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I’ve actually lost my voice from shouting at the mighty Bluebirds for so long tonight, such was the tension in this game.
The away leg at Selhurst Park was nerve-racking enough but watching this vital match was even worse – even though I was only bellowing at the TV screen this time.
There was a lively atmosphere at Selhurst Park for the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final on Tuesday, 10th Jan 2012, with the mighty Cardiff City taking on Crystal Palace.
Once the longest-serving advert in any British football ground, the painted words of “Captain Morgan Rum – The Right Rum For Today’s Taste” adorned the roof of Cardiff City’s Ninian Park football ground for more than 40 years.
This game had everything – except a win for Cardiff.
We had Millwall fans fighting amongst themselves, dodgy refereeing, sending offs, a penalty revoked, fightbacks, a fantastic atmosphere and, sadly, a Cardiff fan falling from the top tier of the stadium to the empty seats below after we scored.
A midweek trip to Selhurst Park promised reasonably great things for the star studded players of the mighty Cardiff City, but, sadly, it turned out to be one of those nights.
I can’t remember what sent us all scuttling off in the direction of a half-empty Grange End on a cold Winter afternoon in 1994, but here’s the scene from our Fifth Round FA Cup clash with Luton Town on the 20th Feb.
Note the guy in the checked jacket at the back helpfully propelling those in front of him closer to the gate.
Blackpool 3 Cardiff City 2 – Championship Play Off Final, Wembley
So we missed out on the Premiership. It was a great game, Blackpool just deserved it and we never really recovered after Boothroyd limped off injured.
Coca Cola Championship play-off final
Wembley Stadium Date: Saturday, 22 May Kick-off: 1500 BST
The bigger game have played in living memory is here and I’m a bag of nerves!
Tonight I’ll either be whooping with joy or propping up the bar, drinking to forget.
COME ON CARDIFF!
Turn off the sub-U2 backing drone of Futuretown’s ‘What Are We Waiting For’, stick on some slamming drum’n'bass, Pistols or The Clash, and soak up this glorious video showing Cardiff City’s magnificent season.
Let’s hope we can crown it off with a win at Wembley tomorrow.
Nervous? You bet!
With Cardiff preparing for their third trip to Wembley in as many years, away trips like these seem a distant memory, but die hard City fans will have memories of many trips to the lesser known football outposts of the nation.
I’d forgotten about these comic strips I’d drawn for the Cardiff City Bluebird Jones football comic a years ago, but I’ve certainly been some of the characters portrayed.
For the forthcoming Wembley final, I fear I may be a bit like this:
Man, this was an incredible game.
I watched in the Brixton Hootenanny and it was a mighty strange place to watch such a vital match.
The Fulham game was on the other screen right next to us (with, I’ll have to admit, a rather larger crowd), and there were people playing pool in front of the screen showing the Cardiff game.
Oh yes! Watch Peter Whittingham’s stunning free-kick slam into the Leicester net as Cardiff City take the advantage in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final.
Return match is on Wednesday night. Come on City!
(Click on to see the video of the goal. And it’s a beauty!)
Here’s another of my occasional series of photo reports from long-forgotten Cardiff City matches, with this one recalling the 2-1 victory over Northampton Town on the 2nd March, 2002.
