**ACTION PICTURES COURTESY OF SWANSEA CITY AFC**

**It was the first visit for Gordon Thomas and I since covid and it was a double pleasure because we were accompanied by old friends in Fraser Watson and Jason Cole as we watched the Swans take on a quality tide in Norwich City – with a great view from our seats high up in the press area.






 
**We couldn’t have received better help than we got from Hayley Ford, the Swansea City Media Executive who had placed us nicely on the half-way line – Thanks Hayley!




 
**Some things don’t change – we were allowed into the car park by a gent who remembered us from other visits – and our press passes were were given to us by ‘Big Phil’, as jovial as anyone could be and helped make the evening for us.


 
**The Swans supply press with food and the meal on offer was a lasagne with minted potatoes and garlic bread, washed down by tea or coffee. At half time there were again hot drinks alongside a tray of Welsh cakes – but of course I didn’t have any!!!





 
**Waiting on us was Lynne, a lady who is 70+ and been at the Swansea. Com Stadium since it was known as The Liberty Stadium – and might even been at The Vetch Field before that!


 
**The attendance was pretty good for a midweek game at 14,512 and the travelling Norwich City fans (about 250 of them) who made the 620-mile round trip made a fair bit of noise but were drowned out by the Jack Army, whose late singing of ‘Hymns and Arias’ seemed to give The Swans’ players a vital lift!




 



**It was great to see Liam Cullen making a start with The Swans and the talented youngster from Kilgetty started wide on the right and manged to get in some excellent left-footed crosses, despite being the victim of a bad foul midway through the half. He was subbed after70 minutes but it was a treat to see him doing well!


 




**The Swans made a great start with a goal after two minutes but Norwich also played good football and we level at the break – but The Swans grabbed the winner with five minutes to go when Bashir Humphreys volleyed home his first goal for the club.










 



**Guess who predicted the winning score? Gordon Thomas – that man is so infuriating!



 
**Unofficial man of the match award:     Gordon –and Jason - Matt Grimes
Fraser – Bashir Humphreys    Bill – Ben Cabango

 

**Worst actor of the night – no doubt about it! Canaries’ left midfielder Dimitris Giannoulis pulled off a body check on Swans’ right back Josh Key that would have graced any American Football line backer and then tried to reduce referee Tom Neild with his pleas of innocence. I’m glad to say he failed as the ref quickly produced the deserved yellow card!