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The Fan's Vetch
The Fan's Vetch
Tuesday, 19th Apr 2005 00:00

Swans Fans Share Their Vetch Memories

Can you believe it. In just ELEVEN days time the Vetch Field will play home to it's very last game. Back last October we gave you a glimpse of how we would celebrate the end of an era and over the past six months, the Vetch views have been coming in.

Now as we countdown the eleven days until after the Shrewsbury game, we will share some of those views with you. See what others are saying about the end of the era and how they answered the questions that we have posed. You are still welcome to air your own views by completing the form here

In addition to that we will also bring you some of the views of the Vetch from various areas of the ground together with some behind the scenes.

So what are we waiting for, here are some of the responses to some of the questions.

Your Favourite Vetch Moments

The best game I saw was the vital relegation game against Hull City. I couldn't get tickets for the North Bank so me and my mate went in the East Stand. James Thomas played awesome and I will never forget the moment when the final whistle blew - Dan Evans, Bishopston

My favourite moment at the Vetch was when James Thomas chipped the keeper from 30 yards to complete his hat-trick and keep us in the football league - Jamie Williams

When Lee Trundle received the ball and rolled it across his neck, bought it down and controlled it - class - Alex Hayes, Swansea

It was when Swansea played Spurs in the league cup. Tosh had just brought his mates in and the game was only a few minutes old when Ozzy Ardilies got the ball on the halfway line on the centre stand side of the pitch. Tommy Smith came piling in and I have never seen anyone fly as high as Ardilies did when Smith hit him. I don't even think Smith got booked, it was a proper man's game in those days. - Nigel, Bristol

One memory was watching with an old guy (Bill Whitehead) who I'd met working the scoreboard at St Helens - another story altogether! He's played for the Swans in the 20s having moved from - I think - Boston or QPR. He'd mainly played in the reserved but had represented the Welsh League in at least three matches against Ireland amongst others. He still had one medal, the others had been pawned in bad times. We'd been to the library and he found Evening Post reports about his goals. We went to a game together and stood on the North Bank. At some stage in the match another old guy turned and saw him and said 'you're old Billy Whitehead aren't you? - you were great!' It really meant a lot to him and I was amazed - Mike Floate

As you can guess after so many years of following the Swans there are so many memories but a few are

  • Ivor's first game

  • Any time Ivor touched the ball

  • The smell of beer being brewed at a nearby brewery

  • Any time we beat Cardiff

  • At the risk of boring the youngsters this is the team I remember: -

Parry

Feeney Keane

Paul Weston Burns

O'Driscoll Scrine Richards Allchurch Beech

(Note 2/3/5 formation)

Raplh (Age 67) Townhill

Worst Ever Player/Personality

Aiden Newhouse - I don't remember much about him except when he managed to tackle Stuart Roberts in front of an open goal - enough said! - Simon, Swansea

Lewis and Petty - words cannot describe what I feel about these two - Watchman, Swindon

Micky Adams - a quitter - GrandpaJack, Llangyfelach

Kevin Cullis - for obvious reasons but he's top of a very long list of leaches we have been associated with over the years - Dom Daley, Clydach

Andy McFarlane - donkey - Michael Lazell, Waunarlwydd

Jason Jones - Calamity - Hayley Joslyn, Swansea

Chris Todd - I always thought he was rather crap - Adam Jones, Neath

No-one - I always believe you should get behind your team and players at all times - Phil Gwyther, Dunvant

Favourite Manager

John Hollins - you may disagree but he won us the title and made us a great team.......shame about the season after! - Griffo, Swansea

Brian Flynn because he liked to attack and signed a lot of good players like Trundle, Robinson, Britton and Martinez - Steven Carroll

John Toshack - he took us to the summit of British Football albeit for a short time - Mark Griffiths, Swansea

Frank Burrows - he did so much for us, found good cheap players who did well for us then sold them on which, when you look back on it probably kept the club in a reasonably secure financial situation. Took us to Wembley and won, that's one thing I never thought I would see the Swans do - Neil Regan, Swansea

Molby - we played such good football that everyone was so confident and on a high when we went to Wembley - Matt Williams, Port Talbot

Harry Griffiths - loved the Swans and set the foundations for all the glory. Toshack reaped what Harry sowed - Jeremy Harding, Tring

Trevor Morris - he nearly got us to the FA Cup Final - Ralph, Townhill

And so that is a selection of the views we have received so far - check back tomorrow and daily for the next ten days where we will share more from those that count - you - the fans!

Click Here To Share Your Own Vetch Memories

Click The Graphic Above To Find Out More About The Commemorative Box Set

Photo: Action Images



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