Swansea City

Kit History

1912-1915 a

1919-1924 a

1924-1935 a

1935-1936 b

1936-1939 f

1946-1955 c

1955-1956

1956-1960 g

1960-1962 h j

1963-1964 a

1964-1965

1965-1966

1966-1967 c

1967-1970

1970-1972 d j

1972-1973 m

1973-1975 d m

Bukta

1975-1976 d

Bukta

1976-1977 n

Bukta

1977-1978 n

Bukta

1978-1979 m n

Adidas

1979-1981 a j

Patrick

1981-1984 c j

Hummel

1984-1985 d

Admiral

1986-Aug 1987 d

Admiral

Sept1987-April 1988 m

Admiral

April 1988-1989 h k m

Spall

1989-1991 h k

Spall

1991-1992 k

Matchwinner

1992-1993 i

Matchwinner

1993-1994 c

Matchwinner

1994-1995 c k

Le Coq Sportif

1995-1996 c k

Le Coq Sportif

1996-1997 d

New Balance

1998-1999 c k

New Balance

1999-2000 c

Bergoni

2000-2001 c k

Bergoni

2001-2002 c k

Bergoni

2002-2003 e k

Bergoni

2003-2004 c

Bergoni

2004-2005 e k

Macron

2005-2006 e

Macron

2006-2007 e

Macron

2007-2008 e l

Background

Long before Swansea Town came into being, children had played football on a piece of waste ground on which vetch - a cabbage-like plant used for cow feed - grew wild. Vetch Field, as it became known, was leased by the Swansea Gas Light Company to the Swansea League who laid out clinker pitches. In 1912, Swansea Town were formed as a professional club and took up residence. This was an ambitious venture given the dominance of rugby union in the area. The new football club adopted the same all white strip as Swansea RUFC and apart from a few seasons when black shorts were introduced, they have worn all-white for most of their career. The club was known as Swansea Town but they changed their name when Swansea was granted City status in 1971.

The Swans were admitted to the Second Division of the Southern League and there they remained until they won promotion immediately before the First World War. As a result, they became founder members of Division Three when the Southern League Division was incorporated in 1920. They were a strong side in those days, winning promotion to the Second Division in 1925 as champions of Division Three (South). The following season they finished fifth in Division Two and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. During the 1930s the club's fortunes declined but they staved off relegation until the season immediately after the Second World War. They did not stay down for long, winning the Third Division (South) championship and promotion in 1949. They stayed in the Second Division for another sixteen seasons, reaching the FA Cup semi-final once again in 1964. The Swans also enjoyed the first of many European campaigns in 1961 by virtue of winning the Welsh FA Cup, a competition they have won ten times to date.

In 1965 Swansea slipped into Division Three and then Division Four in 1967. Hopes were rekindled in 1970 when promotion was won but three years later the Swans were back in the basement and in 1975 they faced the humiliation of having to apply for re-election. There followed a remarkable revival under player-manager John Toshack, with successive promotions in 1978 and 1979 taking the club back into Division Two. In 1981, Swansea were promoted to the First Division finishing in a remarkable sixth place in 1982.

The decline that followed was even more dramatic. Relegated in 1983 and 1984, Swansea City was formally wound up on 20 December 1985. Fortunately a group of directors put together a rescue package and permission was granted for the club to continue its fixtures. For 12 months the future of the club hung in the balance and, unable to sign or loan new players, Swansea were relegated to Division Four in 1986. However, the High Court finally approved the new board's rescue plan and Swansea City survived. Not only that, they won promotion to Division Three in 1988 and five years later reached the play-offs.

In 1996, Swansea were relegated to what was now Nationwide Division Three (the old Fourth Division). Promoted as champions in 2000, the Swans lasted only one season at the higher level. During the 2001-02 season the club changed hands several times and was again on the verge of bankruptcy, narrowly avoiding relegation to the Conference in 2003. By 2005, however, there was a new air of optimism at the club as they prepared to leave the Vetch Field after more than 90 years to move into the new purpose-built Liberty Stadium.

People born in the town (and by extension the fans of the football club) are known as "Swansea Jacks." According to the SwansOnline.net website, there are two possible origins for this nickname. The first is a reference to the high reputation of local seamen ("Jack Tars") in the early nineteenth century. There was also a famous black retriever called Swansea Jack who rescued no fewer than 27 people from drowning in the River Tawe and Swansea Docks during the 1930s.

Historical Football Kits

Kit History

Background

Sources