Vetch Field

The Vetch Field was a football stadium in Swansea, Wales. It stood in the centre of the city on land once used for growing vetch, a legume. The ground opened in 1912 and became the home of Swansea City A.F.C. for ninety-three years. At its peak it held more than thirty thousand spectators. The stadium also hosted Wales football internationals and rugby league matches in the 1990s. It staged boxing bouts and major concerts by The Who and Stevie Wonder. The Vetch Field is remembered for historic sporting moments. In 1960 local boxer Brian Curvis won the Commonwealth Welterweight title there. The ground hosted eighteen Wales football internationals between 1921 and 1988. Its final league game ended 1–0 to Swansea over Shrewsbury Town in April 2005. The last football played was the FAW Premier Cup final, won 2–1 against Wrexham. Many fans still feel the old ground had a livelier atmosphere than the modern stadium. Today the site is an open green space with a playground and a multi-use games court. A circular concrete pavement marks the old centre spot. Part of the pitch is used as a community allotment run by local residents. The East Stand’s unusual floodlight still juts above the level ground. The North Bank’s mound and the Centre Stand’s gable remain visible in outline. The area preserves memories of ninety-three years of sporting life in Swansea.