When was it ? Dan James was about to leave Swansea City, then he was at Leeds United minutes before deadline day ended, and all seemed done and dusted. However, Huw Jenkins, who was then Swans Chairman pulled the plug on the deal. Deciding to protect Swansea City’s interests in the face of the American majority owners desire for a few million pounds profit, he weighed up the deal, and basically said ‘ No’

He wasn’t wrong.

Of course Leeds supporters with no idea of the financial situation going on at Swansea only saw a cheap deal disappearing down the pan. Clueless is the starting position for a lot of people when they talk about other clubs. And from their own experiences financially you would have thought a few of them would take time to find out why it went so badly wrong. Huw Jenkins with his hands very much on the financial purse strings saw it as a give a way transfer and stopped it. Yes, he was on his final warning from the Americans, but boy did he send them a message. ‘You don’t sell our assets off as cheaply as this ’ Obviously, as it all transpired Jenkin’s final hour withdrawal from the deal, which was in no way beneficial to the swans was absolutely correct.

It could have meant Swansea City would lose James for less than five million after a loan deal and silly add ons. Leeds fans have to understand it could have been Liverpool or Manchester United ( far bigger clubs ) and the situation would have been the same.

Huw Jenkins made his decision and lost his job based on one of his more astute and well thought out moments as swans chairman. Fair play to him, but even in Swansea many didn’t see it. The passage of time always tells its tale. James went on to make the swans twenty million pounds, and now he is fighting for Leeds United’s premier league future, no sniggering folks, it’s a fact.

Huw Jenkins commented after the event “When I was first invited to run the club the directors gave me a lot of freedom," said Jenkins. "We had a good system in place, they had trust in me and provided good support. People like Martin Morgan, Leigh Dineen were excellent. "With the changes gradually more and more people were getting involved. I recall with Dan James there were six people interfering, trying to make a decision that day. I was told a deal was in place for Dan to go to Leeds. It made no sense to me, not for Swansea City financially because there was nothing in it for us. As much as others felt the deal could have been done and we could have got something out of it, to me Dan going up to Leeds at the time, risk injury, us rely on a summer transfer, was wrong. I wasn't even sure Leeds would pay the loan fee until the summer”

Jenkins goes on."I spoke to Graham Potter about it. Remember, part of his mantra was to bring through younger players while making the team competitive. Dan was an important part of that. Graham wanted him to remain until the end of the season and play for Swansea. In playing regularly for us, we felt we would get more value out of any future deal. So in time Swansea City got a much bigger transfer fee, Dan got a better move. That Leeds business was the final thing I did as Swansea chairman, my parting shot if you like, the last involvement. Although, of course, shortly after I left they also got £20m from Sheffield United for McBurnie. We got Dan for £75,000 from Hull, Oli for £100,00 from Bradford. Not a bad bit of business."

It has to be said Jenkins did have his moments despite his dour exterior there seemed to be something in there, a chink of Swansea pride maybe, and clearly a bit of revenge in his mindset too.

So, we turn to Sam Greenwood, and a few years later it seems - Leeds fans just can’t give it up. Let’s be honest I don’t personally rate Sam Greenwood. He is no better than Morgan Whittaker who is on the verge of a switch to Lincoln City. Others here agree. Greenwood could well be a plus for the swans, but he is no Joel Piroe, and I would hazard a guess the new and invigorated Michael Obafemi would leave him in third place. It seems a crazy decision to me, he will expect game time. Russell Martin has history in remaining solid in his belief that train as you play, and you buy in to the philosophy. Greenwood has that to contend with as well. And he is of course in no way a Russell Martin choice.

However, that all aside let’s have a look at some of the fifty seven linked twitter responses to Swansea Independent’s recent story on Greenwood, the word ‘bitter’ springs to mind for sure. Very bitter in fact.

Michael Toye wrote - Let him go down there, tell him to pick the pen up to sign and write hahahaha remember Dan James? Dont let him go to them.

Zipper - Yes agree their treatment over Dan James was a disgrace, certainly wouldn't do them any favours.

Ginger Paul - Deadline day, make all the right noises, final signatures needed, phones off. Taste of their own medicine.

Iain Plenderleith - Let him go to Cardiff last minute instead!!

LUFCareBack -Wait till deadline day then pull the plug at the last minute see how they like it.

ricky long - Exactly they behaved criminal that day

And so it goes on, it seems that bitterness spreads like wildfire on Twitter, as we know of course. Leeds fans memories and responses may well be skewed without the real information on why it all happened, but knowing Leeds supporters collectively it wouldn’t really matter to them anyway. Having struggled for years and years to return to the premier league and nearly losing their club you would have thought they would understand. Still that is the way of the football fan, often wrong, always right, and nothing in between. There’s going to be a lot of transfer rumour and discussion in the coming weeks, we are going to try and enjoy it as January progresses. Some folk will be at the ready to counter everything. That’s how it works, but we will do our best to be as accurate as we can. And yes, we also hope they send Sam Greenwood to Cardiff, reporting something on here isn’t an endorsement by us, it’s just that a report, so yes please, fire up the bat car. Get him in a blue shirt.

Happy New Year.

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