Managing the Message: How Swansea City Is Curating Its Power Narrative

Two articles. Two men. One message.  On Monday, WalesOnline published a curious double feature: a blunt club statement distancing Swansea City from Martin Hodge, the former Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper now working in recruitment, and a softly lit profile introducing Adam Worth as a key figure in the club’s strategy. The timing was striking. The tone, even more so.

Hodge, spotted at recent fixtures and reportedly in contact with staff, was swiftly disavowed. “He has no role at Swansea City in any capacity,” the club declared. It was an unusually emphatic line for someone supposedly uninvolved. Hours later, Worth was ushered into the spotlight as a quiet but influential operator, now framed as the Swans’ behind-the-scenes architect. If one man was being written out of the script, the other was clearly being cast.

This is not just about personnel. It is about perception. In the space of a single news cycle, Swansea City appeared to manage not just its internal affairs but the public narrative around them. The club did not merely clarify. It curated.

Whether this choreography was reactive or rehearsed, it speaks to a broader truth. In modern football, influence is often less about titles and more about timing. And when the spotlight shifts, it is worth asking who is pulling the strings and who is writing the lines.

This piece explores the Swans’ evolving power narrative, the media’s role in shaping it, and the curious case of two men who found themselves at opposite ends of the same storyline.

🎭 The Hodge Mirage

Martin Hodge is no stranger to football’s back corridors. The former Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper, now Head of Recruitment at Hull City, has long operated in the quieter corners of the game. So when he was spotted at Swansea fixtures and reportedly in contact with club staff, speculation followed. Was he advising, consulting, positioning?

The club’s response was swift and unequivocal. “He has no role at Swansea City in any capacity,” read the statement issued to WalesOnline. Not “no formal role.” Not “no current involvement.” Just no role. Full stop.

It was a curious level of emphasis for someone allegedly uninvolved. Clubs often ignore rumour or issue vague denials. This was different. It felt like a deliberate attempt to shut the door and bolt it.

Which begs the question: why was Hodge there in the first place? If his presence was informal, why the need for such a public disavowal? And if it was not informal, what changed?

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing, but the optics are awkward. A seasoned recruitment figure hovering near a club in transition, followed by a statement that reads more like a rebuke than a clarification. It is the kind of moment that invites speculation even as it tries to extinguish it.

In the theatre of football influence, Hodge appears to have wandered too close to the stage. Whether he was auditioning, advising or simply observing, the club’s message was clear. This is not your scene.

And yet the timing of the denial, paired with the sudden elevation of another figure, suggests the script is still being written. Or rewritten.

🧠 The Worth Whisper

If Martin Hodge was the man being ushered out, Adam Worth is the one being quietly ushered in. Monday’s WalesOnline profile introduced him as a key figure in Swansea City’s recruitment strategy, someone influential, data-driven and largely unknown to the wider fanbase. But to long-time readers of Planet Swans, Worth is anything but anonymous.

For years, he was a prolific poster on the forum, known for his forensic takes and his refusal to let any debate die peacefully. If there was a last word to be had, Worth would have it, even if it meant arguing until everyone else fell asleep. His posts were detailed, combative and often correct, though not always warmly received. In short, he was the kind of contributor who made forums both richer and more exhausting.

Now, he has emerged as a central figure in the club’s recruitment setup, described as someone who works closely with the club’s data and scouting teams and is believed to have the ear of majority co-owner Brett Cravatt. His name also surfaced in official club statements during the final days of the transfer window, a notable shift from anonymity to attribution. Whether by design or necessity, the club appears keen to elevate Worth to a position of visible authority.

The timing of his elevation, arriving just hours after the club’s firm denial of any Hodge involvement, feels deliberate. If the Swans wanted to clarify who is really shaping their squad, Worth’s rollout does the job. It is a reputational pivot, from rumour to reason, from shadowy speculation to softly lit certainty.

Whether this marks a new chapter or just a new character in the same play, one thing is clear. Adam Worth is no longer just posting from the sidelines. He is in the room.

📰 The Media Playbook

Swansea City’s recent handling of public narrative suggests more than just reactive PR. It points to a deliberate media strategy, one that understands timing, tone and the power of selective visibility.

The club’s statement on Martin Hodge was not just a denial. It was a performance of distance. Delivered with unusual clarity, it left no room for ambiguity. In the same breath, Adam Worth was elevated through a profile that felt more like a soft launch than a news item. The juxtaposition was striking. One figure removed from the frame, another carefully placed within it.

This choreography did not begin on Monday. In the final days of the transfer window, Worth’s name began appearing in official club communications, a notable shift from his previous anonymity. It was subtle but consistent, a breadcrumb trail leading to Monday’s full reveal. The club appears to be shaping not just who makes decisions, but who is seen to make them.

It is a tactic increasingly common in modern football. Clubs no longer rely solely on press conferences or matchday programmes. They use media to manage perception, to trial reputations, to test the waters before diving in. A well-timed article can do more than a formal appointment. It can introduce, legitimise and insulate.

WalesOnline, for its part, seems to be playing along. The timing of the two articles, one distancing and one elevating, suggests access, coordination or at the very least, alignment. Whether this is editorial instinct or something more orchestrated, the result is the same. A narrative shift, cleanly executed.

For fans, it raises questions. Who is really shaping the club’s direction? Who decides which names appear in statements and which ones disappear? And when a figure emerges from the shadows, is it because they stepped forward or because the spotlight was moved?

In this media landscape, clarity is rarely accidental. And when the message is this carefully managed, it is worth asking what lies just outside the frame.

🎬 The Curtain Call

This is not a critique of Swansea City. Quite the opposite. The ability to manage a media message with precision is a skill, and right now the club appears to have it finely tuned.

In a landscape where speculation spreads faster than fact, clarity is currency. The Swans’ recent handling of public narrative shows an understanding of that. The firm denial of Martin Hodge’s involvement, paired with the careful elevation of Adam Worth, was not just reactive. It was strategic. The timing, tone and sequencing suggest a club that knows how to shape perception without overplaying its hand.

There is no suggestion of manipulation, only management. And in football, where influence often hides behind titles and decisions are dissected in real time, that kind of control is rare. Swansea City did not just respond to questions. It answered them with intent.

For supporters, this may offer reassurance. The club is not drifting. It is directing. And while the cast of characters may shift, the message remains clear. There is a plan, and there are people trusted to execute it.

Whether this narrative holds or evolves, one thing is certain. The Swans are not just playing football. They are playing the media game, and at the moment, they are playing it well.