Swansea City’s 1-0 defeat at home to Millwall last weekend extended their barren run without a goal to 525 minutes of football.
It is no secret that goals have been a problem for the Swans this season, their tally of eight in 12 league games is the lowest return of any side in the Championship.
Their last goal came against Bristol City on 29 September and if Luke Williams’ side fail to find the net again at Oxford United on Saturday, they will equal a 28-year-old club record of six league matches without a goal.
The 1995-96 season was one to forget for Swansea fans, as the club were relegated to what is now known as EFL League Two.
The record began on 6 February 1996.
Former Manchester United and Arsenal goalkeeper Jimmy Rimmer was in temporary charge following the resignation of Bobby Smith in December 1995.
Rimmer’s Swans suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Stockport County and days later the club infamously appointed Kevin Cullis (pictured above) as manager.
Cullis had never played or coached in professional football, yet controversially found himself in charge at Swansea. The Englishman’s only previous management experience was as the youth coach of non-league club Cradley Town.
Cullis’ reign lasted all of two games. In his second and final match, Swansea were beaten 4-0 by Blackpool at Bloomfield Road on 13 February 1996.
After a disastrous first half display, Cullis’ planned half-time team talk was ignored by the players, with defender Christian Edwards delivering the second half instructions instead.
Shortly after the full-time whistle Cullis resigned from his position as manager.
Swansea returned to action less than four days later to face Hull City at the Vetch Field, with Rimmer back in the dugout for a second stint as caretaker boss.
However, Rimmer’s return could not change Swansea’s fortunes in front of goal. After a goalless draw with the Tigers, the Swans were beaten 3-0 by Carlisle United at Brunton Park.
On 22 February 1996, Swansea announced the arrival of Liverpool legend Jan Molby as player-manager.
Although his appointment would provide the Swans with much needed stability, the Danish midfielder’s first game in charge would be a 0-0 draw at York City, extending Swansea’s goalless run to what is now that club record six league games.
Three days later Steve Torpey broke the 624-minute goal drought with a superb strike after 36 minutes as Molby’s side beat Walsall 2-1, only their second win in 18 games.
With the current squad looking to end a six-game winless streak, history is not on their side as they travel to face newly promoted opponents at the Kassam Stadium this weekend.
The venue has not been a happy hunting ground over recent years, with Oxford proving tricky customers for the Swans.
Famously, former Rangers and Leeds United winger Kemar Roofe scored twice as League Two Oxford knocked Premier League Swansea out of the FA Cup in 2016.
And Russell Martin’s Swansea side found themselves on the end of another cup defeat at Oxford, squandering a two-goal lead to exit the EFL Cup on penalties in 2022.
Will Williams’ current batch of Swans join the wrong side of the club’s history come Saturday evening?
