This evening the top story is Welsh clubs want to play in Europe via the Welsh League Cup ? There’s no cake and eating it here, is this another route to being rejected by the Football Association in England as it’s a yearly invite. Would the football league vote against this move, and ask for Welsh clubs to be expelled, if it is agreed ?

Everything is on the table.

Some will state the invite to play in the English system is for life (whose life is a good question) However, since 1992, the FAW ( Football Association of Wales) have endorsed, and have their own league set up, including several cup competitions. It was in place before that, but at that time Swansea City did not join in. And neither did any Welsh club in the pyramid system. The FAW for one wanted the Swans to join but insisted they had to relinquish their English league credentials. The club have been a part of the English league for a hundred and three years.

Some BBC trophy was introduced, the FAW premier cup, but it soon fizzled out and clubs had no European entry from that idea.

A big rule change by the English FA came about in 2008 when Cardiff City reached the FA Cup final but lost to Portsmouth. It was decided and passed as a regulation that if Cardiff had won the FA Cup they would have the right to participate in European competition. They didn’t, but this is where the new rules were confirmed by UEFA. Swansea City advisor (we still don’t have some firm employment detail) Ken Gude who we first broke as joining the Swans set up back in October 2023 is behind this move. This is where we have to question the understanding of the history of the club, and how damning this ‘could’ be.

That’s here —> Andy gets mutual aid

It isn’t good enough that the Swans ‘used to be in this competition’ because they were not, that was the Welsh Cup. The suggestion seems to be from this idea that the Welsh clubs involved would relinquish their entry into European competition via the English system. Now, that suggestion flies in the face of everything we have heard from the majority owners since they paid their way into the Swans as a Premier League team. And since then the mantra has been the same. The Swans are the only Welsh club to win a major trophy this century, the League Cup. To do that they had to beat the then current European Champions League holders, Chelsea over two legs and Liverpool who were the current holders. Is this the club now saying, the return to the Premier League is no longer achievable ? That we can’t win these type of competitions ?

And lets be honest the Swans made Europe sit up and listen.

It sounds absurd Swansea City would want to cast aside the glamour of proper cup runs for a second rate competition which the clubs U21 side competes in. The Welsh Cup invited many English sides into the competition, from Oswestry Town, Davenham to first time winners, Shrewsbury Town in 1891. At the turn of the century Oswestry and Wellington Town (Now Telford) also won the competition. And not just once. Bristol City joined the fray and also won it in 1934. In fact English clubs won the Welsh Cup twelve times on the trot (bar war time breaks) Crewe, Shrewsbury, Tranmere Rovers, Wellington Town (again) Chester City and South Liverpool ! all won the cup and took it outside of Wales.

My favourite is Lovell’s Athletic who won the competition upon its return in the late forties. They were a works team from the sweet factory in Newport, not to be sneered at, they beat Shrewsbury in the final. And turned over a few established sides as well. In 1974 Stourbridge made the final too. However, this time it is completely different. UEFA have already decided the reasoning behind why Welsh clubs in the English pyramid system, if they win a major trophy, and indeed the Premier League or any qualifying place thereafter is cast in stone, so why upset the apple cart ?

Borough United now Conwy Borough have also played in Europe in the sixties. They beat Sliema Wanderers before going out to Slovan Bratislava. it seems that Bangor City, then playing in the English Cheshire league qualified for Europe via the Welsh Cup before going out to Napoli. Over two legs the aggregate was 3-3. A replay at Highbury in London resulted in a 2-1 loss. Records reflect them being the first ‘Welsh based club’ to play in an English league and represent Wales in Europe.

It seems the FAW will accept this plan, but surely their own competition status will need a remix, we are talking about the Welsh Cup and MG Cup currently, but it can’t continue under its current format.

Below is the home leg, Bangor v Napoli in 1962, Bangor won 2-0.

This is what we think.

Without doubt the club have been speaking to new investors. And we also know that the hierarchy have had to put their house in order financially if these investors are to become interested. This is why we think that Chairman, Andrew Coleman and Ken Gude are pushing this ‘project plan’ It makes the Swans in their minds more viable to invest in or purchase financially. That’s the bottom dollar on this. Money. We are pretty certain that the majority of Swans fans won’t buy this, and we are also certain consultation either hasn’t been held with the supporters trust, or they have been told to not say anything.

We hope to clarify that very shortly.

This whole thing devalues the Swans support and the club once these current incumbents leave. We cannot keep changing our minds, this is crucial to the immediate future of Swansea City. It cannot happen and especially for the financial reasons we believe are behind it.

Photographs sourced via AFE Football News

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