Planet Swans ArchivesThe game kicked off at 3pm, gates had opened three hours earlier and the match finished 1-1. Steed Malbranque scored the first goal at the stadium , sadly it was for the visitors but MArc Goodfellow equalised and was the first Swans player to score at the new ground.
Now Wales boss Chris Coleman was in the opposing dugout and Kenny Jackett picked a Swansea team that lined up like this: Gueret, Tate, Iriekpen, Austin, Ricketts, Britton, Martinez, O’Leary, Forbes, Akinfenwa, Trundle
In his programme notes Chairman Huw Jenkins wrote “What a privilege to be able to write, as Chairman of Swansea City Football Club, the brochure notes of not only the first pre-season game of the forthcoming season in League One, but our first ever game in our fantastic new ultra-modern stadium,
“We are not dreaming, this is now our new home for many years ahead. Swansea City are moving forward. I hope you all agree that along the way we will not doubt have ups and downs, but looking back only a few years we have made enormous strides and I would be the first to agree that there are many ways to improve the way our club is run over the next year or so.”
Gerald Clement, Chairman of Stadco at the time said “This stadium will put Swansea at the forefront of sport in Wales, providing a venue for world-class football and rugby action as well as a centre of excellence at the heart of the community of which Swansea can be proud”
I don’t suspect anyone at that time envisaged just what a journey the first 10 years at the stadium would prove to be. In it’s first season it almost witnessed a second successive promotion only to end in play off final heartbreak. Two years later though it was Roberto Martinez (who was at the heart of the Swans midfield on that first day) who led the Swans to a comfortable League One title and just three years later the stadium rocked when Darren Pratley scored the crucial goal to send the Swans to Wembley and the Championship play off final.
Less than three months later Roberto was back but with his Wigan side as the stadium played home to the first ever Premier League match outside of England and the Swans since then have seen Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool all beaten at the stadium as the club take on the best the Premier League has to offer. It has played host to Wales, the Swans in Europe and of course was the place where we celebrated a first major cup final appearance back in 2013. It housed the Capital One cup just a few weeks later.
We all probably miss the Vetch but the stadium was essential for our progress and without it we would not be where we are now.
Those 10 years have passed by in a flash and here’s to the next 10 years and beyond as Swansea City continue to set the trends for others to follow.
Happy Birthday Liberty Stadium
