Big Jim Eadie

[Cyncoed Slumdog]

Jim Eadie was an excellent goalkeeper for City, I remember him well. He played twice when Fred Davies was injured, and when Davies was sold at the end of the season Cardiff signed Frank Parsons as his replacement, but after the 3-4 home defeat to Middlesbrough, back came big Jim for a year or so. Then City signed Bill Irwin and Jim was gone , all too soon, as Parsons was kept on as 2nd choice behind Irwin. He went on to have a good spell at Bristol Rovers but I do feel City let him go too soon.

He was a big , stocky . 'keeper and I won't mention his nickname on here. Sad to see how his injuries have caught up with him.

I remember that Middlesbrough game. As fast as we were scoring fantastic goals at one end, Frankie Parsons was throwing them in at the other. Jim was unlucky not to be kept on but Scoular obviously never forgave him for a mistake in a big game in the same way that Bob Wilson (the other other one) never played again after his mistake against Hamburg in the last minute.

[Vindec]

Davies, Carver, Bell, Sutton, Murray, Harris, Jones, Clark, Lea, Toshack, Bird; Standard team for many months in 1970.

By far the best City team I have seen in my 60 years as a supporter. The Clark/Toshack strike partnership was better than anything else around at the time. We will never see anything like it again.

[Moodybluebird]

By far the best City team I have seen in my 60 years as a supporter. The Clark/Toshack strike partnership was better than anything else around at the time. We will never see anything like it again.

Yes, my favourite City team too (with Peter King). The only weak link and probably the most derided player was Ronnie Bird but he had a great shot on him and was the best penalty taker we've ever had.

On their day, they were almost unplayable in our division. Toshack got on the end of every cross in the air and no opposing centre half could deal with him. With a little investment and retaining Toshack, the old First Division would have beckoned but alas we had to wait another 40 odd years for that 'privilege'.

[Vindec]

Yes, my favourite City team too (with Peter King). The only weak link and probably the most derided player was Ronnie Bird but he had a great shot on him and was the best penalty taker we've ever had.

On their day, they were almost unplayable in our division. Toshack got on the end of every cross in the air and no opposing centre half could deal with him. With a little investment and retaining Toshack, the old First Division would have beckoned but alas we had to wait another 40 odd years for that 'privilege'.

Don't forget Dave Carver. Much derided by those around me but the best crosser of bll we have ever had.

[Bobby Dandruff]

Don't forget Dave Carver. Much derided by those around me but the best crosser of bll we have ever had.

Who of course asked me to keep an eye on his boots (in a brown paper bag I recall) in the players lounge after a game when I was young.

I didn't know who he was until my Dad pointed him out to me.

[Moodybluebird]

Don't forget Dave Carver. Much derided by those around me but the best crosser of bll we have ever had.

I've got a great Dave Carver memory that is as clear today as it was then. At the time we used to stand in the bob bank, slightly lower down from the camera tower. An older guy was always in the same vicinity and he seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face. Poor old Dave Carver was not the most elegant or athletic of players and boy did he come in for some stick from Mr Happy if he was have a bit of a mare or generally under-performing. He would bellow the same thing week after week. "Carver, you are like a baby carthorse!" Poor Dave ! To be fair, he was a safe if unspectacular player but for all that he will still be part of my favourite ever City team.

[the other bob wilson]

Apart from making sure I didn't get filled in and seeing Ronnie Bird actually miss a penalty, the main memory I have of the Swansea v City Welsh Cup Semi Final replay at the Vetch in 1970 was the competition me and my mates set whereby we predicted how many times Dave Carver would boot the ball out of the ground during the ninety minutes. I said two, but had already lost by the time the match went into extra time - think it was five in the end .

[Moodybluebird]

Apart from making sure I didn't get filled in and seeing Ronnie Bird actually miss a penalty, the main memory I have of the Swansea v City Welsh Cup Semi Final replay at the Vetch in 1970 was the competition me and my mates set whereby we predicted how many times Dave Carver would boot the ball out of the ground during the ninety minutes. I said two, but had already lost by the time the match went into extra time - think it was five in the end .

You couldn't get two full backs as dissimilar as Carver and Bell but most of the time it worked well. In hindsight, a little bit surprising that no interest was shown by bigger clubs in acquiring Gary Bell.

[Bobby Dandruff]

You couldn't get two full backs as dissimilar as Carver and Bell but most of the time it worked well. In hindsight, a little bit surprising that no interest was shown by bigger clubs in acquiring Gary Bell.

Yeah, I always rated Gary Bell, despite me only being 10 when he left the club 🙈

I never realised that he then went on to play 126 games for Newport County :-0

[Vindec]

You couldn't get two full backs as dissimilar as Carver and Bell but most of the time it worked well. In hindsight, a little bit surprising that no interest was shown by bigger clubs in acquiring Gary Bell.

A good player who I think we acquired from non league football.

[Cyncoed Slumdog]

A good player who I think we acquired from non league football.

Started off with the famous Lower Gornal Athletic. I think we got George Andrews from them as well.

[splott parker]

Started off with the famous Lower Gornal Athletic. I think we got George Andrews from them as well.

We certainly did and what a cracking pair of sideboards

[Moodybluebird]

Yeah, I always rated Gary Bell, despite me only being 10 when he left the club 🙈

I never realised that he then went on to play 126 games for Newport County :-0

Even more surprising, he was only 27 when he left us for Cwnty.

[Bobby Dandruff]

Even more surprising, he was only 27 when he left us for Cwnty.

That IS odd.

I wonder who took over from him?

[the other bob wilson]

That IS odd.

I wonder who took over from him?

Freddie Pethard and then Clive Charles. I can remember Gary Bell being talked of as an outside bet for a place in the England squad for the 1970 World Cup. That.was probably the local media going over the top, but it does give an idea of how well he was playing at one time, so for him to be leaving for a Fourth division club on a free at 27 a few years later shows how far his form must have dropped. City's early seventies decline coincided exactly with the thirty five year old Brian Harris leaving to become County's player manager in the summer of 1971 - Harris was a huge influence and Don Murray was never the same player after that and it seems the same applied to Bell as well, while Dave Carver only lasted another season or so before he was replaced by Phil Dwyer.

[splott parker]

My clouded memory tells me that Gary Bell was originally signed as a winger, or am I imagining it?

[Cyncoed Slumdog]

My clouded memory tells me that Gary Bell was originally signed as a winger, or am I imagining it?

You're right, I'm sure he was a left winger.