Shared Shirts: Peter Swan

A versatile player during his times at both City and Burnley, we caught up with Peter Swan about his move to Hull and his two spells with the Clarets.

Signing for Hull City:

With Gray putting in an offer, the defender was told by Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson to go to Hull. With himself not having an agent, Swan was not sure on how much money to ask for when meeting Gray for his Hull contract. Initially declining the move and returning to Leeds, the now-58-year-old saw Gordon Strachan sat in the reception area waiting for the Swan deal to go through so Leeds could sign the ex-Manchester United forward.

Given financial advice by Strachan to request £10,000 from Leeds to go, Swan signed for the Tigers on deadline day in March 1989. Thanking Strachan for the advice with a hug, the 58-year-old made his debut against one of his future clubs in Plymouth Argyle on 25 March 1989.

“It was the first time going to a club that I'd felt wanted, because someone had paid money for me. The fans took to me straight away, because I used to give everything for them. I might not have had the best ability, but the fans are the ones that see you giving 100% and I used to be that sort of player. It was just a match made in heaven.”

Playing in goal against Bournemouth:

A dismal run at the end of the 1988/89 campaign saw Gray leave the club, and Colin Appleton return. ‘Swanny’ showed his versatility, including a stint in goal away at Bournemouth on 26 August 1989 due to an injury sustained to Ian Hesford prior to half-time.

“I just felt so small! The Hull fans were behind the goal I was defending, and we were 4-1 down at half time. I only let one in and we ended up getting beat 5-4. The experience was brilliant, because I remember they were on the attack and I were like jockeying, and I could hear all of the fans shouting ‘left, left, left, right, right, right;’ it was a like a cartoon sketch!”

Cleaning Ian Wright's boots at Burnley:

After two seasons with the Clarets, Swan transferred to Bury in August 1997 to work under Ternent again. Due to form at Bury, Ternent was given the opportunity to manage his boyhood club of Burnley, which would see Swan return to Turf Moor.

While at Burnley, the 58-year-old was teammates with ex-England international Ian Wright, with the defender joking about him and teammate Ronnie Jepson cleaning his boots.

“We were old school footballers me and Ronnie. Big characters, big personalities who gave everything we've got. Ian Wright, we class him as a proper footballer. I remember me and ‘Jeppo’ walked into the boot room and one of the apprentices were cleaning his boots. I said to the apprentice ‘no, this is our job. We are going do it.’ Jepson asked me why we were doing it. I went ‘imagine Christmas tip we're gonna get from Ian for doing this!’

“I used to clean his right boot. ‘Jeppo’ used to clean his left boot and we cleaned his training boots, his match boots. We used to even take them to games for him. That's how bad we were as we were probably the same age, but because we looked up to people like that, we respected that he was playing for us, but it was very funny.”