** UPDATE 12th APRIL 2024 **
And it’s done….
Earlier today we applied the final coat of yellow to the renovated gate and erected the replacement signs with the help of Nigel Davies and his father (ND Signs) as can be seen from the pictures below.
Next month we’re arranging a small re-opening event at the old entrance with the kind support of Dawn and her Vetch Community Garden volunteers.
All those who kindly assisted us with the project are being invited alongside any former Swans players who would have played at the old Vetch Field.
Invites will also be going out to all those registered with the Swans Former Players Association (FPA) but if there are any other fomer players that would also like to come along please email us at info@swanstrust.co.uk
And if anyone has any pictures of the old players entrance that they are legally able to share are invited to email them into us at the same email address info@swanstrust.co.uk
Thank you / Diolch
Swansea City Supporters’ Trust
** UPDATE 12th MARCH 2024 **
Getting closer now….
Yesterday afternoon we applied the final undercoat to the repaired former players entrance gate followed by the first of its two coats of original yellow.
A few more pictures can be seen below:
The final parts of this particular piece of work will be one more coat of paint on the wall and gate followed by erecting the replica signs back into their original positions.
We are aiming to have all this done by early April followed by an official re-opening of the old players entrance later in the Spring.
Again we are appealing for anyone who has any pictures of the old players entrance that they are legally able to share to please email them into us at info@swanstrust.co.uk
Thank you / Diolch
Swansea City Supporters’ Trust
** UPDATE 8th MARCH 2024 **
After some excellent fabrication work by Phil Thomas and his MII Engineering team to suitably strengthen the wall the old gate has finally been re-hung safely as can be seen from the following pictures:
The next task will be applying another undercoat and then painting the gate back to its former yellow over the coming days.
Thank you / Diolch
Swansea City Supporters’ Trust
** UPDATE 23rd JANUARY 2024 **
Due to some unforeseen issues with the condition of the old gate the work to sympathetically repair it took a little longer than anticipated. However we are pleased to advise that this has now been done and the gate has been returned to the care of the Vetch Community garden volunteers along with its first undercoat of paint.
The next steps to get the (very heavy!) old gate safely rehung to the new wall is now underway with the kind help of Wayne Jenkins from the Swansea Veterans Hub and the gate will then be re-painted back to its iconic yellow.
The replacement signs will then be erected and plans for its official re-opening will be announced in due course.
In the meantime if anyone has pictures of the old players entrance they are legally able to share please email them in to us at info@swanstrust.co.uk
And as before we’d also be interested to know whatever happened to the original signs?
Thank you / Diolch
Swansea City Supporters’ Trust
** UPDATE 13th October 2023 **
The replica signs are now completed and will be put back up in their original positions as soon as the renovation work to the old gate is done.
More pictures of the old gate, replacement signs and our some of our recent work to date are below:
As can be seen the gate was in a very poor state of repair and is taking longer to put right than we expected.
We will get there though….
In the meantime if anyone has pictures of the old players entrance they are legally able to share please email them in to us at info@swanstrust.co.uk
We’d also be interested to know whatever happened to the original signs?
Thank you / Diolch
Swansea City Supporters’ Trust
** UPDATE 3rd October 2023 **
Since our last update a few weeks ago we have made good progress on the old Vetch Field players entrance repair work.
The wall has been safely rebuilt and painted white.
The replica signs commissioned and will soon be ready to go back into their original positions and the old gate is in the process of being carefully repaired.
Once complete it will be repainted in its iconic yellow and rehung in its original position.
We now need the help of supporters to send us any old pictures and cuttings they have in their posesssion relating to the old players entrance.
If you have something you can legally share please email them to us at info@swanstrust.co.uk
We will then compile them all onto a page on our website that we will update as and when new material comes our way.
Anything you can do to help us would be greatly appreciated so that we can create a lasting legacy as to what one of the last remaining areas of the old Vetch Field means to so many of our supporters.
We already have two great pictures that we have found. Why not see if you can work out what dates they were taken?
We will post up pictures of how the former players entrance looks today as soon as all the work is complete.
Thank you / Diolch
Swansea City Supporters’ Trust
** UPDATE 26th August 2023 **
A couple of months ago we released the story below about our plans for the Vetch Field Former Players Entrance.
We are pleased to confirm that the repair work will now begin next week. We are grateful for the kind support of Travis Perkins, Swansea who are providing all the materials free of charge and also to local building company Edmunds Webster Ltd who are carrying out the majority of the repair works.
If anyone would like to learn more please email us at info@swanstrust.co.uk
Or if you’d like to make a small donation towards the costs of the wall repairs, gate renovations and signs then you can do so HERE
Thank you / Diolch
Swansea City Supporters’ Trust
ORIGINAL ARTICLE 26th June 2023
Over the past few weeks, the Swansea City Supporters’ Trust have been in discussions with Swansea Council about a lease to allow us to repair and maintain the old Vetch Field players/officials entrance.
As many of our supporters will testify, this is an iconic part of the old Vetch Field and one off the few remaining areas of the old stadium that is still recognizable.
Sadly, over the past few years it has fallen into a state of disrepair and the Swans Trust feel that unless action is taken quickly to tidy up and repair the old walls and gates on Glamorgan Street then it may prove to be too late to salvage.
We are pleased to confirm that a lease agreement with Swansea Council has now been reached and over the coming weeks work will begin to tidy up and repair what is required in what we hope will be in a sympathetic manner. We are also looking to reproduce the former signs to try and ensure the former entrance is as accurately represented as possible.
Club legend and Honorary Trust President Alan Curtis MBE has pledged his full support to the project and has been a regular visitor to the site while we have been preparing a schedule of works.
Alan stated “I’m delighted to see that work will be starting soon to help bring this part of the old Vetch back its former glory. It only seems like yesterday that myself and so many other former players that loved playing at the Vetch walked through these gates and into the old ground. I’m sure supporters of all ages will enjoy coming back down here again and recalling some of their own personal memories outside our old players entrance that just sums up the magic of the old Vetch perfectly.”
The Trust is also grateful to Dawn Mitchell and her volunteers from the Vetch Community Garden for their support in this project. Dawn and everyone associated with the garden continue to use the old players entrance and passageway to access the allotments which now sit on the site of the old South Stand and regularly spots former players and supporters taking a stroll around the old Vetch.
To help get the work done we have been liaising closely with the Swansea Service Veterans who have members who we believe can help us complete the necessary works. However, we are still looking for one or two more volunteers in the building trade to help us over the coming weeks and in particular someone who may be interested in helping us project manage it all?
If you feel you could help or are interested in learning more about the project, please send us an email to info@swanstrust.co.uk with your contact details and how you feel you could help and we will come back to you.
Once all the work is done, we will let supporters know so they can see once again what the old entrance looked like back in our Vetch Field days.
Swansea City Supporters’ Trust
26th June 2023
