Flag tribute to ‘Lost Souls’ of the terraces
CARDIFF City fans have always been capable of creating a formidable atmosphere, but some supporters are hoping to use Saturday’s 4-2 victory over Fulham to take things up to the next level.
Ahead of the sensational victory over the Cottagers, fans in the Canton End unfurled a 100ft surfer flag – the largest to have ever been seen at the Cardiff City Stadium, or indeed the old Ninian Park.
Its maiden Premier League outing got plenty of fans talking, and those behind the idea are hoping it will be the catalyst for further European-style displays, adding that there are already ambitious plans in place to create the biggest display ever seen at a Cardiff game.
The design for this latest flag, which was actually first unveiled during the summer and received its first outing during the pre-season clash with Real Betis, pays tribute to various beloved supporters and terrace legends from years gone by that have sadly died.
Now, it could be a regular fixture at Cardiff home games after the weekend’s successful trial run.
It’s the brainchild of die-hard Bluebirds fans Carl Denys Jones and Mike Thorne, who both worked together as part of a company named Euroflags which makes and supplies football flags for fans of teams all over the country.
Carl said: “There was a group of us in a local pub and we were speaking about the different people at the football and the different characters you meet at football.
“The idea for the flag just grew from there really. I put it on a Facebook page and then we got a bit of backing by starting a GoFundMe campaign for the cost of it and the design.
“I asked in the group what names should go on it and the stories behind them and it just kept growing.
“The cost of the flag was nearly £2,000. We raised something like £750 and then pulled a few strings and got a bit of backing from the manufacturer and they supplied half the cost because they could see the sentiment behind it They got in with the idea.
“There’s loads of different stories for every different person.
“The one recent guy called Bestie was a massive Cardiff supporter and he passed away this year. Andy Legg contacted me and asked if we could get his name on there and we did.”
Carl added: “We’ve always wanted to have a big flag out there with people waving their other flags as well – very similar to the Liverpool Kop atmosphere and what it brings for the game...
“They hadn’t won a game [in the Prem this season] before this, so you could say it’s a lucky flag now!”
The positive reaction means plans are already in plans to take things even further, with Carl and Mike hoping to raise the cash for something far, far more ambitious.
“The likes of Borussia Dortmund have the wall and I’m envisaging now that our next project will be a wall flag that completely covers the Canton End with two big Bluebirds either side. We’re looking at making that happen.
“We’ve got to get the backing for it and hopefully the manufacturer can help us out again and hopefully we can get it ready before the end of the season.
“It just brings a bit of buzz and a bit of excitement. European flag culture with the terracing has moved on from the 80s where it was scarves.
“Now it’s big banners. It just provides the European feel to a match and it’s a fantastic thing to see.”