The AGM held on 17 July 1993 was a grim affair which saw the resignation of the Club Secretary / Treasurer as well as the manager. Peter Vannucci had been involved in the formation of the Club in 1970 and was elected secretary at it’s first AGM in 1973 ; having been involved in the running of the Club for 23 years, he felt that he deserved a rest.

Although he was elected to the new position of Executive Vice-President and agreed to assist in the preparations for the celebrations of the 25th. Anniversary of the foundation of the Club, Peter felt that the successors in his positions should be given a free hand to organise things in their own fashion. As his presence at matches was no longer required, Peter was able to return to his first love, Bangor F.C.
Somewhat disillusioned at the departure for various reasons of no less than seven of the team which had just missed out on promotion, Archie Walls also felt he deserved a rest and the Club needed a change of manager.
He was also prepared to step down as Chairman as he felt that the Club was in serious decline ;his Chairman’s report recommended that the Club should consider it’s future and sonic of the options which they should consider were disbandment or mergers with other Clubs.

Despite losing most of their first team squad, the Club decided to struggle on with Paul Tresidder taking on the main administration roles, including the Secretary’s post. Paul Walls was instrumental in keeping the team structure together and attracting younger players to the Club. Stephen Bell replied to an advertisement placed in the Star Soccer and he became the 12th. Manager in the Clubs history.

This year the Club returned to Pentagon for a similar kit. The White shirts had Yellow half stripes and the “V” neck, cuffs and numbering were in Blue. This also marked the first occasion that the Swifts wore adverts on their shirts who were sponsored by Peter Dornan & Co., Solicitors. The previous season, the same firm had sponsored a full set of training tops. These were all Blue with the sponsor’s name and Club crest printed in Yellow.

Injuries to established players and the arrival of new players in the lst.X1 squad led to an unsettled side which was further handicapped by the inability to score goals consistently. The 2nd.XI had been re-elected to the Amateur League but their season was spoilt by withdrawals from their division that ended up with a short league programme.

When the final league tables were published, it only confirmed that the Swifts had hit an all time low with both sides finishing second bottom and thus having to apply for re-election.

BUILDING FROM THE BOTTOM

All was not gloom and despondency, however. In taking a rest from the senior side of the Club, Archie Walls decided to devote his time to a project which he had in mind for some years.

Having noted how Amateur League rivals, Rosario Y.C., had enjoyed the back-up of a structured youth policy, he set about the task of establishing a similar organizational structure at the Swifts.
The first step in this ambitious project was the formation of an Under-12 side which would compete in the long established South Belfast Boys League.

The first season, 1993/94, saw the young Swifts struggle in a league of obvious high quality. As the year progressed, however, the margins of defeat became increasingly respectable with a number of games being lost by only the odd goal.

The highlight of the season was the dismissal of Aquinas F.C. following a penalty decider in the knock-out competition. Disappointingly, the Swifts narrowly lost in the semi-final to the experienced Hillsborough Boys.

Looking back, there is an amazing similarity of fortunes in the inaugural League season of the Under-12s and the young Epworth Hall Youth Club side of two decades previous.