Good evening and welcome back to the Swansea.com Stadium for our Remembrance fixture against Watford.
Tonight, we will pause and remember all those who have served and sacrificed their lives in armed conflicts around the world at what is an emotional and moving time of year.
I was honoured to be asked to lay a wreath in Remembrance at Saturday’s game against Oxford United, and the exemplary manner in which the pre-match service was observed was a tremendous credit to both clubs.
I know that will be the case once again as we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of our armed forces, veterans and their families.
We will once again be backing the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal, raising money for this great cause by auctioning our jerseys from this fixture. You can find out more about that HERE.
We are back on home soil following an excellent win at the Kassam Stadium. The more than 1,400 of you who packed out the away end made a tremendous cacophony of noise as you cheered the team on from the first whistle to the last and it was great to see everyone celebrate the three points together at the end.
We have had to endure some disappointments recently where our performances have not got the results we wanted, so it was great to see us get the points after a dominant display and I was delighted to see Zan Vipotnik and Florian Bianchini on the scoresheet.
I was also delighted that Liam Cullen committed his future to the club by signing a new contract through to the summer of 2028.
My discussions with Liam and his agent when we were negotiating his new deal just underlined how much passion he has for this club, and he is a tremendous example for all aspiring players at our club and shows the importance of the player pathway we have in place here.
We have also added Cyrus Christie to our squad, and his vast experience at Championship level with be a real benefit to us moving forward.
I hope you will enjoy the lightshow we have put in place for tonight’s game as part of our efforts to continually update and improve the matchday experience here at the Swansea.com Stadium.
If you struggle with light sensitivity, or any condition which could be affected or impacted by the display, then please stay on the concourses while the show its taking place.
Enjoy the game and let’s hope for another three points.
Andy
Good evening everyone and welcome to the Swansea.com Stadium as we face Watford in our Remembrance fixture.
We are back on home soil following a really good performance and result at Oxford United on Saturday.
We have had to deal with disappointment and frustration over recent games, but I think it says a lot about the character of the players that we started the game confidently and dominated the game.
You cannot do that without belief in what you are doing, and the difference this time was that we got the reward for that dominance with two very good goals.
I was pleased for the whole team, and I think we can take a lot of confidence from that going into tonight’s game.
Zan Vipotnik and Florian Bianchini will also have taken a lot from making important contributions to help the team get three points.
They are young players in the early stages of their time with us as a club, and in the Championship, they are working hard to keep improving and adapting to this level, and I think you can see the benefits of that hard work.
I also want to say thank you to the `1,400 choir who serenaded us and cheered us on from the away end at the Kassam Stadium.
Your support, as always, was absolutely fantastic and I know what it means to the players and the entire group when we hear you belting out ‘Hymns and Arias’ and ‘Land of my Fathers’.
Now we want to make sure we produce a performance to , although we will face a tough test against a Watford side who have enjoyed a strong start to the season and currently sit fifth in the Championship table.
They had a great away result at the weekend too, and I am sure they will be keen to build on that.
Tonight is very important off the pitch as we remember the service and sacrifice of so many in our remembrance fixture.
We pay particular tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives in armed conflicts around the world.
I know you will observe tonight’s tributes impeccably during what is such a poignant period which carries a personal resonance for so many of us.
Enjoy the game,
Luke
Welcome to this evening’s game at the Swansea.com Stadium, where we play under the bright lights against the Hornets; Watford FC.
Saturday’s performance at Oxfordcan be summed up in a word for the Jack Army: relief. After a goal drought in October, it was a great relief to see us get on the scoresheet twice against Oxford United with Zan Vipotnik getting a goal that will hopefully kick-start a purple patch of form. We also saw summer signing Florian Bianchini score his first goal for the club, which secured an important three points.
The style of play was much improved, with possession and pace in attack. The only downside was leaking a late goal, but our defence (which has been great so far this season) showed grit to get us the result.
Momentum is everything in football; get on a good run, and you can fly up the table, have a couple of tough games and it can feel like you don’t know where your next points are coming from.
One thing that does seem clear is how the team has stuck together, and you could see what it meant to them on Saturday in front of the sold-out away end at the Kassam Stadium. It’ll be three weeks before we play again at home, so I hope the boys can secure an important three points tonight and get us moving up the table.
It was good to see the club tie Liam Cullen, to a new contract last week. Liam is a fan favourite amongst supporters and always works his socks off for the team. It’s a great sign when your academy players want to commit their future to the club.
We know that talks are ongoing with our other players with expiring contracts, and the Trust are being kept updated with the work being done by the football department through our regular meetings with senior club officials.
We at the Trust would also like to welcome Cyrus Christie back to the club – Cyrus had a great spell with us a few years back and will provide important experience and attacking energy on the right flank in the next few months.
Tonight’s game is our closest one to Remembrance Day on November 11. The day before is Remembrance Sunday and, as is tradition, the Trust will be laying a wreath at the memorial plaque at the stadium in tribute to the brave men and women who fought during the two World Wars, and for those who continue to lay down their lives in service of our country. They all deserve our deepest respect and gratitude for making the ultimate sacrifice.
Remembrance Day is an especially poignant day for me, and gives my family and I a chance to celebrate our beloved grandfather and his contributions. He was a Lance Bombardier who fought across North Africa and Italy during the Second World War. We are so fortunate to still have him with us (and going strong) at 103 years old.
Remarkably, he was born only nine years after Swansea Town was founded. Given how much our beloved club has been through in this time, it’s sometimes incredible to think just how young we are in the face of our country’s history.
We have spent most of our 112 years in the lower divisions, but I know many are longing for a return to the Premier League to face the best of the best. We can take one small step towards that tonight with a victory.
Tonight’s game will include a lightshow – the club made significant enhancements to the stadium during the summer break, all with the intention of making the stadium a more modern and exciting experience for supporters. Hopefully the light show is only outdone by a stellar performance on the field by the boys in white.
Enjoy the game this evening.
Adam
Swansea City AFC Foundation partnered with the National Autistic Society (NAS) to deliver the FIT NAS programme across the summer and support the health and wellbeing of parents of children with autism.
Beginning at the start of the school summer holidays, the initiative encouraged parents of those with autism to exercise and focus on their wellbeing, offering activities that they can do on their own or with their children.
The programme began with a tour of the Swansea.com Stadium and walk through the surrounding areas, before offering healthy cooking sessions, walking football, dance classes and chair yoga.
In addition to regular sessions for participants, FIT NAS also included a live step challenge across its duration, encouraging participants to take time to walk and get out of the house. Over the course of the challenge, participants racked up 3,325 miles across 12 weeks.
The children in the sessions were also treated to a football session led by Swansea City legend and club ambassador Lee Trundle.
Rhys Davies, health and wellbeing officer at Swansea City Foundation, was pleased to see the impact the FIT NAS sessions had on participants and believes it will benefit them in the long term.
“It’s been really rewarding to see the parents spending time with their kids, and also taking time to focus on their own health and wellbeing,” said Davies.
“If you don’t focus on your own health and wellbeing it is hard to care for someone else.
“It’s just about taking positive steps towards long-term changes, so it’s been good to see them excited to take part in the activities.”
Eve Dewson is a member of the NAS. Having taken part in the programme, she feels she has a better understanding of how to balance her caring responsibilities and managing her own wellbeing.
“Just learning to be out there, get our steps in, and taking that time for yourself has been great,” said Dewson.
“We got the children involved in activities, and also made a bit of time for us and we were able to do it around our caring roles.
“It’s hard as a mum with all the commitments, you always put yourself last. Once you do give yourself that little bit of time, you become much better at looking after someone else once you look after yourself.”
Swansea City has signed defender Cyrus Christie on a contract through to the end of the 2024-25 season, subject to international clearance.
The vastly-experienced 32-year-old provides head coach Luke Williams with a versatile option across the back four.
Christie – who has trained with the first-team squad in recent weeks - will wear the number 23 shirt for the Swans, and joins having most-recently been with fellow Championship side Hull City.
For the Republic of Ireland international this is a second spell in SA1, having featured for the Swans during a loan spell over the second half of the 2021-22 campaign.
Christie started his career in the youth ranks at Coventry City and went on to make over 100 league appearances for the Sky Blues – while also having loan spells at Nuneaton Town and Hinckley Borough – before making a move to Derby in 2014.
He was a regular over his three years with the Rams, helping them reach the play-offs in 2016 and making 119 appearances in all competitions.
A transfer to relegated Middlesbrough followed in 2017, and he subsequently joined Fulham in January of 2018.
During his time with the Cottagers he twice featured as a substitute in Championship play-off finals; coming off the bench in victories over Aston Villa and Brentford in 2018 and 2020 respectively.
A loan to Nottingham Forest followed, before he made 23 appearances and scored three goals for Swansea during his previous time in south Wales.
Christie Joined Hull in the summer of 2022, and made 45 appearances before leaving the MKM Stadium when his contract expired.
He has won 30 caps for the Republic of Ireland and was part of their squad for the Euro 2016 finals in France.
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.
This November, Swansea City is proud to stand together with football clubs throughout the United Kingdom in support of the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.
The match shirt auction in support of the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal will go live at kick-off in Swansea City's fixture against Watford on November 5 (8pm)
As a symbol of respect, Swansea City players will wear shirts featuring an emblem of the poppy in the upcoming match against Watford. These unique shirts will then be signed by the players who wore them and made available to own via auction, exclusively on the MatchWornShirt website and app. All of the net proceeds of these auctions will be allocated to the Royal British Legion.
The auction will run from kick-off up until 3pm on Saturday, November 23.
This is the sixth consecutive year that MatchWornShirt has teamed up with the Royal British Legion, having previously raised close to £3m for the Poppy Appeal. The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal takes place from Thursday 24 October until Remembrance Sunday on 10 November; every year the RBL leads the nation in Remembrance across the UK to honour the contribution of our Armed Forces community, past and present.
To help the Royal British Legion continue its vital work, head to MatchWornShirt’s website and get involved in one of the many auctions for this year’s Poppy Appeal below.
Swansea City could not capitalise on their dominance as Casper De Norre's last-gasp strike gave Millwall all three points at the Swansea.com Stadium.
The home side controlled almost the entirety of the contest in SA1, but could not find the breakthrough they needed.
Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Josh Key, Ben Cabango, Harry Darling, Josh Tymon; Matt Grimes (captain), Gonçalo Franco (Ollie Cooper 78), Liam Cullen (Joe Allen 66); Ronald, Myles Peart-Harris, Žan Vipotnik (Florian Bianchini 78).
Unused Substitutes: Jon McLaughlin, Jay Fulton, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Kyle Naughton, Nelson Abbey, Azeem Abdulai.
Millwall: Lukas Jensen, Danny McNamara, Jake Cooper (captain), Japhet Tanganga, Ryan Wintle (Joe Bryan 90), Macaulay Langstaff (Mihailo Ivaonovic 72), Ryan Leonard, Duncan Watmore (Femi Azeez 72), George Saville, Romain Esse, George Honeyman (Casper De Norre 72).
Unused Substitutes: Liam Roberts, Murray Wallace, Daniel Kelly, Aidomo Emakhu, Wes Harding.
Referee: John Busby
Attendance: 15,119
Swansea City returned to winning ways and ended Oxford United’s unbeaten home record as Žan Vipotnik and Florian Bianchini got the goals at the Kassam Stadium.
Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux, Josh Key, Ben Cabango, Harry Darling, Josh Tymon (Kyle Naughton 84); Matt Grimes (captain), Joe Allen (Liam Cullen 55), Gonçalo Franco (Cyrus Christie 84); Ronald, Myles-Peart-Harris (Azeem Abdulai 84), Žan Vipotnik (Florian Bianchini 71).
Unused Substitutes: Jon McLaughlin, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Nelson Abbey, Aimar Govea.
Oxford United: Jamie Cumming, Ciaron Brown, Elliott Moore (captain), Josh McEachran (Will Vaulks 60), Mark Harris (Dane Scarlett 60), Louie Sibley (Idris El Mizouni 46), Ben Nelson, Owen Dale (Malcolm Ebiowei 60), Tyler Goodrham, Ruben Rodrigues (Greg Leigh 82), Peter Kioso.
Unused Substitutes: Mat Ingram, Sam Long, Hidde Ter Avest, Will Goodwin.
Referee: Michael Salisbury
Attendance: 11,454
Established in 1881 as Watford Rovers, the club changed name to its current moniker in 1898.
Affectionately known as the Hornets or the Golden Boys, Watford gained Football League status in 1920 and, after spending 60 years in the lower divisions, gained promotion to the top-flight for the first time in 1982.
Under the ownership of Elton John and management of Graham Taylor the club finished as runners-up to Liverpool in that maiden First Division campaign.
In a golden era for the club, they spent six seasons in the top-flight, and reached the FA Cup final in 1984.
Recently, Watford have competed in the Premier League in six out of the last eight seasons, but it has been a period of regular managerial upheaval with the Hornets going through 20 managers in the last 11 years.
The latest change happened earlier this year, with Tom Cleverley taking the reins after the departure of Valerien Ismael.
VICARAGE ROAD
Built: 1921
Location: Vicarage Road, Watford, WD18 0ER
Capacity: 22,220
Former Manchester United and England midfielder Tom Cleverley is in his first senior head coach position after taking over the Golden Boys back in April.
As a player, Cleverley had spells in the youth ranks with Bradford City and Manchester United and made his way to the senior ranks with the Red Devils.
He had loan spells with Leicester City, Watford, Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa during his time at Old Trafford.
Cleverley was a Premier League winner with United, helped Leicester win League One and was an FA Cup runner-up with Villa.
A two-year spell with Everton followed and he then rounded off his playing career with Watford, before moving into coaching with the club’s academy set-up and then progressing to the first team.
Daniel Bachmann, the experienced Austrian goalkeeper, has been with Watford since 2017 and was named club captain in 2023 after Cleverley retired and joined the coaching staff.
Bachmann has spent more than 10 years in English football having joined Stoke City in 2012.
He did not make a senior appearance in his six years with the Potters, but did gain valuable experience during loan spells with Wrexham, Ross County and Bury.
A move to Watford came following his release from Stoke, and he had to bide his time for action outside of a productive loan spell with Kilmarnock.
But he has established himself at first choice between the sticks despite facing stiff competition for his place in recent seasons.
The 23-year-old had spells in the youth ranks with Middlesbrough and Leeds United, before joining Grimsby Town.
He progressed to reach the Mariners’ senior team and his showings for the League Two club would lead Watford to move to sign him in the summer of 2021.
Pollock picked up further first-team experience with Cheltenham Town and Aberdeen before establishing himself this season at Vicarage Road.
Congolese forward Edo Kayembe is Watford’s joint top scorer so far this season with five goals to his name.
After spending time with a handful of clubs in Congo, he made the step up to the professional ranks with Belgian club Anderlecht in 2017.
He spent three years with them before making the switch to KAS Eupen, and he joined Watford in January 2022.
Kayembe has made 84 appearances since, but his start to the new campaign represents his best run of form in front of goal during his time in Hertfordshire.
Giorgi Chekvetadze ability to drive with the ball has been a key attacking weapon for the Hornets.
Having come through the ranks at Dinamo Tbilisi to make the senior team, Chakvetadze joined Belgian club Gent in 2017 and would help them to the final of the Belgian Cup in 2019 and to win the competition in 2022.
He had loan spells with Hamburg in Germany and Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia, winning the league in 2023, and spent last season with Watford before the move was made permanent.
Liam Cullen described playing for Swansea City as the proudest part of his life after the academy product put pen to paper on a new long-term deal with the club.
The 25-year-old, who has been with the Swans since the age of eight, has signed terms through to the summer of 2028, with his previous deal having been due to expire at the end of the current campaign.
The contract means Cullen will reach 21 years in the colours of the club he has supported all his life, and the striker could not hide his delight at securing his future.
“It is something I have really wanted for a while now, so I am really happy to get it over the line,” he said.
“It’s great to have it sorted, so I can focus on the main part now, which is the football.
“I had always made it clear that I never wanted to leave, I have always been so happy here. So to finally know we will be here for the next few years is really nice for us and hopefully now we can kick on and help the team.
“I used to dream about this, but I could never have imagined it when I used to go to The Vetch with my dad as a kid, and then at the Swansea.com Stadium when it was built.
“When I had the chance to come and join the under-nines it was a massive things for me, and it’s always been the proudest part of my life to be doing this for Swansea City at first-team level.
“Hopefully, I can make sure I have been doing this for 21 years and I couldn’t be prouder. “
Cullen had long spoken of his desire to remain with the Swans, and he revealed the role chairman Andy Coleman had played in ensuring club and player reached an agreement.
“There was obviously a long period of time where things were being spoken about, and in the past 10 days or so my agent and I have been speaking to Andy, the chairman, who I cannot speak highly enough of in the way he has been,” added Cullen.
“He has been so transparent, so supportive and helpful, he has kept us in the loop pretty much every day.
“He was even on the phone to me this morning thanking each other for helping make sure it has gone so smoothly.
“Hopefully I am the first of a few we can sort out, and we can keep building the squad in a positive way.”
Cullen also thanked head coach Luke Williams for his support and backing during his tenure as head coach.
And the Wales international insists he and his teammates are determined to help turn around a difficult recent run of results as they prepare to travel to face Oxford United on Saturday.
“The gaffer is someone I could not speak well enough of, to be honest,” he said.
“He is so good with me and the lads. He loves this club like it’s his own, and that’s something we really need. That’s true of his staff and the guys he’s brought in.
“I am here for three more years and I am hoping it will be the same for him and his staff.
“Hopefully we can put in the performances he deserves because of the detail he goes into, and the amount of work he puts in day to day for the whole club. He would absolutely deserve that.
“We obviously want to do so well for the club, the fans and for ourselves as a team but, without doubt, we also want to do it for him and his staff because he deserves it and I hope we can do that for him.”
Having climbed through the ranks from Swansea’s pre-academy up to the senior squad, Cullen has gone from being one of the “babies” of the group to now being a seasoned professional.
And he is eager to take on more responsibility on and off the pitch.
“Recently, we are not happy with how things are going and we need to change that because I know we are a better team than we have been showing,” added Cullen.
“That’s down to all of us, so it’s about trying to change the form and the results and pushing up the table.
“We defend as an 11 and we attack as an 11, that’s one of our strengths and it’s something the gaffer is massive on. We want to play like a real team, and not just be about individuals, we want everyone – whether you start or come off the bench in games – to be on the same page.
“But, for me, in terms of goals, I have always wanted to be the main man in terms of scoring goals, and it is something I am striving to improve on every day.
“I have played most games over the last couple of years, and I want to help the club in every way I can on and off the pitch.
“I definitely want to be one of the senior players because for most of my time here I have been one of the babies, especially when I first came through.
“So to get to this point and being a senior player feels a bit weird, but it’s something I want to take in my stride.”
Cullen is looking forward to fully concentrating on his football knowing he has the security of a long-term deal behind him.
And he is keen to repay the faith that has been shown in him.
“It’s obviously a massive boost for me knowing they’ve got the confidence in me and they’re committed to me for the next few years,” he added.
“For any player in the last year of their deals you always sort of have it in the back of your mind that you don’t know where you’re going to be.
“I can just concentrate on my football now and enjoy it.
“I didn’t really let it affect me, if anything I just let it motivate me to try and better myself even more. I wanted to go out and work for it. The time came when the chairman came to us and said they wanted to get it done.
“The club came to us and said we want to extend you so I’d like to think that they think I’ve earned it but it’s about showing people that I’ve earned it and going out and proving that on the pitch.
“I’ve always said that I want to be the number nine, I want to be in the middle at the top of the pitch.
“I’ve always scored goals through the ages at this club, it’s what got me in the first team in the first place.”
Cullen’s form this season has also seen him get regular game time on the international stage, with Wales making an encouraging start to life under new boss Craig Bellamy.
While Cullen knows he will need to perform well for the Swans in order to secure further international recognition, he is excited by the direction Wales are heading in, and says the approach to the game tallies with what he has been used to at club level.
“The new manager has been really really good. He’s brought a more attacking style to us that suits me down to the ground. I think it is similar to here so it suits us lads from Swansea,” he said.
“I think we’ve started really well under him and his staff and hopefully we can carry that on into the next two games.
“He has put a lot of faith in players like myself, and you could see in the last squad there are a lot of players who have come through the system at Swansea.
“We were speaking that week that Wales could have fielded a whole outfield of Swansea or ex-Swansea players.
“He’s such a good coach and such a good manager he just wants to pick the best squad possible for the way he wants to play.
“He said in the previous camp that everyone needs to be ready because people are going to have a chance and when you get the chance it’s down to you as an individual to show that you deserve that chance.
“He does a lot of work with the whole group, he’s got so much detail him and his staff. There’s a lot of meetings because there’s so much detail but he gets his point across so well.”
But all Cullen’s focus is on Watford and helping the Swans build on their weekend win at Watford.
“It’s about sticking to what we’re good at. In the games that we haven’t scored we’ve had chances. If we put them away we’d be in a totally different position in the league,” he said.
“But it’s okay to say it, we have to go out and do it and deliver on that.”
Goals, or rather the lack of them, have been a key feature in the discussions of reporters, supporters and everyone involved with Swansea City over the last few weeks.
Going 563 minutes without scoring isn’t a record anyone will want to repeat, and when Zan Vipotnik and Florian Bianchini got a goal each in the 2-1 victory at Oxford United on Saturday, Swansea hearts were happy.
I’m sure, like me, many of you read the comments on the various websites after games. Last weekend several reactions from Oxford supporters stood out for me. Clearly, they were disappointed with the defeat, but many applauded the way we had played and the style of football on show at the Kassam Stadium. I particularly liked one which read: ‘Outplayed today by attractive compact team.’
After positive results, which inevitably include scoring more goals than the opposition, how a side plays is so important to its fans. We have long had a history of playing positive, possession-based football which has given us a style of play envied by many, not just during our time in the Championship but in the Premier League, too.
Luke Williams spoke after the game about the importance of that style and the impact he expects it to have on results:
"We played football how we want to play from the beginning. I don't think we waited for a goal to start playing. The point is I am trying to convince the players that if we play in a certain way from the beginning of games and throughout games, goals will come."
Goals came at last for us on Saturday, and they also came for tonight’s opponents, fifth-place Watford. Tom Cleverley’s side put an emphatic six past Sheffield Wednesday.
In doing so, Ivory Coast international Vakoun Bayo became the first Watford player to score four second-half goals since January 2015, when Odion Ighalo achieved it against Blackpool.
The positive away result brought an end to a run of five consecutive away league defeats for the Hornets.
"It's two really positive away performances on the trot now, and we have to go to Swansea in the week with the mentality of backing it up and create a real expectation that we're a club that wants to compete at the right end of the table," said Cleverley.
"We'll recover and get back to work. We're pleased with the win but now we've got to go to Swansea on Tuesday and back it up."
And that sums up football, there is never time to bask in the glory of a win or wallow in the disappointment of a defeat, because the next challenge is only ever days away.
There’s no doubt that Watford will provide a tough test this evening. Cleverley has set out his stall in terms of where he believes his club should be competing and as every fan of a Championship side knows, ambition is what it’s all about.
There is nothing like winning. There is nothing like the excitement of success and the feeling of making progress game on game, week on week. Let’s hope tonight is our night.
A MESSAGE FROM THE GLOBAL JACKS
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Add photos of you representing the Swans across the globe, wish other supporters a happy birthday, or share your milestones and stories and they will be published here.
With the Swans playing Watford on November 5, there was no way I could resist referencing ‘The Rocket Man’.
Of course, ‘The Rocket Man’ in question is pop superstar Sir Elton John - long-time supporter and former chairman of tonight’s visitors.
Whilst Elton himself is unlikely be here tonight, I’m sure fans will have seen plenty of rockets and star bursts illuminating the night sky on the way to the ground.
But even in the absence of ‘The Rocket Man’ himself, there will be plenty to light up the night sky inside the stadium tonight.
For a start, the atmosphere will certainly be an immeasurably brighter following the Swans excellent win at Oxford on Saturday.
It was fitting the team’s October-long nightmare in front of goal came to an end a couple of days after Halloween.
Goals by Žan Vipotnik and Florian Bianchi certainly lit up a grey early November afternoon at the Kasam Stadium, at least from a Swans point of view.
The importance of Saturday’s win can’t be underestimated. Neither can its quality – remember Oxford were unbeaten at home this season before Saturday.
Swans fans will be hoping for some more footballing fireworks on the pitch tonight but they should be guaranteed some sparkling entertainment off it too.
I understand there will be a light show to wow the crowd before the match kicks off.
With it being Guy Fawkes night and the Hindu festival of light Diwali having been celebrated at the end of last week, a light show seems the perfect winter warm-up for what’s to come on the pitch.
I’m not a fan of the long, dark nights at this time of year, so I’m looking forward to Tuesday being illuminated by the light show and our first proper winter night match of the season.
Midweek floodlit matches seem to generate an electric atmosphere all of their own, if you’ll excuse the pun.
Whether it’s the first glimpse of the floodlights shining through the night sky as you travel to the game, or the anticipation of the match building up throughout the day ‑ I always get a special buzz when I arrive at a ground for an evening kick-off.
Seeing the whole stadium lit up and the grass glistening under the brilliantly bright lights seems to add to the occasion.
There were some absolute crackers against tonight’s opponents Watford back in the late 1970s, when the two clubs were fighting out their own private race to get to the top-flight first.
There was the night John Toshack took charge of his first match as Swansea player-manager in March 1978, which ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw thanks to Alan Curtis’ late equaliser.
The following season the Swans hosted the top-of the table Hornets for another huge floodlit fixture.
Curtis claimed a brace, while Robbie James added another as the Swans enjoyed a valuable 3-2 victory.
The win put the Swans just two points behind Watford. Both sides would go on to win promotion to the Second Division later that season.
It’s hard to imagine football these days without thrilling night-time matches like these. My first floodlit match was the famous 2-2 League Cup draw against Spurs in 1978.
Later that season, there was an even more exciting occasion when the Swans beat Chesterfield 2-1 to gain promotion to the old Third Division on a Friday night – on the eve of the 1979 FA Cup Final.
In more recent years, some of the Swans’ most unforgettable successes have been achieved under the lights here, including the Premier League play-off semi-final second leg against Forest and the League Cup semi-final against Chelsea, to name just two of many.
It’s hard to imagine football without matches under the lights these days, but it’s easy to forget, the Swans wouldn’t have played a properly floodlit match at home until the 1960s.
The switch was flicked on the first floodlights at the Vetch on the evening of October 10, 1960.
The Swans hosted Hibernian in a friendly match to celebrate the installation of the four pylons in each corner of the ground which became such a familiar feature of the city’s skyline.
Until the 1950s and 1960s, proper floodlights were few and far between in British football, despite the first floodlit match in the world having been played in Sheffield way back in 1878.
A press report of the match held at Bramall Lane said the light was provided by 12 lamps, with two at each corner and two behind each goal.
“At each corner of the ground marked off for the players a wooden stage was erected some ten yards high for carrying the lamp and the reflector.
“Behind each goal was placed a portable engine, each of which drove two Siemen’s dynamo machines on for each light. The illuminating power equalled 8,000 standard candles and the cost per hour for each light was about 3 and a ½ pence.”
The occasion set a record attendance at a football match at Bramall Lane as a crowd estimated to be 20,000 turned up to witness the spectacle, which was deemed a success.
However, not everyone was convinced by the new idea, despite there being examples of many other matches being played successfully under lights, including by Thames Ironworks FC – a predecessor of West Ham.
In August 1930, the FA banned member clubs from playing competitive matches under floodlights. There is even a story of tonight’s visitors being rebuked for turning on trackside lighting used for greyhound racing at Vicarage Road for a match played in December of that year.
The FA ban was eventually lifted in 1950, which was followed by clubs like Wolverhampton Wanders playing friendlies under lights against some of Europe's leading teams.
The first Football League fixture played under floodlights took place on Wednesday, February 22 1956 at Fratton Park when Portsmouth hosted Newcastle United.
Since then, there has been no looking back for floodlit football, although it has been occasionally plunged into darkness.
In 1973, floodlight matches were banned as part of the three-day week introduced by Prime Minister Edward Heath to save on electricity consumption.
Some midweek matches were played in the afternoon to take advantage of the daylight hours, while football authorities asked the government for permission to play matches on a Sunday. As a result, on January 6, 1974, the first-ever Sunday FA Cup games were played.
Thankfully, since then there have only been the occasional mishaps when football has been once again returned to the dark ages.
There was that infamous night in 1981 when Wales played Iceland in a vital World Cup qualifier at the Vetch and the floodlights failed.
As we stood in the darkness, waiting for the floodlights to be fixed, one character on the North Bank urged everyone to put their hands in the air, because, as he pointed out: “Many hands make light work!”
Hopefully, with all the fireworks, the lightshow and the floodlights, there’ll be no need for such cringeworthy quips to brighten up the atmosphere tonight.
C’mon you Swans.
The 2024-25 campaign marks Swansea City’s 20th season at the Swansea.com Stadium following the ground’s opening in 2005. Throughout the campaign, club historian Gwyn Rees will reflect on some of the notable moments and personalities that have shaped the history of our home. We continue with a fractious and controversial League Cup tie against Scunthorpe United.
Swansea City 1 Scunthorpe United 2 – League Cup second round – August 25 2009
Having had a decent run in the League Cup the previous season, claiming a famous win over Cardiff City along the way, hopes were high that the Swans – now under the guidance of Paulo Sousa – could do so again.
Scunthorpe had been familiar opponents over the years but they now saw a division below Swansea in League One and that prompted Sousa to hand a debut to goalkeeper David Cornell, with youngsters Chad Bond and Keri Morgan also starting. Additionally, Marcos Painter returned from a long lay-off with a cruciate ligament injury.
The changes meant the Swans struggled to find much fluency in the early going, but it was still a surprise when the visitors took the lead in just the 13th minute. Cornell did well to save a snap shot from Paul Hayes, but the keeper could not deny Niall Canavan from the resulting corner as he planted a firm header into the net.
The Swans pressed for an equaliser, but chances were limited as Gorka Pintado and Jordi Lopez sent efforts straight at visiting keeper Joe Murphy, while Cornell had to keep out a Martyn Woolford header at the other end.
Sousa introduced Stephen Dobbie at the break and, shortly after sending an effort narrowly wide, the Scot was off target again after linking with Pintado and Angel Rangel.
Besian Idrizaj and Mark Gower were also introduced from the bench, and the latter set up Dobbie to lash a strike against the crossbar as Swansea frustrations grew.
But Dobbie did level the scores when he latched onto Idrizaj’s pass to fire home and force extra-time, but that only hinted at the drama to come.
The Swans started the additional 30 minutes a player down after Garry Monk was dismissed following a contretemps with Iron midfielder Michael O’Connor.
The home side were then reduced to nine when Dobbie was forced off after the Swans had used all their substitutions, and tempers really began to flare after referee James Linginton harshly awarded a penalty against Alan Tate for handball.
Gary Hooper netted from the spot to put Scunthorpe ahead, but there was no let-up of action in a game now spiralling out of control.
Pintado was dismissed for a second booking, with Rangel soon following him for an early bath after being adjudged to have elbowed Matthew Sparrow.
Swansea were now down to seven and when Idrizaj was injured by a poor tackle it looked as though the game would have to be abandoned as rules stated that a team had to have a minimum of seven players on the pitch for a game to be completed.
In the end Idrizaj was shuffled back onto the field while playing no part in the game going on around him to ensure a bizarre and at times farcical contest could be concluded.
First football shirt: Manchester United shirt.
First football game you attended: Wigan v Manchester United.
First football club: Blackburn Rovers.
First appearance for Swansea City/or pro appearance? Blackburn Rovers v Stoke City.
First football hero: Edwin van der Sar.
First major tournament you can remember: The 2006 World Cup.
Swansea City Under-21s suffered a narrow defeat in their south Wales derby at the Joma High Performance Centre.
Michael Reindorf put Cardiff ahead minutes shortly before half-time with a close-range finish, and it proved to be the only goal of the game.
Swansea had a handful of chances in a hard-fought contest through Ben Lloyd, Glory Nzingo and Kyrell Wilson, but the home side were unable to make them count.
In front of a large crowd the visitors made a bright start, with Arthur Parker and Iestyn Jones making important defensive interventions.
Parker was soon in action again, heading away a ball into the box after a quickly taken free-kick had caught out the Swans.
The hosts started to settle around 15 minutes in, and Sammy Henia-Kamau's ball found Govea down the left. The winger's ball was met by Mitchell Bates, but a covering defender was on hand to block the midfielder's effort.
Both sides exchanged chances in the early parts of the second period. Lloyd came closest, but scuffed the ball wide from the edge of the box.
Swansea went closer still when Nzingo's fine strike - which looked to be headed for the top corner - forced an acrobatic save from Dennis in the Cardiff goal.
Still Swansea pressed, Nzingo and Wilson getting into promising areas but finding themselves crowded out.
Reindorf came close to a second for the visitors following a run down the middle, but his final shot flew well over the bar.
The Bluebirds' striker came close again, this time his header forced another strong save from Watts in the Swansea goal.
Wilson then had a chance to loft the ball over Dennis, who had left his area to intercept, and the Cardiff keeper cynically handled outside the box to concede a free-kick.
The set-piece fell to Nzingo, but again the ball was cleared as the Swans were unable to find a leveller.
Swansea City Under-21s: Evan Watts, Arthur Parker, Sebastian Dabrowski, Jacob Cook (Morgan Bates 65), Richard Faakye, Iestyn Jones (Zac Jeanes 73), Glory Nzingo, Mitchell Bates (captain), Sammy Henia-Kamau (Kyrell Wilson 45), Ben Lloyd, Aimar Govea (Thomas Woodward 65).
Substitutes: Kit Margetson.
Moments later, Jacob Cook saw his low-driven effort gathered by Jake Dennis in the Cardiff goal, before two more chances followed from corners as Richard Faakye's header was blocked at the near post, and Lloyd volleyed wide.
At the other end, Evan Watts was forced to get down quickly to deny Isaac Jefferies from close range, and then comfortably held a Cian Ashford free-kick.
But the Bluebirds did take the lead just before the break. In-form striker Reindorf tapped the ball home from a delivery by George.
The Swans had chances to level before the half-time whistle, but Cardiff defended stoutly to block strikes from Lloyd and Nzingo respectively.
Aimee Deacon's hat-trick helped Swansea City Women return to winning ways with a handsome victory over Cardiff Met Women in the Genero Adran Premier.
Deacon opened the scoring after 43 minutes, heading home at the back post from Lucy Finch's cross to break the deadlock, and added a second before the interval.
Robyn Pinder extended Swansea’s lead by firing into the top corner, before Deacon completed her treble with another finish at the back post to take her tally for the season to six.
The Swans took control early on and Jess Williams twice went close from set-pieces in the early stages.
Deacon also had a chance from a fantastic ball by Nia Jones, but her first-time effort was saved by Charlotte Smith in the Cardiff Met goal.
Deacon was soon in on goal again, but sent her effort into the side-netting from Stacey John-Davis’ pass.
A tame shot from John-Davis was saved after, following good work by Pinder and Emily Thomas.
But the Swans would finally have the breakthrough when Finch’s cross into the box found Deacon, who headed into the bottom right corner.
Deacon would double the lead just two minutes later, Sophie Brisland-Hancocks picked out Taite Trivett, who delivered a low cross for Deacon to fire home.
The Swans dominance continued into the second period, and Pinder got on the scoresheet when she burst into the box and fired a shot into the top corner to leave the keeper with no chance.
And Deacon would round off the scoring by completing her second hat-trick of the season, finishing after John-Davis had struck the bar and Jones put the rebound back across goal.
Substitute Chloe Chivers came close to making it five late on, firing wide from the edge of the box, as the Swans eased to victory.
Swansea City Women: Charlie Haynes, Lucy Finch, Sophie Brisland-Hancocks, Sammy Wynne (Rachel Cullen 74), Robyn Pinder, Stacey John-Davis (captain), Aimee Deacon (Emily Richards 69), Taite Trivett (Chloe Chivers 78), Emily Thomas, Jess Williams (Maddy Murray 74), Nia Jones (Steph Turner 78).
Cardiff Met Women: Charlotte Smith, Anna Houghton, Sophie Davidson, Samantha Dziminowicz, Cerys Pinchard (captain), Chelsea Cochrane, India Shanahan, Summer Kilby, Gwenllian Jones (Sally Grimm 62), Niamh Duggan, Faith Mulenga.
Unused subs: Carys Gittins, Celyn Garton, Ruby Colleton, Maddison Coles.
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.
Head Coach Luke Williams
1 Andy Fisher
2 Josh Key
3 Kristian Pedersen
4 Jay Fulton
5 Ben Cabango
6 Harry Darling
7 Joe Allen
8 Matt Grimes ©
9 Žan Vipotnik
10 Jisung Eom
11 Josh Ginnelly
14 Josh Tymon
17 Gonçalo Franco
19 Florian Bianchini
20 Liam Cullen
21 Nathan Tjoe-A-On
22 Lawrence Vigouroux
23 Cyrus Christie
25 Myles Peart-Harris
26 Kyle Naughton
29 Nathan Broome
31 Ollie Cooper
32 Nelson Abbey
33 Jon McLaughlin
35 Ronald
37 Aimar Govea
40 NUMBER RETIRED
41 Sam Parker
42 Evan Watts
43 Dan Watts
47 Azeem Abdulai
50 Filip Lissah
1 Daniel Bachmann ©
2 Jeremy Ngakia
3 Francisco Sierralta
4 Kevin Keben
5 Ryan Porteous
6 Mattie Pollock
7 Tom Ince
8 Giorgi Chakvetadze
10 Imran Louza
11 Rocco Vata
12 Ken Sema
13 Kayky Almeida
14 Pierre Dwomoh
15 Antonio Tikvic
17 Moussa Sissoko
18 Daniel Jebbison
19 Vakoun Bayo
20 Mamadou Doumbia
21 Angelo Ogbonna
22 James Morris
23 Jonathan Bond
24 Tom Dele-Bashiru
34 Kwadwo Baah
36 Festy Ebosele
37 Yasser Larouci
39 Edo Kayembe
41 Alfie Marriott
45 Ryan Andrews
Referee - Josh Smith
Assistant Referee 1 - Matthew Jones
Assistant Referee 2 - Mark Russell
Fourth Official - Dean Whitestone
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
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, Mackenzie Squires, Dom Hynes, Sammy Wynne, Fraser Dickson, Hayley Ford, Owen Morgan, Gwyn Rees, Julie Kissick, Ian Mitchelmore.
Designers: Callum Rothwell, Lewis Ward
Jordan Morcom.
Photography: Athena Picture Agency,
Natalie John-Davis, Alamy.