[Rant]

So, I fancy taking my girlfriend to see a game at Cardiff.

Until recently this meant having a few pints at the pub and then turning up at the match and paying on the turnstile and the walking on the terrace to find my friends. Simple.

Here's how modern football does it.

1 Go through the palaver of registering as a fan on the hideous website
2 Pay ?4 to become a 'fan' capable of buying a ticket (?20 if I want to go to an away game)
3 Register my girlfriend as a fan (this involves logging off and starting over)
4 Log back in
5 Pay ?4 on my girlfriend's behalf so I can buy her a ticket
6 Battle with hideous booking system in an attempt to buy tickets remotely close to my friends
7 Fail miserably
8 Ring up and buy tickets
9 End up miles from my mates at the game

If I was physically capable of supporting a team in Division 4 or below I would, but Cardiff's in my DNA (hence they can get away with charging me just to have the right to buy a ticket).

Modern football is rubbish.

[/Rant]

Labels: cardiff, football

We paid another visit a few weeks back and checked out all the indoor galleries we missed last time.

They've currently got a great pop culture exhibition there, and after we've finished stuffing our faces with lovely Welsh cakes, we had a look around the Celtic village.

It's easily one of our favourite museums in the UK.





More photos: St Fagans national history museum

Labels: cardiff, museum, wales

In a remarkable run of ultra-crapness, my beloved Cardiff City FC - who recently looked destined for a guaranteed play-off place (if not automatic promotion) - conspired to turn into a wobbly bag'o'cack, collecting just one measly point from a possible 12.

Today, all they had to do was draw to Sheffield Wednesday - a team languishing miles below us in the league, but even that proved too much, so it's another season in the Championship for us (or the 'Second Division' as it should rightfully be called).

Naturally, I'm horribly disappointed by this rubbish end to our season, but my reaction seems a little more restrained that I anticipated.

A few years ago, this would have been my response:

But now - perhaps because I'm older or perhaps because I'm not sure if the corporate-powered, prawn sandwich-propelled Premiership is to my tastes - I feel a lot more like this:

How do you cope with defeat? Check out the What kind of fan are you? section, or drop me a line...

Labels: cardiff, cartoons, defeat, football

Phew! This was a nail-biting game alright!

Even though Charlton were already relegated from the Championship and had nothing much to play for, Cardiff failed to match their high-flying league position and had to battle through a very tense 90 minutes, only managing a much needed point at the death.

Here's a few photos:

I really like Charlton's ground. It may be new(ish) but it's not another hideous metal box like the rest of them.

One minute to go and.. GOALLLLLL! Cardiff get the crucial equaliser, right at the end!

More photos: Charlton 2 Cardiff City 2

Labels: cardiff, cardiff city, football

We went down to Selhurst Park yesterday to see the mighty Cardiff City take on Crystal Palace.

The game wasn't short on thrills or incident and turned out to be a very physical encounter and a great spectacle to watch. Best of all, the win put the Bluebirds into fourth place so we're still looking good for the play offs (at the very least!).

What is this banner about?


Roger Johnson has just been elbowed in the neck by Davis. How could the ref have not seen it?




Love the old school wooden seats!

More photos here

Labels: cardiff, cardiff city, football

Central Cardiff is changing so fast, I have trouble recognising some parts now, especially in the area where the monolithic St Davids Centre 2 is going up. I can't say I'm feeling the love for that vast temple to consumerism either.

Here's some pics from my late December stroll on a sunny but freezing cold afternoon. You can see the full photo feature here: Cardiff city centre photos.

Labels: cardiff, photos

Link

By gum it was freezing cold, but I still managed my traditional Christmas Day walk up Graig Llanishen, to the north of Cardiff.

Here's some photos:

Labels: cardiff, photos, walk

Link

On Saturday we popped down to Ninian Park for what will probably be our last cross-Severn derby with Bristol City - next season we should have moved across Sloper Road and settled in our shiny new stadium.

I'm going to miss the old Ninian Park though - in particular, I'm going to really miss standing on the terracing, which as far as I'm concerned is how football should always be watched.

Such is progress, this will be the last season that I'll be allowed to stand on the terraces. And that's rubbish.







More photos
Full match report

Labels: cardiff, cardiff city, football

Link

I fucking loves Barry Island (or "Barry's Island" if you've been watching the fantastic Gavin and Stacey BBC TV prog). It's right tidy.

Here's a few pics:

Labels: barry island, cardiff, wales

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The game was a whole load more fun than our recent Wembley semi final clash with Barnsley and it was a great way to end the season.





Who would have thought that Cardiff would end up in the FA Cup Final, but we'll be there on May 17th!! (Well, I say "we" but it looks like I haven't got a hope in hell of getting a ticket).



Come on City!!!

Labels: cardiff, football

Link

It's Saturday night and I'm stuck in with a stinky cold. No Fun. Bah.



I didn't do myself any favours spending most of last night out - I was doing the sound for the excellent Hillbilly/Boogie/Western Swing act Petunia at the Brixton Albert and then DJ'd until late into the night.



However, coughing and wheezing spirits were raised massively this afternoon by Wales' superb Triple Crown clinching 16-12 win over Ireland. Great work lads!



I've bought a new scanner and am working my way through some of my old photos - check out this article on the Eco Village in Wandsworth, a squat set up back in 1996.



I've also posted up my review of the fantastically sci-fi Logitech diNovo Edge Bluetooth Keyboard. It's got lights that fade in and out like a Romulan cloaking device! It glows! It's wafer thin! It's made of plexiglass!

Logitech diNovo Edge Bluetooth Keyboard: Review

Oh, and come on Cardiff City in the FA Cup!
*fingers crossed

Labels: cardiff, rugby, squat, wales

Just a few snaps from my brief stay in my home town over Christmas. It's getting hard to reconcile the city with my memories as it's being redeveloped so fast.





Cardiff at Christmas - more photos

Labels: cardiff, christmas, photos

Went to see the mighty Cardiff City play like a bunch of disinterested park walkers at QPR on Saturday and was rather baffled by their curious reference to "industrial language" in the match programme.

Is it something like: "Oy You! Conveyor Belt face!"
Or: "Are you a Mechanised Steel Grinder in disguise"?


The only real excitement came after the final whistle when the teams decided to go for a mutual shirt-pulling and push'n'shove session.



Being a Cardiff game, there was the usual full gang of police dogs, mounted cops and aggressive uniformed types on hand to add to the misery of the result.

QPR 1 Cardiff, 0 match report

Labels: cardiff, photos

Camden

After not setting foot in Camden for ages, I found myself being given a tour of the super swanky Roundhouse building on Wednesday afternoon and then returning again to see The Actionettes dance at the Monkey Chews pub for a birthday. Nice boozer it was too.

Later on we walked to the Enterprise pub by Chalk Farm and loved it.


Downstairs was all fun and happening rock and roll and rockabilly while upstairs was...

...a feast of shoe shuffling indiepop introspection. We stayed downstairs.



Next day I strolled up Railton Road passing the fabulously named Majestical Lips before taking a wander about Brockwell Park.

Later on I took another of my big London walks - expect some more pics soon!

Cardiff



Today I've managed to post up some more Cardiff photos including some from what's now been called, the 'Cafe Quarter.' They might give it a designer name, but I imagine a Saturday night at Caroline Street is just as rough as it ever was (oh! the memories!).

Labels: camden, cardiff, photos

The oldest record store in the world, Spillers Records in Cardiff, is under threat as the landlord looks set to hike the rent to unaffordable levels.

It's a great shop and an important musical landmark in the Principality.

Check out my mini-feature here - Spillers Records and please sign the petition here.

Labels: cardiff

Despite the raging hangover, I managed to drag my ale-soaked arse half way up Caerphilly Mountain and across Graig Llanishen for a bracing walk in the freezing mist.


I'm really glad that I made the effort too as it was a lovely walk, trudging across deserted fields and dark forests.

» Graig Llanishen walk

Garth Mountain/ Mynydd Y Garth walk


On the 27th, we climbed the equally mist-drenched Garth Mountain, with the rain managing to hold off until the last minute.


The mountain has several ancient (4,000 years old!) burial mounds on the top and commands fantastic views all around (when it's not covered in mist, of course).

» Garth Mountain/ Mynydd Y Garth walk

Cardiff City report



The full match report of Tuesday's game is now online:
»Cardiff 2 Plymouth Argyle 2

Labels: cardiff, ccfc, photos, wales, walks

Just back from a lovely few days climbing mountains, scaling hills and scrambling through thorny bushes in and around Cardiff. south Wales.


Sadly, the mighty Cardiff City once again failed to make my Christmas complete, drawing to Plymouth at home, 2-2.


Great to be back standing on the old terraces though, and the crowd wasn't bad at 17,299, if a tad silenced by the freezing temperatures.

Loads more Cardiff photos coming soon!

Labels: cardiff, ccfc, wales