The Ball is Round

Category: Wales

  • Diwrnod mawr y tu allan (A Grand Day Out)

    And then it happened….85 minutes on the clock…a hopeful ball over the Wrexham defence saw Jolley take the ball in his stride, hold off a defender and lift the ball over the on-rushing Chris Maxwell. Deserved? Probably not on the balance of play but it was a very well taken goal. Wrexham to their credit…

  • Rich return for Welsh youngsters at Richmond Park

    The official buzzword from the Football Association of Wales for the World Cup qualifying campaign is ‘believe’, but in recent months the only printable feeling from fans of the national team has been ‘disappointment’. With Chris Coleman’s side reeling from their recent inept performance in Serbia, an opportunity to enjoy a more successful 90-minutes watching…

  • Gone and forgotten – Aberdare Athletic FC

    Aberdare was a boom town post World War One. The local landscape was dotted with mines, both in terms of coal and iron ore and employment was high. The football club played at the Aberdare Athletic Ground (also known as the Ynys Stadium) which had a capacity in its prime of around 23,000. However, with…

  • Football’s coming home – well nearly anyway

    Michel Platini, however, may think otherwise. He wasn’t very keen on inheriting the joint bid from Poland and Ukraine and has expressed his Gallic frustration on a number of occasions with the progress of the infrastructure which still isn’t quite finished despite the tournament kicking off in a week’s time. He also feels a bit…

  • Swans safe for another season despite meeting a pack of Wolves

    For the best part of the second period, the Midlands club showed grit and tenaciousness far superior to their counterparts, not allowing Swansea time on the ball they were not looking dejected or anything like a side condemned to relegation. Replica to the squad, Wolves fans demonstrated nothing but pride, passion and loyalty towards their…

  • Swansea gain a point and their Premier League survival

    Swansea knew that a win at The Reebok would see them mathematically secure their Premier League status for the 2012-13 campaign with three fixtures still remaining. The Welsh side, largely backed for relegation before the commencement of the season, put themselves in the perfect position to do so with just 6 minutes played, when Scott…

  • Swansea hammer another nail into Rovers coffin

    Swansea’s uncharacteristically lacklustre display at Loftus Road sparked concern amongst Swans fans due to the manner in which they slumped to a 4th consecutive defeat. However, efficient with their possession and direct with their approach, Swansea City delivered the perfect response to their woeful performance against Rangers by comprehensively claiming victory over Steve Kean’s Blackburn.

  • Swansea fail to earn their Spurs

    A fairly even encounter at White Hart Lane, inclusive of some scintillating football from either side, was decided largely by Spurs superior clinical ability in front of goal as they capitalised on their opportunities whilst their counterparts couldn’t do so as efficiently. Looking to end their poor run of form in order to record a…

  • Toffees too much for high flying Swans to swallow

    Following three flawless victories, I feel many were somewhat expectant of a win on Saturday however, despite the form of both sides, beating Everton is by no means an easy feat given the talented squad they possess. Complacency may have been a factor in Swansea’s undoing at the weekend, however at this stage of the…

  • Swansea make themselves at home at the Cottage

    With Premier League survival no longer an issue, I feel Swansea should already be looking to prepare and build for next season. In doing so, starting contract talks with Gylfi Sigurdsson. Undoubtedly the most inspiring signing of the January transfer window, the Icelandic midfielder has slotted straight into the ‘Swansea way’ providing just what Swansea…

  • Swansea City back on the winning way

    Swansea City avoided a third successive defeat on Saturday by recording their third away win of the campaign and in doing so extended Wigan’s run of games without a victory to 12. Having struggled in their previous two fixtures against two of the leagues most physically demanding sides in Norwich and Stoke, I felt that…

  • The Swans fail their first Potteries lesson

    The Stoke side played with an outstanding work rate, looking constantly hungry and determined to regain possession, they pressed Swansea deep in their own area, not allowing them the time to play the ball out from the back to the same effect that has seen the Welsh side achieve so much this season. Their defence…

  • The Baggies throstled by the Swans

    Despite conceding an injury time equaliser at home to Chelsea in midweek, Swansea City should have approached Saturday’s game at The Hawthornes with optimum confidence having shown class and quality to earn a point off Villas-Boas Champions League chasers. Brendan Rodgers unsurprisingly opted for the same eleven that started Tuesday’s game against Chelsea, having delivered…

  • Heartbreak hotel at the Liberty

    Heading into the game on the back of consecutive away defeats, Swansea City were hoping to return to winning ways when they welcomed Chelsea to The Liberty on Tuesday night. Condemned to just a solitary defeat at home so far this season, Swansea should have had optimum confidence going into the fixture against Villas-Boas side.

  • Welsh Cup woe for Afan Lido

    Goalkeeper Chris Curtis has been in fine form for Afan Lido this season. A talented keeper at Welsh League level, Curtis made the step-up in the summer following Lido’s promotion, and the league has been subjected to his mouth ever since. Curtis would be named on the bench for the visit of Airbus UK however…