Good afternoon everyone and a very warm welcome to the Swansea.com Stadium for our last home 3pm kick-off of the 2025-26 season.
We return home unbeaten in our last three games, and having still lost just twice on home turf since Vitor took over at the end of November.
Over that period we have the fourth-best home record in the division, and we would love nothing more than to continue – with your outstanding backing – to make the Swansea.com Stadium a fortress and a place opposition teams are wary of coming to.
Of course we are aware that to be successful our away results will need to improve, and it was very encouraging to see the professional manner in which we picked up four points from games at Sheffield United and Leicester City.
To come from 3-1 down to draw at Bramall Lane, and then to show the resilience to secure a clean sheet and take the three points against a Foxes side fighting desperately for an equaliser, are positive signs for the culture and mentality Vitor and the players are striving to build here.
For those who want to be a part of that, current season ticket holders can still renew their seats at exclusive prices until April 30, while 2026-27 season tickets are now on general sale. You can find more information about how to purchase a season ticket HERE and we hope as many of you as possible will join us for what promises to be an exciting campaign ahead.
Initial sales have been extremely positive and we look set to be backed by an increasing contingent of home support next season. Your support is incredibly important to us and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has already secured their season tickets for next season, it really does mean a lot to us.
I am sure you will have seen that we are at an advanced stage in the process of recruiting for a sporting director. While we are not yet in a position to reveal too much about that process as it remains ongoing, this appointment will strengthen us on the football side of our operations.
As a club, we are constantly evaluating the structures and processes we have in place. We firmly believe we have a lot of solid foundations in place, but we want to make sure that what we are building here is built to last, and that means making sure we have the necessary depth of knowledge and expertise to help make us better.
We look forward to sharing details of that appointment once the process has concluded, and clearly setting out the make-up of our senior football management team. As part of this Adam Worth has left the club this week and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank him for all of his efforts during his time at the club. Everyone wishes Adam all the best in his future endeavours.
This fixture is our dedicated Her Game Too matchday, and you will notice our players warming up in t-shirts bearing the Her Game Too logo.
As a club, we have partnered with Her Game Too as we seek to combat sexism and promote inclusivity for all at Swansea City. We have ambassador Harriet Williams who is passionate about making a difference and improving our football club; and being a welcoming club to all is vital for us and our community.
Last time out was our dedicated Junior Takeover fixture where we saw young Jacks get exposure to a wide range of different roles that bring together a matchday at the Swansea.com Stadium.
I was delighted to be joined by Jude who did an incredible job as our Junior CEO for the day. Days like that are incredibly important for our club, providing experiences and memories for the next generation of Jacks, but they don’t happen without a lot of work behind the scenes so a huge thank you to everyone involved in bringing the day to life.
I hope you all enjoy the game and thank you again for your support.
Tom Gorringe
CEO, Swansea City
Hello everyone, it’s good to be back at the Swansea.com Stadium for our penultimate home game of the season against Southampton.
We are back at home after picking up points in our last three games, with four points coming from away games at Sheffield United and Leicester City.
I have said before, we do not look to treat games differently whether they are home or away, but we also know we need to start picking up points away from home to back up our excellent record here at our stadium.
We are starting to do that, but it’s more about us showing consistency in our mentality and our performance levels.
We know we need to find that, and when you have that you can make positive steps, but I have been really pleased with how the players are showing greater maturity all the time.
They are showing great commitment, even though from the outside it might appear there is not much for us to play for, because we know how important it is every time we have the chance to train and play and improve as a group.
We are finding ways to compete in games, even when we have difficult periods, and finding ways to score and create in these situations. Just look at our goal at Leicester and the concentration and commitment the players showed in that moment.
Jisung was fully concentrated on his job, which allowed him to intercept and move us up the pitch, and then his teammates sprinted to get with him and support, with Vipi running almost from goal-line to goal-line to receive the pass and score.
We are staying in games, and this is a league that rewards teams that can find the ways to adjust and adapt to do that, and we got a clean sheet which is massive for us. That mentality can make such a difference, although we know we still have a lot to do.
We are learning, that’s the stage we are at, we have four games to go. It’s been a very busy period but this is a really good game for us to look forward to against a very strong Southampton team.
We want to make the most of every opportunity we have, showing we can compete against any team.
We have a positive feeling, we feel we are making good steps, we are showing real character and hunger as a team.
We have plenty to build on, the players have bought in to what we want to do. When you have that, it’s a good feeling, but we still have a lot to do and so the focus has to be on the present.
Enjoy the game,
Vítor Matos,
First Team Head Coach
Welcome back to the Swansea.com Stadium for today’s penultimate home match of the season against Southampton.
This matchday is the club’s dedicated Her Game too (HGT) fixture and is a great opportunity for the women of our Trust Board to introduce themselves to you –associate director Di Hughes and Disabled Supporters’ Association affiliate and secretary Cath Dyer.
Cath writes:
As a DSA we aim to ensure all disabled fans, home and away, have their best matchday experience, and are also the link between disabled supporters and the club. We aim to ensure everyone feels welcome and included, which is a priority for our DSA family.
Over the years I have been proud to receive the Jacqui Forster award, and I also won the EFL supporter of the season in April 2022, before ending that campaign with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the player of the season awards evening.
I’m a huge Swans fan, having followed them since August 1981, through the ups and downs, standing on the old North Bank at the Vetch, and even paying just £2 to watch the reserve team in those days.
I’ve made so many footballing friends over the years - from former and current players, to CEOs and also managers and head coaches.
More and more ladies and girls are working at football clubs, and more women are involved with trusts and associations, and we are proud to be included and supporting other ladies as well as men.
Di writes:
As associate director of the Trust, with a seat on the board of Swansea City, I get to see how hard the staff and ownership group work for the benefit of our club. I believe the choice of Vitor Matos as head coach is an excellent appointment and I hope that he can bring us the success all fans want and take us back to the promised land of the Premier League. Like Cath, I have followed the team through thick and thin, from the fourth tier to the top-flight, the ups and downs of the following three decades and ultimately getting back into the top division again.
Today’s dedicated HGT fixture raises the awareness of women in football, and is also an opportunity to highlight the Swansea City Women’s team. You can keep up to date with their progress and read interesting articles here https://www.swanseacity.com/news?category=1578. They have recently won away at current league champions, Wrexham and we wish them all the best as they take on Cardiff in the Welsh Cup Final on Sunday.
More information on HGT can be found here https://www.hergametoo.co.uk/football, with a focus on Wales here https://www.hergametoo.co.uk/cymru. If you would like to part of the HGT family at Swansea you can make contact via https://www.facebook.com/groups/741766021904186.
Hopefully today we can build on last week’s win at Leicester and take another three points. If you would like to help us to continue to build something special at our club then join us at www.swanstrust.co.uk/join-the-trust or get in touch via info@swanstrust.co.uk
Enjoy the game, and as always – come on you YJBs!
Di and Cath
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.
The start of the 2025-26 season marked 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 Christian Edwards.
Born in Caerphilly in 1975, Christian Edwards joined Swansea City to progress through the youth ranks to become a full-time professional and make his debut for the first team in a Welsh Cup tie at home to Rhyl in December 1994.
A strong, physically-imposing central defender – standing at six ft 2ins - Edwards was an aggressive player who had a deceptive turn of pace to go with his stature.
His involvement with the Swans started while still at school, with the player involved with the club’s development centre, while his talent was also recognised by the Welsh schoolboy selectors who choose the tall ball playing central defender to organise and dominate his defence.
Just months after making his debut for the club, the centre-half made his Football League debut away at Stockport County in February 1995, while continuing to represent his country at youth level.
After featuring in 10 first team games in his maiden season, he went on to become a regular in the heart of the Swansea defence over the next three campaigns. He also made his Wales Under-21s debut against Germany in October 1995, while a first senior cap soon followed with a substitute appearance against Switzerland.
All the while, his talent was being monitored by other clubs, and he made the switch to second-tier Nottingham Forest in March of 1998.
Come the end of that campaign Forest would be promoted to the top-flight, and Edwards would make 10 Premier League appearances for the club.
However, he found regular first-team football hard to come by and he had loans with Bristol City, Oxford United, Crystal Palace, Tranmere Rovers and Oxford United before making a full-time switch to Bristol Rovers.
Edwards would spend three seasons at the Memorial Stadium. However, following a broken arm he struggled to get back into the team and he was given a chance to return to his roots and join the Swans on a month-long in their first season at their new stadium.
He would make just two appearances back at his old stomping ground and, after being disappointed not to have had the loan turned into a full-time switch, he went on to have a short spell with Forest Green Rovers, he moved back to Wales as caretaker manager of Aberystwyth Town.
He spent four years with Aber, before moving to Cardiff Met, guiding the club into the Welsh top-flight before stepping down in 2022 after 13 years at the helm of the Archers.
He is now a Principal Lecturer in Sports Coaching Science at Cardiff Met.
Formed in 1885, Southampton have spent the majority of their history in the top division of English Football, with their best league finish coming in the 1983-84 season as they finished second, just three points behind champions Liverpool.
Following relegation from the Premier League in the 2004-05 season, the Saints spent seven seasons outside of the top flight, including two years in League One, before gaining promotion back to the Premier League in 2011-12.
They spent 11 seasons in the elite division – securing Europa League qualification on two occasions and finishing as high as sixth in that time – before being relegated at the end of the 2022-23 season.
But the Saints quickly returned to the Premier League courtesy of their play-off final success over Leeds in 2024, only to be relegated once again at the end of last season.
ST MARY'S STADIUM
Built: 2000
Location: Britannia Road, Southampton, SO14 5FP
Capacity: 32,384
Thirty-three year-old German Tonda Eckert is in his first senior head coach role, but has overseen a remarkable climb up the Championship table.
When Eckert initially succeeded Will Still on an interim basis, the Saints were just three points above the relegation zone. They head into this weekend three points off the automatic promotion places and as the form team in the Championship.
Eckert played football at amateur level, but always had aspirations to work on the coaching side of the game.
As early as Euro 2012 he was working as an opposition analyst for the German national team, and also fulfilled that role as they won the World Cup in Brazil in 2014.
He held coaching roles in the academy systems at FC Koln, Red Bull Salzburg (where their under-18s won the Uefa Youth League), RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich.
Eckert stepped up to senior level when becoming Gerhard Struber's assistant at Barnsley in 2020, and in 2022 he took up a similar role at Genoa, completing his Uefa 'Pro' Licence during his time in Italy.
He joined Southampton as under-21 coach last summer, but made the step up to lead the senior side when Still departed, and few would bet against the Saints securing promotion, either automatically or through the play-offs.
Jack Stephens is club captain for the Saints. Stephens came through the ranks at Plymouth before joining the Saints academy in 2011.
He made his first-team debut against Coventry in the FA Cup in 2012 and stepped up to the first-team squad ahead of their return to the Premier League in the summer of that year.
Stephens had loan spells with Swindon, Middlesbrough and Coventry before firmly establishing himself at Saints, helping them reach the Carabao Cup final in 2017.
He spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Bournemouth before signing a new contract at Saints the following summer and returning from injury to lead them to play-off final glory before again being sidelined.
Saints' longest serving player, he will hope he can lead them back to the top-flight once again given their strong run of form.
Former Swans defender Ryan Manning has enjoyed an excellent campaign with seven goals and four assists to his name, and his attacking intent on the left flank has been a prominent feature of Southampton's season.
During the 2022-23 season, he contributed 15 goal involvements in 43 Championship games for the Swans, leading the league for assists and earning him the club’s supporters' player of the season award, before moving to Saints at the end of his contract.
Manning made more than 40 appearances in Saints' promotion-winning campaign in his debut season with the club, and finally made his Premier League debut in October 2024, aged 28.
He has been an integral part of Southampton's revival under Eckert, with his ability from dead-ball situations also catching the eye.
Classy midfielder Shea Charles has had an injury-hit campaign, yet has still been among Southampton's most consistent performers.
Charles signed for the Saints in the summer of 2023 from Manchester City. His first full season in senior football saw the youngster make 38 appearances in all competitions, helping Saints bounce back to the Premier League during the 2023-24 campaign.
He then gained further experience in the Championship with a loan move to Sheffield Wednesday, racking up 44 games for the Owls, for whom he won the Player of the Year award at the end of last term.
The 22-year-old returned to St Mary's this season and has been a driving force in the centre of the park.
Brazilian winger Leo Scienza has enjoyed an outstanding first season in English football, having arrived from German club Heidenheim last summer.
Nine assists and seven goals are the headline figures, but his pace and trickery have made him a constant nuisance for opposition defences.
Starting his career in his homeland, he moved to Europe with Swedish lower-tier club Fanna BK, where his superb form helped them secure promotion to the fourth flight.
A switch to Germany with Schalke II followed, and he went on to join Magdeburg, Ulm and Heidenheim.
After keeping the latter in the Bundesliga via a key contribution in their relegation play-off, Scienza made the move to the south-coast last summer and has been a stand-out performer.
Swansea boasts a proud footballing history.
For more than a century, the heroes in white have ensured the city has been firmly on the sporting map thanks to their exploits on the pitch.
But we are also fortunate the city has benefitted from so many people who have been equally skilled in preserving that footballing history for posterity.
The past few weeks have reinforced how lucky we are that so many have committed time and talent to recording the feats of our footballing heroes.
On Easter Monday, a superb free documentary ‘Ivor Allchurch – Golden Years’ was released by David Brayley and Max Webborn on You Tube.
The same day, the Swansea.com Stadium crowd at the Middlesbrough match paid tribute to Professor Peter Stead, who sadly passed away the previous month.
Stead was a widely respected writer, broadcaster and historian who was born in Barry but moved as a teenager to Gowerton, where his passion for sport in Swansea - the Swans in particular – flourished.
Such was Stead’s all round love of sport – Welsh sport in particular – he was something of a rarity as he held season tickets for the Swans and Cardiff City when both clubs were in the Premier League.
Among the many and varied works written by the former senior Swansea University history lecturer, was a biography of Allchurch.
The book was penned alongside another academic and huge Swans fan, Professor David Farmer, who was also club president before his death in 2010.
Club historian Farmer wrote extensively on the Swans including the invaluable ‘Official Biography of the Swans: Town and City’, alongside Brian Lile and Colin A Jones.
‘Ivor Allchurch MBE: The Authorised Biography’, compiled by Farmer and Stead, opened up the career of the Golden Boy of Welsh football to the likes of me, who never had the fortune of seeing one of the Swans and Wales’ greatest players in action.
Without the efforts of Farmer and Stead, along with so many others, including fellow Swansea University academic Martin Johnes, the exploits of greats like Allchurch and the club in general would be in danger of being lost for future generations.
As well as written works, the excellent documentary by Brayley, which was commissioned by The Swansea City Supporters’ Trust, has presented a new dimension to the story of Allchurch who played 505 times for the Swans, scoring a club record 188 goals.
Swansea-born Brayley, himself a huge Swans fan, has used his lifetime interest in sport to make a name for himself as a successful author and educational consultant.
His books include ‘Ashley Williams: My Premier League Diary’, which pretty much does what is says on the tin, and ‘There’s Only Two Tony Cotteys’ penned along with the eponymous former Swans player and Glamorgan cricketer.
Along with Webborn, Brayley was also behind the excellent film ‘Wonderland – The Alice Street Story’, which documented the remarkable crop of Welsh international football talent which exploded out of a single Swansea street.
The duo’s latest film is a hugely affectionate portrayal of Allchurch, seen through the eyes of his wife Esme, sons David and John, and some of those who had the privilege of seeing him play.
The interviews not only tell the story of just how good Allchurch was on the pitch, but also what he was like as a man away from football.
The film also features a treasure trove of short film clips and still photographs, many of which have never been seen before.
Even those fortunate enough to have seen Allchurch play, will learn something about the personality of the man who played a then-record 68 times for Wales, netting 23 goals – at the time a record equalled only by fellow Swansea-born star Trevor Ford.
While films like this will never be the same as witnessing players such as Allchurch in the flesh, they do give an indication of just how good they were and the esteem in which they were held during their pomp.
It’s pretty much impossible to rank players from different eras, the best you can hope to achieve is trying to prove they were the amongst the best of their particular generation.
There is a lovely section in the film where Brayley recalls a conversation with his own father while watching Alan Curtis playing in a game at the Vetch.
Curtis, who spent three years with today’s visitors, was in typically brilliant form, recalls Brayley.
“Curt was just amazing that day and I turned to my dad and said: ‘Alan Curtis has got to be the best player the Swans have ever had’ and my dad looked at me and said, ‘he’s good, but he’s not as good as Ivor Allchurch was’.”
Brayley then recounts another occasion years later while watching Lee Trundle put in a man of the match performance at the then Liberty Stadium.
Entranced by Magic Daps’ flicks and tricks, a young fan said: “Lee Trundle has got to be the best player the Swans have ever had.”
Brayley’s reply was: “He’s good, but he’s not as good as Alan Curtis. And my dad said Alan Curtis wasn’t as good as Ivor Allchurch!”
We all have our favourite players from our own particular sweet spot watching the sport, but it’s always good to learn about those who we may never have seen play live on a regular basis.
Football fans will always celebrate the exploits of the greatest players to represent their clubs and countries, but it’s worth acknowledging the work of those who record and document the achievements of those we never saw play.
And even if we have been fortunate enough to watch certain players in the flesh, it’s always interesting to share the perspective of others who also witnessed their talents.
Although I was privileged to watch the great John Toshack teams during the club’s meteoric rise to the First Division, it doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the videos, DVDs and books covering that period.
Terry Grandin’s ‘Seasons in the Sun’ is a particular favourite even now, along with Pete Jones’ film ‘Tosh’.
Meanwhile, Swansea-born writer and comedian Chris Carra’s books ‘Swansea City’s Greatest Games’ and ‘Swansea City Match of My Life’ provide unique insights into some of the Swans’ most famous clashes whether you were there or not.
Today’s technology increasingly means future generations will never be short of visual footage recording the exploits of more recent Swans legends from Trundle to Michu and today’s heroes like goal machine Žan Vipotnik.
But I’m sure the written word and the spoken testimony of those who watched certain games and players from all generations will always be hugely valuable to future fans.
There will be Southampton fans here today wearing replicas of the famous kit worn by the 1976 FA Cup winning team who never saw them live, but have grown up on written and spoken tales of their giant-killing triumph against Manchester United.
Here’s to our heroes in white continuing to produce the kind of exploits which will inspire future generations like Stead, Farmer, Brayley, Johnes, Carra et al to record them for posterity.
C’mon you Swans!
ONCE A JACK, ALWAYS A JACK | STACEY JOHN
As she prepares to bring down the curtain on an illustrious 14-year career at Swansea City, Stacey John reflects on her time in black and white.
From paying subs to becoming semi-pro, from wearing over-sized men's jerseys to having bespoke women's kit with names and numbers on the back, from not having a full-time home ground to playing games at the Swansea.com Stadium; Stacey has seen it all.
She speaks of her pride at representing the club for so long, reveals why she feels now is the right time to hang up her boots, and talks about how special it would be to round everything off with silverware when she makes her 250th and final appearance in Sunday's Bute Energy Welsh Cup final against Cardiff City.
First football shirt you owned?
Vitória
Best player you've played with?
Ronald
What's your go-to cheat meal?
Five Guys
Who's the joker in the dressing room?
Ricardo
If you weren't a footballer, what would you be?
Horse Rider
Who's your top artist on Spotify right now?
Bad Bunny
Can you name Welsh word?
Bore Da, Araf, Prynhawn Da
Toughest opponent you've faced?
Luis Diaz
Favourite holiday destination?
Ibiza
Who's your hometown club?
Porto
Favourite football memory?
Promotion in Portugal
Cameron Burgess reflects on his first season in Swansea City colours and casts a glance ahead to a World Cup summer as his recent 'Club and Country' interview features in our free digital matchday programme for Saturday's fixture against Southampton.
The Australia international is the only outfield player in the Championship to play every minute of every single league game this season, and he has been part of a defence that has kept the third-highest number of clean sheets in the division.
He reveals why he feels positive about the direction the club is heading in under Vitor Matos, and talks about the challenges of playing his international football on the oppositire side of the globe.
Burgess also talks of his excitement about the World Cup, with the Socceroos set to face hosts the United States, Turkey and Paraguay in the group stage of the finals.
Cameron, as we approach the end of the season, you are the only outfield player in the Championship to have played every single minute of league football. How do you reflect on the season as a whole?
"It’s been enjoyable, is the first thing I would say. Coming to a new club, meeting lots of new people, it’s been really good and I have loved every minute of getting use to everything; new players, new surroundings.
"But I also feel there is more to come. Rome was not built in a day, as they say. It’s not easy to have new players who have come in from different leagues and environments and have everything click straight away. That does not happen very often.
"But this club, with the moves it’s made towards the future, with the players we have who have bedded in and got used to the club and the league, means I feel Swansea City is going somewhere special.
"It’s a huge honour to play here, and to be able to play a small part in bringing some success tot his club would mean a lot, and I know everyone in that dressing room is saying the same thing.
"The club is going places, hopefully it is a matter of when, and not if, it all comes together."
A big part of that has been the impact of our head coach Vitor Matos. How much have you enjoyed working under him and his staff?
"It’s been amazing. His energy is infectious to be honest, every day it is a joy to come in. All the lads are happy and it has been really good so far. I have nothing but good words to say.
"I think the tactics and the football side of things has been perfect for the group, it has worked tremendously and that is credit to him, the staff and what they are implementing.
"It’s not easy to have lots of time on the training pitch when you play so many games, but there is room to grow and he has changed our fortunes. Long may that continue.
"I think you can see the foundation we are building. We have a young and eager group, and games like Middlesbrough where you face good opposition and have tough periods, to be able to come away with a result there and a good performance is a step in the right direction for the group.
"It shows we can do it, you have to be able to approach games differently in this division, and the quicker we can adjust to that as a team and understanding how different the challenges are every week, understanding the energy and output the head coach wants from us, having the maturity to recognise that can help us push on.
"It’s about having that consistency."
Looking back over the season, that game against Nottingham Forest when you faced a manager who had done a lot of Australian football in Ange Postecoglou and you were at the centre of it with two goals and the winner. Will you remember that night for a long time?
"It’s something I get reminded of, especially by some of the kids after games here. It was a special moment. It’s the magic of cup football, I was a little bit gutted that it was Ange and Mile (Jedinak) we did it to, but it was a special night and one I will definitely remember."
And just a word for the club’s supporters. There were over 1,200 of them at Leicester last weekend, and we know what a difference they have made at home.
"The support is outstanding. We do all the travelling, but obviously we get really well looked after, so I cannot imagine what it’s like for those who rack up all those miles, getting in late at night to get up and go to work the next day.
"Honestly, we are so grateful, and all the boys feel the same. This is a special club, the fans are a big part of that and you’ve seen that grow as the season has gone on.
"The noise and the singing gives everyone a boost and they are a part of every positive result we get.”
You have got a big summer ahead, hopefully heading to your first World Cup with Australia. How much are you looking forward to that?
"It probably hasn’t fully sunk in yet, I still feel like I have got a bit of work to do if I want to make sure I am going to be in that squad, but if the dream does happen then it will be a surreal experience really.
"I think it’s every young player’s dream to play in a World Cup, on the biggest stage. As far as national team fixtures go it is all we ever talk about and to be part of one would be special and is something we have been working towards as a team."
If you are selected it will mean in the space of 10 years you will have gone from playing in the National League to playing on the biggest stage in world football.
"For me, I have said this a few times, but in a career it is so hard to look back on and appreciate in the moment. It’s when you hear statements like that you realise what a journey it has been and it would be a ‘pinch yourself’ moment.
"It would be a cool achievement, I suppose, and to have started at the bottom if you like, has shaped me to be who I am and was an important part of the journey. It would be something cool to look back on if I can get there.
It would obviously be a huge achievement for you personally, but it would mean so much to your family. I am sure a lot of people have helped you along the way to get to where you are now.
"One hundred per cent. That is the bit you almost have to organise before you go. Those are the little bits you can try and plan for, and that lets you dream a little bit in terms of who is going to hopefully be there to support you.
"Just having those discussions about who wants to go, and who can be there has been something nice to think about. That’s that little bit of extra motivation on top of what it would mean to get there anyway. To have everyone there supporting would be amazing."
You come from a family with a rich football history. Your father Stuart was a footballer, your grandfather Campbell Forsyth was a goalkeeper and won four caps for Scotland, did you always want to follow in their footsteps?
"Yes, I think I did. They had both retired by the time I was around, so I did not see them play or have that sense of them as being players in the way my kids have been able to with me.
"But it’s something I have always wanted to do, I have been playing football ever since I can remember really and I guess having them in my corner helped. Their passion bled through into me a little bit.
"My own little boy is football daft, he loves anything to do with football. I think I almost play more football at home with him than I do in training or at games!
"He loves it, he loves being around it, he has so many questions and wants to kick the ball around. He’s actually at a football camp right now. He is only five and he will always have my support whatever he wants to do in life, and if that is football then it would be great. We will see what happens, but if you asked him right now being a footballer is all he would want to do."
You represented Scotland at youth level before switching allegiances to Australia in 2014. How did that come about?
"It was just from conversations really. It was a good fit for me, my family live in Australia and I grew up in Australia, as well. It just sort of happened.
"The timing worked and it is something I have not thought too much about since, it happened and it worked. I am very grateful for it because although it took me a long time to get my senior debut, I have got a few caps and what is hopefully coming for us as a team makes it easy to justify."
Living so far away from Australia, you would think you would get to see your family too much. But I guess when you go back for international duty you do get the opportunity to spend some time with them.
"Sometimes, it can be hard because Australia is such a big country. In the last camp, I saw my sister because she lives in that particular part of Australia, but I did not get to see my parents as they live the equivalent of going from Swansea to Greece away.
"So its not easy, I don’t always get chance to see them, but they are huge supporters of mine and they try to get across to as many games as they can. They come over to the UK whenever they can, so that helps too. They are around as much as they can be and it’s always nice to see them.
How do you handle the demands of international duty? During the last break you flew back from Australia to be faced with two games in four days, all while trying to deal with the jet lag. How do you manage it?
"You don’t really. You are just thrown in at the deep end, and what works for me might not work for someone else. I feel like I have been doing it for a while, even though I really haven’t. I think the last camp was just the sixth of seventh time I have come back from a camp straight into a game like that.
"We have had a few unlucky ones, when we played Southampton away it was a 12.30pm kick-off after a long journey back to Swansea. For the Sheffield United game after getting back into Swansea just before midnight on the Wednesday, I was up and getting ready to travel to Sheffield on Thursday. But it’s not an excuse, it’s part of football.
"I love going away, I love representing my country, I love coming back here and getting back into the swing of things. It’s certainly not easy but it’s something you have to adapt to. It’s part of the fun, I suppose.
At the World Cup you are in a group with the United States, Paraguay and Turkey. Being involved in any World Cup game is special, but playing the hosts in Seattle might have a little additional excitement to it?
"I think the atmosphere will be top for any game, but playing the host nation will have a lot of attention and be a cool moment.
"We played them in a friendly and that was a bit of an edge game, it was a great game over there, it’s our second game in the group and one we are looking forward to.
"But in that group everyone will think they can do something special, although facing the hosts will definitely have a little something extra."
Swansea City Under-18s suffered defeat on the road with a 5-1 loss against AFC Bournemouth in the Professional Development League earlier this month.
Leyland Waite scored four goals whilst striker Dane Ndimukum also found the net in the second half.
Josiah Kallichan pulled one back for the Swans to make it 2-1 but it was not enough as the visitors were well-beaten on the south coast.
The hosts made use of their bright start, and were ahead within two minutes.
Nefeye Osazee's cross found Waite unmarked, which allowed the forward to find the bottom corner to gain his side the early advantage.
Straight down the other end, Alfie Jones struck a low effort towards goal but he was denied by Cherries keeper Finlay Taylor.
But just two minutes after his first, Waite got his second goal from the edge of the area to double the Cherries' lead with just four minutes played.
It sparked a brighter spell for the Swans going forward, and they were rewarded with a goal.
Harvey Gray's pass found Kallicharan, who cut inside to dispatch the ball into the back of the net, quickly halving the deficit.
Just moments later, Jakub Nowak was forced into a crucial, diving save as he pushed away a Ndimukum strike.
However, Swansea's deficit was soon back to two goals as Ndimukum smashed home from inside the six-yard box after the ball escaped Nowak's grasp as he attempted to gather an Osazee cross.
In the second period, Waite would bag his hat-trick with a finely-taken finish from distance, despite Nowak almost getting his fingertips to it.
Waite continued to threaten and went on to add a fifth for the Cherries and his fourth of the afternoon, cutting inside from an Osazee cross to send a strike straight down the middle of the net.
Swansea City Under-18s: Jakub Nowak, Dempsey Singer, Elis Thomas, Sol Baker, Jack May, Rio Hassan, Harvey Gray, Alfie Jones (captain), Josiah Kallicharan, Bobby Lewis, Bobo Evans.
Substitutes: Ifan Harding, Alffi Hughes, Damien Dabrowski.
Swansea City Under-21s sealed a Professional Development League play-off place with a 1-0 victory over Fleetwood Town at Highbury.
A first-half goal from Morgan Bates - his 24th of the season - proved decisive as Swansea claimed all three points away from home.
The Swans still have the opportunity to finish higher in the table given they have two games in hand on many of the teams around them, but this win means a top-eight finish is secured.
The age-grade will go on to play a side from Premier League 2 in the coming weeks with details to be confirmed in due course.
It was a slow burner of a contest at the home of the Cods, but it was the visitors that dominated possession early on.
Fleetwood's skipper Owen Davenport had a big opportunity to break the deadlock after 30 minutes with a powerful strike inside the area, but it proved to be a simple save for Joe Collins in the Swans goal.
And moments later, Bates made no mistake to finish into an open net after an initial Josh Pescatore effort was parried by Fleetwood stopper Luke Hewitson.
Hewitson was called into action again almost immediately, but prevented the hosts from going two goals down as a diving save denied a Pescatore strike.
There was little goalmouth action in the second period, but the hosts pressed relentlessly in hope of bringing themselves level in their final game of the 2025-26 campaign.
Collins and a strong Swansea backline defended well to deny chances from Sean Costelloe and Jonah Walker, and a last-gasp headed clearance in added time from Carter Heywood ensured the Swans held on to their 1-0 lead.
Swansea City Under-21s: Joe Collins, Carter Heywood, Harlan Perry, Dan Watts (captain), Blair McKenzie, Iestyn Jones, Josh Pescatore, Yori Griffith, Morgan Bates, Milo Robinson, Aimar Govea.
Substitutes: Caleb Demery, Jakub Nowak, Thomas Woodward, Thomas Searle, Josiah Kallicharan.
Did you know it was King Curt’s birthday this week? Alan Curtis, Swansea City legend and the man who has worn more hats for this club than anyone else in its history.
Two years ago we celebrated a big birthday, 7-0, by parading him on the pitch and interviewing him for the club website, where he shared some gems of insight into his life as a player and a coach and he identified some of the people who shaped his time in football. (If you haven’t seen the piece: Player. Coach. Jack. King. Alan Curtis at 70, it’s well worth a read).
The celebrations are lower key this year, but today he’ll get to sit in the stand and watch his beloved Swansea City face Southampton, statistically one of the most in-form teams in Europe, never mind the Championship.
A side still within a shout of automatic promotion, Southampton have been on an impressive recent run, unbeaten in 18 games across all competitions and that includes a seven-match winning streak and scoring in their last 16 games.
The Saints are pushing for an automatic promotion spot and will be arriving in SA1 brimming with confidence no doubt.
After a difficult start, it has turned out to be a very decent campaign in terms of league and cup. Next weekend they face mighty Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final.
Tonda Eckert arrived to take charge of the side initially on an interim basis last November, and after a sticky run in January which saw them lose to Hull, they were booed off the pitch. Three months later they are in a very different position.
Southampton are also one of Curt’s former sides. He left us after his second spell at the club, swapping the Vetch for The Dell in 1983. He spent three years there in the then First Division and, while the first campaign was a challenging one, the 1984-85 season under Lawrie McMenemy yielded 30 league appearances and four league goals, with the Saints finishing fifth.
It is a club he describes as one that provided him with learning opportunities because he wasn’t the “main man” there and opportunities were earned not gifted.
There will be no points as presents for the birthday boy from the visitors this afternoon. Let’s hope he’s still smiling on the final whistle. Happy birthday King Curt.
It’s another huge weekend for our women’s side as tomorrow they face Cardiff City for a chance to win silverware for the first time in four years. The Bute Energy Welsh Cup Final takes place at Newport’s Rodney Parade and it doesn’t get much bigger or better than a chance to face the old foe.
After a third-place finish in the Adran Premier, nine points behind the Bluebirds in second and with a win on the final game of the campaign against champions Wrexham, it would be the perfect end to the season for Yzzy Taylor’s side to return to south west Wales with a trophy.
JULIE KISSICK
Welcome LA Ray! After years of watching early morning broadcasts of his beloved Swans, Ray has made his first trip from California to support the Swans to victory.
________________________________________________
IN MEMORY
Today, we remember David Raymond Davies father of Kevin davies.
2.3.1962 - 17.4.26
Heart too kind for this world.
David Davies first started supporting Swansea City strongly when his son, Kevin Davies, signed for the academy. They both watched games together at The Vetch Field. David watched his son progress within the club signing a scholarship and training full time. David supported the Swans ever since - through the tough times and the good times. His son Kevin is at today's game with his family and kids present.
Once a Jack, Always a Jack.
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.
PLAYER SPONSORS
Shwmae Junior Jacks,
Welcome back to the Swansea.com Stadium!
We’re so glad you could join us this afternoon at the Swansea.com stadium as The Swans take on Southampton. We hope you’re ready for an action-packed afternoon Junior Jacks. Do you think The Swans can put us in a good mood? - We think they can!
Today’s Take Five quiz is about the visitors, Southampton, and a bit of fun too! Click the button below to test your knowledge!
Our score prediction is 3-1 to the Swans and we think Vipotnik, Liam Cullen and Franco will score!
What do you think the score will be?
Uppa Swans,
Cyril and Cybil
Head Coach Vitor Matos
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
18 Gustavo Nunes
20 Liam Cullen
21 Leo Walta
22 Lawrence Vigouroux
23 Ricardo Santos
25 Joel Ward
27 Zeidane Inoussa
29 Paul Farman
30 Ethan Galbraith
31 OIlie Cooper
33 Adam Idah
35 Ronald
40 NUMBER RETIRED IN MEMORY OF BESIAN IDRIZAJ
41 Sam Parker
42 Dan Watts
43 Yori Griffith
44 Thomas Woodward
54 Iestyn Jones
Head Coach Tonda Eckert
1 Alex McCarthy
2 Mads Roerslev
3 Ryan Manning
4 Flynn Downes
5 Jack Stephens ©
6 Taylor Harwood-Bellis
9 Cyle Larin
10 Finn Azaz
11 Ross Stewart
13 Leo Scienza
14 James Bree
15 Nathan Wood
17 Joshua Quarshie
18 Tom Fellows
19 Cameron Archer
20 Casper Jander
23 Samuel Edozie
24 Shea Charles
25 George Long
27 Kuryu Matsuki
28 Oriol Romeu
32 Jamie Jones
34 Welington
38 Elias Jelert
41 Daniel Peretz
46 Jay Robinson
47 Moses Sesay
48 Cameron Bragg
49 Nicholas Oyekunle
53 Barnaby Williams
58 Dylan Moody
Referee : Oliver Langford
Assistant Referee 1 : Johnathon Bickerdike
Assistant Referee 2 : Mark Russell
Fourth Official : Martin Woods
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, Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart
FIRST-TEAM STAFF
Head Coach - Vitor Matos
Assistant Head Coach - Ryan Maye
Head of Goalkeeping – Martyn Margetson
First Team Coach - Kris O'Leary
Head of Medical - Dr Jez McCluskey
Staff: Leon Britton, Joe Allen, Toze Mendes, Goncalo Ricca, Diogo Mendeiros, Ailsa Jones, Matt Murray, Thomas Gittoes, Michael Eames, Shaun Baggridge, Adam Mahoney, Patrick Orme, Lewis Binns, Chris Watkins, Jack Oliver, Harri Mathias, James Cole.
MANAGEMENT TEAM
Chief Executive Officer: Tom Gorringe
Head of Operations and Facilities: Andrew Davies
Head of Football Operations and Administration: Ben Greenwood
Head of Commercial: George Alston
Head of Media and Communications: Andrew Gwilym
Head of Safeguarding: Rebeca Storer
HR Manager: Nicola Butt
Head of Facilities: Gordon David
Head of Supporter Services: Hayley Ford
Head of IT: Jonathan Jones
CLUB STAFF
Football Operations & Administration Manager: Rebecca Gigg
Head of Partnerships: Lee Merrells
Head of Hospitality: Catherine Thomas
Head of Ticketing: David Enstone
Grounds Manager: Evan Davies
Club Ambassador: Lee Trundle
PROGRAMME PRODUCTION
Contributors: Andrew Gwilym, Rachael Tucker, Cerith White, Sophie Davis, Mackenzie Squires, Sammy Wynne, Osian Cleaver, Hayley Ford, Owen Morgan, Julie Kissick, Gwyn Rees, James Dow.
Designers: Callum Rothwell, Jac Elsey.