25 August 1928 - Football By Numbers

On 25 August 1928, Arsenal and Chelsea became the first teams in Europe to wear shirt numbers, though not against each other.

The two teams weren't even in the same division at the time, with Arsenal playing in the top flight and Chelsea in Division Two. But when they each opened their seasons, both had adopted the innovation of wearing shirt numbers to help identify the players.

The number were assigned by position used in the 2-3-5 formation prevalent at the time: goalkeeper (1), right full back (2), left full back (3), right center half (4), center half (5), left center half (6), outside right forward (7), inside right forward (8), center forward (9), inside left forward (10), and outside left forward (11) (though only Arsenal used all eleven, as Chelsea's keeper did not wear a number that day).

While both Arsenal and Chelsea may have been able to better identify their players, the day's results went in opposite directions, with Arsenal losing 3-2 to Sheffield Wednesday and Chelsea beating Swansea 4-0.

Although this was the first use of shirt numbers in Europe, they were used in the US four years earlier by Vesper Buick, when they lost to Fall River in the US Open Cup Final (shown below).

20 July 2012 - The Swans Are Pleased To Michu

On 20 July 2012, Swansea signed Spanish striker Michu in what turned out to be the deal of the Premier League season.

The Swans were looking to improve upon their 11th-place finish from the previous season, which was their first in the Premier League. So they looked to Michu, who had scored seventeen goals in 37 appearances for Rayo Vallecano in his one year there. In terms of scoring, it was his best season to date, with his previous high-water mark coming for Celta Vigo B in 2007-08, when he scored ten goals.

Swansea paid a transfer fee of £2.2 million and signed him to a three-year deal. He rewarded them by scoring a career-high 22 goals, including 18 in the league, making him the Premier League's fifth-highest scorer for the season. He led his new club to a ninth-place finish and victory in the League Cup, which secured them a spot in the Europa League qualification rounds.

Recognizing his value early on, Swansea signed him to a new deal in January 2013, adding an extra year to his contract.

5 April 2009 - He Must Not Be A Vengeful Man

On 5 April 2009, a Cardiff supporter hit referee Mike Dean with a coin during a match with Swansea. And he still awarded them a late penalty.

The match was the third South Wales derby of the season, with Swansea winning 1-0 in the League Cup in September, then drawing 2-2 at home in November. Bit matches went off without any problem, but Swansea fans clashed with police after the League Cup match, resulting in eight arrests.

When the teams met again in April at Ninian Park, it was the home supporters' turn to get into trouble. Just before the break, with Swansea leading (Nathan Dyer, 11'), a Cardiff supporter in the stands threw a coin a Dean, striking him in the face above his right eye. It drew blood and raised a large welt, but Dean was able to continue after brief treatment.

Cardiff drew level in the second half (Michael Chopra, 54'), then fell behind again after a late goal from Joe Allen (88'). But as the game moved into injury time, Dean awarded a penalty to Cardiff for an Ashley Williams foul on Ross McCormack. McCormack converted the ensuing kick to earn a 2-2 draw.

Police later identified the coin-throwing culprit, who was banned for life from any Cardiff matches.

17 September 2011 - Better Late Than Never For Swansea

On 17 September 2011, Premier League debutants Swansea City became the final team across the top four divisions of English football to score a goal that season.

Playing in their first-ever Premier League season (and their first one in the top flight since 1983), the Swans had gone scoreless in their first four matches, getting draws with Wigan and Sunderland in between losses to Manchester City and Arsenal.

By the time they hosted West Brom at Liberty Stadium for their fifth match, Swansea were the only team across the Premier League, the Championship, League One, and League Two--a combined 92 teams in all--without a goal to their name.

That changed quickly against West Brom, with Swansea forward Scott Sinclair (pictured) delivering from the penalty spot in the 14th minute. It was the first goal scored by a Welsh team in the English top flight since Swansea's Bob Latchford netted at Old Trafford in May 1983. But they didn't stop there, as Leroy Lita extended Swansea's lead in the 24th minute, then Nathan Dyer added a third in the 49th to cap the 3-0 victory.

Swansea went on to pull a double over West Brom that season en route to an impressive 11th-place finish the final table.

15 August 2011 - It's Not the "English" Premier League Anymore

On 15 August 2011, Swansea City became the first non-English side to play in the Premier League when they visited Manchester City on the season's opening day.

Despite being based in Wales, Swansea have played in the English league system since their founding in 1912. From 1981 to 1983, they played in the English top flight, following in the footsteps of fellow Welsh side Cardiff City, who spent three different spells in the First Division from 1921-29, 1952-57, and 1960-62. But no club from outside England had reached the top flight since the formation of the Premier League in 1992.

That changed in 2011, as Swansea finished the 2010-11 Championship season in third place, then beat Nottingham Forest and Reading in the promotion play-offs. Their reward was an opening day date at title challengers Manchester City.

Swansea held their own for the first half, playing an attractive passing game that allowed them to control possession and go into the break with a scoreless draw. But Manchester City exploded in the second half, getting goals from Edin Džeko (57'), Sergio Agüero (68', 90'+1), and David Silva (71') to finish the day as 4-0 winners.

While Manchester City went on to win the league title that year, Swansea rallied and finished in an impressive   11th place, the highest finish of that season's newly-promoted teams.

30 May 2011 - Revenge Is A Dish Best Served From A Higher Division

On 30 May 2011, Swansea returned to the English top flight for the first time since 1983 by beating Reading in a promotion playoff.

It was the culmination of a rapid rise through the lower divisions for Swansea, who were in League Two in 2005. They were promoted to League One for the 2005-06 season, then to the Championship for the 2008-09 season. Reading, meanwhile, returned to the Championship that season after a two-year spell in the Premier League.

In the summer of 2009, Reading manager Steve Coppell resigned and was replaced by Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers lasted just over six months in the job before the club announced his departure by mutual consent in December 2009. Then, at the end of the season, Rodgers took charge of Swansea.

In the 2010-11 season, he led Swansea to a third-place finish while Reading finished in fifth. The two teams advanced in the League One promotion playoffs to meet in the final at Wembley. There, playing before a crowd of over 86,000, Swansea roared to a 3-0 lead at the break with goals from Scott Sinclair (21' (pen), 22') and Stephen Dobbie (40'). A Swansea own goal four minutes into the second half closed the gap to 3-1, then Reading's Matt Mills scored in the 57th minute to bring Reading within one.

That was as close as they got, though, as Sinclair completed his hat-trick with an 80th-minute penalty kick to seal the 4-2 victory. The win made Swansea the first Welsh team to play in the Premier League and they did well, finishing their first season there in 11th place.