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Raynor Returns
Sunday, 24th Aug 2014 21:13 by Planet Swans (Follow us on Twitter @swansnews)

There will be a familiar face in the opposition dugout on Tuesday night. Or at least there will be for those of us that remember the Swans in the late 1980s as Paul Raynor returns with Rotherham for the Capital One Cup tie.

Paul James Raynor arrived at Swansea for the first time in March 1987 having signed on a free transfer from Huddersfield Town. He went onto make over 240 appearances for the Swans scoring 39 times in the process in a career that took him through to 1992 when he joined Cambridge United.

For me this was virtually right at the time when I was first going to games on a regular basis having been restricted to just the odd visit with whichever family member I could persuade to come with me up to that point. And for that reason Raynor was a player that I liked as he always seemed to give his all for the team and came up with some vital goals - particularly in the 1987/88 season where the Swans won promotion via the play offs for the first time.

In fact Raynor scored one of the goals that earned the Swans promotion in the second leg off the play off final (this was before play off finals were held at Wembley) against Torquay.

As well as that promotion, Raynor earned two Welsh cup winners medals during his time at the club and also played in some great European ties for the Swans most notably a brilliant two legged tie against Panathinikos which the Swans eventually lost on a pulsating night at the Vetch. He also appeared in the tie against Monaco in 1991 as well as cup ties against Tottenham and West Brom.

He managed just one hat-trick during his Swansea career - in a Welsh cup semi final against Barry Town at the Vetch with his best return of goals being 11 in one season in the 1988 promotion winning campaign.

In total Raynor played over 600 games in a career that spanned more than 20 years before moving into coaching. He has held coaching positions at Boston, Sheffield United and Crawley before teaming up with Steve Evans at Rotherham where he helped them win promotion to the Championship last season.

Paul Raynor, pictured with Terry Yorath in his Vetch days

Photo: Action Images



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