THE traffic cameras may not be working on busy Fabian Way, but contractors are.

That is the message from the Vinci Construction UK, the lead contractor behind Swansea University's under-construction Bay Campus.

Yesterday the Post reported that cameras on the 30mph section of road had been recording 125 to 200 speeding offences per day, but that no fines had been issues because the system, installed in early July, was still in a monitoring phase.

Traffic regulation orders have had to be established by Swansea Council and Neath Port Talbot Council because the cameras straddle both authorities. The Post understands that Neath Port Talbot Council had its order set up first.

Chris Hume, manager at Wales's road casualty reduction partnership GoSafe, told the Post: "It is a little bit more involved because there are two local authorities, but that's not to say there is any conflict."

Mr Hume reiterated that the camera system was going live imminently.

He added: "Some schemes take longer than this (to go live)."

He said it was vital that the system was robust from a legal point of view in case of challenges from motorists in the future. And he said that, generally speaking, drivers were adhering to the 30mph limit.

The cameras will remain in place while the 40-week road access scheme at Bay Campus is carried out.

A spokeswoman for Vinci Construction UK said: "The A483 Fabian Way is a very narrow stretch of road and the speed limit has been reduced to 30 mph solely for the safety of our workforce and the public. We would appeal to all road users to respect the limit for this reason."

LIONEL Messi could line up against Wales at the Millennium Stadium if plans to mark the Football Association of Wales's 150th anniversary come off.

A friendly with Argentina has been suggested for March 31 and discussions with the South Americans country are under way.

If the game materialises it will create the intriguing possibility of Real Madrid star Gareth Bale pitting his wits against Barcelona maestro Messi at international level.

Argentina are believed to be the FAW's preferred choice because the countries are linked by Welsh settlers who moved to Patagonia 200 years ago.

But arrangements are far from finalised. Wales play a Euro 2016 qualifier in Israel three days earlier and travel arrangements complicated by the tense political situation there may affect plans.

Meanwhile, midfielder Andy King has been banned for two games after his red card against Cyprus.

SWANSEA City supporters should take a leaf out of Stoke's book when they turn out at the Liberty today.

After Wilfried Bony won and scored a penalty against the Potters last weekend, their followers started howling their disapproval.

Every decision that didn't go for their side was met with growing complaints from the home stands.

You got a sense that the pressure was building, so it was no surprise when Michael Oliver awarded a spot-kick, although the circumstances were hugely questionable.

Stoke supporters created a highly-charged atmosphere that made it extremely difficult to side against them.

Modern, professional referees are less likely to be swayed by these factors, but they are still human and so not immune to such influences.

Swansea fans should follow their lead and create as hostile an environment as possible down at Landore. It might be worth a few points come May.

SWANSEA City need to get a result against Leicester today or we could be in a sticky situation come the end of November.

Though the boys are still in a good position, that can change very quickly, especially with the run of games we have coming up.

After Leicester's visit comes a trio of tough Premier League fixtures against Everton, Arsenal and Manchester City.

A run of five top-flight matches without victory has made the lads desperate to put things right when the Foxes visit.

I have been impressed by Leicester so far this term, particularly their comeback win against Manchester United.

But we have not been playing at all badly recently so I'm backing us to collect the three points.

NIGEL Pearson reckons his Leicester City side will need to work overtime to stifle Swansea City this evening.

The Foxes boss has identified Wilfried Bony as a major threat to his team's hopes of getting a result — but insists the Ivory Coast powerhouse is not the only one to watch.

"We recognise he (Bony) is a very good player for them and has qualities which are very important for them," Pearson said. "But as an attacking force they have a number of good players.

"The two wide players are pretty constant I would imagine and (Gylfi) Sigurdsson as well.

"They have offensive players who are very good but the key is they are all familiar with the system. They are a pretty consistent side and we will have to deal with that.

"It is about making the most of your own possession when you get it.

"And that isn't just passing for the sake of it, it is about trying to create enough opportunities to score when we get the chance."

Leicester ruled the roost in the Championship last season as they marched to the second-tier title.

And though his team have made an encouraging start to life back in the top flight, Pearson says they are still learning to cope with their opponents controlling games.

"You need the players to keep their concentration because it can become frustrating when you are used to being a pretty dominant side," he added. "That is all part and parcel of adapting to a different league."

SHOPKEEPERS in Carmarthenshire are restricting sales of flour and eggs over Halloween.

Many shops have agreed with the council and policing teams to only sell the products from behind the counter.

The key message is to have fun, but be safe, and considerate.

MISSING former Swansea City footballer Jamie Barnwell-Edinboro has been found safe and well.

The player, who made four appearances for Swansea in the mid-1990s, had last been seen in Hull city centre.

There were particular concerns for his safety because his family said he had faced a long-running battle with depression and tried to take his own life at the weekend.

But last night Hull United AFC said on their Facebook page: "Jamie Barnwell-Edinboro has been found and is now home safe with his family, we would just like to say a massive thank you to everyone for their efforts in finding him, from all at Hull United AFC."

Barnwell-Edinboro, aged 38, played for the Swans in 1995 on loan from Coventry City and also played for Wigan Athletic, Cambridge United and Rushden and Diamonds.

Football broadcaster Stan Collymore tweeted overnight his thanks for everyone who had got involved in the search for the player.

Paul Turner / paul.turner@swwmedia.co.uk / @readmybook

Swansea City

A TRAGIC three-year-old's family have questioned why it took an ambulance half an hour to reach the scene of the fire which killed her.

Angel Smith had to be taken to hospital in a police car because the ambulance did not arrive soon enough.

Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire MP Simon Hart has said what happened was "totally unacceptable".

The emergency services were called to the house in Bryn Gorwel, Carmarthen, on June 15 after they spotted black smoke billowing from it.

Alice Smith and her daughter were rescued by firefighters, while the girl's father jumped from a window.

More than 20 minutes were spent attempting to revive Angel while they waited for an ambulance.

Police then took her to Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen and she was then transferred to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff where she died.

The fire happened on the first anniversary of her brother Jake's cot death.

Mr Hart has obtained figures from Dyfed-Powys Police which show that in the five months from April to August this year, police had to take casualties to hospital 68 times in total.

Three of the six ambulances in south west Wales were off duty at the same time on the day of the fire, he added.

The former chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, Elwyn Price-Morris, who stood down last month for health reasons, said in a letter to Mr Hart a "fulsome" investigation had been carried out.

He said the trust was reviewing the "coding" associated with house fires after it emerged that the call from Bryn Gorwel was not classified as 'Red' (life threatening) in the first instance.

New interim chief executive Tracy Myhill told BBC Radio Cymru's Manylu programme: "There's a huge focus on the one target - but my own view is until we can satisfy people we are continuing to improve that target, it's hard to talk about other things.

But she suggested there was no immediate solution in sight.

"It's a do-able target. It's not an imminent fix, it's a really complex system."

Paul Turner / paul.turner@swwmedia.co.uk / @readmybook

Carmarthen

ONE woman was treated for smoke inhalation after a house fire in Garnant last night.

Firefighters were called to the property in New Ceidrim Road at 7.39pm to find the ground living room well alight.

They used breathing apparatus, two hose reel jets and two thermal imaging cameras to quell the blaze.

Two crews attended and were on the scene for around an hour.

An ambulance service spokesman said a woman was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

Firefighters were called to the property in New Ceidrim Road at 7.39pm to find the ground living room well alight.

They used breathing apparatus, two hose reel jets and two thermal imaging cameras to quell the blaze.

Two crews attended and were on the scene for around an hour.

An ambulance service spokesman said a woman was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

Chris Peregrine / chris.peregrine@swwmedia.co.uk / @Perers71

GARRY Monk has challenged Swansea City to prove they can cope with a hammer blow when they host Leicester City today.

Swansea have been left licking wounds this week after Victor Moses's theatrics inspired to Stoke to victory last Sunday.

And after conceding that the Britannia penalty controversy left his team reeling, Monk wants his players to roll with the punches against the Foxes.

"I think we suffered a bit after the Stoke penalty. It affected us and it lifted them," said the Swansea boss.

"I've spoken to the players a lot about that this week. I said when something goes against us, we have to not let it affect us as much as it did on Sunday.

"That is something that has come out of that game which we have been focusing on this week and talking about, so I guess for all the negatives there can be a positive side."

Swansea go in search of a first Premier League victory in six attempts against a Leicester side who look to be settling well in the top tier having lifted the Championship title in May.

And Monk reckons what goes on in his players' minds could be key to their hopes of ending the winless streak.

"It's the mentality. It's the focus — it's a concentration thing," he added.

"In the first half at Stoke we played some really good football and created some good chances, but it takes 90 minutes to win a game.

"It doesn't take 45 minutes or 65 minutes, you are always in a game for 90 minutes.

"It's about making sure the players focus fully and, if something goes against us we don't accept it, we come out fighting even more to do well.

"That's the message I have been trying to put across to the players this week. Hopefully we will do that in the future."

Swansea welcome Jonjo Shelvey back from suspension for the Leicester clash, with Tom Carroll set to make way.

Gareth Vincent / gareth.vincent@swwmedia.co.uk / @Gareth_Vincent

Garry Monk    Swansea City

FEW of us want to face it, but there's no escaping the fact Christmas is around the corner.

And while it may be just a tad too early for most to start thinking about tinsel and turkey, for some the planning is already under way.

At number 10 Downing Street, for instance, they already have arrangements in place for their festive tree, and this year, they will be celebrating the holiday season with a very Swansea Christmas.

And that's because Prime Minister David Cameron and his family will be putting up decorations on tree grown from Gower soil, after a Three Crosses-based grower saw his effort chosen as the runner-up prize in competition run by the British Christmas Tree Growers' Association.

Rob Morgan, of Gower Fresh Christmas Trees at Poundffald Farm in Three Crosses, said: "The Association held its annual general meeting in Oxford, and runs the competition which sees the winner's tree go outside 10 Downing Street.

"But the runners-up is also used there, and goes inside. I

" was happy to win my class, for best fir, so I was really chuffed to find out I'd come overall runner-up as well.

"I've been growing Christmas trees since 1998, so I'm a fairly young grower compared to others, but I've always hoped that I would win some day but have never had a look in.

"It takes a lot of work and effort to get tree growing right, and it is a science.

"I got up early on the day of the meeting, at about half five, and went in the dark to cut down a tree that looked half tidy.

"But I did not think much more about it." More than 100 growers took part in this year's national competition.

The event saw hopeful contenders – who span in age from 18 to 80 – showcase their trees to expert growers, and be judged by fellow members.

Each tree has been nurtured for around ten years nurturing the tree to full competition height; 1.8 metres from base to tip.

Each of the entries is judged for the level of its foliage, colour, shape and marketability.

Harry Brightwell, secretary of the British Christmas Tree Growers' Association, said: "We were thrilled with the standard of entries this year, and with the huge effort put in by such a large number of growers.

"The competition is taken very seriously by all members and the winners deserve huge applause for their achievement.

"We view the contest as a chance to recognise what incredible year-round work goes into being a Christmas tree farmer."

Nino Williams / nino.williams@swwmedia.co.uk / @ninominoli

Three Crosses

FORMER Scarlets favourite Owen Williams will go head to head with Rhys Priestland in what promises to be a pivotal fly-half showdown in this evening's Rugby Champions Cup tie at Parc y Scarlets (7.45).

Williams, who was Priestland's understudy during his time in Llanelli, has been a revelation for his new club Leicester since his switch to Welford Road last year.

The 22-year-old has been filling in at centre in recent weeks to cover the Tigers' injury crisis, but with Anthony Allen restored to fitness, Williams is preferred to England international Freddie Burns in the No. 10 jersey.

The Ystradgynlais product has admitted today's return to Parc y Scarlets will be an emotional one and the Scarlets are well aware of the threat he offers, particularly his goal-kicking, as Wayne Pivac's side look to claim a first victory of the pool.

"Owen is a really good player and we are looking forward to going up against him," said Wales centre Scott Williams.

"Like us, Leicester have been a bit up and down this season, but they had a good win against Ulster last week.

"It is a massive game for us, but if we can take the intensity we showed in Toulon and build on that then we have every chance of getting a result."

Leicester are missing a core of seasoned internationals with the likes of Dan Coles, Geoff Parling, Manu Tuilagi, Tom Youngs and Tom Croft all absent.

But they were impressive winners over Ulster at Welford Road last Saturday and have travelled to West Wales in upbeat mood.

"Confidence is high but we still know that we have a long way to go before we are where we want to be," said prop Marcus Ayerza. "Scarlets have been a great side over the years and showed what sort of side they are in Toulon, going close to causing a big shock. They are a team to respect. They are at home and will raise their game."

Pivac has named an unchanged starting XV with Lewis Rawlins coming in for the injured George Earle on the bench.

Scarlets Rhys Priestland

IT is a question that has been asked in pub quizzes: "To which Wales prop forward did Gareth Chilcott once say: 'If you carry on niggling me, son, you'll live up to your name."

Answer: Dai Young.

Boom, boom.

Chilcott had been having a spot of bother with a fresh-faced Young during a Bath v Cardiff friendly, the fun and games reaching a point where Coochie, as the England man was known, decided to resort to the art of mental disintegration.

Young's response isn't documented.

But he never was one for turning the other cheek, so we must assume that particular sledge didn't get its author very far.

Which brings is to Dylan Hartley as he prepares to line up against the Ospreys later this afternoon.

The Saints captain and England hooker is said to have a penchant for trash talk himself, with Scotland's Ross Ford once declaring: "Dylan is in your face and talks a lot — the usual stuff — and there's a lot of sledging."

In the opposite corner today will be Scott Baldwin, and while he hasn't encountered anything vocal from the New Zealand-born player in the past, he acknowledges there is some evidence that the high-profile chap in the middle of the Saints' front row sees himself as the Archbishop of Banterbury.

"I haven't come across it from him but we've looked at some of the footage and he does seem into that kind of stuff," said Baldwin.

"Before last year's games against Northampton, people said he was going to talk.

"But he didn't say anything to me, maybe because he was tired by the time I came onto the field.

"We also played them in the LV= Cup a couple of years ago when they fielded their Heineken Cup side, and he didn't say anything that night, either.

"But we have looked at analysis from this year and he seems to have done it."

All of which is water off a duck's back to the 6ft 3in, 18st 1lb Ospreys hooker, who gives not a flicker of a hint of being the type who crumbles in the face of a few opposition barbs. No sleep would have been lost worrying about whether Hartley will turn up in megaphone or Trappist mode.

"I have come up against a few blokes who like to talk on the pitch, but, for me, it's about focusing on myself," said Baldwin.

"If there are thousands of people screaming at you in the ground, anyway, what difference does one more make?

"What I will say, though, is that Hartley is a good player.

"He's world-class, a guy who has won 50 caps for England and he's been playing in one of the toughest leagues in the world for forward play. He's been captaining Northampton since he was 22 or 23 and he's a quality forward – that's what I'm expecting to face at Franklin's Gardens."

The game will be a chance for Baldwin to demonstrate why he was called into Warren Gatland's squad for the autumn series.

He has been a player transformed this season, to the fore with a mighty performance when the Ospreys beat Munster at Thomond Park, alongside Nicky Smith and Dmitri Arhip, his iron-pumping colleagues in the front row.

"Having two mutants either side of you doesn't hurt," laughed Baldwin, "with Nicky and Dmitri or Aaron Jarvis or whoever is on the field alongside you.

"It's the first season Dmitri has actually started as a tight-head, so the speed at which he has adapted has been phenomenal. There are new laws and he was out all last season, but he has come in and done a great job, while offering a lot around the park.

"For a 20-year-old to be going as Nicky is going is special.

"He comes in on a Monday and if something has gone wrong and he's responsible he is the first person to say it's his fault."

But what of Northampton? "They are a quality team," said Baldwin.

"If we don't get everything nailed on – if we don't exit properly, we don't retain the ball and we don't tackle well – we could come off with a thumping.

"But we also know if we are on the money with everything, then we have the potential to get a result."

Ultimately, as Hartley knows full well, talk matters only so much in rugby.

The key is to walk the walk.

Mark Orders / mark.orders@swwmedia.co.uk / @MarkOrders1

Ospreys

KRISTIAN Phillips accepts the Scarlets have to grab every chance that comes their way if they are lower the colours of twice European champions Leicester at Parc y Scarlets this evening (7.45).

The Scarlets have taken plenty of heart from their gutsy round one defeat to Toulon on the French Riviera.

But the feeling among the squad this week is that an encouraging display at the Stade Felix Mayol could have brought so much more.

For all the plaudits that have come their way since Sunday afternoon's performance against a side that resembled an invitation World XV rather than a club outfit, the Scarlets still go into today's clash with the Tigers bottom of Pool 3.

And that leaves them facing a time-honoured European equation — this match is 'must-win'.

"It was quite disappointing at the end of the game to come away with nothing. We felt quite hard done by after giving it a really good go," said wing Kristian Phillips.

"Toulon away is a massive ask defensively and we were asked to go somewhere we haven't been before, every one of us put our hands up for the Scarlets jersey.

"We stuck together and didn't give up to the 80th minute. All of us were out on our feet at the end, but it was great to see that we were all fighting for each other.

"We got in their faces and I thought we also looked quite threatening when we had the ball and got Toulon flustered a few times.

"We created a couple of opportunities, but the big thing is taking every single opportunity because when you play against these big teams you don't get a lot." Phillips raced over for his second European try in the dying moments of a breathless contest, having produced a solo special in the win over Racing Metro in Paris in January.

Despite the arrival of Harry Robinson and Michael Tagicakibau over the summer, the former Ospreys flyer has forced his way into Wayne Pivac's starting XV in recent weeks and if he can add another try to his Scarlets tally in Llanelli this evening, his hopes of holding onto the jersey will be significantly strengthened.

"I have really enjoyed my time with the Scarlets," added Phillips, who made the short trip across the Loughor in 2012.

"I thought towards the end of last season it went well for me and over the summer it was about keeping that work ethic and taking it into this season."

As for the challenge of Leicester, Phillips is taking little notice of the Tigers' injury troubles.

"They have got a cracking squad with some great individuals out wide and we know have to deal with these people — like we had to deal with Bastareaud last weekend," he added.

"We know what they can do, but when we get things right we are a difficult backline to stop as well.

"Last weekend people wrote us off, but we have shown we are capable of beating anyone on our day.

"We will take a lot of confidence from last weekend and the boys are relishing the opportunity to have a good go at Leicester and hopefully get the win.

"It will be nice to get the home crowd firing at Parc y Scarlets.

"If we can bring the same formula as we did last Sunday then it will be fantastic and hopefully the supporters will be brilliant again like they were in Toulon."

Robert Lloyd / roblloyd@swwmedia.co.uk / @RobLloyd2

Scarlets

GARRY Monk glances at the Premier League table and sees Swansea City sandwiched between Arsenal and Tottenham.

He casts an eye back over his team's performances to date in this campaign and spots plenty of reasons to be cheerful.

Yet there will be just a hint of pressure in the air when Swansea walk out to face Leicester City at the Liberty this evening because they have not won in their last five top-flight matches.

And for all the satisfaction he has taken from the season so far, Monk acknowledges that improvements are required at both ends of the field.

"When you look at it in realistic terms we are on level points with teams like Arsenal and of the games we've played, there's probably only Sunderland where we didn't really perform to a good level," he points out.

"In all the other ones we have performed to a reasonable level, and in spells we have played some very good football.

"But it's a case of being more clinical with the chances you get. You are not going to get 10 or15 chances in a game against the teams we are playing.

"You are only going to get maybe four, five or six good chances, so we need to be more clinical.

"We have spoken about that and the players know that.

"Also, on the other side, the last three goals that we've conceded if you exclude the (Stoke) penalty have been poor from us.

"We have been very good this season and we've worked a lot defensively, so the players have been disappointed with the last three goals.

"It's something we need to get back to. We need to get back to clean sheets, taking our chances and winning games. That's what we're trying to focus on."

On the outside at least, the focus for many this week has not been on Swansea's form but on the Victor Moses incident at the Britannia last Sunday.

Flak has flown in various directions, with representatives of the two clubs piling in and plenty beyond them having their say too.

Moses's tumble started the whole affair, though it was Monk's post-match press conference which really set tongues wagging.

Yet Monk is adamant there is no danger of the Moses furore impacting on his players this weekend.

"The fuss was only outside the dressing room, never inside," he says.

"We were straight back in to work on Tuesday and the boys were very focused.

"We have been working all week on Leicester, and they have not even batted an eyelid about what happened at Stoke.

"I said to the players straight after the game that whatever's said outside of here, let me deal with that. You guys don't have to worry about anything, you worry about the football.

"They're very clever. They understand what I said and they've been concentrating on Leicester all week."

Swansea sailed through the opening weeks of the season as they registered three successive league wins.

The relatively barren run since has taken a fair bit of shine off that opening spell, but Monk acknowledges that a victory would lighten the mood considerably once more.

"In football you are only ever a couple of wins away from doing unbelievably well and two losses away from there being an absolute crisis," he suggests.

"That's always the way — it will be like that to the end of the season.

"But these players are good enough to deal with the pressure — that's no problem for me.

"We've had a very good start and we're only eight games into it.

"I've said before that this team will get stronger. I can see in the way they work and what we're giving them that they want more and more.

"I'm sure we'll get stronger. Hopefully we start showing that this weekend."

Gareth Vincent / gareth.vincent@swwmedia.co.uk / @Gareth_Vincent

Garry Monk   Swansea City

THERE'S a big difference between drawing a foul and diving — and Victor Moses definitely dived.

People play for free-kicks all over the pitch, defenders do it to get out of a tight spot, while attackers can create an opportunity for their side by exploiting their marker's recklessness.

There's nothing wrong with that, it's part of football.

If you can react quicker than your opposite number, get your body between him and the ball and he comes into you, that's his fault.

Going down in that situation is fine by me.

I can remember one incident in particular when I was accused of diving.

Back in 2005 we beat Boston 3-2 after I was fouled and scored a last-minute penalty.

I was going into the area when I saw Jason Lee hurtling towards me, so I let him make contact and went over. If a defender is that clumsy he can't complain about being penalised.

It all kicked off afterwards. Their manager Steve Evans said I had gone down too easily, while Boston fans were spitting and throwing coins at me as I left the pitch.

But that was massively different to Moses's collapse in the Swansea penalty area at Stoke last weekend.

I know people will point to the picture of Angel (Rangel) holding Moses's shirt as proof of a foul, but that's rubbish.

That kind of thing happens every time opposing players meet in the area and was nowhere near significant enough to award a spot-kick.

The photograph is a bit misleading because anyone who saw the incident in real time could tell the winger deliberately took a tumble.

Garry Monk was understandably furious by the decision, but his anger is about more than just one controversial call.

Swansea seem to have been viewed as a soft touch for too long and it's time we started to stand up for ourselves.

It's no myth that big teams tend to see the majority of big decisions go in their favour. How many managers have complained about how difficult it is to earn a penalty at Old Trafford over the years?

Top bosses make it as awkward as possible to give a call against them, while at Swansea, maybe because we've been too nice for too long, I think we've become seen as a bit of a pushover.

Well, as everyone has seen, Garry is not afraid to fight his corner and good on him. Hopefully that will make Swansea less easy to trample on in future. Garry has always been passionate about football and Swansea in particular. Perhaps now he's a manager he feels an even greater sense of injustice when we're wronged.

It's great to have someone who really cares about the club in charge because his comments last weekend were motivated solely by a love for Swansea City.

Often diving is tolerated in football. If someone on your team does it you can't say much afterwards in the dressing room because that incident might have won you the game.

But very few players like simulation as it really stings when your on the receiving end.

The sooner it's stamped out the better.

A TWO-CAR collision has blocked one lane of the M4 near Baglan this morning.

Traffic is queuing on the M4 eastbound between J41, A48 (Baglan) and J40, A4107 (Port Talbot) as a result.

Traffic and travel

Natives of the beautiful City of Swansea,any good gyms?

— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) October 24, 2014

Hanks for the LC2 recommendation! #Abertawepic.twitter.com/t66toAaDrj

— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) October 24, 2014

Croeso i Abertawe! pic.twitter.com/KISTgOdeyU

— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) October 24, 2014

#Abertawepic.twitter.com/5BIb9aoKxs

— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) October 24, 2014

Heard there's a quiet street called Wind St in Swansea to get food. Tranquil and peaceful a local said. Might try it.

— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) October 24, 2014

Caught up with the #LCFC staff ,invited for dinner with them! (thanks Nige). Great to see Kev Philips,Stowelly and Shakey! #FNQ

— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) October 24, 2014

Hello Swansea! pic.twitter.com/CkIyAOftcp

— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) October 24, 2014

That time of life when the castle is way more interesting than any bar or club. pic.twitter.com/UB8GxwoEzP

— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) October 24, 2014

Hehe pic.twitter.com/SoVJdz0DLI

— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) October 24, 2014

There are people actually walking around without shoes or socks. #Abertawe

— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) October 24, 2014

Now we're talking. pic.twitter.com/GslZ8DgOvM

— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) October 24, 2014

Old fella told me the Vetch is behind here? Never played there,remember that Patrick 81 Latchford kit though! pic.twitter.com/lvxHfaTtlp

— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) October 24, 2014

Enjoyed the walk around Abertawe,a fine City, everyone mightily friendly! Swansea v Leicester @talkSPORT LIVE 5;30pm. Come on!!

— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) October 24, 2014

HERE'S today's Premier League gossip, transfer rumours and team news from the nationals.

MANCHESTER United's Michael Carrick has played an hour for his club reserves as he battles back to fitness. He had hoped to return for Sunday's match against Chelsea but manager Louis van Gaal has said the midfielder needs more game time under his belt, reports Mail Online.

ARSENAL'S Theo Walcott was travelling to Sunderland with the rest of the squad today before Arsene Wenger made a decision on whether he would play, The Telegraph has reported. He has been out for nine months.

CRYSTAL Palace could become the sixth Premier League club to be owned by an American, after the owner of the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia 76ers, Josh Harris, contacted the board and expressed an interest in buying the south London club, reports The Guardian.

CHELSEA boss Jose Mourinho may be the special one, but Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has said he is made from iron. The Daily Express has reported that van Gaal, when asked why nothing seemed to ruffle him, replied that he had an 'iron shield'.

Paul Turner / paul.turner@swwmedia.co.uk / @readmybook

Premier League

BUTTER might melt in his beak now, but Cyril the Swan has ruffled some feathers in the past.

He never went as far as Gilbert the Gull is accused of doing, however.

The Torquay mascot is alleged to have called fans the c-word and offered to fight them

The complaints followed Torquay's 3-2 defeat against Grimsby Town last weekend.

The Gilbert costume is worn by Steve Jegat.

He said there was a row with fans after one made a cheeky comment, but he has denied that he asked to have a fight with them.

One of a number of fans who went on the club's website to complain said: "After Grimsby scored their third, Gilbert came over and said "where's the drummer?". We thought he was joking but then he called us "a bunch of c***s"."

"We have the worst mascot in football," he claimed.

Of course, Swansea City mascot Cyril would never get in such a flap.

But that hasn't always been the case.

There was the incident in 1998 in an FA Cup game against Millwall when Cyril's pitch encroachment antics sparked a complaint from referee Steve Dunn, and landed the club with a Football Association of Wales disrepute charge. They were eventually find £1,000.

Then, a few months later in 1999, fans held up 'Cyril the Swan is innocent' banners following the previous week's Third Division match against Chester City which had to be delayed due to unidentified animal droppings on the edge of Roger Freestone's penalty area.

A couple of years later in 2001, the club feared Cyril might have earnt them more trouble when he tore the head off Millwall's mascot Zampa the Lion and booted it towards the north bank. Luckily, everyone saw the funny side.

Sadly for Cyril, his wings were clipped later that year when the Football League brought in a new code of conduct to stop bad behaviour by birds, and all other pitch-side creatures.

Still, there's always the occasional ball boy...

Paul Turner / paul.turner@swwmedia.co.uk / @readmybook

Swansea City