Extremely sad news broke on the 20th of January, when it was announced that Matlock Town’s most successful manager, Peter Swan, had died at the age of 84.
Swan will always remain a legendary figure for the Gladiators as it was him that masterminded Matlock’s unlikely FA Trophy final victory back in 1975.
Born in South Emsall, the centre-half began his playing career at Sheffield Wednesday, which is where he would play for the vast majority of his career on the pitch. Swan ended up making 275 league appearances for the Owls. Swan was an extremely well-regarded defender. So much so, that he also went on to make 19 appearances for England between 1960 and 1962.
After leaving Bury in 1974, Swan decided to take up a managerial post for the very first time while also continuing to play on the pitch. In the summer of 1974, Swan became the player/manager of Matlock Town. His first stint at the club is widely regarded by Gladiators fans as Matlock’s golden years hence his legendary status at Causeway Lane and within the town itself.
The Gladiators surprised many with their famous FA Trophy run in the 1974-75 season. In a run which had already well exceeded expectations, Matlock were expected to be found out by Burton Albion over the course of a two-legged semi-final. Despite losing the first leg 1-0 at home, the Gladiators managed to spring a big surprise by beating Burton 2-0 at their ground in the second leg to get through to the FA Trophy final at Wembley Stadium.
Matlock were the underdogs going into the biggest game of their history against an impressive Scarborough side. Peter Swan’s team though was made of stern stuff and under his guidance, Matlock lifted the FA Trophy after beating Scarborough 4-0. After all this time, this is still, undoubtedly, the club’s greatest day.
Remarkably, Swan’s success didn’t end there that season. In 1975, Matlock Town also won the Derbyshire Senior Cup for the very first time in their history under Swan’s stewardship. The club also reached the FA Cup first round proper for only the second time in their history during the same season. They were eventually knocked out by Blackburn Rovers.
Swan also had managerial experience elsewhere in Derbyshire. He managed Buxton between 1977 and 1978. Swan also returned to Causeway Lane for a second stint as Gladiators manager between 1980 and 1981.
Last year, I interviewed numerous former Matlock Town players who were part of the FA Trophy winning team to mark 45 years since their Wembley triumph. All of them were full of praise for their boss and had many great memories of him. His man management was second-to-none and he knew how to build a magnificent team spirit. Every player I interviewed recounted his warm sense of humour and it was clear that he was a well-respected manager and also a friend to his team-mates.
Nick Fenoughty:
“If he’d had a good right hand man, he could have made it as a good manager at any level in the game. Of course, he was a great player. He played 19 consecutive games for England, he really was a super player. He had a great presence about him. He was great in the dressing room.”
“We ended up at the town hall and all the players had to say a few words to the crowd there. We had a young player in the squad called Carl Swan and he was very nervous about this. Peter Swan whispered to him, “Say, have the pies come out yet?” So he did for his speech and the crowd had a real good laugh about that!”
Keith Brown:
“Peter Swan was a great manager and a great captain.”
Colin Smith:
“Peter Swan became the manager at the club at just the right time. I’d known him for a long time. I first met him when I was at Sheffield Wednesday and I also knew him at my time with Bury. He was very much a man manager. He was never one on tactics but he just let you play your football. When we played Burton away in the semi-final second leg, we went for a meal the night before and he got some bottles of wine out and he said ‘come on, this’ll ease your nerves a bit’ so we all had a glass of wine! If that happened now, there’d be hell to pay! I can remember Peter Swan being sick in the toilet just before that match, so the nerves still got to him.”
Tom Fenoughty on the morning of FA Trophy final day:
“On the morning of the match, Peter Swan tied a bit of cotton to a five pound note and he left it by the reception desk while we were waiting for the bus to come. People were coming in and obviously, seeing this fiver on the floor, they were edging across to it and edging across to it and when someone bent down to pick it up, Swanny would pull the fiver out of the way and all the players were roaring with laughter. A fiver was a lot of money in those days! I guess it was a bit strange, players were having a joke and a laugh and nobody was worried about the game.”
“I didn’t feel nervous at all when lining up to come out onto the pitch and I don’t think many of the lads did. Peter Swan before the game said forget we’re at Wembley, just think that we’re playing at Causeway Lane.”
Colin Dawson:
“For the night before the match, Peter Swan just said do whatever you want. Have some pints if you want. So I had a couple of pints, that’s all!”
“When I was young, I was a Sheffield Wednesday supporter and Peter Swan was my idol. I once said to him ‘Boss, you were my idol when I were watching football’ and he would just say ‘Oh, p**s off! He thought I was kidding him but I wasn’t!”
Colin Oxley:
“Peter Swan wasn’t one for team tactics. It was more of a take the mickey out of each other approach before kick-off. Especially between him and Peter Scott – they were always at it!”
Over a career that included a vast amount of top-flight experience on the pitch with Sheffield Wednesday and also selection for England’s 1962 World Cup squad, Swan will always be primarily remembered by the capital of Derbyshire as arguably the most important figure in Matlock Town’s entire history.