EARNIE’S CRAZY CITY DAYS
LOOKING back at Cardiff City’s recent history, there are few more iconic players than Robert Earnshaw.
The diminutive former striker rose through the ranks and shot straight into the limelight at the turn of the century, spearheading the Bluebirds’ march through the divisions.
It has earned him legendary status in south Wales and rightly so – what City would give for a striker of his ilk at the moment.
The former Wales international invariably features on most people’s lists of the club’s greatest-ever players, having endeared himself to fans during two spells with the Bluebirds.
We all know how the fans view him, but what does he think of the club?
“I’ve always had fond memories of Cardiff, a place I came through as a kid,” he tells the Echo.
“I say this from the fans, rather than myself, because I don’t like praising myself, but everyone else says it was a great time!
“I did some really good things that the fans enjoyed and that’s the biggest thing.
“Hopefully, I did a lot of things that were successful for the club, whether that’s promotion or scoring goals in big games.
“Being part of that and being part of the success of taking us from the bottom through to the Championship.
“Promotions, cup runs, beating big teams. I’ve only got great things to say about Cardiff and the time I spent there.”
During his first stint at the club, City were on a meteoric rise.
Earnshaw reels off a list of the biggest characters at that time, Danny Gabbidon, James Collins, Graham Kavanagh, Leo Fortune-West, it goes on and on.
The former striker was crucial to Cardiff’s success, as were all those characters around him, but the biggest driving force, in his opinion, came from the men off the pitch.
“One of the characters was also Lennie Lawrence,” he continues. “Alan Cork and Sam Hammam, too. It took a big contribution from those guys.
“It was always interesting. Alan Cork was great, very short and direct. Very positive, but you knew where you stood with him.
“Lennie Lawrence was great, very different. A lot calmer, a lot more composed. Very experienced. He was a really good guy, so you respected him. Not the loudest, but you gave him respect.
“Sam Hammam, I always used to say he was crazy. I used to tell him, too. There was nothing out of the window. Whether that was on the field or off the field. He always added to all those characters and he enjoyed that.
“There was never a dull moment, every day there was something crazy. Something happening.”