Swansea City have a tremendously large and passionate fan base, that’s not in any doubt. Over the years we have seen the largest travelling supports at Wembley finals by any Welsh team. However, when all is said and done, and indeed after a terrible few days of weather. Is it good enough just to say sorry ?

An estimated five hundred ( possibly more ) Swansea City supporters were present at Bramall Lane yesterday to witness yet another capitulation away from home. Russell Martin’s response was “I feel sorry for the fans who have travelled in challenging circumstances and been brilliant throughout the game. They deserve better than what we are giving them away from home at the moment”

It’s always nice when a manager acknowledges the support he gets from those hardy travellers who religiously travel the length and breadth of the country week in week out. And of course not all Swansea fans come from Swansea itself, a large percentage reside elsewhere so home games are equally as challenging at times.

Here’s an example of one fans expenditure yesterday to travel, from Swansea by coach.

Match ticket £33
Coach £35
Refreshments for the day £25
Day off from overtime at work, four hours £80

Total match day around £93, the average cost a of an adult travelling away is around £100, and thats to any ground in the country, not including loss of earnings.

Another example is a fan with two children travelling yesterday.

Adult ticket £33
Junior tickets @ £15.40 each
Petrol £85
Refreshments in total £50

Total match day costs just under £200 for a parent / adult and two children to travel to Bramall Lane yesterday.

In most areas of the U.K. from my own personal experience money doesn’t grow on trees. The efforts made by football fans across the country are massive in these uncertain times. Okay, they have a choice, they don’t have to do it. But they do. What is required in response is one hundred percent effort from the players in their Swansea City shirt. It seems at times that’s not happening. So maybe, say at West Bromwich Albion as an example where coach travel alone is £30 when Russell Martin looks at the away end and see’s not a lot of support it could be time for reflection ?

These professionals are paid in the thousands, and they get paid many thousands every week. For them I say this. Next time you are on the receiving end of a beating, like at Stoke as an example, and this did happen. Don’t ignore the supporters who have in some cases have very little money to follow their football team. At least show some thanks, amd don’t just run off the pitch. Footballers may not be aware of this but it costs money, a lot of money and without the support of the Swansea City fan base there wouldn’t be any at all. Not even for them.

Just a thought.

Photograph © Swansea City AFC & Open Source

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