SCFC2

The Premier Information Site for Swansea City FC

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Referees
    • Match Previews
    • Match Reports
    • Betting Tips
    • Man of the Match
    • Blast from the Past
    • Swansea City on This Day
    • YJB Focus
  • Forum
  • Papertalk
  • Prediction League
  • Rumours
  • Travelling Jacks
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Articles / My Personal Top 10 Swans Results in History – Part 2

My Personal Top 10 Swans Results in History – Part 2

October 8, 2013 by Jim White

As I start part two of my personal top ten Swansea results I’ve realised that I’ve not included any of the matches under Roberto Martinez. This is not intentional and the style and quality of football he introduced was exceptional. I have so many happy memories of watching the Swans under his leadership and I was devastated when he left. However while the Martinez era definitely took the club to the next level and prepared us for the success we now enjoy there were no games that could quite break into my top 10.

Swansea v Nottingham Forest 2011

After finishing in third place we’d got a 0-0 draw away at Forest despite playing the whole game with 10 men. We deservedly took a two nil lead but in fairness Rob Earnshaw played the pantomime villain role perfectly by pulling one back and nearly getting an equalizer. And then Pratley scored THAT goal.

Importance of game It was a stepping stone to the promised land. It guaranteed our first visit to the “new” Wembley and a bumper pay day even if we lost. If we won though – well that was something different altogether. 4/5
Unexpected result They were a good team but after the first leg there was a great sense of self belief amongst players and fans. 2/5
Away and/or against bigger opposition We were home and the fact they saw themselves as the bigger club made victory sweeter. 2/5
Emotional Context It was the match when the Liberty finally became home and the crowd flooded onto the pitch after the game. 4/5
TOTAL

12/20

Swansea v Reading 2011

I was so pleased it was Reading and not Cardiff we were playing. Not that I didn’t feel we could beat Cardiff – it was just that the hype of the “£90M” match didn’t need the extra stress, hassle and nonsense that goes with a derby. We made a weekend of it with the whole family joining together, partly to support the Swans and partly to remember my dad, who had passed away the day after the play off semi-final.

After the game and the celebrations we found ourselves in Chinatown and while waiting to be served in a restaurant I got chatting to a Reading fan eating quietly with his wife. He was a nice guy and although clearly gutted he felt the better team had won. While I was talking we were called upstairs and the family shouted to me. I shook his hand. “Got to go” I said “We’re going up”. I didn’t mean it like that (I meant upstairs to eat) but you should have seen the look on his face!

Importance of game If Swansea’s journey was a film (as it soon will be) then this was clearly the climax. We were on the brink of completing the rags to riches story and everyone knew that financially victory would change everything. 5/5
Unexpected result I think after the semi-final there was a feeling that we would shade it. We had finished above Reading in the league and had done the double over them. 2/5
Away and/or against bigger opposition It was Wembley so we were both away. As in 1994 size wise we were well matched. 2/5
Emotional Context Personally, the game wasn’t as important to me as the Hull match. Yes things would change forever if we won and we would be the first Welsh club in the Premier League. But if we didn’t win we would still have a club and one that would be in a position to challenge again in future years. However, the loss of my dad meant there would never be a more emotional match. 5/5
TOTAL

14/20

 

Swansea v Liverpool 2012

This might seem a strange game to include given that it was really a meaningless end of season fixture. But in reality it was far more than that – it was a celebration that we had defied the odds and the critics and succeeded in the Premier League without compromising our style of football. Glorious weather, thousands of Elvis impersonators; a sweet victory and finally a much deserved lap of honour by the players and their families. Life was perfect – and then the bugger left us to manage Liverpool!!!!

Importance of game The season was over and we were safe. Yet victory would see the Swansea climb a couple of league places which brought additional financial rewards far in excess of those from cups runs and finals in previous years. 2/5
Unexpected result It probably should have been unexpected but in reality I don’t think anyone was too surprised. 2/5
Away and/or against bigger opposition We were home but this was Liverpool after all. 3/5
Emotional Context This was a celebration and vindication of our club and our style. 2/5
TOTAL

9/20

Swansea v Bradford 2013

In some ways the day itself seemed a bit of an anti-climax. Unlike the 2011 play off final it lacked the drama and tension and it was absolutely freezing!! But it was our first ever major cup final and we were overwhelming favourites and, especially on such a wide pitch, there was surely only going to be one winner. We had done the hard work in previous rounds, knocking out Liverpool and Chelsea along the way. The match itself couldn’t have gone any better and a 5-0 win would have been greater if we had not (rightly) held back when 4-0 up and Bradford were down to 10 men.

Importance of game This was our first ever major cup final and it offered not just the opportunity to win but also the carrot of European football. 5/5
Unexpected result Not in the slightest on the day but it was very unexpected that we got there in the first place. 2/5
Away and/or against bigger opposition We were both away and we were overwhelming favourites. 2/5
Emotional Context Winning the League Cup was something that could never be taken away from us and marked another huge milestone in the club’s development. 3/5
TOTAL

12/20

Valencia v Swansea 2013

Ah, Spain in September. Flights to Benidorm with the family, followed by a few days sunbathing and a night out in Valencia for the game itself. It couldn’t really get much better could it?  Oh hang on – no money. So we all watched it on the telly instead.

Importance of game As the first of six group stage matches it will never go down as one of the most important games we would ever play. Symbolically however it was another milestone and further recognition of how far our club has come. 2/5
Unexpected result I don’t know if anyone thought we would win. Certainly no one thought we would win so comfortably. 3/5
Away and/or against bigger opposition Yes on both accounts. This was Valencia in the Mestalla after all. Twice Champions League finalists and six time La Liga winners. 4/5
Emotional Context We have our “great European result” – good enough to match, if not exceed, those celebrated by Cardiff; Newport and Wrexham. Well, it’s important to me anyway. 2/5
TOTAL

11/20

So there we have it, my personal top 10 best Swansea City results are in the following order:

Position

Match

Points

1.

Hull 2003

15

2.

Reading 2011

14

3.

Bradford 2013

12

Torquay 1988

12

N Forest 2011

12

6.

Huddersfield 1994

11

Valencia 2013

11

8.

West Ham 1999

10

9.

Liverpool 2011

9

Cardiff 1983

9

So to answer the original question, from my point of view Valencia is not our finest result ever. It ranks joint sixth only and you may not agree and looking at the table it surprises even me. In total these games span 30 years of the club’s history – which is making me feel just a little old as I write these words.

I never would have thought a 3-3 draw at Torquay would seem more important than the Autoglass Cup win at Wembley, or the Valencia win. But then while it didn’t have the glamour associated with those two games, it secured promotion at a difficult period and at the time I hoped it would be a new start for the club.

Ten games in 30 years only tells a small part of the story. I have missed out so many wonderful results and performances over the last few years (such as our first Premier League away win at Villa); the Football League Trophy win at the Millennium Stadium (and that goal from Trundle); the emotion of digging up a piece of turf with my son after the last ever game at the Vetch; winning 6-4 at Bradford (got that on video somewhere as well); the great 3-2 victory over Leeds in the Championship; and of course Premier League wins against Arsenal (home and away) and Man City. Oh and the League Cup victories at Chelsea and Liverpool of course.

That five of the 10 results have taken place in the last three seasons shows how wonderful these last few years have been and those of us over a certain age will never, ever, take it for granted. Here’s to the next 30 years!!

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Paul Ashley Jones

Advertisement

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

Advertisement

Find Us On

As featured on NewsNow: Swansea City news

Swans News 24/7

 


ScoopDragon Football News Network

Copyright © 2010-2019 SCFC2 · Privacy and Cookies · Terms and Conditions · Website developed by Majestic Media