Team Digest

Swansea City A.F.C.

Facts
Swansea city were founded in 1912 and joined the football league 1921.
They were in the old First Division between 1981 and 1983, where their highest finish was an impressive sixth.
Brendan Rogers took charge of Swansea on the 16th of July last year and
led them to an instant promotion through the Championship play-offs
after a 3rd place finish.
They have become the first welsh club to reach the Premier League and cementing they’re place in the history books, well in pub quiz trivia but that is almost the same thing.
The club moved to their present stadium, the Liberty Stadium, in 2005 from the Vetch Stadium after it started to deteriorate. The Liberty Stadium has a capacity of 20,532.
Their nicknames are the Swans or the Jacks.
Their main rivals are Cardiff City and their meetings are called the South Wales derby.

Odd fact: In 2001 were bought for £1 and have provided a return of £90m after reaching the Premiership.

Summer signings: Swansea have looked to strengthen their squad over the summer after signing proven players Wayne Routledge from Newcastle and Leroy Lita Middlesbrough but their main signing has been Danny Graham from Watford for £3.5m. This shows how large the financial constraints manager Brendan Rogers is under but Swansea did beat off other Premier League clubs for his signature. His keen eye for goal and good technique should help them with what could be a difficult first season in the top division.

Summer Friendlies: Swansea have beaten both Real Betis and Celtic in preseason.

Verdict: In my opinion, without more significant funds to sign players before the season any team will find the transition from Championship to Premiership very difficult and I think Swansea will be no exception. They will be mired in what will become an intense battle to avoid relegation.

Devon