Bristol City v Swansea City : Saturday Supplement EXTRA :
Saturday, 24th Oct 2020 09:00

Its matchday again as the Swans take on Bristol City at Ashton Gate. The Robins slipped slightly on Tuesday night, at home losing 1-0 to Middlesbrough The Swans fared a bit better earning a 1-1 draw away against Coventry City. We also take a look at mental health with ex Swans and Robins player David Cotterill.

Season form to date is in Bristol City's favour and a lackluster swans over the past two games this week is cause for some concern. One point from a possible six as Swansea City go in to game day three in seven days leaves them looking for some inspiration. Steve Cooper seemed relieved when the final whistle blew on Tuesday night, even saying himself he was pleased with a draw.

Past encounters
Second Division - September 6, 1980
Bristol City 0 Swansea City 1
A wonder strike from Leighton James was enough to give the Swans a 1-0 win at Ashton Gate in 1980.Both Leighton and Robbie James were on excellent form for the visitors, making life difficult for the hosts to get a hold on the game. In a game marred by crowd trouble with swans fans finding themselves in the home end there was an electric atmosphere at Ashton gate. A large swans support held mostly in the open away end cheered their side to victory. And it was Leighton James who opened the scoring inside 20 minutes, weaving his way past three Bristol City players before bending his effort past goalkeeper Ray Cashley. The victory was only Swansea's second of the season, but they would go on to achieve a third-place finish and promotion to the top-flight for the first time in the club’s history at Preston on the last day of the season.

Leighton James scored the winner in 1980

Only two points separate the swans in sixth from the robins who occupy second spot. These encounters are always hard fought affairs and usually very close matches.
Well apart from one game fifteen years ago. Yes, that game was fifteen years ago.

Swansea 7 Bristol City 1
Saturday December 10th 2005
Liberty Stadium
Kevin McLeod led the way for Swansea with a hat-trick
Swansea ripped Bristol City to pieces during a fine second-half display sparked by Kevin McLeod's hat-trick. McLeod curled in his first just before half-time and Adebayo Akinfenwa's cross-shot made it 2-0 after the break. Lee Trundle notched from the spot after Jamie Smith fouled Roberto Martinez and McLeod and Trundle struck again.
Leon Britton burst through for a sixth, David Cotterill pulled one back before McLeod's third but the Swans had Kevin Austin dismissed for two yellow cards.

Swansea: Gueret, Ricketts (Anderson 73), Austin, Iriekpen, Tate, Martinez, Britton (Robinson 77), McLeod, Bean, Akinfenwa (Connor 76), Trundle. Subs Not Used: Murphy, Goodfellow.
Sent Off: Austin (90).
Booked: Bean, Britton, Austin.

Goals: McLeod 45, Akinfenwa 50, Trundle 58 pen, McLeod 69, Trundle 71, Britton 75, McLeod 87.

Bristol City: Phillips, Jamie Smith, Carey (Murray 54), Fortune, Keogh, Orr (Wilkshire 65), Golbourne, Gillespie (Stewart 54), Brown, Bridges, Cotterill. Subs Not Used: Grant Smith, Skuse.
Booked: Keogh, Carey, Fortune, Jamie Smith, Brown.
Goals: Cotterill 81.
Att: 13,662
Ref: T Bates (Staffordshire).

Don't expect anything similar today as you tune in to the game and if there is to be a winner then the odd goal in three sounds favourite.

Korey Smith recently signed from Bristol City will have a point to prove as he returns for the first time to his old club. Smith came to Swansea in early October 2020 and was joined later by Kasey Palmer on loan from Ashton Gate. Palmer is ineligible to play today.

Korey Smith : Point to prove ?

Ryan Bennett is sure to find himself selected in the swans defence after an excellent debut at St Andrews on Tuesday night, there are no injury concerns for Cooper who is potentially going to go with the same side that started on Tuesday. Ryan Manning though will be itching to start and get involved after his transfer from QPR. Manning can play in defence or in midfield. Ex swan Alfie Mawson will probably miss the game for Bristol City after being stretchered off on Tuesday. Swans fans were hoping for news on Fabio Borini this week but Cooper made no positive comment on him in his latest press conference - with the questions from ill informed national journalists (Ian Abrahams) seemingly looking for a negative news story instead on Covid-19 and the effect and behaviour of Swansea players. The swans have a point to prove all round today and the thousands of Swans TV subscribers, believed to be in the region of eleven thousand will be roaring them on to victory.

How can I watch the game ?

Bristol City vs Swansea City live streaming:
SWANS TV : Paid subscription right up to the start of the game
EFL Championship
Date: October 24, 2020
Kick-off time: 3:00 pm, October 24, 2020

SUPPLEMENT EXTRA
Recognising your mental health is not an issue, its the pathway to a solution
David Rhys George Best Cotterill
Mental health consultant | Public speaker | Founder of DC Foundation

David played for Swansea City and Bristol City in a long career that sadly ended in him spiraling in to debt, alcoholism and severe mental health issues. Some of his debts were to fellow players at the clubs he played for. The amounts believed to be some 400k came about as a result of loans to Cotterill from players hoping for a return on their investments. The recently retired winger, who won 24 senior caps during a 14-year career which finished at Indian club Atletico de Kolkata in January 2019, owes tens of thousands of pounds to at least seven current and former players after allegedly convincing them to invest in property schemes and asking for short-term loans, many of which have not been repaid. Cotterill replaced Ryan Giggs as the youngest ever player to play for his country aged seventeen. That in itself could not have been easy with all the riches on offer.

Sportsmail Quote -
He is understood to have made some repayments through Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVA's) set up under the Insolvency Act with his creditors, although several payments have been missed and others have been for the incorrect amount. One player has had a statutory demand for £60,000 ignored. Cotterill, who at the height of his club career was a £2million signing for Premier League Wigan Athletic in 2006 before being sold to Swansea for £600,000 three years later, appears to have used the money he borrowed from team-mates to help fund a glamorous lifestyle

Well, if nothing else the Daily Mail loves a story.

David has admirably worked in the field of mens mental health since the disclosures of his financial issues, and he has set up a charitable foundation. It may well have taken this final turn in a pretty successful career that ensured he started to recognise his own issues and start to give something back. He can be found on Twitter and offers advice and guidance almost daily.

David continues to work in mental health

David Cotterill never really matched up to his big fee at Swansea playing only twenty seven games in two and a half seasons with a five goal return. He now plays for Barry Town United scoring two goals in his three games this season. He has also collected two yellow cards and been sent off once. Never far away from the news his bravery in facing up to his issues are to be commended, we have no up to date information on the legal claims against him nor the non return of tax invoices for his charity which has been the subject of press speculation.

My favourite game for Swansea City
Newcastle United in February 2010, a match which saw the forward net his third goal for Paulo Sousa’s side. The Swans looked set for victory after Cotterill found the net 11 minutes into the second half, but Andy Carroll’s header just three minutes from time snatched a point for the Magpies. There was always a bit of added spice in the South Wales derbies, they were always special matches. I’m from Cardiff originally too so I always got a bit of extra stick.

However, for me personally, my favourite game I played for Swansea was the game against Newcastle at the Liberty. We dominated that game but we ended up drawing 1-1. We were playing an ex-Premier League team who had just come down to the Championship and the performance made us think that we had a real chance of promotion. There was a sense that we just had to add a few players and we could actually achieve promotion because we were a very good team. The fans were brilliant, they were always behind us. I think they were very entertained because we played such an attractive style of football. They probably got frustrated at times because we would have a lot of possession and wouldn’t always convert the chances we were creating. But when we did add a little extra power going forward we did put our stamp on games.
We had good managers too and Brendan Rodgers was brilliant for all the players coming through.

Cotterill's favourite game v Newcastle United

Having listened to David on certain mental health broadcasts he is an intelligent and well spoken individual, a recent Talk Sport special with David talking through his life experiences with Gary Bloom is at this link.
Its a great listen https://podtail.com/fi/podcast/talksport-exclusives-podcast/on-the-sporting-couc
It is something we all as sports fans should listen to, its a revealing account by David who is open and clear on his career and mental health issues.

Help is always here