Vetch Field

The Vetch Field was a football stadium in Swansea, Wales, and was the home ground of Swansea City A.F.C. from the club's founding until its closure in 2005. Opened in 1912, the ground held upwards of 30,000 at its peak, with this reduced to around 12,000 at the time of closure. Named due to the vetch, a type of legume, that was grown on its surface at the time, the site was owned by Swansea Gaslight Company in 1912, when a professional football team was formed in the town. The site was in a good location and deemed surplus to requirements at the Gas Company, so the club moved in. Originally, the surface was made of compacted coal cinder and players had to wear knee pads for the first season of football there. The ground held a record attendance of 32,796 for Swansea versus Arsenal on 17 February 1968. As well as being home to the Swans, the Vetch also hosted games for the Wales national football team, with 18 internationals played at the Vetch between 1921 and 1988. Other sports also found a home at the Vetch, with 8 rugby league matches played there between 1990 and 1999. In 1960, local boy Brian Curvis beat the Australian boxer George Barnes at the Vetch to win the Commonwealth British Empire Welterweight title. The stadium also operated as a music venue, hosting The Who in 1976 and Stevie Wonder in 1984. The Vetch's final Football League fixture was a 1 to 0 win for Swansea over Shrewsbury Town on 30 April 2005, with Adrian Forbes scoring the last league goal. The last game of football to be held at the Vetch was the 2005 FAW Premier Cup final, which saw Swansea beat Wrexham 2 to 1, with Andy Robinson scoring the final goal at the Vetch. Following its closure, the club relocated to the newly constructed Liberty Stadium, known as the Swansea.com Stadium since 2021.

The Vetch Field was a football stadium in Swansea, Wales, and was the home ground of Swansea City A.F.C. from the club's founding until its closure in 2005. Opened in 1912, the ground held upwards of 30,000 at its peak, with this reduced to around 12,000 at the time of closure. Named due to the vetch, a type of legume, that was grown on its surface at the time, the site was owned by Swansea Gaslight Company in 1912. Originally, the surface was made of compacted coal cinder and players had to wear knee pads for the first season of football there. The ground held a record attendance of 32,796 for Swansea versus Arsenal on 17 February 1968. As well as being home to the Swans, the Vetch also hosted games for the Wales national football team, with 18 internationals played at the Vetch between 1921 and 1988. Other sports also found a home at the Vetch, with 8 rugby league matches played there between 1990 and 1999. In 1960, local boy Brian Curvis beat the Australian boxer George Barnes at the Vetch to win the Commonwealth British Empire Welterweight title. The stadium also operated as a music venue, hosting The Who in 1976 and Stevie Wonder in 1984. The Vetch's final Football League fixture was a 1 to 0 win for Swansea over Shrewsbury Town on 30 April 2005, with Adrian Forbes scoring the last league goal. The last game of football to be held at the Vetch was the 2005 FAW Premier Cup final, which saw Swansea beat Wrexham 2 to 1, with Andy Robinson scoring the final goal at the Vetch.