1992/93 Bluebirds trivia

On Sunday evening, a fundraising event for the Motor Neurone Disease Association was held at the Butchers Arms, Rhiwbina. Seven former Cardiff City players gave up their time for a very worthy cause and they clearly enjoyed the lengthy Q&A sessions as much as the fans did. It was a great night with the guys telling loads of interesting and funny stories from their playing days.

The ex-players in attendance were Nathan Blake, Tony Bird, Roger Gibbins, David Giles, Cohen Griffith, Chris Pike and Damon Searle. Naturally enough, a lot of the talk revolved around the 1992/93 campaign, when the Bluebirds won the Third Division championship and the Welsh Cup under Eddie May’s management.

Ahead of the event, I’d prepared a few trivia questions regarding the 92/93 season. My mates proved utterly hopeless when it came to answering them, but gentleman and scholar Cohen Griffith scored 100%.

The questions were as follows:

1) One member of the City squad made just a single league appearance in 92/93, but he scored an important goal in the game concerned. Name the player, the opposition and the final score.

2) Which Bristol City player scored a hat-trick against the Bluebirds in a Coca Cola Cup first round second leg tie at Ashton Gate?

3) Name the Cardiff player whose only first team appearances during 92/93 came in the two European Cup Winners’ Cup first round ties against Admira Wacker of Austria.

4) Which non-league club beat City 3-2 in an FA Cup first round game at Ninian Park in November 1992?

5) Carl Dale netted four goals as City hammered Caerau 9-0 in a Welsh Cup fourth round tie at Ninian Park in December 1992. Name the other Bluebirds player who scored a hat-trick during that match.

Good luck and no Googling...

:thumbup:

2) Andy Cole

4) Must be Bath City?

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Originally Posted by GL1Blue

2) Andy Cole

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Correct.

:thumbup:

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Originally Posted by lardy

4) Must be Bath City?

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Correct.

:thumbup:

My guesses

1. Andy Gorman, the 3-3 Boxing Day draw with York.

3. Really not sure about this one, Tony Bird?

5. Chris Pike wasn’t it?

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

My guesses

1. Andy Gorman, the 3-3 Boxing Day draw with York.

3. Really not sure about this one, Tony Bird?

5. Chris Pike wasn’t it?

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1 is correct - Andy Gorman, York, 3-3. One of the best headers I've ever seen.

3 and 5 are wrong answers.

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Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman

1 is correct - Andy Gorman, York, 3-3. One of the best headers I've ever seen.

3 and 5 are wrong answers.

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Nick Richardson for 5?

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Nick Richardson for 5?

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Correct.

:thumbup:

I attended the away game against Admira Wacker in Vienna - but I've no idea who the player concerned is.
I'm probably going to be hopelessly wrong on this.... Paul Giles?

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Originally Posted by Rock_Flock_of_Five

I'm probably going to be hopelessly wrong on this.... Paul Giles?

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Different era altogether. Paul Giles left the club in 1983.

I’m determined not to look number 3 up, but I’m struggling with it. Pretty sure that this was the time when you had to have so many home produced players in your squad, so I’m thinking it’s a Welsh youngster, but if it’s not Bird and it’s very.unlikely to be Gorman, I’m drawing a blank with that line of thinking - not Lee Baddeley is it?

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

I’m determined not to look number 3 up, but I’m struggling with it. Pretty sure that this was the time when you had to have so many home produced players in your squad, so I’m thinking it’s a Welsh youngster, but if it’s not Bird and it’s very.unlikely to be Gorman, I’m drawing a blank with that line of thinking - not Lee Baddeley is it?

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No, but you're very much on the right lines.

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Pretty sure that this was the time when you had to have so many home produced players in your squad...

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This is the key element.

Robin Semark was around that time I think.

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Robin Semark was around that time I think.

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Not him.

Tony Bird and Lee Baddeley played in both games, and Andy Gorman came on as a sub in the first leg. But it wasn't a youngster.

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Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman

Not him.

Tony Bird and Lee Baddeley played in both games, and Andy Gorman came on as a sub in the first leg. But it wasn't a youngster.

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Alan Lewis

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

Alan Lewis

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Jon Roberts -Goalkeeper

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

Alan Lewis

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Not him (he was mentioned in one of Roger Gibbins' stories on Sunday though).

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

Jon Roberts -Goalkeeper

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No, Mark Grew was in goal for both games.

Big logger Abrahams

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Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman

Not him (he was mentioned in one of Roger Gibbins' stories on Sunday though).

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He was a cave man, he had his own language. Lovely bloke, although you wouldn't mess with him.

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

Big logger Abrahams

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We have a winner!

Gareth Abraham. His final two appearances for the club before a move to Hereford United in January 1993.

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Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman

We have a winner!

Gareth Abraham. His final two appearances for the club before a move to Hereford United in January 1993.

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What a bloke. I remember his face after we played Bristol City at home in 89? Bob Taylor (I think) destroyed it, he had a broken nose, black eye and stitches above his eye. Apart from that he was fine....

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Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman

Different era altogether. Paul Giles left the club in 1983.

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Well, at least you know I didn't try to cheat by using Google :hehe:

I dismissed Gareth Abraham as a possibility because I.could have sworn he’d left us by then - shows what I know!

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

I dismissed Gareth Abraham as a possibility because I.could have sworn he’d left us by then - shows what I know!

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19 appearances the previous season and played in the Welsh Cup final victory over Hednesford Town, but was very much on the fringes of the squad in 1992/93 before moving to Hereford midway through the season. As you'd deduced, he played in the ECWC games due to the qualification rules.

I enjoyed that season. Meant I could go off to university a few months later proudly wearing my "Cardiff City - The Double" t-shirt as well. Had to explain what two things we'd won on more than one occasion.

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Originally Posted by Undercoverinwurzelland

I enjoyed that season. Meant I could go off to university a few months later proudly wearing my "Cardiff City - The Doube" t-shirt as well. Had to explain what two things we'd won on more than one occasion.

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Fixed for you :hehe:

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Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman

19 appearances the previous season and played in the Welsh Cup final victory over Hednesford Town, but was very much on the fringes of the squad in 1992/93 before moving to Hereford midway through the season. As you'd deduced, he played in the ECWC games due to the qualification rules.

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Imagine those qualification rules still existed. Football would be very different!

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Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee

Imagine those qualification rules still existed. Football would be very different!

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I can't remember what they were exactly. I have it in mind that maybe eight of the team had to be nationals of the country the club was representing or something similar? I really can't remember. It was touched on during the Q&A with the ex-players on Sunday, but nobody went into details. I have a vague recollection of Cohen Griffith becoming 'Welsh' to help with the numbers, but I'm not sure. What I do know is that City had to field a lot of Welshmen in those games, meaning Gareth Abraham got in a couple of appearances.

The 92/93 squad did have plenty of Welshmen in it - Lee Baddeley, Tony Bird, Nathan Blake, Carl Dale, Robbie James, Jason Perry, Chris Pike and Damon Searle (and later Kevin Ratcliffe). That fact made the team's success all the more enjoyable. I've never cared too much where our players come from, but the class of 92/93 definitely had a significant local feel to it.

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Originally Posted by Rock_Flock_of_Five

Fixed for you :hehe:

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Thanks 😁 Silly me.

Ha ha “Lee Lee Lee Baddeley”

I wish I had the powers of recall that some of you have.

All the names, the experiences and the main events are in my mind, but I am hopeless at remembering who appeared, scored how many, in which specific season, and who the opposition players were.

Well done everyone!

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Originally Posted by Crisp White Lines

Ha ha “Lee Lee Lee Baddeley”

I wish I had the powers of recall that some of you have.

All the names, the experiences and the main events are in my mind, but I am hopeless at remembering who appeared, scored how many, in which specific season, and who the opposition players were.

Well done everyone!

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Don't worry you're not alone. As mentioned earlier, I went to the Admira Wacker away game in '92.
Me and my mate had travelled to Munich first for the Oktober Fest. We then travelled by train to Vienna.

I can recall how noticeably miserable the locals seemed, however, I also remember them clapping our away support as they left the ground.

BUT, without Googling it, I honestly can't remember the score.

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Originally Posted by Rock_Flock_of_Five

Don't worry you're not alone. As mentioned earlier, I went to the Admira Wacker away game in '92.
Me and my mate had travelled to Munich first for the Oktober Fest. We then travelled by train to Vienna.

I can recall how noticeably miserable the locals seemed, however, I also remember them clapping our away support as they left the ground.

BUT, without Googling it, I honestly can't remember the score.

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It was a 2-0 defeat, following a 1-1 draw at Ninian in the first leg. Chris Pike scored the City goal, as he reminded us on Sunday.

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Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman

It was a 2-0 defeat, following a 1-1 draw at Ninian in the first leg. Chris Pike scored the City goal, as he reminded us on Sunday.

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I had a feeling it was a loss. I DO remember the subdued atmosphere amongst us when getting on the buses outside the stadium. :thumbup:

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Originally Posted by Rock_Flock_of_Five

I had a feeling it was a loss. I DO remember the subdued atmosphere amongst us when getting on the buses outside the stadium. :thumbup:

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I didn’t travel to any of the ECWC games. I went pretty much everywhere for the league games, but never travelled abroad.

Another funny game in 92/93 was a midweek Welsh Cup tie at Ton Pentre. It was played on a Tuesday afternoon in October during a normal working week, so we had to take an afternoon off. City fielded a full-strength side and won 2-0 in what was a really competitive contest.

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Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman

It was a 2-0 defeat, following a 1-1 draw at Ninian in the first leg. Chris Pike scored the City goal, as he reminded us on Sunday.

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I specifically remember the home leg because I took my ex-wife to her first match ever.

She sat sour-faced throughout the whole game - even suggesting grown men looked ridiculous jumping up and down because someone kicked a ball into that net.

Marriage doomed 🤣

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Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman

I didn’t travel to any of the ECWC games. I went pretty much everywhere for the league games, but never travelled abroad.

Another funny game in 92/93 was a midweek Welsh Cup tie at Ton Pentre. It was played on a Tuesday afternoon in October during a normal working week, so we had to take an afternoon off. City fielded a full-strength side and won 2-0 in what was a really competitive contest.

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It was my one and only time watching the City abroad. My mate was a real fairweather supporter; for him the beer festival in Munich was the real pull.
I only remember the date because we both wore lapel badges produced especially for that away leg.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman

I didn’t travel to any of the ECWC games. I went pretty much everywhere for the league games, but never travelled abroad.

Another funny game in 92/93 was a midweek Welsh Cup tie at Ton Pentre. It was played on a Tuesday afternoon in October during a normal working week, so we had to take an afternoon off. City fielded a full-strength side and won 2-0 in what was a really competitive contest.

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That's a strange kick-off time for the Ton Pentre game, what was the reasoning behind that?
I can only guess their floodlights were not of sufficient standard, perhaps?
They'd have certainly attracted a bigger attendance with a night game - all that lost revenue.