The Welsh Sports Hall of Fame held its latest induction evening at the Parkgate Hotel in Cardiff, and the Vetch Field and Liberty Stadium were well represented. Of the new names added to the ‘Roll of Honour’, six have played for or managed Swansea City.
The Toshack Generation
The most emotional moment for Swans fans was probably the induction of Alan Curtis. Few players are as closely tied to one club. Curtis joined in 1972 and went on to serve Swansea as a player, coach, caretaker manager and honorary club president. He was the elegant talisman of John Toshack’s side that climbed from the Fourth Division to the First in just four seasons. He scored on the opening day of the club’s first top-flight campaign in August 1981 against Leeds United, the club he had left for £400,000 two years earlier. Alan collected his award in person.
Two of his teammates from that era were honoured posthumously. Leighton James arrived from Burnley in 1980 and helped power the Swans into English football’s top tier, with his flair and crossing at the heart of it. He is also remembered for the penalty that beat England 1-0 at Wembley in 1977. He died in April 2024.
Dai Davies, the former Wales goalkeeper, made his breakthrough at Swansea before a £40,000 move to Everton in 1970. He came home under Toshack to play First Division football for the club that gave him his start. A fluent Welsh speaker, he later became a respected broadcaster on S4C and BBC Radio Cymru. He passed away in February 2021, aged 72.
Two Men Who Steered the Club
Brian Flynn has a place in Swansea folklore as a manager. In 2003, the club was on the brink of dropping out of the Football League, and Flynn took charge and steered the Swans clear of relegation. It is not an exaggeration to say that the modern Swansea story, from the Premier League to European football, might not have happened without that rescue. Flynn also managed Wrexham for twelve years and, as Wales Under-21 boss, helped nurture Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen, Chris Gunter and Wayne Hennessey.
Chris Coleman is a Swansea boy. He made his debut for his hometown club in 1987, made nearly 200 appearances and won the Welsh Cup in 1989 and 1991. A career at Crystal Palace, Blackburn Rovers and Fulham followed. Ten years after leading Wales to the semi-finals of EURO 2016, his induction was one of the evening’s highlights.
A Swansea Women’s Connection
The Roll of Honour also welcomed Nia Jones, the dual-sport international who played football for Swansea City Women after spells at Cardiff City Ladies, Reading and Yeovil Town. She also captained Wales at netball, including at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. She is now a regular voice on BBC coverage of the national teams.
Joining the Swans in the Hall of Fame
The six new inductees join an impressive list of Swansea names already on the Roll of Honour:
- Ivor Allchurch, the “Golden Boy” of Welsh football and one of the finest players in the club’s history, who starred at Vetch Field in two spells.
- Cliff Jones, the flying winger who began at Swansea Town before moving to Tottenham Hotspur.
- Trevor Ford, the powerful centre-forward who started his career at Swansea.
- John Toshack, who took the Swans from the Fourth Division to the First as player-manager and, in doing so, made history.
- Terry Yorath, a player at the Vetch Field and later manager.
- Ron Burgess, the Tottenham and Wales great who managed Swansea Town in the 1950s.
- Ian Walsh, the Wales forward who also turned out in the white shirt during the club’s Division One days.
- Giorgio Chinaglia, the Cardiff-raised striker who began his career at Swansea before finding fame in Italy with Lazio.
A Proud Evening for Welsh Football
The night also marked the 150th anniversary of the Football Association of Wales, which received the ‘Rhodri’ award for its outstanding contribution to Welsh sport. Other football inductees included Jess Fishlock, Cymru’s first centurion and record cap holder; Joey Jones, Mickey Thomas and Brian Flynn from the 1976 EURO quarter-final team; and referee Mervyn ‘Sandy’ Griffiths, who officiated at three World Cups.
For Swansea City supporters, though, the evening was a reminder that the club’s story is woven through the history of Welsh football. Congratulations to all of the inductees.
Feature Image Credit: Kara Thomas/FAW