Thanks for the compliment: Metromania

SWANSEA ON CARDIFF: CARDIFF ON SWANSEA:

SWANSEA ON CARDIFF:

"Cardiff has sold its soul to England. Wanting to be bigger and better. You can connect with the people in Swansea. Like any second city, this is largely based on a shared sense of indignation and grievance of being hard done by in relation to Cardiff. Swansea people feel they're survivors. The Blitz is very much part of the Swansea psyche. A kind of contempt has developed towards Cardiff as a result of this."

Sian Hughes, UK Year of Literature & Writing

"Clubbing is definitely better in Swansea. Everywhere's central and in easy crawling distance, and there's always a lot of police about so you feel safe. But when we go up to Cardiff, it's more expensive and you have to walk a long way between places, which isn't good if you've had a bit to drink. Most of the clubs there are pretty dead and designed for the Over 25s."

Sarah Goosey, secretary

"There's a sniff of the phoney about Cardiff compared to us. Cardiff has no background, it was just a village until they started exporting coal, whereas Swansea was an ancient borough in the time of King John. The comparison is like America and Europe. There's just too much tinsel in Cardiff."

Stuart Thomas, executor, the Dylan Thomas Estate.

"Swansea's built on seven hills just like Rome, so you can always see the sea. The problem with Cardiff is it's so flat. It doesn't matter where you go, it's the same bloody place."

Michael Davies, writer

"Outside Cardiff there's nothing but the coal mining Valleys, but this `ugly lovely' town has a jewel in it's crown - the Gower peninsula. What has Cardiff to compare?"

Jane Garland Thomas, solicitor

"Only the best teams beat Swansea, but even Ebbw Vale can beat Cardiff. Cardiff are useless and we hate them Anonymous Swansea FC supporter

CARDIFF ON SWANSEA:

"Cardiff's a capital city. We're more cosmopolitan, see. They're narrow minded and, unfortunately, like all minorities, they feel they've got to fight. Added to which Cardiff held the Welsh Cup for years and Swansea's never even had a very good ground toplay on."

Robert George, industrial blacksmith

"I don't understand what it is, but it's an old sore that festers. What I would like is for the people of Swansea and Cardiff to get together and sort this business out for the benefit of football and for the benefit of the country as a whole."

Jim Finney, secretary. Cardiff City Football Club

"I think that if you're moving into Wales, Cardiff's about as far as you want to go. Swansea's just too far from England."

Stephanie van Driel, recent arrival

"There's no doubt that there is more going on culturally in Cardiff. Exciting autonomous ventures like the Old Library, the new Opera House and the Point and Chapter, which simply wouldn't exist in Swansea not because there isn't the interest but becausethe City Council won't support any arts ventures unless they have complete control over them."

Kevin Thomas, director. Academi Gymreig

"Cardiff is an immigrant city. That's how it began. Everyone and anyone belongs to Cardiff, whereas by the time you get to Swansea you've got to start polishing your Welsh credentials and justifying your presence in terms of The Nation. Swansea may be great if you were born there, but Cardiff is a place to move to."

Adrian Mourby, writer and producer

"What's Cardiff got? Everything. We got the best civic centre in Europe and the best rugby ground in the world and Brains Dark and Clarkes Pies. What's Swansea got? All Swansea's got is a beach and a marina and laverbread."

Frank Hennessey, folk musician and chairman of the Cardiff Language Society