(And there's a good chance that he will........it's in the Fail) Swansea City v Hull City preview: Swans are heart-warming exception to rule of modern football Hull Daily Mail football writer Philip Buckingham explains why Swansea City are an inspiration to many football fans IN THE hypothetical search for the most envied club in the Premier League, there is a compelling case to be found at the end of the M4. Forget the impersonal empires of Manchester City and Chelsea, awash with their huge foreign investment, and look beyond league-leaders Arsenal, a money-making machine finally coming good. Manchester United perhaps? Let's keep it sensible, folks. No, it is Swansea City - hosts to Hull Citytonight - who the average football fan cannot help but admire. Because of where they originated and what they have become, the Swans are the heartwarming exception to modern football's rule. Since beating Hull City on the final day of the 2002-03 season to famously cling to their Football League status at the dilapidated Vetch Field, Swansea have become an inspiration to all those toiling in the backwaters. Frugally run without a penny debt and with lifelong supporters on the board, the football club from an unfashionable Welsh town has refused to take a backward step for over a decade. If finishes of 11th and ninth during their first two Premier League seasons were not enough, a historic win in the Capital One Cup final over Bradford last season has set up a Europa League adventure this season. A 3-0 win over Spanish giants Valencia was the stuff of fairytales in September. City are not a dissimilar club in many ways. Their own journey up from the basement of the Football League is certainly not shy on romantic appeal. Like Swansea, a tired old ground has been left for a prosperous life in new surroundings, providing a suitable home for the best years the club has ever enjoyed. The two managers, Steve Bruce and Michael Laudrup, are also true to admirable football beliefs and have assembled squads with enough talent to match the division's best on their day. Yet where the Tigers truly differ from tonight's hosts, it is a continued dependence on their owners. As the club's latest accounts showed last week, promotion back to the Premier League came at a cost of over £25m. Assem Allam's investment now stands at £72m and will rise again this season. The grass is much greener in the valleys. Swansea's most recent accounts revealed a profit of £15.3m and even had room for a £2m dividend for the club's shareholders. How Allam must long for those days. First must come sustained progress in the Premier League and tonight's trip to assess the Swansea blueprint at first hand is not one to fear. Ten years after meeting in Division Three, a first top-flight clash of the sides should offer the Tigers some hope. After a relentless schedule has seen them travel to seven of the Premier League's top eight this season, City must look at tonight's game as a far more realistic opportunity for a rare away point. Swansea are an accomplished side more likely to finish in the top half than the bottom three, but the inconsistencies of Laudrup's men this season have been exploited by others. Injury problems to the Swans' front line can only aid City, too. And if any further encouragement were needed this evening, the Tigers can reflect a victory of sorts over Swansea this season. Beating Swansea Bay to the UK City of Culture prize for 2017, it is already 1-0 to Hull. That said, few would be grumbling at a share of the spoils this time. http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Swan...-Swans-heart/story-20298261-detail/story.html
"... an unfashionable Welsh town" ... they'll be coming for you! My other half is from a small town near Swansea so I've been going down there regularly (the in-laws) for the last 15 years or so - as a 'city' it has changed dramatically during that time, huge development along the 'riviera' of plush new housing flats/apartments offices and, of course, the move from the old Vetch to share the Liberty with the Ospreys - the city centre could, admittedly, do with a spruce up - the shopping centre is a little dated - but overall the development of the football club has moved hand in hand with development of the City ... a far cry from my first Xmas down there when I went with my other half-s kid brother to watch them beat Barnet 1-0 at the Vetch in front of about 8,000... Graet article and who'd disagree with the model? - not me - fantastic achievement.
"in front of about 8,000" Bloody hell what a turnout Fosse! I remember there being less than 2,000 regularly. Great result for you guys last night btw. Draw was a fair result but you could have got all three points. We got lucky for a change.
Allam carries on from where Al-Fayed took off... http://thisisfutbol.com/2013/12/blo...ed-took-off-while-dave-whelan-joins-the-club?
Swansea only operate so well financially because of their strict policy on company cars and their usage.
... stay as calm as you can ... help is on the way ... if you start thinking you are walking through a long tunnel, stay away from the light!!!
