This week, we continue our Jack Outpost series with a contribution from Jannik Hansen of Denmark.
Jack Outpost - Denmark
As any other Swansea City supporter not originating from Glamorgan, I have often been asked how on Earth I came to follow the Swans. For some reason my countrymen cannot understand why a Dane supports a Southern Welsh club. And Welshmen, I have learned, also find this peculiar.
In my class we were 4 or 5 boys who were mad about football. And back in the days when the public tv-station showed English league football almost every Saturday (long before pay-per-view) we all talked British football.
Mads was an Aston Villa fan, Morten's team was Liverpool and Thomas followed Spurs. "Who do you support, Jannik?" Failing to answer that question I stated searching for a team to support. I have always been on the underdog's side so all the big teams ere out of the question. Then one day the name Swansea popped up on the Danish pools coupon. I think it was that what caught my eye.
Also, they were from Wales - which to me was almost exotic, seeing that we rarely hear anything about Wales over here. I began noticing them in the newspapers' results columns. The following year Swansea City went up to the 1st division.
I remember watching them on telly for the first time. They wore the legendary Patrick kit. From that day on I was hooked. I wrote to the club asking for the players' autographs, and received an insufficiently stamped envelope containing a xerox copy of the player's autographs, the Club Shop price list, and two really nice stickers. It might not sound very interesting, but I was delighted!
When the Swans went down again it became harder to follow them. Only the results columns again. For many years that was my only source of info on Swansea City FC.
One day I decided I wanted a scarf. I phoned the Club Shop and placed my order. The same night the news reported that my countryman Jan Molby had accepted the manager job. For a short while the Swans had the interest of the Danish media. It soon died out though, except for the day of the play-offs v Northampton.
In the summer of 1996 Swansea City played some training matches in Denmark. I was only able to watch one of them: Hvidovre v Swansea City. I am quite certain I was the only Swansea supporter present. I was definitely the only one wearing a Swans scarf! That was my first ever live Swansea City match.
The turning point in my "career" as a Jack came with my decision to continue my biology studies on Svalbard - a Norwegian archipelago in the High Arctic.
Before arriving in the settlement of Longyearbyen (78°13'N, 15°35'E), I had never used the Internet. At the small university up there, we had free access. Of course the first search word I punched in was Swansea City. First web site I found was Gary's. Fantastic! - all the information I needed. Also, I joined the mailing list, most enjoyable.
An extraordinary thing happened on Svalbard: I met another Danish biology student, who also followed SCFC. Fancy that - two Danish Swansea City fans in the High Arctic. What are the odds??
Coming back to Denmark I rejoined the list as soon as possible. On the list I recognised a long list of names - almost as if I knew them. Easter 1998 I even met a few of them. Visiting a Svalbard mate of mine in Aberystwyth gave me an opportunity to visit the Vetch for the Rochdale game.
I arrived fairly late, so I only met a few fellow listees in the Builder's Arms before kick off. It was a pleasure to put faces to the names Gary, Tom, Anthill, Peter and Bethan. The match had three cracking goals. I can still hear the crowd sing "Richie, Richie, Richie, Richie Appleby".
If I was a Swansea City fan before, I am a fanatic Jack now. Can't wait till next time I'm on the North Bank.
I want to thank all people responsible for the Swans web sites, and say hello to my new mates Brian (Edingburgh) and Mattias (Stockholm). Up the Swans!
Hilsen Jannik Hansen,
Solrod Strand, Denmark.
Links to all Official and Unofficial sites are available at my Swansea Internet Web site. The address is http://www2.prestel.co.uk/gmartin or use the easy-to-remember version http://come.to/swanseacity