[/caption]One of the most heated rivalries in British football is ready to re-ignite for the second time this season on Sunday when Cardiff make the short trip down the M4 to play Swansea at The Liberty Stadium.
The derby guarantees a great football match, not only for home and away fans, but for the neutral too and the stakes will be high with Swansea looking to do the "South Wales double" in the 82-year history of the feud.
So, instead of harping on about the facts, stats and history of the match, we thought we'd go straight to the fans. Representing the North Stand will be Mr. Picklive himself, Tim Morgan. He's taken a break from his duties at Picklive to answer a few questions about his derby memories and the prospects for Swansea and Cardiff in the future.
The Twelfth Man: When was your first derby game?
Tim Morgan: A 1-1 draw at the Vetch in 1989. The most memorable game was my first visit to Ninian Park on a Monday night in January 1993. It was a glorious 2-1 extra time win for the Swans, a memorable bus journey home and a tremendous night out in Swansea afterwards. Me and the other lads that went were giving it the big one about that night for a couple of weeks afterwards.
TTM: Have you been to any other games that come close to the atmosphere at the South Wales Derby?
TM: Hmm the one that sticks in my head was Scotland vs England in Glasgow in 1999. I used to live in Birmingham and hung around with a bunch of Blues fans. We all applied for tickets and I was the only one that came out of the ballot so I went up on my own. Glasgow is a hostile place for England to play and the atmosphere was similar to Swans Vs Cardiff but it was weird for me because I was standing in the England end and a part of me was hoping Scotland would equalise (England won courtesy of two Paul Scoles goals - what a player he is).
TTM: With your busy schedule dishing out cash left, right and centre on Picklive, will you be making the trip to the homeland?
TM: I'm in Pontardawe as we speak but sadly I'm going back to London tomorrow morning - there is a big pile of cash stacked up on my desk and I've got to give it away to lucky Picklive winners before it ceases to be legal tender.
TTM: Out of the Cardiff squad, who would you love to see don the white shirt?
TM: Aaron Ramsey - he's perfect for the 'Swansea City Way'.
TTM: Who do you think will be the most important players in the match?
TM: You have to say that Cardiff's attacking lineup is terrifying. If Ramsey can get the better of Prats and Leon and dictate the pace of the game then we could be 3 down by half time. If he can't then we've got pace to get around their full-backs. Scott Sinclair is lightening and Nathan Dyer is the most under-rated player in the Championship. Luke Moore is looking more likely to score his first goal with every passing minute. If I have to choose one person I will leave you with this Swansea Valley mantra, "when Nathan Dyer plays well, the Swans play well".
TM: After the loss of Martinez and Sousa, do you think Swansea have the right manager now in Brendan Rodgers?
TM: Yes its unbelievable how well we're doing with our wage structure and transfer budget. When you throw into the mix the fact that we've had three managers in three seasons its nothing short of a miracle. Martinez created a style of play in the lower leagues that has since been copied with great success by Blackpool, Doncaster and Brighton. Rodgers is the man to take this on to the next level. Credit should go to the Chairman as he's the one constant in all of this (and Huw if you're reading this I will make the trip down on Sunday if I can sit next to you. We're covering the game on Picklive so you can play along on my iPhone, I'll even slip an extra bonus in your account for doing such a good job with the Swans).
TTM: With Cardiff and Swansea both performing very well in the domestic league, do you think it's a good sign for the future of the Welsh national squad?
TM: It's fantastic. Fans of both clubs should be united in their gratitude to each other for that. Ash Williams, Adam Matthews, Jazz Richards, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen, Craig Bellamy, Joe Ledley (actually not Joe Ledley) - a stellar list of local talent. England in the 90s were net beneficiaries of the work being done with Man United's youth system and I hope we have a similar knock-on effect from the high standards being achieved at Swansea and Cardiff.
TTM: Will we see two Welsh teams in the Premier League next year?
TM: No but we'll see two Welsh teams in the playoffs...
TTM: And finally, the toughie - the double over Cardiff or promotion to the Premier League?
TM: I can take or leave the premier league but I'd like to be try it for a season while I'm young and able to go to the matches so let's go for promotion.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tim Morgan, Tim Morgan and Gareth Jones, The Twelfth Man. The Twelfth Man said: Ahead of the South Wales Derby we ask Swansea fan @thetimmorgan from @picklivefootie for his views on the upcoming match http://goo.gl/Yzsyz [...]
ReplyDeleteDaniel Hesse's view on the South Wales derby:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.footballfarrago.com/2011/03/npower-surge-south-wales-derby.html