75-583: The Chelsea Headhunters are a notorious English football hooligan firm linked to the London football club Chelsea . The Chelsea Headhunters formed in the late 1960s, and grew in importance during the 1970s and 1980s when football hooliganism in the United Kingdom was at its height. The group became notorious for its association with racism and white supremacy. Racist abuse was even levelled at Black Chelsea players such as Paul Canoville by fans of
150-674: A city . They were promoted at the end of the 1969–70 season. Swansea won three promotions in four seasons to reach the First Division in 1981. They finished sixth the following season, a club record. The club suffered a relegation the season after, returning to the Fourth Division by 1986 and then narrowly avoiding relegation to the Conference in 2003 . In 2011, they were promoted to the Premier League and won
225-573: A rugby area, and despite previous attempts by a football club named Swansea Villa, there were no notable football clubs until the establishment of ' Swansea Town AFC' in the summer of 1912. Following the lead of many other South Wales sides, the club joined the Second Division of the Southern League for the following season. J. W. Thorpe was the club's first chairman. A site owned by Swansea Gaslight Co., called Vetch Field due to
300-544: A 0–5 victory over Queens Park Rangers away at Loftus Road . Swansea then beat West Ham United 3–0 at the Liberty Stadium , with Michu scoring his third goal in two games. This saw Swansea top of the Premier League; it was the first time since October 1981 the team had been at the summit of the top tier. On 15 October 2012, the club announced a profit of £14.2 million after their first season in
375-464: A famous 7-0 win over Derby County (a side they had lost 1-0 to only a day before) during Easter that kept the Swans in the division. That season, Swans conceded a record 99 goals in the league. In 1964, the Swans reached a second FA Cup semi-final, beating Barrow , Sheffield United and Stoke City en route to a famous sixth round victory at Anfield. Few gave the Swans, struggling for their lives at
450-750: A few failed bids for promotion, the Swans reached the Second Division for the first time in 1925, beating Exeter City 2–1 at home on the final day of the season to win the division. The side had remained unbeaten at home in the league all season – something the next promotion team would emulate over twenty years later. The following season the Swans reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time, beating Exeter City, Watford , Blackpool , Stoke City, Millwall and Arsenal , before losing 3–0 to eventual cup winners Bolton Wanderers at White Hart Lane . Swans record their highest average attendance during
525-411: A high-profile member of the firm, was sentenced to life imprisonment on 8 November 1985 for violent assault after being found guilty of involvement in an attack on a pub on King's Road . After Chelsea lost a match, Whitton and other hooligans stormed into the pub, chanting "War! War! War!". When they left a few minutes later, with one of them shouting, "You bloody Americans! Coming here taking our jobs",
600-475: A number of new defensive players and set a record of seven consecutive home clean sheets, all victories. The Swans' last season at the Vetch Field saw the club win promotion on the last day of the season, clinching a 3rd-placed finish with a 1–0 win away to Bury . Their last league game at their old ground was a 1–0 win over Shrewsbury Town , with the last game of any sort being a 2–1 win against Wrexham in
675-419: A promotion challenge in 1971–72, but an awful run towards the end of the season resulted in a mid-table finish. A poor start the following season, combined with falling attendances, saw Bentley resign, and he was replaced by Harry Gregg . Gregg failed to stop the rot and the club was back in the Fourth Division for 1973–74 season. A record low crowd of just 1,358 watched the Swans against Northampton Town , and
750-573: A temporary alliance with other British hooligans supporting Rangers F.C. , Cardiff City , Swansea City and Leeds United led by Arsenal's firm, The Herd , to attack Galatasaray fans in Copenhagen and Turkish fans in Brussels during Euro 2000 as part of revenge for the 2000 UEFA Cup semi-final stabbing of two Leeds United fans by a Galatasaray fan . Another ally is the one with Hellas Verona fans since 1976 when Brigate Gialloblu’s banner
825-441: A then-record fee of £3.5 million. They defeated Arsenal , Liverpool and Manchester City , the eventual champions, at home during the season. Swansea finished their debut Premier League season in 11th, but at the end of the season Brendan Rodgers left to manage Liverpool. He was replaced by Michael Laudrup for the 2012–13 Premier League season , which was the club's centenary season. Laudrup's first league game ended in
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#1732776042048900-682: A total of 92 points over the course of the season, the highest ever by a Welsh club in the Football League. Five Swansea players were in the PFA Team of the Year, including the division's 29-goal top scorer Jason Scotland . That same season Swansea lost on penalties to Milton Keynes Dons in the area final of the Football League Trophy . Upon returning to the second tier of English football after 24 years Swansea City finished
975-638: Is a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea , Wales. It competes in the Championship , the second tier of English football . Swansea have played their home matches at the Swansea.com Stadium (formerly known as the Liberty Stadium) since 2005, having previously played at the Vetch Field since the club was founded. The club was founded in 1912 as Swansea Town and entered into
1050-576: Is based in Brisbane) football team, fronted by Tony Petty. Seven players were sacked and eight others saw their contracts terminated. During this period Hollins was sacked after a poor start to the season, and Colin Addison took over as manager. The turmoil led to the creation of the Swansea City supporters' trust , which sought to save the club and ultimately guarantee supporter representation on
1125-683: The First World War the Southern League dropped its Second Division, and with many clubs dropping out due to financial difficulties, the Swans were placed in the First Division. After four seasons in the Southern League, Swansea Town became founder members of the new Third Division of The Football League in 1920 and then Division Three (South) the following season. After five seasons in Division Three (South) and
1200-538: The Football League Trophy for the first time since 1994, and the FAW Premier Cup for a second successive year. In the following season Jackett resigned as manager in mid-season to be replaced by Roberto Martínez . Martínez's arrival saw an improvement in form, but Swansea missed out on the play-offs again. The following season, an 18-game unbeaten run helped them to the League One title. The club amassed
1275-472: The League Cup two years later, beating Bradford City 5–0 in the final. It was the competition's highest ever winning margin for the final, with Swansea winning the first major trophy in the club's history and qualifying for the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League . The club was relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2017–18 season . The club's climb from the fourth division of English football to
1350-765: The Southern League , winning the Welsh Cup in their debut season. They were admitted into the Football League in 1920 and won the Third Division South title in 1924–25. They again won the Third Division South title in 1948–49, having been relegated two years previously. They fell into the Fourth Division after relegations in 1965 and 1967. The club changed their name to Swansea City in 1969 to reflect Swansea's new status as
1425-694: The Ulster Defence Association and Ulster Volunteer Force . As of 2017, they claimed to have an alliance with the far-right Football Lads Alliance . The firm was involved in numerous incidents of violence through the United Kingdom and Europe during the 1980s. Its activities inspired numerous prominent Russian hooligan firms , and some high-profile members of the Headhunters took part in football hooliganism in Russia. Kevin Whitton,
1500-478: The Vetch Field for an FA Cup Fourth Round match against Arsenal . A tragedy struck the club on 20 January 1969 when players Roy Evans and Brian Purcell were killed in a car crash on the way to a game. In 1969, the club name was changed to Swansea City, and Roy Bentley 's side celebrated by securing promotion back to the Third Division. A record run of 19 matches unbeaten provided the foundations for
1575-418: The "Mel Nurse Consortium" time to organize its finances. Having successfully reorganized the finances of Hull City, both Moore and Griffin were believers in clubs belonging in the hands of local people, and so believing Nurse's group were best for The Swans, subsequently passed the club onto Nurses consortium for the fee of £1. Despite problems off the pitch, Addison's side had managed a mid-table position, but he
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#17327760420481650-420: The 1955–56 season, when a side containing the likes of Ivor Allchurch , Terry Medwin , Harry Griffiths and Tom Kiley led the table early in the season, before an injury to Kiley, referred to as the linchpin of the side, in mid-November led to a decline in form. He was never adequately replaced, but despite this and the sale of some of the club's best players, the side remained in contention for promotion until
1725-517: The 2008–09 season in eighth place, and missed out on the play-offs the following season by a single point. After 63 wins in 126 games for Swansea City, Martínez left for Wigan Athletic on 15 June 2009 with his tenure returning just 26 losses in that time. He was replaced by Portuguese Paulo Sousa . Sousa subsequently left Swansea to take charge at Leicester City on 5 July 2010, lasting just one year and 13 days in South Wales. However, just before
1800-492: The Championship play-offs. After beating Nottingham Forest 3–1 on aggregate in the semi-final they defeated Reading 4–2 in the final at Wembley Stadium , with Scott Sinclair scoring a hat-trick. [REDACTED] By being promoted to the Premier League for the 2011–12 season, Swansea became the first Welsh team to play in the division since its formation in 1992. Swansea signed Danny Graham from Watford for
1875-466: The Premier League. On 1 December, Swansea picked up a 0–2 away win against Arsenal, with Michu scoring twice during the last minutes of the game, in Swansea's first win at Arsenal in three decades. Michu ended the season as the club's top scorer in all competitions, with 22 goals. On 24 February 2013, Swansea beat Bradford City 0–5 in the League Cup final en route to the biggest win in the final of
1950-475: The Swans to Wembley for the first time in their history for the final of the Autoglass Trophy. Wins over Plymouth Argyle & Exeter City in the group stage followed by triumphs over Exeter again, Port Vale , Leyton Orient and Wycombe Wanderers over two legs saw the Swans play Huddersfield Town in a final that finished 1–1. The Swans went on to win 3–1 on penalties. In the following season,
2025-405: The Third Division (South) title with all three South Wales clubs – and without losing a home game with Swansea or Cardiff. Following promotion, the Swans had another 15 years of Second Division football to look forward to, however despite what successive managers and chairmen were to say, Swansea Town only once during that time looked like they could genuinely challenge for promotion. That came in
2100-541: The Welsh Cup that season, qualifying for Europe for the first time since the 1965–66 season. The 1981–82 season began with the fixture computer handing Swansea a first-day home game against Leeds United , which the club promptly won 5–1 with a hat-trick by debutant Bob Latchford . Swansea had swept from the basement division to the top of the entire Football League in three years. Victories over Liverpool , Manchester United , Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur followed as
2175-534: The ball rebounded off the crossbar then into the net off his knee, and two early goals in the second leg gave the Baggies the advantage, until midfielder Micky Mellon was sent off. Burrows brought on Colin West , but he was sent off minutes later, ending any hopes of a Wembley final. Although the league campaign the following season did not live up the previous one, mainly due to the sale of key players, Burrows guided
2250-475: The bar's American manager, 29-year-old Neil Hansen, was lying on the floor, close to death. Whitton's sentence was cut to three years on appeal on 19 May 1986. The fan responsible for the actual assault, Wandsworth man Terence Matthews (aged 25 at the time), was arrested shortly after Whitton's conviction and remanded in custody to await trial. He was found guilty of taking part in the violence on 13 October 1986 and sentenced to four years in prison. Matthews came to
2325-591: The beginning of April. Following a 6–1 win over second placed Leicester City at the Vetch Field at the end of March the side was just two points behind second placed Liverpool with a game in hand – however subsequent results were not as encouraging, and they eventually slipped away to finish tenth. The Swans finished tenth for the third consecutive season in 1956–57. This season saw the club finish with its highest ever rate of goals per game (90 in total). This figure included big victories against Blackburn Rovers (5–1) and Bristol City (5–0) but 90 goals were conceded at
Chelsea Headhunters - Misplaced Pages Continue
2400-499: The bottom of Division Two, any chance of causing an upset against the league leaders. But the Swans were 0–2 up at half-time thanks to Jimmy McLaughlin and Eddie Thomas. Liverpool turned up the pressure in the second half, pulling a goal back before being awarded a penalty nine minutes from time. Ronnie Moran had established an excellent record as a penalty taker, but tic reviv to beat the excellent Noel Dwyer on this occasion. Fellow second division side Preston North End awaited in
2475-470: The city, with hardcore hooligans having avoided police detection by entering France via Belgium. Around 50 members of the firm took part in an Islamophobic protest outside of the East London Mosque in 2017. In 2020, three hooligans with ties to the Headhunters were convicted of bodily harm and affray following an attack on journalist Owen Jones , who is gay. In 2000, Chelsea Headhunters formed
2550-496: The club again reached the semi-finals of the Auto Windscreens Shield, eventually going out to Birmingham City , and an eventful FA Cup run saw them win at Middlesbrough in a third round replay, before going out to Newcastle United at St James' Park . The 1995–96 season ended with relegation back to the third division after eight years. The Swans were doing fine around Christmas time, but a complete collapse in
2625-458: The club reached the final of the 1997 Third Division promotion play-offs but lost to Northampton Town , whose goal came from a re-taken free kick by John Frain in the final minute. Mølby was sacked just weeks into the following season, with Swansea struggling near the foot of the league. After the initial optimism, the Liverpool connection had not caused history to repeat itself. Alan Cork
2700-405: The club topped the league on several further occasions. However, injuries to key players took their toll, and the lack of depth in the squad meant that the season ended in sixth-place finish. Two consecutive relegations followed, and Toshack was sacked. By 1985, the club was battling for its very survival on two fronts. Whilst its creditors lined up a High Court hearing with the aim of liquidating
2775-455: The club's best young talent as previous boards had done. Despite promising performances during the first half of the 1977–78 season, Harry Griffiths resigned as Swansea City's manager in February 1978, doubting his own ability to take the club any further. The new manager was former Liverpool , Cardiff City and Wales striker John Toshack . On 1 March 1978, at 28 years old, Toshack became
2850-558: The club's board. The Petty group sold its stake in January 2002 after a bitter stand-off with the Mel Nurse consortium, which was supported by the majority of the club's fans. Jim Moore and Mel Griffin, previously rescuers of Hull City, stepped into the breach and persuaded Petty to sell to them (as he had promised to bankrupt the club & make it extinct rather than sell to Nurse). From there Moore became chairman for three weeks giving
2925-460: The club, Swansea City had come to rely on a combination of old players and young professionals. Wound up by court order in December 1985, Swansea City was saved by local businessman Doug Sharpe who took over the running of the club, although the change of ownership was not enough to prevent relegation to the Fourth Division in 1986. Eight years on from the first promotion under Toshack, the club
3000-470: The club, initially thought because of a poor run of form; however later investigation revealed financial impropriety involving Laudrup's agent Bayram Tutumlu. Defender Garry Monk , a Swansea player since 2004, was named as his replacement. In Monk's first game in charge, Swansea beat Cardiff 3–0 at the Liberty Stadium on 8 February 2014. Despite holding Rafael Benítez 's Napoli to a 0–0 draw in
3075-647: The club. Because of this, the gang initially drew followers with far-right views , including those who had no previous interest in Chelsea F.C.. The gang has links to various white supremacist organisations, such as Combat 18 , the National Front , the Ku Klux Klan , and the British Movement . The gang also became affiliated with Northern Irish loyalist paramilitary organisations, such as
Chelsea Headhunters - Misplaced Pages Continue
3150-439: The competition. This triumph, in a record victory, was Swansea's first major piece of silverware and qualified them for the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League . Swansea finished the season in ninth place in the Premier League, improving upon the league standing achieved in the previous season. On 11 July, Swansea paid a club record transfer fee of £12 million to secure the signing of striker Wilfried Bony from Vitesse Arnhem ; Bony
3225-430: The departure of Sousa, on 15 May 2010, Swansea player Besian Idrizaj suffered a heart attack in his native Austria while on international duty. The club retired the number 40 shirt in his memory, and the players wore shirts dedicated to Idrizaj after their victory in the play-off final. Northern Irishman Brendan Rodgers took charge for the 2010–11 season. He guided the club to a third-placed finish and qualification for
3300-609: The final of the 2005 FAW Premier Cup . [REDACTED] The club moved to the new Liberty Stadium during the summer of 2005. The first competitive game was a 1–0 victory against Tranmere Rovers in August 2005. In their first season back in League One, Swansea, after beating Brentford in the semi-finals, lost on penalties to Barnsley in the final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. That same season, Swansea won
3375-498: The first bottom division team to defeat a Premiership club in the FA Cup since the re-organisation of the league structure in 1992. The club was promoted in 2000 as Division Three champions, following a championship decider on the final day of the season against second-placed Rotherham United . The side conceded just 32 goals during the 1999–2000 season , largely due to the form of excellent centre-back pairing Jason Smith and Matthew Bound , as well as keeper Roger Freestone . During
3450-552: The first leg of the Europa League Round of 32 , Swansea exited the competition after losing 3–1 in the second leg at the Stadio San Paolo on 27 February 2014. In January 2015, Wilfried Bony was sold to Manchester City for a record sale of £25 million, with add-ons reportedly leading to £28 million. This deal eclipsed the record fee received from Liverpool for Joe Allen at £15 million. At
3525-427: The following season the Swans were forced to apply for re-election to the Football League after a last day defeat at Rochdale condemned them to a 21st-place finish. The application was a success, although by now former player Harry Griffiths had replaced Gregg as manager. Malcolm Struel also took over as chairman, having previously been on the board, and promised a return to former glories, stating that he would not sell
3600-936: The group following these events, and in 2009 two Chelsea fans attacked MacIntyre and his wife in revenge for the documentary and investigation. Nick Love's film The Football Factory presented the Headhunters in a fictionalised account. The film focuses mainly on the firm's violent rivalry with the Millwall Bushwackers . Hooligan firm Hooligan firms (also known as football firms ) are groups that participate in football hooliganism in European countries. For groups in Latin America, see barra brava and torcida organizada . Clubs Swansea City A.F.C. Swansea City Association Football Club ( / ˈ s w ɒ n z i / SWON -zee ; Welsh : Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Dinas Abertawe )
3675-453: The hated "Millwall lion" badge rather than the 1960s Chelsea erect lion. He confirmed the racism in the Headhunters organization and their links to Combat 18 , including one top-ranking member who had been imprisoned on one occasion for possession of material related to the Ku Klux Klan . The documentary led to the arrest and conviction of several members of the group for the involvement in football violence. MacIntyre received death threats from
3750-511: The knowledge that victory would assure them a place in the First Division for the first time in the club's history. A 3–1 win guaranteed a third promotion in four seasons and Swansea City joined the footballing elite. The goalscorers on that day at Deepdale were Tommy Craig , Leighton James and Jeremy Charles . The four-year rise from basement to top division is a record in English football, held jointly with Wimbledon F.C. Swansea also won
3825-436: The last day of the season, at the expense of Exeter City , a club then vice-chaired by Mike Lewis. Brian Flynn's side finished 2003–04 10th and reached the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in 24 years, eventually losing 2–1 at Tranmere Rovers . Flynn was dismissed and replaced by Kenny Jackett . Jackett lost his first six matches in charge, ending any hope of a play-off place. The following season Jackett recruited
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#17327760420483900-415: The other end, including a 7-3 drubbing at Fulham . The 1957-58 season was one of struggle for the Swans and they spent much of the season in the relegation zone. Despite a 5-1 derby victory over Cardiff before Christmas, the Swans struggled to maintain any form. The departure of Cliff Jones to Tottenham in February compounded matters and it was only a dramatic revival towards the end of the season, including
3975-422: The playoff semi-finals in 1993 and make their first Wembley Stadium appearance a year later. Burrows guided the Swans to within 180 minutes of Wembley in 1993 – a run of five wins in the last six league matches (all at home) secured a playoff place, and with five minutes remaining of the first leg of the semi-final against West Bromwich Albion , the Swans were 2–0 up. Andy McFarlane scored an own goal when
4050-673: The public attention again in June 2002 when he and his 21-year-old son William received two-year prison sentences after they and another man were convicted of assaulting two police officers in Morden , Surrey . On 13 February 2010, members of the firm clashed with the Cardiff City Soul Crew at the FA Cup fifth-round tie at Stamford Bridge . On 25 March 2011, at Isleworth Crown Court , 24 people were convicted of taking part in
4125-438: The season of 16,118 for pre-war league games. During the 1926–27 season they beat Real Madrid 3–0 on tour. During the 1931–32 season they finished 1st in the league and won the Welsh Cup after beating Wrexham 2–0 away after a replay. After just one season back from wartime football, the Swans finished 21st in the Second Division , and thus returned to Division Three (South) for the first time since 1925. The following season
4200-411: The season the side set a record of nine consecutive league victories, and, during the same period, seven consecutive clean sheets. Striker Walter Boyd also set an unwanted record of being the fastest substitute ever sent off, when he was red-carded for striking a Darlington player seconds after being brought on and before play had resumed, therefore being officially recorded as zero seconds. Promotion
4275-477: The second half of the season, including a 7–0 FA Cup defeat at third division Fulham , 4–0 and 5–1 defeats at Blackpool and Oxford United respectively, led to relegation, despite the arrival of Jan Mølby . Relegation in 1996 was accompanied by a club record of being managed by four men in the same season. Kevin Cullis was appointed as manager by a consortium wishing to buy the club. Cullis’ previous experience
4350-436: The semi-final at Villa Park , but despite taking the lead through McLaughlin again, the Swans were to be denied by a second half penalty and a wonder goal from nearly 40 yards. After flirting with relegation on a few occasions during the previous seasons, the Swans' luck finally ran out a season later in 1965, and they were back in the Third Division. Following relegation, Trevor Morris , who had been manager since 1958,
4425-456: The side at all during the summer, and despite a decent start, a 5–1 defeat at big-spending Reading in September led to a slide down the table, and the side won just eight games all season, and only Oxford United finished below them. Relegation seemed certain following a 5–3 defeat at fellow strugglers Luton Town , where Giovanni Savarese scored a hat-trick, however Hollins maintained that
4500-465: The side could stay up, even when 18 points were needed from the final six matches, and for two other teams to pick up no more points. In July 2001, following relegation back to Third Division , the club was sold to managing director Mike Lewis for £1. Lewis subsequently sold on his stake to a consortium of Australian businessmen behind the Brisbane Lions (An Australian Rules Football team that
4575-403: The time of the sale, Bony was the club's top scorer with 34 goals in all competitions, and the Premier League's top scorer for the 2014 calendar year, with 20 goals. Swansea City finished eighth in the Premier League at the end of the 2014–15 season with 56 points, their highest position and points haul for a Premier League season, and second highest finish in the top flight of all time. During
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#17327760420484650-504: The top division is chronicled in the 2014 film, Jack to a King – The Swansea Story . The Swansea City Supporters Trust continues to own shares in the club; their involvement was hailed by Supporters Direct in 2012 as "the most high profile example of the involvement of a supporters' trust in the direct running of a club". Though based in Wales, they play in the English football league system. The area around Swansea traditionally had been
4725-415: The vegetables that grew there, was rented to be the club's ground. The club's first professional match was a 1–1 draw at the Vetch Field against Cardiff City on 7 September 1912. During that first season the Welsh Cup was won for the first time. The Swans beat reigning English champions Blackburn Rovers 1–0 in the first round of the 1914–15 FA Cup , Swansea's goal coming from Ben Beynon . Following
4800-642: The violence, which resulted in several people being injured (including a police officer whose jaw was broken). All of those convicted received banning orders from all football grounds in England and Wales ranging from three years to eight years. Eighteen of them received prison sentences of up to two years. Headhunters were involved in disturbances in Paris before a UEFA Champions League quarter final between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea on 2 April 2014. Around 300 hooligans were involved in pre-planned violence around
4875-447: The youngest manager in the Football League , with Griffiths as his assistant. Thus began a remarkable climb from the Fourth Division to the top of the entire league. Despite relinquishing his role as manager before the end of the season, this was Griffiths' team, and the promotion from the Fourth Division was largely his doing. During this season, the Swans' record league win was achieved (8–0 against Hartlepool United ). Before promotion
4950-481: Was appointed as manager, but was dismissed after leading the club to its lowest league finish for 23 years. John Hollins was appointed, and things soon started to improve. In 1999, the club reached the promotion playoffs , only to lose in extra time at Scunthorpe United . The season included a third round FA Cup victory over Premiership opponents West Ham United , whose team included Frank Lampard , Joe Cole , Rio Ferdinand and John Hartson . Swansea thus became
5025-417: Was back where it had started. Swansea won promotion from the Fourth Division in 1988 – beating Rotherham United and Torquay United over two legs in the inaugural playoffs. They remained in the league's third tier for the next eight seasons – the longest period of stability the club had seen since the 1940s. Under Terry Yorath and then Frank Burrows , the club managed to stay in the Second Division, reach
5100-491: Was dismissed in early March, and under Nick Cusack the club slumped to a 20th placed-finish. Cusack lasted just eight games into the following season, and was sacked after a 1–0 defeat at league debutants Boston United had put the Swans on the bottom of the Football League for the first time in their 91-year history. He was replaced by Brian Flynn . Swansea City avoided relegation to the Football Conference on
5175-557: Was exposed in the famous Shed. They were infiltrated by investigative reporter Donal MacIntyre for MacIntyre Undercover , a documentary series screened on the BBC . It was released on 9 November 1999, in which MacIntyre posed as a wannabe-member of the Chelsea Headhunters. He had a Chelsea tattoo applied to himself for authenticity, although the hardcore members especially Paul 'Gary Glitter' Marriner, were surprised he chose
5250-422: Was one of consolidation, however in 1948–1949 the Swans stormed their way to winning the division for the second time. Only one point was dropped at home all season as the feat of the 1925 promotion side was emulated, with the side finishing a whole seven points ahead of second placed Reading . Billy McCandless was the manager who led the side to promotion, and in doing so he completed a rare hat-trick of winning
5325-415: Was sacked and Glyn Davies , a former Swansea player, was appointed in his place. Davies re-signed the 36-year-old Ivor Allchurch from Cardiff City , but despite winning the Welsh Cup , the season saw some of the club's heaviest defeats, and the manager only lasted the season. Relegation to Division Four followed in 1967 and Ivor Allchurch retired. The 1967–68 season saw the record attendance of 32,796 at
5400-490: Was secured courtesy of a 3–0 win over Exeter City at a packed Vetch Field . However, the following week's 1–1 draw at Rotherham United , which confirmed Swansea as Division Three Champions, was overshadowed by the death of supporter Terry Coles, who was trampled to death by a police horse in narrow Millmoor Lane before the game. The team were relegated in May 2001, just 12 months after promotion. Hollins had failed to strengthen
5475-502: Was secured, however, Harry Griffiths died of a heart attack on 25 April 1978 before the home game against Scunthorpe United . A further promotion was achieved next season and the club returned to the Second Division after an absence of 14 years, with Toshack himself coming off the bench to score the winning goal against Chesterfield and thus secure promotion. After a season of consolidation, Swansea City again challenged for promotion and travelled to Preston North End on 2 May 1981 in
5550-518: Was the leading goalscorer in the 2012–13 Eredivisie with 31 goals and was named Dutch Player of the Year. Swansea enjoyed initial success in Europe, beating Spanish side Valencia 3–0 at the Mestalla Stadium in September 2013. On 3 November 2013, Swansea lost the first Welsh derby in the Premier League to Cardiff City following a 1–0 defeat. In February 2014, Laudrup was dismissed from
5625-574: Was with non-league club Cradley Town youth team. Alarmed at developments at the club, Sharpe invoked a contractual clause to cancel the deal and resumed control himself: Cullis was promptly sacked after just six days. Cullis' successor was the Dane, Jan Mølby , a former Liverpool player taking his first steps in management. His appointment inevitably prompted comparison with the Toshack era which began nearly 20 years earlier. Despite relegation in 1996,
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