Welcome to the Swansea City Supporters’ Trust’s page in the match day programme for today’s league encounter. As usual we’d like to give a warm welcome to our opponents, Reading, and their fans who have made the trip along the M4 to South West Wales. We hope you enjoy your visit to our city, although we plan to be the ones keeping the three points!

Since our last column, the Swans have had two tough matches against Nottingham Forest and Bristol City. We were unlucky to be on the receiving end of a late breakaway goal against a strong Forest team but it was encouraging to see the team bounce back and earn an excellent point at Ashton Gate against our (relatively) near neighbours Bristol City.

Whilst our undefeated start was inevitably going to come to an end at some point, it is pleasing that after such a difficult run of games, where we’ve played everyone else currently in the Top 6, we still find ourselves level on points with the league leaders. Whilst all games in the Championship are difficult, some are more difficult than others, and hopefully we will pick up some more wins in the coming games.

Turning to today’s opponents, we can’t really think about Reading without looking back to our 2011 playoff victory. Looking back, we’re not sure which is more difficult to believe, that we completed our rise from the bottom division to the top flight in just seven seasons, or that we then enjoyed another seven seasons in the top flight. Whilst Reading may have felt disappointment leaving Wembley back in May 2011, especially after their second half comeback was a Garry Monk boot away from being completed, their story had a happy ending as they gained automatic promotion the very next season.

Looking further afield, we’d like to publicise the Football Supporters’ Association campaign for improved regulation in football. The dreadful mismanagement of Bury FC, which has led to them being thrown out of the EFL, has once again demonstrated the need for independent regulation of the financial management of our football clubs.

As a club, Swansea City has twice before almost suffered a similar fate. When fans ask about the aims of the Swans Trust, ensuring our football club continues and thrives is a fundamental purpose, not just now but for future generations. That is why it is important that the Trust has a strong voice within the football club. This is also why a financially strong Swans Trust is important to ensure that, if the club ever does find itself in difficulties in the future, we are in the position to avoid the type of situation Bury currently finds itself in. If you would like to help strengthen the Trust further, you can join via our website or at the Trust Pod on matchdays.

As usual, we’d like to remind everyone that your Swans’ Trust representatives can be found at the pod outside the West Stand prior to today’s match and that you can keep up with all Trust news at www.swanstrust.co.uk or via our Twitter, Facebook or Instagram pages.