Cynical ploy by the club it may be, but it matters not – Angel Rangel and Leon Britton simply must be afforded the very upmost respect as they bring the curtain down on their long and distinguished Swansea City careers.
I won’t be at the game itself today (last of my self imposed exile) but I hope all Swans fans will leave any protests aside at appropriate moments to display the respect and affection we hold these two LEGENDS in.
Relegation hurts, but waving goodbye to these fantastic footballers and magnificent men hurts more if I’m honest – we can always come back up to the Premier League some day but we’ll never get the privilege of watching Leon and Angel strutting around the field in their prime again, displaying the fierce loyalty for their club that is almost a forgotten thing in football these days.
It is fantastic news that Britton at least will still be at the club in some capacity, having agreed to take a role similar to that fulfilled with distinction by Lee Trundle these days. As an Ambassador Leon will still be a big presence at the club at a time when we can ill afford to lose figures that know exactly what the Swansea Way is all about and how much the club means to its fans and the community.
However, having conducted my own risk analysis of this role I feel that ATFV should make the offer of supplying Leon with a pair of sponsored cuban heels so no misguided teacher mistakes him for one of the unruly school kids and keeps him behind for detention!
As for Rangel all I can do is wish him the very best of luck extending his career somewhere else but politely suggest if he intends signing for a Championship club then there would be none better than…Swansea City! A Gerhard Tremmel or Dwight Tiendalli re-signing would be more than alright in my book…
It’s sad that the departure of these two solid gold servants will take place against the backdrop of the club’s relegation from the Premier League and yet it is also somehow fitting; it really does symbolise the end of an era, a golden period for the club that they were integral parts of and inspired with their skill and dedication.
I hope that today’s game will leave the likes of Huw Jenkins in no doubt that their actions have struck a severe blow to our club and our local economy…
…but equally I hope the crowd will take every opportunity to let Rangel and Britts know that they are walking out of the Swans squad but into the very highest level of Jack folklore forever.
