A 45-YEAR-OLD man has been airlifted to hospital after breaking a leg in a fall at a Gower beauty spot today.

The casualty was flown to Morriston Hospital by RAF helicopter after injuring himself on the steps down to Rhossili beach just before 3pm.

Rhossili coastguard rescue team attended to the man but because of his location on the path, the decision was made to call-in the chopper from Devon.

Meanwhile, Oxwich coastguard team were in action at the same time, responding to calls about an 18-year-old man who had feinted after swimming in the sea at Port Eynon.

The Wales Air Ambulance was scrambled to the scene but the teenager was later taken to hospital by road ambulance.

Jason Evans / jason.evans@swwmedia.co.uk / @EvansTheCrime

Rhossili

HERE we go again, another heartbreaking tale of family sadness designed to leave you hugging your children to your breast.

And it features Nicky Campbell and Davina McCall undertaking one of their most ambitious searches yet.

Inge Dart grew up in Kenya during the latter stages of the British Empire. Her childhood was overshadowed by a domineering mother who disapproved when she became pregnant aged 19 with childhood sweetheart Jeremy's baby.

Inge was sent home to England to have the baby who was taken from her for adoption after 10 days. Even now aged 66, she can't ever forget the child and the brief moments happiness she had when Jeremy visited and the three spent time together.

Inge is desperate to see her daughter again but the programme's remarkable searching talents are put to the test, as for the first time in the series, the daughter tries to find her father Jeremy too.

Even with this age of instant communication, the internet and improved transport links it is very hard to dig up information that has been buried for almost 50 years – until Davina and Nicky become involved.

Long Lost Family is on ITV at 9pm tonight.

TWO surfers got quite a shock when they were joined in their favourite pursuit - by a seal pup.

The young seal swam up to Matt Stanley and Andrew Flounders as they surfed off Amble, Northumberland.

And it stayed with them for nearly an hour, chasing them as they surfed in the hope of having another go.

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Stanley, 23, told a national newspaper.

"We had been in for about 45 minutes when the seal came along. I've seen them there before but they are usually far away.

"This one nudged Andrew's foot in the water and started getting curious."

It struggled to stay on the board for long, however, finding the surface too slippery.

"It kept sliding off, but every time you caught a wave it would surf in on the white water," said Stanley.

"I admit we lost interest in the surfing for a bit. I've never seen a seal that close up, never mind one sitting on board.

But the news came as no surprise to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary at Gweek.

A spoksman said: "We have surfboards here which the seals like to lie on.

"They can be very friendly so something like this can happen even in the wild, but we would still advise people not to touch them."

HIDDEN away in Swansea is a safe haven for adults either living with or recovering from mental health difficulties.

Paula Churchill, 51, from Swansea is one of the adults who is currently a member at the Connect project based at Customs House in Cambrian Place.

"Without Connect I do not know what I would have done," she says.

"I have been very unwell for seven years suffering with post-traumatic stress syndrome.

"I used to go to a day centre but changes in mental health meant I could not go anymore.

"So I was petrified I would have nowhere to go. It really was a frightening time.

"That was when I heard about the Connect project and decided to go and have a look. I am so glad I did as it is an amazing place."

Paula has now been at the centre for five months and said she could not be happier there.

Connect is a community resource centre dedicated to working with adults living with or recovering from mental health difficulties. It is part of Swansea charity Caer Las.

It aims to provide a first point of contact for adults who need support with anxiety and depression.

And Paula said there were a variety of things to do at the centre.

"The staff are outstanding here,'' she says.

"I have been coming three days a week and staying all day. I help with the cooking and really enjoy that. I also have time to do a lot of arts and crafts. There are also music facilities I could use if I wanted to.

"I never had a family when I grew up so the people at the Connect project have become my family. They have helped me through a lot of problems and I feel safe when I am here."

Connect has an extensive programme of scheduled activities and workshops including football, cycling and walking groups as well as ICT and computer workshops.

Mike O'Driscoll, project co-ordinator at Connect says the project aims to provide a social framework in which "vulnerable people affected by poor mental health and/or learning difficulties can live as fulfilled lives as possible.

"We work to combat the personal and social consequences of mental illness, to promote innovative, client-led approaches to recovery, and to facilitate mental well-being through therapeutic activity.

"We are holding an open day at the centre in August so people can see the work we do. We will be showcasing all of what we do, including creative writing, arts, crafts and our band will be entertaining people."

*Want to find out more? The open day will be held on August 29 from 9.30am until 5pm at Cambrian Place in Swansea.

Amy Downward / amy.downward@swwmedia.co.uk / @Amy_SWalespost

Health

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CASH-STRAPPED Swansea Council is appealing for people to take over the running of a number of its buildings, including the much-loved Swiss Cottage in Singleton Park.

The Forge Fach community centre in Clydach and the Canoldre Centre near the Palace Theatre in the city centre are also on the list.

The local authority is also looking to sell some of its properties, including the former lifeguard station at Bracelet Bay.

Rob Stewart, the council's cabinet member for finance and resources, said the plan to lease or sell buildings had come about because of "unprecedented budgetary pressures" — the local authority has to find around £75 million savings over the next three years.

He said: "We have undertaken a review of our land and buildings — selling land and properties we don't need any longer or leasing them out to businesses will help make inroads into our savings targets and contribute to retaining as many services as possible for taxpayers across the city.

"It could also help breathe new life into buildings and benefit communities across Swansea."

The grade two listed Swiss Cottage was gutted in a suspected arson attack in 2010 but has since been refurbished and returned to its former glory.

The council said suitable uses might include running it as a tea room or cafe — but it is warning that any interior refurbishment would have to be in line with heritage body Cadw's requirements.

The council is also seeking expressions of interest from people to run the Forge Fach centre building on High Street in Clydach "to enable its continued community use".

Meanwhile, joining the former Bracelet Bay lifeguard station on the "for sale" list is the kiosk on Abernathy Quay in Swansea Marina, and a parcel of land next to Pentrechwyth School.

Jason Evans / jason.evans@swwmedia.co.uk / @EvansTheCrime

A WOMAN cried out in court after a judge told her he would jail her controlling partner for attacking her for the third time.

Judge Huw Davies had strong words for Mariusz Borowski and said it was his job to show men who attack their partners that they would go to prison.

Borowski has a history of assaulting his partner.

This attack — which started as they walked in the street — was the third he has been convicted of against the same woman.

Borowski had slapped and punched his partner with all his force during the attack, prosecutor Gwilym Roberts-Harries said.

He knocked her against a stone bench and she fell to the floor as the couple walked home.

The next day he called work, saying neither of the couple would be going in.

He hid all the telephones to prevent her from contacting anyone and took all the keys to the house before he went out.

The woman's sister called him — after she managed to sneak a message out to her — but he lied, saying they were not at home.

He closed the curtains to add to the lie in case she visited the house, the court heard.

When she was found, she was in a "very distressed" state with a serious eye injury, Mr Roberts-Harries said.

She came to court to see her partner sentenced, and Judge Huw Davies asked her to explain her ongoing injuries.

When he told her he would jail Borowski she cried "no" telling the judge she believed he had learnt his lesson.

"I can't allow this to go on," said the judge.

Borowski's barrister Carina Hughes, said her client had issues with alcohol, but said he was getting help while in prison.

Judge Davies told 39-year-old Borowski he should have offered his partner protection.

He said: "What she experienced was not protection from serious harm but was subject to it.

"I am here to do my duty for her and for the public who expect to see that violent men who attack their defenceless partners are sent to prison because in the end, if it achieves nothing else, it means for the time in question, it provides a measure of protection.

"It sends a message to the perpetrators that while their partners may forgive them, the courts won't."

Borowski, from Station Road in Llanelli, was jailed for two years.

Ruth Mosalski / ruth.mosalski@swwmedia.co.uk /  @ruthmosalski

IN churches big and small, at cenotaphs and at war memorials, people have paused to remember those who lost their lives in the First World War.

The 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the conflict saw services of remembrance and the laying of wreaths in communities across South West Wales.

From Carmarthen Park to Mumbles and Neath, people came together to mark the milestone — and the sacrifice made by so many young soldiers.

The High Sheriff of West Glamorgan, Martyn Jenkins, attended two of yesterday's services, in All Saints' Church in Mumbles and St Thomas in Neath town centre.

He said: "The services are a time of reflection, a time for us to remember the sacrifice made by so many people — and they emphasise the need for peace.

"In the Mumbles service they read out the name of every local man who had died — that really brought home to you the enormity of what happened."

The Mumbles service — which included a sermon from pastor Albrecht Kostlin-Buurma from the Lutheran Church in South Wales — was followed by the laying of wreaths at the village's war memorial.

The service in St Thomas was followed by a wreath laying ceremony at the memorial inside the church.

Meanwhile the Archbishop of Wales, Gwaun-cae-Gurwen born Barry Morgan, led a national service of remembrance at Llandaff Cathedral last night, which was attended by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

Dr Morgan said: "The main thrust of my sermon is that war, however necessary at times it might be, is never a good thing.

"To be involved in war is always to lapse away from the God-given ideal of reconciliation and love.

"It is interesting that most leaders and people involved in the First World War never talked about it and never gloried in war.

"Therefore, I am saying that there is room for penitence, however necessary the First World War was."

Police are searching for a man after he was seen jumping into the water from Loughor Bridge earlier today.

Although still missing, the man was picked up by a private boat and taken ashore.

"Dyfed-Powys Police and South Wales Police are searching for the man at present," a spokeswoman for Dyfed-Powys Police said.

"He is believed to have gone in the direction of Gorseinon."

The incident was witnessed by Llanelli barman Michael Hutchings, who was fishing near the bridge when the man leapt into the water.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that an emergency call was received just after 1.15pm regarding the incident, and a helicopter was seen hovering over the estuary shortly after.

OUTLINE plans have been submitted for up to 73 new homes on land that is "no longer needed" by a Swansea psychiatric hospital.

The sale of land at Cefn Coed Hospital, in Cockett, is part a shake-up of mental health services in the area, according to Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, which has submitted the application.

An ABMU spokeswoman said: "As part of ongoing plans for the modernisation of mental health services across the health board, we are in the process of putting up for sale land no longer required at Cefn Coed Hospital.

She added: "We have submitted an outline planning application which will give potential buyers a guide to how many dwellings could be built on the land."

This is the second plot of land being sold as part of these plans — the first was let go in August 2012.

The spokeswoman added: "We continue to work closely with the City and County of Swansea planners to assess the impact of all land sales and an outline planning application for the remainder of the hospital site is expected to be made in 2015."

Major changes have been ongoing at Cefn Coed Hospital for five years, with health bosses laying out an £80million vision to replace the hospital's old Victorian-style buildings.

Cefn Coed is home to mental health patients and it has wards dedicated to dementia patients who require long-term care.

Under recent reorganisation, more patients are treated in the community, as the scheme sees people with long-term health needs moved there from Garngoch Hospital.

The outline planning application is part of Swansea's blueprint for the future, unveiled this time last year, which included plans for new settlements near Felindre, Penllergaer and Gowerton. The blueprint was laid out in response to the prediction that the county is expected to need in the region of 16,700 new homes and flats over the next 10 to 15 years as more people come to live here and as birth rates exceed death rates.

Planners have split the county into six zones and also identified areas which could be used for 1000-plus new homes, 250-plus homes and smaller settlements of up to 50 homes.

The blueprint's west zone stretches from Sketty to Mumbles and could potentially deliver 1,660 homes with redevelopments near Cefn Coed Hospital and at Hendrefoilan Student Village earmarked.

Kate Clarke / kate.clarke@swwmedia.co.uk / @kteltowers

Property

CHICO Flores is being heavily tipped to leave Swansea City for a reunion with Michael Laudrup in Qatar. It is believed the centre-back, who was brought to Wales by Laudrup in 2012, has flown out to the Middle East for transfer talks with the Dane's new club Lekhwiya. It seems, therefore, that Swansea are happy to sell a player who they signed for around £2 million. Flores has served Swansea well over the last two seasons and has proved to be a popular figure with fans for the most part. However, he has had his problems along the way and Garry Monk is ready to sanction his exit. If Flores goes, Swansea will have just three central defenders - Ashley Williams, Kyle Bartley and Jordi Amat - on their books going into the new season, leaving Monk in even greater need of defensive reinforcements. And should Flores depart, Swansea may end up with just two Spanish players - Amat and Angel Rangel - in their squad having had eight last term. Jose Canas and Pablo Hernandez remain on the Swansea payroll for the moment, but both players are likely to leave during this transfer window. Michu, Alejandro Pozuelo and Alvaro Vazquez have already said their goodbyes.

TEST Match Special's late, great Trevor Bailey once said on air: "Shaun Pollock there, a carbon copy of his dad. Except he's a bit taller and he's got red hair."

As someone pointed out at the time, spot-the-difference competitions never were Bailey's forte.

But the suspicion is that even the former Test cricketer would have been able to tell the Commonwealth Games apart from a first-rate sporting event.

Yet almost everyone had a jolly time in Glasgow, and the BBC told us pretty much everything was amazing, and the blazers went over the top, and Kylie did her stuff at the closing ceremony, so most people have bought the line that they've just lived through something memorable.

What was memorable was the way Glaswegians embraced the Games.

The men's 800 metres final was also very good, so was the men's road race on the final day, and the squash, gymnastics, rugby and some of the swimming.

But the quality of a lot of the other stuff was lamentable.

The really sad thing was that when Usain Bolt allegedly said as much, reportedly calling the Games "a bit s**t", he was roundly panned.

The Jamaican later came up with a few quotes that restored his popularity beyond Hadrian's Wall, describing the fun over the past fortnight as "wonderful, just like the London Olympics".

Well, it wasn't exactly like the 2012 games, was it?

America, China and Russia weren't there for a start.

Nor was Mo Farah, Yohan Blake, Jessica Ennis-Hill or pre-games heptathlon favourite Katarina Johnson-Thompson, while Bolt ran in the 4x100 metres relay only.

It was a bit like taking Messi, Ronaldo, Robben and James Rodriguez out of the recent football World Cup, or Federer, Nadal and Murray out of Wimbledon, with Djokovic just lining up in the doubles.

It meant the athletics' programme lacked all-round A-list quality.

A bronze in the women's pole vault was picked up by someone who managed just 3.80 metres, barely a metre and a bit more than Cuban man Javier Sotomayor has managed to jump without the use of a pole.

Kemar Bailey-Cole won the men's 100 metres in a time of 10.00 seconds that seven men bettered in the equivalent final in London. Bailey-Cole ran a good race, but America's Bob Hayes was running 10 seconds flat in an Olympic final 50 years ago.

There is another stat that screams out the merits of perspective when discussing Glasgow's Games.

In the absence of the Chinese and Japanese, Scotland claimed 13 medals in the judo, six of them golds.

Now, it may be that our Celtic cousins are on the brink of world domination in the sport and will clean up at the Rio Olympics in 2016, possibly as a newly independent country.

But let's just say it would be no surprise if some of those recently triumphant home-based judokas failed to get within a country mile of the podium at the Olympics in Rio in 2016.

There's more. Only four teams entered the men's synchronised 10-metre diving, meaning — fair play — that the organisers decided they couldn't really award a bronze.

And we had a 40-year-old winning a bronze in the women's 5,000 metres.

There is nothing wrong with that, but let's not pretend that the games are something they're not by devoting so much air time to them. Yes, that means you, BBC. The wall-to-wall coverage was absurdly over the top.

There is also the question of the relevance of a Commonwealth competition, calling to mind the days when Britain ruled the waves and zillions of the world's population, and Captain Bligh and Fletcher Christian threw away their Best Friends Forever bracelets on The Bounty.

The Ottoman Empire Games at some point in the future, anyone?

Of course it's ridiculous.

But it looks like we're stuck with the Commonwealth's four-yearly jamboree, though perhaps someone could have a word in the ear of Australian weightlifter Francois Etoundi after he broke a Welsh rival's nose with a headbutt in an early-morning incident at the athletes' village.

These were supposed to be the friendly games.

And it isn't very friendly to nut someone in the face.

Not even in Glasgow.

IT could just have been a coincidence that not long after Nigel Davies had spoken out about his dismissal at Gloucester that the club's chairman Ryan Walkinshaw tweeted: "Bitterness is like drinking rat poison and waiting for the rat to die."

It was a quote he borrowed from someone else and he at least bothered to attribute it.

But it didn't accurately reflect Davies's state of mind.

The Evening Post attended the Miskin Manor Hotel with one other journalist last week to hear Davies talk in depth for the first time about his ousting.

At the end of the interview, arranged so he "could set the record straight", he insisted: "There will be some who insist I am bitter but nothing could be further from the truth. I want success for Gloucester because I have a lot of friends at the club and there is a lot of me in the team that has been built.

"I genuinely wish them well."

One thing he did have an issue with, though, was apparently not being spoken to about his sacking by Walkinshaw, with the club's chief executive Stephen Vaughan firing him.

The ex-Scarlets' chief had also put in a huge amount of work in strengthening the rugby environment at Kingsholm and had spent an age recruiting in readiness for next season.

Now he will not be there.

Some would say Gloucester were justified in acting after disappointing results in 2013-14.

Others would argue they were short-sighted and trigger-happy and Davies is well off out of there.

It is hard to disagree with that view.

Gloucester may pick up in the coming campaign, their squad having been reinforced, but there is still a sense that Davies deserved better.

Much better.

GIVEN the number of people who evidently feel the Ospreys are not going to beat an egg in the coming campaign, the assumption must be that they have somehow contrived to assemble a squad of, shall we say, questionable ability.

On that basis, for the first game of the campaign, against Treviso in Swansea next month, the assumption must be that the starting line-up will look a bit like the above:

15. The cowardly bloke from Dastardly and Muttley

14. Ashley's dad from Emmerdale

13. Gandhi

12. Prince Phillip

11. Friar Tuck

10. Rob Andrew

9. Carson the butler from Downton Abbey

1. Kate Moss

2. Posh Spice

3. Robbie Savage

4. Grumpy from the Seven Dwarfs

5. Dopey from the Seven Dwarfs

6. Boris Johnson

8. Tom Thumb

7. Norris from Coronation Street

No? Thought not.

A squad that contains Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Biggar, Justin Tipuric and possibly Adam Jones should never be written off.

ANGEL Rangel insists Swansea City are focusing on themselves rather than Manchester United — and reckons the view is pretty good.

Now in his eighth pre-season as a Swansea player, Rangel is conscious that it is too soon for conclusions to be drawn about how Garry Monk's men will fare in 2014-15.

But as Swansea bid to put the struggles of the last campaign behind them, Rangel believes the summer signs are good.

"It is still early," the right-back says, "but we can see flashes of good football."

Swansea have not stormed their way through pre-season.

Their trip to America saw them draw with a Chivas Guadalajara side who were much further down the line in terms of preparation, while the friendly against Minnesota United ended in disappointing defeat.

Since returning home, Swansea have chalked up wins against Plymouth, Exeter and Reading, while a side made up largely of under-21 players went down at Bournemouth.

When compared with United's efforts in pre-season, Swansea's results do not look especially impressive.

The Red Devils have beaten LA Galaxy, Inter Milan — on penalties — Roma, Real Madrid and Liverpool.

But as Louis van Gaal points out, it is the result against Swansea a week on Saturday which really counts.

Nevertheless, United certainly seem to be adapting to life under the Dutchman pretty well.

"They are having a good pre-season and they are looking strong," Rangel acknowledges.

"But we know United will always be strong and they have a new coach so they will be motivated to prove themselves.

"We have to focus on ourselves first though.

"It is good that we now have all the players together and we can see we are improving."

Rangel is a veteran of Swansea's squad these days, but there are plenty of fresh faces around too.

A host of players have moved on this summer and Monk has so far brought in six new recruits.

"The signs so far are very good — they have all fitted in well," Rangel says.

It is in attack where Monk has done the majority of his rebuilding work to date, with Bafetimbi Gomis arriving from Lyon, Jefferson Montero switching from the Mexican league and Gylfi Sigurdsson returning from Spurs.

Wilfried Bony is still around, and the prospect of him playing alongside Gomis is one that has got Swansea fans talking.

Rangel is just the same.

"You could see with Bafe's goal (at Reading) that he has a real change of pace when he needs to use it and he is powerful," he adds.

"And you can already see he is forming an understanding with Bony. Those two up front look pretty scary and that is good to see. They have an understanding, they have a lot of muscle power and goals, which is what we need."

Rangel reckons Sigurdsson is looking "good as always", while Montero's "frightening" pace suggests that he will be an asset. The return of Ki Sung-Yueng is another welcome boost — he has come back "really well" according to Rangel — for Monk's reshaped Swansea side.

There is still room for at least one new face at the back, but as yet there have been few changes in defence.

Ben Davies has gone, but Neil Taylor will step up to take over at left-back against United.

"Neil was out for a long time and he has had to be patient and work hard every day," Rangel says.

"Now he has his chance and he is looking good. We have to have strength at the back and it is great to see Neil doing well."

The most radical change on the defensive side of things is in goal, where Michel Vorm has been replaced by Lukasz Fabianski.

And though the Pole's distribution was a little wayward at times against Reading, Rangel likes the look of Swansea's new keeper.

"He is great with his feet — you can see it in training," he adds.

"He will keep improving." Just like his new team, Rangel hopes.

THERE is a scene in the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid which highlights how competition can prompt a man to do unexpected things in an attempt to thwart a rival.

Owing to the two outlaws' frequent absences from the Hole In The Wall Gang, the brick outhouse Harvey Logan decides to challenge Butch for control of the set-up.

"Guns or knives?" he demands.

Butch, who clearly isn't keen on either option, declines the offer of a gun-fight and then asks for clarification of the rules ahead of the impending joust with blades.

"Rules? In a knife fight? No rules!" shouts Harvey.

In the blink of an eye, Butch kicks his adversary hard between the legs before knocking him out.

Issue settled, once and for all.

There is no suggestion Dan Biggar will thwack Gareth Anscombe where it hurts when the pair meet up for the first time.

But there is set to be serious competition between them and it will be fascinating to see how Biggar responds.

He has, after all, finally battled his way into the Wales No. 10 shirt under Warren Gatland, producing two fine displays in South Africa this summer and showing clear signs of settling at Test level. At last Wales were able to see the range of his talents: his courageous tackling, his assured goal-kicking, his smooth passing, his ferocious will to win, his mature game-management.

Yet now he has a newcomer from New Zealander muscling in his territory.

Get off my cloud, Biggar could be forgiven for thinking.

But Anscombe, who has a Welsh mother, is eligible to contest the red shirt and is also apparently rated by Gatland, who is said to be keen for the Welsh Rugby Union to secure both him and Biggar on dual contracts.

So how will Biggar deal with the incoming threat?

"Dan will thrive on the competition," says Ospreys' coach Steve Tandy.

"He has been competing with Rhys Priestland for the shirt for the past few seasons and at no stage has he let his head drop. He is the ultimator competitor who sees having a rival as a good thing because it lifts standards.

"Not long after he returned to our set-up last week he was asking how long it would be before he would be back into rugby.

"You can never fault his attitude and the great thing is there's growth in him as a player. He's been around for years but he's still only 24 and he still has an appetite to improve."

Despite a patchy couple of years, Priestland is likely to be desperate to show he's far from a busted flush, while Rhys Patchell is set to be fit after injury.

Anscombe has played a fair bit of rugby at full-back but with Leigh Halfpenny and Liam Williams covering the No. 15 jersey, Gatland is likely to want him to press his claims at fly-half.

The Wales management seem to view Matthew Morgan as a full-back, but the selectors also have James Hook to consider and the likelihood is Sam Davies will force his way into the reckoning in the not-too-distant future.

The former junior world player of the year has a left boot to die for and a sharp rugby brain. The challenge for him will be settle again at No. 10 after starting just three games there for the Ospreys last term.

"He will get his share of rugby at fly-half for us this season," says Tandy.

"There are plenty of games during a campaign, so I don't think it will be difficult to accommodate both Sam and Dan.

"Dan is likely to be away with Wales for three to four months, so it is important to have options.

"We are not forgetting, either, that we have a classy youngster coming through in Luke Price. It is still early days for him, but he has stacks of ability and is very promising, a youngster who looks the part."

ANGEL Rangel reckons Premier League right-backs will need afterburners to keep up with Jefferson Montero — because he has chased the winger himself.

Montero will make his competitive debut in English football when Swansea kick off the new season at Manchester United next week.

And Rangel believes the £4 million flyer will make a splash in the top flight.

Swansea's long-serving right-back faced Montero in a pre-season game three years ago — and the Ecuador star was outstanding.

"I marked him in a friendly against Real Betis and you know he is a player who can be a very big player for us," Rangel said.

"He has pace and quality, he will score goals and make even more assists.

"In football today, pace is the key.

"If you have that you have 80 per cent of what you need, along with his skills."

Montero looks set to compete with Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge for a starting berth out wide at United.

Garry Monk will also be able to turn to Marvin Emnes when he recovers from injury — as well as one more new face potentially — while Gylfi Sigurdsson is also an option on the flank.

Sigurdsson started on the right of midfield against Reading last weekend, but the likelihood is that it will be two from Montero, Dyer and Routledge who get the nod on the opening day.

"We have Nathan and Wayne who also have that pace and with the style of football we play, we can open up the pitch, get the ball in the wide areas and give them one-v-ones and we are going to create a lot of chances," Rangel added.

SWANSEA City have angrily rejected claims they are looking to offload Wilfried Bony in a cut-price deal, branding them "farcical".

Bony continues to be linked with a move away from the Liberty this summer with Liverpool, Tottenham and Wolfsburg among a string of clubs who are said to be keen.

It is understood the striker's Swansea contract features a release clause of around £20 million.

But a report yesterday claimed Swansea are ready to accept a lower fee for the frontman — and that a number of rival sides have been sounded out about a possible transfer.

The national newspaper article suggested Swansea have accepted they must sell Bony because he is desperate to leave.

But Swansea have dismissed the story, with a club spokesman describing it as "farcical".

Swansea are desperate to keep hold of Bony, who cleaned up at their end-of-season awards bash last May having netted 25 goals in his debut campaign in English football.

The Ivory Coast star also impressed at the World Cup, and Swansea have spent the whole summer batting away speculation about his future in SA1.

The club have stressed all along that they have received no offers for Bony despite reported interest from across Europe — and various quotes from his agent about the possibility of a move.

Garry Monk wants Bony on board as he heads into his first full campaign as Swansea boss — and has been delighted with the player's commitment and attitude since he returned for pre-season training.

Stoke's Geoff Cameron, meantime, has been mentioned as a possible target for Swansea as they continue their search for a defensive recruit.

Monk has been linked with Celtic's Adam Matthews, while Swansea are thought to have been put off a move for Kyle Naughton because of the cost of a potential deal.

JAY Harris could be set to step into the unknown after maintaining his unbeaten record as a professional.

The 23-year-old Swansea super-flyweight made it 3-0 in the paid ranks so far when he outpointed Ricky Leach over four rounds in Wolverhampton.

And now his father and trainer Peter Harris says Jay could be ready to enter a fresh phase of his career.

"It may be that we get a few fights for Jay against eastern European boxers in the coming months," said Harris senior, a former British featherweight champion.

"He hasn't fought any of them as a professional so far, so it would be good to broaden his experience.

"The problem in Britain is that there are not many flyweights, so opponents can be hard to come by.

"But it will be great for Jay to take on a few boys from overseas. It can be a bit pot-luck in terms of quality, but some of them can be real tough nuts who know how to fight."

Harris the younger won with something to spare in his latest outing, dominating Englishman Leach and building on convincing performances in his two previous bouts as a professional. It is a plus in some ways that he is in a division where there are so few domestic fighters.

But the other side of the coin is that some of them are top quality.

"There are two or three really good super-flyweights," said Peter Harris.

"Kai Yafai is outstanding and Jamie Conlan is very good as well, while Paul Butler has moved back to 8st 3lb after relinquishing his bantamweight world title. But Jay has time on his side and is getting better with every fight. He is a box fighter who has some style but can also have a row if need be.

"I think he is 18 months or so out from a British title fight if he continues to develop.

"What we don't want to do is expect too much too soon. Boxing is all about building gradually, learning with each bout and not trying to rush things. He was excellent against Leach, dominating him in the first round and then staying on top for the rest of the fight.

"We want to keep him busy because that is the way you develop."

MARK ORDERS

MORE than 800 people have spoken — 'give us back our Castle Gardens'. We published a picture of the old Castle Gardens in the Evening Post last week.

It was a grassy scene, full of flowers, foliage and a pretty fountain.

On our website, we matched it up with a picture of the Castle Square we have now — with its paving slabs, steps and large centrepiece fountain, and asked you to vote on which you preferred.

The votes are in — and the verdict is overwhelming.

Of the 818 who have voted so far, just 61 (7 per cent) prefer the current Castle Square, with 753 (93 per cent) saying they liked Castle Gardens best.

It's not the first time, of course, that the city has been split over its changing face.

We've had the slip bridge, which was removed from near the Patti Pavilion in March, 2004, for repairs, only to never return to its abutments.

Then, in 2006, The Kingsway was altered to make way for the so-called bendy bus — with the street made one way on one side and two-way on the other.

Both have sparked on-going protests and debate with calls for the slip bridge to be put back, and The Kingsway, which has been the scene of a tragic death following a collision between a pedestrian and a bus, made two-way once more.

While there are no plans to bring back the slip bridge any time soon, a review is under way into the city centre road system.

More recently, the Boulevard project has split opinion. The aim has been to turn Oystermouth Road into an attractive tree-lined gateway to the city centre with wide pavements, re-uniting Swansea city centre with the sea.

But some have questioned whether the millions of European money spent on the project has been worth it.

Castle Gardens was transformed into Castle Square in the 1990s, again amidst divided opinion.

The only thing the two camps could agree on was that something needed to be done about the drunks who were using the gardens at the time as their own personal oasis – although some would say, not much has changed.

And it seems that, following our vote, there are still plenty who rue the day the gardens disappeared.

Commenting on Facebook, Nathan Wyn Evans said: "Where is the nature? It's just a big ugly slab of concrete now."

Katie Davies also liked the old gardens best, but said: "In today's society it would not be respected just trashed!"

But Gareth Payne was firm on his desire for a return to the past.

"The old one was best, you could relax among the flower beds and also feed the pigeons. The Castle Square is a disgrace. They've ripped the heart out of the city square."

Ruth Mitchell's view was that Castle Gardens with its "beautiful flowering cherry trees" was the best.

"I believe Castle Square was constructed to solve the problem of the homeless and drug addicts congregating there. It hasnt! Only a police presence will do that in either case. The glass leaf is a joke and the money spent on that would have upgraded the gardens for many years."

A Swansea Council spokesman said Castle Square had been at the forefront of some major events in recent times, including the arrival of the Olympic torch to the city in the build-up to London 2012, and the Swansea Festival of Transport a few weeks ago.

"We will, however, soon be launching a review of all aspects of the city centre to see how we can make the most of its strengths and best develop a unique destination in future," he said

"This review will include consideration of how green space can be designed and introduced within the city centre to improve its attractiveness and sustainability. An international conference will be held in the autumn to look at best practice around the world and how lessons from the best can be incorporated."