Where are they now? Micky Evans
Ever wondered what former Swans stars have been up to since hanging up their boots?
Well you are in the right place.
As part of a regular feature, we take a look at what some ex-Swansea City favourites have done since leaving SA1.
Here we catch up with former defender Micky Evans.
Shortly after being appointed the new manager of Third Division Swansea City in November 1972, Harry Gregg made Walsall’s Micky Evans one of his first signings in South Wales.
The West Bromwich-born defender, who initially joined on a one-month loan, made his debut in a 2-0 home defeat by Shrewsbury Town on Boxing Day.
He was offered a permanent deal shortly afterwards and established himself as the club’s first-choice left-back over the next two-and-a-half seasons.
“It was a happy time for me at Swansea, even though we struggled a fair bit during that period,” reflects Evans, who previously made more than 200 appearances for Walsall.
“I lived in a lovely village called Bishopston and just a few doors down from Ronnie Rees (below), who was one of my best friends at the club.
“We had a great bunch of lads at Swansea and everyone got on with one another.”
With just six victories from their opening 22 matches of the 1972-73 season, the Swans were second from bottom when Evans arrived at Vetch Field.
However, a run of six wins and four draws in their next 14 saw Gregg’s side climb to 19th place.
The full-back appeared in each of those games, but his fortunes took a turn for the worse in March’s trip to Blackburn Rovers.
“I suffered a bad knee injury that put me out of action,” he laments. “We only managed to win two and draw one of our nine remaining fixtures and we ended up getting relegated.
“It was hard watching on from the sidelines and not being able to play my part in keeping the team up.”
Evans returned to the starting line-up for the 1973-74 campaign, featuring in 78 league games over the next two years.
The Swans fell short of a promotion push in 1974, before finishing an all-time low of 22nd the following year – only surviving relegation after a successful vote to re-elect the bottom four clubs back into the old Fourth Division.
Gregg (above) departed for Crewe Alexandra in February 1975 and was joined by Evans that summer.
He went on to make 62 league appearances in two years with the Railwaymen, scoring four times.
Thereafter, he forged a career in non-league football, turning out for the likes of Worcester City, Stourbridge, Stafford Rangers, Halesowen Town and Rushall Olympic, before finally hanging up his boots in the early 1980s.
“After football, I worked in the steel industry until I retired at the age of 60,” he continues. “I was a salesman for a number of steel manufacturers.
“You got headhunted in those days so I moved around a fair bit, though I always worked in the West Midlands area.”
Between 1986 and 2002, Evans also worked as a part-time scout for Crystal Palace – identifying potential signings and casting an eye over the Eagles’ upcoming opponents within his neck of the woods.
“I had a hand in Crystal Palace’s signing of Stan Collymore,” he recalls. “I spotted him playing for Stafford Rangers against Kidderminster Harriers when he was about 18 or 19 years of age.
“It’s particularly satisfying to recommend a non-league player who then goes all the way to the top level.
“Eddie McGoldrick was another of my recommendations. I had seen him at Northampton Town and he went on to sign for Arsenal after Palace, which made the club a tidy profit.”
Now based just outside Kidderminster, Evans remains a keen football fan in his retirement and goes to watch former club Walsall every couple of months.
He has also played in various charity matches around the area for legends teams including Wolves, Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham.