Swansea Town was founded in 1912 and changed its name to City in 1969. They bounced around among the lower leagues for 60-plus years before catching fire in the late 1970s with three promotions in four seasons. This put them in the top tier for the first time in 1981, when they finished sixth—still their highest finish. Incredibly, they turned…

Cardiff City is their rival in the South Wales derby, which is so intense that for several years away fans were banned outright. They have lesser rivalries with Bristol City as well as Bristol Rovers and Newport County, though the latter two are currently in different

Swansea City Ladies play in the top-tier Welsh Premier Women’s Football League. Home games are at Llandarcy Academy of Sport in nearby

They have one called “Hymns and Arias,” and it goes: And we were singing Hymns and arias Land of my fathers Ar hyd y nos. That last line is Welsh for “all through the night.” There is another good one that starts out “Swansea o Swansea” and goes on about standing on the north bank (of the old ground) “until the day I die.” They also occasionally…

Liberty Stadium, their home since 2005, is another of the new, symmetrical, and not terribly interesting stadiums, but it can be one of the louder ones. It’s also not out on the edge of town, which means a game there still feels pretty old-school. It holds just over 21,000, so it’s cozy as well. Away fans will be in the middle of the North Stand…

GETTING THERE: It’s a couple of miles from the main rail station, so a taxi (around £7) or city bus would be best. Buses 4, 34, 50, and 51 all go there from the High Street station. PUBS: There are two options right at the stadium, both modern and clean and heinously crowded: the Harvester pub and Frankie and Benny’s chain restaurant. Not too far…