after burners
By Nigel Davies
The January transfer window saw Swansea City sign three attacking players with genuine pace to burn and it got the Editor thinking about some of the speedster Swans from days gone past. Defenders got left in the starting block though and only five forwards were let off the leash. Let’s take a look at our After Burner Boys…
The Flying Postman
At the start of the 90's Swans gaffer Frankie Burrows invested £5k in an unknown striker named John Williams. Burrows hoped the former postman could utilise his searing pace to deliver goals, and he wasn't left disappointed. Williams bagged 11 goals in his first season in professional football and then at the end of the season he sealed his place in football folklore by rampaging to victory in the Rumbelows Sprint Challenge Trophy for professional footballers at Wembley. It was that demonstration of searing sprinting that persuaded Premier League Coventry City to spirit Williams away from the Swans in a deal worth a mighty £250k.
jet propelled james
The Swans were quick to snap up Dan James in 2014, betting £72k on the diminutive winger's red hot pace giving him an edge in the professional game as they raided Hull City's academy. It was a good - and profitable - bet too as James became an integral part of an all conquering Swans development side before breaking into the first team under Graham Potter. The player's phenomenal speed and trickery brought him to the attention of Championship rivals Leeds but Huw Jenkins famously (and hilariously) pulled the plug on a transfer at the very last minute on deadline day. James finished the season before racing off to Old Trafford instead for a £15m fee.
billy whizz
In the mid-70s Harry Griffiths spotted a young Micky Conway playing for Brighton and decided to add him to the exciting young Swans squad he was building. A £3k fee was enough to secure the fast and fluid winger after a successful loan spell. The Vetch Field crowd immediately took to the exciting youngster who would regularly turn opponents inside out at breakneck pace, affectionately bestowing the 'Billy Whizz' nickname on him. Things looked good for Conway and he was part of Toshack's side that won promotion from the Fourth Division in '78. Alas, Conway's high octane progress was brought to a juddering stop, a serious car crash effectively ending his career at just 23 years old.
lightning fast loanee
Pacy Paul Anderson is another player to have been plucked from Hull City's academy, only this time the fast raiders were Liverpool. Anderson starred in the Anfield youth set up, helping his side win the 2006 Youth FA Cup, and as part of his development Anderson was allowed to add his rapid attacking prowess to Roberto Martinez's revolution at Swansea City. His hard and very fast running style was a perfect foil for the Holy Trinity of Pratley/Britton/Bodde in midfield and Ando bagged himself 10 goals and the Young Player of the Year award as he helped the Swans to the League One title. However, the Jack Army just as quickly fell out of love with the player when he spurned the chance to sign permanently the following season, preferring to cool his jets at Nottingham Forest instead.
after burner bradley
Brian Flynn brought Brad from Burnley on loan towards the end of the 2002/03 season but as quickly as he arrived he was called back as Burnley found themselves in the midst of an injury crisis. Flynn had seen enough in the six appearances Maylett made as the Swans completed The Great Escape and made the flyer a permanent capture for the fresh start the following season. It looked to be a masterstroke as Maylett hit the ground running...very fast!...with a high speed hat-trick at the Vetch against Bury on the opening day of the 2003/04 campaign. Notably it was the first hat-trick by a Swans player since Bob Latchford's treble against Leeds in the club's first First Division fixture. Unfortunately Maylett's form disappeared just as rapidly as niggling injuries plagued him and he never hit the heights again before finally being released at the end of the following season.
