With West Ham United arriving at the Liberty Stadium on Monday afternoon, we thought we’d take a look back over the last 30 years and see how the Swans have faired when they’ve played at home on Boxing Day.
Prior to the 2014/15 season, you’d have to go back to the Roberto Martinez era for some festive joy at home, a goalless draw in the Championship against Coventry City in 2008/09 (which incidentally was the Swans 7th consecutive draw) and the 4-1 hammering of Cheltenham Town in 2007/2008, when the Swans were flying high at the top of Coca-Cola League One.
In fact the last time the Swans lost a home Boxing Day fixture was in 2002, when Bristol Rovers won 1-0 at the Vetch Field against Brian Flnn’s bottom of the table League Division Three Swans.
Were it not for the fact that the Swans current defence is leaking like a sieve, then the stats would perhaps provide some glimmer of hope prior to the arrival of Slaven Bilic’s Hammers and the aerial threat posed by that old nemesis of the Jacks – Andy Carroll.
That said, only two defeats in nine Boxing Day home games shouldn’t be scoffed at, with history at least giving some food for thought given the positive goal difference of the Swans having scored 15 goals, whilst conceding only 4.
Dare we contemplate a Boxing Day win for the third consecutive season?