa roedd Abertawe ynddi serch hynny.
Roedd colled o 2-0 yng Nghaerdydd yn arwydd o ddechrau ofnadwy i dîm Michael Duff i'r tymor.
Ond y fuddugoliaeth o 2-0 yn erbyn dynion Erol Bulut ym mis Mawrth - diolch i goliau gan Liam Cullen a Jamal Lowe - dangosodd fod y clwb ar y llwybr cywir eto o dan Luke Williams ar ôl iddo gyrraedd y clwb ym mis Ionawr o Notts County.
Dangosodd y fuddugoliaeth honno sut y gellir uno'r clwb ar ac oddi ar y cae.
Dathlodd staff, chwaraewyr a chefnogwyr y fuddugoliaeth fel hon oedd eu buddugoliaeth gyntaf erioed yn y gêm, ac enillodd y prif hyfforddwr Williams galonnau cefnogwyr Abertawe drwy fwynhau ychydig o ddiodydd gyda nhw ar ôl y gêm!
Ond mae Williams yn gwybod na all y gêm hon fod yn prif ffocws mewn tymor, mae'n rhaid iddo fod yn un sy'n gosod y safon.
Mae Abertawe'n chwarae Caerdydd gyda dwyster, ymosodol, ar y troed flaen a gyda llawer o nodweddion allweddol eraill. Mae hynny'n pwysig iawn i wneud yn gyson ar ddraws tymor y Pencampwriaeth, enwedig os bydd Williams eisiau sicrhau lle yn yr chwe safle uchaf yn ystod ei cyfnod yn y clwb.
Ar ôl buddugoliaethau yn erbyn Gillingham a Preston North End, mae’r Elyrch nawr yn gobeithio ei gwneud hi’n dri o dri gartref ar ôl y golled agoriadol yn Middlesbrough.
Gydag ychydig mwy o ychwanegiadau i’r garfan dros yr dyddiau derfynol ffenestr drosglwyddo’r haf, fe allai’r llun edrych yn llawer gwell i’r clwb ddiwedd Awst nag a wnaeth ar ddechrau’r mis – gan ddechrau gyda pherfformiad a chanlyniad yn erbyn yr Adar Gleision y prynhawn yma.
Ian Mitchelmore
There isn’t much that says ‘south Wales derby’ like a sold-out stadium announcement and the subsequent discussions about why the same isn’t true of every other home game.
Of course, for those who rarely miss a match at the Swansea.com Stadium and who travel the length and breadth of the country to support our side, it can be galling to see a full house one week and not the next.
My dad was one of those stalwarts for decades. He did those journeys for years, Saturdays and midweek. He clocked up thousands of miles, season after season in all weathers and regardless of what league we were in, or what position we held. Win, lose or draw, Division Four or top-flight, Vetch Field and Liberty/Swansea.com Stadium.
But that wasn’t possible for everyone in the 70s, nor is it in 2024. I don’t think the discussions about ‘plastic fans’ are very helpful or particularly accurate, especially not in the current climate.
Let’s be honest here, we’re living in challenging financial times and, for most people, that means having to be selective about how money is spent and prioritising what’s important when it comes to everything beyond the ‘essentials’.
Throw the new television rights deal into the mix too and the situation becomes even more complicated. But, we have to be hopeful that great performances and positive results will bring people through the gates – the gaffer, Luke Williams, has said already that’s the ambition: “We want to give the fans something enjoyable, a way of playing they want to invest their time and energy in. That’s what it’s about, that’s what this club is.”
The derby is always going to be the big one and, coming so soon in the season, it has the potential to shape the new campaign.
It’s a fixture every fan of both teams will look out for and the fact that the stadium will be packed this afternoon means we’re pretty much guaranteed a superb atmosphere - and we all know how important that is.
These are the games that ramp-up the passion and the pleasure, they’re the matches that make memories for fans and ensure ‘I was there’ moments.
We know from the last few seasons how seriously the players and coaching staff take these matches, and how much the club has done to educate new faces about their importance.
Let’s not worry about who’s here and who isn’t next week, or on a miserable night in November, let’s do our bit as fans to ensure a superb atmosphere and make sure the stadium is rocking, so we can do our bit to influence what happens on the pitch.
We’ve had a superb run of results in these fixtures recently and home advantage, even in a derby, can make all the difference. Our new boys will hopefully be looking to write themselves into the history books of this fixture and we’ll be willing them to do it.
Slovenian striker Zan Vipotnik is up and running already having opened his account with his first goal as a Swan against Preston. Could he be the next derby-day hero I wonder?
Julie Kissick
with Jordan Morcom, Graphic Designer
In a new feature in this season's matchday programme, club staff from across various departments will share updates from their teams and outline the work they do for Swansea City. This week's news comes from Jordan Morcom, graphic designer in the club's marketing department.
It’s a pleasure to write to the Jack Army, and it’s an honour to have recently helped re-design the renamed ‘Mel Nurse Bar,’ which has replaced the old Riverside Bar in the East Stand.
Over the past six weeks, I’ve been researching, sourcing, and learning all I can about Mel, who holds a crucial place in the club’s history - something I felt was imperative to highlight in this project.
It’s rare in football for someone who played with such distinction for a club to later become its beacon of hope during times of financial struggle. But that’s exactly what Mel Nurse did for the Swans - more than once.
Although I didn’t witness Mel’s playing career firsthand, it’s no secret how special he is to the city and the club. I’ve aimed to reflect that throughout the bar, so that even fans less familiar with Mel can learn about the incredible things he did to keep the club alive.
The room features two walls completely dedicated to Mel. One wall displays his replica jersey and the matchday programme from his debut, while the other showcases a timeline of Mel’s career and life, from his school days to the present.
On the other side - as past visitors to the Riverside may recall - is a section dedicated to the Swansea City Supporters' Trust. As part of the design, I’ve repurposed the old ‘Player of the Season’ and ‘Lifetime Achievement’ glass plaques, blending them seamlessly with the artwork behind. This leads to a feature wall paying tribute to the Swans’ fantastic Europa League victory against Valencia at the Mestalla. That wall includes a painting of Michu alongside a shirt the Swans wore in that game.
Throughout the rest of the bar, you’ll find rebranded signage for the ‘Mel Nurse Bar,’ which originally featured at the Vetch Field. I believe this ties the club’s history nicely to the modern stadium style. Each pillar also highlights key moments from Mel’s early life and career achievements.
I hope the fans enjoy the new space and that the younger generation of Jacks learn about such a great man.
Is it just me, or does August 25 seem way too early for the Swans to be hosting Cardiff in a league match?
In my head, the south Wales Derby should be accompanied by the warming smells of a steaming Bovril and the rich gravy of a piping hot meat pie, not sun cream and the thick charcoal smoke of an overdone barbecue.
Having said that, while I write this article, I’m looking out at leaden grey skies which make me think it’s around 3.30pm on a chilly late December afternoon rather than what should be a bright, balmy early evening in August.
A quick look at the weather forecast for Sunday confirms I’m unlikely to be overwhelmed by the smell of Ambre Solaire and burnt barbecue bangers on the way to the match.
Even so, it just doesn’t feel right, somehow.
When I first started supporting the Swans, when we played Cardiff in the league the matches were usually played over Christmas or around Easter time.
The New Year’s Day match, which was played on the very first day of the 1980s, was my first taste of the Swans v Cardiff rivalry, and what an introduction it was to derbies and the new decade.
The match may have been played in the chill of deep mid-winter, but the atmosphere was red hot as the Swans enjoyed an unforgettable 2-1 win in front of more than 21,000 people at the Vetch.
Just to make victory that little bit sweeter, the Swans goals that day were scored by former Cardiff men David Giles and player-manager John Toshack.
One of the most thrilling derbies of that, or any other era, was played two days after Christmas Day that same year in front of another 20,000-plus crowd, this time at Ninian Park.
The Swans had led 3-1 thanks to goals by Neil Robinson, Alan Curtis and Leighton James, but Cardiff hit back and eventually equalised with a last-gasp 35-yarder from John Buchanan to salvage a draw.
No wonder I associate the derby with mid-winter after those two crackers.
In fairness, this won’t be the first time we’ve faced our rivals from up the road early on in the season.
Although the last time we faced them in the league during August, is a fair few years ago.
The sides lined up at Ninian Park on August 29, back in 1987. For some reason, I don’t seem to recall much about the game.
This may be because of my failing memory, the late summer sunshine being in my eyes, or quite possibly due to the 0-1 result! I’m not that hot on recalling the details of last September’s uncomfortably early match against Cardiff either!
However, I do have images in my mind of us banging in goals against our neighbours from up the road in bright sunshine during subsequent matches – or it may be my memory adding in extra sunshine because the Swans are scoring against Cardiff!
Even allowing for my hugely unreliably memory, I’m pretty sure I can see a young Joe Allen wheeling away in delight after scoring at a Ninian Park bathed in bright sunshine! But I’m also pretty sure that game was played in April rather than August.
Anyway, the more I think about my discomfort at playing Cardiff before the kids go back to school, the more I realise my problem lies with how early the fixture is in the football season rather than what point we are at in the calendar year.
Normally when the fixture list is published, my eyes flash directly to the first match of the season. If it’s away, the next date I look for is the first home game of the season.
Then, if we’re in the same division as Cardiff, I’ll look for the derby dates, so my eyes tend to move from August straight to around November, December time – when we normally face them for the first time.
This year, there was nothing. I scanned November, December and even went back to October and September, before it dawned on me, the first meeting would be in August. Way too early, for my liking.
I like it when the first derby is later in the season, it gives even more time to get excited about it. I can savour the build up to the first meeting between the two clubs.
A later fixture also gives everyone a better idea of what kind of nick both sides are in.
If the first match is played around November or December, we’ve had a chance to study form and fitness.
Derbies are generally viewed as being unpredictable. How many times have you heard the saying: “form goes out of the window in local derbies”?
I know this one hasn’t tended to be overly unpredictable results-wise in recent years with the Swans winning five out of the last six, but it always has a feeling of great unpredictability about it . . . as far as I am concerned anyway.
No matter how well the Swans are playing, or whatever our recent record against Cardiff is, the derby result is one I never, ever take for granted.
Playing so early in the season just feels like it adds to that sense of unpredictability.
The first few weeks of the season always throw up strange results as teams find their feet and their form.
New players are still bedding in. The pre-season training investment in the stamina which will see players through the long season hasn’t quite been fully deposited in the legs yet. The players are still familiarising themselves with the manager’s masterplan for the season.
There are just so many imponderables to factor in for early season matches, without introducing the jeopardy of a local derby on top.
In fact, I’d go so far as to say that local derbies should be banned from the first few months of the season.
We should go back to the tradition of playing them at Christmas and Easter.
Not necessarily to cut down on the travelling teams and supporters do over the holiday periods, but to reduce the extra anxiety experienced by fans like me, forced to face a derby before the season has got going properly.
To be fair, last weekend’s results have made me feel a little better about where the respective teams are form wise, but as I say, early season results can be deceptive and I never take derbies for granted – especially in August.
At least the return match is in January!
Come on you Swans!
The 2024-25 campaign marks Swansea City’s 20th season at the Swansea.com Stadium following the ground’s opening in 2005. Throughout the coming campaign, club historian Gwyn Rees will reflect on some of the notable moments and personalities that have shaped the history of our home. We continue with a famous thumping of Bristol City
September 10, 2005 – Swansea City 7 Bristol City 1
Swansea City had enjoyed a fine start to life in their new home, finding themselves handily-placed in fourth spot in League One, and with a game in hand over all the other teams in the top dozen.
Goals were flowing from across the team, including eight in the two games preceding this fixture, while Bristol City had experienced a frustrating start to the campaign even though the signings of Michael Bridges and Marcus Stewart – players with top-flight pedigree- had made them among the pre-season favourites for a promotion push.
Any thoughts the visitors may have had of starting to find their stride were quickly quashed as the Swans tore out of the blocks and have the better of the opening exchanges.
Adebayo Akinfenwa headed wide from a Sam Ricketts cross, while Lee Trundle saw a shot well saved by Robins keeper Steve Phillips at the end of thrilling Swansea counter.
The corner resulting from that latter effort would see the Swans take the lead on the stroke of half-time as Kevin McLeod’s delivery went straight in at the near post. It was no less than the Swans deserved and the floodgates would soon open after the interval.
Akinfenwa doubled the lead with a low drive five minutes into the second period, and just give minutes later Trundle got in on the act from the spot after Jamie Smith had fouled Roberto Martinez.
The goals kept coming and McLeod scored an early contender for goal of the season when he received the ball 30 yards out and drove forward before dispatching a brilliant strike into the top corner to leave the keeper with no chance.
The visitors were in disarray; their plight summed up when they were caught dawdling by a quickly-taken Martinez free-kick and Trundle tapped in from close range with 20 minutes still to play.
Britton, who along with Martinez had dominated the middle of the pitch, added further to the tally when he burst down the middle of the pitch from well inside his own half before tucking away Swansea’s sixth.
David Cotterill did get a consolation for the Robins before McLeod claimed a milestone hat-trick – his first in professional football – when he blasted home after a ricochet fell to him in the box.
With all the goal scoring finished, the only sour note for the Swans, on an afternoon where they recorded their biggest win in 27 years, was the sending off in the final minute of defender Kevin Austin, who picked up a second yellow card after a tussle with Bridges.
Bristol City manager Brian Tinnion paid the price for this humiliation when he stepped down from his position as manager the following day following a meeting with chairman Steve Landsdown, leaving assistant manager Keith Millen in caretaker charge.
First football shirt: David Beckham's England shirt.
First football game: I can't remember who they played, but it was a Cambridge United game!
First football club: Cambridge United.
First appearance for Swansea City/or Pro appearance? Versus Bristol Rovers for Cambridge United.
First football hero: David Beckham.
First major tournament you can remember: World Cup 2010.
Guest one: Kevin Hart – I think he’s hilarious!
Guest two: Lionel Messi – One of the best - if not the best - players to ever live. The stories would be incredible.
Guest three: Cristiano Ronaldo – just like Messi, incredible.
Swansea City Under-21s suffered defeat in their first away fixture of the season following a second-half comeback from Fleetwood Town at Poolfoot Farm.
Mitchell Bates opened the scoring for the visitors with half-hour played thanks to a low driven strike into the bottom corner.
But the Fishermen responded after the interval thanks to quickfire goals from Tommy Lonergan and Raff Cirino respectively, before Owen Davenport made it 3-1 in the 72nd minute.
Ben Lloyd returned to the Swansea side following an injury sustained in the under-21s' Nathaniel MG Cup clash against Baglan Dragons, whilst Ramon Rees-Siso - fresh off netting two goals for the under-18s last week - was also handed a starting place.
Evan Watts in the Swansea goal was tested early on as Callum Dolan's powerful effort stung the palms of the keeper.
But Swansea took the lead through Bates as he fired home after a mix-up in the home defence had presented the visitors with a chance.
The Swans retained their lead at the break, but Fleetwood equalised six minutes after the restart through a penalty. Lonergan stepping up to slot the ball home from 12 yards.
Moments later, Fleetwood took the lead through Cirino. Liam Roberts did well down the left and pulled the ball back to Pele Smith who saw his shot saved, but Cirino was on hand to knock the ball home.
The hosts then sealed the win as a cross was met by Davenport, whose header found its way into the net via the far post.
Swansea City Under-21s: Evan Watts, Harry Jones, Callum Deacon, Jacob Cook, Iestyn Jones, Arthur Parker, Ramon Rees-Siso, Mitchell Bates (captain), Glory Nzingo, Ben Lloyd, Sebastian Dabrowski.
Substitutes: Aidan Higgins, Sam Seager, Brogan Popham, Billy Clarke, Milo Robinson.
Goals from a trialist, Lucy Finch and Stacey John-Davis saw Swansea City Women come from behind to pick up a win in their latest pre-season outing against Bristol City Women Under-21s.
Bristol City took the lead early on when a shot from distance was saved by Charlie Haynes, but a Robins forward was on hand to tap home the rebound.
Katy Hosford almost levelled six minutes later when a good cross from John-Davis found the forward at the back post, but her headed effort hit the woodwork.
But the Swans would soon equalise; Hosford’s ball into the box picked out Trialist A in space to finish neatly from close range.
Finch gave the Swans the lead just before half-time as her curling effort from long distance flew over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
The Swans added to their tally early in the second half, Rachel Cullen’s ball set up John-Davis to volley into the bottom left corner.
We are all Jacks is Swansea City’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion both within the club and throughout the local community.
Working with international and local charities, as well as supporter groups, Swansea City strives to ensure that a visit to the Swansea.com Stadium is a welcoming experience for everyone regardless of sex, sexuality, gender identity, religion, race, disability, or age.
The club takes a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, harassment, victimisation, bullying and abuse.
Supporters are encouraged to report instances of abusive and discriminatory language within the stadium by using the anonymous safe text number 88440, starting the message with the word SWANS and providing details of the incident.
Messages will be charged at the standard rate for your network provider.
The details from the message will be received at the match control room, where any necessary investigation and/or action will be taken. The club will also record the mobile number of the individual reporting an incident to aid with any inquiries.
An audio commentary service is available for blind and partially sighted fans – provided by Radio City, the Swansea University Health Board Hospital Radio Service.
Radio City has a long association with the football club dating back to the days when the club was known as Swansea Town.
Since moving to the Swansea.com Stadium, the broadcaster has provided a live descriptive commentary service for free at all Swansea home matches, meaning that blind and partially-sighted supporters in both the home and away ends can follow the action.
In order to book a headset for the match, supporters can contact the accessibility team in advance by emailing accessibility@swanseacity.com, or contacting the ticket office from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm by calling 01792 616629 and selecting option one.
Supporters can also book headsets in person in advance at the ticket office, or on the day by speaking to a Disability Liaison Steward on the day.
To learn more about Radio City, visit www.radiocity1386am.co.uk. To learn more about accessible facilities at the stadium, please click here.
The inclusion room at the Swansea.com Stadium is open every matchday for supporters who may require a quiet space during games.
Supporters will be able to attend live matches at the Swansea.com Stadium with the comfort of knowing there is a designated area should they need it. The room is available to any supporter that may require a quiet space.
The space will be monitored by a designated disability liaison steward and provides a safe space with a disabled toilet, a projector to watch the live game, and dignity packs for those who need it.
While some supporters who require a time away from the crowds may prefer to use this room as a quiet space, it will also be possible to watch the match live on a screen projected onto the wall meaning supporters who require the space for any reason don’t have to miss a moment of the match action.
The room is located in the West Stand and, while supporters who feel they may benefit from the use of the space will be recommended to sit in that stand, it will be accessible for anyone in any part of the stadium.
Any supporter who feels overwhelmed by the matchday environment for any reason can gain access to the room by making themselves known to a steward or disability liaison steward.
WELCOME BACK JUNIOR JACKS!
Wow! What a day last Saturday was!
Neither of us predicted 3-0 but I (Cyril) said that Zan Vipotnik would score and he did!
We also really enjoyed seeing you all again, and we had so much fun in the family stand with all of the new activities from Swansea City AFC Foundation.
Don’t forget, the inflatable goal is there every matchday but closes 30 minutes before kick-off so you need to get in early.
Today is the south Wales derby, and we’re looking forward to hearing all the supporters at full voice!
We have a joint prediction this week because Cybil and I both think the score will be 2-0.
I think Vipotnik will get one and Liam Cullen will get the other. Cybil thinks Ben Cabango will get one of the goals!
If you see us round the ground today, please come and say hello! We love to have our photos taken with supporters.
Uppa Swans!
Cyril and Cybil
Head Coach Luke Williams
1 Andy Fisher
2 Josh Key
3 Kristian Pedersen
4 Jay Fulton
5 Ben Cabango
6 Harry Darling
7 Joe Allen
8 Matt Grimes ©
9 Žan Vipotnik
10 Jisung Eom
11 Josh Ginnelly
14 Josh Tymon
17 Gonçalo Franco
19 Florian Bianchini
20 Liam Cullen
21 Nathan Tjoe-A-On
22 Lawrence Vigouroux
26 Kyle Naughton
29 Nathan Broome
31 Ollie Cooper
32 Nelson Abbey
35 Ronald
37 Aimar Govea
40 NUMBER RETIRED
41 Sam Parker
42 Evan Watts
43 Dan Watts
44 Josh Thomas
47 Azeem Abdulai
50 Filip Lissah
First Team Manager Erol Bulut
1 Ethan Horvath
2 Mahlon Romeo
3 Manolis Siopsis
4 Dimitrios Goutas
5 Jesper Daland
6 Ryan Wintle
8 Joe Ralls ©
9 Kion Etete
10 Aaron Ramsey
11 Callum O’Dowda
12 Calum Chambers
14 David Turnbull
15 Wilfried Kanga
16 Chris Willock
17 Jamilu Collins
18 Alex Robertson
19 Yakou Meite
20 Anwar El Ghazi
21 Jak Alnwick
23 Joel Bagan
24 Eli King
25 Kieron Evans
27 Rubin Colwill
31 Malachi Fagan-Walcott
32 Ollie Tanner
33 Ryotaro Tsunoda
35 Andy Ronomhota
36 Raheem Conte
38 Perry Ng
39 Isaak Davies
41 Matthew Turner
45 Cian Ashford
46 Michael Reindorf
47 Callum Robinson
-- Will Fish
Referee - Oliver Langford
Assistant Referee 1 - Andrew Fox
Assistant Referee 2 - Alex James
Fourth Official - Keith Stroud
STAFF LIST
Chairman - Andy Coleman
Honorary Club President - Alan Curtis MBE
Directors
Jason Levien, Andy Coleman, Nigel Morris, Brett Cravatt, Jake Silverstein, Martin Morgan, Paul Meller (supporter director), Romie Chaudhari, Bobby Heinrich, Todd Marcelle, Gareth Davies.
Chief of Staff and Head of Strategy: Ken Gude
Associate Directors: Diane Hughes
FIRST-TEAM STAFF
Head Coach - Luke Williams
Assistant Head Coach - Ryan Harley
Assistant Head Coach – Alan Sheehan
Head of Goalkeeping – Martyn Margetson
First Team Coach Analyst - George Lawtey
First Team Coach - Kris O'Leary
Head of Medical - Dr Jez McCluskey
Staff: Ailsa Jones, Bethany Chaddock, Matt Murray, Thomas Gittoes, Michael Eames, Shaun Baggridge, Jake Dayus, Patrick Orme, Aden King, Maxwell Cambridge, Lewis Binns, Chris Watkins.
SENIOR MANAGEMENT GROUP
Paul Watson (Sporting Director);
Andrew Davies (Head of Operations);
Gareth Davies (CFO).
CLUB STAFF
Head of Football Administration: Ben Greenwood
Head of Women's Football: Alice Weekes
Football Operations & Administration Manager: Rebecca Gigg
Head of Commercial: Richard Morris
Head of Marketing: Katie Doyle
Head of Partnerships: Lee Merrells
Head of Hospitality: Catherine Thomas
Head of Retail: Andrea Morris
Head of Ticketing: Lewis Bullen
Head of Safeguarding: Rebeca Storer
HR Manager: Nicola Butt
Head of Facilities: Gordon David
Grounds Manager: Evan Davies
Head of Supporter Services: Hayley Ford
Head of Swansea City AFC Foundation: Paul France
Club Ambassador: Lee Trundle
PROGRAMME PRODUCTION
Contributors: Andrew Gwilym, Rachael Tucker, Cerith White, Jack Otter, Sophie Davis, Dom Hynes, Sammy Wynne, Fraser Dickson, Hayley Ford, Julie Kissick, Owen Morgan, Ian Mitchelmore, Gwyn Rees.
Designers: Callum Rothwell,
Jordan Morcom.
Photography: Athena Picture Agency,
Natalie John-Davis, Alamy.