More Deluded Than I Thought...

Hate to start a topic about "them" but I laughed all the way through this article. Is this MP for real??




THEY are two cities whose rivalry stretches back to the days of the industrial revolution.

From who has the superior football side, to whose university is better, to which retail centre has the best shops, Swansea and Cardiff have long been fighting for the crown of Wales’ premier city.

And while Cardiffians can argue that their city has been the preeminent one economically and politically for decades, Swansea is ready to take its place at the top, according to one of its MPs.

Labour MP Geraint Davies has re-opened the age-old debate over which city is stronger and best placed to drive Wales’ economic growth by arguing that Swansea’s position as home of Premier League football means it is better known on the international stage than the capital.

Mr Davies, who represents Swansea West, argues that an “astronomical” audience of football fans who will not have heard of Cardiff are now aware of his home city and Wales must not delay in exploiting the economic opportunity.

He said: “If you have an audience with potential investors they will have heard of Swansea first... We may as well lead with our trump suit which is now Swansea rather than Cardiff.”

Mr Davies argues that this year’s London Olympics will present strategic opportunities to sell the benefits of investing in Swansea as a European hub.

He said: “They’ll have heard of Swansea. We need to get our act together pretty sharpish.”

The MP also looks forward to capitalising on international excitement about the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dylan Thomas in 2014. He wants to ensure that the poet’s vast army of fans in the United States are aware of his Swansea heritage and that the city becomes a destination for these literary pilgrims.

Mr Davies argues that the combination of cutting-edge research and product development at the city’s universities and nearby Tata Steel give Swansea a technological edge while its well-performing schools and proximity to the Gower peninsula result in it offering a superb quality of life.

Such factors, he is convinced, are establishing Swansea as the preeminent Welsh city. He said: “Swansea was already a thriving industrial town when Cardiff was just a village.”

Former Bridgend Labour council leader Jeff Jones was not convinced that sporting prominence would unlock investment.

He said: “A lot of people in the Far East will have watched Swansea play Tottenham Hotspur. That doesn’t mean they will put new money into a factory in Morriston.”

However, Mr Jones considered it “bonkers” that the rail line from London will only be electrified as far as Cardiff and not Swansea. He said: “The Western economies are in real long-term trouble and arguing against Cardiff is a bit of fun but it’s not important. The real key issues are getting the skill levels up, getting the infrastructure right.”

Professor Brian Morgan, an economist based at Cardiff Metropolitan University, welcomed the prospect of competition between two vibrant cities.

He said: “If you look at Scotland you’ve got the dual cores of Edinburgh and Glasgow and that sort of competition is healthy, except when it overspills on the football pitch. There’s nothing at all to undermine the idea that Swansea is an attractive place for investment. What I do find a problem is this idea you can have one or the other.”

Prof Morgan that the economies of both cities would be improved by the development of a Severn Barrage offering a rail link to the south-west of England; he also wants to see an improved local rail service linking Cardiff and Swansea and their surrounding valleys.

He said: “I think that’s the important thing, to put in place the connectivity and infrastructure that allows Cardiff and Swansea to expand and become more integrated than before.”

Cardiff had an unemployment rate of 10.1% as of March 31, compared with 9% for Swansea. While people in Cardiff, Newport and the Vale of Glamorgan had a gross weekly wage of £557.80, those in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend earned £527.

While only 40% of enterprises launched in Swansea were still going five years later, this was the case for 43.3% based in Cardiff.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... -30049986/

The guy is a chancer. An opportunity to get some publicity and sadly -have a dig at cardiff.
There is nothing wrong in swansea trying to get investment but why does he have to lower himself to pick on cardiff twice in his statement
It seems that a lot of MPs jump on premier league when it suits them (jack straw asked for Kean out!)

"Chips on their shoulders,
They've all got chips on their shoulders"......

I know its a swansea thread and I hate this tit for tat shite, but here is a man who maybe becomes leader of his party etc, having a go at his capital city! What a one eyed fool. (Doesnt he make John Prescot seem cool now!)

The guy is a chancer. An opportunity to get some publicity and sadly -have a dig at cardiff.
There is nothing wrong in swansea trying to get investment but why does he have to lower himself to pick on cardiff twice in his statement
It seems that a lot of MPs jump on premier league when it suits them (jack straw asked for Kean out!)

"Chips on their shoulders,
They've all got chips on their shoulders"......

I know its a swansea thread and I hate this tit for tat shite, but here is a man who maybe becomes leader of his party etc, having a go at his capital city! What a one eyed fool. (Doesnt he make John Prescot seem cool now!)

what he is saying is that if swansea wasnt playing prem football then nobody in the world would have heard of them??? i think there are more reasons why wales is on the world map than swanseas prem league status.. does he remember we played in an fa cup final in 2008 with a world wide audience of millions...

does he also realise that the millenium stadium will be used for the olympics???

lets face it , swansea could do with some investment etc... but he is not going about attracting it in the right way...

if they should get relegated , what we he then use??

What a complete tool that MP is........in the first few lines of his website he mentions that Swansea are in the Prem. I think his whole world would fall apart if they were relegated.

I can't wait for that glorious day.

I had an interview for work last week with a Saudi feller. He loves his football
supports Arsenal. He knew Swansea was in Wales......





















But he also thought Swansea was IN Cardiff

The jacks who live on this board deserve to hear this, they shouldnt post on
our board so the hard facts are going to hit them slap bang in the mush....

Wigan has seen no inward investment off the back of Premiership football.
Stoke certainly hasnt. Blackpool have had their day and are now back down
in the Championship... Pleasure Beach is still Pleasure Beach...Nobody swooped
in and transformed it into a new EuroDisney.

Swansea is, was and always will be an ugly smack-ridden blot on the landscape

The only saving grace for them is that nobody knows where it is

Sounds about right to me in all honesty.

I had an interview for work last week with a Saudi feller. He loves his football
supports Arsenal. He knew Swansea was in Wales......





















But he also thought Swansea was IN Cardiff

The jacks who live on this board deserve to hear this, they shouldnt post on
our board so the hard facts are going to hit them slap bang in the mush....

Wigan has seen no inward investment off the back of Premiership football.
Stoke certainly hasnt. Blackpool have had their day and are now back down
in the Championship... Pleasure Beach is still Pleasure Beach...Nobody swooped
in and transformed it into a new EuroDisney.

Swansea is, was and always will be an ugly smack-ridden blot on the landscape

The only saving grace for them is that nobody knows where it is

Very true!!

Some years ago I managed to get a degree by studying each night after work. I went to the House of commons several times.

This MP is from CARDIFF! He was in South London for many years until he lost the election and some time after decided to chance his arm in Swansea.

This guy is obviosly playing to the locals, he's obviously a bluffer. No wonder Croydon got wise to him.

Some years ago I managed to get a degree by studying each night after work. I went to the House of commons several times.

This MP is from CARDIFF! He was in South London for many years until he lost the election and some time after decided to chance his arm in Swansea.

This guy is obviosly playing to the locals, he's obviously a bluffer. No wonder Croydon got wise to him.

it figures don't it

great win for you lot yesterday btw

This just proves that their is no intellectual difference between the lad pushing a sweeping brush through a building site and the lad in the house of commons.

Newport is to be named capital of Wales due to the US exposure of hosting the Ryder cup at the celtic manor resort, so Cardiff and Swansea can f**k off!

Newport is to be named capital of Wales due to the US exposure of hosting the Ryder cup at the celtic manor resort, so Cardiff and Swansea can f**k off!

WTF ??????????

Newport is to be named capital of Wales due to the US exposure of hosting the Ryder cup at the celtic manor resort, so Cardiff and Swansea can f**k off!

WTF ??????????

I was being sarcastic. But realistically the Ryder cup is a massive sporting event, golf being the richest sport in the world and that was hosted in Newport. Newport has hardly all of a sudden become a ''better'' and more influential city within Wales because of it though.

Hate to start a topic about "them" but I laughed all the way through this article. Is this MP for real??




THEY are two cities whose rivalry stretches back to the days of the industrial revolution.

From who has the superior football side, to whose university is better, to which retail centre has the best shops, Swansea and Cardiff have long been fighting for the crown of Wales’ premier city.

And while Cardiffians can argue that their city has been the preeminent one economically and politically for decades, Swansea is ready to take its place at the top, according to one of its MPs.

Labour MP Geraint Davies has re-opened the age-old debate over which city is stronger and best placed to drive Wales’ economic growth by arguing that Swansea’s position as home of Premier League football means it is better known on the international stage than the capital.

Mr Davies, who represents Swansea West, argues that an “astronomical” audience of football fans who will not have heard of Cardiff are now aware of his home city and Wales must not delay in exploiting the economic opportunity.

He said: “If you have an audience with potential investors they will have heard of Swansea first... We may as well lead with our trump suit which is now Swansea rather than Cardiff.”

Mr Davies argues that this year’s London Olympics will present strategic opportunities to sell the benefits of investing in Swansea as a European hub.

He said: “They’ll have heard of Swansea. We need to get our act together pretty sharpish.”

The MP also looks forward to capitalising on international excitement about the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dylan Thomas in 2014. He wants to ensure that the poet’s vast army of fans in the United States are aware of his Swansea heritage and that the city becomes a destination for these literary pilgrims.

Mr Davies argues that the combination of cutting-edge research and product development at the city’s universities and nearby Tata Steel give Swansea a technological edge while its well-performing schools and proximity to the Gower peninsula result in it offering a superb quality of life.

Such factors, he is convinced, are establishing Swansea as the preeminent Welsh city. He said: “Swansea was already a thriving industrial town when Cardiff was just a village.”

Former Bridgend Labour council leader Jeff Jones was not convinced that sporting prominence would unlock investment.

He said: “A lot of people in the Far East will have watched Swansea play Tottenham Hotspur. That doesn’t mean they will put new money into a factory in Morriston.”

However, Mr Jones considered it “bonkers” that the rail line from London will only be electrified as far as Cardiff and not Swansea. He said: “The Western economies are in real long-term trouble and arguing against Cardiff is a bit of fun but it’s not important. The real key issues are getting the skill levels up, getting the infrastructure right.”

Professor Brian Morgan, an economist based at Cardiff Metropolitan University, welcomed the prospect of competition between two vibrant cities.

He said: “If you look at Scotland you’ve got the dual cores of Edinburgh and Glasgow and that sort of competition is healthy, except when it overspills on the football pitch. There’s nothing at all to undermine the idea that Swansea is an attractive place for investment. What I do find a problem is this idea you can have one or the other.”

Prof Morgan that the economies of both cities would be improved by the development of a Severn Barrage offering a rail link to the south-west of England; he also wants to see an improved local rail service linking Cardiff and Swansea and their surrounding valleys.

He said: “I think that’s the important thing, to put in place the connectivity and infrastructure that allows Cardiff and Swansea to expand and become more integrated than before.”

Cardiff had an unemployment rate of 10.1% as of March 31, compared with 9% for Swansea. While people in Cardiff, Newport and the Vale of Glamorgan had a gross weekly wage of £557.80, those in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend earned £527.

While only 40% of enterprises launched in Swansea were still going five years later, this was the case for 43.3% based in Cardiff.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... -30049986/

You couldn't make it up, could you?? A 'vote-chasing' argument if ever there was one and hardly worthy of reply....

Hello!! Earth calling Geraint!! Look at the FACTS and cower from embarrassment

Cardiff IS a healthier, more vibrant and infinitely BETTER place to live, work and invest than EVER the relatively small, insular and (to be honest) grubby little TOWN of Swansea is

See people, this is wht you get when you 'award' the ignorant with fancy titles, such as 'City of' and give them ideas above their own station!!

Surely if this bloke had his way Liverpool would have been capitol of England in the 70s and 80's and Manchester the capitol from the early 90s onwards?

Maybe they should change manchester the capital of england. As thats where all the sucess is

http://youtu.be/1yOZsYogt0A
Yeah have a look at the cream of swansea

And since when do any of you take note of political bullshit,yes swansea wile in the prem will get noticed allot more,how ever out side of the uk you and even more us are fuckall,let's face it wales is hardly well known,and how many on here have been abroad and tryed to explain were wales is?in the end you eather try rhyan giggs,and if that fails you just say uk,or if in asia england as no one as herd of wales or uk,just england.
In a way the guy is right as football is the biggest sport on the planet,and the prem the most watched,so swansea will be broadcast to the world wile we are in the prem,but that's a has far as it goes,the only money made from us being in the prem is that hotels are busy,and pepole who come and stay in swansea love the beaches and marina quarter and some will come back,other then that its political bullshit.

Well both Manchester teams occupy the top two positions in the Premiere. Should Manchester become the new Capital of England ? Any way Swansea are the Capital of "My big fat Gypsy wedding"

And since when do any of you take note of political bullshit,yes swansea wile in the prem will get noticed allot more,how ever out side of the uk you and even more us are fuckall,let's face it wales is hardly well known,and how many on here have been abroad and tryed to explain were wales is?in the end you eather try rhyan giggs,and if that fails you just say uk,or if in asia england as no one as herd of wales or uk,just england.
In a way the guy is right as football is the biggest sport on the planet,and the prem the most watched,so swansea will be broadcast to the world wile we are in the prem,but that's a has far as it goes,the only money made from us being in the prem is that hotels are busy,and pepole who come and stay in swansea love the beaches and marina quarter and some will come back,other then that its political bullshit.

Another brilliant post from swansealad.

And since when do any of you take note of political bullshit,yes swansea wile in the prem will get noticed allot more,how ever out side of the uk you and even more us are fuckall,let's face it wales is hardly well known,and how many on here have been abroad and tryed to explain were wales is?in the end you eather try rhyan giggs,and if that fails you just say uk,or if in asia england as no one as herd of wales or uk,just england.
In a way the guy is right as football is the biggest sport on the planet,and the prem the most watched,so swansea will be broadcast to the world wile we are in the prem,but that's a has far as it goes,the only money made from us being in the prem is that hotels are busy,and pepole who come and stay in swansea love the beaches and marina quarter and some will come back,other then that its political bullshit.

Another brilliant post from swansealad.

And the mighty Bluebirds got noticed all over the World when we had our FA Cup final Paul

And since when do any of you take note of political bullshit,yes swansea wile in the prem will get noticed allot more,how ever out side of the uk you and even more us are fuckall,let's face it wales is hardly well known,and how many on here have been abroad and tryed to explain were wales is?in the end you eather try rhyan giggs,and if that fails you just say uk,or if in asia england as no one as herd of wales or uk,just england.
In a way the guy is right as football is the biggest sport on the planet,and the prem the most watched,so swansea will be broadcast to the world wile we are in the prem,but that's a has far as it goes,the only money made from us being in the prem is that hotels are busy,and pepole who come and stay in swansea love the beaches and marina quarter and some will come back,other then that its political bullshit.

Another brilliant post from swansealad.

And the mighty Bluebirds got noticed all over the World when we had our FA Cup final Paul

They're still talking about it.

i dont want to get in an argument over a over paid mp,s views but it tells you something when the swansea players and wags seem to be allways out in cardiff spending there money certain players are regulary in the casino opposite our very own stadium

And we are doing it every week,but means f**k all,,many on here talk on how good it is that you are owned by Malaysian business men,but how many on here have ever been ther or anywhere els in asia?,you try and explain to the locals about wales?and how the uk is 4 separate nations,its impossible,I know I go twice a year,but since swans been in the prem my partners family who live in Thailand watch every swans game,so yes being in the prem does put you on the map,and also us being ther educate the footballing world on were wales is as until we reached the prem most in asia don't know uk,,Britain, wales ,Scotland or Ireland,just england,but will it make swansea a super power??I think not.
And steave not many gypos down here mate,,,now if you said junkies id have to bow my head and agree.

And we are doing it every week,but means f**k all,,many on here talk on how good it is that you are owned by Malaysian business men,but how many on here have ever been ther or anywhere els in asia?,you try and explain to the locals about wales?and how the uk is 4 separate nations,its impossible,I know I go twice a year,but since swans been in the prem my partners family who live in Thailand watch every swans game,so yes being in the prem does put you on the map,and also us being ther educate the footballing world on were wales is as until we reached the prem most in asia don't know uk,,Britain, wales ,Scotland or Ireland,just england,but will it make swansea a super power??I think not.
And steave not many gypos down here mate,,,now if you said junkies id have to bow my head and agree.

Excellent post Swansealad

Thank you,and to the original poster,do you not think its deluded to take over a club in the lower reaches of the football pyramid, with gates of 6,7or8k,and say they are the future barceona of wales,and can be s big as them,plus expect your bigges rivals who hate you as you hate them to come along and join up to the welsh army and support them,,and what was it he said,if swansea fans are honest they will agree that cardiff have any chance of reching the prem,,?
If we believe the shit that comes from these twats mouthes then you are dummer then you give your self credit for,,

This MP is a first class jack..ass. Absolutely comical.

And since when do any of you take note of political bullshit,yes swansea wile in the prem will get noticed allot more,how ever out side of the uk you and even more us are fuckall,let's face it wales is hardly well known,and how many on here have been abroad and tryed to explain were wales is?in the end you eather try rhyan giggs,and if that fails you just say uk,or if in asia england as no one as herd of wales or uk,just england.
In a way the guy is right as football is the biggest sport on the planet,and the prem the most watched,so swansea will be broadcast to the world wile we are in the prem,but that's a has far as it goes,the only money made from us being in the prem is that hotels are busy,and pepole who come and stay in swansea love the beaches and marina quarter and some will come back,other then that its political bullshit.

How would the hotels be busier just because you are playing premiership teams?! How many times have you stayed in hotels when you have gone to away games? Has this changed since you have been promoted? Are you aware of how many red lines this has flagged up on my screen?

swansea - Swansea
wales - Wales
tryed - tried
eather - either
uk - UK
asia - Asia
england - England
pepole - people
rhyan - Ryan

and from your other post's

wile - while

And don't try giving the excuse that you are on your phone, I often post on this site using my htc without looking like an illiterate fuckwit.

Ain't going to make excuses,my grammar is bad,however is this a forum not a application form for a job,,but dont realy give a toss on what you think,
Ps all the hoteliers in swansea have said that bookings have gone up,,,

Ain't going to make excuses,my grammar is bad,however is this a forum not a application form for a job,,but dont realy give a toss on what you think,
Ps all the hoteliers in swansea have said that bookings have gone up,,,

Paul my spelling is shite so thank god for spell check. And this season i have stayed in One posh Hotel and in Coventry a Rat filled stink hole