Aching for success ?
Just what Wrexham fans make of it I don't know, but I do understand their utter disgust towards the Welsh press at times. They are indeed second best to Cardiff City and Swansea City, and you can clearly see who comes out on top between the South Wales clubs. The message here though is not to be misunderstood. Cardiff have more to report, Swansea generally boast a feature on the bright new players ( just when will they flourish ? ) and if it's not that old chestnut we read about the Chairman having a go at the Swansea support. Well, be that as it may, what else do we as Swansea fans have to read about ? When faced with a Cardiff based media it is hard, but if you get the opportunity to speak with them you begin to see the problems. Basically there is nothing positive to report at The Vetch Field these days. And to be honest with you if I was Neil Mcclure I would keep my words in check, they do him no favours at all. Paul Abbadonato recently reported Mcclure going off on one ( Wales on Sunday : 5.11.00 ) and it hardly endeared Mcclure to anyone. So with all the negativity about it's best we read five pages of Cardiff City than one page of drivvel from our Chairman. It also seems that Leighton James, someone who I have spent considerable time with chatting to in the last few years has heard enough. His references to the current situation at Swansea City Football Club ( Real Radio : 20.11.00 ) were a passionate and thoughtfull way of asking " Just what the hell is going on at the club " Leighton may not endear himself to everyone, but I have always found him genuine, and a true Swans fan, something very few other ex pro's from the club make known to the Welsh public. He knows the game well, and in my opinion deserves a shot at coaching the side along with Curt and Hollins. He is a man who knows his mind, and knows what he wants, and the very least you get out of him is honesty. But maybe that last compelling feature of his will always keep him away from the club under this regime. Like Jan Molby, the likes of Mcclure would find Leighton hard to contain, Mcclure indeed would hate the fact that Leighton is a Swans hero, and a man who would have serious support on the North Bank. An area of the ground Mcclure has failed to undestand since 1997, and of course one he is terrified of. I am lucky in a way, I get to speak to all areas of the media virtually on a daily basis, this of course from co-ordinating The MAGS and my tentative steps at football writing. When you are a fan, and selling 5,000 plus books a go it tends to put the noses out of the established crew. Of course there are exceptions, but I won't name them here, just like I won't name the " closed circle " That is of course unless they upset me ! So I tend to hear first hand the real thoughts of real journalists about our club. They are unprintable here, in the main many are very sceptical about the way we are going. The exceptions to this just report on the 90 minutes and go home. They are the " closed circle " very much in the same suit wearing brandy swilling mode as 99% of club Chairmen and board members I could mention. Abbo talks of Steve Hamer ? He mentions in the Wales on Sunday ( 19.11.00 ) that he was good for Swansea. Well, it's hard to gauge, how the hell can you compare anyone to the current regime ? Doug Sharpe was a difficult person to deal with, but like Hamer he was ( and is ) a Swans fan. That's the difference at the moment, we have no Dougie or Steve guiding the ship. When compared, Dougie slightly edges it. He spent money when he had to, of course he made a whole load too, but remember the signings of Terry Connor and Jimmy Gilligan ? Big bucks the pair of them. Then we saw, Keith Walker, Paul Chalmers and John Hughes ( later a Scottish International at Celtic ) they cost twice as much as Neil Mcclure has spent in three years. And that was in 1991 ! That's the difference. Dougie knew when to spend ( his fans heart told him ) Hamer clearly didn't ( because Neil said " No " ) I spoke with Steve Hamer at length a few days back, he acknowledges big mistakes at the club whilst he was there, he says he has learned from them. And of course when he returns ( and he will ) he will run the club differently. Many of you now have raised eyebrows ( mine is cut from playing rugby ) but trust me we haven't seen the last of Steve Hamer, it's just a matter of how he does the PR bit next time around. One whiff of the rubbish we have had in the last three years and the cause will be immediately lost. But of course he needs many allies, and that can be arranged. We are at a crossroads ( Victor Meldrew knows about this ) Yet another in a long trunk scheme of crossroads, Hollins is clearly rattled, refusing to talk to the press. Steve Jones has stood up and supported him, and he of all people doesn't have to, he is still waiting for a decent contract. If he is allowed to go it will be yet another signal that Mclure has nothing but contempt for the club. And then there's the Hollins question ? Rumours of managers being touted for his job won't help him, and then there is Mcclure stating it is untrue. But then of course he wouldn't admit it would he ? Suicide. The question I pose is this - Does Neil Mcclure know everything that is going on whilst he arranges his weekends at Arsenal and Twickenham ? Of course he doesn't, maybe in his absence someone else is assuming his role ? Maybe they are not. But news travels fast, and I keep thinking of smoke and fire. And it worries me. A bit. And like many I will continue to go ( when I can ) and view the team from the North Bank, or wherever we play. And I can't help wondering and thinking " Amongst these people we have a common bond " It is Swansea City. The most powerfull weapon we have - " Unity " For all the contempt and madness that is apparent at this time there is hope. And whilst we have that we are winners. Keith Haynes Keith Haynes is the author of a new Swansea City book ( not available in the club shop ) " Vetch Field Voices " with Phil Sumbler, which is available from this link at a reduced rate for Rivals readers. http://www.sumbler.freeserve.co.uk/voices.htm It is also available from WH Smith & Waterstones, and a host of newsagent outlets throughout South Wales from Nov 24th 2000.