Press cuttings

Saturday, May 10, 2003 Mumford shock at being shown exit at the Vetch

Western Mail ANDREW MUMFORD last night spoke for the first time about his "shock" at being shown the door by Swansea City. The 21-year-old midfielder said he couldn't understand Brian Flynn's decision to hand him a free transfer and claimed the Swans boss had not outlined the reasons behind the decision. And, in a candid interview with The Western Mail, Mumford moved to distance himself from suggestions that he is known for being a bit of a party animal and that had something to do with his departure. "That is a reputation I don't deserve - if I liked to drink that much, I wouldn't have won player of the year last season," said the Wales Under-21 international, one of eight Swans players Flynn is letting go. "Because I haven't been in the side, rumours have started flying round that I'm out on the town, but that's just not true. "Anyway, you know what people are like - they make assumptions. I don't let the rumours get to me, though - I let them fly over my head." But what does hurt Mumford is Flynn's decision to show him the Vetch exit door halfway through his two-year contract. "It has come as a shock to me and, to be honest, I can't understand why it has happened," said Mumford. "I went into the manager's office and Brian just said, `We'd like to put you on a free transfer.' "I didn't get an explanation and I didn't press him for one in case I ended up saying something I regretted. "I left the office scratching my head, wondering why I was not wanted. I can only think Brian doesn't fancy me as a player. "But I don't think I have been given a fair chance. When I came into the side for Lenny Johnrose I got two man-of-the-match awards in four games. "As soon as Lenny came back from injury, though, I was back out again." Mumford has struggled to hit the heights of the 2001-02 season when his outstanding performances led former play-er-coach Nick Cusack to hand him a two-year contract. But the former Llanelli midfielder insists he has done himself justice. "I don't feel I have let myself down," he said. "Perhaps people will say I could have done better, but Brian Flynn wanted to bring his own players in and I feel I did the best I could in those circumstances. "And I can reflect on a season in which I have claimed a regular place in the Wales Under-21 side - I'm very proud of that." Mumford went on, "At the end of the day, I don't regard this as a major setback - I'm confident I will bounce back. "I'm considering my options over the next few days. The bottom line is I am still under contract at Swansea so they can't just get rid of me." Flynn insisted Mumford's departure was for footballing reasons only. "He simply doesn't figure in my plans for next season and it's best for his career that he's given the chance to find another club. "He's available on a free transfer, but of course the club understands he still has a contract here." The Swans boss was yesterday continuing contract negotiations with the players he wants to retain for next season.

Friday, May 09, 2003 Sparky turns out at Vetch

BBC Online Wales manager Mark Hughes played for Chelsea against Swansea in a testimonial at the Vetch on Tuesday night (6 May) for Swans goalkeeper Roger Freestone. Over 5,000 fans flocked to the ground to see a second-string Blues team run out 1-0 winners. Brian Howard got the only goal of the game, but it was an entertaining night for the fans. Freestone, 34, played 53 games for Chelsea before joining Swansea 12 years ago for £45,000. His previous clubs include Newport County, where he was a trainee, and Hereford where he was on loan. Hughes gave Freestone his one cap for Wales in the friendly against Brazil at the Millennium Stadium in May 2000. It looks increasingly likely that Swansea director of football Brian Flynn will agree a new contract with the club in the next few days. Flynn has started discussions with board member Huw Jenkins, and it is expected that Flynn and coaches Kevin Reeves and Alan Curtis will be staying. BBC Wales Sport understands that the Swansea directors are keen for stability after three changes of management at the Vetch in the last 18 months. Despite a series of rumours, no-one else is being spoken to about the managerial post. Flynn is Swansea's saviour What an end to the season for Swansea. We can all let out a sigh of relief because Swansea City are still in Division Three. I am sure that both players and fans alike will be pinching themselves today to make sure that the dramatic events of Saturdays final game of the season were not a dream. Flynn hails 'heroic' Swans It was always going to be one of those days when anything could happen. As the Swansea players were about to come out onto the pitch, I am sure they would have heard that the Exeter game had been delayed. Swansea's saviour Brian Flynn It's time like those when players getting nervous, start to get negative thoughts and begin to get the jitters. But fair play to the 'heroes' as Brian Flynn described them. They proved that they were good enough to stay up. They gave the bumper Vetch crowd and indeed the whole of Swansea something to be proud of. Obviously it is the players and the result which will steal the headlines. James Thomas' hat-trick will be described as 'the goals which saved the Swans'. I have no doubt in my mind why Swansea will still be in Division Three next season - Brian Flynn. He knew that he had to bring in some new players and that's exactly what he went about doing Mark Aizlewood He has done an absolutely fantastic job since coming in as Director of Football. It is never easy coming into a situation like the one he was welcomed into. He will have had to call upon all of his years of experience, but in the end it was that experience that kept the Swans alive. When he took over he realised that things had to be changed. He knew that he had to bring in some new players and that's exactly what he went about doing. Eight new faces were introduced bring a mixture of youth, experience and determination to succeed. Just take the likes of Roberto Martinez and Leon Britton. Martinez and Britton celebrate after the game Martinez is the type of player who can steady the ship but at the same time add that little bit of quality that makes all the difference. Leon Britton has been inspirational since his arrival. Indeed, so well has he performed, he was named as the PFA Fans' Player of the year for Division Three. It is signings like that which proves Flynn's quality. Take it from me, if he is still in charge next season, they wont find themselves in the same position come May next year. There will be an extra reason for the players to be happy with Saturday's result too. Holiday reward for Swans Swansea's sponsors, Travel House, had promised to take the entire team off to the sunny islands of the Balearics if they avoided the drop. So I guess the passports will be dusted off and the sun cream applied. Well done boys it's much deserved. I must also congratulate Wrexham on their promotion. Like Flynn, Denis Smith has done a wonderful job and I have no doubt that they will do well in Division Two. Flynn hails 'heroic' Swans Flynn has already started planning for next season Brian Flynn admitted he went through "all the emotions" while watching his Swansea side battle to preserve their Football League status on the last day of the season. The Swans eventually secured the vital win they needed to avoid Third Division relegation, thanks mainly to a James Thomas hat-trick. Two defensive errors by Michael Howard and Lee Jenkins in the first half handed Hull two sloppy goals and brought the relegation trap door a step nearer. But Thomas brought the Swans level minutes before the break and a further two goals in the second half put the result beyond doubt and saved Swansea from the Nationwide Conference. Flynn told BBC Sport: "We started the game brightly - we got the penalty but then gave them two goals. "Obviously they were mistakes and I had said leading up to the game that we didn't want individuals to be villains or the cause of a defeat. "But Michael Howard and Lee Jenkins showed tremendous resolve in the second half because it could have effected them. "But there were heroes out there today. Obviously the golden boy (James Thomas) will be talked about - the local lad scoring a hat-trick in the last game of the season. "But they were all heroes." Flynn took over at The Vetch in September when the side were rock bottom of the Third Division. I could sense a determination in the dressing room to stay in the Football League He re-built the side by signing a host of experienced loan players and gradually began to get the results. But only two points from four games in April meant Swansea's fate would be decided on the final day of the season. Flynn, though, said he never had any doubts that his side would pull through. "It's easy for me to say now, but I knew with 20 games to go we would get out of it," he said. "I could sense a determination in the dressing room to stay in the Football League. "The form - take away the Easter period - has been as good as a top six side." Flynn revealed he has been planning for next season since Christmas, and has vowed to be challenging for trophies rather than fighting off relegation. "This should never happen again," he said. "I know it's only words, but we must make certain that Swansea City are at the other end of the league."

Friday, May 09, 2003 James: Swans move is disgrace

Western Mail Swansea City icon Leighton James last night branded the Third Division club's treatment of midfielder Andrew Mumford as 'disgraceful'. James expressed amazement at Swansea boss Brian Flynn's decision to show 21-year-old Mumford the exit door more than 12 months before his contract at the Vetch expires. And the former Wales international, who coached Mumford during the player's spell at Welsh Premier side-Llanelli, challenged Swans bosses to explain their decision to make Mumford available on a free transfer. "Quite frankly, I'm staggered that a club which only just escaped relegation from the Football League is getting rid of one of its most promising youngsters," he said. "How can someone voted Player of the Year at the Vetch 12 months ago suddenly be considered surplus to requirements? "In my view it is a dis-graceful way to treat a young player. If he had played 25 games last season and Swansea judged him over those games, then fair enough. "But I would be surprised if he started that many games and you therefore have to ask whether they have seen enough of the youngster to make a decision. "I'm a good friend of Andrew's, so I have given him a bit of advice as to what he should do. "I feel sorry that he has been treated like this. I don't expect I will speak to Brian Flynn about it but, if our paths did cross, I can tell you they would not cross in a very pleasant way." Mumford's outstanding form towards the end of the 2001-02 season earned him a two-year contract at the Vetch and led many to tip him as a future Wales international. However, despite establishing himself in Jimmy Shoulder's Wales Under-21 side last season, he struggled to make any impact for the Swans. But James accused the club of handling his departure badly. "To basically tell Andrew not to even turn up for pre-season training is appalling," said the former Swansea and Burnley forward. "Andrew does not deserve it - unless, that is, someone comes out and explains why Andrew does deserve to be treated this way. "If they don't, people will wonder why the club has got rid of one of the few players who will attract interest in the transfer market." James insists Mumford, who has made 55 league appearances since signing for the Swans in August 2000, cannot simply be cast out given he still has 12 months left on his contract. "He is well within his rights to expect the club to honour that contract," said James. "Swansea basically have two options. Either they negotiate a pay-off for Andrew for the remaining 13 months of his contract or they agree to continue paying him for that time. "But they are in cloud cuckoo land if they think he is just going to walk out. "The Professional Footballers' Association, for one, will not permit that to happen."

Friday, May 09, 2003 Flynn signs new deal and plots way ahead

Western Mail BRIAN FLYNN finally committed his future to Swansea City yesterday - after receiving key assurances over the club's plans for the future. Flynn and his number two, Kevin Reeves, signed new two-year contracts after a series of crunch meetings with Swansea's five-man board of directors. Key to Flynn's negotiations with the board was the role coaches Reeves and Alan Curtis would play in taking the Third Division club forward. And that was resolved yesterday when Curtis agreed to take up the "key post" of director of youth development at the Vetch. "Part of the discussions I've had with the board involved making sure the club was looking to the future - that there were clear visions of the way ahead," said Flynn last night. "Alan Curtis becoming director of youth, with Wayne Powell assisting him, fulfils one of those visions - it is an absolutely vital position within the club. "Swansea has a long tradition of producing young talent and our long-term future relies on us having a continued ability to do that." As for his own position, Flynn said he was delighted to end the speculation that had surrounded his future after the board's refusal to commit to him last weekend. "I'm just pleased that it has all been sorted in a positive and professional manner," said the Swans director of football. "Now that our futures are settled, Kevin and I just want to get on with the challenge of moving Swansea City forward. "There's a lot of hard work to be done in the summer, but we're confident about the future and about making sure the club never again finds itself struggling to stay in the League. "The club is crying out for some stability - just look at the number of managers there has been at the Vetch over the past 12 years - and hopefully we can establish that. "It's all about long-term planning and I have set out plans for where I want the club to be at the start of next season and where I want it to be three years down the line." The former Wrexham manager will now begin the process of rebuilding his squad for next season after letting eight members of the current squad go. As well as handing Andrew Mumford a free transfer, Flynn is releasing Gareth Phillips, John Williams, Steve Watkin, Neil Sharp, Terry Evans, Jamie Wood and Matt Murphy. Two others - Lenny Johnrose and Kieron Durkan - are unlikely to be offered new contracts. But negotiations are continuing with West Ham to try to bring star midfielder Leon Britton to the Vetch on a permanent basis. Manchester United defender Alan Tate and Stoke goal-keeper Neil Cutler have returned to their clubs following their loan spells. Flynn said he was confident those offered contracts - including key players Roberto Martinez, James Thomas and Jason Smith - would soon put pen to paper.

Thursday, May 08, 2003 Toshack player allegations

Western Mail WELSH football legend John Toshack is thought to be ready to consult with his lawyers after becoming the subject of a series of allegations by one of his former players. In a new book out today Dutch superstar Clarence Seedorf, who played under Toshack at Real Madrid, questions the Welshman's professional approach during his spell in charge of the Spanish giants. Seedorf's comments were outlined in an interview he did with Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant on Tuesday. The remarks were then picked up and repeated in the Spanish daily sports paper Marca, which has traditionally been a big backer of Toshack during his various spells in charge of Spanish clubs over the past 18 years. The book, Clarence Seedorf, The Biography, is being released today in book-shops in Holland. For legal reasons The Western Mail cannot repeat what Seedorf claims but the Dutch international player's allegations will doubtless leave Toshack seething. The two men fell out during Toshack's second spell in charge of Real Madrid at the start of the millennium. Toshack eventually sold Seedorf to Inter Milan in Italy. He has subsequently joined their fierce rivals AC Milan. Seedorf's remarks will be seen by many as sour grapes after he fell out of favour with Toshack at Real Madrid. Toshack, who won the Spanish League with Real Madrid in the early 1990s, was asked to take over for a second spell at the turn of the millennium, with orders to shake up the team. Seedorf was one of a number of big-name players he had to work with. The Welshman was unavailable for comment last night.

Thursday, May 08, 2003 LET'S GET TALKING

Evening Post Swansea City's owners have dropped a strong hint that Brian Flynn will remain in charge at Vetch Field next season after keeping the club in the Football League. With Flynn's short-term contract now up, talks will be held within the next 48 hours over a fresh deal for Swansea's director of football. And while he concedes that discussions will not be a formality, Vetch director Huw Jenkins is hopeful that Swansea will not be searching for a fifth boss in 19 months come the end of the week. ''My view has always been that the thing this club has lacked has been continuity in terms of players and management,'' he said. ''It's no coincidence that a lot of the clubs relegated this year have had three managers, while those sides who have had stability with the manager have been promoted. ''Look at Rushden and Diamonds. Brian Talbot has been in charge for a long time and has added players every year. ''You can see the improvements they have made and that has to be the way forward." He continued: ''There are a lot to decisions to be made in the next week. The main one is securing the management, then we can work out a budget that's acceptable to everybody and then sort out the players' futures. ''We were always going to wait until the end of the season to see where we were before discussing Brian's position. ''We will talk about his thoughts and my thoughts on how the season developed and decide whether we want to extend our relationship further. ''We need to talk about what support we can give him financially, what we are going to pay him and what our aspirations are. ''He has saved the club so he has achieved what he was brought here to do, but there are other angles to discuss.'' After the prospect of relegation had loomed for so much of this board's first season at the helm, Jenkins added: ''It's a feeling of relief more than celebration for us. ''There's a tinge of sadness that we were in this mess in the first place, and what we must do as a club and a city now is make sure we never get into a situation like it again.''

Thursday, May 08, 2003 HERE'S HOPING

Evening Post Brian Flynn was today edging closer to agreeing a deal that will keep him in charge of Swansea City next season. Swansea's director of football, who steered the club to Nationwide League survival last weekend, has held three rounds of talks with Vetch Field board member Huw Jenkins in the last 48 hours. Flynn, whose first-team coaches, Kevin Reeves and Alan Curtis, are also out of contract, wants the same three-man team to lead Swansea into Division Three when the new season starts on August 9. ''We spoke on Monday, we spoke yesterday morning and we spoke last night after Roger Freestone's testimonial match,'' he said. ''We are talking about our plans for the future, about the Morfa Stadium, the club's training facilities and the budget for players next season. ''We are talking about every aspect the football club, the whole package.'' After director Jenkins had indicated his intention to secure Flynn's future before the weekend, the former Wrexham manager added: ''I am always very positive. ''I want to get everything sorted out as soon as possible. It could be today, it could be next week.'' Flynn's players, meanwhile, were due to discover whether they are to be offered new deals for next season today. Of the 26 senior professionals at the Vetch, six have been on loan and are now due to return to their parent clubs, two are playing on a non-contract basis and the other 16 see longer-term deals expire in June. With only Andrew Mumford and Richard Duffy sure of their places at pre-season training, a number of players are likely to be disappointed today. A youth-team squad head for Carmarthen to play the League of Wales outfit in the final of the West Wales Senior Cup tonight (7pm).

Tuesday, May 06, 2003 Martinez: Make Flynn a firm offer

Western Mail ROBERTO MARTINEZ has urged Swansea City to hand Brian Flynn and his No 2 Kevin Reeves new deals. The Swans midfielder revealed he wants to remain at the Vetch after playing a leading part in the club's escape from relegation into the Conference. But Martinez insists it is imperative the club first ties down Flynn and Reeves to new contracts. The Swans are refusing to commit to the former Wrexham boss until they hold talks with him this week. But Martinez said, "There is no question that Brian must remain in charge at Swansea City. "He has done a fantastic job to keep the club in the League and there should be no doubt about him carrying on. "Swansea City should never have been fighting at the bottom of Division Three because I believe they should be in the First Division. "And the club needs to hang on to Brian before someone else gets him, because he can lead Swansea into Division One." Martinez went on, "If there is one man who can handle the pressure and guide the players in the right direction, it is Brian. "I remember when we lost 4-0 earlier in the season. Pointing the finger and losing the plot would have been the easiest thing for Brian to do. "But he didn't - he has never done that. He has always had belief in us and given us confidence. It is very easy to follow a manager like him. "It is easy to be the manager of Real Madrid - you only have to tell Raul or Zinedine Zidane what time they are playing. "But it is different in Division Three of the Football League. You have to deal with players in a different way - motivate them, get the best out of them. Managing Swansea is not an easy job." Defender Alan Tate also urged the board to hold on to Flynn. "If this club is going to go places, they need to keep Brian, Kevin and Alan Curtis in charge," he said. "Since I joined on loan from Manchester United, the three of them have been magnificent. "They have encouraged me not just to lump the ball up to the forwards, but to get it down and play it. "Coming to Swansea has done me the world of good. So much so that it will seem like an anti-climax to go back to Old Trafford to play in the reserves."

Tuesday, May 06, 2003 Flynn's future goes on the line

W estern Mail THE managerial future of Brian Flynn, the man who helped keep Swansea City in the Football League, is today shrouded in doubt. Club directors have revealed they will hold talks with Flynn over the next 24 hours that will determine whether he is still in charge at the Vetch next season. Flynn - anxious to start planing for Swansea's future - urged the board to make a quick decision after preserving the club's league status with Saturday's dramatic 4-2 win against Hull at the Vetch. The Swans' achievement sparked scenes of joy and Flynn immediately received the backing of key pair Roberto Martinez and Leon Britton who insisted he must remain as boss. However, Swans directors are refusing to commit to Flynn, fuelling speculation that a replacement could be on the way. Former Vetch bosses Frank Burrows, Jan Molby and Colin Addison have each been mentioned as possible successors. And The Western Mail also understands the five-man Swans board are split over whether Flynn, who only took charge seven months ago, should be awarded a new contract. Director Huw Jenkins went some way towards backing Flynn last night by saying he wanted him to remain "in principle". But Jenkins suggested it would hinge on whether Flynn is able to work within the strict budget that will be put down for next season. "In principle we want Brian to remain because we don't want any changes - we want to establish stability at this club," said Jenkins. "Through the discussions we will have with Brian over the next couple of days, hope-fully we can reach an agree-ment that will see him re-main in charge. "But that's the only thing I will say at the moment. "We said it was only right we kept our league status first and then sat down to work out the future - and that's what we will do." Asked whether they were happy with the job Flynn has done since succeeding Nick Cusack last September, Jenkins said, "Well, we are happy that he has kept us in the Football League. "Avoiding relegation on the last day is not really a success, though. "It is a big relief, but we wish we had accumulated the points sooner. "Brian made the point, and we as a board would reiterate, that Swansea City FC must never find itself in this position again. "It's easy to say that straight after the event, but we must sit down to find a way of making sure it really doesn't happen. "Financially, the club is back on an even keel and I'm optimistic about the future, but we have to continue to plan ahead sensibly. "I can assure you that there will not be a pot of gold for the manager to spend in the summer - there will be no big contracts or big wages handed out. "This is one of the things that we have to discuss with Brian. "We have to reach agree-ment on how we can work within certain parameters." Asked about speculation linking Molby or Burrows with a return, Jenkins insisted, "That is absolute rubbish. No one has been approached. "The possibility of Brian being replaced has not been discussed." Despite the uncertainty, just two days after the biggest result in the Swans' 83-year league history, Flynn stressed he was anxious to start building for the future. "I want to remain in charge - I have plans for next season and plans for three years down the line," he said. "But to do that my future needs to be sorted out quickly. There is a lot of talking to do over the next 48 hours." He continued, "Look at the football world at the moment - things are tight and you can't just say `I want this' and `I want that' - there has to be give and take. "But I would like to keep the bulk of the squad - assuming the bulk want to re-main. "These are things that need to be discussed as soon as possible."

Tuesday, May 06, 2003 I just want to go on holiday and forget about football

Western Mail James Thomas opens up to Mario Risoli about that hat-trick, why he couldn't sleep afterwards, how the phone never stopped ringing and his need for a week in the sun THE man whose goals will put him down in Swansea City football folklore last night described it as the best day of his career ... but revealed how what he needs most is a get-away-from-everything holiday. James Thomas spoke as the magnitude of what he had achieved to keep the Swans in the Football League began to sink in. Thomas' hat-trick in the 4-2 Vetch triumph over Hull ensured the Swans didn't make the dreaded drop into the Conference ... and that he didn't have to dip into his pocket once for celebratory drinks as fans queued up to say "thank you". Thomas also explained how his mobile telephone had not stopped ringing since the game. But he revealed the anguish of the Swans' nightmare season at the foot of the table had taken its toll and how he was just looking forward to a summer break in the Canary Islands. Thomas is the toast of his home town but said he can't wait to go to Fuerta Ventura for a week this month. "It will be so nice to relax and forget about football. I can't wait. I just want to get this season out of my system," explained Thomas. "After the season I've had, I'm really looking forward to the summer break." Twice in the first-half before a packed and nerve-wracked Vetch crowd, Thomas kept his nerve from the penalty spot to score, before completing the first hat-trick of his professional career in the 57th minute. His efforts ensured that Exeter, not the Swans, went down to the Conference - and set up the party of parties for the players and the fans at the city's Pitcher and Piano bar in Wind Street on Saturday night. "The players were there at 8pm but there were loads of fans too. I don't know how they found out we had agreed to meet there," smiled Thomas. "People were buying me drinks throughout the night. Everyone was so chuffed. It was the best day of my career." Reflecting further on his golden weekend, Thomas went on, "I didn't get much sleep on Saturday night. I went to bed at around midnight and fell asleep straight away, but I woke up at 4am and I couldn't get back to sleep after that. "I was so excited. I was thinking about the game time and time again. It still hasn't sunk in, to be honest. "Personally, I was really nervous going into the game. I've never been so nervous. It really kicked in on Friday when we saw the TV cameras at the ground. "Then it really hit home how big the Hull match was. I didn't get much sleep that night, I can tell you. "It was a massive game for every player at the club, but especially for the local ones like myself. We've got to show our faces in Swansea for years to come and we didn't want to be part of the Swansea team that took the club out of the league." Thomas continued, "I'm not nervous once I'm out on the pitch. At Rochdale last week I was OK during most of the game. But when I came off with 20 minutes to go, I found it difficult to watch the rest of the match." With Exeter only needing a point to remain up if Swansea lost, Brian Flynn's men were just 65 minutes away from relegation when Hull midfielder Martin Reeves put the visitors 2-1 ahead after 25 minutes. Thomas had earlier given the Swans the lead from the penalty spot and had to do it again. "The first penalty was easier than the second. I felt a lot more pressure with the second one," said Thomas, who brought his tally for the season to 15 on the weekend. "We were 2-1 down and it was incredibly important we scored. It was hard, but I tried to shut out everything around me and just concentrate on making a good connection with the ball. "But I remember one second I could hear this din inside the ground, then when I placed the ball on the spot there was total silence. It's a lot of pressure, but you've got to deal with it. "Whenever we've had a penalty I've taken it because if I let someone else take it and he misses I wouldn't be able to forgive myself." Recalling the scene in the dressing room before the Swans ran out onto the pitch for their 3pm date with destiny, Thomas said, "Brian Flynn did really well. He made us re-"He tried to keep us calm and in a positive frame of thought. He calmed the situation down. "He said we knew what the match meant to everyone in Swansea. He said he had confidence in us and that we would win." Thomas and his colleagues didn't let Flynn down, winning a thrilling - if nerve-wracking - contest. "It was an unbelievable feeling after the final whistle. People were celebrating as if laxed. we had won the league," said Thomas. "But we mustn't forget we were really celebrating for the wrong reasons. "When I got back to my car after the game and turned my mobile on it was filled with text messages and messages on the answer phone. "For two hours after the match my phone was red hot." Thomas arrived at the Vetch from Blackburn last summer after loan spells, but admitted, "I never thought we would have a season like this. I never want to go through something like that again. "When I came to Swansea everyone was talking about promotion. But I don't regret joining. In a strange way, maybe it has been a good experience. "It should make us better players and we should be able to handle any pressure that comes our way." Thomas, with virtually the entire first-team squad at the Vetch as well as the management, is out of contract - but he would like to remain with the Swans. "A lot depends on the manager and his situation because he's also out of contract. Once his situation is sorted out then perhaps mine will be, too. "There's a good spirit in the dressing room and the future looks bright if we can keep talented players like Roberto Martinez and Leon Britton and perhaps make a few new signings as well."

Monday, May 05, 2003 GOING THROUGH THE EMOTIONS

The Times TOM DART stood on the terraces and took notes at the Vetch Field on Saturday 3PM: Kick-off at the antiquated, anxious and packed Vetch Field. A win for Swansea City over Hull City and they will preserve their league status; anything less and Exeter City could survive at their expense. This is not so much a match as a mincing machine for emotions. 3.06: Leon Britton, the tiny Swansea winger on loan from West Ham United, hurtles into the area and is brought down — isn't he? For a few painful seconds the referee's decision is unclear. Then the celebrations of the Swansea players reveal the news: penalty. 3.07: James Thomas, the leading goalscorer, will take it. Formerly at Blackburn Rovers, the 23-year-old has supported Swansea, his hometown club, all his life. More than 9,000 people focus their eyes and hopes on one man. “Get in you bastard!” someone behind me murmurs. Thomas's low shot sends Alan Fettis the wrong way. Talk about a dream start. 3.09: Talk about a defensive nightmare. Lee Jenkins should boot a through-ball halfway to the Gower Peninsula but he fails to clear and Stuart Elliott runs on to slot past Neil Cutler. The atmosphere blackens instantly. Not even the mood of the most hormonal teenager could swing so rapidly and dramatically. Jenkins berates himself. “Come on, do it all over again,” someone urges. “You've just got to be patient,” another advises. 3.18: Word filters through that the Exeter game has kicked off 15 minutes late, which could work to the Devon side's advantage. “Everything is against us, isn't it,” one man moans. The tension is obviously getting to the elderly gentleman on my right, who paces on the spot and is chain-eating a packet of mints. 3.25: Michael Howard allows a cross to go under his foot and Martin Reeves nips in to finish: 2-1 to Hull. There's a sign at the top of the steps in the main stand that reads: “Think! Your actions could relegate the club.” Right now it seems it would have been better placed in the home dressing-room. The stadium is numb. The chants of the Hull fans, all 192 of them, echo eerily. “That must have been the worst ten seconds of my life,” one man sighs: a moment before the goal he heard that Southend United, Exeter's opponents, have missed a penalty. 3.33: The team look deflated. The atmosphere is pancake-flat. Hull almost score again; they probably should have. Swansea have lost their way; someone needs to do something. 3.43: And he does! Although it's the referee, not a player, who offers Swansea the chance of a turning point Out of nothing, a penalty is awarded for handball against Justin Whittle. It's a generous decision. Here comes Thomas again: several people around me can't bear to watch. It's a poor effort but Fettis is unable to save it. Given what happened shortly after Swansea scored their first, joy isn't quite unconfined, but joy there certainly is. Half-time and the Swans are staying up once more. 4.08: Swansea begin the second half like their jobs depended on it Which, since all but one of the squad is out of contract in the summer, they probably do. Hull fail to clear a cross and Lenny Johnrose pokes in from six yards to make it 3-2. Relief and belief course through the stands. The man watching the match with his young daughter from the roof of his house looks pleased, too. 4.16: Thomas is clean through, 25 yards out. Arrogantly, insanely, he opts to chip Fetus and the ball loops perfectly over the goalkeeper's dive and into the net Several thousand ecstatic, astonished people leap and bounce on the terrace, paradoxically dumbstruck and raucous. Young striker scores hat-trick to keep his boyhood team in the League? I think we've found our hero. Symbolically, the rain that had fallen incessantly for hours stops and the sky grows brighter. “There'll be a lot of twists and turns yet,” the man to my left cautions. But there aren't. The nerves slowly seep away. 4.52: The final whistle: 4-2 to Swansea. Fans flock on to the pitch and mob their heroes, making their way to the front of the main stand to celebrate. Scarves are waved, middle-aged men do silly jigs on the muddy grass and a hundred mobile phone conversations tell the news. Someone even charges around thrusting his crutches into the air. It was a day for miracles, after all.

Sunday, May 04, 2003 Hat-trick hero now local legend

Wales on Sunday THEY did it. The Swans avoided the dreaded Swan-song - but not without the mother of all rides on the rollercoaster of emotions. Penalties, defensive clangers, and a glorious 35-yard pearler of a goal, made up a script that probably wouldn't be dismissed by the most imaginative of film makers. But most importantly of all for Swansea City, there was a happy ending. Local boy James Thomas played the starring role. His hat-trick included two nerveless spot-kicks and that pearler and - thank goodness - Wales wakes up this morning still with three Football League clubs. A cause for national celebration no doubt. The blow would have eventually been felt from the Menai Bridge to Monmouth had the worse case scenario come true. But Swans fans didn't give a damn about the good of Welsh football last night. Theirs was an unbridled joy that the club they love will continue to exist as they have always known it. The lights have not gone out at the Vetch Field. The Football League status they have enjoyed since 1919 remains in place. There was almost the sense too that it was not the time or the place at 5pm yesterday, to start thinking about the longer term. How Swansea prevent themselves from ever again becoming embroiled in this flirtation with the most dreaded precipice of them all is something that will obviously need to be addressed by whoever manages the team next season - and the board. No doubt, the feeling that yesterday's do-or-die situation was the culmination of more than 20 years of mismanagement off the field at Swansea City was voiced by more than a few fans and pundits. But there was no time for reasoned debate amid the ecstasy that greeted this victory. It could only have been more tension-filled had we been forced to await the outcome from St James's Park, where Exeter's match with Southend had been delayed by 15 minutes. Not a bit of it. By the closing 10 minutes it was clear the Swans were safe and the misery to end all miseries had been averted. Those in the home ranks looking for omens could not have been pleased to see the slate grey sky and teaming rain that settled over the city around lunchtime. As kick-off approached Swans fans were still streaming up the steps on to the North Bank. Those already there had been releasing their nervous tension by bouncing around to pop songs and singing over and over again about being "Swansea 'til I die". Referee Scott Mathieson wanted to delay the kick-off after learning about events in Devon. But the police demanded the match go ahead as scheduled. Question marks about mid-table Hull's motivation were partially answered after just 28 seconds when front man Ben Burgess was booked for a lunge on Swans keeper Neil Cutler who had come out of his box to clear. But there then followed a breathless opening 10 minutes. Swansea dominated most of it with some high-octane stuff and deserved to open the scoring in the sixth minute with a James Thomas penalty. Busy midfielder Leon Britton won it, when he forced one of a gaggle of Hull defenders to trip as he embarked on a wriggling run into the right-hand side of the area. Visiting keeper Alan Fettis guessed correctly that Thomas would place it left-footed into the same corner, but the former Blackburn striker's effort was too accurate just inside the post and Vesuvius erupted all around. Yet, as so often happens, the sucker punch surfaced within just two minutes. Lee Jenkins made a mess of dealing with a nothing through ball and Tigers marksman Stuart Elliott ran through to slot the equaliser. The celebration balloon had been well and truly popped, the crowd volume turned down a good few notches. Yet the Swans still looked dangerous going forward and had Thomas's cross to Nugent in the 12th minute not been fractionally behind the former Cardiff man's head it would have been 2-1. In the 25th minute though, oblivion moved a step nearer for Swansea - and it was down to another defensive clanger. Michael Howard looked in no trouble as he prepared to receive a harmless looking square ball played across the edge of his box. Somehow, though, he allowed it to skid across him and Martin Reeves gratefully collected and chipped over the advancing Cutler. It was a hammer blow, and the realisation that both goals were down to unforced Swansea errors only added to the growing despair. As the interval neared, the pattern had come full circle. Hull's stature had increased, the Swans' confidence appeared to be draining away. And the tension boiled over seven minutes before the break. Jenkins allowed Elliot to get the better of him from close range and although Cutler scrambled to save, the keeper vented his fury on his teammate who responded with interest. Captain Martinez intervened as the corner loomed, but the incident said it all about the Swans' fear of impending doom. Then in the 44th minute Brian Flynn's side got a slice of fortune to level the score when referee Mathieson ruled, rather harshly, that defender Dean Keates had handled in the area as Thomas tried to round him. The penalty was dispatched and a vital lifeline had been grabbed at a crucial stage. And just short of the hour mark, the Swans forged into a two-goal lead. The third came from Lenny Johnrose, who pounced from close range in the 48th minute after Hull failed to clear a Martinez free-kick. And when Thomas intercepted a sloppy defensive square ball nine minutes later, his lobbed finish from 30 yards into the top corner sparked delirium. The helter-skelter nature of the first half meant that nothing was guaranteed at that stage, but the relief around the Vetch Field created by a two-goal cushion was tangible. Swansea held out and deserved to do so - and the party went on long into the night. What matters now is that the club never allow themselves to get into this position again. Scorers - Swansea City:J Thomas pen (6), pen (44), (57), L Johnrose (48). Hull City: S Elliott (8), M Reeves (25).

Sunday, May 04, 2003 Swansea City stay up

Wales on Sunday Swansea City are safe - they will play in the Division Three next season. They secured three points today, beating Hull 4-2 in the most vital game of the club's history. And the drama in front of nearly 1,000 fans at the Vetch saw local boy James Thomas score a hat-trick. He gave the Swans an early lead after just seven minutes with a penalty by James Thomas. But Hull took advantage of some poor Swansea defending and goals by Stuart Elliott and Martin Reeves gave the visitors a 2-1 lead. The Swans needed some good fortune and got it with the awarding of a dubious second penalty with Thomas again scoring from the spot to make it 2-2 at half time. Soon after the re-start Lenny Johnrose got a vital goal to give Swansea the lead again. Then, in the 57th minute, Thomas hot his hat-trick and the Swans had justly earned their survival in the Football League. A relieved Director of Football Brian Flynn said afterwards: "I am just delighted. We did it in style. In years to come, people will remember this game. There were all heroes out there today. I am absolutely delighted. Flynn said he was already planning for next year and said: "This situation must not happen again."

Saturday, May 03, 2003 Fergie factor can swing it for Swans

Western Mail BRIAN FLYNN last night revealed how Sir Alex Ferguson has been helping to pep up Swansea City in their fight to keep their Football League status. Ferguson spoke to his friend Flynn in the build-up to tomorrow's win-or-bust Vetch showdown with Hull, telling him, "Be positive and you will do it." The Manchester United manager has also been in regular contact with Alan Tate, the defender he has loaned out to the Swans, to guide him through the toughest week of his football career. Flynn said countless big-name figures from the football world have contacted the club this week to urge them to win their relegation dogfight. But Swans fans will be hoping the Fergie factor is an ace up Flynn's sleeve as he seeks to lead his team to the victory which would stop them dropping into the Conference, and condemn rivals Exeter instead. Flynn smiled, "I can't say Alex was specifically giving me tips ... because he's never had to deal with relegation before!" But he went on, "Joking aside, Alex knows what it takes to win massive football matches he wished me the best and said he really hopes we get out of it. "Alex said, 'Be positive, keep doing the right things as a manager and I'm sure you will be OK.' "Alex has also been speaking to Alan Tate to give him a similar message. It's great that someone who has enough on his plate at the moment, like winning the Premiership, should take time out to give some thought to Swansea City's position. "But that's a measure of what Alex is like. Hopefully, things will go right for the pair of us this weekend." Flynn and Ferguson have been friends for several years, building up a rapport as board members of the League Managers' Association. But Flynn pointed out that the good-luck messages had been bombarding the Swans from throughout the country. "There have been too many to even begin to mention names," said Flynn. "Let's just say the phone hasn't stopped ringing with senior football figures wishing us the very best. "The support we've received has really given us a boost in what's such an important week for everyone here." So, armed with some Ferguson advice, can the Swans do it? "It's going to be our own cup final, and we're really up for it," declared Flynn, who led his former team Wrexham to numerous cup triumphs. "This game is a bit like a one-off too, because of what's at stake. What I can say, without any shadow of a doubt is that the mood in the dressing room is a good one. "When we lost to Exeter over Easter it would have been easy for the players' heads to drop. But that hasn't happened. On the contrary, we bounced back with a superb win at Rochdale last weekend. We need one more huge effort - but with our fans roaring us on, I'm sure we can do it." Flynn's players have been promised a free sunshine holiday if they win their battle and keep the club in the Football League. The extra incentive of a celebration trip to the Balearic Islands has been made by the club's main sponsors, the Travel House group. "The entire city is behind the players for this crucial game and we wanted to give this extra reward for securing victory," said a Travel House spokesman.

Saturday, May 03, 2003 Remember the spirit of '81

Western Mail BRIAN FLYNN last night called for Swansea City fans to evoke memories of Leeds, 1981, when their Nationwide League existence goes on the line tomorrow. The game - the Swans' first match in the old Division One - has gone down in Vetch folklore after John Toshack's side thumped Leeds 5-1. Ironically, Flynn was playing for Leeds that day and still recalls the fervent atmosphere generated by the passionate Swans fans. Tomorrow, of course, his foot is firmly in the Swans camp as Flynn tries to guide his team to the victory over Hull which will determine whether the club keeps the Football League place it has had since 1920. Speaking to The Western Mail on the eve of the crunch clash, Flynn said he hoped there would be one notable comparison between tomorrow's Division Three finale and the opening encounter of the 1981-82 season against his former club. "The atmosphere at The Vetch on Saturday will be like Swansea against Leeds, the club's first game in Division One," he said. "That's what I'm anticipating and that's what I'm hoping for. I remember what it was like playing that day ... the Swansea fans were incredibly passionate, unbelievable really. "There will be another bumper crowd inside The Vetch - as many as 10,000 people - and it could be Leeds all over again." Certainly, Flynn would be delighted with a similar out-come to the time when the Swans ripped into their expensively-assembled opponents in front of the partisan Vetch supporters. "Swansea tore into Leeds that day - Bob Latchford got a hat-trick and Alan Curtis got the last one - and we were sent home with our tails between our legs," said Flynn. "If we could have a similar performance and a similar response from the crowd against Hull, that would be fantastic." Those dizzy heights of Division One football seem light years away to Swans fans faced with seeing their club slip into the realms of non-league football for the first time. Flynn believes it is for those supporters that the Swans must get the three points they need against Hull to prevent that nightmare scenario becoming a reality. "It's impossible to speak too highly of the fans," said Flynn. "They have been fantastic this season - home and away. "Look at the support they gave us against Exeter at Easter - they were with us from start to finish. "No one wanted to leave the ground. No one was saying `That's it, we've lost this one.' They wanted to cheer us on to the final whistle. "I tell the players that, and I will do so again before the Hull match. "I say to them, `That lot stick with you through thick and thin.' Let's give them something back. Let's do this for them." In a week in which the London media have descended on the Vetch Field to engage Flynn in an endless round of interviews, the Swansea boss could be excused for getting a little ruffled. But the former Wrexham manager has prepared for the biggest occasion in Swansea's history with the demeanour of a man whose side are grasping for a place in 1the play-offs. "I'm fine, my nerves are OK at the moment," he said. "I will probably have butterflies, but I won't let them get the better of me. "In football management, you know you are judged on results. And if you get too high when you're winning or too low when you're down, you start making wrong decisions. "Emotionally, I've tried to keep myself on an even keel. I have a responsibility to the players to do that. "As a manager, you have to protect your players as best you can and try to keep things ticking as normal. "That's what we've done this week. People say, `It's a big game, so why don't you do this or that.' But players are creatures of habit. They like routine, so we have kept things consistent." And Flynn emphasises he has "absolute confidence" in those players to get the right result from tomorrow's nerve-wracking finale. "It is not a matter of `if' we remain in the league, but `when' - I am confident of that," said the former Wales star. "Look at what happened at Rochdale last Saturday - after two defeats over Easter, a lot of lesser teams would have crumbled. "It was such a massive game, the players could have thought `Hang on a minute, we've lost two on the trot, what hope have we got?' "But that wasn't their response. They showed that character that I keep referring to, the reason I've believed that we will be OK." But, given the sweeping changes Flynn has made since inheriting the Swans from Nick Cusack last September, did it really need to come down to the last game? "Yes, I always knew it would - finishing third from bottom was the aim when I joined the club," he said. "Look at what was here. Look at the changes that needed to be made. "Twelve players is a lot to bring in. We brought in the youngsters before Christmas - Leon Britton, Alan Tate, Marc Richards - and it was not until the New Year that the experienced players arrived. "When we were some way adrift at the bottom, I said 45 points would be the target. "That meant we needed something like 27 points from our last 20 games. We had to set a target we could achieve and we have done that." Though it will doubtless hinge on the outcome of tomorrow's epic encounter, Flynn said he was already mapping out plans for Swansea's future. "I won't give away any secrets, but I've got work set out for the summer. There's a lot to be done," he said. "I'm not contemplating anything other than success at the weekend. "After that, I will move forward in a positive frame of thought."

Saturday, May 03, 2003 ALL OR NOTHING

Evening Post Sir Alex Ferguson has led a host of a major names in wishing Swansea City well in their make-or-break Third Division survival clash with Hull City tomorrow. Brian Flynn has revealed that the Manchester United manager is among a long list of footballing luminaries to have sent good luck messages to Vetch Field this week as Swansea prepare for the biggest game in their 83-year Football League history. ''I spoke to Sir Alex a couple of days ago. We discussed the situation we are in and he wished us all the best," said Swansea's director of football. ''There have been so many messages, too many to mention in case I leave someone out. ''But I will say that they have come from the very biggest names in British football.'' Flynn's side go into the crunch encounter knowing that any result matching that of relegation rivals Exeter - who host mid-table Southend - will guarantee their Third Division status. And the Swansea camp have been boosted this week by the unexpected return to fitness of Jason Smith after a hamstring problem. Swansea's club captain is battling to dislodge Kristian O'Leary from central defence in what seems the only possible change to the team which started at Rochdale last weekend. ''The future of Swansea City is on the line because going into the Conference is not like any other relegation," added Flynn. ''The Vetch is not going to be a place for the faint hearts tomorrow. ''We need to win and there's a sell-out crowd coming to watch us. We must be brave. ''This is a bigger game than all the others because there are no more chances after this. ''But I don't think there's any need to hype it up for the players. They know how important the game is and they must try to stay calm.'' A crowd of 10,000-plus - the biggest at the Vetch since the Third Division title was won in 2000 - is expected and, with gates opening at 1.45pm, the club have called on supporters to turn up early. Around 300 tickets were made available to Swansea fans at the club shop this morning after extra seats were rushed in from the Morfa Stadium yesterday. Flynn continued: ''We've had a good week in training after the win at Rochdale and we're looking forward to Hull now. ''The lads have done well to get us to the situation we're in going into the final game. I'm sure Exeter would swap places with us." With nothing to play for after another season of underachievement, Hull will give late fitness tests to impressive strikers Ben Burgess and Jon Walters (both knee). "Swansea is a difficult place to go at the best of times, and now they are fighting for their lives it's going to be a real battle," said boss Peter Taylor, who aims to arrive at the Vetch early tomorrow after missing the first 55 minutes of the midweek defeat at Rochdale because he was stuck in traffic.

Saturday, May 03, 2003 THIS IS THE REAL THING, SAYS ROBERTO

Evening Post Only once before this week has Roberto Martinez seen such a severe case of football fever strike a city - and that was during his time in Europe's most-hyped league. The sole Spaniard to don the white shirt of Swansea City in 83 years of Football League life has been thinking of home in the build-up to tomorrow's relegation decider against Hull City. "The only game I have seen like this was when I was at Real Zaragoza," Martinez revealed. "I was a young kid, about 18 or 19, just starting my career, and we had to beat Murcia at home on the final day of the season to stay in La Liga. "There was huge excitement around the city and a rush for tickets. Everyone was looking forward to the game. "The city was breathing football and there was the same spark within the squad that I have seen this week at Swansea. "The players took that positive feeling into it and we won 4-2 and stayed up." The interest in what promises to be a nail-biting contest has not been confined to South West Wales. Reporters from Channel Five, Radio Five, Sky Sports, BBC One's Football Focus and ITV1's On the Ball have all been at the club this week, while all the national newspapers will have a man in the Vetch Field press box tomorrow. A repeat of the result during Martinez's days at home in Catalonia and he will have completed the mission he assigned himself when Brian Flynn plucked him from Walsall reserves back in January. A polished performer both on the football field and in front of the cameras - he works part time as a pundit for Sky Sports - he is unlikely to be without offers when his short-term deal at the Vetch expires after tomorrow's game. And while a home win will be the cue for a fiesta of celebrations among Swansea's fans, there will soon be a tinge of sadness if Hull proves to be Martinez's last game for the club. "I'm not sure if it will be or not right now," the 29-year-old added. "I was playing in the First Division four months ago, but there is potential here for Swansea to reach that level if there is direction and a bit of support for the gaffer. "If the club wants to achieve things and be successful I would love to carry on playing for Swansea, but for now we have to concentrate on saving the club from relegation. "We have had a hard job just to get ourselves in the position where it is in our hands to stay up going into the last game of the season. "Now we are there we just need one more win. We'll be doing it for every single family in Swansea tomorrow when we play Hull. "I'm looking forward to winning the game and being the happiest man on earth come 5pm."

Saturday, May 03, 2003 PRESTON '81 - THIS REALLY WAS THEIR FINEST HOUR

Evening Post If the Conference nightmare comes true tomorrow, Swansea City will be the first club who have lived the high life to plunge all the way to the stricken land of non-league football. As yet, no side which has been in the First Division has later found itself way down to the fifth rung of the ladder; another indicator that Brian Flynn's Swansea face the club's biggest game since John Toshack's men went to Preston 22 years ago. The trip to Lancashire had been regarded as the most important in the club's 83-year Football League residency - until now. But whatever the outcome of tomorrow's relegation decider against Hull, the memories of Preston '81 will live on. ''I was speaking to Alan Curtis this week and we were saying it must be the first time there have been queues for tickets going round the Vetch since we were playing,'' said one of the local lads from the halcyon days, Jeremy Charles. ''They were happy times, obviously, and Preston was the greatest day of all. ''Like now, we knew we had to win our game and we couldn't rely on anybody else if we were going to get into the First Division for the first time ever.'' He continued: ''The number of people who travelled up from Swansea for the game was incredible and the atmosphere at the ground really was superb. ''We made a tentative start to the game but Leighton James scored a superb goal and that really settled us down. ''Tommy Craig got a second and it was looking good for us at that stage but then they got one back and the nerves started again.'' The Preston resistance was not unexpected - they needed to win the game to stay in Division Two and piled on the pressure after Alex Bruce's goal brought them back into it. But their hopes of survival were killed off when Charles, now a youth coach at Southampton, produced the goal which sealed the ultimate promotion. ''It was nice that Robbie (James) and Alan were involved in the build-up because it was three of the local lads,'' added a smiling Charles, who rejects his team-mates' suggestion that he had been attempting to whack the ball into the stand behind the goal to waste time rather than shoot into it. ''Once it came onto my left foot there were a few fans ducking behind the goal, but all the boys knew it was going in.'' Swansea-born Charles is one of many stars of yesteryear - including a large chunk of the Preston side - who will be at the Vetch hoping for another Welsh win tomorrow. He added: ''The good thing is they know that if they win, they will be safe. "I hope they do, because the thought of Swansea City going out of the league is horrific."

Saturday, May 03, 2003 COATES IS DREAMING OF WINNER

Evening Post Jonathan Coates completes his Swansea homecoming tomorrow hoping to enter club folklore. Coates, re-signed from Woking on transfer deadline day on a non-contract basis, makes his first start at Vetch Field since being released last summer and is all too aware of what a win would mean to the city. ''This means everything,'' said the Morriston-born midfielder. ''All week people have been asking how much it means and to me just to be part of it is fantastic. ''I made my full comeback last week against Rochdale and hopefully I did enough to play a part tomorrow. ''This has to be the biggest game in the club's history. Everyone knows that we have to win and that's what we have to concentrate on. ''We cannot allow our thoughts to drift off to what Exeter are doing, it's all about what we do and our performance. And no matter how it comes we just want to win.'' With a full house at the Vetch, Coates is expecting a cracking atmosphere tomorrow and knows just how important the fans can be against Hull. And in an ideal world he would like to repay them with the winning goal. ''I will be dreaming of that tonight,'' he said. ''But just to be a part of it and look back in a few years' time and say 'I was involved' will be great. ''If we're not winning at half-time people have to remember there are still 45 minutes to go. We all have to be a bit patient. ''The crowd were fantastic last week against Rochdale and they will be the same tomorrow. ''They make enough noise when there is 5,000-6,000 there - just imagine what it will be like with 10,000. ''The atmosphere will be electric and we just want to give them something to shout about. ''Obviously we would like to play well and score a few goals, but at the end of the day it's the win that counts no matter how it comes.''

Friday, May 02, 2003 HIT BY FIST, BOOT, COIN, BUT WHAT A GREAT DAY

Evening Post Steve Jones was hit by a fist, a boot and a coin at Rotherham United this time three years ago, but he remembers the trip to Millmoor as one of the finest days of his career. John Hollins's Swansea City were in South Yorkshire for the last game of the 1999-2000 Third Division season. When the fixtures had been revealed the previous summer, it would be fair to say, few mouths had watered at the prospect of Rotherham away on the final day. What little they knew. Rotherham against Swansea turned out to be second versus first and, with both sides already guaranteed promotion, the title decider. ''To be fair to the manager he got us winning a lot of games, even if some people didn't like the way we did it,'' recalled Jones, one quarter of Swansea's miserly back four that year. ''We didn't score many goals, but we defended really well as a team and Roger Freestone kept a lot of clean sheets. ''We got stronger and stronger as the season went on and were promoted when we beat Exeter at home, but that wasn't the end of it. ''There was a huge amount of pressure going to Rotherham to win the Championship because we didn't want to lose out to them at the last.'' With Jason Smith injured, Jones switched from his regular right-back role to the centre of defence for what proved to be a stormy contest. The Millers had just had a player sent off when Swansea were awarded a penalty in the 89th minute. Rotherham were reduced to nine men when Brian Wilsterman saw the game's second red card for some all too vigorous complaining about the spot-kick decision, before Matthew Bound eventually smashed home to put Swansea ahead. Supporters of both sides ran onto the pitch after the goal, the visitors' jubilance provoking rage within the home ranks. Once police horses had cleared the field of play, Rotherham won a penalty when Jones was controversially adjudged to have fouled Lee Glover in front of the home end and another invasion ensued. As well as being hit by a coin, Jones was kicked and punched by a Rotherham follower amid the chaotic scenes. A 10-minute break in play followed before Glover levelled the scores and, after three minutes of injury time, the final whistle signalled that Swansea were champions. ''The ref lost it at the end and it turned into a farce,'' Jones added. ''I suppose what happened to me just showed the passion of their fans and while it was a great feeling to get the point we needed, it would have been much better for us had the game been in Swansea. ''We were looking over our shoulders even when we were presented with the trophy, then we got on the bus and heard on the way home that (supporter) Terry Coles had been killed by a police horse before the game. ''That got everyone down and meant we didn't really celebrate.'' Now playing for Cheltenham, Jones, who will be back at Vetch Field next Tuesday for Roger Freestone's testimonial, will have his fingers crossed for his old club this weekend. ''Swansea are far too big to go out of the league,'' he continued. ''I think the fans will have a big part to play in the Hull game, and I wish everyone all the best on Saturday.''

Friday, May 02, 2003 I'LL PRAY FOR YOU

Western Mail John Charles, one of the finest footballers Europe has ever produced, today backed Swansea City to win their Third Division survival fight. Charles, the Cwmbwrla boy who made his name at Leeds before conquering Italy with Juventus, believes Brian Flynn's side can avoid the unthinkable prospect of non-league football by beating Hull City on Saturday. ''I will be praying for them,'' said Charles, "and I think they will do it. ''They have to beat Hull and I don't see any reason why they shouldn't.'' Charles, who was on the Vetch field ground staff as a teenager and had a spell as Swansea's youth coach during the 1970s, continued: ''The situation the club is in saddens me. ''All teams have their ups and downs, that is the nature of football. But Swansea cannot be relegated. ''The number of great players who have come from Swansea or played for the club is unbelievable. The area is a stronghold of football and it must have a league team." There is still hope, meanwhile, for any Swansea fan who missed out on a ticket for Saturday's game even though all 9,370 allocated to home fans sold out on Tuesday. Because of the huge demand, at least 100 extra tickets, possibly as many as 260, will go on sale on a first come, first served basis at the club shop at 9am tomorrow. Seats from the Morfa Stadium were today being shifted to vacant areas in the East Stand and Family Stand at the Vetch. ''It is very annoying that we can't put home fans in the West Terrace when only a few hundred Hull fans are expected to travel but we had to bow to police advice for safety reasons," said Swansea director David Morgan. ''We contemplated erecting a fence down the middle of the West Terrace so it would house half Hull fans and half Swansea, but scrapped that idea because of time restraints. ''Filling the spaces in the Family Stand and East Stand, where seats that were there have been removed, means more supporters will be able to see Saturday's game. ''We can't say exactly how many there will be. It's a question of how fast the work can be done. ''But we are very grateful to Swansea Council for allowing us to use the seating from the soon-to-be demolished Morfa Stadium.''

Thursday, May 01, 2003 HUTCHISON FEARS FOR SWANSEA

Western Mail Tommy Hutchison fears the worst - and that Swansea will tumble out of the Football League on Saturday. The former Scotland winger had a spell at the Vetch Field as player and manager as is saddened by the club's fall from grace. Swansea entertain Hull in their final match and currently stand just one point ahead of Exeter, who host Southend. One of those clubs will be joining Shrewsbury in the Conference next season. They lost their status on Tuesday following a home defeat by Carlisle. Even though Swansea, under experienced coach Bryan Flynn, carved out a victory at Rochdale last week, Hutchison can only see dark days ahead. "I have got a really bad feeling about Saturday," he said. "I believe Hull could cause us some damage. "They are an ambitious club, who will want to end the season on a high. "I can see Exeter getting the victory they need over Southend. "If Swansea do go out of the league, then the future is bleak. "They have enough difficulty attracting players at the moment because of their geographical position and the lack of money about the place. "So that situation is going to be even worse next season if they are not playing in the Third Division and I am not sure how the club will recover." Swansea have been on a shaky financial footing for a number of years and finished 20th in the table last season. Yet they have had their moments and 20 years ago were playing top-flight football with a dressing room littered with international players. Hutchison said: "Swansea is a club with tradition - a club that has achieved things. "No disrespect to Exeter, Carlisle or Shrewsbury but they have never gained that kind of success. "Having spent time with Swansea I know how much the club means to the fans. Even if they are doing moderately well you can bank on 7000-8000 supporters. "But the financial side has not been right for years and they've had a series of managers, which has not helped stability. "You can only go to the well so often and perhaps Swansea are now paying the price. "It saddens me as I have a lot of affection for the club as I do for all the teams I played for. "The fans have had to put up with a lot and I hope for their sake Swansea stay up but I have my doubts."

Thursday, May 01, 2003 TOSH WINNER SEALS IT

Evening Post Alan Curtis wishes he was playing in Saturday's relegation crunch with Hull City. For the Swansea City coach has seen final-day deciders before, and he reckons being on the pitch is vastly preferable to sitting in the stands. ''Certainly I would rather be a player than anything else this weekend,'' said Curtis, who partnered Alan Waddle in attack when Swansea beat Chesterfield 2-1 on the final day of the 1978-79 season to win promotion to the old Second Division. ''This game is going to be much worse for me than when we beat Chesterfield. ''Of course there is pressure and tension as a player when you're going into big games like this, but they are the luckiest people of all this Saturday because they are the ones who can determine what happens. ''They can tackle someone, play a good pass or shoot while the rest of have to sit there and watch," he said. Then the most sought after striker in the lower divisions, Curtis was in the thick of the action as more than 22,000 packed into Vetch Field hoping to see Swansea seal a second consecutive promotion. At first things did not go exactly according to plan - a corner from Chesterfield's Phil Walker curled all the way into the home side's net just 13 minutes in. ''We never seem to do things easily,'' Curtis added. ''Chesterfield was a game we had to win, and there was a massive crowd at the Vetch who were all expecting us to do that. But we went a goal down." The tension levels had moved up a notch, and diminished little even when the free-scoring Alan Waddle equalised. A draw would not be enough for Swansea, and their young player-manager opted to bring himself off the substitutes' bench in place of Brian Attley with 20 minutes remaining. It was Boys' Own stuff. "The stage was set for Tosh to come on," Curtis continued. "Knowing we had to win, we really went for it and he scored from a cross by Danny Bartley which seemed to hang in the air forever. "It was a far-post header and Tosh was great in that situation - he headed it back across the 'keeper where it came from and we knew from that moment it was going to be our night. "It was a great occasion just like Saturday will be. "The good thing is that our destiny is in our own hands. "When we played Chesterfield we knew a win would take us up, and now we know that a win will keep us up. ''Hopefully we'll get the same result."

Thursday, May 01, 2003 DASH FROM RUSSIA TO SEE HEROES PLAY

Evening Post A Swansea City fan is planning a dramatic 48-hour dash from Moscow to watch his heroes battle for Football League survival on Saturday. Nick Rees, from Mayals, Swansea, works at the Russian headquarters of an international motor company and usually follows the club fortunes on the Internet but is determined to be home for the vital game with Hull City, He has vowed to be at the Vetch and has told his bosses he will be back at his desk in Moscow on Monday. But he plans to fly into Heathrow on Friday night and then to jet back again on Sunday. Tickets have sold out. But the club have promised to keep him one if he makes it. His return fare is £650, and is hoping other long-distance supporters can help him with a lift to and from Swansea. Nick said: "I can't really afford it, but it would be just too hard listening to the commentary on Swansea Sound on the internet. "The problem is that is one of the biggest holidays of the year in Moscow and everything closes down, but I am hunting round for a cheaper way of getting back." Another Swans fan who can't make it home is planning a party in a bar in Madrid where Welsh exiles can either celebrate or drown their sorrows depending on the result. Defeat could see the club go out of the league unless relegation rivals Exeter lose their last game. A Finnish fan is planning his first trip to Swansea. Club director David Morgan said: "We will have our usual contingent of overseas supporters."

Thursday, May 01, 2003 MATCH JINX JACK GETS VETCH BAN

Evening Post Swansea City have banned one of their most loyal fans - because they reckon he is a jinx. Despite working in London, Steve Godrich has still managed to watch the Swans 10 times this season, and has seen them lose on nine occasions. Things have become so bad 27-year-old Steve, a project manager, even signs himself Mr Pessimism on the fans internet website. Now his friends, his policeman dad Mike, and even the club have told him to stay well away for the final match of the season against Hull City on Saturday. Club spokesman Peter Owen said today: "Normally we welcome all the support we can get, but we are aware of this man. Just for this one match he can consider himself banned." His father, community Sergeant Mike Godrich, who first took him to The Vetch more than 20 years ago, said: "He is a jinx and I have told him to stay away. Like everybody else I want the Swans to avoid relegation and stay in the league. "There will be 350 police on duty for the match and I will be circulating his description to every one of them just in case he has any ideas about coming down on the quiet and trying to get in." But sad Steve has promised that he will stay at home in Stevenage, listen to the match on the radio, and follow the scorers and results sequence programme on television. He said: "Apart from the game against Shrewsbury every time I have managed to go and see them around the country this season they have lost. "I am a Jack through and through, but everybody seems to think it would be better if I stay away, so I won't be within 200 miles of Swansea on Saturday. If the Swans win you will find me on the floor of a pub somewhere in Hertfordshire."

Thursday, May 01, 2003 Flynn's men face Tigers mauling in revenge bid

Western Mail PETER TAYLOR plans to push Swansea City into the Conference - and settle an old score with Brian Flynn - when he brings his Hull side to The Vetch on Saturday. The Tigers have nothing left to play for, but former England boss Taylor has told his team to show no mercy when they arrive in South Wales for the last game of the season. Taylor watched his side slump to a 2-1 defeat against Rochdale on Tuesday and is demanding an immediate improvement - regardless of what that would do to Swansea. "I don't want people putting their feet up in this game - I want us to win it," said Taylor, who succeeded former Swans boss Jan Molby in the Hull hot-seat earlier this season. "It's a chance for us to get back on track after the Rochdale result and to finish the season strongly. "Swansea are fighting to avoid relegation but, let's be honest, I don't think they will expect us to go there and give anything less than 100 per cent. "It's going to be a battle and, as such, gives me an opportunity to learn a lot about my players." Taylor is also seeking revenge for a result four years ago that deprived his Gillingham side of automatic promotion to Division One. On the final day of the 1999-2000 season the Gills needed a win against Flynn's Wrexham to clinch a place in the top two, but a Dragons victory condemned Taylor's men to the Second Division play-offs. "We got promotion in the end, but I could have done without the nerves of the play-offs," smiled Taylor. "Perhaps this is a chance for me to repay the favour!" However, the former Leicester, Southend and Brighton manager is most concerned with achieving a decent end to a season that promised much but delivered little. The expensively-assembled Tigers were tipped to win promotion, but chronic inconsistency has left them stuck in mid-table. And Swansea will draw strength from the fact 13th-placed Hull have only won five games on the road this season. "The Rochdale game summed up our season," said Taylor. "We gave away two poor goals and had a hill to climb in the second half. It's that and a lack of consistency that has put where we are."

Wednesday, April 30, 2003 EX-SWANS BOSS GETS NINE-MONTHS PRISON

Evening Post A Man who shocked the football world when he became manager of Swansea City for just six days has been jailed for nine months. He conned his way into picking up a huge mortgage by claiming he was on a huge salary. In reality, the court was told, he had money worries. "These were acts of blatant dishonesty," Judge Desmond Perrett QC told 44-year-old former nightclub boss Kevin Cullis (pictured right). "This was a series of dishonest dealings," he added at Wolverhampton Crown Court. "It was dishonesty to improve your position in life." Cullis was manager and chairman of the West Midland Amateur Club Cradley Town when he was put in charge of Swansea in 1996. But after just six days at the Vetch Field he resigned with the Swans - then a Second Division team - still bottom of the table. Cullis, a father-of-three of Acres Road, Dudley, West Midlands, admitted attempting to obtain a £96,000 re-mortgage by deception. He also admitted four char ges of obtaining more than £21,000 credit from finance companies by deception. Bernard Linnemann, prosecuting, told the court Cullis applied for credit by inflating his income - claiming he was a £36,500-a-year marketing consultant. "There is no doubt you were short of money and in some difficulty," the judge told Cullis. "You certainly inflated your income to get the finance companies to take a risk on you and extend to you credit facilities." Cullis, he added, had received facilities that would not have been available had he told the "full truth and not a string of lies". Michael Morris, defending, maintained Cullis had made regular payments to the credit firms and there had been no complaints. "He accepts his actions were illegal but he clearly had the financial means to meet the monetary payments required," he said. Mr Morris said it would not benefit society if Cullis, who was incapacitated by a back problem, was given a custodial sentence. "He realises he must never put himself in such a position again but, at the time, no-one was going to lose. He is still adamant he can clear all outstanding monies through lawful means." The court was told Cullis had two sons currently serving "significant" prison sentences - a blow that had already piled considerable punishment on the family. The reign of Cullis as Swansea City manager was one of the shortest tenures in football history.

Wednesday, April 30, 2003 JASON COULD BE BACK TO FACE HULL

Evening Post Swansea City skipper Jason Smith could make a shock return from injury in Saturday's relegation cliffhanger with Hull. The influential centre-back was originally ruled out for the season after limping out of the 3-1 defeat at Leyton Orient on Easter Saturday. But it now appears 28-year-old Smith could shake off his nagging hamstring problem in time for this weekend's must-win meeting with the Tigers. ''Jason's hamstring has healed faster than we expected and if he does not train today he will do tomorrow,'' director of football Brian Flynn explained. ''There's a chance that he may be fit for Saturday and that would be a welcome boost.'' Flynn has no fresh injury concerns following last Saturday's nail-biting victory at Rochdale. Top-scorer James Thomas, who played for just over an hour at Spotland after passing a late fitness test on his ankle, reported some soreness in the same area yesterday. But Swansea are hopeful that their 12-goal striker will be okay for the weekend. Mid-table Hull's season is meandering to a close after another campaign of underachievement. Pre-season title favourites, the Tigers parted company with boss Jan Molby in October after a slow start and never really recovered. They have found some form of late under Peter Taylor, though, and club captain Justin Whittle today pledged that his side would be fully committed on their trip to South Wales this weekend despite the irrelevance of the game as far as they are concerned. ''It's going to be a battle at Swansea because they are fighting for their lives and need to win,'' said centre-back Whittle, whose side have notched four victories in their last six matches. ''They will be right up for it, and we are going to battle hard because if we don't we could be on the end of a beating. We are playing for our futures too.'' With Carlisle the visitors to Gay Meadow tonight, bottom-club Shrewsbury are now 1-16 favourites with bookmakers Jack Brown for the drop. Exeter are 2-5, Swansea 7-4 and Carlisle 9-2 outsiders. Meanwhile, Centre Stand and East Stand tickets for Saturday's game sold out yesterday. There are a few still to go in the Wing Stand and the Family Stand, while the North Bank is not yet full to capacity. With the club shop open at 9am this morning, though, Swansea say all 9,370 home tickets will be gone by tonight. ''No regular fan who wants to see the game should miss out because tickets have been on sale for three weeks and we have advertised that fact in the media, in match programmes and over the Tannoy at the Vetch,'' said director David Morgan.

Wednesday, April 30, 2003 JIMMY HERO OF HOUR

Evening Post The parallels between this Swansea City season and the club's 1984-5 campaign are marked. Two men in charge, umpteen different players used and a final-day cliffhanger to avoid relegation. Eighteen years ago, they did it. Fred Davies, Swansea's current goalkeeping coach, was assistant manager to John Bond back then. ''John and I arrived (after Colin Appleton's departure) in December and we had to try to turn the place round - just like Brian (Flynn) and Kevin (Reeves) have done this year,'' he recalled. ''We brought in a lot of new players in the second half of the season because we had to.'' The Bond-Davies team were charged with arresting the decline which had started with relegation from the top flight in 1983. They signed the likes of Paul Price, Ray McHale, Derek Parlane and Gary Williams in a season when a club record 36 players played for Swansea in the league. That record stood until this season - Jonathan Coates's second Swansea debut on Easter Monday taking the tally used by Flynn and predecessor Nick Cusack to 37. A 3-2 victory over Bristol Rovers meant Bond's side needed a point from their last game of the season, against Bristol City, to avoid what would have been their third consecutive relegation. ''Just like now the game was completely sold out and the fans really got behind us,'' Davies continued. ''The big crowd produced a great atmosphere and it was a thrilling game. It finished 0-0, and (goalkeeper) Jimmy Rimmer kept us alive. ''One save he made in front of the away end was absolutely unbelievable. I remember turning round to somebody in the dugout after that and saying it was going to be our day." Rimmer, who had been dropped earlier in the season by Bond, had somehow reached a shot from Bristol City's Alan Walsh on an inspired night for the once-capped England international stopper. Davies added: ''The players did a lap of honour at the end and they had earned it. ''Then someone came into the dressing room and said the fans would not go until John and I had made an appearance. ''We came out to the directors' box and gave them a wave and that was it. We'd stayed up. Hopefully it will be just the same this Saturday."

Wednesday, April 30, 2003 JUST ONE TO GO

Evening Post Swansea City are left with a straight fight with Exeter to decide who bows out of the Nationwide League after Carlisle condemned Shrewsbury to the Conference last night and guaranteed their own survival in the Football League. Swansea director of football Brian Flynn was at Gay Meadow to see the fall of his old Welsh team-mate Kevin Ratcliffe whose Shrewsbury side, needing to win their last two games to stand any chance of staying up, were beaten 3-2 in front of a crowd of more than 7,000. That result still leaves Swansea needing to win their last game against Hull on Saturday to be sure of keeping their Third Division status and Lee Jenkins believes they will be inspired not overawed by a sell-out crowd. Defeat or a draw would leave the door open for Exeter, who play Southend, to leapfrog over them. There were suggestions after Swansea slipped up in front of more than 9,000 at Vetch Field against Exeter on Easter Monday that the bumper attendance had been more of a hindrance than a help. But full-back Jenkins, one of Swansea's star performers in the nail-biting relegation run-in, believes a full-house of Welsh fans will only assist Flynn's side. ''Having a big crowd spurs you on rather than puts pressure on you,'' the 23-year-old said. ''I know in the Exeter game I wanted to go out and do it for the fans. ''Unfortunately we didn't win then, but we must get it right this time against Hull. ''We did all we could last weekend by winning at Rochdale and now it's going down to the wire as everyone said it would. ''It's a huge game. You want to go out and be a hero but at the same time you don't want to make a mistake. ''So the players just have to stick together and get behind each other and then we will all come through." All 9,370 home tickets for what promises to be a nail-biting encounter have now gone, with the last sold late yesterday morning. And Swansea coach Kevin Reeves is another who feels the capacity home crowd will increase the chances of a Swansea win. ''The fans during the Exeter game were patient and they got behind us all the way to the end," he said. ''They have been phenomenal during the last two or three months. It's a huge boost for the players having the sort of support we've been getting and we want that to continue. ''The fans have a huge role to play this weekend." Club skipper Jason Smith may also play some part after completing a light training session yesterday. Smith, whose hamstring problem had been expected to keep him out for the rest of the season, will step up his training today in a bid to prove himself fit for the weekend.

Wednesday, April 30, 2003 Escape act edges Swans nearer drop

Western Mail SWANSEA CITY'S battle to escape relegation suffered a blow last night when survival specialists Carlisle completed another escape act by hammering the final nail in sorry Shrewsbury's Nationwide League coffin. Distraught Shrews fans called for former Wales captain Kevin Ratcliffe to go after his side's seventh successive league defeat condemned them to non-league football for the first time in 53 years. As far as Swans are concerned, this was a result they desperately didn't want. It means only Brian Flynn's men and Exeter will be left battling the dreaded drop on the final day of the season. The Swans swapped places with Carlisle, but remain one point above the Division Three drop zone as they count down to the biggest game in their history on Saturday. At least things were made painfully clear. Should Exeter avoid defeat against Southend at St James' Park and Flynn's men lose against Hull at the Vetch - a near sell-out after the club yesterday sold their allocation of 9,370 tickets the Swans will join Ratcliffe's side in the Conference next season. Flynn, who chose to be at Gay Meadow rather than run the rule over Hull in their clash at Roch-dale, said, "It's a disappointing result for us because it means Exeter are now the only other club who can go down. "A Shrewsbury win would've been the best out-come for us - that would have kept both them and Carlisle involved and the more teams who were in it on Saturday, the better. "But we just have to deal with it. As I've said all along, we want to do this ourselves, so we musn't be relying on Exeter to slip up at the weekend." The Shrews have suffered an alarming slide since their FA Cup giant-killing against Premiership Everton in January, with some supporters even tracing their demise back to their 2-0 defeat at the Vetch in November. Flynn said, "As a friend and fellow manager, I have sympathy with Kevin - we're all in this together and no one wants to be relegated. However, I have to look at things in a professional manner. At least now there is only one relegation place to be filled." Ratcliffe, capped 59 times by Wales but now facing excursions to such places as Northwich and Telford - assuming he is still in charge next season - was dejected. Little wonder given this season has produced two superb cup runs - an appearance in the LDV Vans Trophy northern final as well as the success against his former club Everton - yet gone so horribly wrong in the league. As his side nose-dived down the Division Three table, Ratcliffe was desperate to avoid a repeat of the scenario three years ago when Shrews-bury left it until the final day of the 1999-00 season to clinch survival, results elsewhere then preventing them being thrown on to the League scrap heap. After last Saturday's 3-0 defeat against Hartlepool left them five points adrift at the bottom, however, Ratcliffe would have been grateful to have had that chance again. But Carlisle, themselves no strangers to last-minute flirtations with the Conference, ensured there was to be no such luxury. The thousands of Shrews fans crammed into this tiny stadium on the banks of the River Severn were put through the emotional shredder in the first-half as Nigel Jemson's penalty on the half-hour mark was cancelled out four minutes later by Carl-isle's Brian Wake, who then made it 2-1 with his second. A hush descended over the ground when first Wake completed his hat-trick five minutes into the second period and then Ratcliffe's side were reduced to 10 men when Ryan Lowe was red-carded for feigning a head-butt minutes after coming on as a substitute. Luke Rodgers gave the Shrews brief hope when he pulled a goal back six minutes before the end, but it was too late for them. A sad end for Shrewsbury ensures the most nervous of finishes for Swansea on Saturday.

Tuesday, April 29, 2003 Richards could extend Swans stay

Teamtalk Marc Richards could make his loan move from Blackburn to Swansea permanent after revealing he has been released by the Premiership side. Richards, who has been at Vetch Field since November, came off the bench to net a vital winner for the Swans in a 2-1 win at Rochdale on Saturday. He is enjoying his football in Wales, and has not ruled out staying at the club. He said: "It was hard for me, but I think it's going to be for the best because if I did stay there I wouldn't get much first-team football like I am here. "Staying at Swansea if we stay up is an option, at the moment I'm more or less a free agent. "I've been on loan now to four places, but I've enjoyed this one far more than the others. It's been magnificent, the fans are brilliant and the people at the club are great."

Tuesday, April 29, 2003 NOW GET READY FOR THE HULL TORTURE CHAMBER

Evening Post Swansea City are offering 90 minutes of torture for anything from £10 to £14 next Saturday. They are expecting around 10,000 takers. After a season of torment, a painful-to-watch win at Rochdale means the final-day relegation decider Brian Flynn has so often predicted since arriving at Vetch Field back in September is now upon us. A nerve-jangling hour and a half at the end of nine months where the black clouds have rarely broken will decide whether the sun comes up over Vetch Field this summer. Hull City, mid-table under-achievers who have found some form of late, are the team who must be beaten if Flynn's class of 2003 are to guarantee Swansea's stay in the Football League extends beyond 83 years. "It's simply a huge game," said the director of football who, though he never admitted it, must have wondered privately if the survival fight would even get this far with his malfunctioning side six points adrift in the bleak midwinter. "It will be passionate, it will be tense and it's the sort of game that is fantastic to be part of. We have to look forward to it and relish the challenge ahead. All the right noises from the boss, then, but the only way the most important contest in Swansea's history is going to be enjoyable is if his side go 4-0 up in the first 10 minutes and victory is sealed Considering that they have not scored more than three in a game all season, it is probably safe to rule that eventuality out. What is much more likely is the sort of gripping, nigh on unbearable, fare served up at Spotland on Saturday. "You're on an emotional rollercoaster out on the pitch," revealed Lee Jenkins, a player who has been with Swansa since his teenage years and is doing as much as any other in the final push to ensure the drop is averted. "One minute you're ecstatic because you have scored and then you're at the other extreme because they have equalised. The shift in your feelings is unbelievable. "It's so tense out there because you don't want to be the one who makes the crucial mistake." There was no danger of Jenkins slipping up at Rochdale, for he was the leading light in a gutsy performance which kept Swansea's fate in their own hands. Courtesy of Exeter and Carlisle, who both notched notable away wins of their own on Saturday, anything less than a maximum would have left Flynn's men relying on the results of others to keep them alive this week. They clung on, just. Rochdale, a team in dreadful form but not quite being considered in the relegation picture thanks to happier times in the first half of the season, bombarded Swansea's penalty box late on as if defeat would send them down. Flynn may still be thanking his lucky stars today that four minutes into injury time and four yards from Neil Cutler's goal, the ball dropped to Dale's 18-year-old centre-back Simon Grand rather than one of the four strikers they had on the field by that stage. He scooped over, and every Welshman in the ground exhaled. They had jumped for joy only 18 minutes into the contest when Kevin Nugent found space at the back post to head Roberto Martinez's measured delivery back across home keeper Matthew Gilks and into the corner of the net. Indeed, the healthy band of away support were only silenced once in the contest before the nailbiting end, when Gareth Griffiths rose high to meet David Flitcroft's free-kick and level the contest just before the break. If Swansea had shaded the first half, Rochdale came roaring back in the second and somehow failed to go ahead when Jenkins diverted substitute Darren Hockenhull's cross shot on to the post. Another couple of hairs on his head turning grey, Flynn replaced James Thomas with Marc Richards and the key moment arrived. Having missed a couple of chances in the depressing defeat by Exeter on Easter Monday, the 20-year-old striker reponded to being dropped by scoring with his first touch just 60 seconds after coming on. It was not the cleanest of volleys, but the two classy centre-forwards in Swansea's management team, Messrs Curtis and Reeves, were not about to criticise. They were too busy dancing a jig on the touchline. "Leon dinked the ball in, I peeled off the centre-half and it just dropped on to my left foot," said the beaming Richards, a right-footer by trade. "At first I thought it was going to hit the post but it rolled on to it and then over the line. It felt like it took about two hours to go in - I didn't mean to hit it quite that slowly - but when it did it was an amazing feeling." Richards should have doubled his delight and calmed visiting nerves when he raced clear amid the injury-time onslaught but shot straight at the keeper and, luckily for Swansea, his solitary strike proved decisive. And so on to Hull, a game both Jenkins and Richards conceded would be the biggest of their careers. "Monday and Tuesday will not be too bad, but by Wednesday and Thursday we will really start to switch on for the Hull game," added Jenkins, a veteran of Swansea's Championship-winning 1999-2000 season. "We will be breaking our backs in 90 minutes of football to make sure Swansea City stay in the league. We just have to win. "I know I'll be thinking about it all week - you don't just go home, switch the Playstation on and forget about everything after training. "There has been a lot of fretting this season and for me, next Saturday will be more important than when we won the title because this club must be in the league somewhere. "This is a bit of history we're talking about. We might not get a medal for it, but staying up will be more pleasing than winning promotion was. "If we can do it, I imagine there will be a few cans of beer cracked open next Saturday night." With the sleeping pills required through the week, the champagne is on ice. Who said that you get nothing for finishing 22nd?

Tuesday, April 29, 2003 BIGGEST GAME IN HISTORY OF SWANS

Evening Post Brian Flynn looks set to abandon the formation he swears by when Swansea City play the biggest game in their history this weekend. The careers of Flynn and many of his players could hinge on next Saturday's meeting with mid-table Hull City at Vetch Field, when Swansea must win to guarantee Nationwide League survival. And after switching his tried and tested - and sometimes frustrating - 4-4-3 formation to 4-4-2 in the gripping 2-1 victory at Rochdale over the weekend, Swansea's director of football seems certain to stick with the more conventional set-up for the relegation decider. ''It was a little bit of a risk but we decided to play a bit tighter in midfield and felt that having Michael Howard, Jonathan Coates and James Thomas in the side gave us better balance,'' he explained. ''We have got no natural width in the squad so we asked Leon (Britton) and Coatesy to play out and push further forward whenever they could." ''It worked at Rochdale because Leon did produce the quality ball for the winning goal.'' On-loan striker Marc Richards, who later revealed he had been released by parent club Blackburn and would be a free agent in the summer, supplied the finish to Britton's cross just 60 seconds after coming off the bench. Having led through Kevin Nugent, Swansea were pegged back by Gareth Griffiths just before the break and desperately needed the winner given that relegation rivals Exeter and York were both on their way to impressive away victories. Shrewsbury, the other side in contention at the bottom, will be relegated if they fail to beat Carlisle at home tomorrow following their 3-0 beating at Hartlepool on Saturday. If Kevin Ratcliffe's side can end a miserable run of 14 games without a win, though, all four struggling sides will be in the relegation mix come the last day of the season. ''We all know what the outcome of the Hull game will mean so it really is massive," added Flynn, who plans to be in Shropshire to see Swansea's fellow strugglers in action tomorrow night. ''We put in a very brave performance at Rochdale - the lads responded magnificently after two defeats over Easter. ''Now we must do the same against Hull. We have always said it would come down to this game and we have always said we wanted to stay up ourselves rather than rely on others. ''We will not be doing anything special in the build-up - footballers are creatures of habit and they don't like change. ''What we have to do is prepare properly and then we will be ready to get the result." Tickets for the Hull game went on general sale at the club shop today.

Tuesday, April 29, 2003 Huge demand from fans for tickets

Western Mail SURVIVAL-fever gripped Swansea yesterday as thousands of fans snapped up tickets for the make-or-break home clash with Hull City. The Third Division club, fighting to retain their Football League status, only have 2,000 tickets remaining for the biggest game in the club's history on Saturday. More than 7,000 tickets were sold yesterday and there were queues outside the Vetch from 9am-4.45pm. Tickets are still available for the East Terrace and North Bank while "a handful" re-main for the Wing Stand and Family Stand. But the Swans expect the home allocation of 9,370 to be sold out by the end of today. Club spokesman Peter Owen said, "It has been frantic. There were queues on Williams Street, just out-side the ground, all day. "It was our busiest day since we played West Ham in the FA Cup four years ago. "We are extremely grateful to the fans who are rallying around the club in its hour of need. "We all know the importance of having a Football League club in the city." Brian Flynn's men will avoid the dreaded drop into the Nationwide Conference if they beat the mid-table Tigers. The Swans are scrapping with Carlisle, Exeter and bottom club Shrewsbury Town to stay in Division Three. Carlisle, level on points with Swansea but below them on goal difference, will secure league safety tonight if they win at Shrewsbury. Exeter are a point behind the Swans but they will stay up if they draw or win against Southend on Saturday and Swansea lose. Flynn's side handed themselves a lifeline on the weekend when they beat Roch-dale 2-1 at Spotlands. Former Wales defender Kevin Ratcliffe will find himself in charge of a Conference club tonight if his Shrewsbury side fail to beat Carlisle at Gay Meadow. The Shropshire outfit are five points adrift at the bottom of the table and need nothing less than a win to keep their fading survival hopes alive. Ratcliffe, who watched his Blues escape the drop on the last day of the 1999-2000 season, has seen his side go into free-fall after their famous FA Cup win over Premiership high-flyers Everton in January. Since beating the Toffee-men in the third round of the cup, Shrewsbury have won just two league games - and lost 11. "Nobody wants the Conference at all - not the supporters, not the players and not the board," said Ratcliffe, the subject of quit rumours if Shrewsbury do go down. "My players have got a chance to get it right. We've got to want to do it. "At the moment we're in a dogfight and we've got to get out of it. It does hurt me to be in this position. "We've got ourselves into this position as we've had games we should have won. We are where we are because we haven't done it over the season." Added Ratcliffe, capped 59 times by Wales, "I never come into work like a bear with a sore head because it's a great job to come into. "There's different ways you can take your mind off things when you need to. You try and find things that occupy your mind and that maybe playing snooker or golf or doing a bit of garden-ing."

Monday, April 28, 2003 Flynn's cautious message

Teamtalk Swansea chief Brian Flynn has urged his side to remain calm after seeing them grab a vital 2-1 away win at Rochdale. With two of the three teams below them also winning, it could prove a crucial three points for the Swans. He said: "It was a very brave performance after the disappointment of last weekend. I've said before that we would have to go to the last game of the season against Hull and get something, and that's what we'll have to do. "This week is so important. We're not going to get carried away because the job is not done yet. If you panic your decision making becomes clouded. We've got to stay calm and remain consistent."

Monday, April 28, 2003 Swans set for their date with destiny

Western Mail IF only Brian Flynn could have bottled the emotion that poured from his Swansea City players following this crucial win against Rochdale. It should not be needed, but an extra dose would come in handy before Flynn's men contest what has turned out to be the biggest game in the club's long and proud history in five days' time. Saturday is D-day. The big one. The Vetch Field has seen some remarkable matches down the years, but Swansea against Hull on May 3 will be like no other - history guaranteed to be made regardless of the outcome. A win and the Swans save themselves from dropping out of the Football League for the first time since a 3-0 defeat against Portsmouth on August 28, 1920, heralded the start of their participation. Anything less and the fate of a club that 21 years ago stood shoulder to shoulder with Manchester United and Liverpool in the top flight of football will hinge on events in Exeter, Carlisle and, possibly, Shrewsbury. Regardless of what happens at Gay Meadow tomorrow - when hapless Shrewsbury face Carlisle in the last-chance saloon - Flynn's men must win against Hull to guarantee Football League survival. How vital it was that Swansea set the stage for Saturday's nerve-jangling finale by taking three points from a Rochdale side who could yet be dragged into the relegation equation. The relief was almost tangible after the Swans made up for their inexcusable Easter defeats with a win that keeps them out of the bottom two - just - and ahead of Carlisle on goal difference. And Flynn, whose side went ahead through Kevin Nugent and claimed the winner through substitute Marc Richards, insists that emotion must be channelled into "fin-ishing the job." "All the players have got to do before taking the pitch against Hull is remember the feeling after the final whistle at Rochdale," he said. "They must take that feeling into the Hull game. Channel that emotion into a game which will determine whether, in six days from now, we are still a League club." Few of the 10,000-plus supporters planning to be at the Vetch will share his sentiments, but Flynn said he would enjoy Saturday's do-or-die battle to avoid the drop. "It's impossible to under-estimate the importance of the game," he said. "Everyone is aware what hinges on it. "It's going to be passionate, it's going to be tense. But it's a game to look forward to and a challenge to relish. "It has been tough, but I'm coping. I'm managing to sleep at nights. And I have never panicked. Had I started to panic, it would have clouded my judgement." Flynn's judgement at Spot-land was to switch to a rare 4-4-2 formation, pushing James Thomas and Jonathan Coates down the left and allowing Leon Britton to explore the opposite flank Kevin Nugent's first-half goal was cancelled out by Gareth Griffiths, before substitute Richards - barely on the pitch for a minute - stuck out a leg to convert Britton's deep cross for the winner. The travelling supporters performed renditions of `Bread of Heaven' and `The Jacks are staying up...', but that could depend on how Exeter - just one point below the Swans - fare at home to Southend on Saturday. And, of course, on whether former Wales captain Kevin Ratcliffe can dig his Shrews-bury side out of a very large hole against the Cumbrians tomorrow. A win for the seem-ingly-doomed Shropshire side could be the best result for Flynn's men. It would bring Shrewsbury back into the shake-up, but prevent Carlisle moving three points clear of the Swans and Exeter. Whatever the outcome of this intriguing contest, a win against Hull is imperative. "We've said all along that we want to do it by ourselves," said Flynn. "A draw might not be good enough. We have to go into the game with nothing less than victory on our minds."

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