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Unlike most of you, I was not born a Swansea supporter; I chose Swansea and have been a fan and a supporter for 20 years. I chose Swansea because when I first became interested, Swansea was a brave struggler against the odds, a team with character as well as characters who were interesting to say the least.
I confirmed my choice when I began to make live friends with other supporters, began to know and enjoy Swansea and South Wales, and began to make my contributions to supporterdom. I was a happy guy.
I enjoyed the ride to the top of the world and the reward of supporting a Premier League club. I deeply enjoyed Swansea signing one of the top managers in football -- Francesco Guidolin, a man who wanted so much to remain Swansea's manager that he humbled himself to continue.
Now, however, others -- not Swansea persons -- are in control, and that gives me a sense of loss as strong as Guidolin's hiring gave me joy. Sadly, the club's exaggerated monetary windfall makes the notion of new owners "putting money into the club" even more of a joke as a good portion of the windfall will ultimately be a windfall to the new owners compared with what will get to club coffers.
A club whose dedication from Swansea and Swansea supporters, and in particular, from the Swansea City Supporters Trust, has now become the "prize" to outsiders who literally shopped around for a club to buy, their decision based, as we all know, on the relative financial rewards. They now own 60% of the club, which gives them almost total control. They and the share-sellers will have made all the right bets, and won. History tells me that everybody else will lose.
I am hurt and offended by the fact that some shareholders gave away control of the club to people who are fans only of the money in their pockets, and gave it away to fill their own. I believe that they did not have tie right to do that -- legally, yes, but not morally. Swansea City Football Club will reap the rot that will follow. It will never be the same, and that's heart-breaking.
I cannot face the possibility that, after all these years, I could be forced to watch the unpleasantness that is sure to come. I don't know exactly what it will be, but ultimately it will be the same as a pimp getting rid of a worn-out old whore.
Most of you will hang on, hoping against hope that somehow, in time, it will all turn out O.K. Remember this: hope springs eternal, but always lands in reality. I wish you and Swansea City Football Club all of the very best, but I'll take my reality now instead of waiting for the full blast of reality to come, whatever it might be.
To the Supporters Trust, please remember and always keep to the principles upon which you were founded. To supporters, please join the Trust and stay a member always. It's still your only real hope.
To the many persons who became good friends in person and on the Internet, and to the others who always treated me fairly and courteously, I send my deepest thanks. It mattered a lot. To those who remained generously neutral toward me, I thank you for that, too. The rest mean nothing to me, and are already being forgotten.
It was a great ride; and I'm glad I took it. Now I intend to find and embrace peace of mind about Swansea City Football Club and everyone associated with it.
It's sad that the model that brought so much success and won us so many fans has come to an end, but it was always going to at some point.
But I don't get the beef against the owners selling up. They have every right to do so. And so would anyone else here if they'd put their money where their mouth was and invested in the club. And now it seems our past board could have raked in more from a Chinese-led bid, but chose not to because they didn't think it was right for the club. But we won't hear about that as it doesn't fit the board-bashing agenda.
I wonder what's wrong with some people.
We've had a stable board who steered the club from near-oblivion to the PL; they get slated. We had Martinez who was integral to the development of 'the Swansea way' and secured promotion; he gets slated. We had Rodgers who transformed a solid but dull Sousa team into an attacking tour de force and took us back to the top division, and then cemented our place there on a shoestring; he gets slated. We had Laudrup who gave us some of the most scintillating football I've seen and let us to our first major trophy; he gets slated. Garry led us to our 2nd highest top level placing; he gets slated (although not as much as the others to be fair) And even Guidolin, who has one of the best win ratios of any of our PL managers (possibly the best) and saved us from very likely relegation, isn't given much credit either.
We could win the champions league 5 years in a row and this place would still be full of whining and bitching.
It's sad that the model that brought so much success and won us so many fans has come to an end, but it was always going to at some point.
But I don't get the beef against the owners selling up. They have every right to do so. And so would anyone else here if they'd put their money where their mouth was and invested in the club. And now it seems our past board could have raked in more from a Chinese-led bid, but chose not to because they didn't think it was right for the club. But we won't hear about that as it doesn't fit the board-bashing agenda.
I wonder what's wrong with some people.
We've had a stable board who steered the club from near-oblivion to the PL; they get slated. We had Martinez who was integral to the development of 'the Swansea way' and secured promotion; he gets slated. We had Rodgers who transformed a solid but dull Sousa team into an attacking tour de force and took us back to the top division, and then cemented our place there on a shoestring; he gets slated. We had Laudrup who gave us some of the most scintillating football I've seen and let us to our first major trophy; he gets slated. Garry led us to our 2nd highest top level placing; he gets slated (although not as much as the others to be fair) And even Guidolin, who has one of the best win ratios of any of our PL managers (possibly the best) and saved us from very likely relegation, isn't given much credit either.
We could win the champions league 5 years in a row and this place would still be full of whining and bitching.
Rant over
I agree with your sentiments. Bunch of moaning minnies on here and down the stadium generally at times. The expectations of our board, managers and staff never fails to amaze me. If we were a Barcelona or a club of that ilk then I'd understand the feeling of entitlement. We're not. The people that have got us where we are and kept us there have generally done a brilliant job. There's lots we can moan about, lots can be done better, but it's not worth getting an ulcer over. Just enjoy the ride. None of us know when the wheels will fall off (no matter who's driving the bus)
I agree with your sentiments. Bunch of moaning minnies on here and down the stadium generally at times. The expectations of our board, managers and staff never fails to amaze me. If we were a Barcelona or a club of that ilk then I'd understand the feeling of entitlement. We're not. The people that have got us where we are and kept us there have generally done a brilliant job. There's lots we can moan about, lots can be done better, but it's not worth getting an ulcer over. Just enjoy the ride. None of us know when the wheels will fall off (no matter who's driving the bus)
Even if we were Barca, Messi would be sh*t because he's only got a left foot.
Think we have out grown the current model of ownership and business model.
The club needs to go to the next level if it has any aspirations. We could tread water and hope we stay out of the bottom 3 but that will fail ultimately.
The other side of this is where new owners will take us. There is a lot of concerns and rightly so about the new owners but this isn't the Petty era, we have more stability than ever as a club and now is the time to grow further or go backwards. Some on here want to keep the existing model and management but also complain about investment and stadium issues. Can't have it both ways !
There is a Swansea village mentality still hovers over the fans of our club ... we are in a massively global product environment.. read somewhere fans want HJ to pay back some creditors from over a decade ago !!! Our club has more than brought great business to Swansea traders over the past 8 seasons and probably some of the past creditors have re-started new businesses in that time and reaped new revenues. We should be looking to take full advantage of it while we are in the Premier League.
It's sad that the model that brought so much success and won us so many fans has come to an end, but it was always going to at some point.
But I don't get the beef against the owners selling up. They have every right to do so. And so would anyone else here if they'd put their money where their mouth was and invested in the club. And now it seems our past board could have raked in more from a Chinese-led bid, but chose not to because they didn't think it was right for the club. But we won't hear about that as it doesn't fit the board-bashing agenda.
I wonder what's wrong with some people.
We've had a stable board who steered the club from near-oblivion to the PL; they get slated. We had Martinez who was integral to the development of 'the Swansea way' and secured promotion; he gets slated. We had Rodgers who transformed a solid but dull Sousa team into an attacking tour de force and took us back to the top division, and then cemented our place there on a shoestring; he gets slated. We had Laudrup who gave us some of the most scintillating football I've seen and let us to our first major trophy; he gets slated. Garry led us to our 2nd highest top level placing; he gets slated (although not as much as the others to be fair) And even Guidolin, who has one of the best win ratios of any of our PL managers (possibly the best) and saved us from very likely relegation, isn't given much credit either.
We could win the champions league 5 years in a row and this place would still be full of whining and bitching.
Rant over
Good post and I agree with much of what you say.
Re: the apparent Chinese bid - this may have been the reality but it seems very strange that there has been no mention of it until now. It might have served to placate some people up to a point if there was knowledge that the sellers were actually taking some care over who they might sell to. Too much secrecy, possibly?
Of course, there is always the possibility that there was no such bid and that it has been invented now to try and make them seem less greedy or desperate. A cynical view maybe, however the secrecy and continued unwillingness to share key details of the sale (such as who is ACTUALLY buying the Club) mean that anything is possible.
For a game that ultimately is down to 11v11 on a field trying to score more goals than each other, we dont half get worked up and dramatic!!!
Thank God for some more sensible responses. Anyone think Petty had returned. Its just another chapter in our long and varied history and it wont be the last.
No PERCHIE NOT TALKING CRAP nor posting anything too intellectual for the average mind, simply "speaking" from a more informed position. You ll have to work it out I'm sorry to say.
It kinda proves Tony s point ,which was he feels too many posts-rightly of wrongly- disrespect him, the late straw seems to be Lady Lisa
Show me anything good about theses Yanks ,go on i dare you ,this is a desperation sell up make no bones about that , show me the investment ,bet you can't
IT FUKING STINKS !
Prosser the Tosser dwells on Phil's bum hole like a rusty old hemorrhoid ,fact
You Greedy Bastards Get Out Of OUR Club!
And some would feel it's simple envy to see Swansea people becoming rich, people who had the balls to put their own money into the club when things weren't exactly rosy.
I feel I have no right whatsoever to question their motives nor how much or what they do with their dividends. What MANY outside this site are wondering just htf people who genuinely helped our club are demonised as they are.
It's also a FACT the many might not know jackshit. Posturing on here is one thing, to actually put you own money is something different.
And some would feel it's simple envy to see Swansea people becoming rich, people who had the balls to put their own money into the club when things weren't exactly rosy.
I feel I have no right whatsoever to question their motives nor how much or what they do with their dividends. What MANY outside this site are wondering just htf people who genuinely helped our club are demonised as they are.
It's also a FACT the many might not know jackshit. Posturing on here is one thing, to actually put you own money is something different.
I was replying to your post
We might end up like Aston Villa, like you say nobody knows.
The first ever recipient of a Planet Swans Lifetime Achievement Award.
And some would feel it's simple envy to see Swansea people becoming rich, people who had the balls to put their own money into the club when things weren't exactly rosy.
I feel I have no right whatsoever to question their motives nor how much or what they do with their dividends. What MANY outside this site are wondering just htf people who genuinely helped our club are demonised as they are.
It's also a FACT the many might not know jackshit. Posturing on here is one thing, to actually put you own money is something different.
I was replying to your post
It's not so long ago that you accused our chairman of being mentally ill.
And some would feel it's simple envy to see Swansea people becoming rich, people who had the balls to put their own money into the club when things weren't exactly rosy.
I feel I have no right whatsoever to question their motives nor how much or what they do with their dividends. What MANY outside this site are wondering just htf people who genuinely helped our club are demonised as they are.
It's also a FACT the many might not know jackshit. Posturing on here is one thing, to actually put you own money is something different.
I was replying to your post
Don't get me wrong they're entitled to sell up their beloved club ,but to theses Yanks , who've I've yet to see anything good written about them , Sell behind peoples backs no investment on the table to date ,The ball started really rolling when they realized they could loose millions on their shares , desperation i'm afraid
Prosser the Tosser dwells on Phil's bum hole like a rusty old hemorrhoid ,fact
You Greedy Bastards Get Out Of OUR Club!
Where would your attitude have got us when Petty was around ?
And by the way none of us were born Swansea supporters its a lifestyle choice like being a train spotter or stamp collector.
GJ is right Dav it's the "Swansea way" and another rollercoaster, ones thing for sure we will need more than Balaclavas to win this fight we will need people like yourself to put our point of view across with eloquence and represent us on the other side of the pond. The trust are still in the mix and hopefully whoever else still has shares will work with them rather than the new investors and we should always remind them who the club "really" belongs to.
No PERCHIE NOT TALKING CRAP nor posting anything too intellectual for the average mind, simply "speaking" from a more informed position. You ll have to work it out I'm sorry to say.
It kinda proves Tony s point ,which was he feels too many posts-rightly of wrongly- disrespect him, the late straw seems to be Lady Lisa
No idea why you're bringing me into this?
I didn't show Davillin enough respect? What is he, Vito Corleone?
I showed him a damn sight more respect than he showed me or many others. .
Anyway - if he wants to get people to beg him to stay that's up to him. I don't care one way or the other. I personally believe that when something you love is in trouble you run towards it not slink away from it, but that's just me.
Don't get me wrong they're entitled to sell up their beloved club ,but to theses Yanks , who've I've yet to see anything good written about them , Sell behind peoples backs no investment on the table to date ,The ball started really rolling when they realized they could loose millions on their shares , desperation i'm afraid
Seen anything bad written about them ?
Lets face it we all post stuff based on supposition, assumption and rumour. We actually know jack sh1t about all this or how it got to where it is now.
The ship has sailed lads and the trust is left on mumbles pier wondering whether to punt its dividends in the arcade ( if it is still there ?). I do think there is need for change in an organisation that holds 21 % of our club.
I didn't show Davillin enough respect? What is he, Vito Corleone?
I showed him a damn sight more respect than he showed me or many others. .
Anyway - if he wants to get people to beg him to stay that's up to him. I don't care one way or the other. I personally believe that when something you love is in trouble you run towards it not slink away from it, but that's just me.
Whatever.
Your comment is "on-point" as all the cool kids say.
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no investment on the table to date ,The ball started really rolling when they realized they could loose millions on their shares , desperation i'm afraid 
