Double joy as City fan marks son’s 18th birthday and club’s promotion
A FATHER whose son was born the same year Cardiff City got relegated to the third division will be celebrating his son’s 18th birthday following the Bluebirds’ promotion to the Premier League.
Dave Robinson, 56, and his son Jake, 17, are Bluebirds fanatics and have both been season ticket holders at the club since 2007, when Jake attended his first game.
The teenager’s mother Elaine even wore a Cardiff City shirt when she gave birth to him – despite her not even liking football.
Despite father and son seeing many ups and downs over the years, as Jake approaches his 18th birthday next week he is coming of age ahead of a season when his club will be playing top flight football.
Dave, originally from Riverside in Cardiff but now of Newport, said: “I have been a City fan all my life and my mother took me down Ninian Park for my sixth birthday in 1968.
“I was a football player myself and when I stopped playing I got a season ticket for me and my son when he was seven years old. I thought it was time to take him down City while Ninian Park was still around and he could stand on the terraces and he has had a season ticket ever since.
“In his first season we made Wembley so he thought we made Wembley every year.
“He loves it and so does my mother who is now 79 years old.”
Speaking about the circumstances behind his wife donning the famous blue shirt during his son’s birth, Dave said: “My wife is not a fan at all and has only seen one game of football in her life.
“The shirt was the only thing that could fit her at the time – it was an over-sized large shirt and it was the only thing she could get last-minute.”
At the end of Cardiff City’s season in 2000, when Jake was born, the club’s manager was Billy Ayre. They finished 21st in the old Second Division which saw them relegated to the old Third Division. Their top scorers were Jason Bowen and Kevin Nugent with 17 goals each.
Fast forward 18 years and the manager is Neil Warnock. The club finished second in the Championship which saw them promoted to the Premier League while their top scorer was Junior Hoilett with 11 goals.
Speaking about the season ahead, Dave said: “Jake is looking forward to it – he thoroughly enjoys watching Cardiff whoever they play, whether they are languishing in the doldrums or in the Premiership, but it’s good to be attracting the larger clubs.
“For his birthday we’re having a family gathering on the bank holiday weekend and on the day we’re going to spend it locally and go for a meal. I’m looking forward to going down the pub with him to buy his first beer.”