Cardiff City F.C.
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| Full name | Cardiff City Association Football Club |
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| Nickname(s) | The Bluebirds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 1899 as 'Riverside AFC' | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Ninian Park Cardiff |
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| Capacity | 22,008 (16,000 Seated) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman |  Peter Ridsdale |
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| Manager | Dave Jones |
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| League | The Championship | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005-06 | Championship, 11th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cardiff City Football Club are a football team based in Cardiff, currently playing in the Football League Championship. They play their home games at Ninian Park. The current manager is Dave Jones.
Cardiff are the only non-English side to have won any of the three major English competitions. They won the FA 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, and as the winner of the Cup in 1966-67 gained entry to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, reaching the semi-finals in 1967-68.[1]
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, which would make them the first non-English team to do so.
Significant former managers of Cardiff City include Lennie Lawrence, Bobby Gould, Eddie May, Billy Ayre and Alan Cork. Significant former players include Dean Saunders, John Charles, John Toshack and Robert Earnshaw.
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[edit] 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 broadcast to the nation by BBC Radio. In 1924 they finished runners-up in the Football League First Division - this is still the highest finish achieved by any Welsh club in the English league. Cardiff City "The Sheepshaggers" and Swansea City are the only Welsh football clubs to have played at the highest level of English football.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Current outlook
Lennie Lawrence guided Cardiff to Division Two playoff glory in 2003 and they have remained at Championship 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 Albion, £950,000 for striker Andy Campbell from Middlesbrough 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.
After a good start to the 2006-07 season fans believe they could be the first non-English team to play in the FA Premier League, but their lead has been erased by Birmingham City, who they now trail by four points.
[edit] Stadium plans
Cardiff City are currently hoping to build a state of the art 30,000 seater stadium on the site of the nearby Leckwith Athletics Stadium. The project also includes a retail park and requires the rebuilding of the existing athletics stadium at another location.
Due to the scale and expense of the project, it has encountered long delays, although construction is due to begin in late 2007. Some fans and elements of the media have speculated that the project would not go ahead at all, although since the turn of 2006, there have been many encouraging developments. In January 2006, the supermarket group Asda signed up for space on the retail park, joining the American firm Costco, who have already agreed to a holding, of 135,000 sq ft. Asda's share of the planned complex at Leckwith will comprise a 55,000 sq ft store with parking spaces, totalling 92,000 sq ft.
Leckwith Road will also be widened to a dual carriageway over 18 months, with the scheme allowing for an extra access lane to become available on matchdays.
The council is, however, currently insisting that the replacement for Leckwith athletics stadium is built before the new football ground is begun. It was thought that there would be no major athletics facility in the city for up to 11 months between the demolition of Leckwith and the building of a new athletics facility nearby.
But developers have said that the main infrastructure work including highway improvements, drainage, gas supply and electricity cables can be carried out in a way that will allow Leckwith to remain open until July 2007. However, with the developers offering to pay for the athletes' transport costs to alternative training tracks it is hoped that the demolition of the athletics stadium will occur sooner rather than later.
Work is scheduled to begin on the new athletics stadium in January with the track and throwing areas expected to be open for use by the end of July 2007. The new athletics stadium is expected to be completed by October 2007 and it is hoped that Cardiff City F.C.'s stadium will open in December 2008. That motion was approved on November 27th 2006.
[edit] Current first-team squad
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[edit] Out on loan
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[edit] Notable former players
[edit] Records
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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
[edit] 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 Cup semi-finalists 1968
- F.A.W Premier Cup Winners 2002
[edit] Rivalry
Cardiff City's most significant rivalry is with neighbours Swansea City; though traditionally there is also plenty of ill-feeling between the club's supporters and followers of Bristol City. Newport County, now playing in the non-league, are also a team who have enjoyed rivalry with the Bluebirds.
[edit] 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
[edit] Notable 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
- Stuart Cable - Ex-Stereophonics Drummer
- Matthew Pritchard - Member of Dirty Sanchez
- Dannie Abse - Poet
[edit] 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
- Cardiff City defeated Arsenal in that famous FA Cup final.
[edit] External links
- Cardiff City F.C. Official website
- Official Online-shop
- Cardiff City F.C. Official Picture Website
- Cardiff City F.C. Official Forum
- Cardiff City F.C. on BBC Sport: Club News - Recent results - Upcoming fixtures - Club stats
- 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
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Barnsley | Birmingham City | Burnley | Cardiff City | Colchester United | Coventry City | Crystal Palace | Derby County | Hull City | Ipswich Town | Leeds United | Leicester City | Luton Town | Norwich City | Plymouth Argyle | Preston North End | Queens Park Rangers | Sheffield Wednesday | Southampton | Southend United | Stoke City | Sunderland | West Bromwich Albion | Wolverhampton Wanderers edit |
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