Ah... was the club originally aligned to socialism or in a very working class area? That would give credence to the second... Bit like Everton in that respect, the 'people's club' because they were politically liberal (but somehow opposed selling alcohol at games) and wanted a fan owned club. They left because the guy that owned the stadium wanted a business model, controlled by the board etc. I'm pretty ambivalent on Sinclair, he certainly has pace and can dribble, but I've a slight suspicion that if I watched every game he'd turn out to be wasteful and selfish, a Welsh Ryan Babel. Looks a good player on MOTD though, he's perfect for that. Am I correct?
Yeah pretty bang on RE sinclair,can flatters to decieve sometimes but i would love him to stay here none the less. He could learn bucket loads off the likes of Laudrup and im sure the safety net of playing everyweek under rodgers being removed might focus his attention and make him more hungry to improve performance. Scott sinclair didnt have a bad season at all and was given some special attention that he found difficult to cope with, i think he will look to move on and i would say with his girlfriend being from up north liverpool would be his first choice, better than downing but thats not difficult.
Mate I'd fancy my chances on the left wing for Liverpool, might at least get one assist more than Downing. Sinclair looks like he could either stay at the level he's playing at now, and be one of those 'oh yeh he's good isn't he, where's he now?' players... Or he could mature and be really effective. With that pace all he needs is decision making, really. He scored a brilliant goal last season; dribbled into the box past everyone and scored, didn't he?
Re:Why we are called Jacks- years ago people known as jackanapes used to go around with suitcases selling clothes etc. at peoples doors.Very much like the Carpetbaggers of the southern states of the USA.
sinclair can go as far as i am concerned, good champ player but seems to struggle when the pressure is on
These are the facts…but I have lost count of the number of people who had ideas about the breed of dog or theories about why the dog was called ‘Jack’ etc… Swansea Jack is a classic story, a mixture of fact, half truth, and legend. Born in 1930, the black retriever lived in the Swansea docklands close to the River Tawe. Jack rescued people from drowning; in his brief life he may have saved as many as 27 people from the waters of the docks and the River Tawe. Within living memory, Jack has given residents of Swansea their nickname and the priceless heritage of a heart-warming story of a brave life and a tragic ending, just like that other classic Welsh shaggy dog story, the tale of Gelert. Although Dylan Thomas is seen by many as the most famous Swansea resident, it is Jack that is the essence of Swansea, in the river, the docks and the people. Jack is a story of love, warmth, trust, and tragedy, devoid of the dubious undercurrents of alcoholism, violence, and failure that mar the Dylan Thomas memories in local minds. Although the story is fading, we are left with a substantial memorial on the sea front and the notion that at least once in their lifetime every local born Swansea citizen will be called a ‘Jack’ . The Jack story is interesting on many levels. It took place in a rather down at heel Swansea suffering the worst of the Depression with dereliction and unemployment dominating the town. It was clearly the end of an era for the Victorian port. The story is centred on the North Dock and Strand which by the 1930s was largely derelict as most commerce had passed to the east side of the river. The Strand, which had seen nearly eighty years of development as a Victorian port underworld was by the late 1920s a sorry collection of derelict wharves, rough pubs and dubious guest houses and hotels. The town itself was on the verge of the Second World War which was to have a major impact on the future of so many people, and would change the face of the town for ever. Jack was a black retriever, born locally in 1930. After a change of ownership, the one year old retriever was living in Padley’s Yard at the heart of Swansea’s crumbling docklands. His owner was William Thomas, who worked in various jobs throughout a tough working life, but by then in his fifties, was living in quite poor circumstances in a converted stable in Padley’s Yard. By the 1930s, the North Dock which had in the previous century been the centre of the town’s fortunes, was largely derelict. The dark dangerous waters more of a liability than an asset at the heart of the town. In the summer months, the green waters of the dock were used for swimming by the many children that lived in the large numbers of rough terraced houses that still survived at the top of the Strand and north of High Street Station. The playful young retriever quickly made friends with the children who played around the warehouses and swam in the dock. Nowadays, allowing children to play in such a dangerous area sounds incredible, but Swansea’s children have always swum in the most dangerous and dirty parts of the river and dock system. Even today, the local newspaper will run a practically annual feature on youngsters somewhere jumping off a bridge into the river or the South Dock (Marina). Whatever the later facts, it is certain that Jack was a popular playmate and accustomed to swimming in the dock with people. Jack was credited with his first rescue in May or June 1931, when he jumped in to help a young boy to the side of the dock. This first rescue would probably have gone unremarked were it not for the fact that in July of that year he rescued a swimmer in difficulties in front of a number of witnesses. The incident merited newspaper coverage and Jack’s career was under way. Jack’s story henceforth is detailed in a charming book by Marie Stickler Davies who had access to the surviving family papers relating to Jack’s story. By 1935, Jack’s rescues were into double figures and his profile in the local press was very well developed. Although some people hotly disputed Jack’s role in any rescues, he was easily Swansea’s favourite media star. A move for both master and dog to the comfort of the Victoria Hotel in College Street entailed a greater visibility for visitors and locals alike. By the mid 1930s, Jack had become ‘Swansea Jack.’ At the height of his popularity with the people of Swansea, tragedy struck. Jack accidentally consumed rat poison which resulted in a slow, painful decline for the dog and considerable public upset. On 2 October 1937, Jack died and the local newspapers reflected a feeling of loss throughout the whole town. A heartbroken William Thomas by then living in Treboeth, buried Jack in the garden of his Roger Street home. However, the Jack story does not end there. Public opinion in the town was deeply affected by Jack’s loss and discussions in the Borough Council chamber about the possibility of a memorial in one of the Borough’s many parks quickly led to a lively public debate in the local newspaper (The South Wales Evening Post). The people of Swansea clearly felt that they had lost something special. The Post supported the notion of a lasting memorial to Jack and gave plenty of coverage to the ensuing debate. Public campaigns were not new in Swansea, a local children’s home had been erected by public subscription soon after the Great War. A tidal wave of local opinion quickly settled the issue. The desired resting place for a memorial was clearly Victoria Park, already the site of a number of memorials and close to the popular meeting place of the Slip which was the social centre for the majority of the townspeople. A suitable spot on the town’s promenade was selected and Jack was exhumed and reburied in a public ceremony on 21 October 1937. A year later, a massive public collection enabled a substantial memorial to be placed over the grave. The Swansea Jack legend was born.
Nice one Bony You forgot the one about us driving around in horse drawn caravans & selling pegs wherever we go http://www.urbandictionary.com/thesaurus.php?term=Swansea+Jack http://greyfriarsbobby.co.uk/swansea_jack.html
That's a good story, I'd like to hear the part after the dog dying and football fans starting to use it though! Hate thinking about dogs dying, christ it reminds me of Marley and Me
