Good afternoon and welcome back to the Swansea.com Stadium for our Championship fixture against Norwich City.
We are back in league action after an international break where a number of our players – at senior and academy level – were recognised with call-ups for their respective countries.
As a club, we are always proud to see our players feature at the highest level, but I do want to reserve a special mention for Ollie Cooper after he made his first start for Wales in their win over Montenegro earlier this week. Hopefully that will prove the first of many.
This is also our first home game since the transfer window came to a close a couple of weeks ago.
After a lot of hard work over an extended period by everyone involved in our recruitment team, we believe we have made positive additions to our squad.
We prioritised permanent signings who we feel have the attributes and character to make an impact in the Championship, and we hope to see the benefits of that as Luke and his coaching staff work hard with the squad on the training field every day.
We are also really excited that our women’s and academy teams will be playing here at the Swansea.com Stadium in the weeks ahead.
Swansea City Women - who begin their new Genero Adran Premier season at Cardiff Met with new manager Jamie Sherwood in charge tomorrow (Sunday) – will face Barry Town United and Cardiff City here on September 22 and October 6 and you tickets are on sale for those games, which should be great occasions.
With the additions of our under-13 and under-15 teams to our girls’ programme, we are hoping this season will prove another important campaign in our efforts to raise standards and opportunities for footballers of all ages.
Our under-21s will also play here when they take on their Bristol City counterparts. This is a great and important experience for our young players, and again you can already get your hands on tickets to come and cheer on the next generation of Swans.
Enjoy those games, and the game today.
Andy
Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the Swansea.com Stadium as we return to Championship action against Norwich City.
The last two weeks have seen us have valuable time on the training pitch as a group as we look to help bring some of our recent additions up to speed as they adjust and adapt to the demands of the Championship.
With the transfer window now closed we know the group we have in place for the coming months and all our focus as a coaching staff is on them, working hard with them every day and helping them be the best version of themselves they can be on and off the pitch.
Repetitions and conditioning have been a focus, particularly for those players who arrived a little later in the window, as we look to help everyone get up to speed and used to playing with each other.
We have of course had players away on international duty, and it has been great to see so many academy and first-team players called up by their countries.
But now all attentions turn to the Championship and we will be looking to build on some of the positives from our performance last time out at West Brom, whilst improving on some of the parts of that game that were disappointing for us.
As I said after that game, we were far too passive in that opening half. We played within ourselves and without the sort of energy and intensity required to compete in this division.
When we showed more of those qualities in the second half, we started to ask some questions of opponents who finished in the play-off places last season.
Norwich, of course, were also in the top six last term and will represent a tough test for us, but we are unbeaten on home turf in the Championship so far and we will be doing everything we can to continue that record this afternoon.
Enjoy the game,
Luke
Welcome back at the Swansea.com Stadium after the first international break of the new season.
Are they something Swans supporters enjoy, or do you feel it disrupts our season? Personally, I’ve now got used to them and it’s clear it provides the passionate ‘Red Wall’ who follow Wales all over the world time away without fear of missing any domestic football for two weeks.
Plus, I always feel it gives club coaches much needed time on the training ground with their players that the increasingly regular two matches per week severely hampers – especially early season when arriving players often from different countries and cultures need time to settle into their new club and better understand what the coaching team is expecting of them.
It always helps of course to see decent performances and a good return of points for Wales during these international breaks and I’m sure Craig Bellamy will be quietly delighted with how his first two games have gone, especially with the new style of football he is trying to implement. A word too for the 900 or so very damp Wales supporters who, despite enduring a challenging trip to Montenegro plus some atrocious weather, were again truly excellent throughout the game.
I also really enjoyed reading up and seeing images of Wales supporters from whatever team they support coming together again and seemingly being reinvigorated with what will hopefully become an exciting new era. Long may that continue.
So, it’s back to the Championship for another tough encounter against a Norwich team today that I fully expect once again to be in or around those play-off places come the end of the season.
However, I hope we will soon see the fruits of the last two weeks that will have allowed Luke Williams to spend time with his players who were not on international duty. That includes, of course, our late transfer window additions of Florian Bianchini and Myles Peart-Harris, who I’d like to welcome to the club as our latest YJBs. I look forward to seeing them add some pace and goal threat as the season progresses.
The Trust has also been making use of the international break to continue its work behind the scenes.
Earlier this week we held our latest Trust Board meeting for all of the 16 elected and co-opted members, plus our secretary, who are now in place for the 2024-25 season. If anyone would like to learn more about them and some of the roles they’ve so far been assigned, just go along to our Meet the Board pages on our website.
At these meetings we usually invite a guest or two along, and this time it was Helena Goatley from the West Wales Women & Girls League (WWWGL) who gave us a very insightful background as to the work they do and how quickly they are growing as an organisation to inspire women and girls to play football together throughout west Wales.
This came on the back of other guests that we’ve invited to meet us recently from the Swansea Junior Football League and Swansea Schools FA, both of whom continue to deliver amazing work within local grassroots football. Thanks to the membership subscriptions and donations from our Trust members we’ve been proud to sponsor both of these organisations over the past 12 years, and will shortly be announcing more details of what the Trust Board have agreed to do to support them all for the coming season.
Another project we are working on with the help of Trust members contributions is identifying and painting a number of telephone junction boxes to recognise Swansea born international players.
The first one recognising the mercurial Allchurch brothers has now been completed on Cwm Level Road in Plasmarl, and we hope to formally unveil it in the next few weeks. We are now looking at rolling more of those out around Swansea, and will be announcing more details of these in the near future once the necessary agreements and funding are all in place
Also on the Swans Heritage theme is a reminder to all supporters who’d like to come along to one of the upcoming David Brayley talks focusing on our Post-War Period & the Golden Days of the 1950s. You can register to attend any of the free events we are hosting around Swansea over the next two weeks. We still have a few spaces remaining and more details and booking links are available on our Trust website here.
Finally, can I thank everyone who has renewed their memberships or joined the Trust over the past few weeks to help us deliver the type of projects I’ve mentioned above. It only takes a few minutes to join the Trust online or you can come along & join up before kick-off on a home matchday at the Trust Pod located next to the club shop.
As always, if anyone has any questions please come and see us at the Pod or email us at supporters@swanstrust.co.uk.
Enjoy the game,
Dave
Swansea City AFC Foundation has gifted more than £3000 to grassroots football clubs following a successful summer of junior club soccer camps.
Ten clubs took part in the Foundation’s summer soccer camps including Ammanford, Bancffosfelen, Brecon Town, Bryn Rovers, Clarbeston Road, Cwrt Herbert Colts, Drefach, Llandeilo, Port Tennant Colts and Seaside.
Over 650 children enjoyed the football-filled days with their fellow teammates, while their respective clubs also benefitted from partnering with the Foundation.
To support grassroots football in south Wales, Swansea City AFC Foundation donated £3,310, raised from soccer camp bookings, back to the 10 clubs involved.
Further opportunities were also taken up by Bancffosfelen and Ammanford, who made up the guard of honour at Swansea City’s first two home Championship fixtures this season.
“It’s been another great summer of club soccer camps and we want to thank everyone who got involved,” said Craig Richards, youth engagement manager at Swansea City AFC Foundation.
“To see the children having fun is what it’s all about but for us to be able to give something back to their clubs is really important.
“As an organisation we’re in a privileged position to be able to offer memorable experiences like the guard of honour too. It was fantastic to see the excitement of the children going onto the pitch and being that close to the players.
“We’re looking forward to working with the clubs again in the near future and wish them all the best for the upcoming season.”
If your club is interested in working with the Swans Foundation, please get in contact with Craig by emailing craig@swansfoundation.org.uk.
BIRTHDAYS
Happy Birthday to Alf Fullman, 92 years young on the 10th September. Love from all your family and the DSA x
________________________
Happy 12th Birthday Jake for 8th September!
IN MEMORY OF JACOB
Shortly after Jacob Crane's 16th birthday he was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia called AML. After a brief period of remission, the leukaemia came back last November and sadly Jacob passed away May 7th this year.
Before Jacob's illness he was a Swansea City season ticket holder and Wednesday the 11th of September would have been his 18th birthday. To mark his 18th his family and friends had raised funds to sponsor 3 rooms at the Ronald McDonald house on the grounds of the Heath hospital, Cardiff on behalf of the Jacob Crane foundation.
This will provide a lasting legacy for Jacob's memory to live on in the name of the Jacob Crane foundation which will provide unwavering support to children with a cancer diagnosis. Jacob Crane his is one of our own.
Swansea City opened their Championship account for the season as goals from Matt Grimes, Azeem Abdulai and Žan Vipotnik secured a deserved three points against Preston North End.
Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Josh Key (Kyle Naughton 65), Ben Cabango, Harry Darling, Josh Tymon (Nathan Tjoe-A-On 88); Matt Grimes (captain), Gonçalo Franco (Jay Fulton 65), Ollie Cooper; Jisung Eom (Azeem Abdulai 57), Liam Cullen (Žan Vipotnik 66), Ronald.
Unused Substitutes: Nathan Broome, Kristian Pedersen, Dan Watts, Josh Thomas.
Preston North End: Freddie Woodman, Ben Whiteman (captain), Liam Lindsay, Emil Riis (Milutin Osmajic 64), Mads Frokjaer (Duane Holmes 72), Robbie Brady (Sam Greenwood 64), Jordan Storey, Andrew Hughes, Ryan Ledson (Jeppe Okkels 64), Stefan Thordarson, Brad Potts.
Unused Substitutes: David Cornell, Jack Whatmough, Will Keane, Patrick Bauer, Kaine Kesler-Hayden.
Referee: Stephen Martin
Attendance: 14,037
The spoils were shared in the south Wales derby as Callum Robinson's goal cancelled out Liam Cullen's opener at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Josh Key (Kyle Naughton 78), Ben Cabango, Harry Darling, Josh Tymon; Matt Grimes (captain), Gonçalo Franco (Jay Fulton 67), Ollie Cooper (Žan Vipotnik 67); Jisung Eom (Azeem Abdulai 58), Liam Cullen (Joe Allen 78), Ronald.
Unused Substitutes: Nathan Broome, Kristian Pedersen, Florian Bianchini, Nelson Abbey.
Cardiff City: Ethan Horvath, Manolis Siopsis, Jesper Daland, Aaron Ramsey (captain), Callum O'Dowda, Calum Chambers, Wilfried Kanga (Callum Robinson 73), Chris Willock (Anwar El Ghazi 73), Alex Robertson (Rubin Colwill 59), Yakou Meite (Ollie Tanner 69), Perry Ng.
Unused Substitutes: Jak Alnwick, Dimitrios Goutas, Joel Bagan, Andy Ronomhota, Cian Ashford.
Referee: Oliver Langford
Attendance: 20,174
A much-improved second-half performance was not enough for Swansea City as they fell to defeat against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns.
West Bromwich Albion: Alex Palmer, Darnell Furlong, Kyle Bartley (captain), Sami Ajayi, Jayson Molumby (Uros Racic 66), Josh Maja (Lewis Dobbin 74), John Swift, Torbjorn Heggem (Gianluca Frabotta 82), Karlan Grant (Callum Styles 82), Alex Mowatt, Tom Fellows (Jed Wallace 74).
Unused Substitutes: Joe Wildsmith, Ousmane Diakite, Paddy McNair, Devante Cole.
Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Josh Key, Ben Cabango, Harry Darling, Josh Tymon; Matt Grimes (captain), Gonçalo Franco, Ollie Cooper; Jisung Eom (Myles Peart-Harris 63), Žan Vipotnik (Florian Bianchini 62), Ronald.
Unused Substitutes: Jon McLaughlin, Kristian Pedersen, Jay Fulton, Joe Allen, Kyle Naughton, Nelson Abbey, Azeem Abdulai.
Referee: Anthony Backhouse
Attendance: 24,975 (1,787 away)
Norwich are in their third season back in the Championship following another solitary campaign in the Premier League.
With six separate stints in the Premier League since its inception in the 1992-93 season, the club achieved its highest-ever position in the same year with a third-place finish.
Falling to the third tier in 2009 for the first time in nearly 50 years, the Canaries clinched successive promotions under Paul Lambert, narrowly edging the Swans in the hunt for automatic promotion in 2010-11.
Relegation in 2015 was followed by the club bouncing straight back up at the first time of asking thanks to play-off success under manager Alex Neil, but they dropped back into the second tier for a record-equalling fourth time in 2016, before continuing to rise and fall over the last five seasons.
Their most notable honours are two League Cup victories in 1962 and 1985, whilst they became the first English club to beat Bayern Munich at the Olympic Stadium during their 1993-94 UEFA Cup campaign, with Wales international Jeremy Goss among the goalscorers in that famous success.
CARROW ROAD
Built: 1935
Location: Norwich, Norfolk, England
Capacity: 27,244
Johannes Hoff Thorup. The Dane has been in charge at Carrow Road since succeeding David Wagner.
Thorup signed a three-year contract at Carrow Road in May from Danish Superliga side Nordsjaelland.
Thorup had been in charge of Nordsjaelland since January 2023, having worked his way up from youth coach in 2015 to first-team assistant head coach in 2021.
At just 35 years old, he became the third youngest manager in the Championship, behind Watford's Tom Cleverley and Sheffield Wednesday's Danny Röhl.
Grant Hanley is Norwich's club captain. The Scotland international has had his injury problems since joining Norwich in 2017, and has been working his way back to full fitness after an Achilles injury disrupted his campaign last season.
In his absence, midfielder Kenny McLean has worn the armband. The Scotland international started his career in the youth ranks with Rangers and Aberdeen before joining St Mirren and making his senior breakthrough.
A loan spell with Arbroath was followed by a move to Aberdeen, where his showings secured a move to the Canaries in 2018.
He helped them secure promotion in 2019 and 2021.
Defender Callum Doyle joined Norwich on a season-long loan from Manchester City in August.
He has spent the last three seasons on loan at Sunderland, Coventry City and Leicester City.
Doyle made a goalscoring debut for England Under-21s in September 2023, netting in a 3-0 win away to Luxembourg.
The 20-year-old started all four Sky Bet Championship fixtures so far this season and was named Norwich's player of the month for August.
He claimed an assist against Blackburn Rovers, winning the ball back and setting up Josh Sargent for his goal.
Spanish winger Borja Sainz has netted three times in all competitions so far this season.
Sainz joined the Canaries in the summer of 2023, after departing Turkish side Giresunspor.
Born in Leioa, Sainz began his career at local side Lagun Artea, before moving to Athletic Bilbao where he spent five years at the club before heading to Deportivo Alavés.
He went on to feature 40 times in the Spanish top flight, and spent the 2021/22 season on loan at Real Zaragoza.
US international Josh Sargent played a key role in Norwich's sixth-placed finish last term, scoring 16 goals in 28 Championship appearances.
He has scored twice already this term, with the goals coming in the draws with Blackburn and Sheffield United.
He started his senior career at Werder Bremen before joining the Canaries in the summer of 2021.
Sargent has made 25 appearances for the United States, with three of those coming in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. .
Liam Cullen feels his role and responsibility in the Swansea City squad is changing and, while still as hungry as ever to score goals in a white shirt, the striker is determined to offer as much as he can on and off the pitch for his boyhood club.
The Kilgetty product and his family are lifelong Jacks, Cullen himself is a Swansea academy product who now has over 20 goals and 100 appearances under his belt.
But, now aged 25, the Wales international is the first to acknowledge that he is no longer the young player coming through the ranks.
He has a number of years of Championship experience under his belt, indeed Cullen’s first senior goal for the club came back in 2020 and that unforgettable night where the Swans snuck into the play-off spots in the most dramatic of fashions at Reading.
So, when Cullen reflects on what Swansea City has meant to him and those around him over the years – as a fan, young player and senior pro – he is keen to focus on what is front of him as much as what is behind him.
“Every time I pull on a Swansea shirt I just feel so proud. I am a lifelong fan, I am an academy product. It means an awful lot to me and the club means so much to so many people,” he said.
“I have been in the stands, I know what it’s like to watch on as a supporter and experience the highs and lows that football gives you, so to be out on the pitch and have the chance to hopefully give them more moments to look back on fondly and remember in the future.
“That feeling when you score a goal and you run away to celebrate with the fans in that corner of the stadium, that’s hard to put into words.
“It’s a dream come true in the sense that doing that is all I ever wanted as a kid growing up.
“My family are Swansea fans themselves, the club’s been a big part of our lives. But I know I have to keep looking at what is ahead and not just where I have come from to get here.
“Every season is a big season, but this is of course a big one for me. I feel I have a point to prove because I am not the young kid in the group anymore. I am an older player now, I am experienced, I have played international football.
“So I have to look to set a good example, give my all every day for this club and give my best in everything I do.”
While the nature of football means change is often an integral part of the game, there is one particular aspect of life at Swansea that Cullen is grateful has remained the same.
And that is the familial nature of the club.
“This is a close-knit community and club,” he added.
“When you come to the training ground, it does not matter if you are a player, a member of the coaching staff, one of the cleaners or the chefs, everyone gets on and everyone treats each other with respect, which I think is really important.
“We all share in the successes, and we are all together in looking to pick each other up when you have times that are a bit more difficult.
“That’s a big thing to have on our side, it’s something you need.”
Cullen admits the Swans have not made the start to the season they would have liked, and that they have lacked consistency in some of their performances.
They have taken four points from a possible six on home turf courtesy of an emphatic win over Preston and a draw against Cardiff City; with Cullen on the scoresheet in the latter as he made it three goals in three starts against Swansea’s south Wales rivals to earn the moniker of ‘derby-day destroyer’ from Sky’s commentary team.
There have been narrow defeats on the road at Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion, where the Swans paid for slow starts despite improved second-half showings.
But, with so long remaining in the campaign, Cullen feels Swansea have to keep a tight focus on dealing with the here and now every day.
“You have to keep positive and keep working. It’s been a bit of an up and down start, and I think the big thing we are looking for is consistency,” added Cullen.
“We have taken points from our home games so far, with improving our home form being something we are really keen to do after last season.
“I think at this stage of the season a lot of teams would tell you that you are still looking to get into your stride and make sure everyone is up to speed.
“There is a long way to go and a lot of hard work ahead, and it’s about sticking together and working hard for each other to help us get performances to the level we all want.”
One factor which Cullen is confident will play an important part in that quest is the gruelling pre-season the squad went through in preparation for Luke Williams’ first full season in charge of the club.
“For me, having that full pre-season was massive. The gaffer obviously came in halfway through last season, and we were chasing our conditioning a bit in terms of how he likes to play. When we had those three-game weeks I don’t think there is any question we found it really tough,” he said.
“So to have that full pre-season, and it was a very tough pre-season, it made sure I was ready and raring to go for the new season and I am sure the lads would say the same.
“It was a good mixture of work, it requires a lot of energy to play the way he wants to play so there was a lot of running in there, but there is also a lot of detail on and off the ball.
“I think the most important thing was that, while it was hard, he was able to make it enjoyable and that does make it that bit easier.
“I also think there have been signs in the games so far of the side we want to be, the next step is to bring that side of our game out more consistently.”
Wyddoch chi fod degau o chwaraewyr o Gymru wedi chwarae i glwb Norwich? Yn eu plith mae Craig Bellamy ac Andrew Crofts, dau sydd â chyfrifoldeb bellach dros arwain Cymru.
A dyna i chi ddechreuad gafodd Bellamy i'w gyfnod yn sedd fawr rheolwr y tîm cenedlaethol. Ar ôl perfformiad clodwiw yn y gêm gyfartal ddi-sgôr yn erbyn Twrci yng Nghaerdydd ar Fedi 6, doedd y tîm yn y crysau cochion yn dal heb sgorio mewn pedair gêm ac roedd cryn ddyfalu o le fyddai'r gôl nesa'n dod, er iddyn nhw ddangos cryn addewid ym mlaen y cae gyda'u dull newydd cyflym o chwarae.
Ond cafodd y pryderon eu lleddfu yn y modd gorau posib nos Lun, wrth i Bellamy (a'i gynorthwyydd Crofts) ddathlu buddugoliaeth gynta'r tîm cenedlaethol o dan eu harweiniad, wrth ennill o 2-1 allan ym Montenegro, gyda'r ddwy gôl o fewn munudau'n unig i'r gic gyntaf.
Chwaraeodd digon o Elyrch a chyn-Elyrch yn y ddwy gêm hefyd. Roedd y capten Ben Davies yn graig yn yr amddiffyn, wrth glirio'r bêl oddi ar y llinell i atal gôl hollbwysig i Montenegro. Doedd Joe Rodon na Connor Roberts ddim wedi cael eu gemau gorau erioed, serch hynny, gyda'r naill yn gwneud camgymeriad arweiniodd at y gôl a'r llall yn gadael y cae ag anaf yn y gêm yn yr ail gêm ar ôl perfformiad digon cadarn yn erbyn Twrci. Yng nghanol y cae wedyn roedd Ollie Cooper, oedd wedi dechrau gêm am y tro cyntaf yn erbyn Montenegro ar ôl bod yn eilydd hwyr yn erbyn Twrci. Er na chafodd e'r noson orau nos Lun, mae'n ymddangos bod Bellamy yn barod i ddangos ffydd yn y chwaraewr ifanc, ac fe fydd e'n sicr yn un i'w wylio yn y dyfodol.
A dangos ffydd yn Craig Bellamy, yn fachgen 15 oed, wnaeth Norwich 30 o flynyddoedd yn ôl. Mae e wedi sôn dipyn yn ddiweddar am ei awydd i ddychwelyd i Gymru ar ôl cyfnodau hir yn byw'n alltud. Aeth o'r brifddinas am y tro cyntaf i Norwich, lle y'i cafodd hi'n anodd ymgartrefu, ac fe gafodd hynny gryn effaith ar ei iechyd meddwl. Ond llofnododd ei gytundeb proffesiynol cyntaf yn 16 oed, a chwarae ei gêm gyntaf yn 17 oed.
Mae cryn dipyn wedi'i ddweud am ei ddulliau hyfforddi, nid lleiaf y ffaith ei fod yn fwy tawel erbyn hyn nag yr oedd e pan oedd e'n chwarae - rhywbeth oedd yn corddi ei gyd-chwaraewyr yn Norwich ar adegau, yn ôl y sôn. Ond ar y cae y gwnaeth ei gyfraniad mwyaf, gan sgorio 32 gôl mewn 84 o gemau i'r Caneris cyn ymuno â Coventry yn 2000.
Erbyn i'w yrfa ddod i ben, roedd Bellamy wedi ennill 78 o gapiau dros ei wlad, ac wedi sgorio 19 o goliau. Does dim amheuaeth, felly, y bydd ei brofiad ar y cae yn werthfawr i Gymru ac yntau bellach ar yr ystlys. Ac allwn ni, yma yn Stadiwm Swansea.com, ond gobeithio y bydd nifer o'r Elyrch yn cael chwarae eu rhan yn llwyddiant y tîm cenedlaethol o dan y rheolwr newydd.
Ydy, mae Bellamy yn dipyn o arwr yn Norwich. Ac mae ganddo fe gyfle euraid bellach i fod yn arwr o reolwr yng Nghymru hefyd.
Alun Rhys Chivers
A huge ‘congratulations’ to Ollie Cooper - who joined a long list of Swans in making his first full start for Wales – and Martyn Margetson, who is back where he belongs, having returned to the Wales coaching team following a successful spell with England.
The game against Montenegro in the Nations League on Monday was played in appalling conditions. We thought it could rain here! It was challenging weather to make your first start in, but the win was what mattered, and clearly for Ollie it offered him a taste of something he wants even more of.
“It was amazing to make my first start. It's what you dream of. I've had a taste coming on against Turkey and you always want more,” he said.
“So to get the opportunity to start a game is amazing and I'm really happy with the way it's gone.
“The style of play is perfect for me. We want to dominate the ball, press high. It's something I believe I can help the team with.”
Having been in and around football in a professional capacity as a journalist and producer for many years, I’ve always been fascinated at the players and coaches who have to deal with the transition from club to country.
So much about the set-up is different, from the staff and teammates to the training, living and travelling arrangements. It takes time for that to become comfortable and, when you add to it the need to perform at the highest level, you realise just how much adaptation is needed - and in a short timeframe.
I’ve never been good enough at anything to represent my country at any level. At school, I did have trials for the county in hockey and ended up losing my front tooth after falling flat on my face and finding a stick meeting my mouth as I tumbled to the ground.
Not only did it cause me a great deal of pain and months of dentist visits, it also really put me off trying to compete at a higher level to the one I was used to.
Playing for my school, with a team I knew well, was no big deal. The familiarity of the people, the training routines and the standard of the opposition wasn’t challenging. I wasn’t particularly good, and I was certainly not gifted, but there was something quite life affirming to be part of a team. I enjoyed it, and it kept me in my comfort zone.
I sometimes look back and wonder whether I could have got better and further as a player if that accident at the county trials hadn’t happened. It certainly dented my ego in an environment where I was surrounded by unfamiliar people, and the clinical nature of the situation meant I left the pitch and that was it.
In sport, and often in life, we get out what we put in and the fact was that I didn’t have the drive to push myself any further. There’s a lot of research to suggest that talent is only a small part of the equation that leads to elite success and that learning, improving and working hard are also key factors (Jowett and Spray, 2013).
I wasn’t prepared to put in the effort, or to push myself beyond the challenges, but I have huge respect for those who can and who do, especially when they’re from my club. Well done, Ollie. Here’s to many more successful appearances for club and country.
Julie Kissick
Ollie Cooper was a proud man after making his first start for Wales, and is hungry for more following victory in Montenegro.
The midfielder won his second and third caps during the international break, featuring off the bench against Turkey before being selected from the off in the sodden Nations League win on Monday night.
The four points represented an encouraging start for new Wales boss Craig Bellamy and, on the back of a lively start to the season with Swansea City, Cooper is ready to kick on.
“It couldn't have gone any better really. It was tough but we stuck together and got through it,” said Cooper speaking to the media after the win in Niksic.
“It was amazing to make my first start. It's what you dream of. I've had a taste coming on against Turkey and you always want more.
“So to get the opportunity to start a game is amazing and I'm really happy with the way it's gone.
“The style of play is perfect for me. We want to dominate the ball, press high. It's something I believe I can help the team with.
“The Turkey game was different conditions and we showed a different side out here. We showed that we can be a certain team if it's not going our way with the ball.
“We had to dig in and put bodies on the line. It's just what we need at this level.
“We've had a good start. Hopefully with a bit more time together we can produce the same sort of performance against Iceland next month.”
It was good to see Ollie Cooper getting some game-time in both Wales fixtures over the international break.
The Swans star came on as a substitute in the 0-0 draw against Turkey before making his first full international start in dreadful conditions out in Montenegro last Monday evening. At least he will have felt at home in all that rain!
Cooper was one of three Swans players, alongside Ben Cabango and Liam Cullen, to be included in Craig Bellamy’s first Wales squad.
Indeed, there were a number of other Swans players on international duty, with the likes of Jisung Eom having been recalled by South Korea and goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux included in the Chile squad for matches against Argentina and Bolivia.
There were also players involved in the Wales age group squads with Joel Cotterill particularly catching the eye for the under-21s.
Currently on loan with Swindon, Cotterill scored both goals in a vital 2-1 European Championship qualifying victory in Iceland, where he linked up well with Josh Thomas, another young Swans player who is currently on loan at Bromley.
It’s probably appropriate that the Swans’ first game back after this particular international break should be against Norwich.
Whenever I think of the new Wales manager, the club I mostly associate him with (make your own golfing jokes here!) is Norwich City.
I know many of my fellow Swans fans will instantly link him to a certain outfit not a million miles away from here.
But, as a club player, I usually picture Craig Bellamy in the yellow shirt of the Canaries – where he first made his name as a young player.
The fiery forward made his first appearance for the club as a 17-year-old and went on to make 84 appearances, scoring 32 goals. It was while he was at Norwich that he was first capped by Wales and went on to make 78 appearances for his country.
The thing that always fascinates me about Norwich is the number of Welsh players, who have made their name at the club over the years – many starting their careers there.
Geographically, you don’t get many English clubs much further east from Wales but, over the years, the club has always seemed to have relatively strong Welsh connections.
Swansea-born Chris Llewellyn escaped the net here to star in the Norwich youth side and made 158 first-team appearances, scoring 18 goals.
Meanwhile, Bellamy’s fellow international strikers Robert Earnshaw, Malcolm Allen and Iwan Roberts have also banged in the goals there.
Allen may be more familiar to viewers of S4C as the popular and extremely excitable, hoarse-voiced co-commentator whose analysis of Welsh international goals tends to consist of a high-pitched scream of delight.
In fact, fellow Welsh-speaker Roberts, who is also well-known in Wales for his media work, established himself as real fans’ favourite at Carrow Road, scoring 84 goals in 278 appearances.
The Bangor-born striker, who played 15 times for Wales, was even named in Norwich’s all-time XI as voted for by fans – alongside another Welshman, Mark Bowen.
Neath-born full-back Bowen played more than 300 times for Norwich and was part of one of the club’s most successful teams, which very definitely had a big Welsh influence.
Back in the late 80s and early 90s, a number of teams enlisted an influential trio of foreign players.
For example, AC Milan employed three Dutch masters - Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard
Meanwhile, city neighbours Inter Milan went for German efficiency in the shape of Lothar Mattheus, Jurgen Klinsman and Andreas Brehme.
But how many people remember that Norwich City adopted a similar policy to scale the dizzy heights of European football during the same period?
Not for them a trio of Germans though, or even Dutchmen and Italians.
No, the East Anglians decided to go west for their three-pronged inspiration and picked three Welsh internationals – Bowen, Dave Phillips and Jeremy Goss!
Just to add to the Welsh flavour, the team was managed by North Walian Mike Walker.
All three players were regulars in the side as Norwich took the inaugural Premier League season by storm.
By December 1993 they led the table by an incredible eight points. They were in contention for the title throughout, but eventually finished a highly creditable third, earning them a place in the following season’s Uefa Cup – the club’s first European campaign.
Although Phillips left Norwich to join Nottingham Forest at the end of that season, he had established himself as a favourite, playing 186 times and scoring 20 goals.
However, the remaining Welshmen Goss and Bowen were about to seal their places in Canaries’ folklore during the forthcoming European adventure.
In the first round, they comfortably eased their way past Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem 3-0 on aggregate, Goss claiming one of the goals to set up a mouthwatering tie against German glamour club Bayern Munich.
The three-time European Cup winners, known as FC Hollywood, had never lost a match against a British club at their iconic Olympic Stadium, and must have been in confident mood as they lined up against their relatively unfashionable visitors for the first leg.
To say what happened next sent shockwaves throughout European football, would be a gross understatement!
After 12 minutes, a poor headed clearance fell to curly-haired Goss, who hit a stunning right-footed first-time volley past a rooted and bemused keeper from 20 yards.
If that was a dream start, Norwich were playing fantasy football 17 minutes later when Bowen stooped to head in an Ian Crook cross to send the Canaries soaring into a 2-0 lead.
Although Bayern pulled a goal back through Christian Nerlinger, Norwich won the match 2-1 – making history as the first British club to win at the Olympic Stadium.
Just to prove the result was no flash in the pan, Norwich held Bayern to a 1-1 draw at Carrow Road in the second leg - Goss scoring again in front of 28,829 - to put his side through 3-2 on aggregate.
The draw for the third round paired Norwich with Italian giants Inter, but this time there was to be no fairytale ending as a young Dennis Bergkamp scored a goal in each tie to see the San Siro side through 2-0 on aggregate.
But Norwich City’s Welsh contingent had helped their club reach new heights at home and abroad.
The Welsh connection goes back even further. One of Wales’ greatest centre forwards Ron Davies – reputed to be the best header of a ball in British football – played three seasons at Carrow Road, averaging more than a goal every other game with 58 strikes in 113 appearances between 1963 and 1965.
Members of Norwich’s official Hall of Fame include Welsh internationals Ollie Burton, who helped the club win the League Cup in 1962, and a certain Don Pickwick.
Pickwick deserves a particular mention in City’s history because he turned out for the club against Colchester United on his wedding day in 1951!
City’s Welsh connection continued through former player and assistant manager Dave Williams, who was the club’s assistant academy manager until retiring in May 2007.
And, of course, the link still exists off the pitch to this day through Michael Wynn Jones, who is the husband of celebrity cook and fellow joint-majority shareholder Delia Smith.
And, looking ahead, the Canaries have a couple of promising Welsh players on their books – Dan Barden and Elliott Myles, the latter playing for Wales Under-18 in the Jezek Cup during the latest international break.
The Welsh influence looks set to continue at Carrow Road for the foreseeable future.
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 coming campaign, club historian Gwyn Rees will reflect on some of the notable moments and personalities that have shaped the history of our home. We continue with a dramatic win over Blackpool, which included a league debut for a certain Joe Allen.
After two seasons filled with silverware and the drama of promotion pushes, the 2006-07 campaign was one where a lack of consistency would ultimately prove costly. A slow start to the campaign meant Swansea were left adrift of the play-off places, and in the February Kenny Jackett would be relieved of his duties as manager after a home defeat against Oldham Athletic.
Former player Roberto Martinez was the shock replacement, and in his first 12 games in charge the Swans garnered 24 points and were suddenly just one place outside the play-off spots.
It left Swansea needed to beat Blackpool on the final day of the season, while hoping that Oldham dropped points against already-relegated Chesterfield. If Oldham were to win, the Swans would need to win by four clear goals.
A sunny May day saw Madness tribute act Baggy Trousers entertain the large crowd, while Vetch Field favourite Roger Freestone and WBO cruiserweight champion Enzo Maccarinelli were also paraded on the pitch ahead of kick-off.
The Swans, needing the win, began at a breakneck pace and Izzy Iriekpen had the hosts ahead after 14 minutes, only for former Wrexham man Andy Morrell and Keigan Parker to give the visitors the lead after some poor defending.
Martinez’s men still trailed at the interval, while Oldham were level, and Swansea quickly drew level as Lee Trundle fired home after a Andy Robinson free-kick was headed back across the area.
Trundle missed a penalty just a few minutes later, hitting the post from the spot, but Iriekpen soon got his second to put Swansea back in front following a goalmouth scramble.
The goals kept coming, Morrell equalising again and, as Swansea threw bodies forward in search of the win they were picked off by the Seasiders.
Morrell completed his hat-trick after his original shot came back to him after a block, and soon added another to make it 5-3.
And Parker’s long-range strike rounded off the scoring as Blackpool narrowly missed out on automatic promotion and the Swans saw their late play-off charge end, with Oldham eventually claiming a 1-0 win over Chesterfield.
But there would prove to be an important footnote to the day, with a young Joe Allen being introduced on 75 minutes for his Football League debut. It would be the start of an illustrious career.
First football shirt: One of my father's Hearts shirts.
First football game: It was a Hearts game, but I can't remember who it was against!
First football club: Cumbernauld United.
First appearance for Swansea City/or Pro appearance? v Aston Villa in April, 2014.
First football hero: It has to be my Dad, Steve Fulton.
First major tournament you can remember: World Cup in 2002.
Guest one: George Best.
Guest two: Tiger Woods - I could use some tips!
Guest three: Luke Coombs. I love his music!
Over the recent international break, Swansea City had a number of academy players in action for Wales.
Here we take a look at how they fared for their respective age-groups.
Wales Under-17s
Milo Robinson and Carter Heywood both featured for Wales Under-17s in their friendly double header against Gibraltar and Qatar.
Heywood, who is a regular for Swansea City Under-16s, was called up to the upper-age group and started both games.
Sixteen-year-old Robinson, meanwhile, started in the 2-1 defeat against Qatar, and came on as a substitute in the 5-0 victory over Gibraltar.
Wales Under-18s
Wales Under-18s travelled to Czechia for the 2024 Jezek Cup, with a squad including Swansea City's Iestyn Jones and Brogan Popham.
This camp was the group's first since they represented Wales in the European Under-17 Championship finals in Cyprus in May.
Craig Knight's young Dragons finished third in the tournament. Jones and Popham were introduced as substitutes in the goalless draw against Czechia.
They then started the following fixture as they helped Wales to come back from 2-1 down to win 3-2 against Slovakia.
Wales' final tie of the competition ended in defeat to Turkey, Jones was named in the starting XI with Popham coming off the bench.
Wales Under-19s
Three Swansea City players were named in Chris Gunter's squad for their friendlies against Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.
Kit Margetson started between the sticks in Wales' 2-2 draw versus Turkmenistan, with Thomas Woodward and Jacob Cook coming off the bench.
The second fixture saw Woodward start his first ever international game for Wales, and he topped it off with his first goal in a 3-0 win against Azerbaijan.
Cook also started, with Margetson named on the bench.
Wales Under-21s
Matty Jones' squad are just one game away from potentially securing an automatic place in the 2025 European Under-21 Championship.
And it was Swansea's Joel Cotterill - currently on loan at Swindon - who struck two goals to secure Wales a 2-1 win over Iceland and move on level terms with group leaders Denmark.
Josh Thomas, who is currently on loan at League Two side Bromley, also started the tie, assisting his fellow Swans' second goal.
Cameron Congreve and Evan Watts were named on the bench.
Wales complete their Euro qualifying campaign against Czechia at Rodney Parade on Friday, October 11 (5.30pm).
Sam Parker is excited by what the future could hold for him at Swansea City after signing a new four-year deal at the club.
The wide player, who can play as a full-back, wing-back or winger, has signed terms through to the end of June 2028.
The Wales youth international had previously signed his first pro contract with the club in July 2023.
Parker has been with the Swans from under-nine level, and has since progressed through the ranks to senior level, making his senior debut at the age of 17 against Coventry City last December.
And the highly-rated youngster is thrilled to have committed to the Swans.
"It feels amazing to secure my future at this club, especially because I've been here since I was very young," said Parker.
"I want to thank everyone who I've worked with throughout my time here, who have helped me get to where I am now.
"I especially want to thank my family, who have sacrificed a lot to take me to training throughout the years."
Following that debut at Coventry, Parker went on to feature against Morecambe and Birmingham City before a hamstring injury ended his 2023-24 campaign early.
Parker made a full return in pre-season in the Swans' friendly with Bristol Rovers, but picked up a knock during the pre-season camp in Austria.
But he is nearing a return to full fitness for Luke Williams' side.
"Last season was incredible, and everything came as a complete surprise to me," he added Parker.
"Signing my pro deal and making my debut was a dream come true, and I enjoyed every second of playing out there on the pitch.
"Getting handed my first start at Coventry was a shock, but I learnt a lot, especially playing with senior players and learning from the coaches.
"Being injured has been hard, hamstring injuries put you out for a long time and it was such a setback because I had just broken through to the first team.
"But I had to accept it, and work through it. I feel much better now, physically and mentally, and I can't wait to get going again."
SWANSEA CITY WOMEN TO PLAY OPENING TWO HOME FIXTURES AT THE SWANSEA.COM STADIUM
Swansea City Women will return to the Swansea.com Stadium with back-to-back home games against Barry Town United Women (Sunday, September 22) and Cardiff City Women (Sunday, October 6).
The Swans' clash with Barry will be their first home fixture of the 2024-25 Genero Adran Premier campaign, kicking off at 2pm.
The fixture will be the Swans' fourth outing at the Swansea.com Stadium and they will be looking to maintain their unbeaten run.
Two weeks later the Swans will return to the Swansea.com Stadium for their first south Wales derby of the season.
The game, which will be shown live on S4C, with kick-off at 5.45pm.
Ticketing Information
Swansea City season ticket holders can claim a free match ticket for these fixtures. This can be redeemed online at no additional cost.
A ticket package can be purchased for both games at £7 for adults and £1.50 for children. Individual tickets can be purchased at £5 for adults and £1 for children.
Please note that anyone aged 14 or under must be accompanied by an adult.
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 hope you had a fantastic international break! We enjoyed cheering on our boys in the Wales team, but we’re so pleased to be back at the Swansea.com Stadium.
It was great to see you at Wycombe Wanderers and our Foundation loved bringing some of our Junior Jacks out of the crowd to be part of the guard of honour.
Diolch to everyone who took part!
We’ll see some of you later in the family stand for a disco and a dance, and we’ll see the rest of you around the stadium.
Our joint prediction for today’s match is 1-0 to the Swans and we think Zan Vipotnik will get the goal.
Uppa Swans!
Cyril and Cybil
Head Coach Luke Williams
1 Andy Fisher
2 Josh Key
3 Kristian Pedersen
4 Jay Fulton
5 Ben Cabango
6 Harry Darling
7 Joe Allen
8 Matt Grimes ©
9 Žan Vipotnik
10 Jisung Eom
11 Josh Ginnelly
14 Josh Tymon
17 Gonçalo Franco
19 Florian Bianchini
20 Liam Cullen
21 Nathan Tjoe-A-On
22 Lawrence Vigouroux
26 Kyle Naughton
29 Nathan Broome
31 Ollie Cooper
32 Nelson Abbey
35 Ronald
37 Aimar Govea
40 NUMBER RETIRED
41 Sam Parker
42 Evan Watts
43 Dan Watts
44 Josh Thomas
47 Azeem Abdulai
50 Filip Lissah
Head Coach Johannes Hoff Thorup
1 Angus Gunn
3 Jack Stacey
4 Shane Duffy
5 Grant Hanley ©
6 Callum Doyle
7 Borja Sainz
8 Liam Gibbs
9 Josh Sargent
10 Ashley Barnes
12 George Long
14 Ben Chrisene
16 Christian Fassnacht
17 Ante Crnac
18 Amankwah Forson
19 Jacob Sorensen
20 Anis Ben Slimane
21 Kaide Gordon
23 Kenny McLean
25 Onel Hernandez
26 Marcelino Nunez
29 Oscar Schwartau
33 Jose Cordoba
35 Kellen Fisher
37 Archie Mair
40 Brad Hills
41 Gabriel Forsyth
50 Jaden Warner
Referee - John Busby
Assistant Referee 1 - Mark Russell
Assistant Referee 2 - Andrew Dallison
Fourth Official - Scott Simpson
STAFF LIST
Chairman - Andy Coleman
Honorary Club President - Alan Curtis MBE
Directors
Jason Levien, Andy Coleman, Nigel Morris, Brett Cravatt, Jake Silverstein, Martin Morgan, Paul Meller (supporter director), Romie Chaudhari, Bobby Heinrich, Todd Marcelle, Gareth Davies.
Chief of Staff and Head of Strategy: Ken Gude
Associate Directors: Diane Hughes
FIRST-TEAM STAFF
Head Coach - Luke Williams
Assistant Head Coach - Ryan Harley
Assistant Head Coach – Alan Sheehan
Head of Goalkeeping – Martyn Margetson
First Team Coach Analyst - George Lawtey
First Team Coach - Kris O'Leary
Head of Medical - Dr Jez McCluskey
Staff: Ailsa Jones, Bethany Chaddock, Matt Murray, Thomas Gittoes, Michael Eames, Shaun Baggridge, Jake Dayus, Patrick Orme, Aden King, Maxwell Cambridge, Lewis Binns, Chris Watkins.
SENIOR MANAGEMENT GROUP
Paul Watson (Sporting Director);
Andrew Davies (Head of Operations);
Gareth Davies (CFO).
CLUB STAFF
Head of Football Administration: Ben Greenwood
Head of Women's Football: Alice Weekes
Football Operations & Administration Manager: Rebecca Gigg
Head of Commercial: Richard Morris
Head of Marketing: Katie Doyle
Head of Partnerships: Lee Merrells
Head of Hospitality: Catherine Thomas
Head of Retail: Andrea Morris
Head of Ticketing: Lewis Bullen
Head of Safeguarding: Rebeca Storer
HR Manager: Nicola Butt
Head of Facilities: Gordon David
Grounds Manager: Evan Davies
Head of Supporter Services: Hayley Ford
Head of Swansea City AFC Foundation: Paul France
Club Ambassador: Lee Trundle
PROGRAMME PRODUCTION
Contributors: Andrew Gwilym, Rachael Tucker, Cerith White, Jack Otter, Sophie Davis, Dom Hynes, Sammy Wynne, Fraser Dickson, Hayley Ford, Julie Kissick, Owen Morgan, Alun Rhys Chivers, Gwyn Rees.
Designers: Callum Rothwell,
Jordan Morcom.
Photography: Athena Picture Agency,
Natalie John-Davis, Alamy.