Revelry and rancour in a tale of two cities
THE agony and ecstasy of football will be starkly on display in two Welsh cities tomorrow.
At 3pm in the Welsh capital Cardiff City will stage a celebratory open-top bus parade after being promoted to the Premier League.
In stark contrast to the expected scenes of unbridled joy, at exactly the same time Swansea City will kick off for – barring a miracle – the last time in the top flight of English football, with a toxic atmosphere expected.
A group of Swansea City supporters plan to hold a protest at tomorrow’s match against Stoke City after the club’s relegation was all but confirmed earlier this week.
The Swansea City Supporters’ Alliance (SCSA) say they are determined to oust chairman Huw Jenkins and other figures involved in selling a majority stake to an American consortium led by Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien.
The group are urging fans to wave money towards the directors’ box in the 28th minute to signify their displeasure towards the 28 American investors who they say now own the club, although only 27 are publicly known about at present.
A separate protest outside the main reception is also expected to take place around 1pm.
A statement from the SCSA said: “Unfortunately for many of us our demise comes as no surprise.
“Years of under-investment, the asset-stripping of our playing squad and the shameful neglect of our club
off the field has led us to surrendering our Premier League future with little more than a whimper.
“Be under no illusion, the buck stops with those who placed us in such a perilous position – our past and current board members.
“As fans, what we must do is fight to restore the pride and credibility of our football club and that will start with the removal of Mr Jenkins.
“So this is a rallying cry. The demise of our football club may well have started a long time ago but the battle to restore it has only just begun.”
It continues: “We have arranged a protest for Sunday’s fixture against Stoke, one that all are able to partake in and one that will leave our board under no doubt as to how we see our future – without them. On the 28th minute (signifying our 28 venture capitalist “investors”) we would like you to take a note out of your wallet and wave them in the air.”
Meanwhile, some 40-odd miles away thousands of fans are set to line the streets of Cardiff.
The Bluebirds’ promotion was sealed on the final day of the season after a 0-0 draw with Reading – aided by promotion rivals Fulham losing 3-1 to Birmingham City.
Earlier this week the club announced plans for an open-top bus parade, which will begin at 3pm tomorrow at Cardiff City Stadium.
The parade will end at Cardiff Castle between 4.30pm and 5pm, where players will be met by Cardiff council leader Huw Thomas and Lord Mayor Bob Derbyshire.
City manager Neil Warnock and the squad will then take to an open-air stage to address celebrating fans.
A club spokesman said: “Once the team arrive at the castle Neil Warnock and the players will take to an openair stage to address supporters amidst what we know will be a family-friendly, party atmosphere.
“Our supporters are invited to join us for the free festivities at the castle or at any point along the way.
“We look forward to seeing you all Sunday!”