It’s Swansea City v Brentford at Wembley Stadium in front of a very much reduced capacity with only 4,000 tickets going to each club. Here are our very own Swansea Independent ‘Swansea City’ five Jack facts to start your week !
1. The first time Swansea City played at Wembley was in 1994 in the Autoglass Trophy beating Huddersfield Town on penalties. The assist was from Roger Freestone. The goal scorer was Andy Macfarlane
2. Swansea City appeared in the final again in 2006, however that year all finals were being played at the Millennium stadium, 32,000 swans fans cheered on their team to a 2-1 victory against Carlisle. Lee Trundle scored a screamer.
Lee Trundle : "At the time, getting to the final of that was a big thing for us, at that level we were playing at at that time,” he says. "I went to close the keeper down, he’s kicked it against me, it’s come out to a 50-50 and Robbo [Andy Robinson] sort of nicks the ball away, and it’s come out to Leon Britton on the right-hand side. He’s then lofted a cross to the far side of the box, I’ve just taken a touch on my chest and then hit it from this really tight angle.”
3. The swans played in the second ever football league play off final, however this also wasn’t at Wembley. The year was 1988 and Swansea City defeated Torquay United over two scintillating legs. Alan Davies would score the crucial goal in a 3-3 draw at Plainmoor after the swans were victorious 2-1 at the vetch field. The final score was 5-4 on aggregate, Swansea City fans took over the town that day but only had an allocation of 300 tickets, take it from me there were more than that in the ground that day !
4. The swans have lost in two play off finals, one in 1997 at the old Wembley from a hotly disputed free kick right at the end of the game against Northampton Town. Then again on penalties at the Millenium stadium to old play off adversaries Barnsley on penalties. The only time Barnsley have won a game albeit on penalties against the swans since 1983.
Current swans coach Rory Fallon scores a spectacular goal at the Millenium for Swansea in the 2006 pay off final
5. Swansea City became the first Welsh football club to win a major trophy this century beating Bradford City 5-0 at Wembley in 2013. Much is made of the ease the swans won the game but had to defeat Middlesbrough, Liverpool away and Chelsea over two legs to win the trophy. An estimated 46,000 swans fans were at the game.
That final play off against Reading will of course feature this week on Swansea Independent. What are your memories of the swans in recent times in the play offs or winning at Wembley or the Millenium ?