Fan File: Cardiff City

What is the club’s nickname? 
Bluebirds

What is the nickname other club’s give you? 
Baadiff and other sheep related jibes too rude to print in a football programme!

What songs do your fans sing?

“I’ll be there” – an old Welsh mining song and “Men of Harlech” which is generally hummed as the words are in Welsh!

How good/bad was last season?

We surpassed all expectations with the ridiculously talented Jason Koumas in the midfield and Cameron Jerome scoring plenty of goals 

What are your ambitions for the coming season?
To play more as a team and not depend on Koumas and Jerome. We are going to have to, as neither are at the club any longer.

What do you think the manager’s ambitions are for the coming season?
I think Dave Jones genuinely thinks we can push for promotion. Bless.

What do you think the board’s ambitions are for the coming season?
In public they talk of the playoffs but I think their true ambitions lie with the financial stability of the club, including the new retail park and football stadium project.

What position do you think your team will finish this season?
10th.

What position do you think Preston North End will finish this season?
11th!

Which team do you want to be beat the most this season and why?
Leeds United, we have some sort of curse over the Elland Road club since we knocked them out of the FA Cup in 2002 when they were top of the Premier League (they haven’t beaten us since). It would be great to keep that run going. 

If you could sign one player from your club’s past who would it be and why?
John Toshack. According to many (older Bluebird fans than me) selling him to Liverpool was the reason we didn’t get promoted to the top flight in the 70s. We’ve never even been close to returning there since he left. He has unfinished business at Cardiff!

If you could sign one player from any other club in the Championship who would it be and why?
Probably another goalscorer as past Michael Chopra I can’t really see where our goals are coming from. Forssell, and Nugent are excellent players but I’d probably go for one from two of our ex-players Robert Earnshaw or Jason Koumas. I’d probably plump for little Robbie Earnshaw though as he is almost guaranteed to get you 20 goals and I am pretty certain he will end as top scorer in this division.

If you could appoint a former manager to take charge at your club who would you choose and why?
I think Dave Jones is the right man for the job and I can’t think of a Cardiff City manager who has done as well as him in the past considering the resources he has at his disposal.

If you had to swap your manager with any other club in this division who would you go for?
Davies at Derby County strikes me as the only other outstanding manager in the division (apart from Dave Jones!) but I’m sure Preston fans already know that. However there are a couple of other up-and-coming managers, Phil Parkinson and Ian Holloway are the two others I quite like. Holloway more for his quips than his managerial ability.

If they made a Hollywood blockbuster about your club which actors would play the lead roles?
Steve Martin (no good films in ages but people still give him chances) in the lead role of ‘Publicity’ Pete Risdale and Danny DeVito (much more popular in the 80s) as the angry property developer Sam Hammam. I suspect this film is more likely to be a slapstick comedy than a serious thought provoking one.

What music does your team run out to at home?
U2’s Elevation

What music would be more appropriate for your team to run out to?
Living on a Prayer, Bon Jovi

What/who is your club mascot, is it any good?
It was Bartley the Bluebird who was last seen having a fight at Gigg Lane with Bury’s mascot. I don’t think Sam Hammam likes mascots so Bartley is rarely seen at Ninian Park nowadays. Shame.

Can you describe what is going on with your club badge?
The badge is the St. David’s cross with a bluebird on top that was brought in as part of Sam Hammam’s re-branding of the club when he took over. Personally I prefer the old style badge with a simple bluebird but you can’t have everything I suppose!

What is the greatest moment in your club’s history?
Our FA Cup Final victory over Arsenal in 1927 takes some beating, only our 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the Cup Winners Cup comes close.

What is the worst moment in your club’s history?
The numerous times we’ve almost gone out of business. On a personal note I remember us losing 2-7 at home to Cambridge United and losing to Barry Town in the Welsh Cup Final. Both were pretty bad.

Which would you prefer, reaching the FA Cup Final or the Play-Off Final?
FA Cup Final. Losing in the playoffs is an awful experience, I don’t think losing the FA Cup final would be much of a heartbreaker. Winning either would be amazing but I think in 20 years time an FA Cup win by Cardiff City would be more memorable than a season or two in the Premier League.

How many fans do you think you will bring to Deepdale?
Probably about 1000. Considering our normal home gates we have a large away following. Does this say something about Ninian Park?

What’s the greatest rumour you have ever heard about your club?
That we were going to set up our own Formula One team and have the cars emblazoned with the Bluebirds logo and Cardiff colours. It was a story fabricated on an internet message board that somehow made the local press.

What is your prediction for today’s game?
A hard fought score draw, some good football and some good beer.

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