Hello everyone. Welcome to the brand new website called Swansea Independent

Lead story by Keith Haynes

Yes, at long last Fans Network have agreed in principle to a new editor and manager of this site. And, have a guess what, I am a Swansea City supporter !

I suppose the first question you are asking is “What do I have to do to remain a member on this fans network site?” Well, the answer is nothing at all, your access to the forums will be exactly the same, you wont need to do anything at all. The many subscribers to this site will all have the same access as has always been the case. So, nothing to worry about there.

However, there will be changes, and they will be exciting ones

As the new site editor the first things we need to do is introduce up to date content on Swansea City, pre matchday articles, matchday threads, and of course post matchday opinions and reports. This will start for our first game of the season at home to Birmingham City on Saturday September 19th.2020

That is not all of course, we need to look at the site and its presentation when you click on to get all the latest Swans news. That work is already underway. We will have a welsh language piece bi -weekly and will be looking at a welsh language forum. To assist us with this we will have the brightest and freshest writers available to Swansea Independent, some you will know and some will be new to you. However, their content will be on the ball at all times. We need to link in our other allies online and you need to know what news is breaking, as it breaks.

Guest writers from our Swansea world of football are already looking forward to the challenge and you can expect a variety of opinions from ex players and the odd celebrity too. Those that know me will know I don’t enter in to these things light heartedly, I intend to pull this site in to the new millennium adding exciting features and creative content not seen on the site before I took over. This is meant in no way any disrespect to anyone involved on the site before, we all are different, we have different ideas and mindsets, that’s what draws us in to this collective Swansea City world. And on that point my old mate, Phil Sumbler who is now running Planet Swans, and until very recently was the editor here will be collaborating with us to both sites advantage. We have both agreed that mutual participation in certain areas can only benefit us both and we will be working hard on that as the days, weeks and months go by.

There is no need for any division, we are all Swansea City, lifelong jacks and that’s what drives us. Mutual respect is key

For those that don’t know me I was very active in the late 80’s and early 90’s writing for numerous early Swansea fanzines, sometimes learning very quickly all about how things are put over - to my disadvantage at times. But we all learn from experience that’s for sure. After that I wrote the debut Come on Cymru book which did very well, a 1999 book version of fanzine writing which was followed by a second book titled Come on Cymru 2000. I have to say a very proud moment for both Phil and I was the rise of the Midlands Avon & Gloucester Swans, a massive Swans supporters group in England. Phil was living in Weston Super Mare at the time and I was in Gloucester - whilst at the same time sponsoring the club as much as we could via the matchday programme which (we proudly wrote a column) or actual matchday sponsorship. Thereafter Phil and I wrote numerous books on the swans, and that included Roger Freestones biography and then we diversified and wrote a biography for Tony Ford MBE, a tremendous asset to the English game was Tony, a real diamond. As the rocky road was navigated when local businessmen and their allies saved our club in 2001/2002 we both wrote a few more books before Phil moved on to looking after his website, a huge task. If you remember Swansea City, Walking on Sunshine and the follow up Swansea City, A season in the sun I am proud to say these books I wrote covering our clubs rise to the premier league and then that first season under Brendan Rodgers.

I live in Cadiz in Spain these days, this of course was fundamental to my decision to take over the website. You as subscribers deserve the best I can offer you with so many outlets now covering our team. That’s my intention, and I have to make sure I have the time to deliver. I’m still involved in music, my old school punk band remains - and out here I have a small broadcasting studio I’ve built at the back of our house. From here I broadcast in English to the very few actual British residents we have here in this area. This is no Costa Del Sol folks, however a proper fish and chips would go down well at times !

That’s about it for now, hit us with ideas and I will get back to you. This is a Swansea City website for Swansea City fans and of course for all our visitors from other clubs we are involved with week by week.

The future is unwritten.
Keith Haynes

Photo: Action Images

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