Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to the Swansea.com Stadium for the first game of the new season.

Today marks the start of a new season and the beginning of our journey together.

I’m really excited to now be in Swansea on a full-time basis with my wife Anne and children Molly, James, Samantha and Winne, and they are all looking forward to the season ahead having already fallen in love with this wonderful city.

I have enjoyed getting to know the staff here and seeing all the hard work that has gone in over the summer, particularly ahead of our first game.

I can’t wait to meet with supporters to begin face-to-face interaction this weekend and we already have plans for some fan engagement events that we will have news on very soon.

It has been a great week on the football side as we welcomed three new additions to Michael’s squad in Harrison (Ashby), Carl (Rushworth) and Mykola (Kuharevich), while Saturday marks Michael’s (Duff) first competitive game in charge, which we are all excited about.

The football department, led by Paul (Watson), have been working efficiently throughout this transfer window, and we are certainly looking to do further business ahead of September 1.

As supporters will be aware, today’s game is dedicated to Morgan Ridler and Morgan’s Army.

Morgan sadly lost his brave fight against cancer in June, with his story touching the hearts of everyone at the club and in this community.

We are encouraging those coming to the game to visit Morgan’s Fan Park, which will be open at the south end of the stadium pre-match and post-match, with lots of entertainment on offer.

The club will be donating £1 to Morgan’s Army for every supporter that comes into the fan zone, and there will be a minute’s applause before kick-off as we remember the life of a special little boy, whose courage and dignity resonated deeply with so many of us.

Finally, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to the directors, management, players and staff from Birmingham who have made the trip to south Wales today.

I am really optimistic about the positive strides we have already taken, and cannot wait to see how much more we can do.

Enjoy the game,

Andy

Good afternoon and welcome to the Swansea.com Stadium for our opening Championship fixture of the season against Birmingham City.

The start of a new season is always an exciting time for supporters, and it is no different for ourselves as coaches and players.

We have put a lot of hard work in over the course of pre-season, although I am sure we are not alone in wishing that there were still a few more weeks of work to go through before things get under way.

But we feel we are as ready as we can be. Pre-season has not just been about getting the players fit, we have been integrating new players, and there has been a lot of work done off the pitch as ourselves and the players have looked to implement some changes and tweaks to how we play.

Of course, this is a time of year where pundits and managers and coaches are asked to make predictions, or tell you where they think their team are going to finish.

But I am not one for making predictions, for me it is more important to get on with doing things rather than spending your time talking about doing things.

The Championship is going to be ultra-competitive this season, and the most competitive it has been for a few years, you only have to look at the size of the clubs who have come into the division this season to see that. It’s like a mini Premier League.

Our aim is to be competitive. We will work hard, we will put in the work week to week, try and win every half of football we play and see where it takes us.

We want to play high-tempo front-foot football, with and without the ball, and give supporters a team that works hard.

Like all teams in the division, we want to try and get off to a good start, and then see where we are after 10 games. No-one can afford to be looking too far ahead in a competition like the Championship, the focus has to be on what is right in front of you.

We start off by facing a Birmingham City side who will have a real spring in their step. They have had a change of ownership and have brought in eight or nine players.

I know John Eustace well, and from looking through their pre-season games it looks as though he is seeking to tweak the way they play so I am sure it will make for an exciting game to open the season.

Finally, I feel it would be remiss of me not to mention that today’s game – as many of you will be aware - is dedicated to the memory of Morgan Ridler, a young Swansea fan who sadly passed away at the end of June following a battle with cancer.

As a club, we offer our sincerest condolences to Morgan’s family, and hope today will help raise valuable funds and awareness for Morgan’s army.

Michael

At last, the new season is upon us as we warmly welcome Birmingham City for our first home game of the season at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Last season’s game here was one of those hugely frustrating matches where we were heading towards three points as injury time approached, yet inexplicably ended with nothing as Birmingham scored two late goals.

Those sorts of games ultimately cost us the points to end up in one of the play-off positions and I’m sure that is something that our new head coach Michael Duff is going to want to tighten up this year.

With Russell Martin departing for Southampton in the summer, a new Swansea City chapter awaits to be written for Michael and his team. Michael and our new sporting director Paul Watson were kind enough to find some time to meet the Trust Board last month and we are excited for the season ahead.

We warmly welcome them both, plus a number of new additions to the squad which, even as I write this, I suspect will be strengthened still further before the end of the summer transfer window in just a few weeks’ time.

In our ongoing member and supporter releases over the summer we welcomed new chairman Andrew Coleman to the club, and we are pleased to learn Andy and his family have now moved over from the US to Swansea.

This should allow him the very best opportunity to carry out the work ahead to strengthen the club that we feel so passionate about. We also expressed our very best wishes to departing club CEO Julian Winter, and I’d like to thank him personally for his help and support for the Trust during his tenure.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to publicly thank all our members for being part of the Swans Trust last season. We do not take this for granted and sincerely appreciate your ongoing support for the organisation.

The new Trust board is now in place and will hold our first meeting of the season at the stadium on Monday evening where we’ll be electing our officers for 2023-24, and confirming who else will be joining the board in either a co-opted or affiliated role over the next 12 months. I would like to welcome both new and returning board members.

As we look to the season ahead, there are many opportunities for us to contribute to the club and the community - I look forward to welcoming new and returning members to help input and support these activities.

We will also be seeking to further improve how we operate as an organisation, guided by a new strategy, which we’ll be inviting members to provide feedback on in the coming weeks. We will be action and outcome driven, and have ambitious plans to grow the Trust and our footprint.

We firmly believe a key aspect of this is creating a strong and consistent voice that translates from the stands into the boardroom. Our supporters from all over the world signing up for another year of Swans Trust membership are integral to that, and we look forward to welcoming you to the season ahead.

As usual, supporters can join the Trust online (www.swanstrust.co.uk/join-the-trust) where our system now allows you to manage your own information, log events in your calendar, and create an auto-renewal of your membership.

For those who prefer to pay in-person, we invite you to visit us at the Trust Pod before a home match, where there are always board members on hand to help. Our credit/debit card reader is also available at the Pod if required to make the sign-up process for supporters even easier, or you can pay by cash or cheque if you prefer.

Finally, can I also take this opportunity to encourage our members and supporters once again to join the excellent Swansea City Disabled Supporters Association (DSA) for the 2023-24 season. You don’t have to have a disability to become a member of the DSA, but by joining you are supporting the association in their aim to provide an inclusive environment for all Swansea City supporters.

As always if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us via info@swanstrust.co.uk and one of our Trust board will respond to your query.

Welcome back / Croeso nol

Dave Dalton

Swansea City AFC Foundation's latest FIT Jacks participants were joined by first-team players Cameron Congreve and Brandon Cooper to celebrate a combined weight loss of over 130kgs during the 12-week programme.

Club ambassador Lee Trundle was also in attendance, with the trio taking time to answer questions, sign autographs and pose for photos.

Week 12 of the initiative saw the participants take their final measurements, with the aggregate figures showing a  loss of 133.5kg, and a 304 centimetre reduction in waist size.

Defender Cooper enjoyed the event and was glad to see the progress and camaraderie among the group.

“It’s been really great to be a part of the event, it’s great to see everyone come together and work towards something positive,” said Cooper.

“You can tell that everyone has had a great time, they all seemed to be having a great time and it’s good to see that they’ve enjoyed making this change.

“It’s really important to have someone who you can take part in something like this with, it will help motivate them and hopefully they can keep it going outside the sessions.

“If you’re thinking of trying it, just give it a go, you can meet new people with similar interests and help each other to achieve your goals.”

Laura completed the FIT Jacks programme and is a Swansea City season ticket holder, and she was delighted to be joined by Cooper, Congreve and Trundle for the celebration event,

“It’s brilliant that they were all there, it shows how important the community is to the Swans, my son even managed to get a photo as they were leaving,” she said.

“It was great to celebrate the end of the programme with the others in the group, it made me proud seeing what everyone had accomplished.

“It’s inspiring to be able to do this at the Swansea.com Stadium, how can you not try your hardest when you know the lads on the pitch run their hardest every week?”

Swansea City and Joma were proud to unveil the club’s third kit for the 2023-24 season earlier this week, which is launched with the goal of ‘Tackling Cancer Together’.

The vibrant, eye-catching pink design includes spots of various colours, which represent some of the most common types of cancer.

The kit will be worn for the first time when the Swans face West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on Saturday, August 12,

But we hope this kit will resonate beyond the football field and play a part in helping people living with cancer in our community and further afield.

Swansea City has joined with cancer charity Maggie’s for the ‘Tackling Cancer Together’ campaign, and our third kit is dedicated to the initiative.

Maggie’s also have their logo featured on the kit’s pink shorts during the forthcoming season, with local businesses Westacres and Swansea Building Society featuring on the front and back of the jersey respectively.

Previous links between the club and Maggie’s include honorary club president Alan Curtis MBE and Leon Britton serving as ambassadors for the local centre.

An amount from each sale of the jersey will be donated to Maggie’s in order to aid the outstanding work they do at their Swansea centre, located in the grounds of Singleton Hospital, and across the UK and further afield, while two local businesses who will also feature on the third kit this season – Westacres and Swansea Building Society – will make donations of their own.

Katie Doyle, head of marketing at Swansea City said: “This is more than just a shirt. This shirt – and the wider campaign around it – has the power to raise awareness for something close to us all.

“With the help of our supporters, the local community and Maggie’s, we hope to draw attention to all forms of cancer through fundraising efforts across the 2023-24 season.

“Most of us have sadly been touched by cancer, be it a family member, a friend, a colleague or even people who have been diagnosed themselves.

“The incredible team at Swansea City have been working tirelessly on this project for the best part of 12 months, and are extremely passionate about encouraging people to talk and raise awareness.

“Our dedicated webpage will allow fans of all clubs to share their stories, because whether you have been personally affected or a loved one has, you are not alone.

“I know this campaign will resonate with fans of all football clubs, with the aim that we can all tackle cancer together.”

Lucia Osmond, centre fundraising manager at Maggie’s Swansea, said "Maggie's is thrilled to feature on Swansea City’s third kit, which has launched ahead of the 2023-2024 season.

Aside from fundraising plans, the focus on cancer awareness is so important and we will work with the club this year to bring lots of relevant information to the fans and the wider community around what Maggie's can do to support people with cancer."

The kit is now available to purchase online and in-store.

With this afternoon's fixture dedicated to the memory of young Swans fan Morgan Ridler, we have left this space in the programme - normally reserved for a player interview - to Morgan's family and a message from his father Matthew.

Prior to Morgan's diagnosis with cancer in October 2021, I had often dreamt of the first time I would take him to a football game, much like most fathers do. 

However, when Morgan was first diagnosed he was unable to attend a Swansea match due to being too poorly as he  recovered from surgery and/or chemotherapy. 

Whilst Morgan could not go to matches, I would often watch them on Swans TV with him in hospital, and longed for the day I could take him to a match. 

Throughout Morgan's treatment, and after his passing, Swansea City have been amazing to us as a family.

From providing tickets as a form of respite when Morgan was in treatment, to regularly checking in with us a family and, in recent weeks, the hosting of Morgan's Celebration of Life at the Swansea.com Stadium. 

Prior to Morgan's relapse I was able to take Morgan to a number of home games and we were often sat in the West Stand, but prior to Morgan passing I was able to take him over to the East Stand  and he was able to sit with me and the fans I have come to call friends over the years. 

The club also secured the seat next door to me and gifted Morgan a season ticket, that will now be used for his sister Rhiannon to come to games with me. 

There are many memories that I will cherish, not least Morgan being mascot at the away fixture at  Cardiff in April 2021, quite possibly the best day of football for me, and to share it with Morgan was extra special. 

I cannot thank the club enough, from top to bottom, for the outpouring of love for Morgan and my family, but I would also like to thank the Jack Army as a whole who have rallied around us.

At the darkest of times, they and provided light and support. 

Diolch,

Matthew Ridler 

Another August arrives and we’ve had several weeks of rain. That means the stage must be set for a return of the beautiful game. Football is back Jacks and with it, all the excitement and anticipation of what another campaign could bring.

A new head coach will take his place in the dugout at the Swansea.com Stadium, hoping to succeed where his most recent predecessors failed – by getting us back to the top-flight after what will be six years next May.

Michael Duff is the man with the mammoth task of bringing Premier League football back to this corner of south-west Wales, and, we hope, continuing to build on Russell Martin’s legacy and maintaining our winning streak in the derby matches, the first of which is just six weeks away (Sept 16).

There is always a certain expectation at the start of a new campaign. Every supporter feels it. Everyone wants it to be better than the last, whether you’re a high-flying Manchester City fan or your club is recently-relegated Rochdale.

And for us, that starts today with the Championship opener against Birmingham City, a side who have failed to finish higher than 17th in this league for the last seven seasons.
 

But, this is football and as every fan of every club in every league knows, nothing is guaranteed.

Football’s unpredictability is one of the many reasons we return, game after game, season after season. We’re on the cusp of a new campaign, the slate of last season is wiped clean and while the data experts can offer predictions, no-one really knows how this chapter will end come next May.

And, of course, the same is true of our visitors. The Blues have new owners in the form of Shelby Companies Limited and chairman of the board, Tom Wagner, wrote to fans last month to confirm the deal and outline what it will mean for the club in the future.

“The focus is now on creating a world-class experience for our loyal, resilient, and passionate supporters. You can look forward with optimism. Birmingham is on the rise again. It is now time for the football club that carries its name to step forward to play its role in adding both economic and reputational value.”

There will naturally be a renewed sense of optimism as a result of the changes, along with the fact that John Eustace has added several summer signings to his squad, and last season’s results against us went in his favour with a win (3-4) and a draw (2-2). That’s always a strong motivational tool when prepping for the next encounter.

And those results will give our new gaffer plenty of fuel to stoke the flames of his side too – which should ensure a lively opening day of decent football.

The sun may not be shining, but there’s plenty of optimism in the air. Buckle up, folks. Here we go again, loud, proud and ready to take on the Championship. Have a great game, Jacks.

Mae tymor newydd yn dod â gobaith newydd ac optimistiaeth newydd.

Ond i dîm pêl-droed Abertawe, mae hefyd yn dod â rheolwr newydd.

Michael Duff fydd yn gyfrifol am yr Elyrch mewn gêm gystadleuol am y tro cyntaf yn erbyn Birmingham City y prynhawn yma.

Daw ar ôl i Russell Martin adael Avertawe i ymuno â Southampton – clwb sy’n anelu at sicrhau dychwelyd yn syth i’r Uwch Gynghrair yn dilyn gorffen yn 20th y tymor diwethaf.

 

Gwnaeth Duff yn gyflym yn hysbys ei fod am i'w dîm chwarae pêl-droed deniadol o dan ei arweiniad, er ei fod yn nodi bod ennill gemau yn allweddol yn y pen draw.

Bydd yr arddull yn wahanol iawn i gymharu efo'r ddwy flynedd diwethaf o dan arweiniaeth Martin.

Mae'r rheolwr newydd wedi bod yn brysur iawn yn y farchnad drosglwyddo wrth iddo barhau i fowldio ei garfan i'w anghenion.

Mae Josh Ginnelly, Jerry Yates, Josh Key, Carl Rushworth a Mykola Kuharevich i gyd wedi ymuno â’r Elyrch cyn y gwrthdaro â’r Gleision heddiw, ond mae Duff yn dal yn awyddus i ddod â mwy o wynebau newydd i fewn cyn y dyddiad cau ar gyfer trosglwyddo.

Wrth gwrs, mae’n bosib iawn y bydd ymadawiadau pellach yn ystod yr wythnosau nesaf, gyda Joel Piroe yn denu digon o ddiddordeb wedi iddo sgorio 44 gôl yn ystod ei ddau dymor cyntaf yn ne Cymru.

Ond am y tro o leiaf, mae cyn ymosodwr PSV Eindhoven yn dal yn y clwb ac fe fydd yn gobeithio dechrau’r ymgyrch newydd gyda chlec wrth i Duff edrych i brofi ei werth yn y Bencampwriaeth.

Mae newid sylweddol wedi bod oddi ar y cae hefyd, gyda Julian Winter yn gadael ac Andy Coleman yn dod yn gadeirydd newydd.

Daeth penodiad allweddol arall i Paul Watson yn gyfarwyddwr chwaraeon newydd Abertawe, ac mae wedi chwarae rhan ganolog yn recriwtio'r clwb hyd yn hyn.

Ar ôl rhwystredigaethau mis Ionawr a ffenestri eraill, bydd y clwb yn gobeithio dysgu o’u camgymeriadau a chyd-dynnu’n wirioneddol y tymor hwn wrth iddynt geisio sicrhau gorffeniad yn y chwech uchaf mewn adran sy’n edrych yn galed iawn y tro hwn.

Mae Leeds United, Leicester City a Southampton i gyd wedi disgyn i lawr o’r Uwch Gynghrair tra bydd timau fel Plymouth Argyle, Sheffield Wednesday ac Ipswich Town yn achosi llawer o broblemau i dimau’r tymor hwn ar ôl ennill dyrchafiad o Gynghrair Un.

Ond bydd y cefnogwyr Abertawe yn parhau i freuddwydio y byddan nhw, erbyn mis Mai'r flwyddyn nesaf, yn y gymysgedd i ddychwelyd i'r amser mawr. Strapiwch eich hunain i mewn ar gyfer y reid!

Ian Mitchelmore

Well, this is a rare treat isn’t it?

Kicking off the season with a home match is something the Jack Army has experienced just three times since beating Tranmere here in august 2005.

I know the Swans always benefit from a big travelling support when they kick-off a new campaign on the road, but it’s not quite the same as being at home.

There is always a huge amount of excitement and anticipation surrounding the start of a new season.

But when it starts with a home match, there’s something extra special about the occasion.

And when the visitors are one of the traditionally more well-supported clubs, like Birmingham, the ingredients are there for a memorable afternoon.

If the sun were to shine too, that would just about make for a perfect day – as long as the Swans win, of course!

Looking back over those previous home kick-offs since 2005, there have been some mixed emotions along the way.

Starting with that match in 2005, it was arguably the most exciting opening day home win since the Swans launched their first ever top-flight campaign with a 5-1 trouncing of Leeds United in 1981.

The Leeds match was obviously historic because the Swans were going to be competing in the old First Division for the first time in the club’s history.

And what a day it turned out to be, with the Swans announcing their arrival with a magnificent performance inspired by a hat-trick from Bob Latchford – a name that will be more than familiar to visiting Blues fans.

The excitement surrounding the opening day in 2005 largely surrounded the Swans kicking off a new campaign in their sparkling new stadium, as well as celebrating their arrival in League One.

The Jack Army had said an emotional farewell to the Vetch Field just a few months before.
 

Now it was time to settle in to our new home, which, let’s be honest, couldn’t have been more different from our old stomping ground.

The Vetch was much loved and packed with wonderful memories and traditions, but it was old, tired, and quite frankly falling down.

The then-Liberty Stadium was new, state of the art, but unfamiliar and obviously devoid of any history whatsoever.

So, it was important the Swans got off to a winning start in order to give their new home a suitable housewarming.

And that’s exactly what they did. It may not have been the most thrilling match, but it will be remembered for the first three points the Swans earned at the new stadium.

The match may have been played in League One, rather than Division One, but some of the names involved in key moments during the 1-0 success include some real fan favourites.

The winner was scored in the 30th minute by a certain Adebayo Akinfenwa, while goalkeeper Willy Gueret saved a penalty to keep the Swans ahead in the 39th minute.

However, Lee Trundle might prefer to forget the fact he missed a penalty in front of an opening day crowd of almost 17,000.

The following season, the Swans were home again when they faced Cheltenham. Unfortunately, this wasn’t such a happy experience as they went down to a 2-1 home defeat.

This time, it was the visitors who were the League One new boys, and they took a commanding lead with two goals early in the second half.

Leon Knight pulled a goal back with a diving header, but the vast majority of the 15,199 crowd went home unhappy.

The start of the season 2013-14 saw a similar bonus to the one we are experiencing this season.

Typically, like London buses, you wait ages for one to come along and then you get two in a row as we’re home again on Tuesday night to Northampton in the Carabao Cup!

There was a similar scenario back in August 2013, where our first competitive match of the season was at home to Malmo in the Uefa Europa League.

The Swans first European campaign since 1991 started in fine style, with a 4-0 win over the 1979 European Cup finalists.

Wilfried Bony marked his competitive Swans debut with a brace of goals, while Michu was also on the scoresheet as the home side cruised to victory on their return to European action.
 

However, the Swans were brought down to earth when they kicked off their Premier League campaign against Manchester United with a 4-1 home defeat.

The match marked David Moyes’ first league match in charge of United and the victory was inspired by Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck, who both scored twice. Bony notched his first league goal for the Swans, which was no more than a consolation.

It wasn’t until the start of the 2019-20 season that the Swans were home again on the opening day of the season, when they beat Hull City 2-1.

There was another new manager in charge on this occasion with Steve Cooper making his league bow in the hot seat.

The Cooper reign didn’t start too well with Daniel Batty putting the visitors ahead after just three minutes.

However, the Swans hit back hard in the second half with Mike van der Hoorn heading an equaliser and Borja Baston firing the winner – his first goal for 1,022 days.

Which all brings us pretty much up to date – and there’s another new Swans manager at the helm for his first competitive match today.

Hopefully Michael Duff will enjoy the relatively rare experience of kicking off a league season at home – and the even rarer experience of winning on the opening day here in Swansea.

On a separate note, I couldn’t let today pass without a mention in memory of the late Trevor Francis, especially considering who we are playing today.
 

For fans of a certain age, Francis was a genuine superstar of the game as he became football's first ever £1m player when he moved from the Blues to Nottingham Forest in 1979.

And there is also a local connection, with Francis having married a local girl from Llanelli.

It was striking that his death was announced the day before the news that Paris St Germain had reportedly received a £259m bid for Kylian Mbappe.

I wonder how much Francis would be worth if he was playing today?

C’mon you Swans!

Welsh international full-back Andy Legg was ever-present as Swansea City qualified for the Second Division play-offs during the 1992-93 season.

Initially with Briton Ferry, he moved to the Vetch Field in August 1988, helping Swansea win the Welsh Cup in 1989 and 1991. He impressed with his left-foot deliveries and long throw, and netted 29 goals in 162 league games for the Swans before being sold to Notts County for £275,000 in July 1993.

Featuring in their 1995 Anglo-Italian Cup final success, he joined Birmingham City for £250,000 in February 1996 and spent two years on the books with the Blues, making 45 league appearances and scoring five goals.

He went on to have spells with Reading, Cardiff City and Peterborough United until forced to retire in April 2005. He also had a stint as player-manager at Llanelli.

Swansea City rounded off their pre-season schedule with a handsome victory over Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Joel Piroe netted a brace, with Jerry Yates and Matt Grimes also on the scoresheet in this final hit-out before the Championship opener against Birmingham City at the Swansea.com Stadium.

There was also a fifth clean sheet from seven pre-season fixtures for the Swans and head coach Michael Duff, plus the welcome sight of Joe Allen and Josh Ginnelly being fit enough to be named among the substitutes in Berkshire following their recent injuries.

The pair would play the final 16 minutes to give the Swans a timely fitness boost ahead of the new campaign.

Reading: Dean Bouzanis (Coniah Boyce-Clarke 46), Tom Holmes, Harvey Knibbs (Caylan Vickers 73), Charlie Savage (Mamadi Camara 73), Andy Carroll (Michael Craig 46), Femi Azeez (Tyler Bindon 85), Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan (Jay Senga 73), Andy Yiadom (captain) (Amadou Mbengue 37), Nesta Gunness-Walker, Jerial Dorsett (Nelson Abbey 62), Tivonge Rushesha.

Unused Substitutes:

Swansea City: Andy Fisher, Josh Key, Jay Fulton (Joe Allen 74), Ben Cabango, Harry Darling, Matt Grimes (captain), Jerry Yates (Liam Cullen 85), Olivier Ntcham, Joel Piroe (Josh Ginnelly 74), Nathan Wood, Azeem Abdulai (Kyle Naughton 78)

Unused Substitutes: Ben Hughes, Brandon Cooper, Ollie Cooper, Filip Lissah.

Swansea City 4 - 0 Birmingham City
Division Two - February 16, 1952
 

 

The Swans put in an impressive performance in front of the Vetch Field faithful, with goals from Frank Scrine, Alf Bellis and Ivor Allchurch securing a comprehensive victory.

Birmingham’s robust style of play had seen them lead the league table not long before, but the visitors struggled to deal with the attacking flair of Swansea.

Scrine’s goal was followed up by a double from Bellis, who put the home side out of sight before Allchurch put the seal on the triumph with a fourth goal in the dying minutes.

Swansea’s win was made all-the-more impressive in the following weeks as the Blues went on an eight-game unbeaten run, losing just twice more in the league that campaign.

This season marks the 30th anniversary of Swansea City’s first trip to Wembley for the Autoglass Trophy final in 1994. To mark it, our club historian Gwyn Rees will take us back through the story of that campaign and some of the key figures involved. He starts by setting the scene with the Swans regrouping following play-off disappointment at the end of the previous campaign.

Swansea City entered the 1993-94 season on the back of narrowly losing out in the play-off semi-finals to West Bromwich Albion so, despite that disappointment, there was plenty of optimism that the team could once more mount a serious challenge for promotion out of Division Two.

There was plenty of activity on the transfer front during the close season, with manager Frank Burrows once more showing that he had an eye for a bargain.

The sale of John Williams, a £5,000 purchase from Cradley Town, saw the club make a £245,000 profit when he left for Premiership Coventry City, while Des Lyttle made the club a profit of over £350,000 when he moved to Nottingham Forest.

Alongside this, the club earned a windfall of £275,000 when former Swan Andy Melville moved to Sunderland from Oxford United to trigger a sell-on clause.

Andy Legg moved to Notts County in a deal worth £275,000, while Russell Coughlin left the club to join Exeter City, with both John Hodge and Andy Cook moving in the opposite direction for a combined fee of £150,000.

The final piece of this transfer jigsaw saw the club purchase Steve Torpey after a tribunal fixed a fee worth £110,000, and local boy Colin Pascoe returned to the club from Sunderland.

The season kicked off at York City, but though new man Hodge was on the scoresheet, the Swans narrowly lost 2-1, making it six seasons since Swansea tasted an opening day victory.

Just three days later and the side opened the home campaign with a lacklustre 1-0 defeat to Bristol City in front of just 3,746 fans in the first leg of a League Cup tie.

But Burrows’ side registered their first win of the season just a few days later against newly-promoted Wrexham, as late goals via a spectacular Colin Pascoe volley and a penalty from captain John Cornforth sealed a 3-1 win and maximum points.

They carried the momentum into the second leg against Bristol City with birthday boy Jason Bowen netting both goals in a 2-0 win as he turned 21.

Bowen was on the scoresheet once again against Barnet the following weekend, netting the only goal in a first away league victory over the season, while keeper Roger Freestone made a series of important saves.

The final league game of the opening month saw Huddersfield Town come to the Vetch Field in a game that became a bruising encounter, with a solitary goal from Martin Hayes securing another win.

It was an ill-tempered match that saw five bookings and the Swans having to play the final 10 minutes a man short after Keith Walker was dismissed for petulantly kicking the ball away after a free-kick had been awarded against him.

The win saw the side move up to third place in the inaugural Division Two table by the end of August.

Swansea City has signed 14 players to academy scholarships,ahead of the new season.

Jacob Cook, Yori Griffith, Thomas Woodward, Kiel Higginson, Ramon Rees-Siso, Sam Seager, Thomas Searle, Osian Williams, Iestyn Jones and Callum Deacon have all become scholars, having progressed through the youth development phase.

Meanwhile, Sammy Henia-Kamau, Aidan Higgins, Teo Minchev, and Josh Pescatore all join the academy on scholarship terms after being previously registered at Jersey Bulls, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.

They will make the full-time step up to the under-18s' squad from the under-16 ranks, with all of the 10 current Swansea City players already featured at under-18 level.

DOB 

08/12/2004

Position

Centre-back.

Left Footed or Right Footed 

Right.

Nationality (according to UEFA)

English.

Signed for the swans

2021.

Previous clubs

Chelsea.

What is your best memory in a Swans shirt ?

Scoring the winner against Cardiff for the under-18s. 

What is your favourite thing about Swansea?

The beaches.

Who is your football idol?

John Stones.

What is your favourite film? 

The Harry Potter series.

Who is your favourite music artist?

Gunna.

What is your cheat meal?

Anything sweet.

What subject were you best at in school?

Apart from sport, probably maths.

Football bucket list

Win the Champions League.

A stadium you’d love to visit ( as a player or fan)

La Bombonera, Boca Juniors’ stadium. 

Your first football memory

Something I remember vividly is the 2010 World Cup final. I watched it at home. 

First football shirt you owned

It was a Brazil 2006 shirt. 

Other football position you played

I’ve always been centre-back

Have you played any other sports

I used to play a lot of tennis when I was younger.

Preferred shirt number

4

Your room-mate for away games

Joel Cotterill probably.

Favourite computer game

I play a lot of NBA2K.

Aim for the season ahead?

Do as well as possible, help contribute to the team and help us go up hopefully.

Who is the most famous person you’ve met?

Ashley Cole, he used to be my coach back in the day. I saw Pele once on a school trip but I didn’t really meet him. 

Swansea City Ladies forward Stacey John-Davis was delighted to continue her goalscoring form in pre-season after she netted her third goal in two games.

John-Davis netted twice against Bridgwater in the Swans 6-2 victory, before hitting the target once again in the Swans second outing against Swindon Town.

The forward finished as the Genero Adran Premier top scorer for the 2022-23 season and is glad to be continuing that form heading into the new campaign.

“It’s nice to get a bit of momentum in the pre-season and carry on from where we were last season, so it’s nice to get on the scoresheet again,” said john-Davis.

“There were a lot of positives to take, and I think that’s the joy of pre-season, there are a lot of changes and it’s the time for trial and error on some things, we’ll take a lot from the experience and there are a lot of positives to take away.

“It’s a good time for us all to get minutes in the tank, get the fitness and trial things that we could use in the season and we’re all looking forward to going again next week.”

Your date of birth

05/03/99

Your nationality (according to UEFA)

Welsh.

What position do you play?

Full-back.

Which is your preferred foot?

Right-footed.

Which clubs did you play for before joining Swansea City?

Cardiff City Ladies (in the English league system).

When did you sign for the Swans?

2017

What is your best moment in a Swansea City shirt?

Playing in the Champions League.

What is your favourite thing about playing for Swansea City?

How well everyone gets along!

Who is your football idol?

Steven Gerrard.

What is the first position you played in football?

Goalkeeper!!

What is your first memory of football (either watching or playing)?

Watching Wales v Czech Republic in Cardiff.

What is the first football shirt you owned?

Liverpool.

What is your full-time occupation?

Sport development officer.

Who is the most famous person you've met?

Gareth Bale – I saw him at the Vale Resort on Wales duty.

What is something that is on your bucket list?

To live in Australia.

What is your favourite film?

Step Brothers.

Who is your favourite music artist?

Stereophonics.

What is the best TV series you've watched?

Ginny and Georgia.

What is the best concert you've been to?

Creamfields.

What was your favourite subject in school?

Welsh.

Do you play computer games? If so, which ones?

No.

Croeso nol i Stadiwm Swansea!

Shwmae pawb,

The Championship is back and we’re so excited to see you all at this afternoon’s game!

This season we are introducing a Junior Jack of the Week where YOU can feature in our matchday programmes by sharing your Swansea City journey below.

Are you travelling to the Swansea.com Stadium today? Why not see how many of these things you can find at the stadium.

Enjoy the game!

Cyril and Cybil

What was the first Swansea City game you attended?

Carabao Cup against Plymouth Argyle in August 2021. We won 4-1.

What is your favourite memory of watching the Swans?

My first away day against West Brom. Steven Benda saved a penalty and Obafemi scored a last minute winner. 3-2!

Who is your favourite Swans player and why?

Ollie Cooper because he always gives 100%

What do you like most about supporting Swansea City?

The atmosphere before and during games.

Why did you start supporting Swansea City?

Because my Dad is a massive Swans fan and it's our hometown club.

Do you play football?

Yes, I play in goal and in midfield for Rosehill

Do you play any other sports?

I play cricket for school.

What is an interesting fact about you?

I have Autism.

What is your favourite subject in school and why?

Geography. I love learning about cities and countries around the world

An audio commentary service is available for blind and partially sighted fans – provided by Radio City, the Swansea University Health Board Hospital Radio Service.

Radio City has a long association with the football club dating back to the days when the club was known as Swansea Town.

Since moving to the Swansea.com Stadium, the broadcaster has provided a live descriptive commentary service for free at all Swansea home matches, meaning that blind and partially-sighted supporters in both the home and away ends can follow the action.

In order to book a headset for the match, supporters can contact the accessibility team in advance by emailing accessibility@swanseacity.com, or contacting the ticket office from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm by calling 01792 616629 and selecting option one.

Supporters can also book headsets in person in advance at the ticket office, or on the day by speaking to a Disability Liaison Steward on the day.

To learn more about Radio City, visit www.radiocity1389am.co.uk. To learn more about accessible facilities at the stadium, please click here.

INCLUSION ROOM

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.

STAFF LIST

Chairman - Andy Coleman
Honorary Club President - Alan Curtis

Directors

Jason Levien, Andy Coleman, Nigel Morris, Brett Cravatt, Jake Silverstein, Sam Porter, Martin Morgan, Sian Davies (supporter director), Romie Chaudhari, Bobby Hernreich, Gareth Davies.

Director of Business and Legal Affairs: Sam Porter.
Associate Directors: Ceri Stone.

FIRST-TEAM STAFF

Head Coach – Michael Duff

Assistant Head Coaches - Alan Sheehan and Martin Paterson

Head of Goalkeeping – Martyn Margetson

First Team Coach - Kris O'Leary

Head of Performance – Tom Barnden

Head of Medical - Dr Jez McCluskey

Staff: Ailsa Jones, Bethany Chaddock, Matt Murray, Thomas Gittoes, Michael Eames, Shaun Baggridge, Connor Lawley, Jonathan Jones, Jono Aveston, Jake Dayus.

SENIOR MANAGEMENT GROUP

Paul Watson (Sporting Director); Andrew Davies (Head of Operations, Facilities & Development);
Gareth Davies (CFO);
James Chiffi (Head of Wellbeing & Development);
Josh Marsh (Head of Football Operations).

CLUB STAFF

Club Secretary: Ben Greenwood
Football Operations &
Administration Manager: Rebecca Gigg
Head of Retail: Andrea Morris
Head of Hospitality & Customer Services: Catherine Thomas
Head of Safeguarding: Rebeca Storer
HR Manager: Nicola Butt
Senior Commercial Sponsorship Manager:  Lee Merrells
Head of Commercial:
Richard Morris
Head of Media & Communications:
Ben Donovan
Ticket Office Manager: Lewis Bullen
Operations & Events Manager:
Lee Davidson
Facilities Manager: Gordon David
Grounds Manager: Evan Davies
Disability Access Officer: Catherine Thomas
Head of Swansea City AFC Foundation Manager: Paul France
Club Ambassador: Lee Trundle

PROGRAMME PRODUCTION

Contributors: Ben Donovan, Andrew Gwilym, Sophie Davis, Hayley Ford, Fraser Dickson, Rachael Tucker, Cerith White, Rhys Kemish, Dom Hynes, Julie Kissick, Gwyn Rees, Owen Morgan, Ian Mitchelmore.

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