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The Fans Review The Season |
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Swansea City 2005/2006 – The Best Season EverEleven reasons to celebrate the fantastic 2005/2006 football season: 1. New Stadium2005 marked the departure from the faithful old Vetch Field to the new state-of-the-art Liberty Stadium. With seating for over 20,500 fans and plush, modern facilities, players and fans have never had it so good. 2. Strong League FinishFollowing the promotion from League Two in the 2004/2005 season, many industry pundits including many fans wrongly predicted a team which would struggle to remain in League One. The Swans topped the league for many weeks and finished in a very respectable 6th position, ultimately earning them a place in the Play-Off Final at the Millennium Stadium with 34,000 Jacks cheering them on. 3. Strengthened SquadAlready boasting a team with players like Lee Trundle, Andy Robbinson, Leon Britton ad Sam Ricketts, Manager Kenny Jackett sought new fresh talent to boost the squad with Leon Knight, Adebayo Akinfenwa, Rory Fallon, Darren Way, Steve Watt and Tom Williams. 4. Good ManagerFollowing on from his success in his first year as manager during the 2004/2005 season, Kenny Jackett is fast developing a reputable name across the football league. His no nonsense, positive management style has reaped success and admiration from all sectors. What other manager would have the nerve to place fan’s favourite Lee Trundle on the bench for less proven strikers. 5. WINNERS – FAW CupThe Swans retained the Football Association of Wales Cup for the second year in a row, beating tricky Wrexham in the final. 6. WINNERS – Football League TrophyA hard fought campaign saw The Swans win the coveted Football League Trophy at the Millennium Stadium with an army of 28,000 Jacks cheering on their hero’s to success. 7. Increased AttendancesIncreased attendances have seen The Swans achieve an enviable average attendance of 14,000, with the Liberty Stadium being filled on 5 occasions. This attendance was second only to Notts Forrest. 8. Notable Praise & Attention from Media PunditsThe Swans have featured in 6 live television broadcasts this season (Sky & BBC) and earned the praise and admiration from the studio’s panel of experts and industry pundits for their football skills. 9. Financially Secure & Debt FreeDespite a costly move from the old Vetch Field to the Liberty Stadium and the purchase of many new and talented players, The Swan’s finances remain as strong as ever. No doubt boosted by the prize money from the Football League Trophy and the FAW Cup and indeed the shared gate receipts from two Millennium Stadium games. The Swans are ideally placed to further strengthen the squad for the forthcoming season. 10. Goals Goals Goals78 of them to be exact. That’s more goals than Chelsea, more than Man United, more than Liverpool. In fact, the only teams across all the leagues to score more goals than Swansea were the Championship’s Reading and League Two’s Carlisle. In all competitions Swansea scored a whopping 99 goals. 11. Lee Trundle – League One Player of the YearNo season review would be complete without a mention of the fan’s favourite – Lee Trundle. Although off form towards the later half of the season, Lee has nevertheless scored an impressive 20 goals despite several long term injuries. He continues to enthral the fans with his dazzling array of skills and tricks and rightly earned the prestigious ‘Player of the Year’ from the Football League.Summary: At the end of the 2002/2003 campaign, The Swans were playing a game of football, which had they lost would have marked their most memorable defeat in their 100 years of existence.They would have been relegated from the professional football league. Now, 2 years later, the situation could not be anymore different. The Squad continue to evolve from strength to strength. All the essential ingredients are present and the squad are poised for the new challenges of 2006/2007 season. See you there! SharkyJack Swans Online.co.uk Do you agree with Sharky Jack or do you have totally differing views? Share your thoughts on the season just passed by clicking here for Burning Issues You May Like |
