ANGRY Peter Nicholas has sneeringly dubbed the six-man committee who kicked himself and Colin Addison out of a job as "The Wheel Tappers & Shunters Social Club".

Nicholas, capped 73 times by Wales, said: "I still can't believe I will get up on Monday morning with no job to go to."

And he puts the blame firmly and squarely on the men running the club who refused to renew the contracts of himself and Addison.

"What this Vetch committee has done to Colin Addison and myself is scandalous. I've nothing but contempt for them.

"They used us to get the club's Third Division status secure and then kicked us out," declared Nicholas.

He went on: "I keep asking myself what more Colin and myself could have done?

"We lost good players like Stuart Roberts and Matthew Bound for financial reasons and had to wheel and deal just to remain afloat.

"Players like Terry Evans, Neil Sharp and Steve Brodie were brought to the club for a pittance - they did an excellent job. I'm convinced we got 33 per cent extra out of an ordinary squad - if we hadn't, we would be staring at Conference football.

"Colin and I have good contacts in the game - we would have used them to bring in better players, given half a chance.

"Instead, we have been sacked. "And some people without a real football background have made this decision.

"This Vetch committee is a joke - they are individuals who belong to the Wheel Tappers and Shunters Social Club."

Nicholas claims that just 72 hours before his sacking, he was given future assurances by Vetch committee man Hugh Jenkins.

"Then we were called in on Thursday only to find the contract we'd been expecting had been ripped away - the whole thing is incredible!" he said.

"With this lot running the club, there is only one way - that's down."

Nicholas has first hand experience of a club going into administration, having been there, seen it and done it when he was a coach at Crystal Palace.

"After 16 years I went through that there. It's not very pleasant when 90 people go into a room and only 18 come back out still with jobs.

"The club was £22m in debt, there were lots of people wondering about the future."

Nicholas went on: "Certain senior professionals at Swansea have disappointed me.

"When the wages weren't paid, players understandably moaned.

"Colin and myself had to pick the whole squad up when it happened.

"We gave the players assurances and dusted them down. They always had the PFA to back them - who did we have? No one.

"Colin and I stuck together we helped each other through some difficult moments at Swansea.

"We went to great effort to hide our own anxiety from the squad.

"It would have been nice to have received some phone calls after we left last Thursday. Some of the players did ring - but certain ones didn't."

Nicholas concluded: "I will say my time at the club was a real experience.

"I'm confident about my own ability and will get back into soccer as soon as possible. I will take stock for a little while - perhaps get a bit of gardening in.

"Football hasn't seen the last of Colin Addison and myself - we'll come back stronger."

AN 800-MILE round trip is a long way to go for a battering and Cumbrian chief Roddy Collins was holding out the hand of sympathy for the cashless Swans.

The eccentric Irishman - the madcap brother of former world middleweight boxer Steve Collins - had seen his assassins KO debt-ridden Swansea with three devastating punches inside the opening 29 minutes.

Ian Stevens, Stuart Whitehead and substitute John Allan all landed bombs as acting Swans manager Nick Cusack's new-fangled 4-3-3 format split apart at the seams.

Steve Brodie did pull one back near the end, and Carlisle manager Collins was almost cheering.

He said: "I felt very sorry for Swansea. It's a long way for them to come without a proper manager and get beaten like this.

"You could see their lad (Nick Cusack) doing his best to direct things from the dug-out."

Not that any of Swansea's controlling five-man committee who run the club had to suffer the biting cold and embarrassment of the first 30 minutes of this clash - they weren't in Cumbria.

When questioned about the absent five, Cusack diplomatically replied: "I've no knowledge about this matter. All I want to do and did was to try to get the team focused on playing matters.

"And I was pleased with the way we battled - even if we didn't have the best of starts.

"We created a lot of chances in this game but, unfortunately, we encountered a goalkeeper (Peter Keen) in magnificent form."

Swansea's players now face an anxious month with the Vetch consortium setting a March 22 date for a Creditors Voluntary Arrangement meeting as they attempt to unravel £1.7m worth of club debt.

Cusack reflected: "It's been particulary difficult over the last couple of days but I'm getting on with it and will prepare the lads for next Saturday's home match with Mansfield."

CARLISLE 3 SWANSEA 1

SHELL-SHOCKED City caretaker boss Nick Cusack could only look on from the bench in horror as his side's defensive frailties were cruelly exposed.

Cash-strapped Swansea, who dispensed with manager Colin Addison and his number two Peter Nicholas on Thursday, switched to a back four that fell apart within minutes of kick-off.

Carlisle's Steve Soley whacked away a long clearance, Neil Sharp slipped, and veteran striker Ian Stevens tucked low past the exposed Roger Freestone from 16 yards.

Giant French striker Mama Sidebe offered City some hope when he forced keeper Peter Keen into a great one-handed save.

But Stuart Whitehead added Carlisle's second when he brilliantly headed a looping cross beyond Freestone and into the corner of the net.

And substitute Jonny Allan - who had only been on the pitch eight minutes - grabbed the killer third when Stuart Green's clever pass sent him clear.

As keeper Freestone advanced, Allan took the shot coolly past him from 18 yards.

Substitute Steve Brodie grabbed a deserved late consolation with a thumping diving header from a Steve Watkin cross.

HEARTBROKEN Peter Nicholas last night warned Swansea City fans: "The club's heading for oblivion."

The ex-Welsh star, axed by the cash-crippled Third Division club as assistant manager 48 hours earlier, added: "The place is in an even worse mess now than it was under Tony Petty.

"That was disastrous enough. But the people in charge now have absolutely nothing to offer, financially or in terms of experience.

"I have nothing but contempt for them. They came in after Petty like knights in shining armour. But they have put nothing into the club, they have no intention of doing so - they're wrecking everything.

"It's the fans and players I feel sorry for. They were sold down the river once - now it's happening again."

Nicholas and manager Colin Addison were both told they were being made redundant last week, just 24 hours before the club went into administration.

With £1million-plus debts, the new board led by former Swansea hero Mel Nurse have made senior players Nick Cusack and Roger Freestone dual manags.

But Nicholas added: "Two days before we were sacked, we were offered new two-year contracts by Nurse. The situation is a shambles.''

AXED Swansea bosses Colin Addison and Peter Nicholas are set for a sensational return to management at Third Division Exeter City.

The pair have been lined up by a consortium which is close to completing the £1million buy-out of the Grecians.

The group includes former England World Cup hero Alan Ball and ex-Scarborough supremo John Russell, who had the much- travelled Addison at the McCain Stadium a few seasons back.

And, in a bizarre twist, current Exeter manager John Cornforth - a former Swansea skipper - will jet up the M5 to The Vetch.

An impeccable source close to Addison and Nicholas said: "John Russell has been watching the situation at Swansea for quite some time.

"There were rumours that all wasn't well between Addison and Mel Nurse, the man who leads the Swans' controlling committee.

"It seems there was a clash of personalities between the two - although Colin and Peter's departure now seems related to a masterplan.

"But Russell is convinced Addison is the man for Exeter because of his ability to manoeuvre on a tight budget in the lower divisions.

"Nicholas will be part of the package - Addison has insisted on it."

NICK CUSACK takes charge of Swansea City at Carlisle United today insisting the show must go on without Colin Addison and Peter Nicholas.

The Swans captain and veteran goal-keeper Roger Freestone are caretaker managers for the trip to Brunton Park and could be in the Vetch hot-seat until the end of the season.

But Cusack, who is out of contract in the summer, refused to comment on speculation that he is being lined up as a possible assistant manager to former Swans favourite John Cornforth.

And the PFA chairman, who had seemed destined for a full-time post with the union, has told the players to forget about the rumours and concentrate on collecting three points at Carlisle.

"What happens next season - to me or the club - is of no concern at the moment. I just want to concentrate on the game," said Cusack.

"Things have been said about John Cornforth coming to the club but I'm not going to jump ahead and start looking at that.

"What's important is that myself and the players show the resilience and professionalism to go to Carlisle and pick up three points."

But the 36-year-old midfielder admitted he was shocked by Addison and Nicholas's departure from the Vetch yesterday after less than six months in charge of the Third Division club.

"It came as a surprise to me - to everyone on the playing staff," said Cusack.

"They did a good job in difficult circumstances and I had a good rapport with them.

"The club issued a statement saying Colin and Peter were leaving for financial reasons and that's all I know about it.

"After everything that's happened, Swansea desperately need some stability, but sadly that won't come until the club gets its finances in order."

Cusack, who earned tons of plaudits for his conduct during the club's financial crisis under former chairman Tony Petty, admitted he would be reluctant to leave the club.

"I'd love to stay and continue my career at Swansea because I like the club and my family are settled in the city," he said.

"But I've had a lot to take in over the past 24 hours and there's a lot of thinking to be done.

"If the management committee want to sit down with myself and Roger to talk about us taking the helm, that's something we'll discuss. But that will come after the Carlisle game."

Cusack and Freestone take charge of a side which went six games unbeaten before Tuesday's 3-0 defeat at Shrews-bury Town.

The Swans have secured their Football League status and have little chance of making the play-offs, but Cusack says he will not accept them putting their feet up for the rest of the campaign.

"I want us to win as many games as possible between now and the end of the season," said the former Darlington and Oxford United player.

"There's no reason why we shouldn't aim to finish higher in the table. Why stop playing because we're safe and the play-offs are a long way off?

"I've told the players to go out and enjoy themselves at Carlisle and show what they can do.

"We had a disappointing result at Shrewsbury midweek but things were going well before that and I want us to get another unbeaten run together.

"Sure, it won't be easy - the players are bound to have the off-the-field problems on their minds - but it's important they show their professionalism and the right attitude on the pitch."

Carlisle are going through their own off-the-field drama with a new buyer attempting to wrest control from the club's controversial owner Michael Knighton.

On the field, the Cumbrians currently lie 19th in Division Three - 13 points above basement club Halifax - after a dour 0-0 draw against Southend United on Tuesday.

FORMER Swansea City chairman Tony Petty last night branded the running of the club as "pitiful."

And Petty, who sold the cash-strapped club to the Mel Nurse-led consortium in January, questions whether the ailing Third Division outfit will still be in existence this summer.

"Mel Nurse and his pals were never the answer at the Vetch," said Petty, speaking from his home in Queensland, Australia, in the wake of the departure of the popular management team of Colin Addison and Peter Nicholas.

"I said the club had massive financial problems when I was there and what's happened at Swansea in the last day or two has proved me right.

"When you have overheads of £150,000 you can't survive on income of £40,000. It's a photo-finish as to whether Swansea will make it to the end of the season or not.

"Everyone was saying as soon as I was gone from the club there would be gates of 10,000, but that has proved to be a load of rubbish.

"The gates have been the same, if not worse, than when I was there.

"The current owners are nice people, but they haven't got a million lire let alone a million pounds, and the way they have run the club has been pitiful."

Petty questioned whether the management committee set up to run Swansea had the business acumen to run the club successfully.

"Running a football club is a serious business," he said. "You've got to know what you're doing and I'm not sure this lot do know what they're doing.

"They've sold the lease at the Vetch back to the council and I understand they've got around £175,000 from that. I'll tell you something - that won't last six weeks.

"I never thought this consortium would solve the situation at Swansea City when it bought the club and my opinion hasn't changed. These people were stupid to take it on.

"When I was at the club I asked Mel to join me many times. If he had I think it would have worked. But instead of uniting there was dividing.

"Now the new owners know the pain I was experiencing when I was there. Now they know what it's like and my message to them is, `I told you so.'

"When the Brisbane Lions decided not to invest the only way to make things work at Swansea was to reduce overheads to an acceptable level and bring in young talent from Australia.

"My conscience regarding Swansea City is crystal clear. It could have worked out at the Vetch had people joined me instead of starting a civil war.

"But I think people were scared of me doing some sort of deal with the council for the Vetch. They thought I was going to strike some deal and make £2m."

The Londoner became a vilified figure in the city after he tried to release seven players, asked eight more to take a pay cut and then sold starlet Stuart Roberts to Wycombe for a giveaway £100,000.

He added, "I'm a strong character, but I took more flak there than was humanly possible. The people of Swansea have a lot to answer for.

"I always said the team wouldn't go down - but that's not to say the club won't go bust. Unless the club gets an injection of cash, that's where it's heading."

COLIN ADDISON and Peter Nicholas will say an emotional farewell to their Swansea City players today less than six months after taking charge at the crisis-torn Third Division club.

In yet another day of high drama at the Vetch, Addison and Nicholas - who replaced John Hollins and Alan Curtis last September - were yesterday told they would not be offered new contracts because of the club's "severe" financial problems. Paul Compton, the director of youth development, has also left the club.

Captain Nick Cusack and veteran goalkeeper Roger Freestone will act as caretaker managers for tomorrow's trip to Carlisle United for the Division Three clash and are likely to remain in charge until the end of the season.

Exeter City manager John Cornforth is favourite to succeed Addison on a permanent basis - as reported in The Western Mail earlier this week - although The Grecians have indicated they might offer the former Swansea midfielder a new contract next week which could end the speculation.

Addison and Nicholas, who last week steered Swansea into the top half of the Third Division, despite one of the most turbulent periods in the club's history, had intended to take charge for the last time at Carlisle.

But, in a second meeting at the Vetch yesterday afternoon, the club's management committee told Addison and Nicholas not to travel with the team to Brunton Park this morning.

"It's very disappointing for Peter and myself," said Addison last night.

"We will be at the club on Friday morning to see the players and the staff to thank them for everything they've done and the support they've given us.

"We were expecting to travel to Carlisle, but the club has taken it out of our hands."

Addison and Nicholas endured a nightmare six-month spell at the Vetch, their reign barely a month old when Australian businessman Tony Petty bought the club and controversially tried to sack seven first-team players and enforce huge pay cuts on another eight.

The club went through a period in which it couldn't afford to pay the players' wages and is still operating under a Football League transfer embargo for failing to honour pension contributions.

Despite the off-the-field problems, Addison and Nicholas managed to ensure the club remained in the Football League and steered them into the top half of the table recently with a six-game unbeaten run.

But Mel Nurse, the man hailed as

Swansea's saviour when he took the club off Petty's hands in January, last night insisted the decision to let the pair go was purely down to finances at the troubled club.

"It's a very upsetting day," said Nurse. "I'm sick about it all because I don't like releasing anybody.

"Colin and Peter have done a great job, but the club is in big financial trouble due to the Tony Petty era."

Added Nurse, "It is both in their interests and the club's interests that

"It wouldn'be fair to ask them to do it after what's happened at the club.

"The two senior players will take

charge for the game at Carlisle, and then we'll think about what happens next."

Cusack, whose own future is uncertain as he is out of contract at the end of the season, will attempt to maintain some semblance of normality at Carlisle.

"Roger and I have got 16 years service for the club, so we know what Swansea City Football Club is all about, and we want to do our best," he told the club's official website.

"It's all happened so suddenly that I haven't had the chance to sit down with Roger and talk it through yet. We've been in the game a long time, so we will want to put all that experience to good use. There are plenty of decisions to be made ahead of the game - will we want to make a couple of changes, what system will we use and that kind of thing.

"I'm sure that the players will be professional, and approach the game in the right way. "

2001 July 12, Mike Lewis takes control of club from Ninth Floor plc for £1 Sept 12, After only two wins in six league matches and on the back of a 3-1 defeat at Plymouth, John Hollins and No 2 Alan Curtis are sacked Sept 13, Colin Addison appointed as manager with Peter Nicholas as assistant. Oct 3, Australian businessman Tony Petty buys club for £1 after Australian investment falls through Oct 10, Petty sacks seven players and tells another eight to take pay cuts. Star player Stuart Roberts moves to Wycombe.

Nov 3, Violent demonstration marks the goalless draw with Rushden & Diamonds with Petty verbally abused and Lewis punched and spat at Nov 23, Petty wins court battle with former club director Mel Nurse who acquired £800,000 debt from Ninth Floor for £100,000 Dec 24, Petty delivers Christmas Eve bombshell by telling the players there is no money to pay them.

Dec 26, 3-0 Boxing Day win at Exeter, but a transfer embargo placed on club with a PFA loan needed to pay the players' wages. 2002 Jan 22, Petty's proposed sale to Mel Griffin consortium collapses.

Jan 24, Takeover with Mel Nurse consortium agreed.

March 7, Addison and Nicholas told contracts won't be extended in summer.

On January 24th this year Swansea City was finally rescued from Tony Petty when it became clear that the club was only 24 hours away from liquidation and at a time when no other buyers were anywhere to be seen. In order to gain control, the club was effectively bought blind without the knowledge of the club's full financial position at that time.

Since then the whole board of Swansea City has worked tirelessly to shore up the horrendous financial position they found the club in as a result of the actions of previous owners. This, it has transpired, included all season ticket money being spent, all monies from the televised QPR game used up , the club's commercial income gone and over £100,000 taken out of the club by Tony Petty. In total, the club's indebtedness, it transpires, now stands at £1.7m.

The management team have themselves invested over £115,000 and taken some extremely tough decisions within the last few days to preserve the club. Part of this involved yesterday's extremely difficult decision to dispense with the services of a number of staff at the Vetch, thereby reducing the club's wage bill by approximately a quarter of a million pounds per year. The club's current income, per home match, is approximately £15,000 per game - £4,000 of which is spent, each game on hosting the match. In contrast, the club's current wage bill stands at £145,000 per month.

Despite the recent arrangement with the City and council of Swansea and the personal investment by the management board of £115,000 the club's debts of £1.7m are insurmountable without reaching an agreement with the creditors involved. It is for this reason that the board has decided to try and reach an arrangement with it's creditors via a Company Voluntary Arrangement. The club proposes to pay £264,000 to preferential creditors, mainly the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise, in full, spread out over the next two years. In addition, the club proposes to offer to pay the remaining £1.4m of unsecured creditors 5p in the £1.

A creditor's meeting will be held later in the month for the club to present it's proposal which would allow the club to effectively wipe the slate clean and stay in business. This would allow the club to have a viable future, take advantage of the move to Morfa and look ahead to next season and beyond without the financial threat which currently continues to loom over Swansea City.

Everything the board has done and is doing is aimed at enabling the club to stay afloat. Collectively, as local businessmen and genuine life-long supporters of Swansea City FC, the board is aiming to once and for all provide financial stability and a real future for the club it, like the many thousands of other Swans fans, loves so much.

Nick Cusack and Roger Freestone have been handed control of playing matters for Swansea City's Nationwide Division Three clash at Carlisle on Saturday.

The decision was made following the announcement that manager Colin Addison and his assistant Peter Nicholas would not be offered new deals at the end of this season.

Club captain Nick Cusack, speaking on the official website, said that players would be professional and prepare for Saturday's game in the right way: " Myself and Roger will be out there in the middle with them come Saturday. We want to win the game, and we want to play it with a smile on our face."

"We've been in the game a long time, so we will want to put all that experience to good use. There are plenty of decisions to be made ahead of the game - will we want to make a couple of changes, what system will we use, etc?

"It's all happened so suddenly, that I haven't had the chance to sit down with Roger and talk it through yet. We've got a long journey to Carlisle ahead of us, so I'm sure we'll use that time wisely!"

Swansea have confirmed manager Colin Addison and his assistant Peter Nicholas will not be offered new deals at the end of this season.

The cash-strapped Nationwide League Third Division club have made the decision not to renew the contracts because of their financial problems.

Addison was installed as manager in September following the departure of John Hollins and has steered the club to just one defeat in the last seven matches, including wins over promotion-chasing Hull and Kidderminster.

A club statement read: "Because of the severe financial situation at Swansea City Football Club that was inherited, it has been decided the management team of Colin Addison and Peter Nicholas will not be offered new contracts. They have been informed of that.

"Swansea City Football Club would like to point out the decision is purely financial and not a football one.

"We would like to place on the record our thanks for their hard work in recent months and wish them all the best for the future."

Swansea City manager Colin Addison and his assistant Peter Nicholas have been informed by the club that they will not be offered new contracts when their current deals at the Vetch Field come to an end this summer.

Rumours have been rife in recent weeks that Addison and Nicholas were heading for showdown talks with club officials over the extension of the short-term contracts they signed when they took over from John Hollins earlier this season.

And after a meeting with the new owners, a consortium including former director Mel Nurse, on Thursday, it has been confirmed that the duo will not now be offered new contracts at the end of the current campaign.

Addison joined the Swans in September last year, alongside former Barry Town boss Nicholas, charged with the task of rescuing a financially stricken club from the wrong end of the Third Division.

And although many feel that the pair have worked admirably under the conditions that they have experienced at the Vetch Field, it was decided that they were surplus to requirements at the club looking ahead to next season.

A statement released by the club on Thursday confirmed: "Because of the severe financial state of Swansea City Football Club, that was inherited from the Tony Petty era, it has been decided that the managerial team of Colin Addison and Peter Nicholas will not be offered new contracts and they have been informed of that decision today. "Swansea City Football Club would like to point out that their decision is purely a financial one and not a football one. We would like to place on record our thanks to the management team for their hard work in recent months."

The club have confirmed that Addison and Nicholas will be in charge of team affairs for the trip to Carlisle this weekend, with talks scheduled for next week to discuss the long-term future.

Club captain Nick Cusack and long-serving goalkeeper Roger Freestone are being tipped to land the managerial role at least until the end of the season, although an official announcement is yet to be made.

FOOTBALL legend John Charles will receive the freedom of his home-town of Swansea today.

The former Wales star striker, nicknamed the Gentle Giant, has travelled from his Leeds home to receive the honorary award at Swansea's Brangwyn Hall this afternoon.

Among those paying tribute to him will be broadcaster Ken Wolstenholme and former Welsh internationals Alan Curtis and Leighton James.

Charles, battling against Alzheimer's disease, joins an illustrious list of others who have received the honour, including ex-US President Jimmy Carter, Prince Charles and former Prime Minister Lord Callaghan.

The 70-year-old was a Swansea Town soccer apprentice but never played a league match for the Swans.

Swansea council leader Lawrence Bailey said, "We are proud to recognise and acknowledge the great achievements of John Charles who was born and grew up in Swansea.

SWANSEA CITY supremo Mel Nurse last night explained why the club were stalling on offering new contracts to the management team of Colin Addison and Peter Nicholas.

Nurse said no one's future at The Vetch could be thrashed out until the new consortium which bought out Tony Petty had properly stabilised the club financially.

But Nurse insisted NOTHING should be read into John Cornforth's mystery appearance at the Vetch on Friday night, when Addison's men made it four wins out of five by beating Hull 1-0.

Former Vetch skipper Cornforth - who is currently Exeter manager - has been linked with the Swans manager's job as Addison and Nicholas wait to see if they get new deals.

But Nurse insisted: "Let's knock that one on the head straight away. John's name has not come up.

"He was at The Vetch because he comes back and forth to Swansea as he loves the city.

"Hey, I don't even know what John's situation is at Exeter. We've got far too much to worry about at our own end without looking at the situation involving other people."

Addison and Nicholas have done a superb job in leading the crisis-hit Swans up to mid-table and are keen to have their futures sorted out so they can plan for next season.

But Addison had to move quickly last week to deny the management team had issued a "Back Us or Sack Us" ultimatum to the new board. Addison has had one meeting about his future with the consortium's financial man, Hugh Jenkins, and another is planned for this week.

The management pair want to draw up a retained list of players they want to keep and a hit list of men they would like to bring in to rebuild the side.

However, Nurse pointed out: "It would be wrong for us to even consider looking at that right at this moment in time, given the financial situation we find ourselves in.

"It is no good us promising anybody anything about spending until we have sorted out various things."

Nurse acknowledged Addison and Nicholas have done stalwart work in guiding the Swans away from the bottom.

But he pointed out: "They have worked as hard as everybody to keep the club going. Everyone here has played a part."

Nurse went on: "You've done your huge bit in Wales on Sunday to help and support our case against Tony Petty."

Nurse reiterated though: "We have to sort out the financial sit -uation as a whole before making promises."

The one exception, he argued, had to be striker Mamady Sidibe. If the Swans did not tie him up on a new contract, he would be able to leave under a Bosman free in the summer.

"The Inland Revenue and VAT people are coming at us. Every day that goes by, money is going out of the club," said Nurse.

"I totally understand the way Colin and Peter feel and I sympathise with them.

"But we have to stabilise the club first and foremost, otherwise it will go out of existence.

"We are dealing with a number of avenues, many of which are sensitive. Let me leave it at that."

Addison is remaining tight-lipped about his wish for a new deal.

But Nicholas said after Friday's win over Hull: "Our contracts are there until August. Whatever has been said in the board meeting today I don't know.

"As far as we're concerned, it's back to work on Monday, training as normal for Tuesday's game.

"It is not in mine or Colin's hands, we'll just wait and see what happens.

"We are not going to put any time limit on it, but I would have thought it would be resolved pretty shortly."