Swansea City poems

It’s common place to hear chants on a Saturday afternoon at The Liberty or in years gone by at The Vetch Field, however over the years some Swansea City fans have been inspired by the team to pen poetry on the team that they love. We have compiled a series of poems from different fans on the Swans, describing their feelings on their club.

First up, we have Bernie Wiemers-Rowden, who penned a poem for every player registered for the club for the 2010-11 seas0n.  The following poem is an extract from her book Swansea City AFC In Verse:

For Nathan Dyer, Number 12
Swansea City v. Preston North End
(14th August 2010)

They seek him here
They seek him there
That Number 12
Is everywhere!
He’s on the ball
Don’t give him flack
He’s on the field
He will attack!
He’s on the flank
A great display
Of sportsmanship
Let’s hope he’ll stay!

Next, we have Terry Rogers who wrote this poem which was published by the Evening Post towards the end of the 2002/03 season where the Swans narrowly avoided relegation from the Football League:

OUR super Swans are desperate
We’re running out of games
How we need those legends now
Curtis, Charles and James!

Nine thousand filled the old Vetch Field
Like family around the bed
Is our famous football club
About to drop down dead?

Now we need a miracle
If we’re to avoid the cull
At least a draw at Rochdale
And three points at home to Hull!

Following Terry’s poem is Shirley James’ piece, written in the 1950’s about the Swansea Town team of the time:

The Graceful Swans

A is for Allchurch, so young and so fair
B is for Beech and Burns, a very worthy pair
C is for Canning with fingers of butter!
D is for no one, I regret to utter
E as for D has no place in the team
F is for Feeney, now only a dream
G is another without any place
H yet another that’s not in the race
I which also counted as nil
J is for James, the place of Feeney may fill
K is for Keane who stands good defence
L, M, N have no part in it, hence…
O is for O’Driscoll, the Swans best dribbler
P is for Parry, Paul too, he’s a quibbler
Q & R yes you’ve guessed, stands for none
S is for Scrine, for the first team he’s done
T, U, V they couldn’t wear a slipper with
W for Weston, a popular skipper
X,Y, Z ends this little rhyme, so let’s blow a whistle and call it time.

* L is for Lucas, I quite forgot, in his black book, I’ve made a great blot (I expect)!*

You can read more of Shirley’s poetry here.

Geoff Tanner handed us the following poem, the source is unknown, although we suspect it was written towards the end of the Swans last season at the Vetch Field:

Farewell My Dear Old Friend

The first time I saw her was one Wednesday night
I guess you could say that I’d seen the light
I knew then that from every August to May
I’d spend half my life next to ol’ Swansea Bay

The noise she created was second to none
I left sometimes happy, but sometimes glum
It didn’t matter to me, the Swans were my team
Winning the league was my ultimate dream

I’d look around the ground and stand back in awe
It was people like me, that was all I saw
Just watching the ball and willing it in
The opposition goal for a Swansea Win

The North Bank was loud, all singing their song
Most knew the words, some got them wrong
All together as one, the ground seemed to shake
Second to none, Atmosphere did she make

i stood on the East before they built up above
I got soaking wet, this was my first love
I looked down across the field and wanted to win
The ball came across and someone headed it in

I went up high when they finished the stand
I felt like a farmer surveying his land
I soon learned the folly of my youthful days
When it rained up that high, you were soaking for days

I sat in the centre and watched from the side
Still watching my team, enjoying the ride
If my father could hear what the managers said
He’d have said ‘son, it’s time for your bed’

I loved it West side next to the visiting fans
They came in their cars, their buses and vans
I hated it there when the Swans lost the game
Going back home after was never the same

The west it was huge, I watched from the top
It was better up there than on Anfield’s Kop
it had to come down though sooner or later
As soon as they said for safety we cater

The North though was calling, it had to be home
I had to return, like a dog to a bone
All the games I remember I wonder why
And then I start singing Swans til I I die

The players I saw in the famous old girl
The 20 odd years have passed like a whirl
I still see them now through the passage of time
Jimmy Hadziabdic, now is there a rhyme?

Toshack and Curtis, plus Robbie James
To some they are legends, to others just names
Every one of them came through the gates of the ground
They scored the goals, we created the sound

The fourth to the first, they were wonderful years
They all came down here, all faced without fears
We rose to the top, we sunk back down here
In the middle of that we all shed a tear

Twice we came close to losing the club
Meetings were held, most in the pub
It’s not just the teams we’ve faced on the pitch
We’ve beaten them all, every small hitch

The time now is right to move on and grow
To build on the seeds that we still have to sow
The Vetch is soon to have time called on it
I’ll miss it a lot, much more than a bit

The memories though I’ll never see fade
The matches I’ve watched, the friends that I’ve made
This ground has seen me grow into a man
Like I’m sure it has done for many a fan

She saw it all in the time she served all of us
It’s wrong to let her pass with minimum fuss
The good times we shared, the bad in there too
I think saying this was the right thing to do

Thank you dear Vetch, We’ll never forget you
Over the years we’ve stuck together like glue
The time though has come to leave you alone
The club’s moving on, it’s got a new home

It won’t be the same, but the time comes to part
You’ll always be there deep down in my heart
Thanks for the memories, the times that we shared
More than the ground, I’m sure that you cared

The end though is close, just weeks to go now
Time for you to take one final bow
Every good thing it must come to an end
My final word, you’ve been a great friend.

Our final contribution on this post comes from a young fan named Leoni John from Brynhyfryd Primary School. The enthusiasm for the Swans from younger fans such as Leoni is exactly what the club  needs in order to thrive in future years:

That’s why I love Swansea City

Swansea, the town by the sea. Home to the mighty Swansea City.
Winning at  Wembley, we took the trophy. That’s why I love Swansea City.
Against all odds, we’re in the top flight.
Newcastle, Arsenal and Man City felt our fight.
Sigurdsson, Sinclair and Britton are strong.
Everyone on the North Bank are singing the song
All the fans loved our Brendan he was one of a kind
Can’t believe we have had him, “oh what a find!”
Independent  we stand to applaud all the team
Thank the lord I’m from Swansea
Yes, I am SWANSEA CITY