Phil SumblerAlan Curtis knows a thing or two about promotion to the top flight. He was part of the playing side that managed it back in 1981 and the backroom team when we repeated the feat 30 years later in 2011.
Ten years on from that magical day at Wembley, the Swans will go for promotion to the Premier League once again on Saturday when they take on Brentford in the Championship play-off final.
And Curtis – a Swansea legend and club president – is clear in his view when he says that promotion this time around would be the club’s greatest achievement given everything that has happened since we dropped out of the top flight three years ago.
Curt points to the fact that we have had a tight budget, seen many players leave and also had to cope with a global pandemic that saw us playing matches behind closed doors for 14 months with crowds only allowed back in last Saturday.
“The last time we reached the play-off final 10 years ago, we were an exceptional team and it was one that had been together for quite a few seasons. It was a fantastic season culminating in beating Reading,” Curtis told the official site.
“This season has been a completely different set of circumstances. We’ve lost so many players over the past two or three years.
“If we can get promotion, I think it would be the greatest achievement in the club’s history.
“It’s been a terrific season. We’ve managed to get to the play-off final on a tight budget compared to some of the other clubs.
“There have been a lot of loan signings and free transfers, but Steve, the staff and all his players have done exceptionally well.
“Over the course of a season, you’ve got to be consistent and show willingness to fight and scrap. There will be games when you play really well and everything seems to come off, but sometimes you’ve got to dig in and grind out results when you don’t play particularly well.
“We’ve done that this year and always seemed to come out on the right side of the fence. It’s been a real team effort by everybody.
“The disappointment of last year’s play-offs gives us added incentive for that not to happen again, but we’ve got a huge game to come.
“It will probably be more free-flowing than the Barnsley games, but that will suit us as there will be more time to play and hopefully, we come out on the right side.
“It’s great to get back to Wembley but once you do, you’ve got to go and win. When we went down, there was a question of whether we would ever get back to the Premier League and how long it would take us.
“It would be so good to come out of a pandemic and get back into the Premier League. It would be a massive boost; not only for the club, but the city as a whole.”
