Opening Salvo!
By ATFV Online Editor Nigel Davies
Hello and welcome to the first issue this season of ATFV Online – the fanzine with more bottle than Paul Merson, more brass neck than the disgraced Spanish football supremo and almost as much intellect as Arsene Wenger…
The opening exchanges of the 2023/24 season have been difficult and dispiriting in equal measure.
A fraught summer of revolution on and off the field, starting with former manager Russell Martin’s ugly and protracted move to Southampton and ending with no less than THIRTEEN players arriving by the end of the transfer window to complete new manager Michael Duff’s squad, has plunged the club into early season crisis.
There are currently six league games gone and Duff’s Swans haven’t won a single one of them, leaving the club uncomfortably occupying a place in the bottom three at this time.
We’ll be taking a look at some of the consequences around that Summer revolution in this issue; indeed I’ve delayed publishing at twice in order to let the major stuff play out, first until after the transfer window closed and then again to get the South Wales Derby out of the way.
But before all that, the Salvo opening page is where I give you all the news affecting A Touch Far Vetched.
The most significant piece of news is that we have sealed a significant new partnership as local start up company Simply Print Wales becomes the fanzine’s main sponsor for 2023/24.
I’ve been scouting for a main sponsor all summer and had endured the usual frustration of being asked to put a full proposal together only for it to be declined or totally ignored.
It was clear though in my discussions with Russ and his incredibly resourceful wife Liz – who owns the well established and renowned Simply Elegant wedding and events business – that we all shared a passion for helping our local community.
And so agreement was reached and we have resolved to work together to deliver certain charitable aims this season – all of which you’ll be able to read about in our Show Me the Money section.
Additionally though, ATFV has been doing a little sponsoring of its own, starting with The Dave Hixson Show on Radio Tir Coed.
Dave is a really talented DJ rebuilding his business in Swansea after several years in Spain. He’s also the current disc spinner at ATFV’s charity events – and so the opportunity to support him was just too good to resist.
Ok, it also means that ATFV and its charity events get numerous plugs to Radio Tir Coed’s thousands of listeners across the city and beyond…but the sponsorship is as much a thank you to Dave for the way he has supported ATFV’s fundraising efforts over the last eighteen months or so.
You can listen to Dave on Tuesdays (10am – 1pm) and Fridays (7am to 10am).
Additionally, A Touch Far Vetched has always looked to support youngsters playing football in the Swansea catchment area and so we have taken up the sponsorship of young Ynysmeudwy Athletic right back Kian Pickman.
I’d like to say that we are doing this as we have spotted his glorious burgeoning talent and we are going to take him to the top of the game…but it’s actually down to the fact that Kian is the nephew of my good friend colleague Andrew Thomas.
That said, ATFV’s Special K bagged a goal and an assist in a recent Smeudwy win and he triumphantly messaged Andrew and I declaring he was like Tommy Hutchison in his prime…got to love the kid’s optimism and enthusiasm, eh?
A Touch Far Vetched is looking forward to achieving its twin aims this season of entertaining its readers and making a positive difference in the Swansea community.
Of course we can’t make a success of those aims without YOUR help, dear reader. So I shall sign off this edition of the Salvo by asking you to carry on reading, sharing and supporting A Touch Far Vetched…
…The Online Fundraising Fanzine Dedicated to Swansea City Football Club, Sponsored by Simply Print Wales!
