CHAT FOOTBALL FORUM

This is for any cardiff fans...

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does anyone get the joke

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not really

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A small article on the swim away celebration....

Swim Away - The History of a Swansea Celebration



British Football has long been associated with violent hooliganism and intense rivalry, particularly when the supporters of rival clubs are based closely to each other, commonly referred as “The Derby”.

Two such groups of supporters to share such an irrational hatred for each other are the south Wales clubs of Swansea City and Cardiff City. And on the evening of September 20th 1988, these two rival supporters met in an orgy of vexation and violence.

Swansea City hosted Cardiff City in the second leg, first round fixture of the Littlewoods Cup at the Vetch Field.

Emotions were already at fever pitch as Swansea had previously beaten Cardiff by 1-0 during the first leg just ten days earlier courtesy of a controversial decision from the referee. Despite the linesman signalling for offside, the referee awarded Swansea with the goal.

Cardiff supporters were naturally incensed.

During the second leg a heavy police presence failed to contain the ill feelings between the rivals and trouble flared before, during and after the match in which Cardiff won 2-0 (winning 2-1 on aggregate).

The following day, the Evening Post newspaper reported on the trouble including police and eyewitness accounts of what happened next.

One fan leaving the East Stand of the Vetch Field said he saw around 100 Swansea supporters pushing past the police to reach small group of Cardiff supporters.

He said: “They seemed hell-bent of getting at them and just pushed past the police. These are fans I’ve normally seen on the North Bank and it appears they’d made their way from there.

“I saw one officer chasing after them with his truncheon at the ready, but they didn’t seem to care. It was frightening to say the least. They seemed really worked up and looking for trouble. Other genuine fans around me looked scared and were heading for home as fast as they could.”

The Evening Post then wrote another eyewitness account of what happened next.

One man who was out walking his dog at around 10:30pm saw about 50 Swansea fans chase around 30 Cardiff supporters onto the beach near Country Hall and into the sea.

He said: “They were up to their chests in the water to get away from. It was quite comical to watch. Eventually, the police managed to get the Swans fans away and the Cardiff fans came out of the sea looking like drowned rats.”

During the fateful evening, the police made 38 results, 15 were Swansea supporters and the rest Cardiff fans.

The “Swim Away” was born.

No doubt over the years the events of that evening have become wildly exaggerated to the point of ridiculous lunacy. But it doesn’t matter. For Swansea fans it has provided them with a satisfactory retort to whenever a Cardiff fan performs the ayatollah – a bizarre ritual with no connection to Welsh culture, where the fan gently pats their head with both open palms.

Over the years there have been many instances of the Swim Away resurfacing and even a Swansea player has got in on the act.

During the 2005-06 season Swansea winger Kevin McLeod celebrated his goals by performing the Swim Away. In September 2005, McLeod scored a hat trick against Bristol City in which Swansea went on to win 7-1. Needless to say, McLeod was a busy man during that match as he performed the Swim Away several times to the delight of the Swansea faithful.

Asked why he had chosen the Swim Away to celebrate his goals, Kevin explained that back in 2003 as a QPR player he featured in a match against Cardiff City.

During that game, a Cardiff fan had released an inflatable sheep which had found its way onto the pitch. McLeod accidentally stood on the sheep whilst running which punctured it causing it to deflate.

The Cardiff fans took this action as an affront and languished abuse on the player throughout the reminder of the game.

McLeod never forgot the torrid of harsh vocal treatment he received that day and decided to celebrate his goals for Swansea with the Swim Away. Swansea fans joined in with the celebrations and were having a great time.

Thanks to McLeod, Swim Away fever really kicked is as the fans brought all manner of swimming paraphernalia to matches such as swimming goggles, arm bands and swimming caps.

Even Swansea’s troublesome mascot Cyril the Swan has got in on the act. During the early part of the 2007 season Cyril could be seen proudly performing the Swim Away down the length of the Liberty Stadium’s East Stand.

Swindon striker Christian Roberts needed a police escort from the Swansea's Liberty Stadium after a game in October 2007. Roberts scored Swindon's only goal and foolishly celebrated by performing the ayatollah in front of the Swans fans.

The fans responded in fantastic fashion with a unified, synchronised Swim Away. Indeed the resulting noise level was deemed to have lifted the Swans players to a level where they turned the game around and eventually won 2-1.

Originally, the Swim Away was sung to the tune of 'In the Jungle', but over the years this has changed to the tune of 'Here we go.'

To the casual observer the Swim Away may appear to be whimsical nonsense, but to the legions of devoted Jacks it’s long been adopted as their ultimate retort to all things Cardiff.

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Ahh I see

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Brilliant mate
I learn somert new everyday

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as long as it turns out u hate cardiff more than swansea

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Brillant mate