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9781848517356

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Premier League Swansea City reached the final of the Carling League Cup in February 2013, winning emphatically 5-0 against League 2 Bradford City and qualifying for the prestigious Europa Cup in the coming season. This was the culmination of a remarkable decade for Swansea, a club that narrowly escaped relegation from the Football League as recently as May 2002. As a lifelong 'Jack' supporter, I was fortunate enough to be at Wembley to witness this glorious triumph, as was the author of this book, Huw Bowen, who describes himself as 'a supporter of forty-five years standing while spending any spare time he has as professor of modern history at Swansea University'. He is the unquestionable leader and king of the 'Jackademics', 'a motley crowd' of Swansea University staff (and various hangers-on) who have supported the team through thick and thin over the past decade or so. This is their story, and their unique perspective on a great day out for all Swansea City football fans. The book also includes several essays reviewing the story of the Swans over a lengthy period, including amusing chapters on the author's favourite players and an attempt to list the club's eight most important or significant games in its history. If you enjoy a bit of laddish football banter and humour, coupled with a healthy dose of well-meaning sarcastic wit, you will certainly appreciate this book. As the Swans fly high in the Premiership, the author writes from 'cloud nine' but, as always with Swansea City supporters, there is the lingering fear that the bad times will once again return to haunt our favourite team, and bring us all down to earth with a bump on the lush turf of the Liberty Stadium. Bowens final chapter is a gracious (do we really believe him?) tribute to Cardiff City, who will join Swansea in the Premier League in August 2013 a standpoint that he suspects might cost him 'several friendships and lead to heckling on the streets of Swansea'! But he concludes that it is all for the good of Welsh football and the economic health of south Wales. Let's hope he is right and that both clubs (and especially our beloved Swansea) will not slide down again into the lower leagues and have the misfortune to meet Bradford City under very different circumstances from those we all witnessed in Wembley in February. Football is a funny game, and we should not forget that Bradford City were in the Premier League not so very long ago. Here we go again like Huw Bowen, my 'default emotional position [is] that things are always about to go horribly wrong', but Chairman Huw Jenkins and his colleagues give us utmost faith that the dream will last forever. All proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the John Hartson Foundation to raise awareness of testicular cancer, a generous gesture which certainly puts football in its rightful perspective. Richard E. Huws It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgment should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council. Gellir defnyddio'r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru. -- Welsh Books Council

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Huw Bowen has supported the Swans for forty-five years. He is Professor of Modern History at Swansea University and is the editor of the popular A New History of Wales series published by Gomer Press.

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