One year on – how Birch has fared in top role with the Swans
FOOTBALL remains on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak.
However, there is still plenty of work going on behind the scenes at Swansea City.
Players, coaches and staff are continuing to operate from home in line with government advice on social distancing in a bid to reduce the spread of the pandemic.
And one man who has remained as busy as ever in the corridors of power at the Liberty Stadium is Trevor Birch.
It’s been a year since he was named as Huw Jenkins’ successor as chairman of the club, and it’s fair to say he’s made some pretty huge calls during his tenure so far.
So, we took a look at the biggest decisions he’s had to make and assess how they have changed the Swans’ fortunes...
An unexpected manager swap
JUST two months and two days after being appointed as Swansea’s chairman, manager Graham Potter made the move from South Wales to Premier League side Brighton.
It came as a major shock to the club following what was a solid season back in the second tier under the former Ostersunds boss.
And it meant Birch was tasked with recruiting a new boss, something he would not have expected to be dealing with when he first arrived at the club.
A significant number of applicants were interviewed for the role, including former under-23s coach Cameron Toshack as well as the likes of Ian Holloway and Michael Appleton.
But Steve Cooper – who won the Under-17s World Cup with England in 2017 – was the man chosen to steer the ship.
It was certainly a bold call given Cooper’s lack of experience at senior level, although his ability to work with younger players was no doubt a major factor.
Retaining key figures
CLUB legends Leon Britton and Lee Trundle had previously been working in tandem as club ambassadors until Birch’s arrival.
However, prior to the arrival of Cooper, Britton was appointed as football advisor to the board of directors.
The ex-midfielder even formed part of the three-man panel – along with Birch and another Swansea icon Alan Curtis – that selected Cooper as Potter’s successor.
He has since become Swansea’s first sporting director, with his role seeing him play a key role in the club’s recruitment.
Trundle continues to represent the club with distinction in his more community-based role.
And Wayne Routledge is another key example that proves Birch fully grasps the importance of retaining the services of people who have become a big part of the club’s DNA.
The winger signed a one-year contract extension with Swansea following the conclusion of the 2018/19 season and was given the promise of a future behind-thescenes role at the Liberty by Birch.
At 35, there’s a still a chance Routledge – who is out of contract this summer – could remain at SA1 as a player should the club decide to offer him fresh terms.
The brutal transfer windows
DANIEL James and Oli McBurnie left Swansea for significant sums last summer, with the latter joining Sheffield United on the eve of the 2019/20 campaign.
Jordan Ayew, Leroy Fer and Wilfried Bony were also among those to move on, with Swansea making six signings in total, only one of which they paid a transfer fee for.
It was part of a drive that once again saw the club reduce costs following the relegation from the Premier League in 2018.
The first three windows after Swansea dropped into the Championship were painful for supporters, although the most recent one offered more hope as Cooper fully utilised his contacts in the game to recruit loanees Conor Gallagher, Marc Guehi and Rhian Brewster.
Of course, Birch wasn’t even at the club for the windows in the 2018/19 season, although more of the same could be on the cards should the Swans fail to gain promotion.
And it’s all led to one thing...
Healthier-looking finances
EACH decision Birch has made has been for the greater good of the club as a whole.
Ultimately, finances will dictate what the Swans do and don’t do, whether that be in the transfer market or in terms of dishing out new contracts.
Prior to the postponement of the 2019/20 season, Swansea released their latest accounts.
And, while being somewhat alarming in places, they made for pretty positive reading given the situation the club now find themselves in.
They announced a loss of £7m for the year ending July 31, 2019, although that did not include the figure of £18m received by the Blades for McBurnie as he departed in August.
With parachute payments set to drop again when the current season eventually concludes, further cuts will need to be made, unless the Swans manage to return to the top flight.
The academy situation
NOT too long ago, there was huge concern over what the future held for the club’s academy.
As Swansea continued to further balance the books, it was revealed they were carrying out an extensive review of all club operations, including their academy.
However, it was confirmed in
February that they were continuing to operate both of their Fairwood and Landore facilities as well as retaining the category one status for the 2020/21 campaign.
“To give you an idea of the costs involved in operating category one status you are looking at around £3m net per year. So, it’s little wonder that there are only seven other Championship clubs operating a category one academy,” Birch said in a statement. “However, I am pleased to announce that with the full support of the owners we have made the decision to continue to operate the two training sites to maintain our academy category one status for season 2020-21.
“This will then give us a breathing space to explore further options prior to the start of the 2021-22 season.”
Communication and gestures
FANS have often criticised the club’s owners Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien for their lack of communication.
But since Birch was handed full responsibility of the club’s day-to-day operations, he has set about keeping supporters in the loop every step of the way.
He has regularly issued statements via the club’s social media channels, while he has been present at three fans’ forums already during the course of the 2019/20 season, with another being recently postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The 61-year-old has also given the go ahead to other hugely positive events too.
Swansea recently re-introduced the bowling night which allowed fans to mingle with their favourite stars earlier this year. They’ve also vowed to fully support the local community and the NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic.
From buying pints for fans on away days to dishing out drinks vouchers before Christmas, Birch has worked tirelessly in a bid to ensure the club remains a united one.
Long may it continue.