Good evening everyone and welcome to the Swansea.com Stadium for tonight’s match against Plymouth Argyle.
I just wanted to start by thanking everyone for the warm welcome that I have received since joining the club. From my first day here you could sense the family feel and I have genuinely enjoyed every single day of the past two months. Although there is a lot to do, I am excited as to what the future could bring.
On the pitch, we are delighted with the results that the team has put together in recent weeks under Alan’s leadership. The Derby game wasn’t the best watch but, at this stage of the season, the result is the most important thing. Four points from Leeds away and Derby at home is a good return and has allowed us to maintain our distance from the pack of teams at the bottom of the table who all seem to continue to pick up points.
Plymouth visit us off the back of a good win themselves last weekend and I am sure they will come into the game full of confidence. I would like to take this opportunity to thank their supporters for making the long trip up to us this evening and we wish them all the best for the rest of the season.
Last week, we were able to hold the long awaited fans' forum at the stadium. It was great to meet so many supporters and hear first-hand your views and answer your questions.
At every club I have been at, I like to think I have had a good relationship with supporters and tried to communicate in an open and honest way on all decisions that are taken. As I stated on the night, we will be making sure that fans' forums takes place consistently, twice a year; at the start of the season and at the end of the calendar year.
From listening to the fans, it’s clear we’ve got a lot of work to do, but we all want the same thing: to see the club being as successful as it can be. There may be times we do not always agree on the decisions taken to try and get us there, but we will always be open as to the rationale behind every decision that we make.
Being open, authentic, and having clear communication is vital. You all have a massive role to play in the changes we will be making to try and be successful and I look forward to us all going on the journey together.
I have also been delighted this week to hold meetings with some supporters, the Disabled Supporters' Association and the Supporters' Trust. Gaining feedback and discussing the best route forward is really important to make sure we are on the right path. All of the conversations I have had to date have been really positive and I look forward to many more in the future.
I believe there is now a very clear roadmap for us to get things back on track and moving in the right direction. We want to be competing at the right end of the table whilst also appreciating how difficult success is in this league. Going into this summer period, we need to make the right decisions, but if we do, we have the chance to improve things quickly.
If you’ve not read the ownership letter yet, I’d urge you to read it as it provides some real clarity on the current vision of Jason and Brett. Having spoken to them both every day for a number of weeks, I know first-hand their passion for the club and their vision to get us where we want to go. Hopefully you all got a feeling of that in reading their update. The letter also includes some clear pillars that will run through all that we do as a club moving forward.
One item that has been an area of discussion since I have joined the club is away travel. The club in essence acts as a conduit for supporters to purchase travel through a third party to away games. We don’t make any money from this service and have been subject to criticism with costs increasing.
I am told this is due to additional stewarding requirements as a result of poor behaviour in the past. Disappointingly, I learned this week that the service for Sunderland has been cancelled. This is because only four supporters have booked onto it. As we sit here today, I am not sure what the right direction of travel (no pun intended) is moving forward, but it is clear that we cannot continue as we are.
It appears we are offering a service that doesn’t meet your requirements, is time consuming for the club to administer, is unreliable for those booking and doesn’t have any commercial benefits. Going into next season we will review this area.
As is clear, we don’t have the same budgets as those who come down from the Premier League with parachute payments, so we need to be creative and operate as efficiently as we can. Ultimately, this gives us the best chance of competing on the pitch.
No-one wants to see us fighting at the bottom end of the table; we want to see a team that brings pride to the city and gets us to where we want to be. The responsibility of everyone working at the football club is to put that pride back into the club.
We have a real opportunity, if we get everyone working in the same direction, to bring some success back to the Swans and that is a prospect that we all should be inspired and excited by. We can only do it if we are all working together.
Thanks again for all of your support and here's hoping for a positive performance and result tonight,
Tom
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Swansea.com Stadium as we face Plymouth Argyle.
It’s our second home game in the space of four days, and we would love to have the same outcome as we had on Saturday when we picked up three valuable points against Derby County.
I had said, to the players and in my pre-match press conference, that we should expect a dogfight, and that certainly proved to be the case.
I’d be the first to acknowledge it was not the prettiest of games, or the greatest of spectacles, but in those situations it is about finding a way to win.
We had to be prepared to do the ugly parts of the game, to do the unglamourous tasks that can make all the difference.
We would have liked to be better with the ball, but it was very difficult to create tempo as we knew that every time we lost the ball we would need to deal with the ball being put into territory or into our box.
That’s not to be critical of Derby, they are fighting for their lives and have found a way to win games in the Championship, and that is no easy thing to do. They deserve tremendous credit for the run of form they have put together.
We face another difficult task this evening against Plymouth, who are themselves battling to get out of the relegation zone.
They have lost just one of their last four games, and knocked a Liverpool side who are well set to secure the Premier League title out of the FA Cup earlier this season.
The task for us is to continue to show the attitude, resilience and togetherness that has helped us pick up a healthy haul of points from this run of games, whilst looking to have more fluency and accuracy in possession.
Your backing played a big part in helping us get over the line at the weekend, and I hope we can be in a position once again share the feeling we had together after our last two matches.
Enjoy the game,
Alan
Good evening, and welcome back to the Swansea.com Stadium for tonight’s game against Plymouth Argyle.
As we enter the final stretch of the season, it’s great to see us continuing to pick up important points, including our hard-fought win against Derby on Saturday. To be a contender, you must beat the teams struggling at the bottom of the league, and on Saturday we did that. Let’s hope for a repeat tonight.
Alan Sheehan deserves credit for the way he has handled our difficult period – we have seen summer signings Jisung Eom and Zan Vipotnik step up and contribute more than they were able to in the early part of the season, and we look stronger at the back. Two of our three recent losses have come to Premier League hopefuls which, in a season like this one, is nothing to be ashamed of.
There will be some great lessons to take forward and – in my personal opinion - one of them is having people like Alan in the building is an asset that we must protect.
When managers come in, they often have a raft of coaches in tow - this can leave a club incredibly vulnerable when they depart. We are all too familiar with that.
Alan’s hiring was independent of any coach, which in hindsight has meant he has built his own relationships with the players, the club, and the community, meaning he has been able to step in seamlessly when called upon to lead the team.
Off the field, we have added more direct football experience to the club’s management team, and the statement by Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen last week shared a more direct view of the expectations going forward.
As someone who works as a consultant, I was pleased to see “Kaizen” being outlined as a pillar of our performance – continuously learning and improving is the only way to drive results (on and off the field).
It is also how we will become more sustainable, an area that needs attention – the recent announcement of the club’s accounts shows that there is work to do.
The Trust will be releasing our own analysis soon, alongside our friend Kieran Maguire (from The Price of Football podcast), to provide a perspective on our position and what we can reasonably do and expect in such a tight operating environment.
It was great to finally see a Fans’ Forum at the Stadium last Thursday – we maintain as a Trust that these must become more regular, with two to three dates fixed before the season starts.
It was good to see new CEO Tom Gorringe, director of football Richard Montague, and head of commercial Richard Morris engaging openly and directly with supporters, who remain the lifeblood of the club.
On Monday, we welcomed Tom to our Trust Board Meeting, where our wider Board was able to spend some time with him, understand more about his vision for the club, his plans as new CEO, and how we will work together where appropriate to advance our shared goals for the club.
Tom has already asked to attend the next meeting of our Matchday Experience Working Group, which continues to provide valuable input to the club directly from you, the supporters. If you are interested in getting involved, please reach out to us via supporters@swanstrust.co.uk – we continue to seek a wide range of voices to support this work.
I’d like to extend a warm welcome to the Plymouth fans, who will be making a 400-mile round trip to attend tonight’s game. As day-to-day life continues to get more expensive, football fans are still committing significant time and money to follow their clubs, home and away.
The Jack Army are the best in the league when it comes to that, which is why the Trust appreciates the recognition and gesture from Brett and Jason in providing free coach travel for our upcoming game against QPR. Small gestures can go a long way, especially when they are followed up with bigger plans.
And it was great to see the Global Jacks who travelled over from Greece, Ireland and the US for the Derby game on Saturday have decided to stay a few more days to take in this fixture, and tonight they’ll be joined by some French Jacks. More details about this joint initiative between the Trust and the club are available here, or you can just email globaljacks@swanstrust.co.uk.
There is a big summer ahead on many fronts, and I’m hopeful the pillars of the club’s strategy will build optimism, strengthen the relationship with supporters, and put a team on the field we can all be proud of.
Let’s continue with another three points tonight.
Enjoy the game,
Adam
Head of Swansea City AFC Foundation Paul France has been honoured with the PFA Memento Award in recognition of his community contributions over more than two decades of service.
The PFA Memento Award celebrates individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their communities, demonstrated long-standing commitment and served as advocates of the Professional Footballers’ Association’s initiatives.
France joined Swansea City Foundation in 2022 and has proudly led the football club’s charitable organisation to grow its reach, now supporting over 13,000 people every year through programmes within education, inclusion, youth engagement and health and wellbeing.
France has over 25 years of experience with roles in football club charity organisations, having previously led operations at Huddersfield Town Community Trust, Burnley FC in the Community and Reds in the Community with Barnsley.
The award was presented to France by PFA CEO Maheta Molango ahead of kick-off at Swansea City’s recent Championship fixture against Burnley at the Swansea.com Stadium.
“Paul is fully deserving of our PFA Memento Award,” said Molango.
“He epitomises what our key focus was during those early community days as a Union, being a former player and having the opportunity to transition into a leading community role.
“He has achieved so much and continues to make a significant difference in his current position with Swansea City Foundation.”
Watch the full Swansea City fans' forum, which was held at the Swansea.com Stadium on Thursday, April 3.
Chief Executive Officer Tom Gorringe, Director of Football Richard Montague, and Head of Commercial Richard Morris fielded questions from supporters during the two-hour event.
Thank you to everyone who attended, and everyone who watched via the Swans TV livestream.
Please accept our apologies for some of the sound issues within parts of the recording. We experienced some technical difficulties on the night.
As part of a new feature in our digital matchday programme for the 2024-25 campaign, we are calling on all Swans fans to share their memories and experiences of supporting the club by submitting your stories and pictures. We will publish a selection over the course of the season, and you can share your stories with us through the link below.
Swansea City teamed up with Nathaniel Cars at Saturday’s home match against Derby County as supporters were invited to donate football boots and kit they no longer use to local charity The Boot Room.
The Bootroom has been in operation since 2019, and aims to ensure all children have access to football by breaking down financial barriers created by the rising costs of sports equipment.
Having recently obtained official charity status, they opened a new site at the Meadow View Sports Complex on Sunday as they continue to expand their sites across Swansea and the wider community.
Swansea youngster, and newly appointed Boot Room ambassador, Sam Parker was in attendance at the opening, along with former Swan Lee Jenkins. The ribbon was cut by the High Sheriff of West Glamorgan, Melanie James.
Speaking at the boot drive, Boot Room team member Rhys Brown, said: “Donations are so important, everyone knows about the cost of living crisis, and how important it is that we have access to the things that help us to play sport.
"We provide boots for people living in underprivileged areas, those who can't afford to buy a new pair - boot prices now are so high. There's a lot of demand for what we do now.
"It would be devastating if the reason a young person couldn't play football is because of the cost of some boots.
"It's amazing some of the reactions we get, and the best moment is when they come to one of our sites and see the amount of choice they have."
Supporters can continue to support the Boot Room’s fantastic work locally by donating good-quality boots and kit via the designated drop-off point at the Swans club shop during normal opening hours.
Substitute Jisung Eom struck a late winner as Swansea City ground out victory over Derby County at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Josh Key, Ben Cabango (captain), Harry Darling, Hannes Delcroix (Jisung Eom 63), Josh Tymon; Jay Fulton (Joe Allen 77), Lewis O’Brien, Gonçalo Franco (Žan Vipotnik 63); Ronald (Cyrus Christie 90), Liam Cullen.
Unused Substitutes: Jon McLaughlin, Florian Bianchini, Kyle Naughton, Ollie Cooper, Sam Parker.
Derby County: Jacob Zetterstrom, Kane Wilson, Craig Forsyth, Sondre Langas (Kenzo Goudmijn 83), Nat Phillips, Liam Thompson (Tom Barkhuizen 83), Marcus Harness, Kayden Jackson (Lennon Wheeldon 90), Matt Clarke, Harrison Armstrong, Ebou Adams (captain) (Nathaniel Mendez-Laing 83).
Unused Substitutes: Josh Vickers, Jake Rooney, Jeff Hendrick, Erik Pieters, Kai Robinson.
Referee: Andy Davies
Attendance: 16,501
Zan Vipotnik rifled home a 96th minute equaliser to earn Swansea City a valuable and deserved point in a dramatic finish at Elland Road.
Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Josh Key, Ben Cabango (captain), Harry Darling, Hannes Delcroix (Jisung Eom 74); Jay Fulton (Ollie Cooper 82), Lewis O’Brien, Gonçalo Franco (Joe Allen 83); Ronald (Florian Bianchini 87), Josh Tymon; Liam Cullen (Žan Vipotnik 87).
Unused Substitutes: Jon McLaughlin, Cyrus Christie, Kyle Naughton, Sam Parker.
Leeds United: Illan Meslier, Jayden Bogle, Ethan Ampadu (captain) (Ao Tanaka 58), Pascal Struijk, Joe Rodon, Daniel James (Wilfried Gnonto 85), Joe Rothwell, Joel Piroe, Brenden Aaronson (Mateo Joseph 72), Manor Solomon (Largue Ramazani 72), Sam Byram (Junior Firpo 72).
Unused Substitutes: Karl Darlow, Joshua Guilavogui, Isaac Schmidt, Ilia Gruev.
Referee: Ben Toner
Attendance: 35,574
Plymouth were originally founded in 1886 as Argyle Football Club, they adopted their current name when they became fully professional in 1903.
The Pilgrims have had a number of highs and lows over their 138-year existence. They won several Third Division titles from the 1950s onwards but invariably seemed to suffered relegations shortly on the back of those successes.
Perhaps the lowest point of their existence, Argyle went into administration in 2011 while two successive relegations left them in League Two.
They were promoted to League One during the 2016-17 season, where they spent two seasons in the third tier before being relegated again in the 2018-2019 season.
However, they bounced back at the first attempt the following campaign, and were then promoted to the Championship in 2023 after winning the League One title and racking up 101 points.
They were in the relegation dogfight for much of last term, but managed to retain their second-tier status. They will be hoping to repeat the feat over the final weeks of this season.
HOME PARK
Built: 1892
Location: Mayflower Drive, Plymouth, Devon, PL2 3DQ
Capacity: 17,000
Austrian-Bosnian coach has made a positive impression since replacing Wayne Rooney at Argyle, and led them to the last 16 of the Emirates FA Cup with a stunning win over Premier League leaders Liverpool.
After looking in danger of being cut adrift at the bottom, two wins in their last four games meaning the charismatic Muslic still has them firmly in with a chance of escaping the drop.
Born in Bosnia, but with his family fleeing to Austria when he was young due to the Bosnian War.
He had a 17-year playing career, starting with Wacker Innsbruck and also taking in spells with Worgl, Novalja, Reichenau, Hall, Ried, Gmunden, Sattledt and Union Weisskirchen.
Muslic moved into coaching full-time at Ried, initially working with the under-18s before being promoted to the first team, and having a spell in caretaker charge.
He had a stint at the helm for Florisdorfer AC, before briefly returning to Ried.
His next position saw him become an assistant coach at Cercle Brugge, and he would become head coach for a two-year spell between 2022 and 2024, leading them to a sixth-place finish in 2023.
Joe Edwards joined the Pilgrims during the summer of 2019. Edwards originally started his Argyle career in midfield but his versatility has seen him feature in a number of different positions for the south-west club.
Edwards has been part of two promotions, and was the club’s player of the season during the 2020-21 campaign, which also saw him take armband after a career-ending injury to defender Gary Sawyer.
Starting his career at Aston Villa, Gloucester-born Edwards has made over 450 appearances during his career, which has included spells at Yeovil Town, Colchester United, Walsall and now Plymouth.
Over 200 of those appearances have been for the Pilgrims, and he has scored 24 goals for the club over a five-year period, including the one to secure survival in victory over Hull at the end of last term.
He has had his injury issues this season, with Adam Randell leading the side in his absence, but Miron Muslic has spoken of how impressed he has been with Edwards' team ethic on and off the pitch.
Mustapha Bundu has the most assists of any Plymouth player this season, with five to his name.
The Sierra Leone international spent part of his youth football development with the Craig Bellamy Academy and Hartpury College, before short spells with Newquay and Hereford, winning the FA Vase with the latter.
A trial with Danish club Aarhus led to a three-year contract and he enjoyed a breakout campaign when they finished third in the Superliga in 2020.
He made a move to Belgian giants Anderlecht that summer, and had loan stints with FC Copenhagen, Aarhus and FC Andorra before sealing his switch to Argyle in 2023 ahead of their return to the Championship.
Striker Ryan Hardie is a product of the Rangers academy. The Scotsman arrived at Plymouth from Blackpool in 2021 after a successful loan spell.
Hardie was a key player during their League One title-winning season last term, scoring 13 goals and making four assists for his teammates.
He has continued to be an integral figure for the Pilgrims with eight goals and three assists to his name this term.
The striker had several loan spells with Raith Rovers, St Mirren and Livingston in his homeland before signing for Blackpool in 2019.
He has represented Scotland throughout the age groups but is yet to receive a senior cap.
Imposing defender Nikola Katic, who stands at 6ft 4in, joined Plymouth on loan from FC Zurich in January and has made a positive impression.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina international started his career in the youth ranks at HNK Stolac before having stints in the senior ranks with NK Neretvanac Opuzen and Slaven Belupo.
He moved to British football with Glasgow Rangers in 2018 but suffered a serious knee injury that kept him sidelined for much of their title-winning season.
He spent the 2021-22 campaign on loan at Hadjuk Split, where he won the Croatian Cup, before his switch to Switzerland with Zurich in 2022.
Ronald is set to end his first full season at Swansea City as the club’s player with the most assists, but the Brazilian is far from content as the 2024-25 campaign draws to a close.
The 23-year-old has six assists and two goals to his name, and only Liam Cullen can boast more goal involvements for the Swans across what has been a challenging season.
But Ronald admits he wanted so much more, and that he has been frustrated during a season that has been a rollercoaster ride for the Swans.
But he is determined to end it on a high.
“Unfortunately this has not been the sort of season any of us wanted or expected,” he said.
“I am really happy to be the player with the most assists in the team, but I am also sad I have not been able to have more goals and assists to help the team.
“I want to be able to make important contributions for this team and this club, which has shown a lot of faith in me.
“I feel I have the trust of the players here, and I play to help the team. I think I bring speed to the game and help us exploit space, and the same goes for defending where I feel I have grown a lot over these last two seasons.
“Of course, there are parts of my game I can improve, I am sure it will come in time if I continue to work hard and the goal is to have more goals and assists for Swansea.
“But, first we have to focus on what is immediately in front of us and get as many points as possible to finish the season and make sure we come back stronger next season.”
Following this fixture against Plymouth, the Swans head to Wearside to take on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
The mention of the opponent and venue bring an immediate glint to the winger’s eyes as he recalls arguably his finest day in a Swansea shirt to date.
His brace in last season’s win over the Black Cats were his first goals in Swans colours, and the memory brings a beaming grin to his face.
“That Sunderland game was one to put in a scrapbook to look back on in my career,” he said.
“To score two goals in that stadium… just thinking of it brings back so many good memories. I cannot wait to go back there on Saturday, and it would be great if I can score there again.
“It meant so much to me. Scoring a goal is one of the best feelings you can have in football, and to get my first goals for Swansea so soon after getting here was really good for me.
“Like I said before, I really hope I can start to score more goals for the club and our fans.”
Ronald was something of a late starter in football. He was of secondary school age before he played for a team in the projects in Corumba, where they competed against teams within their own state.
By the age of 18 he was joining the professional ranks with Corumbaense, and barely four years later he was playing in Europe, and just a level below the Premier League.
Ronald hails the influence of his mother and grandmother in giving him the backing and motivation to follow his dreams.
The forward admits he feels a responsibility to provide support for his family as a thanks for all that they have done for him, having been raised with few luxuries or extravagances.
That’s why Ronald was delighted to be able to buy his mother a new home for her to enjoy a better standard of living.
“When you are born in Brazil you spend a lot of time playing football,” he says with a smile as he reflects on his upbringing.
“My childhood was practically just playing football, sometimes I would not even go home to have my lunch or dinner. I just wanted to play with my friends out on the streets.
“My grandmother did not like me playing out on the streets because of the passing cars and motorcycles, but the street was our pitch and I was dreaming of being a professional player.
“I saw my uncle Tico play football, and I just wanted to be like him.
“When I started to play, it was so intense! All the games in Brazil are like a derby, and it takes a lot of personality and courage to play in Brazilian football.
“My family helped me so much, they helped me in every way you could imagine. Without them I might not be where I am today.
“So, to be able to do something nice for them, to help them have a better life was something I always dreamed of.
“When I bought the house for my mother and my grandfather it was probably the happiest day of my life.
“They are the two most important people in my life. My grandmother was also very special to me, she passed away and I wish she had been alive to see me make my dreams come true, but I know she is rooting for me every day.”
That close family bond is one that will resonate with Swansea fans, with the club long being proud of its sense of community.
And when he returns home to Brazil, Ronald has been spreading the word about the club he represents, and there is now a group of youngsters cheering on the Swans and wearing the famous white shirt some 5,000 miles from the Swansea.com Stadium.
“Yes, it is true and there are so many kids from my city who share the dream I had when I was their age,” he says.
“I hope that I am inspiring them to always dream big and believe they can make things happen.”
Even with the language barrier as Ronald continues to learn English, he is grateful for the support he has received from the Jack Army, and his teammates.
The arrival of Goncalo Franco – a fellow Portuguese speaker – has also helped, as has working with translator Heytor Torres.
“Heytor and Franco have been very important to me this season, they have both helped me a lot on a daily basis,” added Ronald.
“It’s not just on the pitch, it is in life in general here. I have so much support from everyone and I know I can count on them.”
And what of the final few weeks of the season?
The Swans know a win against Argyle will put them within touching distance of mathematically securing their Championship status for another campaign.
Ronald knows that is the primary aim over the coming weeks, but he hopes the team and the club as a whole can soon be setting their sights considerably higher in the seasons to come.
“We want to finish the season strongly, because if we do that then we can be positive going into the summer,” he said.
“It’s not been the season we wanted, but I said when I joined Swansea that I wanted to make a mark on the club.
“I would love to help the club get promoted to the Premier League, because I think that is where a club like Swansea deserves to be.
“We have got a lot of work we have to do, but I really hope I can help the team and we can improve and eventually be successful.”
Coach Anthony Wright praised Swansea City Under-21s' spirit and togetherness as they claimed a 2-0 victory over Burnley at the Swansea.com Stadium on Monday evening.
Morgan Bates opened the scoring early on for the hosts as he capitalised on a loose ball in the box to fire home from close range.
Jacob Cook doubled Swansea's lead just 16 minutes later, sending a low driven effort into the bottom corner.
It means the Swans have won three of their last four games, and have emerged victorious in every game they’ve played at the Swansea.com Stadium over the last two seasons.
And Wright was also pleased with the way they bounced back from a heavy defeat at AFC Bournemouth last time out.
"I think the first half was probably as good a performance as it could have been for us. I think that was us at a real high level against a very good opposition. We won our duels all over the pitch, and tactically off the ball we caused them big problems," he said.
"They found it difficult to have any momentum in the game. More importantly, on the ball we were terrific. We recognised when to play forward, we recognised when we needed to keep the ball and we just looked a threat throughout the game.
"The only disappointing thing was we came in at half-time 2-0 up, and I genuinely believe it should have been four or five. It’s a different game then.
"The difficulty for us is that at half-time there was a lot of positivity in the room about the game, and rightly so, and then you’re asking the team to go and replicate the first half, that’s always going to be difficult.
"The score is 2-0 and Burnley still have something to cling on to, they know the next goal is important and in fairness they came out in the second half and tried to put us under a lot of pressure and I’m really pleased with how we dealt with that side as well.
"We dug deep for each other, we did look a bit leggy maybe the last 20 minutes of the game. We’ve had a lot of games in the last few weeks.
"The more pleasing part for me was that during that spell the players stuck together and we had a mentality that we weren’t going to concede a goal, albeit that Kit (Margetson) made two fantastic saves in the second half. We know he is capable of that. I’m absolutely delighted with the performance."
Gig Buddies Cymru is an innovative friendship project that matches people with a learning disability and/or autism with a volunteer who shares the same interests, so they can enjoy social activities together.
'Gigs' can be anything from watching sport to live music, theatre, festivals, country walks, or cafes.
The project helps people to overcome loneliness and social isolation through the simple but effective concept of friendship and fun.
Gig Buddies are looking for new volunteers in Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot.
Find out more and apply at gigbuddies@ldw.org.uk and see the amazing work they do on social media: @GigBuddiesCymru.
Swansea City Women made it four consecutive wins with a comfortable victory over Aberystwyth Town Women in their penultimate game of the Genero Adran Premier season.
Nia Jones opened the scoring early for the visitors, heading home from Taite Trivett's deflected effort.
An own goal from Josie Pugh would double Swansea’s lead soon after, the defender turning Trivett's cross into her own net.
Aberystwyth got a goalback before the break through Lily Moralee-Hughes, but a late long-range strike from Maddy Murray would seal the three points late on.
The Swans have been growing in confidence in recent weeks, and they had the better of the early going here.
Emily Richards had the chance to put them ahead after just three minutes. A brilliant switch ball from Jess Williams found Trivett on the wing, and her delivery ended with Richards firing over.
Sammy Wynne came close two minutes later, watching her curling effort go agonisingly wide of the post.
But the Swans would soon have the early lead their dominance deserved. Trivett’s low effort was met by Aber keeper Chelsea Herbert, but the ball flicked up for Jones to head home her second goal of the season.
Aimee Deacon had the chance to double the advantage 10 minutes later after a good ball from Lucy Finch, but her low effort was stopped by Herbert.
Instead, the Swans second would come from an own goal. Trivett was involved again as her low cross was turned into the Aberystwyth goal by the covering Pugh.
But two minutes later Aberystwyth would halve their deficit after a mix up between Steph Turner and Charlie Haynes allowed Moralee-Hughes the simplest of finishes.
Deacon had the chance to restore the Swans two-goal lead after the break. Wynne laid the ball off for her teammate, but the curling effort flew over the bar.
Aberystwyth swept up the other end and had the chance to level as Moralee-Hughes bore down on goal again, but this time Haynes was able to rush out and collect from her toes.
Trivett came close to a goal of her own, sending a strike over the bar after Katy Hosford’s corner had been punched out to her.
The Swans would continue to be a threat from corners, and Maddy Murray saw an effort cleared off the line from another dangerous set-piece delivery.
And it was Murray who would find the back of the net late on, picking the ball up 30 yards from goal before powering a long-range effort beyond Herbert to seal all three points.
Aberystwyth Town Women: Chelsea Herbert, Rebecca Mathias (captain), Lily Moralee-Hughes (Dani Mawle 89), Imogen Scourfield, Shauna Chambers, Ffiona Evans (Magi Rowlands 88), Modlen Gwynne (Bethan Roberts 53), Lowri James-Evans, Josie Pugh, Carys Bufton (Lleucu Mathias 53), Gwnellian Jones.
Swansea City Women: Charlie Haynes, Lucy Finch, Sophie Brisland-Hancocks, Steph Turner (Caitlin Williams 57), Sammy Wynne (Maddy Murray 60), Katy Hosford (captain), Emily Richards, Aimee Deacon (Chloe Chivers 60), Taite Trivett (Jasmine Guymer 75), Jess Williams, Nia Jones.
“It wasn’t a wonderful game, but [it was] a wonderful win.” Caretaker head coach Alan Sheehan summed up Saturday’s result against Derby perfectly in his post-match interview.
As the season draws to an end and the battle for survival intensifies, struggling sides seem to be able to find the form that has eluded them all season and we know how tense and unpredictable that makes these final few games. We also know that we’re not safe yet, even after Saturday’s victory.
The Rams arrived at the Swansea.com Stadium off the back of four wins and John Eustace’s side looked to have set up to at least ensure they didn’t lose. I must confess, by half-time I had found my mind wandering to all the things I could have been doing in my garden that afternoon, such was the quality of the first 45 minutes.
The prospect of more of the same in the second half certainly didn’t entice me back to my seat early and the fear factor kicked in when I looked at the half-time results elsewhere in the Championship.
However, despite a slow start to the second half, there was eventually something to shout about as Lewis O’Brien’s strike from distance cannoned over the bar. It seemed to be the catalyst for improvement and Josh Key provided the cross that resulted in the deciding moment of the match – a goal for JiSung Eom.
Substitute Joe Allen dealt brilliantly with what turned out to be the final Derby threat and we all gave a huge sigh of relief when referee Andy Davies blew for full-time.
So, more of the same this evening? Let’s hope for more quality, but let’s face it, this may well be another “dogfight”, as the gaffer described what he expected from the Derby game beforehand.
I guess when sides who really are fighting for their existence face those who are not yet safe, quality is bound to be in short supply. It really is just a case of getting the points on the board and hoping everyone else comes out slightly worse than you do.
That will be Plymouth’s aim this evening, and ours also. It would be good to get the job done tonight and hopefully not have to think about a relegation battle over the remaining handful of games.
These current concerns are a far cry from the glory years I’ve been reliving recently via an advanced copy of a new book by former South Wales Evening Post sports reporter, John Burgum. His memoir, ‘When The Swans Had Everyone Smiling’, is an account of his life and career, framed by tales of the many highs and lows of Swansea City.
John reported on the Swans for the best part of a quarter of a century, and while the title of the book is a nod to the glory days of John Toshack and the spectacular rise through the divisions to the pinnacle of the top tier, it wasn’t all success stories, even in those days.
I’ve known John all my life. His family and mine lived on the same estate and for a while we both worked at the Post. I’ve interviewed him about his career over the years, but there was plenty in the book that came as a surprise to me and plenty worth being reminded of. Those really were the days.
So, if you’re interested in John, journalism, the Swans or a combination of the three, this is a book worth reading.
JULIE KISSICK
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When Oli McBurnie used to take to the field for the Swans, I wouldn’t have immediately thought of him as a pioneer of footballing fashions.
The Scottish international himself once admitted in an interview, “the way I look is not the way everybody else looks on the pitch.
“Even the way I play – people say I look clumsy, leggy, all that sort of thing. I guess I’m unorthodox but it works to my advantage, because I get underestimated all the time.”
The 6ft 3in striker’s Swans shirt would always be hanging down over his shorts, which always looked a little bit shorter than everyone else’s because of his long, lean, frame.
Then there were the socks, which always used to be rolled halfway down his shins.
As a fellow “lanky” specimen, I have a certain amount of sympathy for the centre forward.
But there was one aspect of McBurnie’s appearance which was ahead of its time and would eventually be emulated by football’s most dedicated followers of fashion.
McBurnie socks were always worn at “half-mast” because of the tiny shinpads he used to wear, which would definitely be described as mini rather than maxi in fashion parlance.
In an interview with Stuart James, the senior football writer with The Athletic and huge Swans fan, McBurnie explained why he wore the smallest possible padding.
“They’re toddlers’ ones,” said the former Swans fans favourite, now playing for Las Palmas in La Liga, when asked about the size of his shinpads.
“They’re the smallest I can find. We never wear shinpads in training, and then you go into a game and wear them, so that feels alien to me.”
McBurnie came to mind the other night while I was watching the Nottingham Forest v Manchester United Premier League match at the City Ground.
The Forest skipper Ryan Yates went down clutching his lower shin after a first-half collision with United’s Alejandro Garnacho.
On the pitch next to him as he received treatment to a sore looking injury was one of the smallest shinpads I have ever seen.
Commentator Darren Fletcher said it was about the size of a wallet . . . but not as big as co-commentator Ally McCoist’s wallet!
As well as Yates, Manchester City’s Jack Grealish is one of the many high-profile players who have popularised the wearing of size-zero shinpads in the past few years.
To illustrate just how far ahead of the trend McBurnie was, the above quotes from the interview with Stuart James date back to his Swans days in 2018!
It’s funny how fashions change in cycles. I used to have a colleague who reckoned that if you kept something long enough it would come back into fashion. He had a suit which he claimed had been considered chic in at least three separate decades!
When I first started playing adult parks football as a 15-year-old in the early 1980s I didn’t wear shinpads at all.
I wanted to copy some of my favourite players of the late 1970s, including QPR and Everton winger Dave Thomas, who used to wear his socks rolled around his ankles with no shinpads.
Although, he looked cool rampaging down the wing, Thomas’ style did get him in hot water when playing for Wolves.
The England international fell out with manager John Barnwell over not wearing shinpads, and as a result missed out on playing in the 1980 League Cup Final.
I too eventually had to bow to footballing red tape as we had to wear shinpads to comply with our club’s injury insurance cover.
But there was another reason . . . sheer self-preservation! I discovered that along with a number of other physically robust tactics, the ancient footballing art of “hacking” seemed to be alive and well and thriving in the Neath and District League when I played!
For the uninitiated, “hacking” or the deliberate kicking of an opponent’s shins, was allowed in early forms of football. Controversy over the practice eventually led it to be outlawed from the game in 1863.
For some reason, the news hadn’t seemed to reach the lower divisions of the Neath League some 120 years later!
So, shinpads were definitely a necessity rather than a fashion accessory when I started playing in adult leagues. However, they offered little more protection than today’s micro versions.
I remember one challenge splitting my flimsy plastic and foam pads from top to bottom, allowing my opponent’s studs to open a two-inch gash down my shin through which you could actually see the white of my shin bone!
From then on, I keenly followed the latest developments in shinpad technology, which seemed to evolve at pace. By the end of my playing days I was wearing something almost akin to cricket pads!
They were almost a sock-like contraption with Velcro straps. The thick pad in the front covered pretty much the length of the shin and there was even padding around the ankle.
McBurnie, Grealish and co certainly wouldn’t approve and, to be perfectly honest, I can see why.
The bulky pads would get heavy when it rained, especially on some of the mud baths we used to play on back in the day.
So, I understand why professional players in the modern game, which is played at a speed many light years away from what I could even dream of, would want to keep their shinpads as light as possible.
But I still wince every time I see a player go down clutching his or her shins following a heavy challenge – prompting flashbacks to some particularly painful bone on bone or stud on bone clashes over the years.
Despite, wearing pads of varying sizes during my playing days, I’m still confident my shins wouldn’t be completely embarrassed during the scar comparing scene in the film Jaws.
For all of you who take to the field in shinpads barely the size of Ally McCoist’s wallet . . . just be careful you don’t become one of football’s latest fashion victims!
C’mon you Swans!
The 2024-25 campaign marks Swansea City’s 20th season at the Swansea.com Stadium following the ground’s opening in 2005. Throughout the campaign, club historian Gwyn Rees will reflect on some of the notable moments and personalities that have shaped the history of our home. Here we recall a play-off victory notable for its drama and its eerie soundtrack.
Swansea City 1 Barnsley 1 – Championship play-off semi-final, second leg – May 21, 2021
Less than a year on from reaching the play-offs in Steve Cooper’s first season in charge, the Swans had once again secured a top-six finish and were within sight of a Premier League return.
The season had – like the conclusion of the 2019-20 campaign – been played out against empty stands with supporters still not allowed to attend owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
But, for the play-off fixtures, a limited number of fans were allowed to return to grounds. The Swans had been away from home in the first leg against Barnsley, and emerged 1-0 winners thanks to Andre Ayew’s fine first-half finish.
The return game would see the Jack Army allowed back in the Swansea.com Stadium for the first time in 441 days, with around 3,000 able to attend as the Swans looked to secure a place in the Wembley final.
Cooper had made one change to his side with Wayne Routledge coming in for Liam Cullen.
Even though the attendance was limited, the atmosphere was electric but the opening exchanges proved to be cagey.
Barnsley were a direct side and were content to try and put the ball behind the Swans and task them with playing out from deep.
But the likes of Marc Guehi produced a composed performance in the heart of the defence and Swansea began to grow in confidence and comfort, and they got the breakthrough they needed.
Brad Collins came to punch a Swansea corner and the ball fell for captain Matt Grimes on the edge of the area, and he produced a goal that evoked memories of Leon Britton’s strike against Nottingham Forest 10 years earlier.
Bringing the ball down, he beat Callum Brittan before opening up to send a curling strike into the far corner of the net from 20 yards out.
With just six minutes to go until half-time, the hosts retained their lead at the interval.
Visiting manager Valerien Ismael rolled the dice at the break, bringing on Daryl Dike and Jordan Williams as they sought a way back into the game.
The Tykes began the second period on the front foot, although without really testing Freddie Woodman in the Swansea goal.
However, the hosts suffered a major blow when Routledge was forced off with a serious knee injury that would ultimately spell the end of his distinguished career.
The long delay for treatment disrupted the home side’s rhythm and Barnsley began to exert sustained pressure.
Jake Bidwell, Ben Cabango and Guehi were outstanding as they made countless blocks and tackles.
But Barnsley gave themselves hope when a counter-attack ended with Cauley Woodrow calmly firing past Woodman.
That set up a frantic and nervy ending, but there would be a huge release of the tension and a sense of relief when the final whistle went and the Swans could start their planning for Wembley.
With season tickets now available to all supporters, we are giving Jacks the chance to nominate someone to receive their purchase for the 2025-26 campaign via a special delivery from a Swansea City VIP.
Simply tell us who you'd like to be considered for a Swans surprise and why they should be selected, and we could be calling on them at their home, workplace, or other venue.
Supporters can apply for themselves, or for a friend or loved one. Any season tickets purchased between December 2024 and the end of April 2025 are eligible for this prize.
Do you have a child who is having a season ticket for the very first time and want to surprise them? Maybe a loved one has been a season ticket holder for 20 years at the Swansea.com Stadium and you’d like us to show our appreciation? Or perhaps you and mates you attend games with have a regular get together and you want to bring a VIP guest along? Whatever the reason, we would love to hear from you.
Guest One: Ricky Gervais
Guest Two: Christopher Nolan
Guest Three: Zidane
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.
REPORT IT – IN THE STADIUM
Supporters are encouraged to report instances of abusive and discriminatory language within the stadium by using the anonymous text and Whatsapp number (07886 276015) providing details of the incident and your location in the stadium.
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.
Supporters can also use support@swanseacity.com to report instances of discrimination.
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.
Croeso nôl Junior Jacks!
It was great seeing you all on Saturday and we’re so excited that you’re back for this evening’s game.
Next home match is our Easter fixture and Junior Takeover Day, and we can’t wait to see you all there.
Our score prediction for this evening’s game is 2-0 and we think Liam Cullen and Joe Allen will get the goals.
This week’s quiz is about football clubs and their animal nicknames.
Our prediction for today is 2-1 to the Swans. Liam Cullen will score both goals.
Uppa Swans!
Cyril and Cybil
Caretaker Head Coach Alan Sheehan
2 Josh Key
3 Kristian Pedersen
4 Jay Fulton
5 Ben Cabango ©
6 Harry Darling
7 Joe Allen
8 Lewis O'Brien
9 Žan Vipotnik
10 Jisung Eom
11 Josh Ginnelly
14 Josh Tymon
17 Gonçalo Franco
19 Florian Bianchini
20 Liam Cullen
21 Nathan Tjoe-A-On
22 Lawrence Vigouroux
23 Cyrus Christie
25 Myles Peart-Harris
26 Kyle Naughton
28 Hannes Delcroix
31 Ollie Cooper
33 Jon McLaughlin
35 Ronald
36 Ben Lloyd
37 Aimar Govea
40 NUMBER RETIRED
41 Sam Parker
43 Dan Watts
50 Filip Lissah
Head Coach Miron Muslic
2 Bali Mumba
3 Nathanael Ogbeta
4 Jordan Houghton
5 Julio Pleguezuelo
6 Kornel Szucs
8 Joe Edwards ©
9 Ryan Hardie
11 Callum Wright
14 Michael Obafemi
15 Mustapha Bundu
17 Tymoteusz Puchacz
18 Darko Gyabi
19 Malachi Boateng
20 Adam Randell
21 Conor Hazard
22 Brendan Galloway
24 Saxon Earley
25 Nikola Katic
26 Muhamed Tijani
28 Rami Al Hajj
29 Matthew Sorinola
30 Michael Baidoo
31 Daniel Grimshaw
32 Will Jenkins Davies
33 Zak Baker
34 Caleb Roberts
35 Freddie Issaka
40 Maksym Talovierov
44 Victor Palsson
Referee - Stephen Martin
Assistant Referee 1 - Mark Dwyer
Assistant Referee 2 - Carl Fitch-Jackson
Fourth Official - Farai Hallam
STAFF LIST
Chairman - Andy Coleman
Honorary Club President - Alan Curtis MBE
Directors
Andy Coleman, Brett Cravatt, Jason Cohen, George Popstefanov, Chris Sznewajs, Tyler Morse, Nigel Morris, Todd Marcelle, Martin Morgan, Paul Meller.
Chief Executive Officer: Tom Gorringe
Executive Director and Company Secretary: Ken Gude
Associate Directors: Diane Hughes
FIRST-TEAM STAFF
Caretaker Head Coach - Alan Sheehan
Head of Goalkeeping – Martyn Margetson
First Team Coach - Kris O'Leary
First Team Coach - Mark Fotheringham
First Team Coach - Richard Stearman
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.
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAM
Tom Gorringe (Chief Executive Officer)
Richard Montague (Director of Football)
Ken Gude (Executive Director and Company Secretary)
Andrew Davies (Head of Operations and Facilities);
Richard Morris (Head of Commercial)
CLUB STAFF
Head of Football Operations and Administration: Ben Greenwood
Football Operations & Administration Manager: Rebecca Gigg
Head of Commercial: Richard Morris
Head of Media & Communications: Kieran Watkins
Head of Marketing: Katie Doyle
Head of Partnerships: Lee Merrells
Head of Hospitality: Catherine Thomas
Head of Retail: Andrea Morris
Head of Ticketing: Lewis Bullen
Head of Safeguarding: Rebeca Storer
HR Manager: Nicola Butt
Head of Facilities: Gordon David
Grounds Manager: Evan Davies
Head of Swansea City AFC Foundation: Paul France
Club Ambassador: Lee Trundle
PROGRAMME PRODUCTION
Contributors: Andrew Gwilym, Rachael Tucker, Cerith White, Jack Otter, Sophie Davis, Mackenzie Squires, Dom Hynes, Sammy Wynne, Hayley Ford, Owen Morgan, Gwyn Rees, Julie Kissick.
Designers: Callum Rothwell, Lewis Ward, Jac Elsey.
Photography: Athena Picture Agency,
Natalie John-Davis, Sam Cashel, Alamy.