Derby day is upon us...

South Wales experiencing a Christmas-like fervour ahead of first top-flight derby

How did your derby day start? For me, there were literally seconds between my head leaving the pillow and a smile breaking out on my face. For anyone with a love of either club involved in today's historic match, today is simply massive. 

For the clubs too, the game is more than just a derby. Even though the season is only around a quarter of the way through, there's an argument that this is quite a big game in terms of league position. A win for the Swans tomorrow would see them five points clear of their rivals, who would remain only a point (and a place) clear of the relegation zone. Losing at home to your rivals would undoubtedly bring about a reaction from the squad - whether that would rally Cardiff or see their form slump further you can't say, however.

Conversely, a win for Cardiff would see them leapfrog the Swans and jump to 12th in the table. It shows how tight the league is at the moment, but I feel that in terms of the boost it would give to the teams involved, Cardiff would draw more satisfaction from sitting above the Swans than vice-versa. No doubt it would grate the Swans sitting below their rivals, but I think after two seasons in the Premiership they carry a bit more self-belief than those up the road.

Whatever happens today, I've no doubt I'm going to spend the entire match screaming at whatever TV I find myself in front of. I'm very envious of anyone who managed to nab themselves a ticket, and I'm sure the atmosphere will be something rarely (if ever?) seen in the Premier League. A proper derby with proper fans on television worldwide. Quality. 

As I was on about the other day, it's vitally important we behave ourselves. Back in the day we were just inch-fillers in national papers, but serious crowd violence today could have massive ramifications for both teams. It's still a bubble-trip, so any further restrictions would surely involve the banning of away fans. That's something no-one wants, and personally the idea of the whole world watching as we smash ten bells out of each other isn't something that fills me with pride. If you see someone doing something daft, don't encourage it. The more level heads, the better.

That's enough sense though. Today is the day. Derby day. One for the history books. For ninety minutes, I'm liable to be a seething, impassioned mess with absolutely no powers of rational thought, and only three points on my mind. 

Man I love football...

South Wales derby infographic - stats, history & more

Some interesting stat-type gubbins ahead of the weekend's much-awaited South Wales Derby

It's not very often I get the chance to put an interesting blog up without having to do any research, but today that's exactly what happened! 

I do wonder about the "league positions" stat given we've been in a higher league for the last two seasons, however other than that it's pretty handy information!

The infographic did made me think one other thing, however. Well, a few if we're being honest, but the only one worth mentioning is just who is Bradley Reynolds, and why am I only now becoming aware of him putting eight goals past our nearest and dearest? Good lord.

Hopefully someone can come close to repeating the trick this Sunday...

Mike Dean a completely ridiculous appointment for South Wales derby

Referee bowed to crowd pressure in the last fixture to be contested between Cardiff & Swansea, and shouldn't have been appointed

I'm sorry, I disagree with Mike Dean being appointed for this match as strongly as it's possible to disagree with a refereeing appointment. Why? Well, it's been much publicised that he completely bottled it the last time he took charge of this fixture, and given the ferocity of the rivalry it should never, ever have been possible that the refereeing appointment adds further fuel to an already raging fire.

Thanks to the power of the internet, if you want to know what I'm on about I managed to find some highlights of the game in question on Youtube. 

I was in attendance for this match, and I was actually front row in the away section. When Joe Allen scored what we thought would be the winner, he ran straight towards where we were standing and that rates as one of the great euphoric moments of my life so far. It will always, always disappoint me that Allen's strike didn't go down as the winner in the last ever derby at Ninian, more for Joey than for any significance I'd attach to such a feat. 

Anyway, that was in the 86th minute, and it seemed we were set to cruise to a 2-1 win. So, a bit of pretext before the point of the article. In the 42nd minute, referee Mike Dean was hit on the head by a coin, and had to receive treatment to a cut to his head. Whether it affected his performance you can't honestly say, however it seems massively coincidental that with only injury time remaining he gave Cardiff what can only be described as a ridiculously soft penalty. McCormack converted, and the game finished 2-2.

Now, whether the two incidents are connected only Mike Dean would be able to say, and no doubt he'd refute any allegations of pandering to a baying home crowd vociferously, but the perception (of Swansea fans at least) is that in response to a relentlessly intimidating Ninian Park atmosphere, he bottled it and gave Cardiff a penalty. 

The refereeing appointment in games of this nature should be carefully looked at, and only a fine, neutral official appointed. Cardiff fans could also argue that, given he was hit on the head by a coin thrown from their section of the stadium, he's possibly not a fan of them - but given the penalty he gifted them I doubt there's anything in that.

Hopefully this won't be an issue on matchday and he keeps a close reign on things at the Cardiff City Stadium. Fans won't need any encouragement to turn it into a boiling cauldron of noise, sweat and tears, and the man in charge needs to be up to the task. Over to you, Mr Dean. 

(PS. If you watch Joey celebrating, I'm wearing a cream hoodie with orange and brown gubbins on it. Happy hunting!)

Cardiff showing the pitfalls of maintaining a Tan through winter

Cardiff's Tan isn't one which will just wash away...

I had a tan once. Actually, I've had a tan a couple of times - having lived in Ibiza for three years it would have been a poor show if I didn't pick up a bit of colour, but what I'm on about is something which happened not long after I returned to God's Country. 

While working in a/"the" callcentre, the girlfriend of a co-worker was wandering around offering spray tans - something which I'd never normally be interested in. Given the banality of my job at that time, however, I looked at this as a way of getting a bit of painless time off, so I enquired what was involved. I was told "Not a lot", but was then informed it cost £10. Ha! Not a chance, I said.

At this point other colleagues got involved. Let me explain. I'm a pretty hairy guy - long hair, sideburns, moustache... and my hirsute nature isn't just restricted to my face. To give you an idea, my Ibiza tan never got that good due to the sun's inability to penetrate my chest-rug. So, in a nutshell, the idea of me getting a spray-tan caused much mirth and a whipround quickly followed, with a view to painting me nice and orange. 

So it was, that I found myself stripped down to my boxers in the toilets getting my first (and only) spray-on tan (I later found out they used the darkest tone of what I assume is called "bronze"), before re-entering the callcentre floor to great amusement. It's a shame I can't find the photos...

What's more, as anyone a bit more savvy with the whole fake tan thing will attest, you continue to grow darker for a day or two afterwards, so by the time I got to work the next day I did look pretty bronzed indeed. Everyone was pretty gutted, as in the end I just looked like I'd spent six months in the sun. I can pull off anything...

Thankfully for me though, this was a tan which would just wash off and fade away. For our cousins up the road, that appears to be far from the case (I bet some of you were wondering where this was going) as Vincent Tan continues to cause controversy with ludicrous decisions. This week, the Cardiff City supremo has replaced Head of Recruitment Iain Moody with Alisher Apsalyamov, a 23-year-old Kazakh who'd spent the summer painting the walls of Cardiff's stadium. Yep, you read that right.

Apsalyamov is a friend of Vincent Tan's son, and they both attended the same Swiss school, so it's clearly a case of "jobs for the boys" - although it has been rumoured that Apsalyamov Senior could well be making an investment into Cardiff - I'll believe that when I see it. It's also been rumoured Malky Mackay, who has done excellently so far, has been asked to resign, and when questioned directly about this they refused to deny it. Shocking, offensive... there are so many ways to describe that but needless to say it's not how a football club should be run. 

In charge of player recruitment ahead of what'll be a crucial transfer window for the Redbirds, Apsalyamov is rumoured to only have experience of football through computer games, so this move does really seem farcical. Moody was crucial in bringing in Gary Medel as well as Steven Caulker, so there seems no logic to this unless, in Tan's eyes, a potential investment of capital automatically outweighs any "footballing decision". I think there'd be a lot of fans who'd dispute that.

There's already been protests about Tan's stewardship, mostly about changing the kit and the crest, however it seems this move really has upset the Cardiff faithful. For their sake, I hope this is the last ridiculous decision that their Malaysian owner is allowed to get away with. Sadly, I doubt that will be the case. 

Cold weather, boots, braces and smiley faces in a cauldron of pure football hatred

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

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