The Irish, the Scottish, I'm fine with. Like a beer, have a go at
us, know there place, (to an extent!) If they want to better
themselves they bugger off, London, New York, they find somewhere
that will put up with there strange celtic ways. The Welsh, they
stay put, whinge about the English, while taking our money, and sing
songs in very high pitched voices. Terrible.
Cardiff City supporters have decided they represent Wales (if the new
stadium next to Ninian Park ever gets built it will be called St.
David's Stadium!) Fine, bring it on, Essex's finest will be up for
it.
Well I hope so as Cardiff City are a very good football team at the
moment and Dave Jones a very good manager. They sit proudly at the
top of the championship having scored a lot more goals than
Birmingham. The trade mark Jones sides, as they were at Stockport,
Southampton and Wolves, are hard working and work for each other, he
hes transformed Cardiff from a relegation bound team to a side who
could be playing the elite next year.
As it happens we have not got a bad record against them, the Blues
have played them 34 times, 11 wins, 13 defeats and 10 draws, as even
as you get, especially if we do the double over them this season!
We were both in the old third division last time we played them, 2000-
1, and drew both games. 2-2 away, goals from Captain Kev and Tolson,
while at the Hall it was 1-1, a nemisis of ours, Leo Fortune-West
scored for Cardiff, while a last minute own goal from Weston silenced
the Welsh hoards. Well, until they hit the sea front! (I was in a
Swindon pub at the time waiting for the result with Sky showing us 0-
1 down at five to five. When the final results came up it was, of
course, 1-1, cue a loud shout of "yes", much to the suprise of my
fellow drinkers!)
Much water has passed under the bridge since then, for both sides,
with former Wimbeldon chairman Sam Hammam initially placing the
funds into the club that turned it from a team that floated in-
between the lower divisions, they were third from bottom of the old
third division in 1996, to the championship team we see now. Though
they now seem to be saddled with a reported £25 million debt it will
be interesting to see if he hangs around.
We first met the Bluebirds, maybe they should take on the Bluebelles,
in the F.A. Cup (5th Qualifying Round!), in 1912! (Winning 3-0.)
A competition they quite like becoming the only non-English winners
in 1927 when they beat Arsenal 1-0. The Cup also brought another tie-
up in 1976, 2 goals from Parker sealing a 2-1 4th round win, taking
us to Derby and the infamous 'F off Rioch' 0-1 defeat game in Round
5.
The first league meeting was 1931 when Pike, 'don't mention your name
Pike', scored in a 1-1 draw. We also beat the 8-1 in 1937. (Though
the very next year there was a 0-5 reverse.)
Sky stupid kick off game or not, do the pubs still open at midday?,
there should be plenty of Welshman in Essex come 1.15 on Sunday and
plenty of atmosphere. A suprise result for us would see me off to
Greece with a big smile on my face but it's going to be our toughest
test so far, however, I said that about West Brom away. (After our
Quinn/Robson double it's a shame we will not see Jones on his way and
QPR and Leeds have beaten us to it, whose for the hat-trick then?).
Tilly and Brush have created a team ethic for themselves and another
1-1 draw would personally do me fine.
Team News;
No injury worries should see an unchanged Cardiff side starring the
goal scoring geordie Chopra lead the line, what a find he's been.
Alexander, Gilbert, Purse, Loovens, McNaughton, Parry, McPhail,
Scimera, Ledley, Chopra, Thompson.
Regular readers of TLG will know we support Tilly's unchanged team
theory here and the first 70 minutes of Brighton did not show that
much to change our mind. However, that man Sodje is a man mountain
and deserves to start, probably for Clarke. Gutteridge to come back
but if he continues to struggle the more offensive Hunt can be
brought on and, this time, maybe to stay.