The forgotten playoffs....

[Cardiff-Cal]

I never seem to hear anyone talking about the (then) Division 3 playoff campaign in 1997 vs Northampton.

I know that, like this time, Swansea were in the other semi final but other than that I don’t know much else.

I started supported City in 98 so I just missed out.

Anyone care to give me a little run down on what they remember of it?
Were we confident going in? Was the atmosphere at Ninian any good? Was it a sell out? How would a Cardiff Vs Swansea Wembley final have been in 97? Pretty nuts I imagine.

[the other bob wilson]

From memory, we rather scraped into the Play Offs (I'm pretty sure that we lost our last game of the regular season and had to rely on other sides messing up). We played Northampton six times I think it was that season and I'm pretty sure we only won one of them - I had no expectation of us winning the tie.

The first leg at Ninian Park was a tight and even affair played in heavy rain I seem to remember and it was decided by a single, very good, goal scored by a Welshman for the visitors. The return leg was more open and we didn't play badly, but we never really suggested we could turn things around - Jeff Elkhart was sent off for the second time that season against Northampton.

[BLUETIT]

I know there was a cracking fight between the two teams in the tunnel.

Get in there Psycho

[fugsyphil]

My car got bricked by City fans at the away leg.

Also remember loads of fans watching for free on the hill that overlooks the ground. Once the third went in the away fans left in large numbers and suddenly all these people on the hill were running for their lives

[Optimistic Nick]

I never seem to hear anyone talking about the (then) Division 3 playoff campaign in 1997 vs Northampton.

I know that, like this time, Swansea were in the other semi final but other than that I don’t know much else.

I started supported City in 98 so I just missed out.

Anyone care to give me a little run down on what they remember of it?
Were we confident going in? Was the atmosphere at Ninian any good? Was it a sell out? How would a Cardiff Vs Swansea Wembley final have been in 97? Pretty nuts I imagine.

We had the lotto kit. The home one was decent, not so much the away kit. We were a poor side then. First playoff campaign I can remember - was it our first ever? I didn't realise that the Jacks were in there too.

Eckhardt was a proper player though.

[Pedro de la Rosa]

We had the lotto kit. The home one was decent, not so much the away kit. We were a poor side then. First playoff campaign I can remember - was it our first ever? I didn't realise that the Jacks were in there too.

Eckhardt was a proper player though.

He's now a tiler in Newport.

[the other bob wilson]

We had the lotto kit. The home one was decent, not so much the away kit. We were a poor side then. First playoff campaign I can remember - was it our first ever? I didn't realise that the Jacks were in there too.

Eckhardt was a proper player though.

Yes, it was our first time in the Play Offs.

[A Quiet Monkfish]

From memory, we rather scraped into the Play Offs (I'm pretty sure that we lost our last game of the regular season and had to rely on other sides messing up). We played Northampton six times I think it was that season and I'm pretty sure we only won one of them - I had no expectation of us winning the tie.

The first leg at Ninian Park was a tight and even affair played in heavy rain I seem to remember and it was decided by a single, very good, goal scored by a Welshman for the visitors. The return leg was more open and we didn't play badly, but we never really suggested we could turn things around - Jeff Elkhart was sent off for the second time that season against Northampton.

11,370 at NP. lost 1-0 at home, and 3-2 away. We finished 7th. Lost last game to Darlington.

[Bobby Dandruff]

I never seem to hear anyone talking about the (then) Division 3 playoff campaign in 1997 vs Northampton.

I know that, like this time, Swansea were in the other semi final but other than that I don’t know much else.

I started supported City in 98 so I just missed out.

Anyone care to give me a little run down on what they remember of it?
Were we confident going in? Was the atmosphere at Ninian any good? Was it a sell out? How would a Cardiff Vs Swansea Wembley final have been in 97? Pretty nuts I imagine.

I remember being up that way for work on the day and drove to the stadium in the vain hope of getting a ticket.

I didn’t and so drove home :-(

[Jordi Culé]

We were piss poor at home.

Up there it kicked off.

All I remember.

[Don Corleone]

I haven’t looked it up but wasn’t it Marco Gabiadini who scored their goal from 30yds in the first leg with a screamer. The 2nd leg was a right tussle but as mentioned more memorable for their fans on the hill all legging it as our lot left early and made their way over there. I recall there wasn’t much optimism at the time as we were a poor side.

The least optimistic I’ve been in the play offs is in Malky’s first season when we reached the league cup final and scraped 6th place and faced West Ham home and away who had a far superior side to us - not to belittle the achievement of making the play offs but more West Ham had such a strong team then.

I think it was after the loss in the away leg on the way home that we first started hearing rumours of switching to a red kit which was met with general disbelief!

[Eric the Half a Bee]

From memory, we rather scraped into the Play Offs (I'm pretty sure that we lost our last game of the regular season and had to rely on other sides messing up). We played Northampton six times I think it was that season and I'm pretty sure we only won one of them - I had no expectation of us winning the tie.

Yes, we won the first leg of a league cup tie against them but lost on aggregate. We drew 2-2 at home in the league but got stuffed 4-0 there. When we lost the first leg at home, that was pretty much it. We made a fight of it in the second leg but were second best.

I wasn't bitter towards them in the final when Frain scored in injury time to beat the Jacks, though.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I haven’t looked it up but wasn’t it Marco Gabiadini who scored their goal from 30yds in the first leg with a screamer. The 2nd leg was a right tussle but as mentioned more memorable for their fans on the hill all legging it as our lot left early and made their way over there. I recall there wasn’t much optimism at the time as we were a poor side.

The least optimistic I’ve been in the play offs is in Malky’s first season when we reached the league cup final and scraped 6th place and faced West Ham home and away who had a far superior side to us - not to belittle the achievement of making the play offs but more West Ham had such a strong team then.

I think it was after the loss in the away leg on the way home that we first started hearing rumours of switching to a red kit which was met with general disbelief!

Yes, I don't think any of us thought we'd win that one against West Ham.

Since then there's never been a bigger winning margin over 2 legs in the playoffs and only twice has there been a winning margin of 6 goals. We got absolutely stuffed over 2 games. West Ham would have gone up automatically had their home form been better.

[lardy]

I haven’t looked it up but wasn’t it Marco Gabiadini who scored their goal from 30yds in the first leg with a screamer. The 2nd leg was a right tussle but as mentioned more memorable for their fans on the hill all legging it as our lot left early and made their way over there. I recall there wasn’t much optimism at the time as we were a poor side.

The least optimistic I’ve been in the play offs is in Malky’s first season when we reached the league cup final and scraped 6th place and faced West Ham home and away who had a far superior side to us - not to belittle the achievement of making the play offs but more West Ham had such a strong team then.

I think it was after the loss in the away leg on the way home that we first started hearing rumours of switching to a red kit which was met with general disbelief!

I think the gabbiadini super goal came in a league game a few seasons later.

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

11,370 at NP. lost 1-0 at home, and 3-2 away. We finished 7th. Lost last game to Darlington.

13000 was the capacity at the time I think?

[Cardiff-Cal]

Appreciate the replies! 👍