Keith Haynes looks back to a time when the footballing authorities made even more absurd decisions than they currently do...
Swansea City v Crystal Palace
Monday January 14th 1980
FA Cup Third Round - 2nd Replay
Swansea City v Crystal Palace
The authorities who govern the game we all love have made many mystical decisions, and indeed I would say some pretty decent ones as well over the years. The formation of the Premier League would be one, three points for a win another. Notwithstanding recent times and the wonderful environment we all watch our football in, there were other, let's say less tasteful days, when even more bizarre decisions were made by our football governing bodies. For me, as a Swans' fan all those years ago the decision to replay an FA cup tie on neutral territory after two drawn games v Crystal Palace was one such case, it seemed to be the way back then. Penalties were seen as a foreign way of concluding games, thus many a cup tie went on and on until open play brought matters to an end.
It seems so crazy today that this would happen, but happen it did, and one Swansea game as mentioned went to the "neutral" ground of Ninian Park, Cardiff on a winters night thirty three years ago. Back then I was a slightly Leftfield, punk rock driven, Swansea supporting skinhead who clung to the back of the Swansea north bank with a clenched fist raised in defence of our club. Northampton Lane, and a pub called 4J's was our domain pre and post match. Punk music blasting through the pub speakers and local bands and spiky tops all mingled as one, the Swansea scene was buzzing, especially on matchdays. The 4J's gave us all quick access out on to the main drag and a clear 'run' down to the Vetch Field.
Back in 1980 I couldn't believe the FAW would sanction such a ridiculous decision by the FA to play this FA Cup game in Cardiff. We had already seen quite extreme bouts of violence just two weeks before as Swansea beat Cardiff at The Vetch by a 2-1 scoreline on New Years day, so to offer the hooligans another crack at each other seemed a very odd decision indeed. The initial cup game against Palace ended 2-2 at Swansea, and the replay 3-3 at Selhurst Park, with a certain David Giles excelling for the Swans against a club he would later play nearly a hundred games for.
The scene for a cracking cup tie replay was set and we travelled east, first from Haverfordwest to Swansea, then by train in to Cardiff. The trains were rammed packed full of Swansea supporters, and they had been all the way from Pembrokeshire; hundreds and hundreds in standing room only compartments rattling towards a night that would change some peoples lives forever. And, in one case, end it completely.
It is really difficult to reflect now on a sixteen year old kids' mindset of the time. We had stood up to all manner of governmental changes, strikes, cultural differences and conflict for at least three to four years previously; they even turned the lights out and talked about three day working weeks. Music had smashed down the barriers all over the UK and British music in particular was impacting in every corner of everyone's day - both personally and politically. As a full on Swansea North-Banker I had some trepidation in my mind as to what this fixture in Cardiff would bring. I mean, I had witnessed first hand the bloody New Years Day battles across Swansea only two weeks before, and nobody could be blamed for feeling the same way.
The burning hatred that filled the night was tangible. The Cardiff v Swansea rivalry was pretty new, but I felt a huge rush of adrenalin as thousands of Swansea fans headed from the main station to the ground. Yes, there were many, many skirmishes and sirens filled the cold Cardiff night, our small group of maybe twenty just a small part of the black mass of Swans fans cheering and running in to the night. The streets were full of many, many protagonists urging each other forwards and punches were being thrown between the people of Swansea and Cardiff - in the name of what I have never been able to work out. People far more intelligent than me have tried to explain this rivalry, but I have heard nothing sensible on the subject and even less sense from people who have no idea of football culture or mentality.
Sadly, it just happens.
That night we would form a part of a crowd at Ninian Park that's officially recorded at just under 24,000. News reports at the time estimated some 19,000 in the crowd were Swansea City supporters - an incredible support away from home. The rest? Well, obviously Palace brought a number of fans to the game, and then there were the locals who, well, they wanted their say as well. Swans fans dominated the Bob bank and all parts of the ground, as the side won a stirring nights' football 2-1. Cold weather, boots, braces and smiley faces all together in a cauldron of pure football hatred, it's the only way I can describe it.
Hatred.
At a football match.
Before, during and after the game three sets of fans clashed - the Palace supporters generally just looking to get home safely, but one or two took matters far further than any football divide should go. They took a life. Sadly, that night outside the ground Swansea fan David Williams was killed, knifed by a Palace fan named Barry Rondeau who was aged just twenty. Another supporter survived a knife attack and ten months later Rondeau was sentenced to life for murder. He killed himself at HMP Long Lartin ten years later - I read recently in a moronic book of 'Legends' he was a friend of lunatic inmate Charles Bronson. A tragic tale of total sadness that often surfaces in my mind when I see our beloved Swans taking on Palace, and one which needs retelling so that our new generation of most welcome fans know a little bit more about our history, and most importantly recognise and respect that football, like everything else, is not worth a life, nor is there ever going to be any justification for the cold blooded killing of another human being because they support a different view - no matter your colour, creed or nationality.
Nowadays we mingle freely together at Premier League matches, not always comfortably it has to be said, with the bubble trips between Swansea and Cardiff the only exception, and this will need to be reviewed at some point in the future I am sure - but not now. The cold and heartless behaviour that came out of the seventies and flourished in the eighties may well be played out by smaller groups these days, and indeed in different locations, but we must be mindful of protecting the game we all love.
After one of the most breathtaking weeks in my Swansea supporting life we once again go to Crystal Palace, a team that are newly promoted and healthy in their respect for our club. In Ian Holloway they have a manager whose whole football philosophy changed when he saw 'The Swansea Way' for the first time -putting it in to place seems to be a bit of a problem for him though.
Sunday sees another great fixture between two clubs steeped in football history and two sets of fans will support their sides as the world watches on. Much has changed over the past thirty three years, no cold chill greets any of us in the brave new premier world, but at all times we should remember and respect what has gone before. How we got here may be the stuff of glory or some film makers dream (indeed, the forthcoming film entitled Jack to a King serves to emphasise that point) however anyone who's witnessed the harshness at the other end of the scale will tell you that that too needs remembering. And recording. Those that have passed on deserve at least that.
The bright, bright sunlight of our fantastic new dawn spreads such warmth amongst us all now, and I like you feel that anything is achievable, and that there is still much more to come. I will remember also, and thank my lucky stars, that I have witnessed so much since our club was nearly stolen from us by the known, and not so known, faces from Swansea City's history.
Football has never felt so good, maybe because football has never offered so much good to so many people.
But we must never forget.
Ever.
STID.
Keith is a published author and you can buy any of his books by clicking the link at the top left of the site. You can follow him on Twitter @_KeithHaynes