I hope you all had a wonderful festive period and are ready to cheer on the Swans as we look to build on our fantastic 3-0 victory against QPR on Boxing Day. It was a performance that certainly made my Christmas.
And, it was true testament to the hard work and dedication of our players and coaching staff over, and during, what continues to be a busy festive period. It was a joy to see the team play with such confidence and flair, and your support from the stands played a crucial role in driving us to that impressive win.
As we approach the new year, there is lots to be optimistic and excited about. We have shown what we are capable of, and today's match is another opportunity to demonstrate our ambition and determination as we enter the second half of the season with this being our 24th league match.
Luton Town will provide a tough challenge, but I have every confidence that we will rise to the occasion.
Your unwavering support is the heartbeat of this club, and I encourage you to bring your passion and energy to today's game. Let's create an electric atmosphere that will inspire our players to, once again, give their all on the pitch.
Thank you for your continued support. Come on you Swans!
Andy
Hello everyone and welcome to the Swansea.com Stadium for our latest Championship fixture against Luton Town.
We are back on home soil again, and return in good spirits following our performance and result against Queens Park Rangers on Boxing Day.
I thought the players produced a fantastic, dominant display, and one it is really important we build upon and back up.
At this level, it is not easy to dominate a game to the extent that you have over 70 per cent of the ball and do not allow the opposition a single shot on target, while also creating numerous opportunities yourself. The fact we were able to do so underlines the quality and the effort the players produced.
Our captain, Matt Grimes, was instrumental in that. I have said it many times, but we are very lucky to have him. He is a wonderful player and leader and the messages he gave to the players ahead of and during Thursday’s game were absolutely spot on.
Grimesy can go under the radar sometimes because he is consistently excellent, and I know from speaking to opposition players and managers how widely admired he is within the game.
He led by example, and we showed the required accuracy and patience in our build-up play. We did not rush or get anxious, we trusted what we were doing, we built-up correctly, and that also allowed us to have the numbers required to press aggressively and get the ball back when we lost it.
It was very pleasing, but we have to realise that Thursday is gone and we need to make sure we heed the lessons that tell us why we performed as we did and carry them forward. If we do that we will win more games than we lose.
That will not be easy against a Luton side who were plying their trade in the Premier League last season, and possess a lot of quality and a terrific work ethic. This will be a tough game, but it’s one we are excited about.
I also want to take a moment to mention the work of the club’s academy after Ben Lloyd made his senior debut on Thursday.
Ben is an excellent player and he had fully earned his opportunity to play for the first team, but part of that also comes from how his family have raised him, and from the way of working instilled in him by the staff at the Joma High Performance Centre.
I am always struck by how the academy players who come to train with us have the right attitude and respect for the work they are doing and the people around them. Add in the quality these players possess and it’s a very special thing. Ben, his family, and the academy staff who have helped in his development should be very proud.
Finally, with this being our final fixture of 2024, I want to wish all of you are a Happy New Year and let’s hope for an exciting and successful 2025.
Enjoy the game,
Luke
Welcome back to the Swansea.com Stadium for our final Championship match of 2024, and what an eventful year it has been at the stadium.
Before this game we have witnessed 22 league matches across the year and we have been consistently inconsistent across them with nine wins, four draws and nine defeats, scoring 28 goals whilst conceding 25. So, I guess solid mid-table feels about right and what that record would suggest.
However, if you come from the half-full rose-tinted glasses side of our world you might be a little more encouraged than that, as only three of those losses have happened this season with two of those in very close defeats against teams in the current top four of the division.
I genuinely believe Luke and the players are progressing solidly, and if we can bring in a couple of additions next month to increase our options I am sure we can move permanently into the top 10 during the remainder of the season.
So, for me, after that brilliant first half against QPR only three days ago, we can approach 2025 with a positive mindset and a growing belief that we can meaningfully start looking forward rather than nervously over our shoulder.
With recent changes to the ownership group, players like Ben Cabango and Liam Cullen recently committing to new long-term contracts, and steadily improving results on the pitch, can we start dreaming of what might be over the next season or two?
It would be really good to keep building on that momentum with another win today allowing the Jack Army to travel down to Portsmouth on New Year’s Day with a real belief in what 2025 might bring.
Back to today’s match with Luton Town, against whom we have a very even record in recent times. Since December 2019, Luton just edge it on head-to-heads with four wins to our three (there are two draws too) – so maybe today we can level that up at 4 wins each!
Once we get through the New Year period the Trust will be getting back into our various projects in conjunction with our local stakeholders, such as our Matchday Experience Working Group, heritage work with local sports writer and author David Brayley, and we will shortly be releasing our draft strategy document to our members for their feedback.
As always new members and voices are always welcome, so please feel free to go to our www.swanstrust.co.uk website to read more about what’s going on and how to join. Or, if it’s easier, just take a stroll over to our Trust kiosk outside the West Stand before kick-off on our home matchdays for a natter.
I hope you all enjoy the game, and please be loud and proud for the boys. I’d also like to take this early opportunity to wish all our members and the whole Jack Army plus players, staff and everyone else associated with Swansea City a very Happy New Year from all of us on the Trust Board.
Enjoy the game,
Chris Golledge
Swansea City AFC Foundation were represented in the Under-18 girls’ Premier League Kicks Truce Tournament in Belgium earlier this month.
Held in the historic town of Ypres, the tournament’s focus was the Christmas Day Truce of 1914.
One that day, amid the horrors of the trenches in the First World War, soldiers on opposing sides along various sections of the front reportedly laid down their weapons on December 25 to play football and exchange gifts.
Delivered by the Premier League Charitable Fund, the Premier League Kicks Truce Tournament is one of the competition elements of the Premier League’s community programme, Premier League Kicks, and celebrates the league’s commitment to increasing opportunities for girls and young women to play the game.
The Swans Foundation took a team of eight girls to the three-day event in Belgium, where participants took part in educational and cultural activities to learn about the sacrifices made by servicemen and women in the First World War.
The team went to an evening ceremony at the Menin Gate to commemorate the fallen, and took part in an immersive experience of the trench conditions suffered by the soldiers.
Along with fellow participants from Chelsea Foundation, Saints Foundation and The Albion Foundation, the team also visited the monument commemorating the Christmas Truce, the site where soldiers came out of the trenches to play football, and draped scarves in a mark of respect.
At the Menin Gate ceremony, following the sounding of the Last Post, poppy wreaths were laid by participants on behalf of Swansea City AFC Foundation.
“As a Foundation we’re honoured to have had the opportunity to bring a team here to Belgium for this amazing experience,” said Craig Richards, youth engagement manager at Swansea City AFC Foundation.
“It’s a once in a lifetime experience which all our participants, and us as coaches, have taken a lot from. We’ve learned so much about a period of history which is so important to remember.
“It always makes us proud to be able to give opportunities like this one to our participants, so we thank the Premier League Charitable Fund for inviting us.
“Our participants have represented us, Swansea City and Wales brilliantly, on and off the pitch, and we hope that when they get home they tell their families everything they’ve learned on the trip.”
Swansea City season tickets are now on sale for the 2025-26 season, offering fans incredible value with prices frozen across all categories.
The club is pleased to announce new family-friendly ticket options, reductions on previous family ticket options, and can confirm an increase in age ranges on select concessionary categories giving young Swans the opportunity to watch live football for less.
To launch the 2025-26 season ticket campaign, Swansea City will be encouraging fans to make new memories, whilst also celebrating twenty years since the Swansea.com Stadium first opened.
For the first time in recent years, season tickets will be available for all supporters to purchase from day one of launch. Of the exciting new offers available for next season, an adult and child (Under 14) package will mean that they can attend all home games for just £350 per season in the South Stand, which is just over £15 per game combined. This is a significant saving from this season’s current offer of £420, providing a £70 saving.
The Swans will continue to offer one of the most affordable season ticket packages in the Championship after the price freeze, with a standard adult season ticket costing just £411 - the lowest average adult season ticket price when compared to fellow Championship clubs. All Swansea City season ticket price classes (adults, seniors, youth, junior, and child) are below the league average, with adults £91.67 below.
Andy Coleman, Chairman of Swansea City, said:
"We want to offer our supporters exceptional value both on the pitch, and off the pitch, and that is why we’ve decided to defy inflation and freeze season ticket prices. We’re also going one step further and introducing new family-friendly options to get the South Stand bouncing in the 2025-26 season. Our commitment to keeping football accessible and affordable remains, and we look forward to what we are sure will be another exciting season at the Swansea.com Stadium."
As part of a new feature in our digital matchday programme for the 2024-25 campaign, we are calling on all Swans fans to share their memories and experiences of supporting the club by submitting your stories and pictures. We will publish a selection over the course of the season, and you can share your stories with us through the link below.
CHRISTMAS WEEK OF GIVING | SWANSEA CITY AND CWTSH CLOS HOST CHRISTMAS MEMORY TREE
Swansea City head coach Luke Williams and lounge host Mal Pope joined with Joe Allen, Josh Key and Josh Tymon to show support for the Swansea Bay Health Charity Cwtsh Clos appeal Christmas Memory Tree campaign.
The Swans partnered with Cwtsh Clos - the club's charity of the year - to host a Christmas Memory Tree in the club shop.
The memory tree gives people who have sadly lost loved ones – particularly those who have lost children in infancy – to remember them this Christmas with a personalised bauble which will hang on the tree.
The wooden baubles were designed and created by Stephen Hughes of Grumpies Crafts. He donated them free of charge to the campaign as the charity is one that is close to his heart. His granddaughter Eryn's bauble hangs on the tree.
Supporters and those across the community who wish to have one of the baubles are asked to make a suggested minimum donation of £3 to the charity before ordering.
Baubles are still available to order via the link below and in-person at the club shop until January 4 (the day of Swansea City's home match against West Bromwich Albion). All baubles will be sent out once the tree is removed from the shop, so supporters can keep them for years to come.
A Christmas cracker of a first-half performance set Swansea City on the way to a dominant Boxing Day victory over Queens Park Rangers at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Josh Key, Ben Cabango, Harry Darling, Josh Tymon; Matt Grimes (captain), Gonçalo Franco (Jay Fulton 86), Liam Cullen (Ben Lloyd 86); Ronald (Azeem Abdulai 86), Jisung Eom (Myles Peart-Harris 61); Florian Bianchini (Žan Vipotnik 77)
Unused Substitutes: Jon McLaughlin, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Cyrus Christie, Kyle Naughton.
Queens Park Rangers: Paul Nardi, Jimmy Dunne, Morgan Fox, Jake Clarke-Salter, Kenneth Paal (Harrison Ashby 46), Jonathan Varane, Sam Field (captain), Kieran Morgan (Nicolas Madsen 46), Koki Saito (Ilias Chair 46), Rayan Kolli (Michael Frey 67), Paul Smyth (Lucas Andersen 84).
Unused Substitutes: Joe Walsh, Elijah Dixon-Bonner, Danniel Bennie, Alfie Lloyd.
Referee: Ben Toner
Attendance: 15,843
BEN LLOYD | I HAVE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS GOT ME HERE, TO MAKE MY DEBUT WAS VERY SPECIAL
Ben Lloyd paid heartfelt thanks to his family and the academy staff who have aided his development, after the boyhood Swansea City fan made his senior debut in the 3-0 win over Queens Park Rangers.
Luton Town are back in the Championship after spending a solitary season in the Premier League last term.
Their previous top-flight appearance had come during the 1991-92 season, when they were relegated on the final day of the campaign.
They’ve been at Kenilworth Road since 1905, having been founded 10 years earlier, while their biggest piece of silverware came via the League Cup in 1988.
Financial difficulties between 2007 and 2009 saw them fall from the second tier to the fifth in successive seasons. After five seasons in non-league, they were promoted in 2014, and successive promotions in League Two and League One soon followed.
Rob Edwards then completed their rise at the end of their fourth season in the Championship as they beat Coventry City on penalties in a dramatic play-off final.
KENILWORTH ROAD
Built: 1905
Location: Bury Park, Luton, Bedfordshire, England
Capacity: 12,056
Rob Edwards. The former defender has been in charge of Luton since November 2022 succeeding Nathan Jones when the Welshman made the switch to Southampton.
The 41-year-old started his playing career with Aston Villa, and went on to have spells with Crystal Palace, Derby County, Wolves, Blackpool, Norwich, Barnsley, Fleetwood and Shrewsbury before moving into coaching at Molineux after being forced to hang up his boots by injury.
He had stints with Telford and with the England youth set-up before becoming Forest Green Rovers boss in the summer of 2021 and leading them to promotion to League One.
That attracted the attention of Watford, who moved for the ex-Wales international to lead their efforts for an instant return to the Premier League.
Wales international Tom Lockyer is the club captain for Luton, but is in the process of working his way back to match fitness after suffering a cardiac arrest in a Premier League game against Bournemouth last season.
In his absence, striker Carlton Morris has been skippering the side.
Norwich academy product Morris joined the Hatters following Barnsley’s relegation from the Championship in 2022 and starred as they reached the Premier League.
At Carrow Road he had loan spells with Oxford, York, Hamilton, Rotherham, Shrewsbury and MK Dons – playing under Luke Williams and Russell Marrtin at the latter.
He has scored 37 goals in 115 appearances in total for Luton.
Experienced midfielder Jordan Clark has three goals and two assists under his belt this season.
He has been with Luton since 2020, having first broken through at Barnsley 13 years ago.
Clark had loan spells with Chesterfield, Scunthorpe United and Hyde before making the switch to Shrewsbury in 2014.
Two years later – which included promotion from League Two with the Shrews - he joined Accrington Stanley and win the League Two title with them in 2018.
Clark has made over 150 appearances for Luton during his time at Kenilworth Road.
Defensive midfielder Tom Krauss has made a strong start to life in the Championship after joining from Mainz in the summer.
The Leipzig-born player has four assists so far this season and has shown a sharp mix of defensive and attacking attributes.
Having come through the RB Leipzig system, he reached the senior ranks but also had loan spells with FC Nurnberg and Schalke.
He was unable to help Schalke avoid relegation from the top-flight, and so made the move to Mainz in that summer of 2023.
The Germany Under-21 international is on loan with the Hatters for the 2024-25 campaign.
Forward Elijah Adebayo is second on Luton's list of scorers this season with five goals to his name, behind only stand-in skipper Morris, who has netted six times.
The 26-year-old came through the youth ranks at Fulham, and had loan spells with Slough, Bognor Regis, Cheltenham Town, Swindon Town and Stevenage before making a permanent switch to Walsall.
In two seasons he netted 18 league goals in 55 appearances, and he was snapped up by Luton in January 2021 in their first season back in the Championship.
He has since made just over 160 appearances and scored 47 goals for the Hatters, with three of those coming in a 4-0 win over Brighton last season that made him the first Luton player to score a Premier League hat-trick.
He had a slow start to the current campaign, but has shown signs of finding his best form in recent weeks.
As someone who used to spend his Christmases glued to the television watching games in Britain, Žan Vipotnik is excited about the prospect in being involved in a feast of festive football.
The Slovenian striker is enjoying his first Christmas in Swansea, with his family coming over to visit and see the area the 22-year-old has quickly settled into following his summer move to SA1.
With his previous football experience in his homeland and in France having included gaps in the schedule over Christmas and New Year, the current run of four games in 10 days is a new experience for Vipotnik.
But it is one he is very excited by.
“It is an intense period, for sure, and obviously it is also important for our families,” he said.
“But I can tell you that when I was a kid in Slovenia years ago, I was sat watching all the Premier League football on the television and I wanted so much to be there because it looked so special.
“Now, I am here, and I have the chance to enjoy this and I ready for it. It’s special to play at Christmas and New Year, such a big time for families, everyone wants to come and enjoy the football.
“It’s something you cannot experience anywhere else, so I want to grab this opportunity and make the most of it.
“Everyone else stops and we play, which is great because otherwise you would just sit and watch movies for 10 days and, even if the movies are good, I don’t think anyone wants to do that!
“It won’t be easy, but I am excited.”
Part of that excitement comes from how much Vipotnik is enjoying his time in Swansea, on and off the field.
He admits the adjustment was a tough one to make off a disrupted pre-season where he had been to the Euros with Slovenia, before returning to find Bordeaux had elected to forego their professional status after being relegated to the third tier of French football.
While he feels there is plenty of room for improvement, Vipotnik has quickly come to feel at home in his new surroundings.
“I am enjoying life on and off the pitch, for sure. I like this city, it is calm and peaceful, and I have everything here to improve my game,” he said.
“The facilities here are really nice, the pitches are good. I feel I have everything I need.
“I enjoy spending time with my girlfriend and family, we have nice walks in the park, play cards and games together and I enjoy this type of life.
“I have my family coming for Christmas and New Year, and I hope they will enjoy here and that we also have good results to have some extra Christmas cheer.
“I hope it’s going to be a great few weeks in my new home.
“I cannot wait to show them the training ground, the city, the stadium and for them to see the atmosphere. I hope there will be a lot to celebrate together.”
One man who has been key to Vipotnik’s adaptation to life in south Wales has been head coach Luke Williams.
Vipotnik acknowledges that his first few weeks were very hard as he adapted to the intensity required by the Swans boss with and without the ball.
For his part, Williams has always spoken of the need to be patient with the forward as he builds up fitness and form, and his stunning strike in the win at Derby underlined the coach’s belief in the ball-striking and finishing ability of his number nine.
When he joined the Swans, Vipotnik outlined the impressions that meetings with Williams and chairman Andy Coleman made on him as he mulled over his future in the summer, and he feels what he has promised in those discussions has very much been delivered on.
“I was told we would work hard, and I can tell you we definitely work hard,” says Vipotnik with a grin.
“We do a lot of work on finishing, which you might expect, but I love to do that work and all the details we focus on.
“The coaches really like to help me, I really appreciate this, and we are all motivated because we have to same aims and the same goals. We all want to improve and I think we are working well together.
“I think I have really improved my defensive work. I can say that in the last few years I did not have to do as much defensive work as I do here. But I am doing my best, and I want to help the team anyway I can because we are all one.
“I will be honest and say that at the start it was really, really tough, especially because I probably had one of the worst pre-seasons in my career!
“I did not get here in the best shape I would have wanted to be in, and the first two or three weeks was really tough. The rhythm of the game here, attacking and defending, is different and I found it hard. I would get home at the end of a day and just be really tired.
“But over time I have got fitter, I have got stronger and I think I have improved a lot. I still have to improve more.
“I think we are in a good place, and we have a good opportunity in these coming weeks to build some good results and momentum.”
Although football was always Vipotnik’s main passion, as a child he was also a keen tennis and basketball player, and those sports are passions which remain to this day.
He was born in the city of Celje, and was raised in Slovenske Konjice and his parents encouraged his love of sport.
“I have always loved football, but I always liked other sports too. It was not like I only thought about football,” he says.
“I started to train with a local football team when I was five, and it was always my main sport and priority, but I also trained at tennis and basketball.
“I really like tennis, if I had to choose another sport instead of football it would be tennis. But at the moment I enjoy following the NBA, we in Slovenia have one of the top three players in the world in Luka Doncic, so I follow the Dallas Mavericks.
“Nikola Jokic is also Balkan, the nations are close as he is Serbian. They are amazing to watch, they are playing next level.
“In tennis, I loved Rafael Nadal. He is a warrior. Look at all the injuries he had, he had bad knees, a bad foot injury and he kept coming back. I admired him so much.
“In football it was Cristiano Ronaldo. I started as a midfielder, but I became a striker and I started to look more at forwards and I always liked him and Robert Lewandowski, his touch and everything. I think they are some of the best in history.”
Vipotnik’s big break in football came when he was signed by Maribor, the now 16-time Slovenian top-flight winners and Champions League winners.
He progressed through to the under-19 team at the time that the Covid-19 pandemic hit. This was a tough time for Vipotnik, and it is interesting that – despite his excellent record in age-grade football - that he identifies Maribor’s decision to change first-team coaches in 2022, when Damir Krznar replaced Radovan Karanovic, as being a sliding doors moment in his career.
“I got signed by Maribor, and I had got to the under-19 team when Covid-19 hit,” recalls Vipotnik.
“I had scored a lot of goals in the academy and in the second half of the year I moved on loan to a team in the first division (Gorica). They were bottom at the time but it was my first experience to be away from home.
“In this way it was a good experience for me, but on the pitch it was not the best period as I did not play as a starter but I got some experience playing senior football in the top division as an 18-year-old. I was thankful for it, even thought it could have been better. I learned from it.
“I went back to Maribor and started some games in the first part of the season but I did not take the chance as I wanted, but I felt what it meant to be with the best club in the country. Again, in the second half of the season I moved on loan (Triglav Kranj) to a team in the second division who were looking to get promoted.
“The goal was to play and help them get promoted with my goals. I scored some goals, we got to the play-offs but we lost.
“I went back to Maribor again and the first three months of that next season were a disaster. I was third-choice striker, but we changed the coach and he came to me after training and told me he would give me an opportunity.
“I think it was October I made my first start, we lost 3-0 and it was one of my worst games. But, in the next game, I scored and it just took off from there. I scored a lot of goals, we came back to finish third and I proved a lot to myself.
“Maribor is a big club, they are used to being champions and playing in the Champions League. But I came through it and that season was the best I have had so far and I am so grateful to the coach and his staff for believing in me. Maybe I would not be here without it.”
From there, Vipotnik would move to Bordeaux in the French second tier, scoring 10 goals in 37 league appearances.
But his stint in France would have a very sad ending, although the Swans would ultimately benefit from it.
A club with a proud 143-year history, significant financial issues saw them relegated to the French third tier, the Girondins forego professional status and players see their contracts mutually terminated.
Viptonik continues to keep an eye out for the fortunes of his former club – who now have former Newcastle, Liverpool and England striker Andy Carroll on their books – and with some of the staff.
But, with a number of suitors for his services, he reveals how Swans chairman Coleman’s decision to visit him as he considered his future, played a key factor in him moving to south Wales.
“We were not the best team but I enjoyed it. Things were up and down on the pitch, and it was tough for a club with 140 years of history and then for it to end like it did,” says Vipotnik.
“That was horrible. Horrible for the players who did not know their futures, horrible for the fans who did not know if they would have a team to support, and for the staff who did not know if they would have jobs when some of them had worked there for 30 or 40 years.
“I still watch out for their results, I am glad to see they have had some good results, Andy Carroll has scored some goals for them. I am still in contact with some of the staff, the city is beautiful, lovely architecture and good wine, although I am not the biggest fan of wine!
“I have warm memories, and it was an historical city and club. I will always look out for them and I was happy with my first season playing outside Slovenia.
“The summer was difficult, but we had a meeting with me, my agent and the Swansea chairman.
“That was all it took. The meeting was amazing, I did not expect it. We spoke really normally, very honestly, not just about football but about life.
“There was a really good connection and conversation and, at the end of that meeting, for me the choice was made, the decision was done.
“Then I spoke to the coach and he just knew so much about me, he knew where I could fit into this team, he knew what I could bring and what I would need to do. It just impressed me so much. The decision was very easy.”
There have already been several highlights for Vipotnik during his time with the Swans.
His first goal against Preston back in August stands out, as does that finish at Derby.
But interestingly, given the opponents for this fixture, it is the reverse game at Kenilworth Road that stood out for Vipotnik when it comes to understanding how special a club Swansea City is.
“My first game at the stadium was a really nice experience, just getting to feel that atmosphere, and in my second game I scored which was a lovely moment,” he said.
“It was an important step for me and I really enjoyed it, but I have to say I also really enjoyed when we played Luton at their stadium.
“It is a special stadium, a different stadium. The game did not finish as we wanted, but we played really well in a tough situation and our fans made so much noise. It was incredible, and they travelled all that way in a storm.
“That makes you understand this is special. I am so thankful to be here."
DEFENDER SEBASTIAN DABROWSKI SIGNS NEW DEAL
Swansea City defender Sebastian Dabrowski has signed a new contract to extend his stay with the club.
The 19-year-old’s previous deal had been due to expire at the end of the current campaign, but he has agreed terms for the next two-and-a-half years, through to the summer of 2027.
The deal also includes the option to extend the left-back’s deal by a further 12 months.
Dabrowski was born in Koszalin, Poland, and moved to the United Kingdom at the age of two in 2007.
He joined Swansea in 2014 and has climbed through the ranks to become a regular and consistent performer for the club’s under-21 squad.
EVAN WATTS EXTENDS STAY WITH NEW CONTRACT
Goalkeeper Evan Watts has signed a new contract with Swansea City.
The 20-year-old has put pen to paper on a deal through to the summer of 2026, including an option to extend by a further 12 months.
Watts has been in fine form the club’s under-21s this season, and has regularly had the opportunity to train with the first-team squad over the opening months of the season.
Watts has been with Swansea since under-12 level, and shown tremendous character and resilience to continue his development after three years on the sidelines between 2019 and 2022.
He signed a first pro deal with the club in July 2023, and is a member of the Wales Under-21s squad.
BEN CABANGO DEAL GREAT NEWS FOR PLAYER AND CLUB, SAYS LUKE WILLIAMS
Head coach Luke Williams believes Ben Cabango’s decision to sign a new contract can only be good news for the player and for Swansea City.
The Wales international has put pen to paper on a deal through to the summer of 2028, having been due to be out of contract at the end of the current campaign with the news being announced on Christmas Eve.
Cabango, 24, has been in outstanding form for much of this season, and excelled again as Swansea kept a sixth clean sheet of the season in beating Queens Park Rangers 3-0 on Boxing Day.
And Williams feels the certainty of knowing where Cabango’s future lies is a great positive to take into 2025.
“It’s great news, and I think it showed in his performance that he had a clear mind. He was at his very best,” said Williams.
“He has not had a bad game this season, but there had been an edge missing because it is such a difficult moment, such a huge moment and we are so happy he has made the right decision.
“It showed on the pitch that he has that clear mind, he knows his future is committed to this club so it’s been a great couple of days.”
Gobeithio i chi i gyd gael Nadolig da a dedwydd. Ar ôl y fuddugoliaeth o 3-0 dros QPR ar Ddydd San Steffan, gobeithio y gallwn ni ddathlu'r Flwyddyn Newydd gyda buddugoliaethau heddiw yn erbyn Luton ac ar Ddydd Calan oddi cartref yn Portsmouth.
Mae'r Elyrch yn dechrau'r gêm heddiw yn y degfed safle yn y Bencampwriaeth, diolch i goliau Liam Cullen a Gonçalo Franco yma yn erbyn QPR ddydd Iau. Mae'r Cymro Cullen bellach wedi sgorio chwe gôl mewn wyth gêm gynghrair, ac yn mwynhau ei rôl newydd yn y tîm, wrth gynorthwyo gôl Franco hefyd.
Roedd sylwadau'r rheolwr Luke Williams ar ôl y gêm yn ddadlennol hefyd. Er ei fod yn hapus â'r "perfformiad ardderchog", meddai, fe gyfaddefodd fod yr Elyrch wedi bod yn "ofni" QPR, a pha mor uchel yn y tabl roedden nhw eu hunain wedi cyrraedd.
Ond mae'n ymddangos bod rhyw fath o seicoleg ar waith hefyd, wrth i Williams ddweud iddo fod yn absennol o'r ystafell newid cyn y gêm, gan adael yr anerchiad i'r capten Matt Grimes. "Roedd gan y perfformiad hwn Matt Grimes drwyddo fe," meddai. "Mae'n amhosib i fi feddwl y gallai fod gwell capten gen i o ran y ffordd dw i eisiau chwarae a sut mae'r cefnogwyr eisiau gweld eu tîm."
O ran y tîm cyfan, gellid dadlau'n hawdd iawn na ddylai tîm gyrhaeddodd y gemau ail gyfle mor ddiweddar â 2020-21 fod yn ofni'r fath sefyllfa.
Maen nhw wedi gorffen y tymhorau ers hynny'n bymthegfed (2021-22), yn ddegfed (2022-23) ac yn bedwerydd ar ddeg (2023-24) yn y tabl. Ond gyda pherchnogion newydd, sefydlogrwydd o ran y rheolwr ac ymdeimlad newydd o optimistiaeth, does dim rheswm pam na ddylai'r clwb fod yn edrych tua'r uchelfannau unwaith eto.
Does dim modd croesawu Luton heb sôn am y Cymro Tom Lockyer. Flwyddyn ar ôl cwympo'n ddiymadferth ar y cae yn dilyn ataliad ar y galon, roedd disgwyl i'r amddiffynnwr ddychwelyd i'r cae i dîm dan 21 Luton yr wythnos hon cyn iddo fe ddioddef anaf i'w ffêr. Mae'n rhyfeddol ei fod e wedi gwella i'r fath raddau nes ei fod yn ystyried chwarae eto, ac mae'n siwr fod pawb yn dymuno'n dda iddo fe.
Mae Luton, dan reolaeth y Cymro Rob Edwards, tua'r gwaelodion ac yn awyddus i daro'n ôl ar ôl y golled yn erbyn Bristol City. Mae'r gwybodusion yn dadlau bod angen iddyn nhw gryfhau'r garfan yn ystod ffenest drosglwyddo Ionawr.
Mae angen i'r Elyrch gryfhau hefyd. Ond ryw fân newidiadau fydd eu hangen ar Abertawe - mae Luke Williams eisoes wedi sôn am bwysigrwydd denu ymosodwr ac asgellwr ymosodol.
Gyda'r perchnogion newydd yn eu lle, a Ben Cabango newydd lofnodi cytundeb newydd hirddisgwyliedig hefyd, mae mwy o resymau nag arfer i deimlo bod pethau'n argoeli'n dda ar gyfer ail hanner y tymor. Blwyddyn Newydd Dda, yn wir.
Alun Rhys Chivers
So many fixtures in such a short space of time has tested my creative abilities to the limit.
I’m starting to understand the pressure players are under over Christmas when games come thick and fast.
After staring blankly at my laptop screen for half an hour wondering what to write ahead of today’s game, I went in search of inspiration in the form of chocolate.
As I struggled to get my nail under the almost impenetrable sticky tape that seals the top of those tubs of assorted chocolates, there was my inspiration staring me in the face.
Celebrations!
What better subject to write about in a football programme at this time of year?
Christmas is obviously a time of celebration. And when you think about it, for anyone associated with football, celebrations are the ultimate aim.
Whether they’re goals, wins, promotions, cup triumphs... we all hope to end up celebrating at some point.
Here at Swansea, we’ve enjoyed some truly iconic celebrations over the years.
Names like Curtis, Rodgers, Michu, Gomis and a certain duo by the name of Trundle and Tate, spring instantly to mind.
And that’s before I even start to think of some of the iconic fan celebrations we’ve seen, or my own personal outbursts of joy.
There is nothing quite like watching players, coaches, managers or fans completely lost in ecstatic celebration.
As far as players are concerned, I always think of Marco Tardelli’s iconic scream after scoring against West Germany in the 1982 World Cup final.
The Italian’s face as he sprinted away from scoring his side’s second goal in the 3-1 victory, painted the perfect portrait of what it must feel like to score for your country in the most important match in football.
Arms outstretched, fists pumping, eyes bulging, head shaking, Tardelli is completely lost in the moment.
We had our own version the year before when Alan Curtis scored the fifth goal against former club Leeds United in the Swans first game in the old First Division.
Following a brilliant run, Curtis smashed an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net at the old Double Decker end, right in front of the visiting fans who had been taunting him as a “Leeds reject”.
Curt wheeled away towards his adoring North Bank, fists raised and punching the air in delight. He was later quoted as saying: “If the gates had been open they would not have caught me. I would have been halfway down Mumbles Road.”
Instead, he leapt straight into the cradling arms of the late Robbie James, where he sat for a couple of seconds, kicking the air in glee before wriggling free and receiving the congratulations of his teammates.
It was the picture of sheer, unadulterated joy!
Talking of gates being open, I wonder if Brendan Rodgers would still be running now if the then-Liberty Stadium gates in the south west corner had been open back in 2011.
When Darren Pratley scored from halfway against Nottingham Forest to seal the Swans’ place in the Championship play-off final, the Swans boss famously set off down the touchline like a startled rabbit.
Today’s visitors will have fond memories of their own gaffer’s similar reaction to their side ensuring First Division survival at Manchester City in 1983.
At the end of Luton’s famous 1-0 win at Maine Road, David Pleat set off on a joyous, skipping, dancing run across the pitch, all the while trying to button up the jacket of his suit.
The Hatters’ boss later commented: “I was like a crazy kangaroo, wasn’t I?”
As well as famous Swans celebrations, we’ve also had a few infamous ones too.
When the final whistle went on our promotion clinching 1-0 win at Bury back in 2005, I’m sure goalkeeper Willy Gueret never thought he would find himself being marched to a police van in handcuffs just a few minutes later!
With the Jack Army on the pitch wanting to celebrate their heroes’ automatic promotion to League One, the players clambered up onto the roof of the directors’ box to join in the fun.
However, the local constabulary weren’t impressed and when Gueret refused to leave the party, the French keeper was marched away in what was left of his kit, having thrown most of it to the adoring fans.
Everything worked out in the end as Gueret was able to join his teammates on the coach trip home, where he even took the microphone to sing a song. His choice? ‘Please Release Me’, of course!
The following year saw the ‘Millennium Stadium incident’ involving Alan Tate and Lee Trundle after the Swans won the Football League Trophy in Cardiff.
It’s probably best not to go into too many details about the incident, but it’s fair to say that while the pair were reprimanded for their actions, they cemented their status as cult heroes with the Jack Army.
It just goes to show how the excitement of victory can sometimes get the better of all of us. Take away that spontaneity in celebrations and I think you lose something from the game.
I’ve never been a huge fan of the pre-planned, choreographed celebration, but I will give special dispensation to messers Michu and Gomis.
What I loved about Michu’s ear-cupping celebration was that it was so laid back, pretty much summing up the man himself.
The celebration stemmed from his days in Spain when Grenada fans taunted him after missing a penalty against them.
When Michu scored the winner in his next match against the club, he responded with the ‘I can’t hear you’ gesture towards the Grenada fans.
When the Spaniard moved to Swansea in 2012, the celebration came too, and even inspired an imitation from a young Erling Haaland, who idolised Michu during his time at the club.
However, even the laid back Michu could lose himself in his celebration on occasion as he developed a habit of kicking advertising hoardings after scoring, which didn’t do any favours to his troublesome ankle.
Meanwhile, Bafetimbi Gomis introduced a celebration the like of which had never been seen in Swansea when he unleashed his ‘Panther’ on unsuspecting opponents.
British fans soon got used to his prowling panther antics after finding he found the net 13 times for the Swans between 2014 and 2017.
An image of Gomis, immediately after his winner for the Swans against Manchester United in 2015, captured by Getty Images photographer Stuart Forster, was nominated for football picture of the year at the Sports Journalism Awards.
But when the striker moved to the Saudi League to play for champions Al-Hilal, not everyone was ready for his fearsome prowling panther.
After hitting the net in one match, Gomis launched into his usual routine, only to send a terrified ball boy scurrying away in fright! After the match, the French international sought out the youngster to give him a big hug and his match shirt.
With 19 goals having been scored in the last four matches here at the Swansea.com Stadium, there’s a good chance we’ll see a few more celebrations this afternoon.
As long as they’re all Swansea ones, it will be the perfect way to celebrate the end of 2024.
C’mon 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 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 Swansea City’s return to European competition in 2013.
Swansea City 4 Malmo 0 – Europa League play-off round, first leg – August 1 2013
The glorious League Cup success of the 2012-13 season had secured a place in European competition for the Swans for the first time in 22 years.
But, before they could advance to the Europa League group stage, they would need to get through a pair of play-off rounds and they were handed what looked a potentially-challenging tie when Malmo – one of Sweden’s strongest clubs with a proud European history – were drawn as their opposition
When the two teams ran out at the then Liberty Stadium, it was Swansea’s first exposure to continental football since an 8-0 defeat to Arsene Wenger’s Monaco in the old Cup Winners’ Cup, when the club were playing their trade in the old Third Division.
The outcome this time around would be very different. Wilfried Bony had arrived from Vitesse Arnhem for a club-record fee, while the likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Jose Canas and Alejandro Pozuelo also joining the club that summer.
Malmo were halfway through their domestic season but the Swans made by far the better start on a lovely August evening in SA1.
Shelvey was involved early on, dragging a shot wide while Nathan Dyer fired straight at the keeper from an Ashley Williams pass.
It felt like only a matter of time until the opener arrived, and it came when Wayne Routledge’s pass caused a slip in the Malmo defence and Michu advanced to calmly steer a low shot into the net.
The Swans led by that solitary goal at the break, but they quickly doubled their lead after the restart. Shelvey and Ben Davies found Routledge in space, and his cross allowed Bony to mark his debut with a goal as he planted a firm header into the back of the net.
The Ivorian soon had another, finishing from close range after Michu’s initial shot had beaten the keeper but come back off the post.
Swansea were in total command and they would wrap up the scoring, and put one foot in the next round, after a flowing move ended with the ball falling for Pozuelo to caress the ball into the back of the net as the Swans returned to European action in style.
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!
We’ve had such a busy few days with games here at the Swansea.com Stadium … and we love it!
What are you doing in the school holidays? We went ice skating yesterday and it’s a good job Cyril has wings otherwise he would have fallen over … lot!
Our prediction for today’s match is a 3-2 win and we think Harry Darling, Eom and Franco will score!
Today’s quiz is a random selection of five questions to test what you know!
Let us know how you get on using #JuniorJacks on social media!
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
23 Cyrus Christie
25 Myles Peart-Harris
26 Kyle Naughton
29 Nathan Broome
31 Ollie Cooper
32 Nelson Abbey
33 Jon McLaughlin
35 Ronald
36 Ben Lloyd
37 Aimar Govea
40 NUMBER RETIRED
41 Sam Parker
42 Evan Watts
43 Dan Watts
47 Azeem Abdulai
50 Filip Lissah
Head coach Rob Edwards
1 James Shea
2 Reuell Walters
3 Amari’i Bell
4 Tom Lockyer ©
5 Mads Andersen
6 Mark McGuinness
7 Victor Moses
8 Tom Krauss
9 Carlton Morris
10 Cauley Woodrow
11 Elijah Adebayo
13 Marvelous Nakamba
14 Tahith Chong
15 Teden Mengi
16 Reece Burke
17 Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu
18 Jordan Clark
19 Jacob Brown
20 Liam Walsh
23 Tim Krul
24 Thomas Kaminski
25 Joe Taylor
26 Shandon Baptiste
27 Daiki Hashioka
29 Tom Holmes
37 Zack Nelson
38 Joe Johnson
45 Alfie Doughty
Referee - Farai Hallam
Assistant Referee 1 - Mark Russell
Assistant Referee 2 - James Wilson
Fourth Official - James Linington
STAFF LIST
Chairman - Andy Coleman
Honorary Club President - Alan Curtis MBE
Directors
Andy Coleman, Brett Cravatt, Jason Cohen, George Popstefanov, Chris Sznewajs, Tyler Morse, Nigel Morris, Todd Marcelle, Martin Morgan, Paul Meller, 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
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 Media & Communications: Kieran Watkins
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 Swansea City AFC Foundation: Paul France
Club Ambassador: Lee Trundle
PROGRAMME PRODUCTION
Contributors: Andrew Gwilym, Rachael Tucker, Cerith White, Jack Otter, Sophie Davis, Mackenzie Squires, Dom Hynes, Sammy Wynne, Hayley Ford, Owen Morgan, Gwyn Rees, Julie Kissick, Alun Rhys Chivers.
Designers: Callum Rothwell, Lewis Ward
Jordan Morcom.
Photography: Athena Picture Agency,
Natalie John-Davis, Alamy.