There weren't too many humiliations in Roger Freestone's Swansea career but Fulham was one of them
The Swansea City legend remembers back to the dark days of 1995 when the two sides last met in the FA Cup. Swansea were in the third tier of English football and Fulham in the fourth but it was the lower division side that ran out victors by an incredible 7-0 scoreline.
It was a low point for the club who tomorrow will bid to put that memory to bed and progress to the quarter finals of the FA Cup whilst standing within view of the Premiership as the season enters the real business end.
And looking back on that day just over 13 years ago, Freestone told the Western Mail “I’ll be honest with you, I think one of those goals was my fault!
“You look back at those days like the Fulham game and they really were a low point
“We were missing some players I remember that day, but, on and off the pitch, things were bad really.
“Frankie Burrows had just walked out, Bobby Smith had taken over as manager, but the club was in a really bad way.
“I remember every time you arrived at training you would hear rumours we were about to go bust. It was a hard atmosphere to play in.
“It is just fantastic to be able to look back at those times and see the amazing progress which has been made.
“Fulham may be a Premiership side now, but you know they are going to have a very uncomfortable afternoon at the Liberty Stadium.
“The way the Swans are playing at the moment they would frighten a lot of Premiership sides. Fulham will not be looking forward to it at all.
“I would not go so far as to say Swansea are favourites, but it is going to be a very close-run thing and I believe Swansea can come out on top.
“Knowing the way Roberto is, he will want the FA Cup run to go on and the push for the play-offs too,” said Freestone.
“He is doing a fantastic job. If it was previous manger Kenny Jackett who helped start the upward momentum, Roberto has taken things to the next level.
“I think Roberto could go to a club like Chelsea and be a success even now.
“He is his own man, he knows what he wants to do and is very single minded. That is what you need at the very top.”