Mr Petty and The Heartbreakers

No no no, not our old Cockney friend, but good old Tom, the Travelling Wilbury. I was reading the back of his greatest hits album the other day and it's as if he wrote the song titles knowing what was going to happen down here.

American Girl

An upbeat tune, possible written about the sister of a local businessman? Didn't really get anywhere with this one, although some promotional work undertaken in the Middle East to increase support.

Breakdown

A slow number. Could have been written at the time of the take-over talks in January 2002. The band members at the time were not known to many, but the fans liked the direction they were moving in, and decided to support them all the way. Re-released at the time that managerial talks collapsed with Mr Flynn, although some changes in band personnel in the meantime meant it was less popular second time around.

I Need To Know

Released to recognise the plea from all fans for news on whether the new owners are staying or going. The thirst for knowledge, and the absence of news, led to the creation of 'fact'. Described by some as the song about a future Max Clifford of this world.

The Waiting

Following the surge of activity on the websites either side of Christmas, the number of messages dropped dramatically, and fans found the waiting to be the hardest part. Could have been a double 'A' side to 'I need to know'. The frustration amongst fans that the flow of accurate information had ceased (from most sources) and that we were being kept in the dark, all for sinister reasons naturally, bred in fighting. Every story had to be false; any silence must be for a reason.

I Won't Back Down

Written for and inspired by those who are in the forefront of breaking news. Once the flag has been unfurled and the colours revealed, pride, or possibly potential embarrassment takes over. Got to hang in there, got to stick by my beliefs (as they were before I was told something else anyway).

Running Down A Dream

Whose dream was this written about is not clear. Is it the fans running down the board's dream, the fans running down the Trust's dream, the board running down the fans' dream? Complicated issues, ideals poles apart, a popular song to all but for different reasons. Reminiscent of the sentiments of Mike Nesmith when he said 'You and I travel to the beat of a different drum'.

Free Fallin'

An older song written at the time of relegation last season and released in limited numbers, re-mastered and reissued in greater numbers in the early part of this season as the Conference beckoned, with later editions, released well into the Addison era, being backed by another Petty song 'You Got Lucky'.

Learning To Fly

The lyrics here point out some realities. All words appropriate to the current situation and linked in to the next song in terms of the journey on which the club has embarked.

'Started out down a dirty road
Started out – all alone'

'Well the good old days. May not return'

'I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings, and coming down's the hardest thing'

Into The Great Wide Open

So the future is wide open. Everyone dives into the great wide open at sometime during their lives, sometimes it works and sometimes not. Without that leap of faith, some great things would never have happened, and some patience must be shown on all fronts to see the outcome of certain sequences of events.

Something In The Air

Call out the instigators, because there's something in the air We've got to get together sooner or later, because the revolution's here. And you know it's right

We have got to get it together; we have GOT to get it together NOW.

If the semi-confrontational approach to recent events at the club continues, then many people, on all sides, will be blinded to the views and ideas that the other parties hold. Everyone needs to learn from each other and take this forward. Fans have to understand certain issues with the board, and the board will have to understand the many frustrations on the part of the fans. The whole thing can be smoothed over by good communication, and maybe, just maybe, if this is sorted out, things will improve. If they don't then these are going to be sad times. Somewhere in there also, is the Trust, with the fans having a board voice, but needing to work very hard to pull a lot of groups together. That will be a great measure of their success when that occurs.

It has always fascinated me how song titles (OK this was just supposed to be light hearted and passing time) and certainly lyrics can be related to so many situations that people face or observe day to day. Somewhere along the line, as intense a sport as football is for the fans, some humour and common sense has to come to the fore. It's a serious business, but also a pastime. The board and the investors look after the business, they may be fans, but they are also businessmen. To those that question them – fine – we are all entitled to, but where is the alternative at the moment, even if we wanted an alternative. It is easy to criticise everything, nothing simpler, and nothing less interesting when not done in a very sound constructive manner. If new owners arrived tomorrow, would we still be telling them to talk to other potential investors almost immediately? That's what we are doing now, so maybe we would. Perhaps the stability that the new owners want to bring to the club is the last thing that some fans want. It certainly seems that way sometimes.

The CVA was a unique event for a football club at the time the Swans were granted the protection it gave, and still is. It was a bold move that tried to ensure that all outside parties saw some benefit, and the football club secure a future. It's less than a month into the agreement, and fans start to show their demands. Maybe the close season can't come quick enough for all concerned.

The situation at the club has been unique, but the current circumstances are not. We have a board, and we have investment. There is a two-year plan, which has to dovetail into the CVA requirements, but the assurance that there is sufficient money within the current board and investors to see this club grow towards success is very welcome. The measures will be the progress we see. That progress can start with better communication in every direction possible. If you need some song lyrics to help you out – I've got plenty.

If anyone has any feedback to give me, I'd love to hear from you at pauly@scfc.co.uk