Good evening everyone and welcome back to the Swansea.com Stadium.

On behalf of Anne and our entire family, I’d like to thank each and every one of you for the warm welcome you have given us since our arrival into this wonderful community.

We are proud to call this our home.

Tonight’s game is our second in the space of just a few days as the 2023-24 season gets up and running.

With attention now turning to the Carabao Cup, it’s important to reflect on last Saturday’s game against Birmingham.

I would like to say how fantastic the atmosphere was, both inside and outside the stadium.

It was amazing to meet so many supporters over at the fan zone, and start getting to know everyone here who is so passionate about our club.

Inside the stadium, the pre-match tribute to Morgan Ridler was such a touching moment from both sets of fans as we remembered the life of a special little boy.

The support you gave Michael and the players was great, and the energy from the stands certainly fed onto the players throughout the game, which made for a very entertaining start to the season.

Finally, I’d like to offer a warm welcome to the directors, staff, players and fans from Northampton who have made the trip to Wales for tonight’s game.

Andy

 

 

Good evening and welcome to the Swansea.com Stadium for our Carabao Cup meeting with Northampton Town.

It has been a quick turnaround from our first league game against Birmingham, but we are looking to build on the positives of that performance, and improve on the areas we need to work on.

I was really pleased with the spirit and togetherness the players showed. When you are a goal behind with time ticking away you can start to think that it’s not going to be your day.

But I never sensed that in our team, the players kept going and kept knocking on the door and got the goal.

We finished the game really strongly, we looked really fit as a team, and at the end up I had mixed emotions, especially when you consider we hit the bar, had a goal disallowed and were denied a winner by a couple of goal-line clearances.

It was a pretty even game overall, but I felt like we did just enough to shade it and take all three points.

There are areas to improve on, too. The manner in which we conceded the goal was really disappointing, and those are the sorts of situations we really should be avoiding.

Moments like that are about game management, and we made a series of decisions that put us into a situation we didn’t need to be in.

But this is a transitional phase we are in, there are new ideas and new players and it takes time for everything to slot into place and, as I’ve already said, I thought there were plenty of positives to take.

We’ve had a couple of days to recover, to assess the players on the back of Saturday, and whatever team takes the field tonight, we will be going out there looking to win and work our way through the rounds in this competition.

We will face a Northampton side who will relish the opportunity to take us on in our backyard, and we need to approach this game with a real good attitude and energy.

Enjoy the game,

Michael

 

 

It’s hard to believe that it is only August 8 and we are already attending our second home game of the season.

Tonight, we welcome Northampton Town, who I have yet to see us win against whilst watching live, in a first-round Carabao Cup fixture.

It could be argued that it is way too early in the summer for the football season to be starting. Some seats in the ground will be empty tonight while many Jacks are on their holidays, or are enjoying the summer sports on offer.

Whatever our feelings about the summer break becoming shorter each year, it is very pleasing to see the club have not been resting on their laurels and have been proactive in the transfer market.

This means our new head coach Michael Duff will have time to work with the squad and hopefully we can get off to a good start this year.

Like the manager, it appears that we are developing a side of hungry, young talent, who want to be at Swansea City and who buy in to what our club represents.

We would like to offer a warm croeso to Carl Rushworth, Josh Ginnelly, Josh Key, Jerry Yates, Mykola Kuharevich and Harrison Ashby. You are now Swansea Jacks and should have no doubt the Jack Army will be right behind you.

It is also only right that we say goodbye to the players and coaching staff who left the club in the summer and wish them well for the future.

In addition to the new faces on the pitch, the Supporters’ Trust has welcomed a new board member in Justine Davies. We know that Justine will be a great asset to the board and the Trust as a whole, because she shares the values of every board member of working for the long-term, greater good of the Trust and the club as a whole.

In the coming days we will also announce the names of your Trust officers for the next 12 months, and we will also confirm the names of our co-opted board members. Look out for those announcements from our chairman, Dave Dalton

One long-term decision that the Trust board has made in the past year is to implement a more efficient renewal system for members, and we are delighted that it has been a roaring success.

Despite a couple of minor teething problems, with some duplicate emails being sent out, the digitalised method has made the renewal process much more efficient for members and the board.

Members can still renew by post or by visiting the Trust Pod on match days, and we will still accept payments by cash, card and cheque. We are an inclusive society and every member of the Jack Army is very welcome and encouraged to join the Supporters’ Trust.

By doing so you could have a voice in the running of our club, and be involved in some of the exciting initiatives that are lined up for the rest of the Trust calendar. Again, look out for updates throughout the season, or come and have a chat with us at the Pod on a matchday to find out more.

We are delighted to renew our 1990s play-off rivalry with the Cobblers from the East Midlands. Seriously, that John Frain free-kick at Wembley back in 1997 should never have been retaken.

Maybe it’s time to let that go and look to the future with the squad that Duff has built.

Enjoy the game.

YJBs

 

Matthew’s House and Swansea City AFC Foundation are hosting a Swans Big Sleep Out on Friday, November 17 2023.

The event aims to raise awareness of homelessness and some of its causes, such as isolation and deprivation. These are issues which face so many in our community in Swansea.

Sleeping out for one night is no comparison to the real thing, but it does give a better understanding of what some people are dealing with every day.

The Foundation are 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.

Going into the winter months with nights are getting longer, darker, and colder charities such as Matthew's House are more in demand than ever. This is just the right time to give these organisations the boost they need.

Thom Lynch, Matthew's House project leader, said: "This event is crucial in so many ways for us at Matthew's House. It helps to raise awareness of some of the complicated realities of homelessness and in particular sleeping rough, and it also highlights the work we do so that more people in the city can get involved.

“We have missed taking part in the sleepout for the last three years at Swansea City Football Club and cherish the support from their team.

“We have learnt from seven years of supporting people in Swansea that working with the city is always better when it's bringing friends and partners together. This event does exactly that."

Paul France, head of Swansea City AFC Foundation, added: "Swansea City AFC Foundation has a mission to use Swansea City as a force for positive change.

“This event, in partnership with a wonderful charity partner Matthew’s House, will hopefully raise much needed funds to help make a positive change in how we support homeless people in Swansea. Funds raised will also support the Foundation’s new programme which will be working with people and families affected by addiction, one of the main causes of homelessness.”  

You can find out more information about the event HERE.

Jerry Yates marked his Swansea City debut with a goal as Michael Duff’s side came from behind to draw with Birmingham City on the opening day of the season at the Swansea.com Stadium.

The Swans had followed the head coach’s request for an energetic showing during an opening half they had the better of, only to trail to Siriki Dembele’s goal on the stroke of half-time.

But the hosts kept pushing after the break and got their reward when a superb pass from captain Matt Grimes put in sequence the move for Yates’ close-range effort as the spoils were shared at the end of an entertaining contest.

There were four debutants in the Swansea team, as new signings Carl Rushworth, Harrison Ashby, Josh Key and Yates were all named in the starting line-up.

Swansea City: Carl Rushworth; Harry Darling, Ben Cabango, Nathan Wood; Harrison Ashby (Azeem Abdulai 69), Jay Fulton, Matt Grimes (captain), Jamie Paterson (Liam Cullen 69), Josh Key; Joel Piroe, Jerry Yates.

Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Joe Allen, Josh Ginnelly, Brandon Cooper, Mykola Kuharevich, Kyle Naughton, Ollie Cooper.

Birmingham City: John Ruddy, Ethan Laird (Marcel Oakley 70), Lee Buchanan, Dion Sanderson (captain), Kevin Long, Scott Hogan (Lukas Jutkiewicz 84), Krystian Bielik, Tyler Roberts (Jordan James 60), Keshi Anderson (Juninho Bacuna 84), Ivan Sunjic, Siriki Dembele (Koji Miyoshi 84).

Unused Substitutes: Neil Etheridge, Alfie Chang, Sam Cosgrove, Emmanuel Longelo.

Referee: James Linington

His loan move may have been one of the worst kept secrets in football, but Harrison Ashby is excited to be at Swansea City for what he knows is going to be an important season in his career.

Here, he talks about why the move to SA1 was so attractive, and how a certain Flynn Downes' enthusiasm for this club also played a part in him joining the Swans.

 

 

Harrison Ashby is determined to make a positive impact at Swansea City and considers his move to SA1 to be the ideal platform to show what he can do.

The right-back joined Newcastle United in January after spending the early part of his career at West Ham United, and – after six months with the Toon – is raring to go in the Championship after agreeing a season-long loan with the Swans.

The 21-year-old is highly-rated and travelled with Newcastle for their pre-season trip to the USA in the Premier League Summer Series, where he made two appearances and started against Brighton and Hove Albion.

And, while he believes training alongside his Magpies teammates has helped him improve his game immeasurably, he’s now determined to show what he’s about in senior football.

“It’s a massive opportunity for me, so to finally be here after a good trip in the US is great,” said Ashby.

“I’m feeling fit and ready and I’m ready to go at it. The facilities are top here so it can’t get much better.

“The conversation with Michael Duff convinced me this was the right place for me. It's everything that I want in terms of style of play, it suits me.

“I’m a right-back or full-back. I can play left-back, which I know some people will be happy to hear!

“I’m feel I’m very attacking. Scoring goals is what everyone wants to do in football and since a young age, I’ve always wanted to score goals. I started off as a number 10, so scoring goals and assisting is something that I want to do.

“I want to bring that to my game here.

“The Championship is one of the biggest leagues in the world so this is a massive step in my career. If I can bring some glory to Swansea at the same time, then that’s a perfect match.”

 

 

Swansea City was a destination Ashby knew all about from friend and former West Ham teammate Flynn Downes.

The midfielder had an excellent season in SA1 before his move to the Hammers, and Downes had left Ashby in no doubt that he would relish a spell with the Swans.

“Literally, since the day Flynn arrived in West Ham there wasn’t a day he didn’t speak about the time he had at Swansea, which is a good thing,” he explained.

“He said he loved his time here and it’s probably one of the reasons why I accepted the move really, just from him saying it was one of the best places he’d been.

“For me, that means it must be something good, so he’ll be happy for me anyway.”

Football is something that runs in the family for Ashby. His father Barry made more than 500 career appearances with spells at Watford, Brentford and Gillingham.

He hung up his boots in 2005, but he has been one of the key influences in his son’s football career to date.

“Since the day I started playing football, my dad has been the most harsh critic, but him being there and knowing what it’s taken to get to that point has helped me massively, because he’s been there and done it," he added.

“Whenever I’ve had problems, he’s been the one to push me on and help me get to where I am today.

“As soon as Swansea came knocking, he said a pretty big yes. He knows his stuff, he’s an agent now so he has to know everything, so as soon as Swansea came knocking he was like 'yes, you should definitely seriously consider that one'.

“I think it’s really, really important to get those senior games on your CV. To get as many games as possible, I’ve got to keep myself fit and ready - that is massively important for my career.

“To be at such a great club and do it here, I’m buzzing for it.”

 

 

Enter our competition to be in with a chance of winning Harrison Ashby's signed shirt.

 

 

 

Swansea City Under-21s progressed to the third round of the Nathaniel MG Cup with a slick performance in victory over Caerau Ely at The Old Road.

Former Briton Ferry man Mitchell Bates opened the scoring at his old stomping ground, with Kyrell Wilson adding a second for the Swans in the first half.

Ten minutes into the second period, Welsh striker Iwan Morgan continued his fine form by grabbing his third goal of the tournament so far. 

Caerau Ely had closed the gap to two goals after a curling strike from James Williams, but it merely proved a late consolation.

The Swans made a slick start, pressing high through the pace of Liam Smith and Wilson. 

And they did not have to wait long to take the lead as Bates’ ball down the middle deceived the keeper and the ball rolled into the net.

Swansea threatened again seconds later, Joel Cotterill driving upfield to find Wilson, whose shot was blocked away for a throw-in.  

They twice worked Wilson in down the right-hand side but the 18-year-old saw his attempted balls to Morgan cut out.

But the Swans did double their lead approaching the half-hour mark.

 

 

The goal came via a superb move with Sam Parker the instigator, driving infield and linking with Wilson, who chipped the ball over the Ely keeper from close range. 

The game became stop-start with a few niggly challenges from each side, one of which saw Wilson go into the referee’s book.  

Caerau Ely saw a header cleared off the line from a corner a few moments before the interval, but the Swans retained their two-goal lead at the break.

The young Swans started the second period with control in the Ely half, and it led to the third goal of the afternoon for the men in white. 

A clever mazy run from skipper Cotterill took play into the box, and his delivery found Morgan in stride for the tap in.

However, the Cardiff-based outfit were able to respond as Williams found the net with a curling effort that was just beyond the reaches of Evan Watts in the Swansea goal.

Tom McLean's header nearly set up a frantic finish as he glanced wide, before Kian Jenkins saw a deflected strike head straight into the gloves of Rhys Jones.

Josh Carey then sent a great ball across the six-yard box that just evaded Morgan, but the hosts still ran out winners to advance to the next stage.

Swansea City Under-21s: Evan Watts, Sam Parker (Cameron Llewellyn 72), Kian Jenkins, Joel Cotterill (Captain), Kai Ludvigsen, Richard Faakye, Kyrell Wilson (Maliq Cadogan 45), Mitchell Bates (Aimar Govea 72), Iwan Morgan, Filip Lissah (Josh Carey 60) , Liam Smith (Thomas Woodward 72)

Unused Substitutes: Remy Mitchell, Ben Blythe.

DOB

25/02/2004

Position.

Winger.

Left Footed or Right Footed.

Right.

Nationality (according to UEFA).

English and Jamaican.

Signed for the Swans.

Summer 2023.

Previous clubs.

Crystal Palace, AFC Wimbledon, Leatherhead FC.

What is your best memory in a Swans shirt?

Signing for the club.

What is your favourite thing about Swansea?

The beaches

Who is your football idol?

Neymar

What is your favourite film?

Law Abiding Citizen.

Who is your favourite music artist?

Lil Baby.

What is your cheat meal?

Pizza after a match, or a Chinese. 

What subject were you best at in school?

Geography.

An item on your football bucket list.

Play in the Champions League.

A stadium you’d love to visit (as a player or fan).

Nou Camp.

Your first football memory.

Playing in a park at a trial for AFC Wimbledon when I was four years old.

First football shirt you owned.

An Arsenal top, it had my name on the back.

Other football positions you've played.

Centre-midfield, number 10, right wing, striker, right wing-back, there have been a few to be fair!

Any other sports?

Table tennis, I got into darts about a year ago. I’ll give them a good go! 

Preferred shirt number.

Eleven, it was Neymar’s number back in the day

Favourite computer game.

Call of Duty because FIFA is too easy for me now.

Aim for the season ahead?

Hopefully make my senior debut for the Swans.

Who is the most famous person you’ve met?

Patrick Vieira, he was my gaffer at Crystal Palace.

An interesting fact about you.

I’m the best in the squad at FIFA, we’ve proven it too because we’ve had tournaments!

 

Swansea City Ladies suffered a narrow defeat to Plymouth Argyle in their third pre-season outing.

Argyle went ahead with a long-range strike from Charlotte Whitmore at Landore, before Stacey John-Davis levelled with a neat finish inside the six-yard box.

The visitors were soon ahead once again through Whitmore, a long ball over the top allowing the Plymouth forward to round the keeper and tap home.

A second-half strike from Chloe Chivers would make it 2-2, as she found the top corner from 30 yards out, but a late goal from Whitmore - completing her hat-trick - would see Plymouth snatch the win.

The Swans started the game well, John-Davis bursting into space before pulling back to Katy Hosford, who fired just over the bar.

But it would be the visitors who would break the deadlock, Whitmore firing from the edge of the box to beat Chelsea Herbert.

Six minutes later the Swans would be level, John-Davis converting a cross from Nieve Jenkins to pick up her fourth goal of pre-season.

The Swans came close to taking the lead, Chivers finding space down the lift and picking out Jenkins in the box, but her effort was fired over.

But instead it was Argyle who would go ahead once again before the break, Whitmore netting once again as she burst through and rounded the goalkeeper for a simple finish.

However, Chivers would pull the Swans level in the second half, a stunning strike giving the Plymouth goalkeeper no chance.

But a late goal from Whitmore to seal her hat-trick was enough to ensure Argyle came out on top.

Nickname
Chivers.

Date of birth
29/04/1999

Nationality
Welsh.

What position do you play?
Winger.

Which is your preferred foot?
Both. 

Clubs you played for before joining Swansea City?
Cwmbran, Celtic, Cardiff City Ladies, Oxford United.

When did you sign for the Swans?
In 2018.

What is your best moment in a Swansea City shirt?
Scoring in the Champions League.

What is your favourite thing about playing for Swansea City?
Playing with top-class players.

Who is your football idol?
Steven Gerrard.

What is the first position you played in football?
Striker.

What is your first memory of football (either watching or playing)?
Kicking a ball in the garden with my brother, bamp and uncle.

What is the first football shirt you owned?
Controversial, but an England kit was bought for me when I was young.

Do you have any pre-match rituals or superstitions?
I listen to some upbeat music to get into game mode.

What is your full-time occupation?
Student.

What is an interesting fact about you?
I can do the worm. I don’t know if that’s interesting!

Do you play any other sports?
When I was young, I played rugby, netball and rounders, but I gave them all up to focus on playing football.

What is something that is on your bucket list?
I’d like to visit Australia.

What is your favourite film?
Indiana Jones (all of them!)

Who is your favourite music artist?
Too many to name!

What is the best TV series you’ve watched?
Prison Break.

What is the best concert you’ve been to?
I’ve only ever been to one concert and that was Ed Sheeran.

What was your favourite subject in school?
PE – that’s a pretty standard response for a footballer.

Do you play computer games? If so, which ones?
I love FIFA and Fortnite.

 ANDRE ONANA

I played against him when I played Ajax.
I scored against him!

DENZEL DUMFRIES

We played together at PSV.

FRENKIE DE JONG

PABLO ROSARIO

I can’t have a team without him!

CODY GAKPO

 

FAVOURITE SONG

Bobby McFerrin, Don't Worry, Be Happy

 

FAVOURITE ARTIST

Vybz Kartel

 

FAVOURITE ALBUM

Drake, Thank Me Later

 

BEST CONCERT YOU'VE ATTENDED

Drake

 

 

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.radiocity1389am.co.uk. To learn more about accessible facilities at the stadium, please click here.

 

INCLUSION ROOM

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.

STAFF LIST

Chairman - Andy Coleman
Honorary Club President - Alan Curtis

Directors

Jason Levien, Andy Coleman, Nigel Morris, Brett Cravatt, Jake Silverstein, Sam Porter, Martin Morgan, Sian Davies (supporter director), Romie Chaudhari, Bobby Hernreich, Gareth Davies.

Director of Business and Legal Affairs: Sam Porter.
Associate Directors: Ceri Stone.

FIRST-TEAM STAFF

Head Coach – Michael Duff

Assistant Head Coaches - Alan Sheehan and Martin Paterson

Head of Goalkeeping – Martyn Margetson

First Team Coach - Kris O'Leary

Head of Performance – Tom Barnden

Head of Medical - Dr Jez McCluskey

Staff: Ailsa Jones, Bethany Chaddock, Matt Murray, Thomas Gittoes, Michael Eames, Shaun Baggridge, Connor Lawley, Jonathan Jones, Jono Aveston, Jake Dayus.

SENIOR MANAGEMENT GROUP

Paul Watson (Sporting Director); Andrew Davies (Head of Operations, Facilities & Development);
Gareth Davies (CFO);
James Chiffi (Head of Wellbeing & Development);
Josh Marsh (Head of Football Operations).

CLUB STAFF

Club Secretary: Ben Greenwood
Football Operations &
Administration Manager: Rebecca Gigg
Head of Retail: Andrea Morris
Head of Hospitality & Customer Services: Catherine Thomas
Head of Safeguarding: Rebeca Storer
HR Manager: Nicola Butt
Senior Commercial Sponsorship Manager:  Lee Merrells
Head of Commercial:
Richard Morris
Head of Media & Communications:
Ben Donovan
Ticket Office Manager: Lewis Bullen
Operations & Events Manager:
Lee Davidson
Facilities Manager: Gordon David
Grounds Manager: Evan Davies
Disability Access Officer: Catherine Thomas
Head of Swansea City AFC Foundation: Paul France
Club Ambassador: Lee Trundle

PROGRAMME PRODUCTION

Contributors: Ben Donovan, Andrew Gwilym, Sophie Davis, Hayley Ford, Fraser Dickson, Rachael Tucker, Cerith White, Rhys Kemish, Dom Hynes.

Designers: Callum Rothwell,
Jordan Morcom, Lewis Ward
Photography: Athena Picture Agency,
Natalie John-Davis, Alamy.