Swans Trust News
First Team Player
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- Oct 21, 2020
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December Update to Members
Trust Members Update
Dear Phil
Club Update
It’s certainly been a busy period over the last couple of months for the Swans with, international breaks aside, league games arriving every 3 or 4 days. We are pleased to see Steve Cooper and the squad rising to the challenge, with the Swans firmly among the pack chasing those all-important promotion places. What has been especially impressive has been the consistency we have shown during that period, with the Swans having one of the best defences within the EFL structure. We’re sure all Swans fans are excited about our prospects for the coming season, and this excellent start has put us into a great position to realise those hopes!
Of course, tomorrow sees our first derby of the season against our near neighbours. We’re sure Steve Cooper has the team well prepared for the game and we look forward to continuing our recent run of decent results against them and bringing those all-important three points back to SA1!
It’d be wonderful if the Swans could find ourselves once again in the Premier League next season and, for existing season ticket holders who were able to forego a refund this season, we were delighted by the recent announcement that season tickets for next season would be at a bargain price of £99 for adults, £79 for seniors/students, £49 for juniors and £23 for Under 12s.
As you will know from our previous statements, the Trust Board have been working very closely with the Club’s management team on the issue of season tickets since the start of this pandemic. When we announced the options available for the 2020/21 season tickets in August, we noted that the initial proposal was just that and that we would reassess the situation later in the year. These packages for the 2021/2 season are really a big Thank You to those fans who were able to forego a refund this season, which has been of significant assistance to the club during these challenging financial times.
We are also happy that any further announcement on the general sale of season tickets has been delayed until later in the season. There are still too many unknowns in terms of when we can get back into the Liberty Stadium, either in terms of partial crowds or full capacity, so we believe it is far better to wait until later in the season when hopefully we will have more clarity and a readily-available vaccine!
This exercise once again demonstrates the benefits of a strong Supporters Trust which has strong links within our football club, and we thank the club’s Management Team for their willingness to work with us on this initiative.
On the issue of when fans will be able to return to games, we note the recent announcement from the UK Government regarding allowing a small number of fans to return to games in England under certain circumstances. As we are operating under the jurisdiction of the Welsh Government, we know that a slightly different view has been taken in Cardiff Bay for the time being, which may be understandable due to the rising number of cases across Wales. As you may have seen from the recent announcement, a number of Welsh sporting bodies, including the Swans, have been in frequent discussions with the relevant authorities on this issue as we look to find a path towards the return of fans to the stadium when it is safe to do so.
We know that our members will have differing views on the way through the current situation, however we are sure everyone is united in wanting to ensure that, when fans do return, it is done in a way that does everything possible to protect the health and well-being of our fellow fans, the players and all the staff at our club. The Trust also views it as imperative that the Welsh Government works proactively with the Swans, and other sporting organisations, along with Public Health Wales to identify a roadmap to allowing fans back into stadia.
As we have previously commented, the current situation is having a dire impact on the financial health on many businesses, and the Swans are no exception to that. With no fans coming through the turnstiles, this has a very real effect on the financial situation for the club. We have previously commented on the urgent need for the footballing authorities to agree a financial package that will ensure clubs do not go out of business during this crisis. With that in mind, the recent package that provides £50m of grant funding to League 1 and 2 clubs is to be welcomed.
For Championship clubs like the Swans, Premier League clubs have offered a £200m interest free loan across the 23 clubs, to be offset against future solidarity payments. Whilst any measure that assists in the short-term is to be welcomed, we should remember that this is a loan against future income, so could be viewed as kicking the can down the road.
The Trust has visibility of the monthly management accounts of the club through our Supporter Director and has frequent discussions with the club’s management team such as CFO Gareth Davies, so we are very aware of the financial position of the club and the challenges we will face during and after this crisis. We are in the fortunate position, as outlined by Julian Winter’s recent interview, that we do not have major concerns in the short-term. However, this crisis is likely to have both short-term and long-term challenges and we urge the footballing authorities to work together to ensure clubs are protected for the future.
Liberty Stadium Pitch
The Trust has received many queries from our members regarding the condition of the Liberty Stadium pitch, which looks to be in significantly poorer condition than the award-winning surface we have enjoyed in past seasons.
We have discussed the situation with the club’s management team and we understand the issue is due to a number of issues, such as the end-of-season renovation work taking place in March rather than June as normal, the quicker turnaround in games due to the shortened calendar this season, significantly increased rainfall in October and a disease in the pitch which has seriously impacted the quality of the grass.
The Trust has been assured that the issues are not down to any cost-cutting, with the new pitch installed last season at a cost of over £500,000, and the team that has maintained our award-winning pitch remains the same as in previous seasons. Experts have also assured the club that the issues with the pitch are not structural and, with the right conditions, can be resolved.
In terms of remediation efforts, the club has brought in extra artificial lights to speed up that recovery and have hired additional ground staff to help in that challenge. Unfortunately, December is a relatively busy month at the Liberty, for both the Swans and the Ospreys, however the January fixture list looks to be much kinder and should assist in that challenge.
We will of course provide further updates in the coming weeks and next month’s members update.
Shareholding Update
In our previous update we noted that we have two sets of activities to conclude before we can implement the mandate from our members to pursue legal action in relation to the 2016 sale of the club. Firstly, we need to conclude activities with our QC to finalise the documentation required to commence legal action. Secondly, we then need to finalise financial agreements so that the Trust can proceed with legal action in a manner that protects the Trust and the interests of our members.
As we previously stated, we have concluded the first of those activities. On the issue of litigation funding, our legal advisors have held very productive discussions with various partners to obtain the requisite funding to proceed.
As we have previously stated, this exercise is likely to take several weeks to complete, due to the complex nature of this undertaking. We will continue to provide regular updates as we know this is a matter that is important to many of our members.
Membership Update
As you will have seen from our recent announcement, the Trust is delighted to announce a Christmas Prize Draw, as a precursor to the launch of a regular monthly draw for our current Trust members, starting in January.
Prizes will vary from month to month but will include items such as official club merchandise, books, vouchers and occasional free Trust memberships for the 2021/22 season. The draws will take place at our monthly board meetings with our first one planned for Monday 14th December.
To launch this new initiative, we can confirm the following prizes on offer to our adults/senior members for the Christmas Prize Draw:
1. Replica shirt (choice of home/away/third kit/goalkeeper)
2. Book: Swansea ‘Til I Die – A Century of Supporting the Swans (personally signed by Trust President Alan Curtis)
3. Book: Swansea Moments – A Hundred and One Years of Supporting the Swans (personally signed by Trust President Alan Curtis)
4. Free Trust Membership for 2021/2022 season
We will also run a separate draw each month for our Junior Trust members where the Christmas prizes will be:
1. Replica junior shirt (choice of home/away/third kit/goalkeeper)
2. Mystery Prize
3. Free Junior Trust Membership for 2021/2022 season
To be eligible to participate in our Christmas draw members must have joined the Trust on or before Sunday 13th December 2020. For every monthly draw thereafter, members must have joined the Trust no later than the last day of the preceding month. Monthly draw winners will be notified by the Trust within 7 days of the draw taking place
So, if any of your friends and family have yet to join the Trust this year but would like to be included in our Christmas draw then they still have time! And don’t forget, anyone joining before the end of 2020 can do so at 50% off our usual rates HERE.
Good luck and Thank You for your continued support in what has been a very difficult year.
Schools Initiative
As long-time Trust members will know, at the time of the Spring lockdown the Trust, through its “Schools’ Initiative”, was linking with over 600 Year 10/11 pupils from eight comprehensive schools across three education authorities – Swansea, Neath/Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire – and numbers were expanding.
The two main strands to the “Schools’ Initiative” involve the Welsh Baccalaureate and GCSE Business Studies.
For the Welsh Baccalaureate, The Trust has obtained WJEC approval to use improving the Swansea City match day experience for younger supporters as a “Challenge” for the “Enterprise and Employability” component of the Bacc. As part of this challenge, the pupils have had the opportunity to learn about the recent history of both the Club and the Supporters Trust. At least some of the pupils from each school get to visit the stadium, and Trust Board members along with Club ambassadors such as Leon Britton and Lee Trundle have visited the schools.
To demonstrate how successful this has been, the WJEC has published on its website the work of one of the Neath Schools on the Trust’s “challenge”, as an example of good practice.
On the second strand of our Schools Initiative, teachers of GCSE Business Studies find it very hard to locate businesses prepared to allow pupils to visit and quiz them on their structure/finances etc. Swansea City Football Club is an ideal case study for them, as their pupils can visit the stadium and get an insight into the structure of the club from Trust or club representatives.
Both branches of the initiative work to raise pupils’ awareness of the Club and Trust through their examination courses. For both aspects the Swans have been very generous in allowing pupils the use of rooms/boxes at the stadium, as well as guided tours and allowing ambassadors to visit the schools to witness presentations etc.
Unfortunately, like so many other things, the pandemic has halted this initiative temporarily due to the necessary restrictions put in place around our schools. The Trust remains in close contact with all the schools and remain ready to continue with the initiative once conditions allow.
In the meantime, the Trust is looking to assist virtually in any way we can, starting with providing a variety of books about the Club and Trust free to participating school libraries.
If you'd like to learn more about the Schools Initiative or get in touch please visit our website HERE
DSA Update
December 3rd marked International Day of Disabled Persons, and the Trust is proud to recognise and celebrate the incredible work of our Disabled Supporters Association, which has continued through this crisis.
For many supporters attending a matchday at the Liberty Stadium is about so much more than the 90 minutes, and our disabled supporters are no exception. The uncertainty and isolation as a result of the pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of those who rely heavily on the social aspects of a live game.
During each season the DSA work with the club to introduce new facilities and incentives to benefit disabled supporters. Since its launch the DSA has also hosted many successful social events, attended by Swans players and staff.
While many of these events have been postponed due to the pandemic, the DSA committee have continued to work tirelessly to spread some positivity and stay connected to the association’s members. Throughout the pandemic the DSA has:
Delivered food hampers to members during lockdown.
Undertaken social media competitions.
Continued to fundraise for Macmillan Cancer Support through socially distanced coffee mornings.
Supported BBC Children in Need.
Supported the Mr X Appeal – providing Christmas gifts to under-privileged children.
For more information on the Swansea City DSA you can visit their website: www.swansdsa.org.uk
Swansea City Supporters' Trust
11th December 2020
Trust Members Update
Dear Phil
Club Update
It’s certainly been a busy period over the last couple of months for the Swans with, international breaks aside, league games arriving every 3 or 4 days. We are pleased to see Steve Cooper and the squad rising to the challenge, with the Swans firmly among the pack chasing those all-important promotion places. What has been especially impressive has been the consistency we have shown during that period, with the Swans having one of the best defences within the EFL structure. We’re sure all Swans fans are excited about our prospects for the coming season, and this excellent start has put us into a great position to realise those hopes!
Of course, tomorrow sees our first derby of the season against our near neighbours. We’re sure Steve Cooper has the team well prepared for the game and we look forward to continuing our recent run of decent results against them and bringing those all-important three points back to SA1!
It’d be wonderful if the Swans could find ourselves once again in the Premier League next season and, for existing season ticket holders who were able to forego a refund this season, we were delighted by the recent announcement that season tickets for next season would be at a bargain price of £99 for adults, £79 for seniors/students, £49 for juniors and £23 for Under 12s.
As you will know from our previous statements, the Trust Board have been working very closely with the Club’s management team on the issue of season tickets since the start of this pandemic. When we announced the options available for the 2020/21 season tickets in August, we noted that the initial proposal was just that and that we would reassess the situation later in the year. These packages for the 2021/2 season are really a big Thank You to those fans who were able to forego a refund this season, which has been of significant assistance to the club during these challenging financial times.
We are also happy that any further announcement on the general sale of season tickets has been delayed until later in the season. There are still too many unknowns in terms of when we can get back into the Liberty Stadium, either in terms of partial crowds or full capacity, so we believe it is far better to wait until later in the season when hopefully we will have more clarity and a readily-available vaccine!
This exercise once again demonstrates the benefits of a strong Supporters Trust which has strong links within our football club, and we thank the club’s Management Team for their willingness to work with us on this initiative.
On the issue of when fans will be able to return to games, we note the recent announcement from the UK Government regarding allowing a small number of fans to return to games in England under certain circumstances. As we are operating under the jurisdiction of the Welsh Government, we know that a slightly different view has been taken in Cardiff Bay for the time being, which may be understandable due to the rising number of cases across Wales. As you may have seen from the recent announcement, a number of Welsh sporting bodies, including the Swans, have been in frequent discussions with the relevant authorities on this issue as we look to find a path towards the return of fans to the stadium when it is safe to do so.
We know that our members will have differing views on the way through the current situation, however we are sure everyone is united in wanting to ensure that, when fans do return, it is done in a way that does everything possible to protect the health and well-being of our fellow fans, the players and all the staff at our club. The Trust also views it as imperative that the Welsh Government works proactively with the Swans, and other sporting organisations, along with Public Health Wales to identify a roadmap to allowing fans back into stadia.
As we have previously commented, the current situation is having a dire impact on the financial health on many businesses, and the Swans are no exception to that. With no fans coming through the turnstiles, this has a very real effect on the financial situation for the club. We have previously commented on the urgent need for the footballing authorities to agree a financial package that will ensure clubs do not go out of business during this crisis. With that in mind, the recent package that provides £50m of grant funding to League 1 and 2 clubs is to be welcomed.
For Championship clubs like the Swans, Premier League clubs have offered a £200m interest free loan across the 23 clubs, to be offset against future solidarity payments. Whilst any measure that assists in the short-term is to be welcomed, we should remember that this is a loan against future income, so could be viewed as kicking the can down the road.
The Trust has visibility of the monthly management accounts of the club through our Supporter Director and has frequent discussions with the club’s management team such as CFO Gareth Davies, so we are very aware of the financial position of the club and the challenges we will face during and after this crisis. We are in the fortunate position, as outlined by Julian Winter’s recent interview, that we do not have major concerns in the short-term. However, this crisis is likely to have both short-term and long-term challenges and we urge the footballing authorities to work together to ensure clubs are protected for the future.
Liberty Stadium Pitch
The Trust has received many queries from our members regarding the condition of the Liberty Stadium pitch, which looks to be in significantly poorer condition than the award-winning surface we have enjoyed in past seasons.
We have discussed the situation with the club’s management team and we understand the issue is due to a number of issues, such as the end-of-season renovation work taking place in March rather than June as normal, the quicker turnaround in games due to the shortened calendar this season, significantly increased rainfall in October and a disease in the pitch which has seriously impacted the quality of the grass.
The Trust has been assured that the issues are not down to any cost-cutting, with the new pitch installed last season at a cost of over £500,000, and the team that has maintained our award-winning pitch remains the same as in previous seasons. Experts have also assured the club that the issues with the pitch are not structural and, with the right conditions, can be resolved.
In terms of remediation efforts, the club has brought in extra artificial lights to speed up that recovery and have hired additional ground staff to help in that challenge. Unfortunately, December is a relatively busy month at the Liberty, for both the Swans and the Ospreys, however the January fixture list looks to be much kinder and should assist in that challenge.
We will of course provide further updates in the coming weeks and next month’s members update.
Shareholding Update
In our previous update we noted that we have two sets of activities to conclude before we can implement the mandate from our members to pursue legal action in relation to the 2016 sale of the club. Firstly, we need to conclude activities with our QC to finalise the documentation required to commence legal action. Secondly, we then need to finalise financial agreements so that the Trust can proceed with legal action in a manner that protects the Trust and the interests of our members.
As we previously stated, we have concluded the first of those activities. On the issue of litigation funding, our legal advisors have held very productive discussions with various partners to obtain the requisite funding to proceed.
As we have previously stated, this exercise is likely to take several weeks to complete, due to the complex nature of this undertaking. We will continue to provide regular updates as we know this is a matter that is important to many of our members.
Membership Update
As you will have seen from our recent announcement, the Trust is delighted to announce a Christmas Prize Draw, as a precursor to the launch of a regular monthly draw for our current Trust members, starting in January.
Prizes will vary from month to month but will include items such as official club merchandise, books, vouchers and occasional free Trust memberships for the 2021/22 season. The draws will take place at our monthly board meetings with our first one planned for Monday 14th December.
To launch this new initiative, we can confirm the following prizes on offer to our adults/senior members for the Christmas Prize Draw:
1. Replica shirt (choice of home/away/third kit/goalkeeper)
2. Book: Swansea ‘Til I Die – A Century of Supporting the Swans (personally signed by Trust President Alan Curtis)
3. Book: Swansea Moments – A Hundred and One Years of Supporting the Swans (personally signed by Trust President Alan Curtis)
4. Free Trust Membership for 2021/2022 season
We will also run a separate draw each month for our Junior Trust members where the Christmas prizes will be:
1. Replica junior shirt (choice of home/away/third kit/goalkeeper)
2. Mystery Prize
3. Free Junior Trust Membership for 2021/2022 season
To be eligible to participate in our Christmas draw members must have joined the Trust on or before Sunday 13th December 2020. For every monthly draw thereafter, members must have joined the Trust no later than the last day of the preceding month. Monthly draw winners will be notified by the Trust within 7 days of the draw taking place
So, if any of your friends and family have yet to join the Trust this year but would like to be included in our Christmas draw then they still have time! And don’t forget, anyone joining before the end of 2020 can do so at 50% off our usual rates HERE.
Good luck and Thank You for your continued support in what has been a very difficult year.
Schools Initiative
As long-time Trust members will know, at the time of the Spring lockdown the Trust, through its “Schools’ Initiative”, was linking with over 600 Year 10/11 pupils from eight comprehensive schools across three education authorities – Swansea, Neath/Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire – and numbers were expanding.
The two main strands to the “Schools’ Initiative” involve the Welsh Baccalaureate and GCSE Business Studies.
For the Welsh Baccalaureate, The Trust has obtained WJEC approval to use improving the Swansea City match day experience for younger supporters as a “Challenge” for the “Enterprise and Employability” component of the Bacc. As part of this challenge, the pupils have had the opportunity to learn about the recent history of both the Club and the Supporters Trust. At least some of the pupils from each school get to visit the stadium, and Trust Board members along with Club ambassadors such as Leon Britton and Lee Trundle have visited the schools.
To demonstrate how successful this has been, the WJEC has published on its website the work of one of the Neath Schools on the Trust’s “challenge”, as an example of good practice.
On the second strand of our Schools Initiative, teachers of GCSE Business Studies find it very hard to locate businesses prepared to allow pupils to visit and quiz them on their structure/finances etc. Swansea City Football Club is an ideal case study for them, as their pupils can visit the stadium and get an insight into the structure of the club from Trust or club representatives.
Both branches of the initiative work to raise pupils’ awareness of the Club and Trust through their examination courses. For both aspects the Swans have been very generous in allowing pupils the use of rooms/boxes at the stadium, as well as guided tours and allowing ambassadors to visit the schools to witness presentations etc.
Unfortunately, like so many other things, the pandemic has halted this initiative temporarily due to the necessary restrictions put in place around our schools. The Trust remains in close contact with all the schools and remain ready to continue with the initiative once conditions allow.
In the meantime, the Trust is looking to assist virtually in any way we can, starting with providing a variety of books about the Club and Trust free to participating school libraries.
If you'd like to learn more about the Schools Initiative or get in touch please visit our website HERE
DSA Update
December 3rd marked International Day of Disabled Persons, and the Trust is proud to recognise and celebrate the incredible work of our Disabled Supporters Association, which has continued through this crisis.
For many supporters attending a matchday at the Liberty Stadium is about so much more than the 90 minutes, and our disabled supporters are no exception. The uncertainty and isolation as a result of the pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of those who rely heavily on the social aspects of a live game.
During each season the DSA work with the club to introduce new facilities and incentives to benefit disabled supporters. Since its launch the DSA has also hosted many successful social events, attended by Swans players and staff.
While many of these events have been postponed due to the pandemic, the DSA committee have continued to work tirelessly to spread some positivity and stay connected to the association’s members. Throughout the pandemic the DSA has:
Delivered food hampers to members during lockdown.
Undertaken social media competitions.
Continued to fundraise for Macmillan Cancer Support through socially distanced coffee mornings.
Supported BBC Children in Need.
Supported the Mr X Appeal – providing Christmas gifts to under-privileged children.
For more information on the Swansea City DSA you can visit their website: www.swansdsa.org.uk
Swansea City Supporters' Trust
11th December 2020
