Cardiff City F.C.: Difference between revisions
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===Jason Koumas & The Number 7=== |
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Welsh International Midfielder [[Jason Koumas]] spent the entire of the 2005-06 season on loan at Cardiff, after falling out of favour at his club [[West Bromwich Albion|West Brom]]. The player was told he had no future at West Brom by manager [[Bryan Robson]], and the 2 clubs agreed a fee believed to be £2m for the player should Cardiff wish to retain his services for the new season. The season was a success for both player and club, Koumas scored 13 goals and assisted countless others as Cardiff finished in 11th place. At the end of the campaign Kouams returned to his club and they and Cardiff began haggling over a transfer fee. |
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At the beginning of the 2006/7 season, Cardiff announced the list of squad numbers for the forthcoming season. In the previous campaign Koumas had worn the number 8 shirt, however in the new list, striker Michael Chopra had been given number 8, but number 7 had been left vacnt. |
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When asked in a press conference, Sam Hammam stated it was for "a special player..." |
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However, after months of haggling and apparently only having 1 official bid rejected, Cardiff called off the chase for Koumas, with manager Dave Jones saying "his patience has been exhausted" |
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This has led to many fans being suspicious as to whether the club ever actually intended to pay for Koumas, given the club's financial peril. This, combined with the bizarre decision to apparently reserve a different number for Koumas, led to this rumour: |
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"The club never actually intended to sign Koumas, and never actually reserved a squad number for him. The only reason the number 7 was left vacant was because [[Neal Ardley]] was sold the same day as the squad list being released" |
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It now seems unlikely that Koumas will join Cardiff as he signed a new three year deal at West Brom on [[August 23]] [[2006]]. |
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==Former City Players== |
==Former City Players== |
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Revision as of 12:33, 5 September 2006
| Badge of Cardiff City | |||
| Full name | Cardiff City Association Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Bluebirds | ||
| Founded | 1899 as 'Riverside AFC' | ||
| Ground | Ninian Park Cardiff | ||
| Capacity | 22,008 (16,000 Seated) | ||
| Chairman |  Sam Hammam | ||
| Manager |  Dave Jones | ||
| League | The Championship | ||
| 2005-06 | Championship, 11th | ||
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Cardiff City Association Football Club is a football team based in Cardiff. They currently play in the Football League Championship. Their current ground is Ninian Park, but the club are in the process of planning and constructing a new stadium to be located opposite the old one. If completed, it is expected to be called St David's Stadium. The manager is Dave Jones.
Cardiff are the only non-English side to have won any of the three major English competitions. They won the F.A Cup in 1927, during a decade when they were one of the strongest sides in the English league. They have also been regular winners of the Welsh Cup.
Their history in recent years has been less successful, but they have made some improvement in the last few seasons. In 1986, they were relegated to the Fourth Division, and over the next 14 years slipped into the league's basement division three times. In 1996 they were the league's third lowest placed team. But a Division Two playoff triumph in 2003 lifted them into Division One and they are now just one promotion away from reaching the Premiership.
Significant former managers of Cardiff City include Lennie Lawrence, Bobby Gould, Eddie May, Billy Ayre and Alan Cork. Significant former players include Dean Saunders, Kevin Ratcliffe, Robin Friday, Andy Dibble and Robert Earnshaw.
Stadium plans
It is considered that the stadium though is unlikely to ever see the light of day, as the club currently has debts of over £25m (after the chairman recently waived another £6m and the sale of top scorer Cameron Jerome for £4m (Includes initial transfer fee and contracted add ons). It is also held that the business plan for the stadium is full of optimistic figures for sponsorship money. Currently, the club runs at an operating loss of over £2m per annum.
Early glories
They are one of a handful of Welsh sides to play in the English football league system, rather than the Welsh system. Their most successful period so far was the 1920's when they became the only team to have taken the FA Cup out of England with victory over Arsenal back in 1927. The final was also notable as it was the first to be broadcasted to the nation by BBC Radio. In 1924 they finished runners-up in the league - this is still the highest finish achieved by any Welsh club in the English league. Cardiff City and arch-rivals Swansea City are the only Welsh football clubs to have played at the highest level of English football.
Barren spell
Between 1985 and 2003, Cardiff were continuously in the lower two divisions of the league after being relegated to the Third Division. Five years later they dropped into the Fourth Division. Cardiff won the new Division Three championship in 1993 but were relegated two years later, and in 1996 finished in their lowest-ever league position - 22nd of 24 in Division Three, with only Scarborough F.C. and Torquay United below them. They did better the following season, finishing seventh (although they lost in the playoff semi finals), but suffered a setback and slipped into the bottom half of the table in 1998. They finished third in Division Three in 1999 and won automatic promotion to Division Two.
Cardiff struggled in Division Two throughout the 1999-2000 season and were relegated in 21st place. They finished Division Three runners-up the following season and have made impressive progress since then, helped by the investment of Lebanese businessman Sam Hammam.
Current Outlook
Lennie Lawrence guided Cardiff to Division Two playoff glory in 2003 and they have remained at this level ever since, although Lawrence was relieved of his duties to make way for David Jones in 2005.
The record transfer paid for a player was £1.7 million to Stoke City for Peter Thorne in 2001. The previous record was £1 million for Graham Kavanagh, also from Stoke, set only a few weeks earlier.
The club have also paid fee's in excess of £1m for Defender Darren Purse from West Bromwich, £950,000 for striker Andy Campbell from Middlesborough and £850,000 for another striker, Alan Lee from Rotherham United.
The record transfer fee received is £3 million for Cameron Jerome in 2006 when he transferred to Birmingham City. The club has also received £3.5m for the sale of Robert Earnshaw and a combined £3.5m fee from West Ham United for the services of Welsh International defenders Danny Gabbidon and James Collins.
Current first team squad
As of 21 July 2006: Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Currently out on Loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Former City Players
Records
      Original colours
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- Record Attendance: 62,634. Wales vs. England. October 17 1959
- Club Record Attendance: 57,893. vs. Arsenal
- Year Formed: 1899 (as Riverside F. C.)
- Previous Names: 1899 Riverside F. C.; 1902 Riverside Albion; 1908 Cardiff City
- Previous Grounds: Riverside, Sophia Gardens, Old Park and Fir Gardens until 1910
- Record League victory: 9-2 vs. Thames. Third Division South. February 6, 1932
- Record Cup victory: 8-0 vs. Enfield F. C.. FA Cup First Round. November 28, 1931
- Record defeat: 2-11 vs. . Division One. January 1, 1926
- Most goals in one season: Robert Earnshaw - 35. (31 league, 4 cup) 2002/03
- Most league goals in total Aggregate: Len Davies - 128. 1920 to 1931
- Most capped player: Alf Sherwood (Wales) - 39
- Most league appearances: Phil Dwyer - 471. 1972 to 1985
Honours
- English F.A. Cup Winners 1927
- English F.A. Cup runners-up 1925
- English F.A. Cup semi-finalists 1921
- F.A. Charity Shield Winners 1927
- Division 1 runners-up 1924
- Division 2 runners-up 1921, 1952, 1960
- Division 3(south) Champions 1947
- Division 3 Champions 1993
- Division 3 runners-up 1976, 1983
- Division 4 runners-up 1988
- Welsh F.A. Cup Winners 1912, 1920, 1922, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1930, 1956, 1959, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1988, 1992, 1993.
- European Cup-Winner's Cupsemi-finalists 1968
Rivalry
Cardiff's main rivals are considered to be Swansea City and Bristol City. Traditionally, there is also ill-feeling between Bluebirds supporters and the near-by Newport County.
Cardiff City Books
- Born Under a Grange End Star: David Collins ISBN 1-85058-787-6
- The Definitive Cardiff City FC 1910/2001: Richard Shepherd ISBN 1-899468-17-X
- C'mon City! A Hundred Years of the Bluebirds Graham Lloyd ISBN 1-85411-271-6
Famous Fans
- Jeremy Bowen - BBC News Presenter
- Neil Kinnock - Ex Labour Party Leader
- Phillip Schofield - TV Presenter
- David Davies - Swimmer who Won Bronze in 2004 Olympics
- Super Furry Animals - Rock band
- Gareth Thomas - Welsh Rugby Player
Trivia
- Ninian Park is built on a former rubbish dump, and named after Lt.-Col. Lord Ninian Edward Crichton-Stuart.
- Bartley Wilson is the founder of Cardiff City/Riverside AFC, a Bristolian and Cricket fan and founded so Cricketers at Sophia Gardens had something to do during Winter Months
- Cardiff City were originally known as Riverside AFC in 1899
- Riverside FC became Cardiff City in 1908 after joining the South Wales Amateur League.
- Cardiff City are the only non-English based football club to win the FA Cup.
External links
- Cardiff City F.C. Official website
- Cardiff City F.C. Official Picture Website
- Cardiff City F.C. Official Forum
- Cardiff City F.C. on BBC Sport: Club news – Recent results and fixtures
- CCFCSleepingGiant
- Bluebird to the Bone
- CCFC1927
- Cardiff City Online
- Cardiff City, Clarks Pie and Curry - It's all about Football
- Cardiff City Cards
- cardiffcity.no - A Norwegian Supporter Website