Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the Swansea.com Stadium as we host Leicester City on a matchday dedicated to our charity partner, the Jac Lewis Foundation.
We are incredibly proud of the relationship we have with the Jac Lewis Foundation, the vital service they provide within our community, and the mental health and wellbeing hub they have held every Friday at our stadium since 2021.
I was fortunate enough to recently attend an event at the Principality Stadium where the Foundation partnered with the The Royal Foundation and the Welsh Rugby Union to launch a mental health and suicide prevention hub at the home of Welsh rugby, and there is no doubting the impact their support makes to so many people.
The link between us is grounded in the story of Jac Lewis, a young man who was a talented footballer in our academy who went on to play for Ammanford Town and have a career as a carpenter before passing away aged 27 after struggling to get the support he needed.
This matchday comes ahead of World Mental Health Day on October 10, and you will see information and branding for the Jac Lewis Foundation around the stadium today. There will be volunteers located in the club shop, while supporters will be able to donate to the charity by donating to bucket collectors around the ground, or scanning the QR codes outside the ground and accessing their Just Giving page.
On the pitch we were delighted to tie Josh Tymon and Lawrence Vigouroux to new long-term contracts with the club.
I am sure you will agree that they have both been outstanding performers for us during their time at Swansea City, and securing their futures is an important step for us as a club.
Their importance was underlined in our midweek victory at Blackburn. Lawrence made a pair of key saves during the closing stages to ensure we left Ewood Park with a win for just the third time in 53 years, while Josh adding to his tally of assists for us with a fine cross for Franco’s volley.
They are tremendous players, but they are also great characters and we could not be happier that we can look forward to them pulling on a Swansea shirt for a number of years to come.
That win at Blackburn perfectly encapsulated the challenges you face over a long season in the Championship.
As Alan himself said after the match, we have probably played better in other games but not come away with three points.
As we all know, the Championship is a gruelling nine-month long campaign and no-one and no team can possibly perform at the very peak of their abilities for 90 minutes, game in and game out. The key is staying consistent and being able to pick up points regularly, even when you are not at your best.
To do that, you need to have a tight-knit group who are working so hard for each other and committed to the cause, that’s exactly what we saw in midweek. In addition to that, you also need everyone in the squad to play their part. All five subs affected the game from the bench on Tuesday and it was particularly pleasing to see Adam and Culls combine for the winner.
We know we face a tough test today against a Leicester side who were playing in the Premier League last season and retain a great deal of top-flight experience and quality in their squad.
But we are looking to extend our unbeaten run at home to a dozen games in all competitions, and I know you will give us tremendous backing as always.
We are delighted to welcome Keith English to the game today from our ownership group. Keith recently personally funded some remedial works at Fairwood and we are incredibly grateful for his and the rest of the boards support.
I also wanted to take this opportunity to wish Cath Dyer, Secretary of the DSA a very happy birthday. Thank you for all you and the DSA do for those supporters with additional needs.
Enjoy the game YJBs,
Tom Gorringe
CEO, Swansea City
Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the Swansea.com Stadium as we play our final fixture of this block of games against Leicester City.
It has been a typically busy Championship week for us, and we will be looking to make sure we head into the break on a positive note.
We were disappointed not to emerge with all three points against Millwall last weekend, particularly on the back of an opening half-hour where we were dominant, got the opening goal and had the chance to extend that advantage.
We also had opportunities late on in the game, including a big penalty appeal, and in those instances it can feel like you’ve lost even though you’ve put a point on the board.
But I was so proud of the application and mentality the players showed at Blackburn in midweek.
Ewood Park is a tough place to go, as shown by the fact we had won there just twice in over 50 years before Tuesday, and with the long journey and short turnaround I will be the first to admit we were not at our best.
But the nature of the Championship means that you have to be able to find the character and resilience to grind out results when you do not reach the levels you aspire to as a team.
Those instances are a test of your mentality. We had a short turnaround into a long journey, we found ourselves a goal down. However, we did not make any excuses, or feel sorry for ourselves, we knuckled down to the task at hand and scored two goals of great quality.
We had a great impact from our bench, and that just underlines that over the season – if we want to be successful – we are going to be about the full squad and everyone playing their part.
Today also marks our dedicated matchday for our charity partner; the Jac Lewis Foundation.
The Foundation’s relationship with the club predates my time here, but I am fully aware of the importance of the service they provide, and how it can make a positive impact on the lives of those who need their support.
Here in Swansea, we are a proud club, city and community and our togetherness and unity is what makes us special.
And the nature of the support the Jac Lewis Foundation provide just underlines that point, we are very proud to be working with them.
Enjoy the game.
Alan Sheehan,
First Team Head Coach
Today we welcome Leicester City chairman Aiyawah Srivaddhanaprabha, head coach Marti Cifuentes and his team to the Swansea.com Stadium.
The Foxes currently sit in sixth position in the Championship, having been relegated from the Premier League last season.
The Swans maintained their unbeaten home record against Millwall last Saturday in a hard fought 1-1 draw. Possession stats showed us to have 64 per cent to Millwall’s 36 per cent. What was more telling was that Millwall committed 20 fouls with two yellow cards to the Swans seven fouls with one yellow card, with the referee lacking consistency in his decision making.
The Swans controlled much of the first half and took an early lead as Vipotnik cleverly diverted a shot from a Ronald pass with a backheel for the striker’s sixth goal in seven matches. However, we were made to pay for our inability to score a second goal as Millwall equalised on the stroke of half-time through Josh Coburn’s headed goal. The second half saw us appeal for a Vipotnik penalty as he appeared to have been pulled back as he tried to convert from a pass.
One could see that Alan Sheehan’s vision of the game was to get forward quickly with possession football. However, the second half was a scrappy affair where both sides had their chances. Sheehan said after the match: “I think we had control of possession, creating opportunities. It’s relatively fine margins. They had forward momentum and territory towards the end of the first half.” In the end a draw was probably a fair result for both sides.
We can also look forward to a mouthwatering tie with Manchester City in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, a match not to be missed and a throwback to our recent cup encounters and those in the Premier League. The game is now confirmed for Wednesday October 29 at 7.45pm. We were pleased to be part of the consultation over ticket pricing, rewarding those that attended our games in earlier rounds. Tickets are selling really well and let’s fill the stadium to its capacity and get behind the Swans.
Looking a little beyond that, we are also working with the club to hold a supporter engagement event for fans in the London area the night before we face Charlton Athletic at the Valley on November 1.
It will be a joint club and Trust event, similar to the summer forum held in Carmarthen, and we hope to have more details confirmed soon.
Next week we have a premiere screening for invited guests to view a new documentary we have just completed thanks to the work and support of Trust ambassador Dave Brayley. Called ‘Ivor Allchurch - Golden Boy’, it recognises the life and times of Ivor Allchurch and his family.
For many, Ivor was arguably the finest footballer to come out of Swansea and we look forward to viewing the material researched on Wales’ top master of football. The first public screening will be held at 7.30pm on Friday October 17 and more details are available on our Trust website HERE. Tickets are now on general sale via the online Taliesin booking office.
Last Tuesday evening saw the Swans play Blackburn Rovers in an away fixture where we came home with three valuable points due to a brilliant first goal of the season from Goncalo Franco and a well-placed strike from Liam Cullen after some inspired substitutions by head coach Sheehan. The Swans have now moved up to eighth in the Championship.
Thanks to the Trust members who have already renewed their membership for the 2025-26 season and to our new members joining for the first time. Renewing or joining can be done in a few minutes online at: https://www.swanstrust.co.uk/join-the-trust/. Alternatively, visit the Trust kiosk outside the West Stand on a matchday. If you have any difficulties or have any other queries, just contact us via info@swanstrust.co.uk.
Enjoy the game,
Peter
Supporters can still get their tickets to watch Swansea City Women take on Wrexham Women with a family of four able to watch Yzzy Taylor’s side at the Swansea.com Stadium for just £14 on Sunday. (2pm KO).
The stadium fixtures are a special highlight of the calendar for players, coaches and staff, with aspiring young footballers getting to watch their heroes in action at the home of the Swans.
And, following a strong start to the season, you can roar the Swans on in their hunt for silverware with adult tickets priced at £5 and children’s tickets costing just £2 each.
As part of a ongoing feature in our digital matchday programme for the 2025-26 campaign, we are calling on all Swans fans to share their memories and experiences of supporting the club this season by submitting your stories and pictures. We will publish a selection over the course of the season, and you can share your stories with us through the link below.
Swansea City is delighted to announce that Josh Tymon and Lawrence Vigouroux have signed new contracts with the club to extend their stays in SA1.
Full-back Tymon has put pen to paper on a deal through to the end of June 2029.
Goalkeeper Vigouroux, meanwhile, has signed on the dotted line until the summer of 2028.
The pair have been key players during the excellent form shown under Alan Sheehan's stewardship.
You can read more about the news below.
Josh Tymon extends Swansea City stay until 2029
Lawrence Vigouroux signs new Swansea City deal through to 2028
The start of the 2025-26 season marks 20 years since Swansea City moved into our Swansea.com Stadium home.
To mark the anniversary, club historian Gwyn Rees is profiling members of the first Swans squad to grace the stadium during the 2005-06 campaign. This time, he looks at the career of former defender and coach Alan Tate.
“We all dream of a team of Alan Tates”.
That was the chant regularly heard from Swansea City fans for a player who found a special place in the hearts of the Jack Army.
While he will always be synonymous with the Swans, Tate’s origins were in the north-east of England. Born in County Durham, his formative football years were spent on the books of all-conquering Manchester United.
He progressed through the ranks to become captain of the United reserve side, but was unable to break into the first-team squad, and in 2002 he moved on loan to Belgium and Royal Antwerp for the final two months of the season.
On returning back to Manchester, and finding only reserve-team football awaiting him, the player was given the opportunity to gain further first-team experience on loan with the Swans under Brian Flynn.
It was the beginning of a 10-year love affair that would see him turn out in the all-white of the Swans over 350 times.
When he arrived at the Vetch Field, Tate found the club in the middle of a desperate relegation battle at the foot of the fourth tier, where he was joined by a future fan favourite Leon Britton.
Both players, along with other astute signings by manager Flynn, saw the club narrowly avoid relegation into non-league with a never-to-be-forgotten final day win over Hull City.
Tate returned to Old Trafford and played again for the reserve side before a second loan spell with Swansea and, finally, the completion of a full-time switch in February 2004.
Initially signed as a central defender, he showed his versatility by playing all along the back four and in midfield, and later on in his time with the club he would famously take over in goal after an injury to Dorus De Vries in a game against Queens Park Rangers.
With the move from the Vetch Field to the New Stadium at Landore in 2005, Tate showed his consistency for the side, playing regularly throughout the season, and being named Player of the Year at the season’s end.
He helped the Swans win the Football League trophy with victory over Carlisle at the Millennium Stadium but, along with teammate, Lee Trundle found himself embroiled in controversy over the post-match celebrations where they were pictured with a flag showing derogatory remarks and images aimed at rivals Cardiff City.
Just weeks later Tate and the Swans were back at the same venue for the League One play-off final, but suffered heartbreak as they were beaten on penalties by Barnsley, with Tate among those to miss a spot-kick.
Shaking off the disappointment, he continued to be a regular in the side over the coming seasons and played at full back in the famous Championship play-off final win over Reading at Wembley.
When the Swans played their debut game in the Premier League away at Manchester City, it was Alan who proudly captained the team on that historic evening. But, just a few short weeks later, a bizarre golf cart accident saw the player suffer a broken leg, seeing him miss the majority of the season until making his comeback at Old Trafford in the final away game of the season.
After a disagreement with manager Michael Laudrup, he had loan spells with Leeds United, Yeovil, Aberdeen and Crewe before hanging up his boots.
He returned to the club as part of the coaching setup at the academy, and then joined the first-team coaching staff under Steve Cooper.
Tate has since worked with the former England Under-17 boss at Nottingham Forest and Leicester City, and the pair have recently joined Danish club Brondby.
But Swansea will always be his club, and supporters continue to dream of a team of Alan Tates.
The Foxes are back in the Championship for just the second time since 2014, after an unforgettable eight-year stint in the top-flight came to an end when they were relegated at the end of the 2023-24 season, and last season's Premier League return proved to be for a solitary campaign.
The East Midlands club upset the odds to win the Premier League title in 2016, and went on to enjoy a march to the quarter-finals the following season before being knocked out by Atletico Madrid.
They went on to win the FA Cup in 2021, beating Chelsea in the final at Wembley.
Formed in 1884 as Leicester Fosse FC, they moved to Filbert Street in 1891 before being elected to the Football League in 1894.
Leicester were top-flight runners-up in 1929, and are three-time League Cup winners following their triumphs in 1964, 1997 and 2000.
KING POWER STADIUM
Built: 2002
Location: Filbert Way, Leicester LE2 7FL
Capacity: 32,259
Spaniard Marti Cifuentes started his coaching career with short spells in the youth set-ups of Ajax and Millwall.
His first senior management role came back in 2014, when he took over Segunda Division B club Sant Andreu, he then moved to fellow Division B club Hospitalet ahead of the 2015-16 season.
He joined Norwegian club Sandefjord in May 2018. He was unable to prevent them being relegated despite losing just six of his 18 games in charge after taking over midway through the campaign, but guided them to promotion in his first full season in charge.
A year in Denmark with Aalborg BK followed ahead of a switch to Sweden with Hammarby IF in 2022.
He guided the latter to the final of the Swedish Cup, where they lost on penalties to Malmo that same year. They finished third in the Allsvenskan last year to qualify for the Europa Conference League before Cifuentes joined the R's in October 2023.
He went on to guide them clear of danger and secure their Championship status and had them looking like potential play-off contenders before a difficult end to last season.
Cifuentes was named as Leicester boss in the summer following Ruud van Nistelrooy's departure.
Experienced defender Ricardo Pereira was named Foxes captain by new head coach Marti Cifuentes in the summer.
The Portugal international has been with the club since 2018 and was part of their FA Cup and Community Shield successes in 2021, and their promotion in 2024.
The full-back started his senior career in his homeland with Vitoria Guimaraes - having been among the youth ranks at Benfica and Sporting Lisbon - and his showings soon secured him a move to Porto.
Pereira had two loan spells in France with Nice before firmly establishing himself with Porto and helping them to the 2017-18 Primeira Liga title before departing for the East Midlands.
He is rapidly closing in on 200 appearances for Leicester and was named the club's player of the season for the 2018-19 campaign.
Abdul Fatawu is an exciting and lively presence for Leicester in the final third and, still aged just 21, looks to have a very bright future ahead of him.
The Ghana international was first spotted playing in the second tier in his homeland, where his performances had a number of Europe's elite clubs plotting his progress and interested in securing his services.
He initially joined Sporting Lisbon but, after a season in Portugal, he was loaned out to Leicester where he turned in a number of eye-catching displays as they were promoted to the Premier League.
His move was made permanent in the summer of 2024. Like many of his teammates he endured a challenging 2024-25, but has made a bright start to the new season, scoring a stunning goal against Charlton Athletic.
Wales midfielder Jordan James is on loan with the Foxes from French club Rennes, and scored his first goal for them in midweek against Wrexham.
The 21-year-old has shown a maturity beyond his years and already has 22 international caps to his name.
Born in Hereford, James joined Birmingham City at pre-academy level and progressed all the way through the ranks to become a first-team regular while still a teenager.
He made nearly 100 league appearances for the Blues before joining Rennes in 2024. Having not established himself as a regular with the Ligue 1 side he has linked up with Leicester in a deal that includes an option to buy.
The Danish defender Jannik Vestergaard has been with Leicester since the summer of 2021, having joined from Southampton.
After spending much of his youth career in his homeland, Vestergaard began his senior career with Hoffenheim’s second team before graduating to the first team.
He went on to join Werder Bremen in 2015 before moving on to Borussia Monchengladbach a year later.
Vestergaard signed for Southampton in 2018 and had three strong years with the Saints, attracting the interest of a number of clubs before opting for a move to the King Power Stadium.
He was demoted to the under-21s at the end of the 2023-23 season, but returned to be a key figure in their promotion campaign of two campaigns ago, and they will again be looking to his experience as they once again seek to bounce back to the top-flight at the first attempt.
When Žan Vipotnik went tumbling in the box during the second half of last weekend’s clash with Millwall, my friend’s patience finally snapped.
“That’s it! They’ve got to bring VAR into the Championship now!” he shouted as the referee waved away confident home appeals for a penalty.
Following hot on the heels of the previous weekend’s decision when a Vipotnik goal was controversially ruled out for offside at Birmingham, you could understand my pal’s point.
The general consensus on the two decisions seems to be that had they been checked by VAR, they would both have gone in the Swans’ favour.
With both matches being finely balanced when the decisions were made, you could argue they potentially cost the Swans a total of five valuable points.
Head coach Alan Sheehan was certainly in no doubt over the validity of his players’ appeals for a penalty last Saturday.
After the match he said: "It's a stonewall penalty. I don't know what else to say without making an excuse for it.
"It's a penalty. These are the decisions right now. Yeah, we had one last week, we've had one this week.”
So, it would seem that there is plenty of merit in my friend’s demand for VAR to be introduced into the Championship.
But even if it had meant both those decisions eventually going our way, I’m still not entirely convinced by VAR.
When the controversial system was first suggested, I was all for it.
Perhaps I had misunderstood the idea, but I thought it would only be used to overturn “clear and obvious” errors.
As someone who was left permanently scarred as an 11-year-old by the Joe Jordan penalty incident which denied Wales a place at the 1978 World Cup, I was a fan of the proposed system.
Never again would such a heinous miscarriage of footballing injustice be inflicted on Wales, or indeed the Swans!
But that’s not really the way VAR has turned out, is it?
The “clear and obvious” bit seems to have gone out of the window.
Instead, a massive digital microscope has been aimed at the sport, which seems determined to seek out even the most innocuous offence, rather than the bleedin’ obvious ones.
One check of the replay would have shown whether Vipotnik was onside against Birmingham or not. Job done. Injustice averted.
That’s where the system would work brilliantly, if it was used in that way.
But increasingly VAR seems to be used to painstakingly search for offences, which go unnoticed by the naked eye.
If you’ve got to rock and roll a single frame so many times you’re in danger of wearing a hole in the video (yes, I know they’re not perishable tapes anymore but you know what I mean!), then surely the offence isn’t clear and obvious!
Quite often there are checks where even after countless replays from a dozen different camera angles it is not clear whether an offence has taken place or not. If a decision is that difficult to make, go with the referee’s original decision and play on!
I rarely watch Premier League football these days. One of the reasons is that the Swans aren’t there. I have little or no interest in the fortunes of any club in the top-flight. I have no skin in the game as people like to say these days.
However, I do like to watch a good game of football, so I will tune in if a particular game catches my imagination.
But watching the Fulham v Chelsea match earlier in the season, I realised there was another reason I rarely view top-flight matches – VAR.
Fulham scored what looked - to the naked eye - like an excellent goal, which involved a brilliant turn by Rodrigo Muniz and clinical finish from Josh King.
But on much closer inspection under the all-seeing VAR microscope, an apparent offence was spotted and Fulham’s celebrations were cut short, despite the referee having originally awarded the goal.
After what seemed an eternity of deliberation, it was deemed Muniz had stepped on the foot of Chelsea centre-half Trevor Chalobah while cleverly evading the defender.
It seemed obvious to me that the contact was entirely accidental. Despite this, a brilliant piece of skill was deemed illegal by the all-seeing officials.
If you’re going to punish pieces of individual brilliance every time there is accidental contact, then the game really is in trouble.
In the end, referees’ chief Howard Webb apologised to Fulham and declared the decision to be an error. A fat lot of good that did the London club after they lost 2-0.
In rugby union they describe this sort of contact as a “rugby incident”. Even if the Television Match Official (TMO) spots this type of coming together, they will usually let it go unsanctioned.
Knowing that every single goal is going to go through the same kind of scrutiny as King’s strike did is sucking the fun and spontaneity out of the game, in my opinion.
Admittedly, even in the VAR-free Championship, I will sometimes flash a nervous glance across to the linesman before unleashing a full-throated celebration.
But at least you know pretty much instantly that a goal has been chalked off for whatever reason.
But in matches where VAR is involved, it’s always in the back of your mind when the ball hits the back of the net . . . “are they going to find a reason to disallow this”.
Even in the middle of wild celebrations, there’s that nervous wait to see whether a goal will stand or not.
So, for now, unless they have a radical rethink of the system, I’m happy for the Championship to be a VAR-free zone.
I know it’s massively frustrating when the officials out on the pitch get things wrong, but they are human after all.
Just like the players, and even us fans, we all make mistakes sometimes.
And whisper it quietly, but depending on your viewpoint, we may, or may not, have been relieved there was no VAR at Blackburn on Tuesday night!
C’mon you Swans!
First football shirt you owned?
Chelsea.
Best player you've played with?
Darren Pratley.
What's your go-to cheat meal?
Cheeseburger.
Who's the joker in the dressing room?
Ben Cabango.
If you weren't a footballer, what would you be?
Maths Teacher.
Who's your top artist on Spotify?
Bad Bunny.
Can you name a Welsh word?
Araf.
Who is the toughest opponent you've faced?
Josh Sargent.
Favourite holiday destination?
Jamaica.
Who's your hometown club?
Limassol FC - North London.
Favourite football memory?
Promotion with Leyton Orient.
Swansea City is dedicating Saturday’s Championship league match against Leicester City to mental health support charity Jac Lewis Foundation ahead of World Mental Health Day on October 10.
The Jac Lewis Foundation offer mental health support without barriers, and has a hub based at the Swansea.com Stadium which is open every Friday between 10am and 3pm.
The hub seeks to create a community for people who are struggling with their mental health and offers guidance and support without judgement.
We've asked participants and members of the Jack Army to share their stories of the assistance and support the Foundation has provided to them.
Ashley
I have been struggling with my mental health since my early teens. The doctors didn't do much, counselling was limited, but I had a phone call from Swansea City Football Club to invite me to a hub starting up called the Jac Lewis Foundation.
I was nervous and apprehensive but built up the courage to go. I met Liz and I went back, fast forward to 2025 and I am a regular, As volunteer and the first client at Swansea.
I am more confident, able to speak my mind better and in a better place. I still get my struggles but knowing there is instant help with the amazing Jac Lewis Foundation is a massive weight lifted off my shoulders. All at Swansea football club and Jac Lewis foundation should be immensely proud of the work they do. Thank you.
“Obviously the years since have been a bit tougher but from that I have gained a level of maturity. It’s helped me to grow.
Tina
My husband Ashley was the first client in Swansea, and I started around June 2022.
I became disabled in 2020 and it severely affected my mental health. I was very depressed and couldn't see a way forward.
I wanted help so I attended the Jac Lewis foundation with Ashley. I believe it saved my life. I don't think I'd be here now if it wasn't for the Jac Lewis Foundation. Having someone to talk to really helps me. I look forward to going every week.
Muhammed
I was told about the Jac Lewis Foundation by the Swansea Job centre, at that time I was homeless and in despair I had suicidal tendencies but after attending Jac Lewis for the first time I met like minded people and councillors who were able to point me in the right direction. Nearly three years later I am still attending and I am a better person for this experience.
Susan
I reached out to the Jac Lewis Foundation when my mum passed away, and I was at a low with my mental health.
They were very understanding, gave me someone to talk to and counsellling. It's a nice supportive place to be and I would say to anyone who wished to attend to do it. The welcome is warm and everyone is very understanding.
I made a good choice, so will you.
“That feeling, I don’t think I could have had it anywhere else. When I made that choice, and when I go there I cannot describe how I feel and the love I get. I feel very proud.”
Emma
In the year 2020, I lost my sister due to her having a massive heart attack and clot on her lung. I was suffering with bad mental health problems, and I went to my local job centre and they told me about this Jac Lewis hub which was based in the Swansea.com Stadium.
I went along to see what it was like there, and I have made friends there. I received counselling with the Jac Lewis Foundation, I can't thank them enough for the support.
Nos Fawrth fe chwaraeodd Josh Tymon ei 100fed gêm i’r Elyrch. Dros y tymhorau diwethaf mae Tymon wedi selio ei le yn yr 11 ar y cae ac mae’r safle amddiffynnwr chwith gyda’i enw arni fwy neu lai pob un gêm. Am rai blynyddoedd mae’r Elyrch wedi bod yn ffodus o gael amddiffynwyr chwith sydd o safon uchel. Dyma rai ohonynt.
Ben Davies - Does dim syndod bod Ben Davies wedi ei gynnwys ar y rhestr yma. Un o chwaraewyr gorau Abertawe a Chymru erioed yn fy marn i. Er ei fod bellach wedi symud i chwarae yng nghanol yr amddiffyn, roedd ei wreiddiau ar yr ochr chwith. Chwaraeodd ei gêm gyntaf dros y clwb fel eilydd yn erbyn West Ham United ar 25 Awst 2012. O hynny fe aeth ymlaen i chwarae yn y safle yn gyson o ganlyniad i anaf hirdymor i Neil Taylor. A phum mis yn ddiweddarach fe sgoriodd am y tro gyntaf dros yr Elyrch mewn buddugoliaeth 3-1 yn erbyn Stoke City. Roedd ei ddawn amddiffynnol yn amlwg, ond hefyd roedd yn gryf wrth garlamu fyny’r cae a chynnig opsiwn ymosodol. Er y byddai pob un cefnogwr yn hoff o’i weld yn aros gyda’r clwb, roedd yn haeddiannol o symud i Spurs yn haf 2014. Mae wedi chwarae dros 250 o gemau i Spurs a hyd yma wedi chwarae 98 o gemau dros Gymru.
Neil Taylor - Disgrifiodd Michael Laudrup y frwydr rhwng Neil Taylor a Ben Davies am y safle amddiffynnwr chwith fel “problem hyfryd i reolwr” - ac mae’n hawdd gweld pam. Anaml iawn fyddai gan glwb ddau amddiffynnwr chwith o’r safon hyn. Ymunodd Taylor gyda’r Elyrch yn 2010 o Wrecsam, ac fe chwaraeodd 29 o gemau i’r Elyrch mewn blwyddyn lle fyddan nhw’n sicrhau dyrchafiad i’r Uwch Gynghrair. Roedd Taylor wedi parhau i berfformio yn ystod blwyddyn gyntaf y clwb yn y gynghrair honno, gan helpu’r Elyrch i’r 11fed safle yn y gynghrair. Ond y tymor canlynol fe dorrodd ei bigwrn yn erbyn Sunderland a ni chwaraeodd am saith mis. Roedd yn anodd iddo dorri mewn i’r garfan eto wedi hynny o ganlyniad i berfformiadau Ben Davies. Pan adawodd Davies yn 2014 fe wnaeth Taylor gamu i’r adwy a pherfformio yn gyson am dair blynedd cyn symud i Aston Villa. Hefyd fe berfformiodd dros Gymru yn ei yrfa - gan fod yn rhan ganolog o garfan Cymru yn Euro 2016 a sgorio yn y fuddugoliaeth 3-0 yn erbyn Rwsia.
Vic Gomersall - Mae rhaid i fi gyfaddef doeddwn i ddim yn gwybod llawer am Vic Gomersall. Ond wrth neud ymchwil mae’n ymddangos ei fod yn un o amddiffynwyr oedd wedi chwarae yn gyson i’r clwb am sawl blwyddyn. Roedd yn ffigwr dylanwadol wrth i’r Elyrch sicrhau dyrchafiad yn nhymor 1969/70 wedi iddo arwyddo o Manchester City yn 1966 am £5,000. Yn ystod ei bum mlynedd gyda’r cwb fe chwaraeodd yn y European Cup Winners’ Cup ac yng Nghwpan yr FA yn erbyn Arsenal a Leeds. Chwaraeodd 178 o gemau gynghrair i’r clwb cyn arwyddo i Chelmsford. Efallai’r syndod mwyaf wedyn yw ei fod wedi chwarae dros Lanelli, Hwlffordd a Phontardawe cyn ymddeol a symud ’nôl i Abertawe. Fe ddaeth yn rheolwr masnachol y clwb am 12 mlynedd. Bu farw ym mis Rhagfyr yn 2024.
A decade ago today’s visitors, Leicester City, were embarking on a season which would make them history makers of the highest order. The club produced one of the greatest sporting stories of all time in the 2015-16 campaign when they won the Premier League title by 10 points.
Claudio Ranieri’s side sent shockwaves through football when they pulled off the feat. The bookies made Leicester 5,000-1 outsiders to win the Premier League at the start of the season. There was more chance of the Loch Ness Monster being found.
Kasper Schmeichel, Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy and N’Golo Kante were household names for being part of the team that left the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City and Manchester United looking up at them perched at the pinnacle of the most prestigious league in the world.
Researching the Leicester success story led me down something of a rabbit hole when it came to reacquainting myself with our 2015-16 season.
We were also a Premier League side during the Foxes triumphant campaign. Having arrived in the top flight in 2011 we were getting our feet under the table by 2015. That said, Leicester beat us 3-0 at home and 4-0 at the King Power Stadium, yet we finished a pretty respectable 12th on 47 points, sandwiched between Everton and Watford just below mid-table.
It was a time of managerial change for us as Garry Monk departed after less than two years in charge, Alan Curtis pulled on his then very familiar caretaker manager cape for a few weeks - picking up two wins in the process - before Francesco Guidolin arrived at the Liberty Stadium amid some raised eyebrows, it’s fair to say.
Our captain, Ashley Williams, confessed to The Guardian newspaper that the squad had “Googled” Guidolin because they didn’t know much about the Italian.
That season, Andre Ayew was top scorer with 12 goals, having arrived on a free transfer from Marseille. We also welcomed the likes of Oli McBurnie and goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt.
The Foxes experienced incredible highs as a result of their title success, followed two years later by lows of equal magnitude after the tragic death of their chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others in a helicopter crash. It was a tragedy that shook the world of football and one that will never be forgotten.
There were more highs when Brendan Rogers, formerly of this parish, guided them to a fifth-place finish and Europa League qualification, then their first FA Cup title, in May 2021.
And there followed the ‘yo-yo years’ of relegation and promotion and in the season of their 10-year anniversary of winning the Premier League, the Foxes are back in the Championship.
There has been no ‘yo-yoing’ here. We were relegated from the Premier League in 2018 and have stayed in the Championship since. One of Leicester’s current coaches, former Wales international Andy King, joined us on loan for the latter part of what was to be our final season in the top flight.
In our last 10 meetings across the Premier League and the Championship, we’ve won two and drawn one, so you don’t need to be a mathematical genius to work out that our recent form against Leicester isn’t the best! In fact, in 41 meetings we’ve won 11, drawn nine and lost 21.
Two places and one point separate us at the time of writing. Time to start making a positive impact on those negative statistics.
JULIE KISSICK
We are all Jacks is Swansea City’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion both within the club and throughout the local community.
Working with international and local charities, as well as supporter groups, Swansea City strives to ensure that a visit to the Swansea.com Stadium is a welcoming experience for everyone regardless of sex, sexuality, gender identity, religion, race, disability, or age.
The club takes a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, harassment, victimisation, bullying and abuse.
REPORT IT – IN THE STADIUM
Supporters are encouraged to report instances of abusive and discriminatory language within the stadium by using the anonymous text and Whatsapp number (07886 276015) providing details of the incident and your location in the stadium.
Messages will be charged at the standard rate for your network provider.
The details from the message will be received at the match control room, where any necessary investigation and/or action will be taken.
The club will also record the mobile number of the individual reporting an incident to aid with any inquiries.
Supporters can also use support@swanseacity.com to report instances of discrimination.
An audio commentary service is available for blind and partially sighted fans – provided by Radio City, the Swansea University Health Board Hospital Radio Service.
Radio City has a long association with the football club dating back to the days when the club was known as Swansea Town.
Since moving to the Swansea.com Stadium, the broadcaster has provided a live descriptive commentary service for free at all Swansea home matches, meaning that blind and partially-sighted supporters in both the home and away ends can follow the action.
In order to book a headset for the match, supporters can contact the accessibility team in advance by emailing accessibility@swanseacity.com, or contacting the ticket office from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm by calling 01792 616629 and selecting option one.
Supporters can also book headsets in person in advance at the ticket office, or on the day by speaking to a Disability Liaison Steward on the day.
To learn more about Radio City, visit www.radiocity1386am.co.uk.
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.
Shwmae, Junior Jacks and welcome back!
We’re welcoming children’s artist Scott to the Buzz Parks family fan zone at today’s match, so you can come and learn about drawing and wellbeing with us.
Don’t forget to post your designs in the Cyril and Cybil letter box so we can add them to our notice board.
We really enjoyed watching the Swans win on Tuesday evening and it was great to see Franco and Cullen get the goals. We think Cullen will get another one this afternoon, and Zan Vipotnik will score. Our prediction is a 2-0 win.
This week’s quiz is all about animal nicknames. Let us know how you get on.
Uppa Swans,
Cyril and Cybil
Head Coach Alan Sheehan
1 Andy Fisher
2 Josh Key
4 Jay Fulton
5 Ben Cabango (c)
6 Marko Stamenić
7 Melker Widell
8 Malick Yalcouye
9 Žan Vipotnik
10 Jisung Eom
14 Josh Tymon
15 Cameron Burgess
16 Ishé Samuels-Smith
17 Gonçalo Franco
20 Liam Cullen
21 Manuel Benson
22 Lawrence Vigouroux
23 Ricardo Santos
24 Bobby Wales
26 Kaelan Casey
27 Zeidane Inoussa
29 Paul Farman
30 Ethan Galbraith
33 Adam Idah
35 Ronald
40 NUMBER RETIRED IN MEMORY OF BESIAN IDRIZAJ
41 Sam Parker
46 Arthur Parker
47 Sebastian Dabrowski
54 Iestyn Jones
Head Coach Marti Cifuentes
1 Jakub Stolarczyk
3 Wout Faes
4 Ben Nelson
5 Caleb Okoli
6 Jordan James
7 Abdul Fatawu
8 Harry Winks
9 Jordan Ayew
10 Stephy Mavididi
13 Francisco Vieites
14 Bobby Decordova-Reid
15 Harry Souttar
16 Victor Kristiansen
17 Hamza Choudhury
18 Julian Carranza
20 Patson Daka
21 Ricardo Pereira
22 Oliver Skipp
23 Jannik Vestergaard
24 Boubakary Soumare
25 Louis Page
27 Wanya Marcal
28 Jeremy Monga
30 Aaron Ramsey
31 Asmir Begovic
32 Luke Thomas
34 Michael Golding
39 Silko Thomas
56 Olabade Aluko
61 Steve Bausor
65 Jake Evans
Referee - David Webb
Assistant Referee 1 - Andrew Fox
Assistant Referee 2 - Matthew McGrath
Fourth Official - Ollie Yates
STAFF LIST
Honorary Club President - Alan Curtis MBE
Directors
Andy Coleman, Brett Cravatt, Jason Cohen, George Popstefanov, Chris Sznewajs, Tyler Morse, Nigel Morris, Todd Marcelle, Keith English, Martin Morgan, Paul Meller.
Chief Executive Officer: Tom Gorringe
Associate Directors: Diane Hughes
Minority Owners: Luka Modrić and Snoop Dogg
FIRST-TEAM STAFF
Head Coach - Alan Sheehan
Assistant Head Coach - Darren O'Dea
Head of Goalkeeping – Martyn Margetson
First Team Coach - Kris O'Leary
First Team Coach - Richard Stearman
Head of Medical - Dr Jez McCluskey
Staff: Ailsa Jones, Matt Murray, Thomas Gittoes, Michael Eames, Shaun Baggridge, Jake Dayus, Patrick Orme, Lewis Binns, Chris Watkins, Jack Oliver, Harri Mathias.
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAM
Tom Gorringe (Chief Executive Officer)
Andrew Davies (Head of Operations and Facilities);
CLUB STAFF
Head of Football Operations and Administration: Ben Greenwood
Football Operations & Administration Manager: Rebecca Gigg
Head of Commercial: George Alston
Head of Partnerships: Lee Merrells
Head of Hospitality: Catherine Thomas
Head of Ticketing: Mari Tucker
Head of Safeguarding: Rebeca Storer
HR Manager: Nicola Butt
Head of Facilities: Gordon David
Grounds Manager: Evan Davies
Head of Swansea City AFC Foundation: Paul France
Club Ambassador: Lee Trundle
PROGRAMME PRODUCTION
Contributors: Andrew Gwilym, Rachael Tucker, Cerith White, Jack Otter, Sophie Davis, Mackenzie Squires, Sammy Wynne, Hayley Ford, Owen Morgan.
Designers: Callum Rothwell, Jac Elsey.