Good afternoon and welcome back to the Swansea.com Stadium for today’s game against Norwich City.

This afternoon marks our first competitive game back in the Championship following the enforced break for the FIFA World Cup.

I’d like to start my programme notes by saying how proud we are as a club to have had representation out in Qatar. Joe Allen, Ben Cabango and Ollie Cooper were all part of the Wales contingent, while it was also brilliant to see Olivier Ntcham feature for Cameroon in their final group game against Brazil.

Joe, Ben and Ollie were joined by Joe Rodon, Ben Davies, Connor Roberts and Daniel James in the Wales squad, who are all part of the Swansea City academy alumni.

To have such representation on the biggest sporting stage of all was an amazing moment for the club and one we should be extremely proud of.

Despite the four-week break since our trip to Huddersfield on November 12, it has been a busy period with a lot of activity.

While the first-team enjoyed a positive training camp in Scotland, the Swansea.com Stadium played host to Swansea City Ladies for a second time last weekend as they took on Cardiff City Women. It was another fantastic occasion as we continue to strive to improve and grow women’s domestic football in Wales.

We have now launched our half-season tickets for the remainder of this campaign, which will be valid from our home game against Watford on December 30. There are savings to be made against match-by-match ticket purchases, and you can find out more and purchase one HERE. Your support makes a difference, and I can’t praise your loyalty and support enough during these uncertain economic times, so thank you.

It was also great to see the return of the Supporters’ Trust annual bowling night, which took place last month. The event saw Russell Martin and the players interacting with fans at Superbowl UK, with more than £2,000 raised in aid of our chosen charity, Noah’s Ark, and the Swansea City AFC Foundation.

The festive period is now in full swing and we will be engaging with our local community with several initiatives in the coming days and weeks. The ‘Food for Thought’ campaign - launched in conjunction with Swansea City AFC Foundation and The Wave - has collected more than 800 meals for a Trussell Trust foodbank located at St Thomas' church in the city.

Supporters donated 341.5kg of food and products, equating to 813 meals, with staff delivering the items to the foodbank and providing a welcome boost in these challenging times.

Finally, I’d like to welcome the management, players, supporters and directors from Norwich City who have made the long trip to Wales for today’s game.

Thank you all for your fantastic support so far this season and I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas.

Enjoy the game,

Julian

Good afternoon and welcome to the Swansea.com Stadium for our return to Championship action against Norwich City.

It’s hard to believe it has been five long weeks since we last played in front of you all on home soil, and I know as a group we are excited to be getting our campaign under way again following the break for the World Cup in Qatar.

It was fantastic for us as a football club to have four players away with their respective nations, and I have no doubt Joe Allen, Ben Cabango, Ollie Cooper and Olivier Ntcham will all return better for the experience.

Not many players can say they have travelled to a World Cup with their country, and Joe and Olivier are in an even smaller group who have played for their nation on the game’s biggest stage.

We are incredibly proud of them, and they are all going to have a massive part to play for us over the remainder of the season.

While the guys were away on international duty, we got in plenty of good work at Fairwood and at our training camp in Scotland.

After a few days of rest, everyone returned to work with real enthusiasm, and we got a lot out of the break on and off the pitch.

The two games in Scotland were really positive for us, there was plenty of good stuff, but also a lot to work on.

I feel we have come through this period with real clarity on the challenges we are going to face, and what we need to do to build on the good run we had before the World Cup, when we took 22 points from 12 games and lost just two of them.

We restart the season with a tough test against Norwich, a club I know well from my nine years there.

I had some fantastic times at Carrow Road, and I will always be grateful for the period I spent there and the successes we had.

But that chapter of my life is closed now, and my focus will be on ensuring we deliver a positive performance and give ourselves the best chance of a result.

We know we face a squad full of players with experience of securing promotion from this division, and with experience of playing in the Premier League.

With parachute payments, they operate at a different level to us financially, but we believe we have something that allows us to make up for that in our identity and philosophy as a club.

If the players show the courage and belief we have seen from them consistently this season, then I have every confidence we will be able to make the game look like we want it to and give you a performance to be proud of.

Finally, with this being our final home game before the festive period, I’d like to take the opportunity to wish all our supporters a very Merry Christmas. Hopefully we can give you an early present with a positive result this afternoon.

Enjoy the game,

Russ

Good afternoon and welcome to everyone joining us from around the world for this afternoon’s Championship fixture against Norwich City at the Swansea.com Stadium.

It’s been a month since we were last in action but it’s been a very productive period for us as a team, both on and off the pitch.

We had a brilliant week in Scotland with two positive games against Hearts and Dundee United and we don’t feel we could have utilised the break any better.

It was a fantastic experience for Joe Allen, Ben Cabango, Ollie Cooper and Olivier Ntcham to represent Wales and Cameroon respectively in the World Cup, it’s something they can be incredibly proud of to represent their country on the biggest stage.

They’re all back in Swansea and have trained well this week, so they will be ready to contribute for the rest of the season, with them all playing a massive part in our squad.

This afternoon’s game will be a real tough test against an experienced Norwich side, with a lot of the squad having previously secured promotion from the Championship, as well as having played in the Premier League.

We’ve prepared well and if we approach the game with the bravery we know we possess then we are confident we will perform well and turn the game into a game we want it to be.

It’s a game we’re really looking forward to and we can’t wait to get back out in front of the Jack Army after so long without a game.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to wish all our supporters a Merry Christmas as it’s our last home game before the festive period. We’re looking forward to seeing so many of you at the games during that time.

Enjoy the game today!

Welcome back to the Swansea.com Stadium for today’s game against what will be formidable opposition in Norwich City.

It is great to be back at home watching the Swans after the mid-season World Cup in Qatar. Sadly, the Welsh team couldn’t achieve the success that many in Wales will have hoped for, but tournament football is challenging and the boys will have learnt many valuable lessons.

Despite the on-field results not meeting our collective hopes, we are so proud that a number of current Swans players, and a host of former players, were a core part of the Wales team in Qatar.

This speaks to the tremendous work done to develop and nurture players in SA1 through our brilliant academy, and is something that we know the fanbase take great pride in. We’d also like to congratulate Olivier Ntcham on representing Cameroon at the tournament, as well.

At home we continued our work as a Trust. There was the return of the bowling night where we invited fans and Trust members to an evening with some of their favourite Swans players.

Over £2,200 was raised on the night, which will be split between two fabulous organisations, the Swans Foundation and the club’s charity partner for the season, Noah’s Ark.

We recognise the role that the Trust can play in supporting and developing the local community, and are working on a number of other events and initiatives for 2023. This is just a part of our role, and we continue to work closely with the club on a number of issues that affect the fans.

Remember, it’s never too late to join the Trust and you can do so today for as little as £5. Our members get early access to these events, as well as opportunities to submit questions to the club’s senior management, free entry into prize draws, and more.

As we close in on the end of 2022, it’s a time for reflection, both individual and as an organisation. We continue to learn lessons, grow, and improve the way we operate – our Board are all volunteers who give up their free time to help advance the interests of their fellow fans.

The role of the Trust necessitates that we have knowledge, experience, and insights across most areas of running a football club so that we can have constructive and productive engagement with the club.

We are always looking to improve however, and if you think you have something to offer and are looking to make a difference in 2023, why not send us an email (info@swanstrust.co.uk) and get involved. We’d be delighted to hear from you.

We’d like to welcome the Norwich supporters today, who will be making a 600-mile round trip. We know all too well the amount of time and money that following a team across the country can involve, as the Jack Army travel more than most for away fixtures.

Five of our next seven games will be away from home, but we know that the Jack Army will represent us well on the road as always.

As this is our last home game before Christmas, we would like to take this opportunity to wish all members of the Jack Army a wonderful festive period. Hopefully the boys can put on a show today and bring us all an early Christmas present in the form of three points. 

Enjoy the game.

The Everyone Deserves a Christmas launch event in Swansea market collected over £800 as the campaign began its fundraising drive.

Now in its sixth year, the campaign aims to provide festive cheer to those who require an extra helping hand at Christmas time by delivering at least 500 food hampers worth £50 each to those who need it most across Swansea.

Bucket collectors, including staff from the Swansea City AFC Foundation and club ambassador Lee Trundle, helped collect funds, with Mal Pope and a local choir performing in the market.

In addition to the £802.60 raised in the market, Nationwide had pledged to match the donation, with collections continuing until the hamper packing days on December 21 and 22.

Further sizeable donations from Peter Lynn and Andrew D'auria Solutions Ltd took the total that will eventually be donated to over £2,400.

A bucket collection is also taking place at the Swansea.com Stadium ahead of today's game against Norwich City.

After all the anticipation and expectation, Wales’ World Cup is over and we’re back to Championship action.

Joe Allen, Ben Cabango and Ollie Cooper all travelled with Rob Page’s contingent to Qatar, while Olivier Ntcham joined the Cameroon squad.

Allen and Ntcham both featured for their countries in what is the world’s most popular sporting event. Their appearances place them among football’s elite and helped to put our club on the global stage.

Russell Martin has already expressed his pride in all four players and I’m sure we as fans concur.

It was another of those ‘pinch me’ moments to see our players and hear our club’s name being mentioned at the most prestigious event in football.

No doubt all of them will have benefitted greatly from the experience and return determined to continue to make their mark back home.

I watched Allen’s appearances against Iran and England with a combination of pride and terror – it was both nerve-racking and joy-inducing to see him back on the pitch.

He’s a game-changer and a fit Allen can have a huge impact on this league for the remainder of the campaign.

Clearly, the 32-year-old will have been assessed on his return to Fairwood and we all want to see him back in a Swansea City shirt as soon as possible.

How quickly that will happen remains to be seen, but we’re all rooting for sooner rather than later, because every game is a big one between now and the end of the season and our big players will be vital to furthering the cause.

And the challenge to make every one of those games count begins back at the Swansea.com Stadium this afternoon as the gaffer gets to welcome his former club, Norwich City.

Martin spent nine years with the Canaries, and his name is synonymous with some of the most successful periods in the club’s recent history.

He captained the side at Wembley in 2015 in the Championship play-off final, where a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough returned them to the Premier League.

He played 125 top-flight games in yellow and green and was nicknamed ‘the Norfolk Cafu’ by Canaries fans for his performances at right-back.

But four years ago he left having had his contract terminated by mutual consent. Football isn’t for the faint-hearted.

Majority shareholder and celebrity cook Delia Smith was quoted on the club website at the time, offering her best wishes and stating her sadness at his departure.

Her comments were somewhat prophetic: "He's an all-round lovely person and he's very talented. He will be a manager one day because he's just the right person to be a manager.”

And not long after he left Norwich he was just that, first at Milton Keynes Dons and now with us.

No doubt there will be plenty of friendly reunions taking place ahead of kick-off this afternoon as eighth-place host fifth, but once the whistle goes three points are all that matters to either side. 

Welcome back, Jacks. Let’s hope the second half of the season keeps us all smiling.

GOALS FROM RYAN MANNING AND JOEL PIROE HELPED SWANSEA CITY COME FROM 2-0 DOWN TO EARN A POINT AGAINST WIGAN ATHLETIC IN THEIR FINAL HOME MATCH BEFORE THE WORLD CUP.

Swansea City: Steven Benda; Joel Latibeadiere (captain), Nathan Wood, Ben Cabango (Kyle Naughton 63); Armstrong Oko-Flex (Jamie Paterson 45), Jay Fulton, Luke Cundle (Matty Sorinola 63), Ryan Manning; Ollie Cooper, Joel Piroe; Michael Obafemi (Olivier Ntcham 62).

Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Harry Darling, Fin Stevens.

Wigan Athletic: Jamie Jones, Jason Kerr (Joe Bennett 85), Jack Whatmough, Curtis Tilt; Tendayi Darikwa (captain), Max Power, Tom Naylor (Graeme Shinnie 85), James McClean (Thelo Aasgaard 60); Nathan Broadhead (Callum Lang 60), Charlie Wyke (Josh Magennis 73), Will Keane.

Unused Substitutes: Jordan Cousins, Sam Tickle.

Referee: Craig Pawson

Attendance: 16,644

SWANSEA CITY WERE DENIED VICTORY AT BIRMINGHAM AS TROY DEENEY STRUCK A LAST-GASP EQUALISER AT ST ANDREW'S.

Birmingham City: John Ruddy, Maxime Colin (Jordan James 88), Auston Trusty, Dion Sanderson, Jordan Graham (George Hall 67), Scott Hogan, Troy Deeney (captain), Juninho Bacuna, Tahith Chong (Lukas Jutkiewicz 77), Hannibal, Emmanuel Longelo.

Unused Substitutes: Neil Etheridge, George Friend, Jobe Bellingham, Jonathan Leko.

Swansea City: Steven Benda; Nathan Wood (Matty Sorinola 72), Harry Darling, Ben Cabango; Joel Latibeaudiere, Jay Fulton, Matt Grimes (captain), Ryan Manning; Olivier Ntcham (Michael Obafemi 83), Luke Cundle (Ollie Cooper 61); Joel Piroe.

Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Jamie Paterson, Armstrong Oko-Flex, Kyle Naughton.

Referee: Andy Woolmer

Attendance: 15,491 (1,266 Swansea)

SWANSEA CITY WERE FORCED TO SETTLE FOR A POINT IN WEST YORKSHIRE AS THEY PLAYED OUT A GOALLESS DRAW WITH HUDDERSFIELD TOWN IN THE FINAL GAME BEFORE THE WORLD CUP BREAK.

Huddersfield Town: Lee Nicholls, Luke Mbete, Sorba Thomas, Jordan Rhodes (Duane Holmes 65’), Josh Ruffels, Kaine Kesler-Hayden (Danny Ward 65’), David Kasumu (Connor Mahoney 86), Jack Rudoni, Ben Jackson (Loick Ayina 86), Tom Lees (captain), Michal Helik.

Unused substitutes: Nicholas Bilokapic, Brodie Spencer, Brahima Diarra.

Swansea City: Steven Benda; Nathan Wood, Harry Darling (Kyle Naughton 70), Ben Cabango; Joel Latibeaudiere (Jamie Paterson 77), Jay Fulton, Matt Grimes (captain), Ryan Manning; Ollie Cooper (Armstrong Oko-Flex 70), Olivier Ntcham (Luke Cundle 70); Joel Piroe (Michael Obafemi 60).

Unused substitutes: Andy Fisher, Fin Stevens.

Referee: Ben Toner

Attendance: 17,852

Swansea City took the opportunity to experience new surroundings during the World Cup break with a successful week of training in Scotland.

Russell Martin's squad used the facilities at Oriam Park, to the west of Edinburgh.

The base is regularly used by the Scottish football and rugby teams, as well as top-flight side Hearts.

The Swans also fitted in a couple of friendlies during their time north of the border.

HEARTS 1 - SWANS 2

GOALS FROM JAY FULTON AND JOEL PIROE SAW SWANSEA CITY CLAIM VICTORY OVER HEARTS IN THEIR BEHIND-CLOSED-DOORS FRIENDLY AT TYNECASTLE.

Heart of Midlothian: Zander Clark (Ross Stewart 46), Michael Smith (Aaron Darge 46), Stephen Kingsley (Adam Forrester 46), Craig Halkett (Lewis Neilson 46), Jorge Grant (Euan Henderson 46), Orestis Kiomourtzoglou (Bobby McLuckie 46), Lawrence Shankland Callum Sandilands 46), Alan Forrest (Connor Smith 46), Alex Cochrane (Aidan Denholm 46), Toby Sibbick (Finlay Pollock 46), Robert Snodgrass (Macaulay Tait 46).

Swansea City: Steven Benda (Andy Fisher 60), Ryan Manning (Nathanael Obgeta 60), Jay Fulton (Joel Cotterill 60), Matt Grimes (captain) (Cameron Congreve 60), Jamie Paterson (Ben Lloyd 60), Brandon Cooper (Harry Jones 60), Joel Piroe (Liam Cullen 60), Luke Cundle (Matty Sorinola 60), Joel Latibeaudiere (Armstrong Oko-Flex 60), Nathan Wood (Azeem Abdulai 60), Kyle Naughton (Fin Stevens 60).

DUNDEE UNITED 0 - SWANS 2

GOALS FROM JAMIE PATERSON AND RYAN MANNING SAW SWANSEA CITY END THEIR WEEK IN SCOTLAND WITH VICTORY OVER DUNDEE UNITED AT TANNADICE.

Dundee United: Jack Newman, Liam Smith (Matthew Cudjoe 65), Charlie Mulgrew (Scott McCann 46), Ross Graham, Ilmari Niskanen (Rory MacLeod 46), Steven Fletcher (Tony Watt 46), Arnaud Djoum (Craig Sibbald 46), Ryan Edwards (captain), Glenn Middleton, Archie Meekison, Ian Harkes (Jamie McGrath 46).

Unused subs: Mark Birighitti, Carljohan Eriksson, Sadat Happy Anaku, Flynn Duffy, Finn Robson, Miller Thomson.

Swansea City: Steven Benda (Andy Fisher 75), Ryan Manning (Armstrong Oko-Flex 75), Jay Fulton (Joel Cotterill 75), Matt Grimes (captain) (Cameron Congreve 75), Jamie Paterson (Matty Sorinola 65), Brandon Cooper (Harry Jones 75), Joel Piroe (Liam Cullen 75), Luke Cundle (Ben Lloyd 75), Joel Latibeaudiere (Fin Stevens 75), Nathan Wood (Nathanael Ogbeta 75), Kyle Naughton (Azeem Abdulai 75).

Unused subs: Andy Fisher, Archie Matthews.

He is fast closing in on 200 appearances for Swansea City, has been at the club for nine years and has been one of the stand-out performers during the 2022-23 campaign so far. Here, midfielder Jay Fulton reflects on growing up in a football family, becoming a Premier League footballer at the age of just 19, and why he feels fortunate to have had such a settled career in SA1.

Jay, we are speaking during our week-long training camp in Scotland. You’ve played and scored against your father’s former club Hearts, a team you were also on the books of. How does it feel to be back on Scottish soil, and how have you found the week?

“It’s been nice. I went away with my wife for a few days after the Huddersfield game and the kids stayed with the grandparents in Swansea. I then came up at the weekend to see family up here – it was my little boy’s sixth birthday and we had a party for him - and joined up with the lads at the start of the week.

“It’s always nice to be here, although I think a few of the boys are not so happy with how cold it is. It’s definitely not warm-weather training!

“Then, as you say, we played Hearts, a club with big links for my family. I was there from under-12s to 16s. I had been at Celtic and decided to leave and I had a trial at Hearts and signed there.

“I was released but it was a good club and I knew it from my father (Stevie) who is remembered well here. In fact, my lad is a Hearts fan because of my dad, his grandad. I had never played at Tynecastle before either.

“I can remember bits and pieces of watching Dad play there. When they won the Scottish Cup, I was only four, so I look back and photos and videos of us on the pitch at Parkhead. My father has got the DVD of the game, I remember us watching it a few years ago but I don’t think I’ve seen the medal for a few years now! But it was a great achievement and that was a really good Hearts team.”

From Hearts you went to Falkirk and you racked up over a 100 league appearances while still a teenager. Do you feel you benefited from being exposed to senior football at a young age, because you’ve always seemed to have a bit of an old head on young shoulders?

“I think it helped me massively. Looking back it is probably similar to what happened at Swansea later in my career. Falkirk got relegated and they made the decision to start promoting players from the youth set-up.

“If you look at it, Swansea brought a few lads down from there, which tells you what a success it was. When I came down to Swansea I felt like I was a couple of years ahead of other lads my age.

“I think that’s why I made my debut so quick for Swansea. You are playing against guys in their 30s, they’ve got mortgages to pay, there are points on the line.

“I don’t think it was as physically demanding as it would have been trying to play Championship football here as a teenager, but when you are young you just take it all in.

“It was a bit the same when I came to Swansea. I had an offer on the table for a new deal at Falkirk, but I felt ready for the next stage, I wanted to go to what was next.

“The one thing I would say, as I look back now, is that making my Premier League debut just three months later was not something I took onboard in the way maybe I should have.

“I don’t think I understood how big a deal that was, at the time it was just what was next. You just see where you can go.”

Would moving to Swansea have been your first experience of living away from home? How did you find that?

“I was still with mum and dad, and my brothers, at Falkirk. So, when I joined Swansea I was 19 and my girlfriend – as she was then – was also 19 and we moved down together.

“That was the first time we had lived together, it was the first time either of us had lived away from home.

“It was obviously quite far away as well, it’s not like we were just down the road.

“But Swansea is an easy place to settle with the pace of life and how welcoming everyone at the club is.

“Nine years later we are still enjoying it. I think in football it is a hard thing to be settled, and there were times when we were in the Premier League where it did look like I might have to go elsewhere to play.

“I didn’t play much last season either, but I have been here nine years, I have two young boys who are Welsh and to leave would be a last resort.”

Am I right in recalling that your eldest was born in the wake of that incredible game against Crystal Palace? With Fernando Llorente scoring twice in stoppage time for a 5-4 win.

“Yeah, my wife went into labour on the morning of the game, her waters broke before I left for pre-match.

“Her mother was down with us and so we decided I would go and then come back after the game to pick her up and take her to the hospital. It was then a full 24 hours before the little one arrived.

“I think the game sort of summed up my weekend as a whole really, but it was a good weekend.”

You mentioned there were times you were not sure if you would need to go elsewhere during our time in the Premier League. What were the loan spells you had at Oldham and Wigan like? What did you take from them?

“Oldham was tough, I went there for three months and played 12 games, but the club was going through a really tough time. Sometimes the players were not getting paid and that was difficult.

“The Wigan move just never really worked out, I think I only played about five or six games. But I think going out there and seeing how others clubs do things made me hungrier to come back here and push and getting into the team.

“That summer of 2018 was big for me. For the club it was obviously terrible to be relegated, but I think for guys like myself, Grimesy and a few others, it opened up an opportunity for us and I like to think we have taken it with both hands.

“If the club do not get relegated, I think we would both have either left or been looking to leave. Then you ask yourself what would have happened to guys like Oli McBurnie, Joe Rodon, Connor Roberts, Dan James?

“Look at those guys now, with a fair few of them being at the World Cup with Wales.

“So, it was very difficult for the club, but in the big picture I think people can be proud of how they reacted to it.”

You have pretty much been a regular ever since, through both play-off seasons, but you had to be patient last season. How tough was that?

“It was tough, you can’t hide from that. The manager has always been very honest with me, I think every conversation we have had has been really honest and you appreciate that as a player.

“When I look back at the play-off final in 2021, I don’t think I ever quite got ready to go again for the following season.

“I had Covid at the end of pre-season, and then I had the three-match ban to serve from the red card at Wembley.

“I just wasn’t able to show the best of me, and then Flynn Downes came in and played so well that it was difficult to get back in the side. But those first five or six games I just was not in a position to really show the best of myself and it leaves you on the back foot a little bit.

“It was a difficult time, but I always came in and trained well and did my best. I do not know any other way. I tried to help the boys who were playing, or the lads who were not playing.

“I think part of it was also from the way those seasons had unfolded around Covid. I don’t think it was a case of there being a hangover from the one game at Wembley or the red card. I think I am the sort of person that can move on from that.

“It was more not being able to get that good run going, and the previous season we had got the play-offs and gone straight back into pre-season two or three weeks later.

“But it was more not being at the correct level at the start of that pre-season.

“You just try to deal with your own situation yourself, and I think that’s why I have been able to work my way back in. I have always had that respect for people and the club that I am going to give my best at all times for myself and the team.”

This season you look to be really enjoying your football. Yourself and Grimesy know each other so well, and you’ve dovetailed so well in midfield. How are you feeling about how things are going?

“I am really enjoying it. Some people may have wondered if I could come into the team and play this style, but I knew I could. I just needed to get to the levels I know I can reach.

“It has been going well, I think we should be higher in the table and we have let too many points slip. If we keep going as we are, cut out those mistakes and be a bit more ruthless in front of goal then I am sure we can get up there.

“It’s a great way to play, you are on the ball all the time. It is a fun way to play, but no-one should take for granted how much hard work is needed to get to the level of play we are at now where we are having 70 or 75 per cent of the ball.

“It may look easy, but it is not. You have to really make the effort to run for each other and find the space to receive the ball and be available.

“We really are pushing ourselves to get to a higher level. Everyone thinks if you have the ball you are running less, it’s actually the opposite. You have to be an option at all times.

“It’s physically and mentally demanding to make sure everything is clean and the details are right.”

Are you enjoying the responsibility of being a senior head in a young dressing room? I know you are only 28, but there have been occasions this season where you have been the oldest Swansea player on the pitch!

“Don’t worry about that, I’ve been having a word with Naughts about making sure he gets on the pitch so I’m not the oldest!

“It is what it is. I don’t think about it too much. From a young age I have always liked to think about the game, to try and talk on the pitch. I don’t think that has changed, it’s probably more about trying to help the younger lads as they learn.

“But we have an honest group that is ready to work hard and so it is easier to manager for us older guys.”

Just to round off, is it right that you’ve started doing your coaching badges? Is that where you see your future whenever you hang up your boots?

“Yep, I’ve just started doing my ‘B’ Licence with the FAW. It was always something I have thought about, I spoke to a lot of people who said it was best to try and fit it in while you are still playing.

“We will see how it goes, I’ve been down to the academy and done a little bit with the under-15s. I’ve not had too many chances but it was great and the staff were happy for me to come down.

“On the course, there are guys like Joe Morrell, Adam Davies, Romain Sawyers. Ki Sung-yueng is on there as well.

“Seeing Ki on there was a surprise, because the first meeting we did was on Zoom, and he was not the person I was expecting to see on an FAW Zoom call!

“I think he was up at 3am to be on the call. I am sure we will have a good catch up.

“In terms of whether coaching is where I want to end up, the answer at this moment in time would be a yes.

“What level that would be, what role that would be, I don’t know. I just want to get these badges done while I play so I put myself in the best position when I do retire, but I like to think I’ve got a good few years left in me yet!”

If you've read all of Jay's Interview, test your knowledge for the chance to win a Swansea City Limited Edition copy of FIFA 23 below.

Brace yourselves Jack Army, we may be in for something of a vocal bombardment today.

In light of Wales’ performance at the World Cup, I think we’re going to be in for several renditions of God Save the King; Ingurlund, Ingurlund, Ingurlund, and Wales get Battered . . .

Well, bring it on. It’ll be more than worth it.

Granted, Wales’ performances out in Doha were disappointing, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

As a 56-year-old Swans and Wales fan, the moment had been a long time coming. Despite the results, seeing my country qualify for a World Cup was well worth the wait.

In 1974, the seven-year-old me was given a plastic football commemorating that summer’s World Cup in West Germany.

It was a traditional black and white panelled ball with the names of the competing nations written in black on the white panels.

I excitedly scanned the ball for the ‘Wales’ panel, but, of course, there wasn’t one!

At that age I wasn’t hugely into the intricacies of football, so didn’t understand the ins and outs of World Cup qualification. I also didn’t know that the last time we’d qualified was 1958!

But I was still hugely disappointed not to see my country’s name on the ball. In the absence of Wales, with typical seven-year-old logic, I decided to support the only other country on the ball which started with a W.

So West Germany had my support for the rest of the tournament and they went on to lift the cup on home soil.

Nearly four years later, the almost 11-year-old me knew all about Wales’ qualification chances.

So, I sat down nervously in front of our TV to watch the vital Wales v Scotland qualifier from Anfield – hoping a Welsh win would see us qualify for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.

As you can imagine, Scotland’s 2-0 victory, which was lent more than a helping hand by a certain Joe Jordan’s gamesmanship, left me disappointed and disillusioned by the injustice of Wales once again missing out.

Four years later, I was actually at the Vetch when the lights literally went out on Wales’ World Cup hopes on the night the floodlights dimmed along with Wales’ bid to reach Spain ‘82.

And you guessed it, I was at Ninian Park another four years after that when Davie Cooper’s controversial penalty saw Scotland once again deny Welsh dreams and snatch qualification for Mexico ‘86 from our grasp.

I won’t go through all the other disappointments which have littered Welsh World Cup campaigns since then, but you get my drift.

So, when the final whistle blew on the World Cup play-off final against Ukraine earlier this year, you can imagine my undiluted euphoria.

After 64 years of waiting as a nation, and 48 years for me personally, Wales had finally reached a World Cup finals!

Even the pouring rain which soaked me to the skin as we walked back into Cardiff city centre couldn’t begin to dampen my mood that day.

Wales had finally done it!

From that evening right the way through to kick-off in the Wales v USA match, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the build up to the tournament.

The anticipation which grew throughout the summer and autumn made me feel like a seven-year-old child again.

But this time, I had something to celebrate and look forward to with child-like enthusiasm! Although I didn’t go as far as buying a Panini sticker album!

Seeing the Red Dragon flying for the first time on football’s world stage (they used the Union Jack back in 1958) was literally a dream come true.

And it’s not every day you get to see a giant bucket hat painted in Welsh colours sitting in the middle of Castle Square, is it?

Qualifying for the World Cup and reinforcing the fact that Wales is a nation in its own right, with its own culture and its own football team has been hugely important.

As a Welsh speaker, hearing the language being acknowledged, recognised and spoken on the world stage has been equally satisfying.

It was particularly entertaining to see some people across the border sent into meltdown by former Swans star Ben Davies speaking Welsh at the press conferences.

One English football fan on Twitter said: “I have literally never heard Ben Davies speak Welsh before.”

He obviously hadn’t grown up with Ben in a Welsh speaking Neath Valley community and wasn’t a fellow pupil at Ysgol Gyfyn Ystalyfera where a teenage Ben would have spoken Welsh on a daily basis throughout his secondary school education – as did Rubin Colwill!

And I know we didn’t go out there to win a singing competition, but boy didn’t the Red Wall do us proud with the way they belted out Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau and Yma o Hyd at every opportunity?

If people hadn’t heard of Wales, its culture and its language before, they certainly have now!

Away from all the excitement off the field, the Welsh performances in their three games were disappointing. You can’t dress them up as anything else.

I heard one Swans fan say that because Wales’ showing was so poor, he wished we hadn’t qualified.

As much as I was bitterly disappointed that the boys didn’t do themselves justice, I can’t agree with this point of view.

We know the team could, and probably should, have done better in Qatar. But World Cups are tough – that’s why it took us 64 years to get there again.

That’s why four-time world champions Germany went out at the same stage as we did.

That’s why the second-ranked team in the world Belgium also went out in the group stages.

And let’s not forget that four-time winners Italy never even made it to Qatar!

Teams with far more World Cup experience than us have struggled in the tournament.

No-one has a divine right to make it to the knockout stage – especially from what was statistically the highest quality group in the tournament.

We may not have had any of the glamour teams like Brazil, Argentina, France or Spain in our group, but all four teams were ranked in the world’s top 20.

These aren’t excuses for the performances, just some of the reasons why Wales didn’t do as well as we’d hoped.

Lessons will need to be learned and hopefully experience will have been gained for the next time we get there – sooner rather than later.

I’m not one to subscribe to the theory that we were just happy to get to Qatar. Getting there was only part of the achievement.

And hopefully the legacy of our appearance will benefit not only Wales as a footballing nation, but also the Swans.

Joe Allen is already a hugely experienced player, but hopefully Ben Cabango and Ollie Cooper will have benefited enormously from being part of a World Cup campaign.

Also, let’s not forget Olivier Ntcham, who played a big part in Cameroon’s win over Brazil.

Surely their experiences will filter down to the rest of the Swans playing squads – particularly the young Welsh players coming through our age grades.

Our home-grown academy boys can only be inspired by seeing the likes of Allen, Cooper and Cabango returning home with stories of being involved in a World Cup.

I hope somewhere in the academy, there are photos of not just Allen, Cooper and Cabango, but of all the Swans products who have made the last six years the most memorable in Welsh international footballing history.

If there isn’t one already, there should be a gallery celebrating the achievements of every one of the Swans players – past and present - who have brought Wales such success over the past half dozen years or so.

And the huge Swansea contingent who played such a big part in getting Wales to the quarter finals in 1958.

For those who aren’t that interested in international football, remember: a strong Wales team usually means a strong Swans team and vice versa.

So, Wales may not have covered themselves in glory on the pitch out in Qatar, but I for one am delighted we got there and about what it might mean for the future.

If we take a little bit of vocal stick today, and for the rest of the season, from our friends from over the border - bring it on – it will have been worth it! I’m sure will give them plenty back.

Anyway, hopefully the Swans will make sure that’s all visiting fans have to sing about for the rest of the season!

C’mon you Swans!

For the latest instalment of our Cult Heroes segment, club historian Gwyn Rees takes a look back at the Swansea City story of a player who was a mainstay during an often turbulent time at the football club: Keith Walker.

Born in April 1966, Keith Walker was born and bred in Edinburgh, where he played for Inch Boys Club before being asked to play in a tournament in France with the famous Glasgow Rangers.

Later Walker had trials with Hearts, Falkirk and Hibernian, but signed with Falkirk on a part- time basis, before being signed by St Mirren for £50,000 in 1987.

The end of that season saw St Mirren win the Scottish Cup and, although Keith was cup-tied and unable to play in the final, he did play in the opening European ties against Tromso and Mechelen the following campaign as he became a regular in midfield.

His second season at the club saw him suffer with shin splints, a condition that restricted him to just four appearances that campaign and it was an issue that would afflict him throughout his career.

Even so, it came as something of a surprise to the player to be told the club had agreed a fee of £80,000 to transfer the player to South Wales and Swansea City.

Walker moved as part of a deal that would also bring in two further players from the Scottish Leagues, Paul Chalmers - a team-mate of Keith’s from St Mirren - and John Hughes from Berwick.

The £265,000 outlay was something of an eye opener for fans who were used to free transfers and bargain buys, but manager Ian Evans hoped the introduction of new blood into the side would give the team a lift and take them away from the bottom reaches of the league.

Walker made his debut on Boxing Day 1989 in a home defeat to Cardiff City. With the club struggling at the wrong end of the table, manager Evans was sacked and replaced by Frank Burrows.

It was the manager's experience gained over many years in the game that saw him convert Walker from a midfielder into a central defender, and the decision proved invaluable to the player and the club.

The Scot would spend 10 seasons as a rock in the Swansea defence. The chants from the crowd of ‘You'll never beat Keith Walker’ was one of the most common on the terraces at the Vetch Field.

Walker’s partnership in defence with Mark Harris and with Roger Freestone in goal was central to the massive improvement in the club’s league position.

But over the years injury problems persisted, and with groin and hernia issues he was desperately unfortunate to miss out on the club’s first visit to Wembley for the Autoglass Trophy final against Huddersfield Town in 1994.

Then, at the beginning of the 1996-97 season, new manager Jan Molby recognised the leadership qualities in the player and appointed him as club captain.

The Swans enjoyed a fine campaign, but it would sadly end in massive disappointment at Wembley Stadium in the Third Division play-off final against Northampton Town - with a twice-taken free-kick in stoppage time condemning the Swans to another season in the bottom tier.

Keith was never a regular on the scoresheet, but the following season he scored the only goal of the game away in a south Wales derby in November 1997.

But these were worrying times at the club, with new owners Silver Shield taking over, and in the space of one season the team played under three different managers.

Unfortunately for Walker, injuries would restrict his time on the pitch - this time a stress fracture to his leg and a broken bone in his ankle – restricted him to just a solitary appearance during that 1998-99 campaign.

In September 1999 he went out on loan to Merthyr Tydfil, and in January 2000 he left the Swans to take over as player-manager at Merthyr Tydfil.

Walker would have a testimonial at Aston Villa at that season’s end and would soon return to his native Scotland, where he joined the Strathclyde police force.

SWANSEA CITY UNDER-21S FACE AN UPHILL TASK TO REACH THE NEXT STAGE OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE CUP AFTER SUFFERING DEFEAT AGAINST STOKE CITY AT LANDORE.

Four goals from young Potters’ striker Nathan Lowe made the difference as the young Swans found themselves well beaten in the Group G encounter against the category one visitors. 

In the first of consecutive fixtures against the Potteries outfit, the Swans had been looking to bounce back from their 4-1 defeat to Arsenal last time out in the competition.

Coaches Jon Grey and Anthony Wright named a youthful side with a number of players away at the first-team training camp in Scotland. 

Wasiri Williams skippered the side, with Corey Hurford and Tarrelle Whittaker the other regulars to feature in the starting line-up.

On a cold crisp afternoon, the young Swans started brightly, Hurford fashioning a speculative effort from range to test away keeper Tommy Simkin.

It was Stoke though who came closest in the early stages, Lowe driving an effort wide from the edge of the area after neat play by Josh Roney in midfield. 

The Swans then nearly opened the scoring during an open start to proceedings. Sam Leverett forcing Simkin into a fingertip save to tip the midfielder's effort over the bar.  

Hurford, prominent early on in the Swansea midfield, then almost caught out Simkin with a deft chip from 20 yards.

But Stoke began to enjoy periods of sustained pressure in the Swansea half, with Remy Mitchell making a good save to deny Kahrel Reddin’s low drive.

But the keeper could do nothing when Geoff Bony’s rash challenge on Lowe led to the award of a penalty, which the Stoke forward duly dispatched.  

Lowe was proving a real nuisance and he forced Mitchell into another sharp stop before doubling Stoke’s lead as he coolly steered in Reddin’s excellent cross from the right.

It ensured Stoke led 2-0 at the break and the Swans opened the second period urgently seeking a way back into the game.

Sam Parker fired over the bar from Leverett’s cutback, but there were few further clear opportunities for the hosts and Lowe put the game to bed when he seized on an error to complete his hat-trick 10 minutes from time.

The forward was not done yet, picking up the ball a few minutes later and firing a low drive into the bottom corner.

Bony had a late chance for the Swans, firing wide from the edge of the area as the Potters took the points.

Swansea City U21s: Remy Mitchell, Kai Ludvigsen, Arthur Parker, Sam Leverett, Wasiri Williams (captain), Sam Parker (Cameron Llewellyn 90), Corey Hurford, Dan Watts (Jada Mawongo 85), Geoff Bony (Rohan Davies 90), Tarrelle Whittaker, Zane Myers (Aimar Govea 68). 

Unused subs: Ewan Griffiths 

Stoke City U21s: Tommy Simkin, Kahrel Reddin (Tom Curl 87), Liam McCarron (Christy Grogan,61), Gabriel Adebambo, Matthew Baker (captain), Josh Roney, Daniel Malone, Ben Kershaw, Nathan Lowe, Sonny Singh (George Lewis 76), Dara McGuiness. 

Unused Subs: Tom Curl, Tommy Jackson, Ali Ali Hayder.

FOUR FIRST-HALF GOALS FROM IWAN MORGAN WERE NOT ENOUGH TO SECURE THREE POINTS AS SWANSEA CITY UNDER-18S WERE HELD TO A DRAW IN A 10-GOAL THRILLER AGAINST COLCHESTER UNITED IN THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE. 

The Swans trailed in the early stages from an own goal. But Morgan's quartet of strikes put the visitors 4-3 ahead at the interval, with Colchester adding to their tally via a brace from Uwandu Samson.

The visitors extended their lead early in the second half through a strike from a trialist, but they would end up having to share the spoils at the end of a remarkable encounter at Florence Park.

There had been two changes to the Swansea side that had drawn with Watford last time out. Rohan Davies dropped to the bench and Geoff Bony remained in SA1 to feature for the Under-21s against Arsenal in their Premier League Cup fixture.  

Sam Parker slotted into the starting line-up for the first time since picking up an injury against Cardiff City in September.

The Swans started well in possession, but it was the young U’s who found the breakthrough after capitalising on a Swans mistake which sparked a goalmouth melee that ended with the visitors turning the ball into their own net.

It wasn’t long before the Swans levelled. Morgan had already twice gone close before he was in the perfect position to tap in from close range after Jaime Tedaldi's parry had fallen at his feet.

The striker's second goal was not long in arriving, with Morgan decisively drilling a low shot past the keeper to give the Swans the lead.

Swansea were playing with real confidence, and fine work by Arthur Parker and Aimar Govea teed up Yori Griffith, but Tedaldi was out quickly to smother.

But Samson brought the scores level again with a fine header from a cross that beat Ewan Griffiths in the Swansea goal.

Griffiths kept out another Samson header and the save allowed his side to sweep up the other end of the pitch for Morgan to complete his hat-trick with a sharp finish from the left.

And he added his and Swansea's fourth goal just seconds later with a powerful close-range effort.

Samson found the net again to keep the hosts in touch, but the Swans got off to the perfect start following the half-time interval. A trialist extending their advantage with a wonderful curling strike from outside the box, which found the net via the underside of the crossbar.

Morgan and Griffith had further chances for the Swans but could not finish, and the missed chances would end up proving costly.

The U’s kept pressing and managed to pull one back through Freddie Price in what was the ninth goal of the afternoon.  

And, 10 minutes from time, Colchester struck an equaliser following a goalmouth scramble to cap off an incredible contest.

Colchester United Under-18s: Jaime Tedaldi, Brandon Bryan-Waugh, Andrew Palmer-Brown, Man Jolliffe, Bradley Chakawa, Bayan Atman, T'aizo Marcel-Dilaver, Bradley Ismali (Milton One 60), Jamie Arnold, Samson Uwandu, Freddie Price. 

Unused Subs: Alfie Newby, Ollie Pipa, Rashaad Drysdale, Ewan Gordon-Clement. 

Swansea City Under-18s: Ewan Griffiths, Sam Parker (Rohan Davies 62), Zane Myers, Arthur Parker (Cam Llewellyn 75), Jada Mawongo, Jacob Cook, Trialist, Dan Watts, Ewan Morgan, Yori Griffith (Thomas Woodward 68), Aimar Govea (Brogan Popham 75)

Unused subs: Harvey Rees. 

SWANSEA CITY LADIES HAD TO SETTLE FOR A POINT AS THEY PLAYED OUT AN ENTERTAINING DRAW AGAINST LEAGUE LEADERS CARDIFF CITY WOMEN AT THE SWANSEA.COM STADIUM.

Swansea City: Claire Skinner (GK), Shaunna Jenkins, Ellie Lake, Emma Beynon (captain), Kelly Adams, Nieve Jenkins, Katy Hosford, Stacey John-Davis, Nia Rees (Monet Legall 66’), Jess Williams, Rachel Cullen (Gwen Horgan 86’).

Unused substitutes: Chelsea Herbert (GK), Chloe Tiley, Emily Freeman.

Attendance: 1,376

Championship football is back!

We’ve really enjoyed watching Wales at the World Cup and seeing so many of our former and current Swans representing the country on football’s biggest stage, but we’ve missed you all and we can’t wait for today’s match against Norwich City.

Rolypoly entertainment is back in the family stand and we’ll be joining you all for a dance later.

In the meantime, we’ve got the latest Take 5 Quiz for you to test your football knowledge.

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.

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.

Chief Executive - Julian Winter

Honorary Club President - Alan Curtis MBE

Directors

Jason Levien, Julian Winter, Jake Silverstein, Sam Porter, Huw Jenkins, Martin Morgan, Sian Davies (supporter director), Romie Chaudhari, Bobby Hernreich, Gareth Davies.

Director of Business and Legal Affairs: Sam Porter

Associate Directors: Ceri Stone

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First-Team Staff

Head Coach – Russell Martin

Assistant Head Coach - Matt Gill

Goalkeeping Coach – Dean Thornton

Head of Physical Performance – Matt Willmott

First Team Performance Analyst - Ben Parker

Set Piece Coach - Andy Parslow

First Team Coach - Kris O'Leary

Head of Performance – Tom Barnden

Head of Rehabilitation – Rhys Owen

Head of Medical - Dr Jez McCluskey

Staff: Ailsa Jones, Bethany Chaddock, Matt Murray, Michael Eames, Shaun Baggridge, Connor Lawley, Daniel Nisbet.

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Senior Management Group
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 Marketing:
Katie Doyle
Head of Media & Communications:
Ben Donovan
Ticket Office Manager: Lewis Bullen
Operations & Events Manager:
Matthew Daniel
Facilities Manager: Gordon David
Grounds Manager: Evan Davies
Disability Access Officer: Catherine Thomas
Swansea City AFC Foundation Manager: Helen Elton
Club Ambassador: Lee Trundle

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Programme Production
Contributors: Ben Donovan, Andrew Gwilym, Sophie Davis, Hayley Ford, Fraser Dickson, Rachael Tucker, Richard Bond, Dom Hynes, Julie Kissick, Gwyn Rees, Owen Morgan.

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