CARDIFF CITY

 

The football club started out of the cricket club in the city and indeed played their home games at Sophia Gardens (now home to Glamorgan Cricket club) for some time.  While scores were fairly low, a few balls ended up in the river, because they were known as Riverside from 1899 until 1902 for their proximity to the nearby waters of the River Taff.  In 1902, they added Albion to the end of their name and by then had also strutted their stuff at Old Park, Fir Gardens and finally ended up at Ninian Park by 1920, when they turned professional.  The site was formerly a rubbish dump and for the first few years players were injured by glass and other debris rising up through the turf.  However, the biggest shock came when a bed-stead protruded out of one of the goal-mouths on a particularly muddy day.  The original name for the ground was to be Sloper Park, but luckily for the Blues, Lord Ninian (who kicked off their first game at the new ground and scored the winner against Aston Villa late on) gave his name as well as his money to the venture to develop the pride of Wales, with 10 Scotsmen and one native Welshman to take the field in the shirts of the new club.

The club joined the League in 1920 and in 1924, they came second in Division One, failing to land the championship by 0.024 of a goal.  Len Davies was their frail, but successful forward at the time and he missed a penalty in that season, which could have secured the championship for the Welsh side.  The next season, the Bluebirds got to the FA Cup semi-final, but two years later reached Wembley for the Final itself. On the way Davies hit a 40 yard shot against Chelsea in the FA Cup and the referee had to ask a policeman behind the goal if it had gone in - everyone was so amazed the slight striker could hit the ball so far !!  In the Final they met Arsenal and started what was to be a long-running series of giant-killings for the London side.  One goal, which squirmed off the keeper's new shiny jersey, settled the match and took the cup out of England for the only time.

In 1929, Cardiff conceded a then record low of 59 goals, but still got relegated and by 1934 they had plummeted to the bottom of the Third Division (South), having to be re-elected to stay in the League.  The ground suffered a tragedy in 1937, when thieves broke in and tried to blow up the safe, but only succeeded in setting the stand alight.   Their recovery took some time - winning 30 out of 42 games in 1947 to take the Third Division (South) title and they did return to the top flight in the 1950's, before heading back down to the lower rungs of the League ladder.  During the Fifties, they were drawn away to Leeds United in 1955, '56 and '57 in the FA Cup and they won each game 2-1 in front of a crowd that was the same size for each tie !!

More recently, they have been trawling the lower end of the League, but in 1993 won the Division 3 championship and gaining promotion to Div. 2 again last season.  In European competition, for which they have qualified through winning the Welsh Cup on many occasions, they have had some notable successes - in 1970 beating Real Madrid in the home leg of a Cup-Winners Cup tie and even managing to overcome FC Blau-Weiss of East Germany, the city that Cardiff is twinned with !! For a long time their most famous headlines have been for crowd trouble and financial struggles, but now it looks like the club are on firm ground (which is more than could be said for their original pitch) and hope to move forward into the 21st Century with ambition.  This has received a knock-back as they were relegated from Division 2 at the end of the 1999-2000 season, being passed on their way down by their main rivals Swansea City.  Under the bizarre leadership of Chairman Sam Hammam, the Bluebirds have soared up the league and into Div. 2 for the 2001-2002 season, having gained automatic promotion, passing their main rivals Swansea City who were on the way down.

Having got planning permission for a new stadium, it looks like it is good times ahead for the Bluebirds if they can get out of the Championship (as it is now known) with a good push for promotion in 2006-07.  The only black cloud on the horizon is the arrival of Peter Ridsdale who has taken over from Hammam and his duties might include him wanting to "live the dream" as he did at Leeds United.  He didn't get the chance, as Hammam sold out to Vincent Tan, who sold out the club's history by making them wear red shirts and changing the club badge.

It wasn't the only thing he changed, as he took the club into the Premier League under Malky Mackay's management and then spent a lot of money on the new club, the new ground and the new team to try to make them a fixture in the top flight.  Tan appeared to become an increasingly erratic figure in his pronouncements and ended sacking Mackay for spending his money on the summer, before brining in former Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who had no Premier League experience, before spending more of Tan's money in the January 2014 transfer window.

FAMOUS PLAYERS : - John Toshack,  Bob Stand, Fred Keenor, Phil Dwyer, Barry Swift, Don Clark.

FAMOUS FANS : - Super Furry Animals (Band), Mike Young (creator of SuperTed), Neil Kinnock (Euro MP), David Sullivan (Chairman - Birmingham City)

 

Club Records


Formed 1899

Turned Professional 1910

Became a Limited Company 1910

Former names Riverside  -  1899-1902
Riverside Albion  -  1902-1906

Previous grounds Riverside, Sophia Gardens
Old Park
Fir Gardens    until 1910

Nickname "The BLUEBIRDS"

Club Colours HOME : Shirts - Red
Shorts - Red
Socks - Red 

AWAY : Shirts - Blue
Shorts - White
Socks - Blue


Record Football League Win 9-2       v  Thames
Div 3 (S)          6.2.1932

Record Premier League Win 9-2       v  Thames
Div 3 (S)          6.2.1932

Record Football League Defeat 2-11     v  Sheffield United
Division 1        1.1.1926

Record Premier League Defeat 2-11     v  Sheffield United
Division 1        1.1.1926

Record Cup Win 8-0  v  Enfield  FAC R1  28.11.1931

Record Fee Paid £180,000 to San Jose Earthquakes for Godfrey INGRAM  (September 1982)

Record Fee Received £500,000 from Coventry City for Simon HAWORTH (June 1997)

Record Football League Appearances 471 -  Phil Dwyer  (1972-85)

Record Premier  League Appearances 471 -  Phil Dwyer  (1972-85)

Record goal-scorer in a season 30  -  Stan RICHARDS 
(Div 3 (S) 1946-47)

Record goal-scorer in a Premier League season 30  -  Stan RICHARDS 
(Div 3 (S) 1946-47)

Record League goal-scorer  128 - Len DAVIES  (1920-31) 

Record Premier League goal-scorer  128 - Len DAVIES  (1920-31) 

Record all-time goal-scorer  128 - Len DAVIES  (1920-31) 

Most goals in a match 5  -  Hugh FERGUSON  v  Burnley  Division 1  1.9.1928
5  -  Walter ROBBINS  v  Thames  Division 3 (South)  6.2.1932
5  -  William HENDERSON  v  Northampton Town Division 3 (South)  22.4.1933

Record Attendance (all-time) Ground record : 62,634  Wales v England  17.10.1959

Club Record :  57,893  v  Arsenal  Division 1  22.4.1953


Record total of goals in a League season 93  Division 3 (S) 1946-47 

Record total of goals in a Premier League season 93  Division 3 (S) 1946-47 

Record League points total 3 points for a win : 86  -  Division 3 1982-83

2 points for a win : 66  -  Division 3 (South) 1946-47


Record Premier League points total 3 points for a win : 86  -  Division 3 1982-83

2 points for a win : 66  -  Division 3 (South) 1946-47


Most Capped player while at club Alf SHERWOOD  -  39 (Wales)

Youngest player Alf SHERWOOD  -  39 (Wales)

Oldest player Alf SHERWOOD  -  39 (Wales)

 

Stadium details 

Address :  Ninian Park, Sloper Road, Cardiff CF1 8SX

Telephone :  01222 221001
(029)  20222857 / 20222858  (Box Office) or 
email to :  tickets@bluebirds.net
  (Credit Card Bookings)
(News)
  (Ticketline)
Fax :  029 20 341148

Capacity :  13,920
Away Allocation : 1,800
Pitch size :  120 yards  x 72 yards

Official website :  http://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk 
Unofficial website : www.bluebirdzone.co.uk

Fanzines

Watch The Bluebirds Fly
The Thin Blue Line
O Bluebird of Happiness

 

How to get there

By Car
FROM ALL DIRECTIONS: Ninian Park is best accessed from Junction 33 of the M4. Join the A4232 at J33 and follow signs for Cardiff. Leave the A4232 at the second exit. After coming down the slip road stay in the left hand lane and you will automatically join Leckwith Road. Follow this road to the traffic lights and turn right into Sloper Road. The ground is on the left hand side.

By Rail
Regular train services run from Cardiff Central Railway station to Ninian Park.

 

Full results history of Spurs v Cardiff City

Transfers from Cardiff City to Tottenham

Transfers from Tottenham to Cardiff City

Spurs v Cardiff City Facts

Spurs v Cardiff City match reports

Spurs v Cardiff City Reserve match reports

Spurs v Cardiff City Youth Match Reports

Honours

Managers

League Record

Spurs v Cardiff City Notes

 

Back to homepage