FAN-TASTIC!
WE SPEND A DAY WITH THE BLUEBIRDS FAITHFUL AS THEY FINALLY HAVE SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE AGAINST FULHAM
THERE’S nothing quite like being a Cardiff City fan. The rollercoaster ride Bluebirds supporters have been on over the past few years has provoked passions, strong feelings and a real sense of identity with their football club.
The joy of promotion to the Premier League was followed by an eightmatch winless streak that saw Neil Warnock’s side slump to the foot of the table and dubbed the supposed worst team the top flight has known.
Then came Saturday’s 4-2 victory over Fulham. Cue delirum. Our man IAN MITCHELMORE covered the game in a different way, spending the day with Bluebirds fans. Here’s his before, during and after-match report...
PRE-MATCH
It’s mid-October, and the sun is beating down on the Welsh capital. After a truly-wonderful summer – one where most in these parts were celebrating a return to the Premier League – the mood was starting to change.
It may not have felt like it, but scratch the surface and you might be surprised with what you begin to hear.
Ultimately, matters on the pitch dictate the mood of a fan for the rest of the week. Positive or negative. And there’s a sense of pride and enjoyment about this particular journey. Because, quite frankly, it’s a trip they wouldn’t have dreamed to be on in the first place.
But football evolves. Views and opinions change. Very quickly so. And enthusiasm simply can’t be boundless.
Just ask those who fork out to follow their beloved Bluebirds every single week.
Sitting inside the iconic Cornwall Pub in Grangetown – a well-known drinking spot for Cardiff fans – a 180-degree glance from left to right can speak volumes.
Decked out in Cardiff memorabilia from the halcyon days of the 1992/93 promotion-winning season to the dream run to the FA Cup final a decade ago, it’s a venue that’s played host to some memorable and miserable post-match chats over the years.
And the opening conversation concerning the current state of affairs gets deep right from the off.
“There haven’t been any high points, but there’s got to be one today, otherwise it’s game over,” said Tony Webber, from Cwmbran.
“Back to the Championship, it’s make or break.”
It’s that word that crops up with a surprising regularity before kick-off. Championship.
Having enjoyed a whirlwind rise in gaining promotion under Neil Warnock last season, there are mixed feelings towards how Cardiff have gone about things in the top tier.
For Tony’s son, Reggie Leigh, in his first campaign as a season-ticket holder, the reality of life at the opposite end of the spectrum is only just beginning.
“It’s been really hard for us at the moment, we’re struggling to score goals,” he said.
Hard it has most certainly been. And it seems it’s only a matter of time before things could turn for the worse.
Robert Webber, who first started watching the Bluebirds in 1968, said: “I think I’d be happier in the Championship as I think it’s our level. If you’re losing at the top level, I think the support will start to wane.
“The support has been great so far. There comes a point where, maybe soon after Christmas if we’re still bottom, the crowds will start to go.
“Human beings are fickle. You’ve only got to go back a couple of years where we had a few thousand hardcore fans here, the rest will come and go with results.”
Adrian – another member of the Webber clan – shared similar concerns over a pint with some of those who mean the most to him.
“I think it’s important for the fans to see exciting football. If they don’t provide the players to generate that football, a lot of the fans that have come in to support Cardiff will drop off once they’ve seen the big teams play,” he commented.
The beer continued to flow. The music still played.
Company was being enjoyed, no matter what happens on the pitch. Nil desperandum.
Patience can wear thin – and with many it will – but there’s still an enormous sense of pride about what’s been achieved under Warnock.
Bethan Rudge, a follower of Cardiff for 22 years, said: “I think we’re just happy to be there and see what happens. If we go down, then we go down.”
And that pride certainly remains strong.
“I think that stems from Neil Warnock. Since he came in, that’s been the ethos. We’ll sing for 90 minutes. As long as people go out and try, that’s what we really care about,” she continued.
The optimism certainly hasn’t diminished either.
“Fulham is a winnable game. The fans are going to be behind them and it can kick-start the season,” said Naomi Wilson.
When asked if they’re enjoying the top flight, the faces of close friends Bethan and Naomi - with their blue Cardiff jerseys proudly on display – light up.
The minutes tick by and fresh pints are ordered.
Such is variation of pre-match rituals, some fans head for the ground well in advance just as others order their first refreshments of the day.
Fortunately, plenty of bar staff are at hand to keep the glasses full. Keeping a close eye on the streams of fans coming and going are doormen Jermaine Griffin and Lee Walsh.
Smartly dressed in black attire, the pair’s colours run deep on the inside rather than on their tough exteriors. “We get a good lot of fans coming in here, and they’ve been disappointed with a lot of the results obviously but there’s still hope,” said Jermaine.
“They’re Cardiff fans, they’re always happy. They don’t mess around. It’s the Premier League.”
And such is the reach of the club under Warnock, Cardiff fan Lee – a prime witness to the range of emotions of every single punter that passes through the doors of the pub on matchdays – reckons it’s almost unfathomable that there’ll be any kind of fallout between the manager and those in the stands.
“I think he’s a really good manager and Cardiff fans are loyal to the core. They’ll stick right through it,” he said.
The iconic 3pm Saturday kick-off slot fast approaches.
Fans who have had their full focus on Fulham since the defeat to Tottenham before the international break get ready to head to the place they consider to be home – Cardiff City Stadium.
Kenneth Bufton and Gary Davies – who have been regulars on Cardiff matchdays for more than half a century – have been there and done it. They’ve got every single T-shirt to prove it.
“We’ll be here if we’re in League Two,” quipped Kenneth.
“That’s if we’re still about, of course,” is Gary’s swift response.
The words hope, struggle and painful and all came out of the mouth of supporter Kieron Jones, a regular in the Canton End prior to the match. “Only a few years back I remember after the rebrand, at Charlton away, fans were fighting among themselves,” he said.
“They’re all together now. There are smiles on faces.”
It was a sense of perspective – perhaps coupled with the unusually tropical temperature – that fully demonstrated the type of camaraderie and passion the matchday experience can evoke. And it impacts everyone connected to the club.
Paul Gronow knows that only too well.
“We’ve created some good memories here. Having seen us down in the lower reaches, coming here now under Neil, it’s special,” he said. “This feels real.”
It is real. The Premier League dream is happening.