Swansea City A.F.C.

From Free net encyclopedia

Template:Football club infobox

Swansea City AFC are a Welsh football team currently playing in the Football League League One. Swansea City and arch-rivals Cardiff City are the only Welsh football clubs to have played at the highest level of English football.

Nicknamed "The Swans", the club played from its formation in 1912 (as Swansea Town) until 2005 at the Vetch Field in Swansea city centre. In the summer of 2005, Swansea City moved to a new 20,280 all seater ground, the Liberty Stadium, with often impressive attendances.

The stadium's 'official' name is not popular amongst supporters, many of whom refer to it either as the Morfa Stadium or as the White Rock Stadium: the former was the name of the athletics stadium which stood on the site from the 1970s until construction began on the current structure, whilst the latter was the working title used by the developers.

The club is currently flying high in League One, hoping to gain promotion to the Championship. Financial difficulties through much of the last two decades appear to be a thing of the past, in part due to the club's recent surge in support.

Contents 1 Contact details 2 Club honours 3 Club records 4 Current squad 5 Early years 6 Swansea City since 1978 7 Goodbye to the Vetch 8 Legendary players 9 Rivalry 10 List of club managers 11 2005/06 results to date 11.1 League One 11.2 FA Cup 11.3 League Cup 11.4 Football League Trophy 11.5 FAW Premier Cup 12 League positions and Cup results since World War II 13 Miscellaneous 14 External links

Contact details

• Postal address Swansea City AFC, Liberty Stadium, Morfa, Swansea SA1 2FA
• Telephone 01792 616600
• Fax 01792 616606
• E-mail dawn@swanseacityfc.co.uk
• Ticket office 08700 400 004

Club honours

• FA Cup semi-finalists 1926, 1964
• Division Three winners 2000
• Division Three (South) winners 1925, 1949
• Welsh Cup winners 1913, 1950, 1961, 1966, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1989, 1991
• Welsh Cup runners-up 1915, 1926, 1938, 1940, 1949, 1956, 1957, 1969
• Football League Trophy winners 1994, 2006
• FAW Premier Cup winners 2005, 2006
• FAW Premier Cup runners-up 2001, 2002

Club records

• Biggest win 12-0 v Sliema Wanderers (Malta), European Cup Winners' Cup First Round First Leg, 15 September 1982
• Biggest win (League) 8-0 v Hartlepool, Football League Fourth Division, 1 April 1978
• Biggest defeat 0-8 v Liverpool, FA Cup 3rd Round Replay, 9 January 1990; 0-8 v Monaco (France), European Cup Winners' Cup First Round Second Leg, 1 October 1991
• Biggest defeat (League) 1-8 v Fulham, Football League Second Division, 22 January 1938
• Highest attendance (Vetch Field) 32,786 v Arsenal, FA Cup Fifth Round, 17 February 1968
• Highest attendance (Liberty Stadium) 19,288 v Yeovil Town, Football League One, 18 November 2005
• Lowest attendance (Vetch Field) 1,301 v Northampton Town, Football League Fourth Division, 18 September 1973
• Lowest attendance (Liberty Stadium) 5,321 v Rushden and Diamonds, Football League Trophy Second Round, 22 November 2005

Current squad

At 13 April 2006: Template:Football squad start Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad mid Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad player Template:Football squad end

Early years

Swansea Town AFC was formed as a professional club in 1912 when the town was invited to send a team to join the Southern League, as many other South Wales towns were already represented.

J. W. Thorpe was the club's first chairman, Walter Whittaker its first manager. Its first secretary was S. B. Williams, who was to serve in this capacity for some 35 years.

The club's first professional match was at the Vetch Field against Cardiff City on 7 September 1912; the result was a 1-1 draw.

Swansea City since 1978

Swansea won promotion from the Fourth Division in 1978 and by 1981 had completed a four-season rise to the First Division. They began their first-ever season as a top division club on a high note by beating Leeds United 5-1. At several stages during 1981-82 they topped the league and in the final table the Swans finished sixth.

Then came a slump in form which was as quick and spectacular as the rise a short time earlier. They were relegated back to the Second Division in 1983 and the following year they were relegated again, this time to the Third Division.

In 1985, the Swans narrowly avoided a third successive relegation but their biggest priority was surviving a financial crisis which had been creeping upon the club in recent seasons. They were declared bankrupt in December 1985 but were saved from extinction by a new owner. But the change of hands was not enough to save Swansea from going down to the Fourth Division.

Swansea won promotion from the Fourth Division in 1988 and remained in the league's third tier for the next eight seasons, before being relegated in 1996 having being managed by four different men in the same season.

Swansea lost to Northampton Town in the 1997 Division Three playoff final and had to wait three years before they went up - as Division Three champions. But financial problems counted against the club and they went back down after just one season. Two more traumatic seasons followed and in 2003 they only just avoided relegation to the Conference.

Since then, the Swans have gone from strength to strength. In 2004, they finished in the top half of Division Three under Brian Flynn and won the League Two title a year later under Flynn's successor Kenny Jackett. As of April 2006, the Swans are challenging for promotion yet again and have secured a second FAW Premier Cup crown, beating Wrexham 2-1 at the Racecourse.

Goodbye to the Vetch

Swansea's last League match at the Vetch Field was a 1-0 win over Shrewsbury Town on 30 April 2005 in front of a full house; 11,465 people were present to say farewell to the asymmetrical ground, its crooked floodlights and irreplaceable acoustics.

Many thought it fated that Swansea would win promotion during the final season at the Vetch, given so many prior false hopes both for promotion and for the new ground itself. One week after the Shrewsbury game, Swansea did indeed clinch promotion to Coca Cola League One with another 1-0 win, this time at Bury, where over 5,000 Swans fans had made the journey north.

The last game of any sort at the Vetch Field was a 2-1 win against Wrexham in the final of the 2005 FAW Premier Cup; it was the Swans' first trophy win since the Division Three Championship in 2000 but the first Cup triumph since 1994's Autoglass Trophy.

Legendary players

Four Swansea-born men were named among the Football League's 100 legends, to mark the 100th season of League football in 1998. All four began their careers with the club. They were Ivor Allchurch, John Charles (signed by Leeds before making his first-team debut), Trevor Ford and Cliff Jones.

Ivor Allchurch is the subject of the first statue to be placed at the Liberty Stadium. Funded by the club's Supporters' Trust, it was unveiled in October 2005 and stands outside the ticket office.

Many of Swansea's greatest players were part of the squad that, between 1978 and 1981, won promotion from the old Division Four to the old Division One under John Toshack, who now manages the Welsh national team. These included goalkeeper Dai Davies, fans' favourite Alan Curtis, the late Robbie James, winger Leighton James, Yugoslavian international defenders Ante Rajkovic and Dzemal Hadziabdic (now coach of the Qatari national team) and Nigel Stevenson.

More recent players include long-serving goalkeeper Roger Freestone, whose Swansea career came to an end in 2004 just a handful of games short of the club appearance record, and Lee Trundle, whose flamboyant skills and impressive goalscoring record have made him a firm favourite.

Rivalry

The club’s main rivals are considered to be Cardiff City. The ‘South Wales Derby’ is generally considered to be one of the most passionate affairs across the Football League. Swans supporters have traditionally enjoyed rivalry with Bristol City, Bristol Rovers and Newport County too.

List of club managers

Name	Tenure
Walter Whittaker	July 1912 to April 1914
William Bartlett	May 1914 to April 1915
No manager (First World War)	April 1915 to June 1919
Joe Bradshaw	June 1919 to August 1926
No manager	August 1926 to July 1927
James Thomson	April 1927 to August 1931
No manager	August 1931 to July 1934
Neil Harris	July 1934 to June 1939
Haydn Green	June 1939 to September 1947
Billy McCandless	September 1947 to July 1955
Ron Burgess	July 1955 to August 1958
Trevor Morris	August 1958 to May 1965
Glyn Davies	June 1965 to October 1966
Billy Lucas	February 1967 to April 1969
Roy Bentley	August 1969 to October 1972
Harry Gregg	November 1972 to February 1975
Harry Griffiths	February 1975 to February 1978
John Toshack	March 1978 to October 1983; December 1983 to March 1984
Colin Appleton	May to December 1984
John Bond	December 1984 to December 1985
Tommy Hutchison	December 1985 to June 1986
Terry Yorath	July 1986 to February 1989
Ian Evans	March 1989 to March 1990
Terry Yorath	March 1990 to March 1991
Frank Burrows	March 1991 to October 1995
Kevin Cullis	February 1996 (six days)
Jan Mølby	February 1996 to October 1997
Micky Adams	October 1997 (15 days)
Alan Cork	October 1997 to June 1998
John Hollins	July 1998 to September 2001
Colin Addison	October 2001 to March 2002
Nick Cusack	March to September 2002
Brian Flynn	September 2002 to March 2004
Kenny Jackett	April 2004 to present </table> [edit] 2005/06 results to date [edit] League One Date Opponents Home/ Away Result F - A Scorers Attendance League position 6 Aug 2005 Tranmere Rovers H 1 - 0 Akinfenwa [30] 16,773 10th 9 Aug 2005 Colchester United A 2 - 1 Forbes [35], Trundle [68] 2,950 3rd 13 Aug 2005 Huddersfield Town A 1 - 3 Trundle [pen30] 10,304 5th 20 Aug 2005 Doncaster Rovers H 1 - 2 McLeod [44] 12,744 10th 27 Aug 2005 Walsall A 5 - 2 Martinez [15], Akinfenwa [47], Tudur-Jones [63], McLeod [65], Connor [71] 5,745 6th 29 Aug 2005 Barnsley H 3 - 1 McLeod [14,90], Trundle [58] 12,552 2nd 10 Sep 2005 Bristol City H 7 - 1 McLeod [45,69,87], Akinfenwa [50], Trundle [pen58,71], Britton [75] 13,662 4th 13 Sep 2005 Milton Keynes Dons A 3 - 1 Trundle [16], Robinson [72,77] 4,798 1st 17 Sep 2005 Hartlepool United A 2 - 2 Trundle [56,61] 4,743 1st 24 Sep 2005 Nottingham Forest H 1 - 1 Martinez [84] 18,212 1st 27 Sep 2005 Bournemouth A 1 - 0 Trundle [30] 5,750 1st 1 Oct 2005 Blackpool H 3 - 2 Trundle [22], Akinfenwa [44], Britton [81] 13,911 1st 8 Oct 2005 Yeovil Town A 0 - 1 7,578 1st 15 Oct 2005 Oldham Athletic H 0 - 0 14,029 3rd 22 Oct 2005 Rotherham United A 2 - 2 Trundle [42], Bean [59] 4,056 3rd 29 Oct 2005 Chesterfield H 5 - 1 Akinfenwa [7], Trundle [11,28,72], Tudur-Jones [45] 13,264 2nd 12 Nov 2005 Southend United A 2 - 1 Trundle [40], Akinfenwa [47] 11,049 1st 18 Nov 2005 Yeovil Town H 2 - 0 Trundle [pen25, 67] 19,288 1st 26 Nov 2005 Tranmere Rovers A 2 - 2 Tudur-Jones [45], Robinson [88] 7,518 1st 6 Dec 2005 Scunthorpe United H 2 - 0 Robinson [53], Forbes [87] 13,207 1st 10 Dec 2005 Colchester United H 1 - 1 Robinson [30] 13,230 1st 17 Dec 2005 Doncaster Rovers A 1 - 2 Ricketts [24] 7,159 1st 26 Dec 2005 Brentford A 1 - 2 Robinson [90] 9,903 2nd 31 Dec 2005 Swindon Town A 0 - 0 8,985 1st 2 Jan 2006 Port Vale H 0 - 0 14,747 2nd 10 Jan 2006 Milton Keynes Dons H 3 - 1 Knight [5,12,27] 11,922 1st 14 Jan 2006 Bradford City A 1 - 1 Monk [44] 7,521 2nd 21 Jan 2006 Hartlepool United H 1 - 1 Britton [20] 13,960 3rd 28 Jan 2006 Bristol City A 0 - 1 12,859 4th 31 Jan 2006 Gillingham H 1 - 2 Robinson [pen84] 14,357 4th 3 Feb 2006 Bournemouth H 1 - 0 Robinson [45] 12,079 2nd 11 Feb 2006 Nottingham Forest A 2 - 1 Forbes [27], Trundle [67] 19,132 3rd 14 Feb 2006 Bradford City H 1 - 1 Knight [45] 11,028 4th 18 Feb 2006 Scunthorpe United A 2 - 2 Robinson [pen24], Knight [28] 4,352 4th 24 Feb 2006 Huddersfield Town H 2 - 2 Trundle [19], Britton [45] 13,110 4th 4 Mar 2006 Barnsley A 2 - 2 Robinson [48], Trundle [64] 9,743 4th 12 Mar 2006 Walsall H 1 - 1 Akinfenwa [88] 13,262 4th 17 Mar 2006 Brentford H 2 - 1 Akinfenwa [20], Robinson [86] 13,508 3rd 25 Mar 2006 Gillingham A 0 - 1 6,909 5th 8 Apr 2006 Port Vale A 2 - 3 Akinfnewa [47], Fallon [88] 4,850 5th 11 Apr 2006 Swindon Town H 2 - 1 Robinson [72], Forbes [79] 12,465 5th 15 Apr 2006 Blackpool A 0 - 1 6,709 5th 17 Apr 2006 Rotherham United H 0 - 2 14,118 7th 22 Apr 2006 Oldham Athletic A [edit] FA Cup Date Round Opponents Home/ Away Result F - A Scorers Attendance 5 Nov 2005 Round 1 Stockport County A 0 - 2 2,978 [edit] League Cup Date Round Opponents Home/ Away Result F - A Scorers Attendance 23 Aug 2005 Round 1 Reading A 1 - 3 (aet) Akinfenwa [80] 7,603 [edit] Football League Trophy Date Round Opponents Home/ Away Result F - A Scorers Attendance 18 Oct 2005 Round 1 South Torquay United A 3 - 1 Forbes [65], Akinfenwa [86], Robinson [88] 1,025 22 Nov 2005 Round 2 South Rushden and Diamonds H 4 - 0 Robinson [20,65], Monk [76], Connor [89] 5,321 13 Dec 2005 Round 3 South Peterborough United H 3 - 1 (aet) Akinfenwa [94,109], Robinson [99] 5,474 24 Jan 2006 Semi-final South Walsall H 2 - 2 (6-5pen) Knight [8], Robinson [83] 6,670 7 Mar 2006 Final South 1st Leg Colchester United H 1 - 0 Akinfenwa [40] 7,285 14 Mar 2006 Final South 2nd Leg Colchester United A 2 - 1 Britton [52], Knight [56] 3,236 2 Apr 2006 Final Carlisle United N 2 - 1 Trundle [3], Akinfenwa [80] 42,028 [edit] FAW Premier Cup Date Round Opponents Home/ Away Result F - A Scorers Attendance 17 Jan 2006 Quarter-final Rhyl A 1 - 0 Knight [66] 860 8 Feb 2006 Semi-final Carmarthen Town A 3 - 2 (aet) Britton [61], Robinson [90], Trundle [106] 1,900 29 Mar 2006 Final Wrexham A 2 - 1 Williams [og 37], Fallon [41] 5,000 [edit] League positions and Cup results since World War II Season Division Position FA Cup League Cup Welsh Cup European Cup Winners' Cup 1946-1947 Second Division 21st (relegated) 4th Round 6th Round 1947-1948 Third Division South 5th 3rd Round 5th Round 1948-1949 Third Division South 1st (promoted) 2nd Round Runners-up 1949-1950 Second Division 8th 4th Round Winners 1950-1951 Second Division 18th 3rd Round 6th Round 1951-1952 Second Division 19th 5th Round 5th Round 1952-1953 Second Division 11th 3rd Round 7th Round 1953-1954 Second Division 20th 4th Round 7th Round 1954-1955 Second Division 10th 5th Round 6th Round 1955-1956 Second Division 10th 3rd Round Runners-up 1956-1957 Second Division 10th 3rd Round Runners-up 1957-1958 Second Division 19th 3rd Round 6th Round 1958-1959 Second Division 11th 3rd Round 6th Round 1959-1960 Second Division 12th 4th Round 6th Round 1960-1961 Second Division 7th 5th Round 3rd Round Winners 1961-1962 Second Division 20th 3rd Round 2nd Round Semi-final 1st Round 1962-1963 Second Division 15th 3rd Round 2nd Round Semi-final 1963-1964 Second Division 19th Semi-final 3rd Round 6th Round 1964-1965 Second Division 22nd (relegated) 5th Round 4th Round Semi-final 1965-1966 Third Division 17th 1st Round 1st Round Winners 1966-1967 Third Division 21st (relegated) 2nd Round 3rd Round 5th Round 1st Round 1967-1968 Fourth Division 15th 4th Round 1st Round 6th Round 1968-1969 Fourth Division 10th 3rd Round 3rd Round Runners-up 1969-1970 Fourth Division 3rd (promoted) 3rd Round 2nd Round Semi-final 1970-1971 Third Division 11th 4th Round 2nd Round 6th Round 1971-1972 Third Division 14th 4th Round 1st Round 5th Round 1972-1973 Third Division 23rd (relegated) 1st Round 1st Round 4th Round 1973-1974 Fourth Division 14th 1st Round 1st Round 4th Round 1974-1975 Fourth Division 22nd 1st Round 1st Round 5th Round 1975-1976 Fourth Division 11th 1st Round 1st Round 5th Round 1976-1977 Fourth Division 5th 1st Round 4th Round 5th Round 1977-1978 Fourth Division 3rd (promoted) 3rd Round 1st Round 4th Round 1978-1979 Third Division 3rd (promoted) 3rd Round 3rd Round 5th Round 1979-1980 Second Division 12th 5th Round 2nd Round Semi-final 1980-1981 Second Division 3rd (promoted) 3rd Round 1st Round Winners 1981-1982 First Division 6th 3rd Round 2nd Round Winners 1st Round 1982-1983 First Division 21st (relegated) 3rd Round 2nd Round Winners 2nd Round 1983-1984 Second Division 21st (relegated) 3rd Round 2nd Round Semi-final Preliminary Round 1984-1985 Third Division 20th 1st Round 1st Round Semi-final 1985-1986 Third Division 24th (relegated) 2nd Round 2nd Round 5th Round 1986-1987 Fourth Division 12th 4th Round 2nd Round 3rd Round 1987-1988 Fourth Division 6th (promoted via play-offs) 2nd Round 1st Round 4th Round 1988-1989 Third Division 12th 2nd Round 1st Round Winners 1989-1990 Third Division 17th 3rd Round 1st Round 3rd Round 1st Round 1990-1991 Third Division 20th 3rd Round 1st Round Winners 1991-1992 Third Division 19th 2nd Round 2nd Round 5th Round 1st Round 1992-1993 Second Division 5th 4th Round 1st Round 3rd Round 1993-1994 Second Division 13th 1st Round 2nd Round Semi-final 1994-1995 Second Division 10th 4th Round 2nd Round 1995-1996 Second Division 22nd (relegated) 1st Round 1st Round 1996-1997 Third Division 5th 1st Round 1st Round 1997-1998 Third Division 20th 1st Round 1st Round 1998-1999 Third Division 7th 4th Round 1st Round 1999-2000 Third Division 1st (promoted) 2nd Round 2nd Round 2000-2001 Second Division 23rd (relegated) 1st Round 1st Round 2001-2002 Third Division 20th 2nd Round 1st Round 2002-2003 Third Division 21st 1st Round 1st Round 2003-2004 Third Division 10th 5th Round 1st Round 2004-2005 League Two 3rd (promoted) 3rd Round 1st Round 2005-2006 League One see 2005/06 progress above 1st Round 1st Round [edit] Miscellaneous Swansea City and its supporters are unofficially known as the 'Jacks'. One explanation for this name is that during the 17th century, sailors from Swansea were extremely well respected and any 'Swansea Jack' was allowed to join the crew based simply on the town's reputation for great seamen. Swansea City has a loyal and proud following and had easily the highest average attendance in League Two during the 2004-05 season. The club's somewhat flamboyant mascot is Cyril the Swan who was joined in 2005 by Sybil the Swan, a doyenne of equal opportunity. She is not, in fact, a swan but a duck. On 10 January 2006, striker Leon Knight became the first Swansea City player to score a hat-trick on his début for the club since Bob Latchford in August 1981, in fact scoring his hat-trick during the first 27 minutes of the game against Milton Keynes Dons at the Liberty Stadium. [edit] External links Official Site SwansOnline.co.uk Jackarmy.net Fan Site SCFC.co.uk Fan Site Swansea City AFC Fan Site Template:Football League One teamlist Football in England (Women's) League competitions The FA Cup competitions FA Premier League England (men) FA Cup (Women's) The Football League (Champ, 1, 2) (women) League Cup Football Conference (Nat, N, S) List of clubs FA Community Shield Northern Premier League (Prem, 1) List of venues Football League Trophy Southern League (Prem, 1W, 1E) (by capacity) FA Trophy Isthmian League (Prem, 1, 2) List of leagues FA Vase English football league system Records FA NLS Cup de:Swansea City A.F.C. fr:Swansea City Association Football Club nl:Swansea City AFC simple:Swansea City F.C. zh:斯旺西城足球俱乐部