Day Out

500 miles and 0 goals

John Williams goes to West Glamorgan…

On the last Friday of February, a work colleague asked what I was doing at the weekend and when I said I was making the long trip to watch Wrexham play football at Swansea, she said "Why?" Well, after a round trip of 500 miles, a 12-hour day, and spending about £60 to witness a scrappy goalless draw I was able to come up with an answer - I'm nuts!

Each season I try to visit one or two new grounds. Earlier this season I had added Rushden & Diamonds to my list (and witnessed an entertaining 2-2 draw) but had been thwarted in my bid to add ground no.28. I had planned to go to Southend but was unwell that weekend, would have gone to Oxford but they were still in the cup, and did go halfway to Boston before hearing on the radio that the game was frozen off. Doing the trip to Swansea in a day from Bury St. Edmunds would be difficult so I was glad to be able to stay overnight with my daughter in London. I booked a cheap (£36 return) rail ticket from London Paddington to Swansea (via Internet site www.qjump.co.uk - easy to use and the ticket came in the post in a couple of days).

On the three-hour train journey into Wales I pondered on two matches I had seen in the latter part of last season. At QPR Wrexham had lost 2-1 despite taking early lead, a crucial factor being an injury to Steve Roberts. My impression is that Steve Roberts is a key man in the side and that results are much better when he is playing. A few weeks later the last chance of avoiding relegation was swept away in the 4-1 defeat at Northampton. At least this season we are at the right end of the table.

The Vetch has, to put it kindly, seen better days. It is still quite common for lower league grounds to have terraces behind at least one goal, but Swansea also has terracing all down one side, and the big stand at one end stops two thirds of the way because there are a row of houses in the way!

The game was no classic, with defences dominant, and not much skill in evidence. It had 0-0 written all over it and that was how it ended. The only bit of excitement was a Swansea breakaway set up by man-of-the-match Leon Britton, a youngster on loan from West Ham, which resulted in a shot coming back off a post and fortunately rebounding off Brian Carey's legs for a corner. Brian had a commanding game so it would have been cruel luck if he had conceded an own goal.

A couple of interesting facts for stats fans like myself (meaningless trivia for the rest of you): During the first half Swansea got 12 crosses into Wrexham's penalty area from their left wing, but none at all in the second half. Swansea have scored the least goals (30) in Division Three but, according to the matchday programme, they have scored more headers (15) than any other side.