Match Day Thread Swansea City v Preston North End The Swansea Stadium 22/1/22

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The Swansea.com Stadium (Welsh: Stadiwm Swansea.com; formerly Liberty Stadium) is an all-seated sports stadium and conferencing venue located in the Landore area of Swansea, Wales. The stadium opened in 2005 and was named the Liberty Stadium. It had an opening capacity of 20,750, making it the largest purpose-built venue in Swansea; minor layout changes have since increased this to 21,088.

It is the home stadium of EFL Championship club Swansea City, who took full operational control of the stadium in 2018,[5] and the Ospreys rugby team. As a result of Swansea City's promotion in 2011, the stadium became the first Premier League ground in Wales. It is the third largest stadium in Wales – after the Millennium Stadium and the Cardiff City Stadium. In European competitions, the stadium is known as Swansea Stadium due to advertising rules.

With Swansea City's Vetch Field, and Ospreys' St Helen's and The Gnoll no longer being up-to-date venues to play at, and both the Swans and the Ospreys not having the necessary capital to invest into a new stadium, Swansea council and a developer-led consortia submitted a proposal for a sustainable 'bowl' venue for 20,520 seats on a site to the west of the River Tawe on the site of the Morfa Stadium, an athletics stadium owned by the City and County of Swansea council. It was funded by a 355,000 ft retail park on land to the east of the river. The final value of the development was in excess of £50m.[6]

On 10 July 2005, the stadium was opened and became the home to Swansea City and Ospreys. On 23 July 2005, it was officially opened as Swansea City faced Fulham, (then managed by former Swansea player Chris Coleman) in a friendly match.[7] The match ended in a 1–1 draw with the first goal being scored by Fulham's Steed Malbranque. Swansea's Marc Goodfellow scored during the game to level the match.[8] The first league game was held on 6 August, with Swansea defeating Tranmere Rovers through a single goal by debutant Adebayo Akinfenwa.[9]

Before a league match between Swansea City and Oldham Athletic in October 2005, a statue of Ivor Allchurch was unveiled to commemorate the Swansea-born star who during two spells for the club scored a record 164 goals in 445 appearances.[10]

The first capacity crowd recorded at Liberty Stadium was on the 1 November 2006 when The Ospreys beat Australia A 24–16.[11] The stadium has hosted multiple Wales football internationals, listed below.

Seating at Liberty Stadium is often sold out during Swansea City football matches. Swansea City have expressed a desire to have the capacity of the stadium increased and have held talks with Swansea Council during the 2011–2012 season for the future expansion of the Liberty Stadium which would be completed in a number of phases beginning with expansion or redevelopment of the east stand.[12] Plans for a new McDonald's fast food restaurant to be opened near the stadium threw expansion plans into doubt.[13] However, the planning application was withdrawn.[14]

In December 2013, it was reported by BBC News that the European Commission had requested details of the funding of the stadium, as part of a wider inquiry into state aid for sports clubs.[15]

At the start of the 2014–15 Premier League season, a number of changes were made to the stadium. These included two new 'Jumbotron' screens inside the north and south stands, measuring approximately 200 inches. Due to sponsorship by LG all televisions in food outlets and concourse were replaced by 50" LG TV screens and the south stand renamed The LG Stand. New advertising boards with a crowd facing side were also added.

Expansions planned would expand the stadium to 33,000, with another expansion upgrading the stadium to above the 40,000 mark. This would make Wales national football matches a possibility.

In July 2018, Swansea City AFC took full ownership of the stadium, after reaching an agreement with Swansea City Council. It was agreed that Ospreys RFC could continue to share the stadium.

LAST TIME OUT

FORM GUIDE

SWANSEA 7 PNE 10

Famous Swansea person

Edwin Stuart Gomer Evans (20 October 1934 – 1994) was a Swansea-born Welsh novelist and poet, raised in Ystalyfera in Glamorgan.[1]

He read English at Jesus College, Oxford, before serving in the Royal Navy. He then taught at Brunel College of Advanced Technology. From the mid-1960s, he was employed by BBC Radio, London, to produce programmes for the Schools Broadcasting Department.[1]

His novels include Meritocrats (1974), The Gardens of the Casino (1976), The Caves of Alienation (1977), and the Windmill Hill Sequence of five novels which included Centres of Ritual, Occupational Debris, Temporary Hearths, Houses on the Site, and Seasonal Tribal Feasts. Prior to concentrating on novel writing, Evans had won the Newdigate Prize in 1955 for his poem "Elegy for a Dead Clown".[2] He also published two collections of poetry, Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads (1972) and The Function of the Fool (1997). For his thrillers co-written with Kay Evans, he used the pseudonym Hugh Tracy.[3]

Norman Shrapnel, in The Guardian, wrote of Evans' debut novel Meritocrats, that "I can scarcely recall a more ambitious first novel ... and few more interesting ones".[4] Philip Howard, writing in The Times, described Evans as "my candidate for the Juvenal, I dare not say the Martial, of our generation."[5] Peter Lewis, in The Times Literary Supplement, described Evans' Windmill Hill Sequence as "probably the most ambitious fictional work in progress by a British writer".[6]

Until the late 2000s much of his work was out of print, but two of his poems were included in the anthology Poetry 1900–2000,[1] published by the Library of Wales. The Library of Wales has also re-published his novel The Caves of Alienation,[7] described by Anthony Brockway as "One of the most ambitious Welsh novels of the twentieth century".[This quote needs a citation] This is his most widely held book; according to WorldCat, it is held in 151 libraries. Evans was married to Kathleen Bridget Snelling, née Treacy (1932–1993), her second marriage.[8]

Stuart won't be there on Saturday as he is no longer alive

Swansea Music

Badfinger were a Welsh rock band formed in Swansea, who were active from the 1960s to the 1980s. Their best-known lineup consisted of Pete Ham, Mike Gibbins, Tom Evans, and Joey Molland. They are recognised for their influence on the 1970s power pop genre. It is estimated that the band sold 14 million albums.[1][2]

The band evolved from an earlier group called the Iveys, formed in 1961, which became the first group signed by the Beatles' Apple label in 1968. The band renamed themselves Badfinger, after the working title for the Beatles' 1967 song "With a Little Help from My Friends" ("Bad Finger Boogie"). From 1968 to 1973, Badfinger recorded five albums for Apple and toured extensively, before they became embroiled in the chaos of Apple's dissolution.

Badfinger had four consecutive worldwide hits from 1970 to 1972: "Come and Get It" (written and produced by Paul McCartney, 1970), "No Matter What" (produced by Mal Evans, 1970), "Day After Day" (produced by George Harrison, 1971), and "Baby Blue" (produced by Todd Rundgren, 1972). Their song "Without You" (1970) has been recorded many times, and became a US and UK number-one hit for Harry Nilsson and, two decades later, a UK number-one for Mariah Carey.

After Apple Records folded in 1973, Badfinger struggled with a host of legal, managerial, and financial problems, leading to Ham's suicide in 1975. The surviving members struggled to rebuild their personal and professional lives against a backdrop of lawsuits, which tied up the songwriters' royalty payments for years. Their subsequent albums floundered, as Molland and Evans alternated between co-operation and conflict in their attempts to revive and capitalise on the Badfinger legacy. Evans died by suicide in 1983, and Gibbins died from a brain aneurysm in 2005, leaving Molland as the group's only surviving member.

 

Andrew Hughes will miss out through suspension following his red card against Sheffield United.

After missing the last two games with an ankle injury, Josh Earl has returned to training but remains a doubt to feature this weekend.

Liverpool loanee Sepp van den Berg is in line to make his 50th appearance for the club, while Brad Potts is one game away from 350 in league action.

The Opposition


When former MK Dons manager Russell Martin was appointed head coach at Swansea City in August 2021, he expected a “season of transition”.

That has proved to be true, as his side seem to still be adapting to his possession-based style of play, which involves an element of risk, with the Swans currently sitting 17th in the Championship table.

They will be without one of their main men for this fixture, too, with forward Jamie Paterson currently training away from the first team amid doubts over his future at the club.

Key Stats

An appearance for Alan Browne in this fixture would take the skipper to 313 in all competitions for PNE, which would see him draw level with Paul Gallagher, putting him joint 23rd in the club's all-time appearance makers.

Joel Piroe, who scored at Deepdale last August, is Swansea’s top scorer so far this season, bagging 13 so far.

Swansea City are statistically the division’s best team in possession of the ball, averaging 66.5% in Championship games this term, while they also top the pass success rate chart with 86.1%.

Our Last Meeting


North End put on a fine display in the reverse fixture between these two back in August, coming out 3-1 winners at Deepdale.

Swansea took the lead through Piroe, but goals from Sepp van den Berg, Emil Riis and Ben Whiteman earned their side the three points in what ended up being a comfortable victory.

Man In The Middle



Taking the whistle this weekend will be Joshua Smith, who has already taken charge of two PNE games so far this season.

Smith refereed the away defeat against Reading in August as well as the goalless draw at Deepdale against Derby County.

So far this term, he has been the main official for 26 matches, showing 98 yellow cards and three reds.

MACS VIEW
Second trip into Europe within two weeks and this time thanks to the Druid in charge of the Principality fans are allowed they like to have lots of possession however at the moment the Martin revolution has not fully taken hold tend to make a few errors at the back. After our exertions on Tuesday amy see a few changes to freshen things up. Winnable but not easy. Coach leaves at 7am I'll be in bed cut and paste match report only

 

‘In July 2018, Swansea City AFC took full ownership of the stadium, after reaching an agreement with Swansea City Council.’

They don’t own the Stadium, they have taken a lease from the Council. The Ospreys - who have the legal right to play there dating from the original agreement - pay an annual rental

 

Wiki doesn't know

 

Swansea City 1 Manning Preston North End 0

Swansea City line-up: Hamer; Cabango, Naughton, Manning; Christie (Fulton, 84), Downes, Grimes, Latibeaudiere; Smith, Piroe (Joseph, 74), Ntcham (Wolf, 45). Subs not used: Fisher, Bennett, Obafemi, Walsh.

PNE line-up: Iversen; van den Berg, Bauer, Cunningham; Barkhuizen (Olosunde, 37), Whiteman (Ledson, 84), Browne, Johnson, Rafferty (Sinclair, 63); Evans, Riis. Subs not used: Ripley, Lindsay, McCann, Maguire.

Attendance: 16,842 (339 PNE fans)

Referee: Mr J Smith.

Preston North End were beaten 1-0 away to Swansea City, with Ryan Manning’s long-distance strike the difference between the sides.

It was an even first half with the teams going into the break goalless, before the home side’s left-sided centre half broke the deadlock on 51 minutes, that proving the only goal of the game.

Ryan Lowe made three changes from the midweek draw against Sheffield United, with Tom Barkhuizen, Greg Cunningham and Joe Rafferty coming in to the starting XI.

The hosts created the first chance of note, with Daniel Iversen’s clearance being intercepted by Olivier Ntcham, who burst into the area, but he could only find the side netting with his effort.

At the other end, Ched Evans called Ben Hamer into action, as the goalkeeper tipped his close-range effort over the crossbar after he’d been found in the box by Barkhuizen.

Hamer would have breathed a sigh of relief on 21 minutes, as his pass out from the back was intercepted by Daniel Johnson and the Jamaican had a lot of the goal to aim at from 25 yards, but he chose to hit it first time and saw his effort go wide.

There weren’t too many chances of note in the remainder of the half, although North End were forced in to a change 36 minutes in, with the injured Barkhuizen needing to be replaced by Matthew Olosunde.

North End created the first chance of the second period, with Whiteman sending a low effort just wide from 20 yards, before van den Berg found Johnson over the top with a great pass and he looked to square it for a free Evans, but a Swansea defender came up with a big block to stop it reaching the forward.

The home side took the lead just moments later through Manning, who intercepted a pass from Whiteman before sending a rocket into the back of the back of Iversen’s net from 30 yards.

Swansea had their tails up after that point and almost doubled their lead within a couple of minutes, but Iversen produced a great save to stop Cyrus Christie’s finding the top corner.

Christie came close again on 63 minutes as his effort whistled just wide, and Iversen was then called into action again by goalscorer Manning, tipping his latest shot wide of goal.

North End changed shape and personnel after that point as they pushed for an equaliser, and they had a late chance to equalise in stoppage time through Ryan Ledson, and his fierce strike looked to be goalbound but Cunningham inadvertently deflected it wide.

 

Swansea City boss Russell Martin told BBC Sport Wales:

"I'm really pleased that we won the game and kept a clean sheet. We limited a very good team to one shot on target.

"I feel like we should have scored more goals. I think we started off a bit tense, it's to be expected after not playing here or in front of our fans for six weeks. But once we scored the goal I really liked us.

"We limited them to very little and the guys defended properly. We got the three points we deserved.

"I love Ryan Manning as a character and a player, playing in a position a lot of people were surprised to see him play in."

Preston boss Ryan Lowe said:

"I thought we were going to get something at the end from Ryan Ledson's shot.

"We gave the ball away too cheaply today. The goal is a great strike, but I wanted us to be braver with the ball.

"I am learning about the players game-by-game. I analyse the squad on a daily basis. I just want a bit more quality at crucial times.

"We have to make sure we are fit and ready for the next game now, we know anyone can beat anyone in this division."

 

They weren’t involved in the negotiations …..