Swansea City A.F.C.

Association football club

football club
Swansea City Association Football Club ( ; Welsh : Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Dinas Abertawe ) is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their dwelling matches at the Swansea.com Stadium ( once known as the Liberty Stadium ) since 2005, having previously played at the Vetch Field since the club was founded.

Reading: Swansea City A.F.C.

The club was founded in 1912 as Swansea Town and entered into the Southern League, winning the Welsh Cup in their debut season. They were admitted into the Football League in 1920 and won the Third Division South title in 1924–25. They again won the Third Division South title in 1948–49, having been relegated two years previously. They fell into the Fourth Division after relegations in 1965 and 1967. The club changed their name to Swansea City in 1969 to reflect Swansea ‘s raw condition as a city. [ 3 ] They were promoted at the end of the 1969–70 season. The baseball club won three promotions in four seasons to reach the First Division in 1981. It was during the following season they came close to winning the league title, but a refuse then set in near the season ‘s end, before they finished sixth, still a club record. It was from here the golf club suffered a delegating the season after, returning to the Fourth Division by 1986 and then narrowly avoiding relegation to the conference in 2003. The Swansea City Supporters Trust Ltd owns 20 % of the baseball club, [ 4 ] with their interest hailed by Supporters Direct as “ the most high profile example of the engagement of a supporters ‘ reliance in the direct linear of a club ”. [ 5 ] The club ‘s subsequent climb from the fourth class of English football to the top division is chronicled in the 2014 film, Jack to a King – The Swansea Story. In 2011, Swansea were promoted to the Premier League. On 24 February 2013, Swansea beat Bradford City 5–0 to win the 2012–13 Football League Cup ( the contest ‘s highest ever winning margin for the final ), winning the first gear major trophy in the cabaret ‘s history and qualifying for the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League, in which they reached the round of 32 but lost over two legs to Napoli. The club was relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2017–18 season .

history [edit ]

early years ( 1912–1945 ) [edit ]

The Swansea Town team during its beginning season, 1912–13 The area around Swansea traditionally had been a rugby area, and despite previous attempts by a football baseball club named Swansea Villa, there were no celebrated football clubs until the administration of ‘ Swansea Town AFC’ in the summer of 1912. Following the go of many early South Wales sides, the clubhouse joined the Second Division of the Southern League for the follow season. J. W. Thorpe was the club ‘s first president. A site owned by Swansea Gaslight Co., called Vetch Field due to the vegetables that grew there, was rented to be the club ‘s labor. The club ‘s first gear professional match was a 1–1 draw at the Vetch Field against Cardiff City on 7 September 1912. During that first season the Welsh Cup was won for the first clock time. The Swans beat reigning english champions Blackburn Rovers 1–0 in the first round of the 1914–15 FA Cup, Swansea ‘s finish coming from Ben Beynon. [ 6 ] Following the first World War the Southern League dropped its second Division, and with many clubs dropping out ascribable to fiscal difficulties, the Swans were placed in the First Division. After four seasons in the Southern League, Swansea Town became founder members of the newly Third Division of The Football League in 1920 and then Division Three ( South ) the following season. After five seasons in Division Three ( South ) and a few fail bids for promotion, the Swans reached the Second Division for the first clock in 1925, beating Exeter City 2–1 at home on the final day of the season to win the division. The side had remained unbeaten at home in the league all season – something the next promotion team would emulate over twenty years late. The following season the Swans reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time, beating Exeter City, Watford, Blackpool, Stoke City, Millwall and Arsenal, before losing 3–0 to eventual cup winners Bolton Wanderers at White Hart Lane. Swans record their highest average attendance during the season of 16,118 for pre-war league games. During the 1926–27 season they beat real Madrid 3–0 on tour. During the 1931–32 season they finished 1st in the league and won the Welsh Cup after beating Wrexham 2–0 away after a replay .
Ivor Allchurch scored 164 goals in 445 appearances for the Swans between 1947–1958 and 1965–1968 After precisely one temper back from wartime football, the Swans finished 21st in the Second Division, and therefore returned to Division Three ( South ) for the first time since 1925. The following season was one of consolidation, however in 1948–1949 the Swans stormed their way to winning the division for the second base time. only one point was dropped at home all season as the feat of the 1925 promotion side was emulated, with the side finishing a wholly seven points ahead of irregular place Reading. Billy McCandless was the director who led the side to promotion, and in doing indeed he completed a rare hat-trick of winning the Third Division ( South ) title with all three South Wales clubs – and without losing a base crippled with Swansea or Cardiff. Following promotion, the Swans had another 15 years of Second Division football to look forward to, however despite what consecutive managers and chairmen were to say, Swansea Town only once during that fourth dimension looked like they could truly challenge for forwarding. That came in the 1955–56 season, when a side containing the likes of Ivor Allchurch, Terry Medwin, Harry Griffiths and Tom Kiley led the table early on in the season, before an injury to Kiley, referred to as the anchor of the side, in mid-november led to a decline in phase. He was never adequately replaced, but despite this and the sale of some of the club ‘s best players, the side remained in contention for promotion until the begin of April. Following a 6–1 succeed over second base rate Leicester City at the Vetch Field at the end of March the side was just two points behind second placed Liverpool with a bet on in pass – however subsequent results were not as encourage, and they finally slipped away to finish tenth. In 1964, the Swans reached a moment FA Cup semi-final, beating Barrow, Sheffield United and Stoke City en path to a celebrated sixth round victory at Anfield. Few gave the Swans, struggling for their lives at the bottom of Division Two, any chance of causing an overturn against the league leaders. But the Swans were 0–2 up at half-time thanks to Jimmy McLaughlin and Eddie Thomas. liverpool turned up the imperativeness in the second gear half, pulling a goal spinal column before being awarded a punishment nine minutes from time. Ronnie Moran had established an excellent record as a punishment taker, but he failed to beat the excellent Noel Dwyer on this juncture. Fellow moment division side Preston North End awaited in the semi-final at Villa Park, but despite taking the moderate through McLaughlin again, the Swans were to be denied by a second one-half punishment and a curiosity goal from closely 40 yards. After flirting with delegating on a few occasions during the former seasons, the Swans ‘ luck last ran out a season belated in 1965, and they were back in the Third Division .

A down coiling ( 1965–1977 ) [edit ]

Following delegating, Trevor Morris, who had been coach since 1958, was sacked and Glyn Davies, a former Swansea actor, was appointed in his place. Davies re-signed the 36-year-old Ivor Allchurch from Cardiff City, but despite winning the Welsh Cup, the season saw some of the club ‘s heaviest defeats, and the director only lasted the season. delegating to Division Four followed in 1967 and Ivor Allchurch retired. The 1967–68 season saw the read attendance of 32,796 at the Vetch Field for an FA Cup Fourth Round match against Arsenal. A calamity struck the baseball club on 20 January 1969 when players Roy Evans and Brian Purcell were killed in a cable car barge in on the direction to a game. [ 7 ] In 1969, the club appoint was changed to Swansea City, and Roy Bentley ‘s side celebrated by securing promotion back to the Third Division. A record run of 19 matches unbeaten provided the foundations for a forwarding challenge in 1971–72, but an amazing guide towards the goal of the season resulted in a mid-table finish. A poor people start the trace temper, combined with falling attendances, saw Bentley leave office, and he was replaced by Harry Gregg. Gregg failed to stop the bunk and the clubhouse was back in the Fourth Division for 1973–74 season. A record low crowd of good 1,358 watched the Swans against Northampton Town, and the surveil season the Swans were forced to apply for re-election to the Football League after a final day defeat at Rochdale condemned them to a 21st-place finish. The application was a success, although by now former player Harry Griffiths had replaced Gregg as coach. Malcolm Struel besides took over as president, having previously been on the control panel, and promised a return to former glories, stating that he would not sell the club ‘s best young talent as previous boards had done .

Meteoric rise and equally rapid fall ( 1977–1986 ) [edit ]

Despite promising performances during the first base half of the 1977–78 season, Harry Griffiths resigned as Swansea City ‘s coach in February 1978, doubting his own ability to take the baseball club any promote. The modern director was early Liverpool, Cardiff City and Wales striker John Toshack. On 1 March 1978, at 28 years previous, Toshack became the youngest coach in the Football League, with Griffiths as his assistant. Thus began a noteworthy climb from the Fourth Division to the top of the entire league. Despite relinquishing his character as director before the end of the season, this was Griffiths ‘ team, and the forwarding from the Fourth Division was largely his doing. During this season, the Swans ‘ record league succeed was achieved ( 8–0 against Hartlepool United ). Before promotion was secured, however, Harry Griffiths died of a center attack on 25 April 1978 before the home game against Scunthorpe United. A farther promotion was achieved adjacent season and the club returned to the Second Division after an absence of 14 years, with Toshack himself coming off the bench to score the winning goal against Chesterfield and frankincense fasten promotion. After a season of consolidation, Swansea City again challenged for promotion and travelled to Preston North End on 2 May 1981 in the cognition that victory would assure them a plaza in the First Division for the first time in the club ‘s history. A 3–1 succeed guaranteed a third base promotion in four seasons and Swansea City joined the footballing elect. The goalscorers on that sidereal day at Deepdale were Tommy Craig, Leighton James and Jeremy Charles. The four-year rise from basement to top division is a record in English football, held jointly with Wimbledon F.C. [ 8 ] Swansea besides won the Welsh Cup that season, qualifying for Europe for the beginning time since the 1965–66 season. [ 9 ] The 1981–82 season began with the repair calculator handing Swansea a first-day home game against Leeds United, which the club promptly won 5–1 with a hat-trick by debutant Bob Latchford. Swansea had swept from the basement division to the exceed of the entire Football League in three years. Victories over Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur followed as the club topped the league on several far occasions. however, injuries to key players took their toll, and the lack of astuteness in the squad meant that the season ended in sixth-place finish up. Two back-to-back relegations followed, and Toshack was sacked. By 1985, the golf club was battling for its very survival on two fronts. Whilst its creditors lined up a high Court hearing with the bearing of liquidating the cabaret, Swansea City had come to rely on a combination of old players and young professionals. Wound up by court ordering in December 1985, Swansea City was saved by local anesthetic businessman Doug Sharpe who took over the run of the clubhouse, although the deepen of possession was not adequate to prevent delegating to the Fourth Division in 1986. [ 10 ] Eight years on from the first promotion under Toshack, the club was spinal column where it had started .

In place of strife ( 1986–1995 ) [edit ]

Swansea won forwarding from the Fourth Division in 1988 – beating Rotherham United and Torquay United over two legs in the inaugural playoffs. They remained in the league ‘s third tier for the following eight seasons – the longest period of stability the club had seen since the 1940s. Under Terry Yorath and then Frank Burrows, the club managed to stay in the Second Division, reach the playoff semi-finals in 1993 and make their first base Wembley Stadium appearance a year late. Burrows guided the Swans to within 180 minutes of Wembley in 1993 – a run of five wins in the concluding six league matches ( all at home ) secured a playoff place, and with five minutes remaining of the inaugural branch of the semi-final against West Bromwich Albion, the Swans were 2–0 up. Andy McFarlane scored an own goal when the ball rebounded off the crossbar then into the net off his stifle, and two early goals in the moment leg gave the Baggies the advantage, until midfielder Micky Mellon was sent off. Burrows brought on Colin West, but he was sent off minutes later, ending any hopes of a Wembley concluding. Although the league campaign the following season did not live up the previous one, chiefly due to the sale of key players, Burrows guided the Swans to Wembley for the foremost clock time in their history for the final of the Autoglass Trophy. Wins over Plymouth Argyle & Exeter City in the group stage followed by wallow over Exeter again, Port Vale, Leyton Orient and Wycombe Wanderers over two legs saw the Swans play Huddersfield Town in a final examination that finished 1–1. The Swans went on to win 3–1 on penalties. In the following season, the cabaret again reached the semi-finals of the Auto Windscreens Shield, finally going out to Birmingham City, and an consequential FA Cup run saw them win at Middlesbrough in a third round replay, before going out to Newcastle United at St James ‘ Park. The 1995–96 season ended with relegation back to the one-third division after eight years. The Swans were doing fine around Christmas time, but a dispatch collapse in the second one-half of the season, including a 7–0 FA Cup frustration at third base division Fulham, 4–0 and 5–1 defeats at Blackpool and Oxford United respectively, led to delegating, despite the arrival of Jan Mølby .

The unmanageable years return ( 1995–2001 ) [edit ]

relegation in 1996 was accompanied by a golf club record of beng managed by four men in the like season. Kevin Cullis was appointed as coach by a consortium wish to buy the club. Cullis, whose previous experience was with non-league clubhouse Cradley Town youth team. Alarmed at developments at the club, Sharpe invoked a contractual clause to cancel the deal and resumed control himself : cullis was promptly sacked after just six days. Cullis ‘s successor was the Dane, Jan Mølby, a former Liverpool player taking his first steps in management. His appointment inescapably prompted comparison with the Toshack earned run average which began closely 20 years early. Despite delegating in 1996, the club reached the concluding of the 1997 Third Division forwarding play-offs but lost to Northampton Town, whose goal came from a re-taken free complain by John Frain in the final minute. Mølby was sacked equitable weeks into the adopt season, with Swansea struggling near the foot of the league. After the initial optimism, the Liverpool connection had not caused history to repeat itself. Alan Cork was appointed as director, but was dismissed after leading the baseball club to its lowest league finish up for 23 years. John Hollins was appointed, and things soon started to improve. In 1999, the club reached the forwarding playoffs, lone to lose in excess time at Scunthorpe United. The season included a one-third round FA Cup victory over Premiership opponents West Ham United, whose team included Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand and John Hartson. Swansea therefore became the beginning bottom division team to defeat a Premiership club in the FA Cup since the re-organisation of the league structure in 1992. The club was promoted in 2000 as Division Three champions, following a championship decider on the concluding day of the season against second-placed Rotherham United. The side conceded good 32 goals during the 1999–2000 season, largely due to the form of excellent centre-back pairing Jason Smith and Matthew Bound, american samoa well as keeper Roger Freestone. During the season the side set a record of nine consecutive league victories, and, during the lapp period, seven back-to-back clean sheets. Striker Walter Boyd besides set an unwanted commemorate of being the fastest substitute always sent off, when he was red-carded for striking a Darlington musician seconds after being brought on and before play had resumed, therefore being formally recorded as zero seconds. promotion was secured courtesy of a 3–0 win over Exeter City at a backpack Vetch Field. however, the following workweek ‘s 1–1 draw at Rotherham United, which confirmed Swansea as Division Three Champions, was overshadowed by the death of athletic supporter Terry Coles, who was trampled to end by a police knight in narrow Millmoor Lane before the crippled. The team were relegated in May 2001, just 12 months after promotion. Hollins had failed to strengthen the side at all during the summer, and despite a decent start, a 5–1 frustration at big-spending Reading in September led to a slide down the table, and the side won good eight games all temper, and entirely Oxford United finished below them. delegating seemed certain following a 5–3 kill at fellow strugglers Luton Town, where Giovanni Savarese scored a hat-trick, however Hollins maintained that the side could stay up, even when 18 points were needed from the final examination six matches, and for two other teams to pick up no more points .

last years at Vetch Field and return to League One ( 2001–2005 ) [edit ]

swansea fans and players celebrate the last league finish to be scored at the Vetch Field In July 2001, following delegating second to Third Division, the club was sold to managing director Mike Lewis for £1. Lewis subsequently sold on his venture to a consortium of australian businessmen behind the Brisbane Lions ( An australian Rules Football team that is based in Brisbane ) football team, fronted by Tony Petty. Seven players were sacked and eight others saw their contracts terminated. During this period Hollins was sacked after a poor startle to the season, and Colin Addison took over as coach. The agitation led to the creation of the Swansea City supporters ‘ trust, which sought to save the club and ultimately guarantee patron representation on the clubhouse ‘s board. The Petty group sold its post in January 2002 after a bitter stand-off with the Mel Nurse consortium, which was supported by the majority of the clubhouse ‘s fans. Jim Moore and Mel Griffin, previously rescuers of Hull City, stepped into the transgress and persuaded Petty to sell to them ( as he had promised to bankrupt the club & make it extinct rather than sell to Nurse ). From there Moore became chair for three weeks giving the “ Mel Nurse Consortium ” time to organize its finances. Having successfully reorganized the finances of Hull City, both Moore and Griffin were believers in clubs belonging in the hands of local people, and indeed believing Nurse ‘s group were best for The Swans, subsequently passed the clubhouse onto Nurses consortium for the fee of £1. Despite problems off the pitch, Addison ‘s side had managed a mid-table position, but he was dismissed in early March, and under Nick Cusack the club slumped to a twentieth placed-finish. Cusack lasted just eight games into the watch temper, and was sacked after a 1–0 frustration at league debutants Boston United had put the Swans on the bottom of the Football League for the foremost time in their 91-year history. He was replaced by Brian Flynn. Swansea City avoided relegation to the Football Conference on the last day of the temper, at the expense of Exeter City, a club then vice-chaired by Mike Lewis. Brian Flynn ‘s side finished 2003–04 10th and reached the fifth round off of the FA Cup for the first time in 24 years, finally losing 2–1 at Tranmere Rovers. Flynn was dismissed and replaced by Kenny Jackett. Jackett lost his first six matches in care, ending any hope of a play-off place. The succeed season Jackett recruited a number of new defensive players and set a record of seven straight home clean and jerk sheets, all victories. The Swans ‘ last season at the Vetch Field saw the club gain promotion on the survive day of the temper, clinching a 3rd-placed finish with a 1–0 gain away to Bury. Their stopping point league game at their old ground was a 1–0 gain over Shrewsbury Town, with the last game of any sort being a 2–1 winnings against Wrexham in the final of the 2005 FAW Premier Cup .

Move to Liberty Stadium and return to top trajectory ( 2005–2011 ) [edit ]

The club moved to the newfangled Liberty Stadium during the summer of 2005. The first competitive game was a 1–0 victory against Tranmere Rovers in August 2005. In their first temper back in League One, Swansea, after beating Brentford in the semi-finals, lost on penalties to Barnsley in the final examination at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. That lapp temper, Swansea won the Football League Trophy for the first clock since 1994, and the FAW Premier Cup for a moment consecutive year. In the following season Jackett resigned as coach in mid-season to be replaced by Roberto Martínez. Martínez ‘s arrival saw an improvement in form, but Swansea missed out on the play-offs again. The follow season, an 18-game unbeaten run helped them to the League One title. The cabaret amassed a sum of 92 points over the path of the temper, the highest ever by a Welsh club in the Football League. Five swansea players were in the PFA Team of the Year, including the class ‘s 29-goal exceed scorekeeper Jason Scotland. That same season Swansea lost on penalties to Milton Keynes Dons in the sphere final of the Football League Trophy .
Swansea City lionize promotion to the Premier League at Wembley Stadium Upon returning to the second gear grade of English football after 24 years Swansea City finished the 2008–09 season in one-eighth invest, and missed out on the play-offs the following season by a single point. After 63 wins in 126 games for Swansea City, Martínez left for Wigan Athletic on 15 June 2009 with his tenure returning precisely 26 losses in that time. He was replaced by portuguese Paulo Sousa. Sousa subsequently left Swansea to take bang at Leicester City on 5 July 2010, lasting barely one year and 13 days in South Wales. however, fair before the deviation of Sousa, on 15 May 2010, Swansea player Besian Idrizaj suffered a center approach in his native Austria while on international duty. The club retired the number 40 shirt in his memory, and the players wore shirts dedicated to Idrizaj after their victory in the play-off final. Northern Irishman Brendan Rodgers took charge for the 2010–11 season. He guided the club to a third-placed ending and reservation for the Championship play-offs. After beating Nottingham Forest 3–1 on aggregate in the semi-final they defeated Reading 4–2 in the final at Wembley Stadium, with Scott Sinclair scoring a hat-trick. [ 11 ]

Premier League and Europe ( 2011–2018 ) [edit ]

By being promoted to the Premier League for the 2011–12 season, Swansea became the first gear Welsh team to play in the part since its geological formation in 1992. [ 12 ] Swansea signed Danny Graham from Watford for a then-record fee of £3.5 million. [ 13 ] They defeated Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, the eventual champions, at home plate during the season. [ 14 ] Swansea finished their debut Premier League season in 11th, but at the end of the season Brendan Rodgers left to manage Liverpool. [ 15 ] He was replaced by Michael Laudrup for the 2012–13 Premier League temper, which was the club ‘s centennial temper. [ 15 ] Laudrup ‘s first league game ended in a 0–5 victory over Queens Park Rangers away at Loftus Road. [ 16 ] Swansea then beat West Ham United 3–0 at the Liberty Stadium, with Michu scoring his third goal in two games. [ 17 ] This saw Swansea top of the Premier League ; it was the first time since October 1981 the team had been at the acme of the acme tier. [ 17 ]
The Swansea City A.F.C. centennial cap used during the 2012–13 season On 15 October 2012, the cabaret announced a net income of £14.2 million after their first season in the Premier League. [ 18 ] On 1 December, Swansea picked up a 0–2 away win against Arsenal, with Michu scoring twice during the last minutes of the game, in Swansea ‘s first win at Arsenal in three decades. [ 19 ] Michu ended the season as the club ‘s top scorer in all competitions, with 22 goals. [ 20 ]

reelect to the Championship ( 2018–present ) [edit ]

Swansea City were relegated on 13 May 2018, following a 2–1 defeat to already-relegated Stoke City. [ 52 ] On 11 June 2018, Graham Potter was announced as the club ‘s new director, replacing Carvalhal. [ 54 ] On 2 February 2019, Huw Jenkins resigned as chair amid increasing criticism over the club ‘s sale to the american english consortium in 2016 and the golf club ‘s subsequent relegation from the Premier League. [ 55 ] He was replaced with Trevor Birch. The first season back in the Championship produced a 10th-place finish up, including a quarter-final appearance in the FA Cup. however, Potter left at the end of the season to manage Premier League clubhouse Brighton. [ 56 ] He was succeeded by former England U17 coach Steve Cooper, with Mike Marsh joining him as his adjunct. [ 57 ] In September 2019, Cooper was named EFL Championship Manager of The Month, with Swansea City sitting lead of the table after an unbeaten beginning month ; this was Swansea ‘s best start to a season in 41 years. [ 58 ] On the concluding sidereal day of the season, Swansea beat Reading 4–1 to finish sixth, moving into the play-offs ahead of Nottingham Forest on goal difference, [ 59 ] but were late defeated by Brentford in the semi-final second stage. [ 60 ]
Swansea ‘s crest for the 2021–22 season. At the end of the 2020–21 temper, Swansea finished 4th in the league and secured a play-off place for a second back-to-back season. [ 61 ] Swansea progressed to the 2021 EFL Championship play-off Final after defeating Barnsley 2–1 on aggregate, but lost to Brentford at Wembley Stadium. [ 62 ] For the 2021–22 season, the cabaret unveiled a modernized adaptation of the original cap to mark the fortieth anniversary of the Swans ‘ first forwarding to the exceed flight in 1981. [ 63 ] After Steve Cooper left the club, Russell Martin became head coach. [ 64 ] Martin spoke with early Swansea boss Graham Potter before accepting the job. [ 64 ] He said, “ I know the fanbase and what they expect in terms of the modern Swansea Way, that started under Roberto Martínez and continued under Brendan Rodgers and Michael Laudrup. We, as a coaching team, are identical much aligned with that. It excites me. ” [ 64 ]

stadium [edit ]

The Vetch Field was the home of Swansea City for 93 years Before Swansea Town was established, children would play football on waste anchor in which a plant, called “ vetch “ ( a type of legume ) was grown. The locate was owned by Swansea Gaslight Company in 1912, but was deemed excess to requirements at the Gas Company. So Swansea Town moved in when they were established in 1912. [ 65 ] The earth primitively held 12,000, but hit its flower attendance of 32,786 in an 1967 FA cup Fifth Round against Arsenal. The last league goal always scored at the Vetch was scored by hadrian Forbes, on 30 April 2005, as Swansea outwit Shrewsbury Town 1–0. With a quickly deteriorating Vetch Field, Swansea looked to relocate. As Swansea and the Ospreys did not have the capital to invest in a new stadium, the Swansea City Council and a developer-led consortium submitted a proposal for a sustainable “ bowl ” venue for 20,520 seats on a site to the west of the river on the site of the Morfa Stadium, which the Council owned. It was funded by a 355,000 foot retail park on land to the east of the river. The final examination prize of the development being in excess of £50 million. On 23 July 2005, The Liberty Stadium was formally opened as Swansea faced Fulham in a friendly game. [ 66 ]
The Liberty Stadium became Swansea City ‘s family ground from 2005, and was renamed the Swansea.com Stadium in 2021 The Liberty Stadium capacity was 20,532 though has been increased to 20,750. [ citation needed ] The highest attendance recorded at the stadium came against Arsenal on 31 October 2015 with 20,937 spectators, [ 67 ] beating the previous record of 20,845. The stadium has besides hosted three Welsh external football matches ; the first being a 0–0 pull with Bulgaria in 2006, [ 68 ] the second gear a 2–1 frustration to Georgia in 2008 and a 2–0 win over Switzerland on 7 October 2011. The beginning international goal to be scored at the Liberty Stadium was a 25-yard attempt from Welsh international Jason Koumas. [ 69 ] On 1 July 2012, it was widely reported in national media that Swansea City were beginning the design phase for expanding the Liberty Stadium by approximately 12,000 seats. This plan would be conditional on a successful moment temper in the Premier League and could cost up to £15 million ; the increase would result in a capacitance of approximately 32,000 seats. [ 70 ] Later that lapp year, the board of directors announced that planning applications were to be put advancing to the council authority, making the Liberty Stadium the largest sportsclub-owned stadium in Wales. [ 71 ] The Liberty Stadium was renamed the Swansea.com Stadium on 9 August 2021, following a 10-year list rights agreement. [ 72 ]

Rivalries [edit ]

Swansea City ‘s main rivals are Cardiff City, with the competition described as among the most hostile in british football. [ 73 ] Matches between these two clubs are known as the South Wales derbies and are normally one of the highlights of the season for both sets of supporters. It was only from the late 1960s that the competition became cross off. Before then fans of the two clubs frequently had a degree of affection for their Welsh neighbor team. [ 74 ] Swansea City ‘s early rivals are Newport County and to a lesser extent Bristol City and Bristol Rovers. however, Swansea identical rarely meet Newport as they are presently separated by two divisions, while the two clubs share a reciprocal competition with Cardiff City. swansea have won 36 of the 106 competitive meetings, compared to Cardiff ‘s 43, who besides have the biggest consequence between the two sides with Swansea losing 5–0 in 1965, with a farther 27 reap ; to this day, neither team has done the bivalent. Following Swansea City ‘s promotion to the Championship, the clubs were drawn in the League Cup which would be the first meet between both sides for nine years. [ 75 ] Swansea City won the necktie with a solitary confinement goal from a deflected free-kick taken by Jordi Gómez. The match saw sets of supporters from both clubs clash with police after the match. [ 76 ] The adjacent two league games both finished in 2–2 draws. [ 77 ] [ 78 ] however, the bowler hat game at Ninian Park was marred with controversy as reviewer Mike Dean was struck by a coin from a Cardiff City assistant. In the 2009–10 season, Swansea beat cardiff 3–2 at the Liberty Stadium in November, before losing 2–1 in Cardiff in April after a late Michael Chopra fall upon. With Swansea and Cardiff both pushing for promotion to the Premier League, the first bowler hat at the newfangled Cardiff City Stadium, and the first base Cardiff win in nine meetings between the sides, was billed as being the biggest south Wales bowler hat of all meter, in esteem to the league positions of the teams and how close it came to the end of the season. Despite their promise league positions leading up to the bowler hat, neither side gained forwarding at the end of that crusade, and indeed the South Wales bowler hat was once again played out at Championship level during the 2010–11 season – Swansea beating Cardiff 1–0 away with a deep winner from then on-loan Marvin Emnes before losing their home bet on due to a late mint from Craig Bellamy. Following Swansea ‘s promotion to the Premier League at the end of the 2010–11 season, the South Wales bowler hat was again put on hiatus. It would be two seasons before the sides met once more, this fourth dimension on the global stage of the Premier League. On 3 November 2013, Cardiff took the boast rights in the first ever Premier League South Wales bowler hat, enjoying a 1–0 gain courtesy of ex-Swan Steven Caulker at the Cardiff City Stadium. The render fastness for that temper took place on 8 February 2014 at Swansea ‘s Liberty Stadium, a match in which interim player-manager Garry Monk would make his managerial debut following the dismissal of Michael Laudrup. The Swans took retaliation for the defeat earlier in the season with a convincing 3–0 winnings. The sides met again during the 2019–20 season in the Sky Bet Championship ; Swansea won 1–0 in the first fixture at the Liberty Stadium. In the 2020/2021, Jamal Lowe scored a pair in a 2-0 Swansea succeed. [ 79 ]

Honours [edit ]

Swansea won the League Cup in 2013, their foremost major trophy in England Swansea City ‘s first trophy was the Welsh Cup, which they won as Swansea Town in 1913. Their first league award came in 1925, when they won the 1924–25 Football League Third Division South style. Since then Swansea have gone on to win the League Cup once, the Football League Trophy doubly and the Welsh Cup a far nine times. They have besides qualified for UEFA Cup Winners ‘ Cup seven times and the UEFA Europa League once. Swansea City ‘s honours include the surveil : [ 80 ] The Football League
Domestic Cup Competition

Statistics and records [edit ]

[20]Gylfi Sigurðsson is Swansea’s most expensive sale; he was the club’s top scorer in the Premier League, with 34 goals Wilfred Milne holds the record for Swansea appearances, having played 586 matches between 1920 and 1937, close followed by Roger Freestone with 563 between 1991 and 2004. [ 81 ] The player who has won the most international caps while at the clubhouse is Ashley Williams with 50 for Wales. The goalscoring commemorate is held by Ivor Allchurch, with 166 goals, scored between 1947 and 1958 and between 1965 and 1968. [ 82 ] Cyril Pearce holds the records for the most goals scored in a season, in 1931–32, with 35 league goals in the Second Division and 40 goals in entire. [ 65 ] The club ‘s widest victory margin was 12–0, a scoreline which they achieved once in the european Cup Winners Cup, against Sliema in 1982. [ 65 ] [ 83 ] They have lost by an eight-goal allowance on two occasions, once in the FA Cup, beaten 0–8 by Liverpool in 1990 and once in the european Cup Winners Cup, beaten 0–8 by AS Monaco in 1991. [ 84 ] Swansea ‘s 8–1 gain against Notts County in the FA Cup in 2018 is their largest winning margin of the contest, and the largest winning margin at their home grind, the Liberty Stadium. [ 85 ] Swansea ‘s home attendance record was set at the fourth-round FA Cup connect against Arsenal on 17 February 1968, with 32,796 fans attending the Vetch Field. [ 65 ] [ 86 ] The club broke their transfer record to re-sign André Ayew from West Ham United in January 2018 for a tip of £18 million. [ 87 ] The most expensive sale is Gylfi Sigurðsson who joined Everton in August 2017 for a fee believed to be £45 million. [ 88 ] [ 89 ]

european record [edit ]

Swansea City’s scores are given first in all scorelines.

Players [edit ]

stream team [edit ]

As of 3 September 2021[104]

note : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .

Out on lend [edit ]

note : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .

go to bed numbers [edit ]

note : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .

Non-playing personnel [edit ]

club officials [edit ]

As of 25 September 2021

On 22 July 2016, Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan led a consortium of american english businessmen who bought a 68 % post in the club. [ 34 ]

First-team staff [edit ]

As of 25 September 2021[107]

celebrated managers [edit ]

There have been forty-four permanent managers ( of whom six have been player-managers ), and four caretaker managers of Swansea City since the appointment of the clubhouse ‘s beginning professional director, Walter Whittaker in 1912. [ 108 ] [ 109 ] In the golf club ‘s first season, Whittaker led Swansea to their first Welsh Cup gain. [ 65 ] The club ‘s longest-serving director, in terms of tenure, was Haydn Green, who held the status for eight years, four months and 14 days, spanning the entirety of World War II. [ 110 ] Trevor Morris, who oversaw the most games at Swansea, was besides the inaugural director to lead a Welsh club in Europe, qualifying for the 1961–62 Cup Winners ‘ Cup. [ 65 ] [ 111 ] John Toshack, Swansea City ‘s most successful coach with three league promotions and three Welsh Cup wins, led the club to their highest league finish, sixth locate in the 1981–82 First Division. [ 65 ] Appointed in February 1996, the Dane Jan Mølby became Swansea City ‘s first alien director and took Swansea to the 1996–97 Division Three play-off final, only to lose to a last-minute goal. [ 65 ] [ 112 ] In 2011, Swansea City achieved forwarding to the Premier League under Brendan Rodgers, becoming the first Welsh team to play in the division since its formation in 1992. [ 113 ] During Swansea City ‘s centennial year ( 2012–13 ), the club won the League Cup for the first time under Michael Laudrup, the first major trophy in Swansea ‘s 100-year history. [ 114 ]

References [edit ]

Official website
Swans Academy – Official Swansea City academy site
Swans Commercial – Official Swansea City commercial site

history [edit ]

early years ( 1912–1945 ) [edit ]

A down coiling ( 1965–1977 ) [edit ]

Meteoric rise and equally rapid fall ( 1977–1986 ) [edit ]

In place of strife ( 1986–1995 ) [edit ]

The unmanageable years return ( 1995–2001 ) [edit ]

last years at Vetch Field and return to League One ( 2001–2005 ) [edit ]

Move to Liberty Stadium and return to top trajectory ( 2005–2011 ) [edit ]

Premier League and Europe ( 2011–2018 ) [edit ]

reelect to the Championship ( 2018–present ) [edit ]

stadium [edit ]

Rivalries [edit ]

Honours [edit ]

Statistics and records [edit ]

european record [edit ]

Players [edit ]

stream team [edit ]

Out on lend [edit ]

go to bed numbers [edit ]

Non-playing personnel [edit ]

club officials [edit ]

First-team staff [edit ]

celebrated managers [edit ]

References [edit ]

mugwump sites [edit ]