But the true driving force behind the surge to success is the man at the helm - Kenny Jackett.

Managers have come and gone with alarming regularity over the past few years - 14 in 16 years to be precise - but Jackett will be the one to break the cycle, and he will go on to become one of the greatest managers this club has ever had.

I'll hold my hands up and admit that at times last season I had certain doubts about the man's ability and suitability but they were all swept away last Friday during a face to face meeting at the Fairwood training ground.

The story actually starts a few days earlier when I came out of my Uplands office and literally walked straight into him as he stopped at a cash machine before heading off to the Forest Green game.

I congratulated him on promotion and we exchanged pleasantries for a few seconds. I'm sure he thought I was going to be on my way at that point but no…he wasn't going to get off that easily! I mumbled something about being involved in the new fanzine and, if he stayed put for a few minutes, I'd present him with his own personal copy of issue 2.

Quite what was going through his mind at this point is anyone's guess but it was probably something along the lines of: "This beady eyed little baldy man is completely off his chump."

I dashed back out of the office and, to my surprise, Jackett was still there. I thrust a copy of 'A Touch Far Vetched' into his hand and he proceeded to flick through it and ask me some questions about the publication, showing what I considered to be a surprising level of interest.

I knew I'd never get a better opportunity than this and so I blurted out: "I'd love to interview you for issue 3!"

"Okay, when are you free this week? How about coming up to the training ground on Friday?"

I couldn't believe how easy it was…the beady eyed little baldy man was IN!!!

Life was suddenly sweet and everything rosy in the garden until I suddenly realised one thing; Kenny Jackett was reading a copy of a fanzine that included a pretty scathing article that slammed him over the appalling treatment of Alan Curtis…written by yours truly!

Panic started to creep in and so I decided to call for reinforcements. One frantic telephone call later and fanzine co-editor and Jackarmy.Net media mogul Phil Sumbler was recruited to the cause. Nobody would tangle with a man as B-I-G as that, surely?

As it turned out, I needn't have worried. We arrived at Fairwood and caught the last half hour of training, before receiving the warmest of welcomes from our host. My fears of a spot of "re-education" at the hands of Bayo and Andy Robinson were as wide of the mark as a Kris O'Leary pile driver.

What actually followed was a very interesting, informative and entertaining two hour chat over numerous cups of coffee as Kenny met our searching questions head on. The criticism in my article was taken like a man and Jackett went to great lengths to stress that he has no problem with people having their own views AND VOICING THEM.

There was no resentment, there were no toys thrown out of the pram (a la Ian Atkins) and no attempt to brush anything under the carpet. I was already impressed and my respect for the man had instantly gone up a good few notches.

It was apparent from the first minute of the session to the last that Jackett has made it his mission in life to take Swansea City Football Club back into the big time. He is a born winner and settling for second best is not an option - if that means he makes unpopular decisions that upset people along the way then tough, he'll make those decisions and he'll stand or fall by them.

Jackett's determination and attention to detail are legendary but it's only when you get up close to the man that you realise he also possesses a strangely compulsive charm and charisma - quite simply the man commands attention and when he speaks, you listen.

It was also glaringly apparent that nothing that happens at the club ever escapes his attention and he will do everything in his power to ensure that the very highest of standards are applied right across the board (and maybe even the Board!). He is a control freak who wants to run the club from top to bottom, a lower league Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger if you like.

After the days of the half-hearted Brian Flynn and the village-idiot that is John Hollins, straight talking Jackett is like a breath of fresh air. I learned more about football in those two hours than I have in more than twenty years standing on the North Bank (wipes tear from eye).