January started well for the Swans as they opened the year with a victory in the FA Cup over Macclesfield. Two goals from Lee Trundle were enough to send them into Round Four and a home date with First Division side Preston North End. Trundle's two goals and a marvellous invention called the Autobot secured him victory in the player of the round vote and also a seat at the showpiece final which was held in Cardiff in May.

League wise though it was all going a bit Pete Tong as a defeat to Bury was sandwiched either side by goalless home draws with Oxford and Cheltenham and the fans were beginning to voice their concerns over the drop in standards seen at the start of the season. Never was there a more defined split in the fanbase as some backed him and some opposed him but it appeared that he was here to stay and we had to get on with it.

On the pitch, the month ended with two cup ties. Just before an extra time 4-2 FAW win at Caersws a five figure crowd at the Vetch witnessed an incredible last ten minutes where goals from Andy Robinson and Lee Trundle fired the Swans into the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in over two decades. Tranmere Rovers stood between the Swans and a shock quarter final place.

Shaun Byrne arrived from West Ham on loan but through the exit door was Swans youngster Richard Duffy who signed for Portsmouth.

Over at Morfa, there was no real signs of the glamorous new stadium that was about to take shape with the White Rock section of this site showing the following on 18th January.

Swansea's opening league goal of the year came in a 2-1 defeat to Torquay at the Vetch on 7th February at a time when Alan Tate was in talks for a permanent return to the Vetch following the end of his loan spell at the back end of 2003.

Peter Owen spoke out exclusively on JackArmy.net about why he left his role at the club as communications officer as the official web site came in for extended criticism over it's news coverage, or rather lack of it. All attention though was focused on a certain FA Cup tie at Tranmere on Valentines Day. Andy Robinson's early goal sent Swans fans dreaming of a place in the last 8 but a penalty and a pile driver killed those dreams off and Alan Tate's late red card added to the woe as the Swans brave run ended.

A defeat at Kidderminster followed a home draw with Boston and it was the 55th day of the year before Swansea recorded a league win- a -1 home triumph over Leyton Orient at a capacity reduced Vetch Field. Fans voted 3 to 1 in favour of Brian Flynn as manager as Stuart Roberts returned to the Vetch - signed until the end of the season. But as Roberts came in there was a departure for the much maligned Kieron Durkan who was told there was no future for him at the club.

Welsh football was in mourning as it lost it's 'Gentle Giant' - John Charles died on the 21st of the month.

White Rock though was beginning to take shape and our progress picture on 25th February saw the first erection of steel work on the stadium site (see below)

There was no sign of things to come as the calendars turned to March and the Swans opened with a 1-0 win at Cambridge thanks to Izzy's early goal reviving their fading play off hopes. And as promotion favourites Doncaster were held at the Vetch on a Friday there was belief again that promotion could beckon.

Brian Flynn eyed up Paul Connor who soon arrived but missed out on Barry Conlon in his search for a striker. Draws against Rochdale and Southend just about signalled the end of any chance of promotion amid accusations of a unfit squad, a drinking culture and no training routines at the Vetch. The fans were not devoid of criticism as well as some were branded 'morons' for throwing objects onto the field of play - a problem that still persists.

However, it was defeat at Macclesfield that proved to be the final straw and the club parted company with Brian Flynn on March 18. Rumours surfaced in Swansea early afternoon before confirmation came around 6pm that the management had parted. Real Radio ran live views from the fans taken from the messageboard on the busiest day the site had ever known with over 104,000 page views recorded on the day of the departure alone.

Fans remained split over whether it was the right decision or not and to this day we have never heard the side of the story from Brian Flynn. It was cited by the club that he would not commit to Swansea permanently - a theory still rubbished by some fans who believe he was.

The players responded positively and Scunthorpe were beaten 4-2 at the Vetch thanks to some superb play from Flynn's best signing in Trundle and his last signing in Connor. A draw at Mansfield was followed by a humilating 3-0 reverse at Huddersfield despite the addition of Leyton Maxwell, Lee Fieldwick and Matthew Rees to the playing squad.

And at White Rock, we have this progress picture from March 21st.

Managerless Swansea went into April with the likes of Mark Wright and John Aldridge being linked with the job at the Vetch after the decision to remove the club of yet another manager in March.

Doomed Carlisle won the first game of the month at the Vetch on the day that QPR announced that their assistant manager Kenny Jackett was leaving to take over the Swansea hot seat. The news was confirmed soon afterwards and straight off there were groans from sections of the support that had wanted a 'big name' manager. Kenny's first job was to see his side crash out of the FAW Premier Cup at Rhyl before losing his first league game, 2-1 at Lincoln. Defeats to Hull and Bristol Rovers saw some clamouring for another change in management just four games in as the camp was divided into pro and anti Flynn 'brigades'

This wasn't helped as play off bound Northampton won at the Vetch but there were some pointing out that Jackett's real job started at the end of the season and not on inheriting what had been left to him and as the month drew to a close the new manager was yet to taste anything other than defeat in charge of his new side. All this while his old team marched to promotion to the first division (championship)

Surely from here, things could only get better and fans were reminded why they had to with this view of the new stadium from April 25th.

Click Here For Our Review of May - August

Click Here For Our Review of September - December