Matchday Preview – Slimbridge (A) Match Day 15
By Duncan Gardner
What can I say about our visit to Slimbridge?! On the face of it not a lot as we have never played them and I cannot find a single player who has featured for both clubs! The best I can do on that front is a couple of degrees of separation – Jarmarni Langlais played against the Terras for Bristol Manor Farm a couple of weeks ago. The former Bristol Rovers academy player also enjoyed at least one spell at Slimbridge in the last few years.
I could fill this preview with memories of family trips to the Slimbridge wildfowl and wetland centre (my late father was a keen twitcher) but I won’t get you readers in a flap about such non-football matters.
Bird connections are inescapable though as we have a headline writer’s dream scenario this weekend if our Tor performs well – a case of Swann v The Swans no less! Slimbridge are not the only team nicknamed “The Swans” we have faced before though. Can you name at least four?…Swansea (Town and then City) is the most obvious, Walton & Hersham the most recent but we have also faced Staines Town plus Swanage & Herston in Dorset cup games and friendlies over the years.
The Swans we face today though have truly taken flight in the last couple of years. Following a 16th place finish in the Hellenic league premier division in 2025 they feathered their caps with top spot last spring to gain promotion back to this level after a three year hiatus.
However they don’t have much to honk about lately with just one win in six…although that one victory was their incredible success near Poundbury just a couple of weeks ago. Meanwhile the Terras banished memories of their Halloween horror show against Tiverton with a regulation win over Willand on Tuesday evening and they are looking to go 13 unbeaten on the road in league and cup in Gloucestershire, a feat not achieved since 1977/78!
Will The Swans get the Terras in a flap or can they clip their wings?!
