Swansea City v Middlesbrough – Championship – 21-22 – Issue 24

SEASON 2021-2022

VERSUS

MIDDLESBROUGH Saturday, April 23, 2022 - Kick-off 3pm

ISSUE 24

JOMA-SPORT.COM PAGE 2

CONTENTS Page 11 - A Message from Matt Grimes

Page 18 - Meet the Opposition

Page 23 - Match Highlights

Page 34 - Q&A with Russell Martin Part I

Page 52 - Jack the Lad

Polite Warning: The British courts have now imposed a standard minimum three-year ban from all football grounds for football-related arrests – both inside and outside the ground. CCTV is currently in operation inside and outside the stadium, while police are also using handheld video cameras.

Offences include: obscene or racist chanting or gesturing; consuming alcohol in seated areas; continual standing in seated areas; aggressive behaviour; going onto the pitch; throwing of items; drunk and disorderly behaviour or under the influence of drugs. Please note there is also a no-smoking policy within the stadium. If broken, you could be ejected. Sales of goods inside and outside the stadium is prohibited unless via official registered sellers. The club badge is a registered trademark and unauthorised use of it will not be permitted. High-quality cameras are not permitted inside the stadium.

STUDY STUDY AT AT ASTUDIWCH YM SWANSEA MHRIFYSGOL SWANSEA UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY ABERTAWE WHERE BRIGHT FUTURES BEGIN

WHERE BRIGHT FUTURES BEGIN DISCOVER MORE DISCOVER

MORE >

DRWS I DDYFODOL DISGLAIR DYSGWCH FWY

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TEACHING EXCELLENCE & STUDENT OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK

FFRAMWAITH RHAGORIAETH TEACHING EXCELLENCE & &STUDENT DEILLIANNAU MYFYRWYR OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK

(The highest award for Teaching Excellence at UK universities)

(Y dyfarniad uchaf am Ragoriaeth Addysgu ym mhrifysgolion y DU)

(The highest award for Teaching Excellence at UK universities)

Chief Executive Julian Winter Board Of Directors Directors: Romie Chaudhari, Bobby Hernreich, Huw Jenkins, Jason Levien, Martin Morgan, Gareth Davies, Julian Winter, Jake Silverstein, Terry Sinnett, Sam Porter Honorary Club President: Alan Curtis; Associate Directors: David Morgan, Sian Davies Team Management Head Coach: Russell Martin Behind the Team Technical Development Coach: Matt Gill Goalkeeping Coach: Dean Thornton Head of Physical Performance: Matt Willmott Head of Medicine: Dr Jez McCluskey First-Team Performance Analyst: Ben Parker Sporting Director: Mark Allen Staff: Ritson Lloyd, Ailsa Jones, Matthew Murray, Adele Callaghan, Daniel Morris, Lee Watkins, Chris Watkins, Daniel Nisbet, Michael Eames, Shaun Baggridge, Huw Lake, Steffan Popham, Bethany Chaddock

Senior Management Group Andrew Davies (Head of Operations, Facilities & Development); Gareth Davies (CFO); Mark Allen (Sporting Director); Rebecca Edwards-Symmons (Head of Commercial) Club Staff Club Secretary: Ben Greenwood Football Operations & Administration Manager: Rebecca Gigg Head of Retail: Andrea Morris Head of Hospitality & Customer Services: Catherine Thomas Head of Safeguarding: Rebeca Storer HR Manager: Nicola Butt Senior Commercial Sponsorship Manager: Lee Merrells Head of Marketing: Katie Hughes Head of Media & Communications: Ben Donovan Ticket Office Manager: Lewis Bullen Operations & Events Manager: Matthew Daniel Facilities Manager: Gordon David Grounds Manager: Evan Davies Disability Access Officer: Catherine Thomas Swansea City AFC Foundation Manager: Helen Elton Club Ambassador: Lee Trundle

Programme Production Contributors: Ben Donovan, Andrew Gwilym, Sophie Davis, Hayley Ford, Sam Penfold, Adam Evans, Dom Hynes, Julie Kissick, Ian Mitchelmore, Gwyn Rees Designers: Callum Rothwell, Jordan Morcom, Lewis Ward Photography: Athena Picture Agency, Natalie Davis, Alamy, FAW Swansea City AFC Swansea.com Stadium, Landore, Swansea, SA1 2FA CP-D Dinas Abertawe Stadiwm Swansea.com, Landore, Abertawe, SA1 2FA Telephone/Ffôn: 01792 616400 Web/Gwe: swanseacity.com Email/E-bost: info@swanseacity.com

Mae Coleg Gŵ yr Abertawe yn Goleg o’r radd flaenaf sy’n cynnig amrywiaeth eang o raglenni hyfforddiant sy’n datblygu sgiliau gweithwyr mewn busnesau ledled y rhanbarth.

Gower College Swansea is an award-winning College which offers a diverse range of training programmes that aim to develop the skills of employees in businesses across the region.

Bwriad portffolio rhaglenni hyfforddiant y Coleg – mae nifer o’r rhaglenni wedi’u hariannu’n llawn – yw hybu twf a sgiliau o fewn y busnes.

The College’s portfolio of training programmes – many of which are fully funded – are designed to foster growth and talent within a business.

Os hoffech chi archwilio’r hyn sydd gennym i’w gynnig fel Coleg, cysylltwch â’r tîm yn uniongyrchol drwy e-bostio training@gcs.ac.uk neu ffonio 01792 284400.

If you would like to explore what’s on offer through Gower College Swansea, contact the team directly on training@ gcs.ac.uk or call 01792 284400.

gcs.ac.uk

A MESSAGE FROM

JULIAN WINTER G

ood afternoon and welcome back to the Swansea.com Stadium for today’s Championship fixture against Middlesbrough.

We now have just four games left of the season, with three of those fixtures coming here in SA1.

We are currently enjoying a sevenmatch unbeaten run which has led to a great deal of positivity around the training ground and the club as we look ahead to the summer.

This month we are joining football clubs across the country to welcome refugees and people s e eking asylum, as p ar t of Amnesty International’s Football Welcomes campaign.

Now in its fifth year, Football Welcomes celebrates the contribution players from refugee backgrounds make to the game and highlights the role football can play in bringing people together and creating more welcoming communities for refugees.

We are currently living through the biggest refugee crisis Europe has seen since the Second World War.

Images and stories of people fleeing Ukraine have once again shown the plight of refugees, the trauma they face when fleeing conflict, and the need for countries and communities around the world to welcome them.

And the club will be dedicating today’s Championship match against Middlesbrough to Football Welcomes. The club has also been working with local MP Carolyn Harris to invite refugee families to today’s game as special guests.

We announced this week that next month’s player awards dinner has now sold out.

It is shaping up to be a fantastic evening on May 3 as we celebrate the 2021-22 season for our men’s first-team, academy and Swansea City Ladies, as well as raising money for our Former Players' Association.

Swansea City Supporters' Trust are also inviting supporters to take part in a series of surveys which will be used to complement the Fan-led Review authored by MP Tracey Crouch.

It is perhaps the most important review into the football pyramid in its history and has produced 10 strategic recommendations which take into ac c ount all facets of the game.

The Supporters' Trust were part of the original group of organisations interviewed as part of this review and last month they launched a series of surveys for members and supporters to understand the views on the future of both our club and those throughout the UK. The surveys cover a range of topics and supporters can complete each survey HERE. F inally, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to the directors, management , players, staff and from Middlesbrough who have made the trip to Wales for today’s game.

Enjoy the game, Julian

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PAGE 8

A MESSAGE FROM

RUSSELL MARTIN G

ood afternoon and welc ome back to the Swansea.com Stadium for our Championship game against Middlesbrough.

I was frustrated for the supporters because they were incredible once again, travelling in huge numbers and backing the team from the first minute to the last.

We come into today ’s game on the back of seven games unbeaten – a run which is incredibly pleasing and one we want to continue.

I just think it was another day of learning for us, we have a group of young men who are so willing to take on new ideas and they will undoubtedly improve from some of the experiences we’ve had this season.

We are a team that’s learning all the time and we will definitely take a lot from what happened against Reading last Monday.

For 65 minutes the players we re o ut st an d i n g and s ome of the football we played wa s be a uti ful .

The goals we scored were fantastic, but the goals they scored were terrible from our point of view.

But for two-thirds of the game I was so proud of the players, we just unfortunately allowed the contest to become a stereotypical Championship game.

It also shows that we are still a work in progress, and that’s why I try not to g e t ove r l y e m o t i o n a l a b o u t r e s u l t s . Yo u h a v e t o t a k e the emotion out of things to evaluate them properly.

If you look at where we were at the start of the season to where we are now, I think everyone can see a big difference and a big improvement.

But we were brought here for a long-term project, and I am more convinced than ever that this club is the best place for us, and we are the right fit for this brilliant football club.

We are now entering a period where we face teams above us in the league who have a lot to play for.

I am looking forward to it and we have to make sure we make every one of these last four games count as a team and as individuals, because that’s how we will keep progressing.

Today we welc ome a Middlesbrough side to SA1 who are pushing for a place in the play-offs. Chris Wilder has done a brilliant job and is someone I have a lot of respect for, so it will be a tough game.

We know we will have to be at our best onc e again this afternoon and hopefully we can continue our unbeaten run and deliver another performance to be proud of.

Enjoy the game, Russ

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A MESSAGE FROM

MATT GRIMES G

ood afternoon and welcome to everyone joining us from around the world for this afternoon’s Championship fixture against Middlesbrough at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Next we faced a trip to Reading and were delighted with the performanc e in the first 65 minutes, playing our way against a team fighting for their lives towards the bottom of the table.

It was another day of learning but we didn’t dwell on it as the mentality switched to this afternoon’s game as soon as we were back together on the training pitch.

We drew 1-1 against Barnsley in our last game on home turf and felt the performance wasn’t what we had come to expect from ourselves from the prior three matches. We lacked the intensity but still dug deep and showed the determination to come back from being a goal down to get a point.

We responded to conceding so early on brilliantly and scored some lovely goals but we can’t concede in the manner we did.

Today we face Middlesbrough who are pushing for a spot in the play-offs, and we are fully aware of the challenge ahead and the threats they possess.

We were frustrated that we didn’t get all three points and it felt like we dropped two points but we’ll learn from it like we have from every game this season.

On a personal note, it was an absolute pleasure to make my 200th appearance for the club. I have loved every minute of it and I can’t wait to make more memories here.

We were disappointed because we lost control of the game and lost a three goal lead to come away with a point.

We were frustrated for the fans because they were unbelievable all afternoon and we would have loved nothing more than to get the win for them.

It meant we were seven unbeaten but we went there with the aim of getting three points and it was disappointing that we didn’t get them.

We know we will have to be on top of our game and approach the game with the right mindset, but hopefully we will put in a good performance and give the Jack Army something to cheer about.

Enjoy the game today!

Matt

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A MESSAGE FR M

CERI STONE W

ith four games remaining in a season of transition, the Swans Trust are now casting one eye towards an exciting year ahead.

We find ourselves in an interesting position today, as we welcome promotion-chasing Middlesbrough to the Swansea.com Stadium. With a game in hand on their rivals, Boro are only one win away from the playoffs, yet they are only four points ahead of us in the table and we are already planning for next season.

Who knows how we may have been thinking had we picked up maximum points against two of the bottom four, in Reading and Barnsley, in our last two games?

Those performances, like a few others this season, are ones we could look back on and realise we should have taken more out of the games. Where would we be now if we had the rub of the green on a couple of occasions?

Being realistic the play-offs are a step too far this season, so instead of looking back I choose to look forward and am genuinely excited at what next season will bring. The same applies to your Supporters’ Trust.

Since the turn of the year our interactions with the club have increased and we now play a more structured role in the guidance of your club.

If you visit our amazing new website at http://www.swanstrust. co.uk you can stay abreast of all of our latest news and see some of the projects we are involved with: from working with the FSA to developing our own fan-led review, assisting with the Rivals on the Pitch initiative, to having a permanent seat on the club board.

Help with some of these programmes came from chatting with Trust members at our pod on a matchday. We have also been seeking further input from our members by sending out a series of questionnaires as part of an overall strategy review. The results of the review and a clearly defined direction for your Trust should be available in the summer months.

Looking ahead to the summer, if you would like to become more actively involved with the Supporters’ Trust and contribute towards to the next 21 years of shared ownership of our great club, you can do so by standing for a place on the Trust board.

Elections take place every summer and we have positions available for re-election this year as members’ two year terms come to an end. If you feel you have the time and the energy, now is the moment to start considering how you could contribute to the running of your Trust. Could you come up with the next great initiative that brings the club closer to the fans? If so, the Trust may be the place for you.

We are delighted in recent months that two inspiring people sought greater engagement with us, in the form of Ceri Morgan and Diane Hughes, and they are now co-opted members of the Trust board. They have already made useful contributions.

Speaking of new additions, we are excited about the summer transfer window and how we will look at the beginning of next season. If we can keep the core of our current squad and have a full pre-season under our belts, then 2022/23 could be a season to remember.

We just need to finish this year strongly, starting with a win against Middlesbrough today.

Enjoy the game #YJBs

PAGE 13

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T

o celebrate EFL Week of Action, Swansea City is shining a spotlight on some of the fantastic work being done across the city by the Swansea City AFC Foundation.

The Foundation is at the very heart of the community, running projects around education, wellbeing and inclusivity.

This week, the club has chosen to focus on the 'We Wear the Same Shirt' project, which supports people with mental health struggles and helps combat loneliness via weekly walking football sessions.

The sessions take place every T hursday at P enlan L eisure Centre, while there are also sessions at Coleg Sir Gar in Llanelli on Wednesday evenings, and at Llandarcy Academy of Sport on a Friday afternoon.

Seventy-year-old Paul Colwill has been attending the Thursday sessions for three years after deciding he wanted to find a way to get active again.

“I had been stagnant in terms of fitness,” he explained.

“I’d been out for walks, but I really felt that I needed a bit more. I wanted to lose a bit of weight and get the muscles going again.

"I shopped around a little bit [for a way to get active], found this one and came up.

“It caters for all abilities, it’s not all about skill and it was great to get back into playing football and lose a bit of weight.

“It’s been running three years now – obviously stopping for C ovid – but it ’s been gre at getting back into it and meeting back up with people. " The boys here are great friends now. Getting exercise, playing football, it ’s been a very good experience.”

A s we l l a s we l l a s h e l p i n g participants stay active through the five-a-side football activities, the sessions end with a social hour where people from the session can grab a coffee and have a chat.

With elderly people becoming increasingly isolated and mental health struggles linked to loneliness on the rise across the UK, particularly among the over 50s and people asked to shield during the Covid-19 pandemic, the 'We Wear the Same Shirt' project provides a community hub for people and helps combat the impact of isolation.

“ ' We We a r t h e S a m e S h i r t ' works in partnership with the Football Association of Wales and is all about decreasing the stigma around mental health and getting anybody, no matter their background, into sport,” Swansea City AFC Foundation inclusion c oach Dylan Williams explained. “ We hold a coffee session at the end of the football where the member s c an sit down, relax and talk to each other in a safe environment.

“It’s really important that they can socialise afterwards. During the session, they get all their physical activity, but at the end they can have conversations which might not be related to football. “ The benefits are obviously weight loss and physical fitness, but it ’s the friendships you build up as well. Playing with the guys, and then the cups of coffee afterwards where we laugh and are just relaxing. It’s good – it’s really good.”

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MIDDLESBROUH

MIDDLESBROUGH OWNER

NICKNAME

FOUNDED

Steve Gibson

Boro

1876

MIDDLESBROUH STADIUM

OPENED

CAPACITY

Riverside

1995

34,742

MIDDLESBROUGH THE GAFFER TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

FACEBOOK

@Boro

@theboroofficial

/MFCofficial

MIDDLESBROUH

MIDDLESBROUGH The former Sheffield United defender whose playing career saw him feature for 11 clubs, including time at Rotherham, Bradford and Notts County.

Having started his managerial career at Alfreton, Wilder moved on to Halifax and achieved promotions during his stints with Oxford United, Northampton Town and Sheffield United.

MIDDLESBROUH CHRIS WILDER

It was at his hometown Blades that he secured promotion back to the Championship and then on to the Premier League, before a ninth-place top-flight finish in 2020.

He left as relegation neared the following year, and was appointed at Middlesbrough following Neil Warnock’s departure in the autumn.

CLUB CAPTAIN MIDDLESBROUGH

MIDDLESBROUH The experienced midfielder took over the armband from striker Britt Assombalonga earlier in the season and has retained it ever since.

The 33-year-old has made more than 500 league appearances across a career taking in lengthy spells with Leeds United, Norwich City and now Boro.

MIDDLESBROUGH JONNY HOWSON

Howson made the move to Teesside in 2017, and has played in a number of positions – including centre-back – during his stint at the Riverside, underlining his versatility and nous.

MIDDLESBROUH PAGE 18

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RIVERSIDE MEET THE OPPOSITION

HOW’S THEIR FORM?

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W Having spent all bar one season between 1995 and 2009 in the Premier League - with a best finish of seventh in 2005 - Middlesbrough have been in the Championship for 12 of the 13 campaigns since.

A brief return to the top-flight in 2016 saw them struggle in front of goal, coming straight back down with only five wins and 27 goals, the lowest recorded during that season.

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Boro’s form has not been what they would want it to be with a play-off spot on the line. They have taken just one point from the last 12 on offer, and suffered a 2-0 home defeat to promotion rivals Huddersfield on Easter Monday.

They reached the play-offs in 2018 and are hoping to return this season.

Overall it is just two wins in eight for the Riverside men, but they remain firmly in the top-six picture heading into the final weeks of the season.

Boro famously reached the UEFA Cup final in 2006 while, in a successful 2003-04 season, they secured League Cup glory by beating Bolton in Cardiff.

They currently sit ninth in the table, but need a rapid upturn in results if they are to avoid missing out on the play-offs.

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ONES TO WATCH

ONES TO WATCH

MATT CROOKS

ONES TO WATCH

ONES TO WATCH ONES TO WATCH

POSITION

CM

NATION

AGE

SHIRT NO.

28 25

ONES TO WATCH ONES TO WATCH

ONES TO WATCH ONES TO WATCH ONES TO

ONES TO WATCH WATCH ONES TO WATCH

ONES TO WATCH ONES TO WATCH

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ONES TO WATCH ONES TO WATCH

ONES TO WATCH ONES TO WATCH

ONES TO WATCH ONES TO WATCH PAGE 20

C

rooks has proven himself to be a reliable and effecitve Championship player over the last few seasons, firstly across two stints in the second tier with Rotherham and now with Boro.

Crooks is top scorer with nine goals for the Teessiders this term, but he is also a committed and determined defensive presence.

His 6ft4in frame means he is a nuisance in both boxes, but he offers far more than just his height.

He came through the ranks at Huddersfield, Hartlepool, Accrington, Glasgow Rangers, Scunthorpe and Northampton before joining the Millers.

ISAIAH JONES POSITION

CM

NATION

AGE

ANDRAŽ ŠPORAR SHIRT NO.

22 35

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ones has been a key figure in the Boro s q u a d , w i t h h i s p a c e a n d t r i c ke r y seeing him create a chance almost every 90 minutes.

With eight assists to his name, as well as a solitary goal in a win over the Swans before Christmas, Jones was named Championship player of the month for December and has remained a potent attacking weapon.

Jones has come through the academy ranks with Middlesbrough, also having loans spells in Scotland with Queen of the South and St Johnstone.

POSITION

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AGE

SHIRT NO.

28 11

he Sporting Lisbon forward is spending the season on loan at the Riverside and has made a considerable impact.

He has eight goals and two assists to his name, and has become a real fan favourite as he has helped Chris Wilder’s side launch a concerted play-off push.

The Slovenia international started his career in his homeland, and has gone on to have spells with Basel, Braga and Sporting.

PAGE 21

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WATCH HIGHLIGHTS

SWANSEA CITY 1 BARNSLEY 1

OLIVIER NTCHAM’S STUNNING STRIKE HELPED SWANSEA CITY COME FROM BEHIND TO EARN A POINT AGAINST BARNSLEY AND EXTEND THEIR UNBEATEN RUN TO SIX GAMES.

TEAM LINEUPS Swans: Andy Fisher; Ben Cabango, Kyle Naughton, Joel Latibeaudiere (Ryan Manning 65); Cyrus Christie, Jay Fulton (Olivier Ntcham 56), Matt Grimes (captain), Hannes Wolf; Joel Piroe, Jamie Paterson (Cameron Congreve 90); Michael Obafemi.

Subs not used: Ben Hamer, Korey Smith, Kyle Joseph, Nathanael Ogbeta.

Barnsley: Jack Walton, Liam Kitching, Mads Andersen (captain), Callum Brittain, Carlton Morris, Claudio Gomes, Romal Palmer (Callum Styles 68), Remy Vita, Amine Bassi, Domingos Quina, Matty Wolfe (Cauley Woodrow 73).

Subs not used: Daniel Jinadu, Aaron Leya Iseka, Jasper Moon, William Hondermarck, Victor Adeboyejo.

Referee: Andy Woolmer

PAGE 23

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WATCH HIGHLIGHTS

READING 4 SWANSEA CITY 4 SWANSEA CITY WERE DENIED A FOURTH AWAY WIN IN A ROW AS A LASTGASP EQUALISER BY TOM MCINTYRE DENIED THEM VICTORY IN A THRILLING ENCOUNTER AT THE SELECT CAR LEASING STADIUM.

TEAM LINEUPS Swans: Andy Fisher; Ben Cabango, Kyle Naughton, Joel Latibeaudiere; Cyrus Christie, Flynn Downes (Jay Fulton 65), Matt Grimes (captain), Hannes Wolf; Joel Piroe (Ryan Manning 83), Jamie Paterson (Olivier Ntcham 69), Michael Obafemi.

Subs not used: Ben Hamer, Korey Smith, Kyle Joseph, Cameron Congreve.

Reading: Orjan Nyland, Michael Morrison (captain), Tom McIntyre, Tom Ince, Danny Drinkwater, Andy Yiadom, Lucas Joao, Tom Dele-Bashiru, Baba Rahman, Junior Hoilett (Yakou Meite 85), Josh Laurent.

Subs not used: Luke Southwood, Alen Halilovic, Terrell Thomas, Femi Azeez, Brandon Baker, Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan.

Referee: Kevin Friend

PAGE 25

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KYLE NAUGHTON AGREES NEW SWANS CONTRACT

K

yle Naughton has put pen to paper on his new oneyear contract extension at Swansea City.

The 33-year-old defender had agreed the terms on his new deal last week, but he has now signed on the dotted line until the end of June 2023, and will bring up eight years in Swans colours having first joined from Tottenham in January 2015.

Naught on re c ently made his 250th appearance for the club, and has enjoyed an outstanding season under head coach Russell Martin, proving a key figure in the aggressive, possessionb a s e d sty l e of p l ay that has b e e n i m p l em e nt e d .

You can click the play icon above to view some of Kyle's best moments in a Swansea shirt.

“I’m so pleased. A lot of people questioned the position he was playing in the team early on, but we knew how important he would be,” Swans boss Martin had said when the deal was agreed.

“I played with him, so I knew how good a footballer he is. He was a young man when I played with him at Norwich.

“He came on loan, and he’s s o mat ure, int elligent , relaxed but focused. His mentality is brilliant.

“He is well respected by the other players – they appreciate how good he is. They’ll [team m at e s ] s p e a k a b o u t h i m i n glowing terms.

“Sometimes the more senior player, the more scar tissue they have from their career.

“The way we play can be really difficult. You have to be open to being a little bit vulnerable, to make some mistakes, sometimes in front of many thousands of people, which is not easy. “ To overcome that and battle against that and ride through it, he’s been incredible.

“ When people see him at 33 taking on new ideas, it’s so easy to transmit it to the other players “I speak about him and [Matt] Grimes in particular because they are experienced, they’re battle hardened, they’ve played in the Championship for a long time. For them to take it on, it makes our job so much easier with the rest of the players.

“I love Kyle, we love working with him, we all do. He has no ego, he is unassuming and just a brilliant person. The fact he wants to stay and the club have recognised how important he is, it’s really positive for us.”

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ASTUDIA YM MHRIFYSGOL ABERTAWE DRWS I DDYFODOL DISGLAIR DYSGWCH FWY

FFRAMWAITH RHAGORIAETH & DEILLIANNAU MYFYRWYR (Y dyfarniad uchaf am Ragoriaeth Addysgu ym mhrifysgolion y DU)

WELSH COLUMN BY IAN MITCHELMORE, GOLWG

R

oedd yn brynhawn lle gwelodd cefnogwyr Abertawe bopeth yn dod at ei gilydd, ond yn y pen draw yn un a ddaeth i ben mewn rhwystredigaeth enfawr.

Ni chafodd tîm Russell Martin eu heffeithio gan yr ergyd gynnar a’u gwelodd yn mynd 1-0 i lawr yn erbyn Reading pan rwydodd Lucas Joao o gic o’r smotyn yn y trydydd munud.

Roedd yr Elyrch yn ymddiried yn y dulliau a gafodd eu meithrin gan eu prif hyfforddwr a chafwyd cyfnodau ardderchog o chwarae i drawsnewid y gêm ac arwain 4-1 yn Berkshire.

Roedd y cefnogwyr yn llwyr fwynhau eu hamser yn y tîm oddi cartref wrth i Abertawe edrych yn barod i ennill am y bedwaredd gêm yn olynol, ond, daeth canlyniad hynod ryfeddol i weld Paul Ince ers adfachu i 4-4 gyda thair gôl yn yr ail hanner.

Dywedodd Russell Martin fod canlyniad y gêm yn crynhoi lle mae ei dîm ar hyn o bryd, ac mae'n anodd dadlau gyda asesiad y rheolwr.

Ond, er gwaethaf llwyddo rhywsut i wastraffu mantais o dair gôl, gall cefnogwyr Abertawe barhau i fod yn gyffrous iawn am y dyfodol.

Mae dynion Martin ar rhediad o saith gêm heb colli cyn y gêm heddiw yn erbyn Middlesbrough tra eu bod nhw’n edrych yn llawer mwy creadigol a chlinigol o flaen gôl.

Bydd Joel Piroe yn denu digon o sylw yn ffenestr drosglwyddo’r haf oherwydd ei dymor cyntaf anhygoel yng Nghymru tra gallai clybiau edrych ar rai eraill gan gynnwys Flynn Downes a Ben Cabango.

Dywedodd Russell Martin yn ddiweddar nad yw erioed wedi bod yn fwy hyderus bod yr amseroedd da ar y blaen i Abertawe tra bod chwaraewr canol cae Downes wedi dweud y gallai ei dîm fod yn "frawychus" y tymor nesaf.

Mae’n amlwg i ni gyd weld bod y grŵp yma o chwaraewyr wedi cymryd camau breision yn ystod y misoedd diwethaf, a, gyda haf mawr o’n blaenau, mae gan gefnogwyr bob hawl i deimlo’n hyderus am dymor 2022/23.

Fel bob amser, yr allwedd fydd cadw craidd y garfan gyda’i gilydd, ac, yn hollbwysig, ychwanegu mwy o ansawdd ato.

Mae’n debygol iawn y bydd yn rhaid gwerthu o leiaf un ased o ystyried sefyllfa ariannol Abertawe, ond o ystyried rhai o lwyddiannau’r clwb yn y ffenestr drosglwyddo yn ddiweddar, mae pob rheswm i gefnogwyr fod yn optimistaidd hyd yn oed os angen ffarwelio unwaith eto ag un o'u sêr.

Roedd Russell Martin bob amser yn dweud y byddai'n dymor gyda rhai eiliadau anodd ac roedd bob amser yn pwysleisio mai'r darlun hirdymor oedd yn ymwneud â hynny yn hytrach nag ateb tymor byr. Ac mae'n cael ei brofi'n gywir bob cam o'r ffordd yn yr hyn sy'n edrych yn gynyddol fel bod yn daith gyffrous iawn i'r clwb a'r cefnogwyr.

PAGE 29

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STILETTOS AND STUDS BY JULIE KISSICK

A

s ‘tasty’ fixtures go, the remaining three this month certainly whet the appetite and no doubt those with a refined football palate will relish sampling them.

Middlesbrough’s play-off hopes took a huge hit on Bank Holiday Monday when they lost at home to Huddersfield. Like us, they play a possession-based game and they had plenty of it despite the 2-0 defeat.

The starter comes courtesy of today’s visitors, Chris Wilders ninth-placed Middlesbrough, whose dip in form of late has served up a level of uncertainty about their play-off hopes. They’ve taken a single point from a possible 12, yet they are still three points off sixth place with a game in hand.

It was their fourth straight game without a goal and while it is fair to say they definitely don’t have a goal machine like Joel Piroe in their ranks, (Matt Crooks is their top scorer with nine), they will have to find the back of the net in their remaining games to stay in contention for a play-off spot. We have scored 12 in the last five. (Could Piroe be about to spoil the party?)

The main course - second-placed Bournemouth - arrive here on Tuesday, shooins surely for automatic promotion with 77 points and five games left to play?

Boro and Bournemouth played out a 0-0 draw on Good Friday in an evenly-matched contest which Wilder summarised as: "We've had a couple of chances, they've had a couple of chances. I think that epitomizes the game and maybe how the games are going to go from now until the end of the season.”

And for dessert ? We’re on the road again for the final fixture of the month, off to Nottingham Forest to face Steve Cooper’s merry men, currently fifth in the table and almost sure of a play-off place as things stand.

That’s quite a menu and while our current league position suggests our faint playoff hopes have been burnt to a crisp, the prospect of competing with such mouthwatering opposition is one we should all be keen to indulge in.

Boro will arrive at the Swansea.com Stadium believing they are facing a side with little more than professional pride to play for, while they are still focused on a play-ff place.

But fortunately for us, the gaffer has made it clear that progress is the key to unlocking his long-term plan – and that doesn’t have to wait until next season.

“We are now due to play teams above us in the league who have a lot to play for. I am looking forward to it,” he said.

“We will take a lot from it, and we have to make sure we make every one of these last four games count as a team and as individuals.

“That’s how we will keep progressing.

We’ve had a frustrating weekend. We’ve shown a lot of growth, the wheels are turning, but it’s down to us to make sure we keep them turning.”

Savour the ride, Jacks.

PAGE 31

PAGE 34

AS RUSSELL MARTIN APPROACHES THE END OF HIS FIRST SEASON IN CHARGE OF SWANSEA CITY, HE REFLECTS ON A CHALLENGING CAMPAIGN, HIS HOPES FOR THE FUTURE, AND LIFTS THE LID ON GROWING UP IN BRIGHTON, AS WELL AS REVEALING WHY HIS MUM IS HIS INSPIRATION. CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE....

Ye s R u s s , t h a n k y o u f o r joining us, we’re in Clyne Gardens, and we’ve got quite a few questions to g e t t h r o u g h . T h ey ’ r e m e a n t t o b e q u i c k f i r e, b u t I k n ow what you’re like so they prob ably won’ t end up being q uick fir e.

I’ll try. I’ll try my very best , but you know what I’m like, so we might have to do a fair few laps.

Shall we get started?

Yep! The first question is nice and easy, what was the last film you watched?

E nc anto, a Disney film with the kids. I think I fell asleep.

I like Disney films but it wasn’t one of my favourites.

A n d R o o n e y, t h e R o o n e y document ary, I think on the bus travelling.

The question is: have you seen Twin Town?

I have. I loved the film. I saw it many moons ago and then Mikey and S hauny reminded me to watch it again because they ’ ve got ‘ambition is critical’ in the kit room. I found it on YouTube, it took me so long to find, but I found it and I absolutely loved the film.

A legendary film. What is your favourite TV series?

T he S oprano s , I think of all time. In comedy ; The Office.

I absolutely love The Office, I love Ricky Gervais. But The Sopranos, I loved it.

Yo u r f a v o u r i t e m u s i c i a n o r band?

It changes all the time, but at the minute, Louis Dunford. A L ondon singer/songwriter. I love his lyrics, and it reminds me of when I was growing up.

Loads of his songs are really sentimental. So yeah, I really like him. It changes a lot, I love Queen and Green Day and The Kooks. A bit of a mix really.

What is your favourite cuisine?

Italian. I’ve got a crazy Italian nan, she’s 86; Nonna. She’s an incredible cook and obviously we grew up with loads of her cooking and Italian culture; food and family. It’s beautiful, I love it, and I love bread and pasta so I love Italian food.

A bit of a controversial one, Wales or Scotland?

Well, despite my accent I d i d fe e l ve r y ve r y p r o u d t o represent Scotland. It’s a tough question that , I c an’ t really answer it without getting hammered either way.

But I did nearly cry at the We l s h A nt h e m at t h e g a m e recently against Austria. The anthem’s incredible, and the atmosphere. I looked at Gilly, we went to the game together, and Mark Allen was absolutely belting it out next to us. Curt was a few seats down. I said to Gilly ‘Oh my god’, I was nearly gone then because it was just incredible. The anthem’s so good. So that makes me a bit Welsh, doesn’t it? But I love b o t h c o u n t r i e s , g e n u i n e l y.

My family love being in Wa l e s a n d t h e p e o p l e h a v e been so friendly.

PAGE 35

When you were growing up in Brighton would you have supported England as well?

Being truthful? Of course.

I supported England and Scotland until they played each other and then I was sort of forced into a decision really.

But never Wales?

No. U nfor t unately not , no. I could lie couldn’t I? We’ll cut that bit out . What was your first car?

My first car was a Citroen S axo S c andal. It was yellow and it had an electric sunroof thing. It was horrible.

Fortunately one of the players at Wycombe reversed into it in the carpark: Stefan Oakes, and it got written off, so I got a new one with the insurance money. It was brilliant.

I f yo u h a d a t i m e m a c h i n e, w h e r e w o u l d y o u g o ? Yo u could go anywhere, anytime.

T hat ’s a tough one. I’m not good at answering these ones.

I don’t know really. That ’s a really tough question. Can we come back to that one?

We’ll come back to that one.

Summer or Winter?

Summer, obviously. The sun’s been out for a few days and i t m a ke s eve r yo n e h a p p i e r, doesn’t it?

Get your tan on.

I don’t actually mind when it get s darker and a bit rainy.

But up at Fairwood when it’s windy and cold, it’s tough.

PAGE 36

It’s a different climate up there.

What’s on your bucket list?

That is also a good question.

There’s a few places I want to go and see when my kids are a little bit older and they’ll understand it. So I want to travel the world a little but with them because I’ve not had the chance really.

Just to share some experiences with the family really. I don’t have a specific thing. I’d love to complete a marathon, I didn’t get a chance when I was playing. I want to go skiing because I didn’t get a chance when I was playing. But that’s really basic isn’t it? I just want to share some experiences with the kids as much as I can.

What’s your biggest phobia?

Probably heights. It’s not something I’m really fearful of, but I don’t like it. When I fly, it’s fine. But walking up the Eiffel Tower many years ago, my legs turned to jelly, I was walking up on my knees by the end. Same when I went to New York years ago, at the top of the Empire State. It just doesn’t feel very nic e. I’m alright getting up there, but when I have to look, my legs go a bit jelly.

What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?

I haven’t been to too many. I’d say one that I can remember was Ed Sheehan at Wembley. It was really really good. I enjoyed that.

World Cup or Champions League?

That’s a good question. Gotta be World Cup, hasn’t it?

Who is the person you admire most in life?

In life? I guess a lot of people would answer this, but my mum. She’s an incredibly s t r o n g w o m a n , w h a t s h e’ s been through. Even in the l a s t ye a r, s h e’ s b e e n r e a l l y unwell but the way she’s dealt with it has been incredible. S o I have a huge amount of admiration for her. She’s been like a rock to me and my brothers through everything. She’s pretty incredible.

What was your favourite subject in school?

In school? I loved school.

G o i n g b a c k t o t h e q u e st i o n earlier about if I had a time m a c h i n e , I ’d p r o b a b l y j u s t go back to school and st ar t it all again. Why not? I loved it! There’s some stuff I’d like to do a bit differently as well.

Go back with some of the knowledge you’ ve obt ained a s y o u g e t o l d e r. I e n j o y e d it . I really, really enjoyed it .

My favourite subject was PE. As you probably won’t be s u r p r i s e d t o k n o w. I h a d a Welsh PE teacher, Mr. Taylor.

He supports the wrong team in Wales, but he is a brilliant g u y. We’ v e s t a y e d i n t o u c h ever since school. He forced me to play rugby before I p l a y e d f o o t b a l l . To b e a b l e to play football, I had to play rugby. I really enjoyed it , he was a great guy. If it wasn’ t P E , I ’ d s a y i t w a s H i s t o r y, again bec ause the teacher I had was brilliant . I sat right at the front ; I was a bit of a geek at school.

Were you well behaved?

I was! I was deputy Head Boy. My oldest brother was Head Boy and he never let me live that down I only made deputy.

That’s why I’m going back to school and try and get the Head Boy badge.

Who would be your dream three dinner party guests?

I’m so bad at answering these questions quickly. I would say: Mohammed Ali, Johan Cruyff, and I’m gonna go Freddie Mercury. That would be quite entertaining.

Are you an early bird, or a night owl?

I’m an early bird. I’m the opposite of you, Soph. By the end of the day, in the evening when you’ ve been at work and you’ ve done everything with the kids, I’m absolutely spent, so early morning.

Yeah, early bird.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose and why?

I would choose to be able to get somewhere really quickly.

Is that a superpower ? So I could go and watch my s o n ’ s a s s e m b l y, a n d t h e n be back a fair wood like a minute later, fitting it all in.

Be able to balance family and work much better. Shoot back home, see my mum, get back here really quickly, that would be good.

A Welsh one next , have you picked up any Welsh words?

Diolch, shwmae, croeso, cwtch, I think that ’s about it.

PAGE 37

Your accent need a little bit of work, doesn’t it?

I’ve been getting there with the accent. I’m not going to do it on camera and embarrass myself, but you know I’ve been working on my accent.

What is your most prized possession?

I don’t know, I’m not really into possessions and stuff. I don’t know re ally. Mat erial st uff, I think any of it c an go in a second and it wouldn’t really c onc ern me. T hat ’s a really boring answer, isn’t it?

It’s a tough question Are we talking material stuff; prized possession?

It can be anything really.

I honestly don’t know.

If you couldn’t be Russell Martin, who would you want to be?

That is a good question. I would like to be Prime Minister for the day and see what actually goes on. Just to see how they can mess it up so badly, get so much so wrong, and see why and understand the dynamics of all that. That would be interesting. Otherwise I’d like to be Serena Williams and just get on the court and smash everyone.

What is a job you would have done, if you hadn’t been a footballer?

I did quite a few jobs before I b e c a m e a fo ot b a l l e r. S o I cleaned pubs in the mornings before college, then I was a window cleaner with my uncle

PAGE 38

as well, during the summer holidays, and then I used to work in the local Co-op and then got a promotion and went to Spar with a bit more responsibility. I wouldn’t have chosen to do any of them, but I did because needs must, and I actually enjoyed it all, Especially working in my local Spar with the characters who used to come in there, I used to get abused regularly. But I would have stayed in sport, no doubt about that. I would have gone into coaching if I wasn’t playing football. I was close to going to America just before I was lucky enough to go to Wycombe. I was going to go on a scholarship to study sports journalism and coaching, so it would have been somewhere along those lines.

You could have been doing my job!

Exactly, the roles would have been reversed.

I don’t know about that.

To b e f a i r, y o u w o u l d b e more interesting, I should interview S oph.

Nah. One goal, or two assists?

Two assists, definitely. I hope if you asked any of the players that, they would say the same t h i n g . Yo u s h o u l d a s k t h e players that and get them to be re ally honest . B ut ye ah, two assists. There’s no better feeling than a goal when you’re a player, even as a defender, it’s beautiful. But it’s got to be two assists, that two goals for the team. The lads talk about preassists now, but that doesn’t count, that doesn’t exist.

What was the last book you read?

I’ve just finished a book I really enjoyed; I read quite a lot. I just finished Shoe Dog by Phil Knight about Nike. I read it a long time ago and just wanted to read it agin because I just really enjoy it. Now I’m reading Pep Confidential I’ve not read it yet, it just got recommended to me. I’m really enjoying it, I just started it actually.

A song you know word for word?

Word for word? I know a few ac t ually, but not t oo many.

You want a random one? Lady In Red by Chris de Burgh, because I got asked to sing at my friend’s wedding for some reason. I went to a Russian wedding in Germany for one of my best friends Sergio, who was marrying Lena who is from Russia but lived in Germany. As best man, instead of giving a speech, you had to sing a song.

I got it a bit wrong on the day, but I blame the guy on the piano because the key was wrong and that. Don’t ever ask me to sing it.

I was expecting you to say a Dave song.

Dave? I don’t mind some of his songs but I definitely don’t know it word for word.

JOIN US IN ISSUE 26

TO READ PART 2

PAGE 39

F

ollowing the conclusion of our series of ‘History Makers’ features recalling Swansea City’s historic 1980-81 season, club historian Gwyn Rees profiles one of the stand-out stars of that era; Jeremy Charles.

There was a certain inevitability that Jeremy Charles was going to become a footballer.

When your surname is Charles, and your father represented club and country with distinction, while your uncle was probably the greatest footballer to come out of Wales, it's to his credit that Jeremy forged a career in his own right that he could look back on with pride and satisfaction.

He was just 16-years-old when he made his first team debut in a L eague Cup tie against Newport County at the Vetch Field, replacing Robbie James as a second-half substitute, and scoring the final two goals in a 4-1 win.

By the end of his first season in professional football, the Swans fell an agonising point short of automatic promotion out of the Fourth Division, while the player himself scored an incredible 26 goals in all competitions.

He was a regular as the club climbed from the basement division to the First Division in just four seasons, while having the distinction of scoring the last goal in the Second Division promotion against Preston North End, and the first in the First Division at home to Leeds United.

PAGE 42

He began the season in style, but his first season in the top-flight was disrupted by injury, requiring two cartilage operations in six months. His versatility was vital to manager J o h n To s h a c k , w h o p l a y e d him in a variety of positions throughout his playing time at the Swans, and he was twice a Welsh Cup winner in 1981 and 1983.

After arriving on the ground staff at the Vetch Field as a starry-eyed schoolboy, Jeremy had turned out for his country at schoolboy, youth, and under-23 levels. But with the club's rise to the top of English football's elite, he finally made it on to the full international sc ene when making his debut against Czechoslovakia in a 1-0 win at Ninian Park in 1980.

All in all, he would go on to represent his c ountry 19 times, scoring his only goal in a 1-0 win over Bulgaria at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground in April 1983.

It was during this period at the Swans that financial problems surfaced, and Charles - along with a host of fellow teammates – was put on the transfer list in a frantic hope of lowering its ever-increasing debt.

T he club ac c ept e d a knock down price of £100,000 for the player from Q ueens Park Rangers, but after just 12 games in two seasons in London the unsettled player moved once again, this time to Oxford United.

His time on the pitch at Oxford was a happy one, with the highlight being his appearanc e at Wembley S t adium in 1986, when the club won its first major honour by winning the Milk Cup (League Cup).

They defeated his former club Queens Park Rangers 3-0 on a day that saw former teammate Robbie James in the opposition line up.

Charles scored the third goal to cap a famous win f o r t h e U ’ s . U n f o r t u n a t e l y, this proved to be the end for Charles as, just a matter of months later, he was forced to retire from the game at the tender age of just 27 due to persistent knee injuries.

He originally took up a coaching position at Oxford’s Centre of Excellence for a couple of seasons, before returning to the Vetch Field in August 1988 as part of the youth development at the club.

J u s t t wo ye a r s l at e r a l o n g , with Malcom Elias, he moved to Southampton to take up a similar position at the south coast club. He remained at the club for thre e ye ar s , b efo re ret u r n i n g t o O x fo rd , establishing hospitality and car leasing firms in the city.

Over the past decade he has worked as a host at the Kassam and Swansea. com Stadiums, where his matchday presence is always appreciated by the public.

PAGE 43

Football is a game of many opinions, but there is one that we must all share. There is no place for discrimination in our game. If you do not agree, then you are not welcome.

If you see or hear discrimination in this stadium, please report it to the nearest steward or via the Kick it Out App. Because we are all #TogetherAgainstDiscrimination Download the Kick it Out app for free from your app store.

EFL.com

SWANSEA CITY JOIN AMNESTY’S FOOTBALL WELCOMES CAMPAIGN TO WELCOME REFUGEES

S

wansea City is joining football clubs across the country this April to welcome refugees and people s e e k i n g a sy l u m , a s p a r t of Amnesty International’s Football Welcomes campaign.

Now in its fifth year, Football Welcomes celebrates the contribution players from refugee backgrounds make to the game and highlights the role football can play in bringing people together and creating more welcoming communities for refugees.

We are currently living through the biggest refugee crisis Europe has seen since the Second World War. Images and stories of people fleeing Ukraine have onc e again shown the plight of refugees, the trauma they face when fleeing conflict, and the need for countries and communities around the world to welcome them.

Swansea City is one of many clubs from across the Premier League, English Football L e ague, FA Women’s S uper L e a g u e, C h a m p i o n s h i p a n d National League, Cymru North and South, and grassroots teams that have signed up to take part in Football Welcomes.

Swansea City L adies team recently warmed up in Fo ot b a l l We l c o m e s t- s h i r t s ahead of a league match to show their support.

And the club will be dedicating today’s Championship match against Middlesbrough to Football Welcomes. The club has also worked with local MP Carolyn Harris to invite refugee families to today 's match as special guests.

Carolyn said: “I’m delighted to see Swansea City joining other clubs to be part of the Football Welcomes initiative.

“The current crisis in Ukraine is a stark reminder of just how important it is that those who seek refuge are welcomed into our communities and offered support. Football brings people of all backgrounds together every week and so inviting those who have fled conflict to join fans at local matches is a perfect way to show that support.

“It is wonderful to see so many clubs – from grassroots teams right up to the Premier League, getting involved again this year. It is an honour to be helping my local team to identify families who have

found refuge in our city and I hope that they all get to enjoy a fabulous day at the Swansea City versus Middlesbrough match this weekend.”

Naomi Westland, head of Football Welcomes at Amnesty International UK, added: “ T he current refugee crisis in Ukraine shines a light on the importance of welcoming refugees wherever they 're from, whether it ’s U kraine, Afghanistan, Eritrea or elsewhere. Football Welcomes is a great initiative to do this.

“It’s heartening to see clubs like Swansea City using football as a powerful force for good, bringing people t o g e t h e r a n d a p r ov i d i n g a sense of belonging.

“With the support from the player s of the P e ople’s P o s t c o d e L o t t e r y, A m n e s t y will continue to welcome refugees alongside football clubs across the c ountry to show there is more that unites us than divides us.”

PAGE 45

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WE LOVE KYLE, IT’S GREAT THAT HE IS SET TO STAY

S

ussell Martin believes Swansea City have nailed down a key part of their plans for the immediate future by agreeing terms on a new deal for Kyle Naughton.

The 33-year-old defender has enjoyed an outstanding campaign, and is set to put pen to paper on a deal through to the end of June 2023.

It is a contract that would see him bring up eight years of service in Swansea colours, while he recently made his 250th appearance.

His influence in head coach Martin’s intense, possession-based brand of football has been clear to see, and the Swans boss could not be happier at the prospect of continuing to work with his former Norwich team-mate.

“It’s huge news. Hopefully he’ll get it signed soon,” said Martin.

“I’m so pleased. A lot of people questioned the position he was playing in the team early on, but we knew how important he would be.

“I played with him, so I knew how good a footballer he is. He was a young man when I played with him at Norwich.

“He came on loan, and he’s so mature, intelligent, relaxed but focused. His mentality is brilliant.

“He is well respected by the other players – they appreciate how good he is. They’ll [team m at e s ] s p e a k a b o u t h i m i n glowing terms.

“Sometimes the more senior player, the more scar tissue they have from their career.

“The way we play can be really difficult. You have to be open to being a little bit vulnerable, to make some mistakes, sometimes in front of many thousands of people, which is not easy.

“ To overcome that and battle against that and ride through it, he’s been incredible. “ When people see him at 33 taking on new ideas, it’s so easy to transmit it to the other players.

“I speak about him and [Matt] Grimes in particular because they are experienced, they’re battle hardened, they’ve played in the Championship for a long time. For them to take it on, it makes our job so much easier with the rest of the players.

“I love Kyle, we love working with him, we all do. He has no ego, he is unassuming and just a brilliant person. The fact he wants to stay and the club have recognised how important he is, it’s really positive for us.

“We are so pleased he will be a big part of what we are doing next year. His age is of no concern to us at all.”

PAGE 49

HERE’S HERE’S AAST STAT AT I IBET BET YOU YOU DIDN’T DIDN’T KN KN WW

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OVER HALF A MILLION OVER HALF A MILLION SKY SKY BET BET CUSTOMERS USE USE DEPOSIT LIMITS CUSTOMERS DEPOSIT LIMITS TO MANAGE THEIR BETTING BUDGET. TO MANAGE THEIR BETTING BUDGET.

THAT’S ENOUGH TO FILL: THAT’S ENOUGH TO FILL: 6 WEMBLEYS. 6 WEMBLEYS. 201 ALLY PALLYS. 201 ALLY PALLYS. OR 8OR CHELTENHAM GOLD CUPCUP DAYS. 8 CHELTENHAM GOLD DAYS.

(THAT’S A LOTAOF TWEED) (THAT’S LOT OF TWEED)

ALL ALL GOOD BOOKMAKERS GOOD BOOKMAKERS HAVE DEPOSIT LIMITS. HAVE DEPOSIT LIMITS. SO WHOEVER YOUYOU BET WITH, SO WHOEVER BET WITH, SET AN ONEONE FORFOR YOUYOU SETAPPROPRIATE AN APPROPRIATE ANDAND THEN ENJOY THE THE SPORT. THEN ENJOY SPORT. DEPOSIT LIMITS DEPOSIT LIMITS

THAT’S BETTING BETTER. THAT’S BETTING BETTER.

I

was probably the only Swansea City fan on the planet who let out a little groan when Kevin Friend pointed to the penalty spot towards the end of the first half at Reading earlier this week.

Why, I hear you ask?

JACK THE LAD

A penalty just before the interval with the Swans already 2-1 up sounds like an ideal scenario, especially away from home.

But the reason behind my groan was purely selfish and nothing to do with my desire for a Swans win.

Having given up hope of the Swans ever being awarded a penalty again, I had already started formulating the programme notes for today's match before the kick-off in Berkshire on Easter Monday.

The day before the Reading game, the calendar had clicked over to a year since the last time a referee had pointed to the spot in favour of the Swans.

So, the Middlesbrough programme seemed the perfect time for me to launch into a rant about how we never get awarded penalties any more.

Now I don't normally like to tempt fate by jumping the gun and writing my programme notes too early.

But having waited more than a year for a pen, surely it wasn't going to come now.

And the first 45 minutes at Reading had added even more fuel to the fire beneath my bubbling outburst.

With the Swans having waited so long for a penalty, it seemed to rub salt into the wound for the home side to be awarded a spot kick so soon after kick off.

When Hannes Wolf and Joel Piroe each curled in such precision strikes from outside the penalty area - adding to the flurry of goals scored from outside the box by the Swans in the last few games - I was already formulating the intro to my article.

"Who needs penalties anyway? We can score from anywhere!"

PAGE 52

Yes! That was going to be the perfect riposte to all those referees who had waved away our appeals since Wycombe's Jason McCarthy was adjudged to have handled in the box in the 2-2 home draw on April 17, 2021.

Well, it was the perfect riposte until Michael Obafemi was bundled over in first half stoppage time in Reading, prompting Kevin Friend to award our first penalty in a year and a day.

My notes were already heading to the wastepaper basket before Friend's whistle had stopped echoing around the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

A year and a day is still a long time to wait for a penalty, but it would have seemed churlish to publish an article about how long we have been waiting for a spot kick less than a week after we had been awarded a spot-kick!

So instead of venting my spleen about our long wait, I have decided to celebrate our latest penalty by remembering some of the most memorable goals struck by the Swans from exactly 12 yards out.

Liverpool 2 Swansea City 2 October 3, 1981 One of the first really significant Swans' spot kicks I remember during my time supporting the club came in the emotionally charged atmosphere of Anfield.

Former Liverpool hero John Toshack was returning to his old stomping ground as manager of a Swansea side enjoying their first ever season in the top flight.

If that wasn't enough, it was the first home match Liverpool had played since the death of the club's legendary manager and Toshack's mentor, Bill Shankly.

The highly charged atmosphere was turned up another couple of notches just before the match when Toshack peeled off his Swans tracksuit to reveal a Liverpool shirt during a minute's silence for his former gaffer.

Just to add to the irony surrounding penalties and the Swans - given their scarcity in recent months our famous penalties also tend to come in pairs.

Swansea City 4 Hull City 2 May 3, 2003 Given the spectacular nature of his fourth goal and the relief it inspired around the old Vetch Field, it's easy to forget that two-thirds of James T homas' unforgett able hattrick against Hull came from the penalty spot.

Going one against one with the keeper from 12-yards is a nervy situation at the best of times, but imagine how Thomas must have felt doing it twice - especially in such an important match.

With the home side intent on putting on a fitting display in memory of Shankly against the supposed upstarts from South Wales, matters took an unwelcome turn for the Kopites in the 16th minute when Phil Thompson pulled down Neil Robinson in the box.

Up stepped Leighton James, who four years earlier had scored from the penalty spot to give Wales their only ever win against England at Wembley.

The flame-haired winger was on target again to put the Swans a goal up against the reigning European Champions.

It got even better for the Swans when the visitors doubled their lead thanks to a Bob Latchford strike.

Ironically, the Swans were to be pegged back by a brace of Terry McDermott penalties as the match ended in an honourable draw.

Defeat, of course, would have meant the Swans crashing out of the Football League.

Along with fellow scorer Lenny Johnrose, Thomas will always hold a special place in Swans fans' hearts for holding his nerve from the penalty spot twice in such a vital match and adding a clinching hat-trick strike to seal one of the club's most important wins.

But while Thomas was saving the Swans in the Football League's bottom division, Sinclair was feeling a different kind of pressure as he was sending the Swans into arguably the biggest league on the planet in the Championship play-off final at Wembley.

The former Chelsea player had helped the Swans into a 3-0 lead thanks to his first penalty, followed immediately by a strike from open play, added to a Stephen Dobbie goal.

With the Swans looking home and hosed, Reading came storming back to make the score 3-2 and looking increasingly likely to level the match.

But then the Swans were awarded a second penalty in the 80th minute.

Sinclair appeared to be the calmest man in the stadium, certainly in Swansea colours, as he stepped up to slot the ball home and send the Swans into the Premier League.

Swansea 2 Middlesbrough 1 March 6, 2021

Swansea City 4 Reading 2 May 30, 2011

One of the Swans' most recent penalties before the year-long d r o u g h t wa s A n d r e Ayew ' s stoppage time winner against today's opponents.

If someone scoring two penalties in a hat-trick to clinch a 4-2 victory in one of the most important games in the Swans' history sounds familiar, there's a reason for that!

The 97th minute goal sent the Swans into third place in the Championships and Boro manager Neil Warnock into a rage as the Swans were awarded a second stoppage time penalty in as many games.

Scott Sinclair is one of the few people alive who will know the kind of pressure James Thomas was under when he twice placed the ball on the penalty spot in one match.

Who knows, with the Swans penalty curse broken at Reading, the next one may be closer than we think and history may repeat itself today!

C'mon you Swans.

PAGE 53

FORMER PLAYERS’ ASSOCIATION PAGE 54

S

ince the Swansea City Former Players’ Association launched last August, the club has reconnected with men and women who wore the shirt with pride.

Many ex-players maintain links with the club, but the FPA exists to extend that welcome to all, regardless of when or how often they played.

Its primary aims are to promote friendship, support and charitable work, including fundraising, by bringing together players from different generations and eras.

It also provides an opportunity to add to the archives of Swansea City Football Club by giving former players and those who worked with or supported them, a chance to share their stories.

S ome of the ex-player s who have signed up to the association have featured in the FPA pages of the club website; from Cliff Jones , whose Swans career began in 1952, to Leon Britton, who retired in 2018.

There are also interviews with the wives of former players, including Esme Allchurch, widow of Ivor and Joyce Medwin, wife of Terry.

A list of the FPA articles can be sourced in the ‘news’ section HERE. The coronavirus pandemic has naturally impacted on plans to organise social events, but the FPA c ommittee is hopeful that these will increase now that restrictions are all but lifted.

Money raised from the club’s Player Awards Dinner, which is being held at the Swansea.com Stadium next month, is going to the Former Players’ Association.

The FPA committee has also organised informal coffee morning-style get togethers for FPA members to meet up and share stories and experiences of their time at the club.

One of them was held before the game against XXXX . It was attended

by Martyn James and his brother A n t h o n y, w h o s i g n e d p r o f e s s i o n a l c ontrac t s for the Swans in the 1980s and 1970s respectively.

They believe the FPA is a valuable asset to those who played and is a positive move by the club itself.

“I don’t think you can ever under-estimate the mental health impact of something like the FPA,” said Anthony.

“Football brings people together and as former players you do sometimes lose that connection when you stop playing. “ T h i s i s a t e r r i f i c m o v e b y t h e c l u b.

F i r s t c l a s s . I t r e - i g n i t e s t h at fe e l i n g of being par t of something that goes beyond footb all in some ways . B eing o ff e r e d a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o b e p a r t o f the club in a different way makes me immensely proud.”

His brother agreed: “It’s nice to go back and be part of the club now as a season t i c ke t h o l d e r, b u t s i n c e t h e F PA h a s come about its great because you feel connected in a different way.

“Being part of a matchday again is fantastic because you get that buzz in the way you did when you played. It’s hard to explain it because it is a sense of pride in being part of the club again.”

Tony Cottey, who became a successful cricketer when he hung up his football boot s, also endor sed the benefit s of joining the FPA. “It doesn’t matter if people don’t know each other, they all have something in common and that opportunity to meet others who share that can have a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing,” he said.

“The level of uncertainty you experience as a former professional isn’t something that gets talked about enough.

"Most people experience it but don’t know where or how to talk about it and getting people together physically and as part of a group of individuals who have a common history is a really good thing.

“I saw the importance of it at Sussex because they have something similar and it’s great that the club have done this in Swansea as well. It will be more significant than they know to a lot of ex-players.”

Owain Tudur Jones signed for the Swans in 2005. He was forc ed to retire early from the game and now has a successful career in broadcasting.

“It’s such an important thing for the Swans to do. As soon as I saw the idea I knew how important it was going to be,” he said.

“It means so much more than people think because you can feel that you’ve been forgotten about, definitely.

“Some players fall on hard times after they finish and that sometimes goes down to finances or problems with gambling or drinking or whatever it may be and just knowing that there is a crutch out there and a group of people out there to help them, that’s a really important thing.”

Ex Swans who want to be involved with Swansea City Former Players’ Association are asked to fill in the registration form HERE. The club is also keen to hear from relatives and friends of former players who are not online but who might still want to join the FPA. Anyone in this category is asked to call the FPA secretary, Catherine Thomas, on 01792 616420 or email catherinethomas@swanseacity.com

PAGE 55

JUNIOR CYRIL'S HALF-TIME QUIZ QUESTION ONE

QUESTION TWO

QUESTION THREE

Who knocked Middlesbrough out of the FA Cup?

Which former Swan and member of the Wales Euro 2016 squad plays for Middlesbrough?

How many goals did Swansea score against Middlesbrough in the 2019-20 season?

QUESTION FOUR

QUESTION FIVE

What is Middlesbrough’s nickname?

What animal is Middlesbrough’s mascot Roary?

CYRIL AND CYBIL'S PREDICTION SWANS 2 BORO 1

PAGE 56

PAGE 57 Cyril’s Half-Time Quiz Answers Question One - Chelsea Question Two - Neil Taylor Question Three - 6

Question Four - Boro Question Five - Lion The Names are: Cameron Congreve, Nathanael Obgeta, Ryan Manning

C_ME__N _O_G_EVE _ATH__A_L O___T_ R__N _A__ING CAN YOU HELP CYBIL FIND THE MISSING LETTERS AND SPELL OUT THESE SUPER SWANS NAMES ?

R JACKS

PLAYER SPONSORS 2021~2022 BEN HAMER

CYRUS CHRISTIE

KYLE NAUGHTON

ANDY FISHER

RYAN BENNETT

BEN CABANGO

RYAN MANNING

JOEL LATIBEAUDIERE

FINLEY BURNS

WESTACRES

NATHANAEL OGBETA

BEN LLOYD

MATT GRIMES

JAY FULTON

FLYNN DOWNES

KOREY SMITH

TRAVEL

HOUSE .CO.UK

OLIVIER NTCHAM

CALL 01792 616 624 OR PAGE 58

JAMIE PATERSON

MICAHEL OBAFEMI

JOEL PIROE

HANNES WOLF

EMAIL L.MERRELLS@SWANSEACITY.COM FOR AVAILABILITY

PAGE 59

FIXTURE LIST SEA FIXTURE

DATE

TEAM

Blackburn Rovers A L 2-1

Sat, Aug 7, 3pm

Benda

Naughton

Reading (CC R1) A W 0-3

Tue, Aug 10, 8pm

Benda

Naughton

Sheffield United H D 0-0

Sat, Aug 14, 8pm

Benda

Stoke City H L 1-3

Tue, Aug 14, 7.45pm

Benda

Bristol City A W 0-1

Fri, Aug 20, 7.45pm

Benda

Cabango

Bennett

Latibeaudiere

Bidwell

Smith 1

Cabango

B.Cooper

Latibeaudiere

Bidwell 3

Williams

Manning

Cabango

B.Cooper

Latibeaudiere

Bidwell

Downes

Manning

Cabango

B.Cooper

Latibeaudiere 3

Bidwell

Downes

Laird

Manning

B.Cooper

Latibeaudiere

Bidwell

Fulton

2

Plymouth Argyle (CC R2) H W 4-1

Tue, Aug 24, 7pm

Hamer

Manning 1

Joseph 3

Bennett

Latibeaudiere

Bidwell

Fulton

Preston North End A L 3-1

Sat, Aug 28, 3pm

Benda

Manning

Laird

Bennett 2

Latibeaudiere 1

Bidwell

Fulton 3

Hull City H D 0-0

Sat, Sept 11, 3pm

Hamer

Laird

Williams

Bennett

Naughton 3

Bidwell 2

Downes

Millwall H D 0-0

Wed, Sept 15, 7.45pm

Hamer

Naughton

Cabango

Bennett

Laird

Manning

Downes

Luton Town A D 3-3

Sat, Sept 18, 3pm

Hamer

Naughton

R Williams 1

Bennett

Laird

Manning

Downes 3

2

Brighton & Hove Albion (CC R3) A L 2-0

Wed, Sept 22 7.30pm

Benda

R Williams

Cooper

Cabango 1

Latibeaudiere

Walsh 2

Fulton

Huddersfield Town H W 1-0

Sat, Sept 25, 3pm

Hamer

Naughton

Cabango

Manning

Laird

Bidwell

Downes

Fulham A L 3-1

Wed, Sept 29, 7.45pm

Hamer

Naughton

Cabango

Manning

Laird

Bidwell 3

Downes 2

Derby County A D 0-0

Sat, Oct 2, 3pm

Hamer

Naughton

Cabango

Manning

Latibeaudiere 1

Bidwell

Downes

Cardiff City H W 3-0

Sun, Oct 17, 12pm

Hamer

Naughton

Bennett 2

Manning

Laird

Bidwell

Downes

West Bromwich Albion H W 2-1

Wed, Oct 20, 7.45pm

Hamer

Naughton

Bennett

Cabango 2

Laird

Bidwell 3

Downes 1

Birmingham City A L 2-1

Sat, Oct 23, 3pm

Hamer

Naughton

Bennett

Manning

Latibeaudiere

Laird

Smith 1 Smith

Peterborough United H W 3-0

Sat, Oct 30, 3pm

Hamer

Naughton

Bennett

Manning

Laird 3

Bidwell

Coventry City A W 2-1

Tue, Nov 2, 7.45pm

Hamer

Naughton

Bennett

Manning

Laird

Bidwell

Smith

AFC Bournemouth A L 4-0

Sat, Nov 6, 3pm

Hamer

Naughton

Bennett

Manning

Laird

Bidwell 2

Downes

Blackpool H D 1-1

Sat, Nov 20, 3pm

Hamer

Naughton

Cabango

Manning

Laird

Bidwell

Downes

1

Barnsley A W 0-2

Wed, Nov 24, 7.45pm

Hamer

Bennett

Naughton

Cabango

Laird

Bidwell 2

Downes 1

Reading H L 3-2

Sat, Nov 27, 3pm

Hamer

Bennett 2

Naughton

R Williams

Laird

Manning

Ntcham

Middlesbrough A L 1-0

Sat, Dec 4, 3pm

Hamer

Naughton

Cabango

R Williams 2

Laird 3

Downes

Manning

Nottingham Forest H L 1-4

Sat, Dec 11, 3pm

Hamer

Laird 1

Cabango

Bennett

Manning

Downes

Smith

Southampton (FA C R3) H L 2-3 (AET)

Sat, Jan 8, 5.30pm

Hamer

Naughton

Bennett

B.Cooper

Manning

Downes

Smith 5

Huddersfield Town A D 1-1

Sat, Jan 15, 3pm

Hamer

Cabango

Naughton

Manning

Christie 1

Latibeaudiere

Grimes

Preston North End H W 1-0

Sat, Jan 22, 3pm

Hamer

Cabango

Naughton

Manning

Christie 3

Latibeaudiere

Grimes

Queens Park Rangers A D 0-0

Tues, Jan 25, 7.45pm

Hamer

Cabango

Naughton

Manning

Christie

Latibeaudiere

Grimes

Hull City A L 2-0

Sat, Jan 29, 3pm

Hamer

Cabango

Naughton

Manning

Christie

Latibeaudiere

Grimes

Luton Town H L 0-1

Tues, Feb 1, 7.45pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton 1

Bennett 3

Christie

Manning

Grimes

Blackburn Rovers H W 1-0

Sat, Feb 5, 5.30pm

Fisher

Cabango

Downes

Manning

Christie

Wolf

Grimes

2

3

Stoke City A L 3-0

Tue, Feb 8, 7.45pm

Fisher

Cabango

Downes

Bennett

Christie

Wolf

Grimes

Bristol City H W 3-1

Sun, Feb 13, 1pm

Fisher

Cabango

Burns 1

Manning

Christie

Wolf

Grimes

Sheffield United A L 4-0

Sat, Feb 19, 3pm

Fisher

Cabango

Burns

Manning

Christie

Latibeaudiere

Grimes

West Bromwich Albion A W 0-2

Mon, Feb 28, 8pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton

Manning

Christie

Wolf

Grimes

Coventry City H W 3-1

Sat, Mar 5, 3pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton

Manning

Christie

Smith 3

Grimes

Fulham H L 1-5

Tues, Mar 8, 7.45pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton

Manning

Smith

Ntcham 1

Grimes

Blackpool A L 1-0

Sat, Mar 12, 3pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton

Christie

Smith 1

Downes

Grimes

Peterborough United A W 2-3

Wed, Mar 16, 7.45pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton

Christie

Smith 1

Downes

Grimes

Birmingham City H D 0-0

Sat, Mar 19, 3pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton

Burns 1

Christie

Smith 2

Grimes

Cardiff City A W 0-4

Sat, Apr 2, 3pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton

Latibeaudiere

Christie

Downes

Grimes

Millwall A W 0-1

Tues, Apr 5, 7.45pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton

Latibeaudiere

Christie

Fulton 3

Grimes

Derby County H W 2-1

Sat, Apr 9, 3pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton

Latibeaudiere

Christie

Wolf

Grimes

Barnsley H D 1-1

Fri, Apr 15, 3pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton

Latibeaudiere 2

Christie

Fulton 1

Reading A D 4-4

Mon, Apr 18, 3pm

Fisher

Cabango

Naughton

Latibeaudiere

Christie

Downes

Middlesbrough H

Sat, Apr 23, 3pm

AFC Bournemouth H

Tue, Apr 26, 7.45pm

Nottingham Forest A

Sat, Apr 30, 3pm

Queens Park Rangers H

Sat, May 7, 12.30pm

Correct as of April 14, 2022.

PAGE 60

Match Statistics Key

Grimes 1

Grimes

Goal =

2

ASON 2021~2022 SUBSTITUTES Cullen 2

Lowe

Paterson

Grimes

Defreitas-Hansen, Mcfayden, B.Cooper, Dhanda 1, O.Cooper, Joseph, Whittaker 2

Dhanda

Piroe

Whittaker

Defreitas-Hansen, Manning 1, Mcfayden 3, Lloyd, Joseph 2, Lowe, Cullen

Grimes

Paterson 3

Lowe 1

Cullen 2

Webb, Mcfayden, Williams, Dhanda 3, Joseph, Piroe 1, Whittaker 2

Grimes

Fulton 2

Dhanda 1

Lowe

Webb, Laird 3, Williams, Paterson 2, Cullen, Piroe 1

Grimes

Paterson

Piroe

Cullen

Hamer, Mcfayden, Williams, Dhanda, Joseph, Lowe 2, Whittaker 1

Williams

Dhanda

Lowe

Whittaker

Webb, Naughton 2, Piroe, Cullen, Cooper, Cooper 1, Laird 3

Grimes

Paterson

Cullen

Piroe

Hamer, Cooper 1, Williams, Dhanda, Whittaker, Lowe 2, Naughton 3

Grimes

Ntcham 1

Paterson

Piroe

Benda, Cabango 3, Latibeaudiere, Manning 1, Fulton, Cullen, Obafemi 2

Grimes

Ntcham 1

Paterson 2

Piroe 3

Benda, Fulton, Obafemi 1, Cullen 3, Latibeaudiere, Bidwell, Walsh 2

Grimes

Walsh 2

Paterson

Obafemi

Benda, Cabango 1, Fulton, Smith, Ntcham 2

Bidwell

Smith 3

Whittaker

Cullen

Webb, Manning 1, Rushesha, Laird, Downes 2

Grimes

Ntcham 3

Piroe

Grimes

Ntcham 1

Piroe

Grimes

Smith 3

Piroe 2

Grimes

Smith 1

Piroe

3

Grimes

Smith

Piroe

3

Paterson

Benda, Latibeaudiere 3, Williams 2, Walsh, Ntcham 1, Cullen, Whittaker

Grimes

Ntcham 2

Piroe 3

Paterson

Benda, Cabango, Williams, Fulton, Walsh 2, Cullen 3, Obafemi 1

Grimes

Ntcham

Grimes

Ntcham 1

Grimes

Ntcham

Grimes Grimes

1

Grimes

, Piroe 3

, Latbeaudiere

, Dhanda 3, Piroe

Paterson 1

Benda, Cooper, Latibeaudiere, Fulton 3, Smith 1

Paterson

Benda, Cooper, Latibeaudiere 3, Fulton, Smith 1, Walsh, Cullen 2

Paterson

Benda, Williams, Laird 1, Fulton, Walsh, Cullen 2, Whittaker 3

Paterson

Benda, Cabango 2, Latibeaudiere, Walsh, Ntcham 1, Cullen 3, Whittaker

, Walsh, Cullen 2

Paterson

Piroe

1

Benda, Cabango, Latibeaudiere, Downes 2

, Whittaker 3, Obafemi 1, Cullen

Paterson

Piroe

2

Benda, Cabango, Latibeaudiere, Downes 2

, Whittaker, Obafemi 1, Cullen

Paterson

Piroe

Ntcham 2

Paterson

Piroe

Smith

Paterson

Piroe 3

Benda, R.Williams, Latibeaudiere, Manning 2, Walsh, Ntcham 1

Grimes

Smith 1

Paterson

Piroe

Benda, Downes 1, Cooper, Cullen 2, Latibeaudiere, Bidwell, Walsh

Grimes

Smith 1

Paterson

Piroe

Benda, Bennett, Obafemi 2, Ntcham 1, Cullen, Latibeaudiere 3, Bidwell

Grimes

Ntcham

Paterson

Piroe

Benda, R. Williams, Latibeaudiere 1, Bidwell, Walsh, Obafemi 2, Cullen

Cullen 3

Obafemi 4

Piroe

Benda, R. Williams 5, Abdulai, Bidwell, D. Williams, Fulton 4, Grimes 1, Ntcham 2, Dhanda 3

Downes

Smith

Ntcham 2

Piroe

Fisher, Bennett, Abdulai, Fulton, Walsh, Joseph 2, Obafemi 1

Downes

Smith

Ntcham 1

Piroe 2

Fisher, Bennett, Fulton 3, Walsh, Wolf 1, Joseph 2, Obafemi

Downes

Smith

Wolf 2

Piroe 1

Fisher, Bennett, Abdulai, Fulton 2, Walsh, Joseph, Obafemi 1

Fulton 1

Smith 3

Wolf 2

Piroe

Fisher, Bennett, Abdulai, Walsh 3

Obafemi

Hamer, Latibeaudiere, Burns, Fulton, Smith 1, Joseph 3, Piroe 2 Hamer, Bennett 1, Latibeaudiere 3, Burns, Fulton, Smith 2, Joseph

Walsh

1

2

2

, Whittaker

3

Downes

2

Ntcham

Wolf

Ntcham

2

Benda, Cabango, Latibeaudiere, Smith 1, Walsh 3, Whittaker 2, Cullen Benda, R.Williams, Latibeaudiere, Smith 2, Walsh, Obafemi 1, Cullen

1

, Cullen 3

, Ntcham 2, Joseph, Obafemi 1

Paterson

Obafemi

1

Piroe 3

Fulton

Smith 1

Ntcham

2

Obafemi

Hamer, Latibeaudiere, Burns, Dhanda, Paterson 2, Joseph 3, Piroe 1

Ntcham

Paterson 3

Obafemi

Piroe

Hamer, Latibeaudiere 2, Fulton, Smith 3, Dhanda, Ntcham 1, Joseph

Downes

Paterson

Ntcham 1

Piroe 2

Hamer, Bennett, Fulton, Smith 2, Dhanda, Joseph, Obafemi 1

Downes

Paterson 1

Piroe

Obafemi 2

Downes

Paterson

Downes 2

1

2 3

Hamer, Burns, Latibeaudiere, Fulton, Smith 2, Ntcham 1, Joseph 3 Hamer, Burns, Congreve, Latibeaudiere 2, Fulton 3, Ntcham 1, Joseph

2

Piroe

Obafemi

Paterson

Piroe

Obafemi 3

Hamer, Burns, Congreve, Latibeaudiere, Fulton 2, Bennett 1, Joseph 3

Ntcham 2

Paterson

Piroe

Obafemi

Hamer, Burns, Congreve 2, Latibeaudiere, Fulton, Ogbeta 1, Joseph

Wolf

Paterson 3

Piroe

Obafemi 2

Hamer, Ogbeta, Burns, Fulton 3, Joseph 2, Congreve, Ntcham 1

Wolf 3

Ntcham

Piroe

Obafemi

Wolf

Paterson

Piroe

Obafemi

Manning

Piroe

Wolf 1

Obafemi

Fulton

Paterson 1

Piroe

Obafemi 3

Hamer, Manning, Congreve, Joseph 3, Smith 2, Ogbeta, Ntcham 1

Wolf

Piroe

Paterson 3

Obafemi

Hamer, Manning 2, Smith, Ntcham 1

Wolf

Piroe

Paterson 2

Obafemi

Hamer, Smith, Fulton 1, Joseph, Congreve, Manning 3, Ntcham

Hat-trick =

2

3

Captain =

2

Hamer, Ogbeta 2,Fulton, Congreve, Joseph 3, Latibeaudiere 1 2

Hamer, Burn, Congreve 3, Joseph, Smith 2, Ogbeta, Fulton 1 Hamer, Joseph, Paterson 2, Ogbeta, Smith 3, Congreve, Ntcham 1

Sub = 2 (number denotes player replaced) Booked =

, Joseph, Congreve 3, Ogbeta

Sent off =

2

Carabao Cup = CC FA Cup = FA

PAGE 61

TABLE 2021~2022

POS TEAM 1

Fulham

42

P W D 26

8

L 8

98

F

37

A GD PTS 61

2

Bournemouth

41

22

11

8

65

35

30

77

3

Huddersfield Town

43

20

13

10

58

45

13

73

4

Luton Town

43

20

11

12

61

47

14

71

5

Nottingham Forest

41

20

10

11

65

37

28

70

6

Sheffield United

43

18

12

13

55

44

11

66

7

Millwall

43

17

14

12

48

42

6

65

8

Blackburn Rovers

43

17

12

14

53

45

8

63

9

Middlesbrough

42

18

9

15

52

44

8

63

10

Queens Park Rangers

43

18

9

16

58

55

3

63

11

Coventry City

43

17

11

15

58

56

2

62

12

West Bromwich Albion

43

16

12

15

47

45

2

60

13

Swansea City

42

16

11

15

53

58

-5

59

14

Stoke City

43

16

10

17

54

48

6

58

15

Preston North End

43

14

16

13

44

50

-6

58

16

Blackpool

42

15

11

16

51

50

1

56

17

Cardiff City

42

14

7

21

48

64

-16

49

18

Bristol City

43

13

10

20

54

74

-20

49

19

Hull City

43

13

8

22

37

48

-11

47

20

Birmingham City

43

11

12

20

46

70

-24

45

21

Reading *

43

13

8

22

54

82

-28

41

22

Peterborough United

43

8

10

25

38

83

-45

34

23

Derby County *

43

13

13

17

42

49

-7

31

24

Barnsley

42

6

12

24

31

62

-31

30

86

Correct as of April 21, 2022.

*Derby County deducted 21 points and Reading deducted 6 points under EFL Regulations.

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Head Coach: Russell Martin 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 21 22 23 26 27 30 33 35 45 47

Ryan Bennett Ryan Manning Flynn Downes Ben Cabango Jay Fulton Korey Smith Matt Grimes Michael Obafemi Olivier Ntcham Jamie Paterson Hannes Wolf Kyle Joseph Nathanael Ogbeta Joël Piroe Ben Hamer Tivonge Rushesha Yan Dhanda Joel Latibeaudiere Cyrus Christie Kyle Naughton Josh Gould Finley Burns Andy Fisher Lincoln Mcfayden Cameron Congreve Azeem Abdulai

MIDDLESBROUGH Manager: Chris Wilder 1 2 3 4 6 7 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 31 35 36 37 47 48 50

Joe Lumley Anfernee Dijksteel Neil Taylor Grant Hall Dael Fry Marcus Tavernier Martin Payero Andraž Šporar Toyosi Olusanya Lee Peltier Nathan Wood Jonny Howson Paddy McNair Duncan Watmore Darnell Fisher Sammy Ameobi Sol Bamba James Léa Siliki Matt Crooks Aaron Connolly Marc Bola Luke Daniels Sol Brynn Isaiah Jones Brad James Josh Coburn Folarin Balogun Riley McGree Caolan Boyd-Munce

NEXT UP AT Bournemouth Tuesday, April 26 Kick-off: 7.45pm

NEXT AWAY Nottingham Forest Saturday, April 30 Kick-off: 3pm

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~ Referee: David Webb ~ ~ Assistant Referees: Nicholas Barnard and Lee Venamore ~ ~ Fourth Official: Dean Whitestone ~

Correct as of April 22, 2022

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