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Thread: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

  1. #1

    2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    It was over 17 years ago now!

    If I had told you that day, 17 years from now we won’t have come back down since, would you have believed me?

    I feel with Sam’s money and ambition, a lot of us probably had eyes on the prem anyway, especially after two promotions in three years plus the Leeds win. Everything was going well for us, but even so, I think most of us would have been delighted to hear that 17 years later we would still be up here. And even though I think based on our size as a club we should be a second tier club minimum, I still think it’s a great achievement that we’ve managed to stay up for going on two decades. Let alone having two promotions to the top flight.

    Sorry if you believe in jinxes, just feeling proud!

  2. #2

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    I would have been amazed.

    Being of an age that my entire life I'd only known Cardiff in the bottom 2 divisions it didn't seem real at the time.

    I remember looking at the fixtures list when it was first released and seeing the likes of Forest, Derby, Bradford, Palace etc and thinking we could literally lose every game here.

    For me it was more daunting at the time than either of the premier league promotions.

    That said, if you'd asked me if we'd spend any time in the premier league over the next 17 years I'd have probably said yes also.

  3. #3

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    Quote Originally Posted by Cardiff-Cal View Post
    It was over 17 years ago now!

    If I had told you that day, 17 years from now we won’t have come back down since, would you have believed me?

    I feel with Sam’s money and ambition, a lot of us probably had eyes on the prem anyway, especially after two promotions in three years plus the Leeds win. Everything was going well for us, but even so, I think most of us would have been delighted to hear that 17 years later we would still be up here. And even though I think based on our size as a club we should be a second tier club minimum, I still think it’s a great achievement that we’ve managed to stay up for going on two decades. Let alone having two promotions to the top flight.

    Sorry if you believe in jinxes, just feeling proud!
    We're one of 20 sides that, since 2003, haven't played at lower than Championship standard. While that's an obvious achievement, it should be mentioned that Leicester, Southampton and Norwich have all plunged into League 1 during this time, yet played more Premier League football than us in the last decade.

    17 years ago, many of our fan base would only have really known the 18 consecutive seasons we spent in the bottom 2 divisions, so associate Cardiff City with that and anything of Championship standard and higher is an absolute bonus. However, prior to that relegation from the old second division in 1985, we had spent 7 seasons in the top flight, 29 in the second division and 3 in the third division since WW2. Each relegation to the third tier was followed by immediate promotion back up. A second successive relegation in 1986 must have been a huge shock.

    At the end of this season we'll have spent as much time inside the top two divisions as we spent outside them consecutively. A great achievement? Probably. Unexpected back in 2003. Probably. That's not particularly relevant any more, though. Our fan base has grown in 2 decades, many of whom haven't seen us in the lower divisions. They've seen a side that hasn't finished lower than top half in the Championship since 2007, so we've been in the top 32 clubs in the country for 13 seasons. I'd now argue that's roughly where a club this size should be. When they don't, the argument I very occasionally hear of 'it's better than the dark years' is about as relevant as taking a quantum physics exercise book to a knitting class.

  4. #4

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    Eric the Half a Bee smashes it out of the park as usual. This message-boards GOAT.

  5. #5

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    Quote Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee View Post
    We're one of 20 sides that, since 2003, haven't played at lower than Championship standard. While that's an obvious achievement, it should be mentioned that Leicester, Southampton and Norwich have all plunged into League 1 during this time, yet played more Premier League football than us in the last decade.

    17 years ago, many of our fan base would only have really known the 18 consecutive seasons we spent in the bottom 2 divisions, so associate Cardiff City with that and anything of Championship standard and higher is an absolute bonus. However, prior to that relegation from the old second division in 1985, we had spent 7 seasons in the top flight, 29 in the second division and 3 in the third division since WW2. Each relegation to the third tier was followed by immediate promotion back up. A second successive relegation in 1986 must have been a huge shock.

    At the end of this season we'll have spent as much time inside the top two divisions as we spent outside them consecutively. A great achievement? Probably. Unexpected back in 2003. Probably. That's not particularly relevant any more, though. Our fan base has grown in 2 decades, many of whom haven't seen us in the lower divisions. They've seen a side that hasn't finished lower than top half in the Championship since 2007, so we've been in the top 32 clubs in the country for 13 seasons. I'd now argue that's roughly where a club this size should be. When they don't, the argument I very occasionally hear of 'it's better than the dark years' is about as relevant as taking a quantum physics exercise book to a knitting class.
    I'd say there is still a bit of a legacy from the almost 2 decades in the bottom 2 divisions. Many years of potential fans turned to big fashionable clubs, some of their children followed in their parent's footsteps.
    Over since 2003 we've spent more seasons in the Premier league than Derby for example, we are in a bigger city, with probably a bigger "catchment area" yet they usually seem to have bigger attendances than us.

    We aren't doing that badly in terms of crowds for a championship club by any means, but I just think if we hadn't spent those years playing in front of a few thousand people we could potentially be a really big club by championship standards.

  6. #6

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    We've now been out longer than we were in the bottom 2 divisions I believe? Or is that once we've completed this season?

  7. #7

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    I remember looking at who we were playing after promotion and thinking wow I’ve never seen us play this lot....West Ham, Derby, Sunderland.....look what’s happened to the latter....despite not choosing the best managers, we’ve managed to do ok.

  8. #8

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    Quote Originally Posted by Rjk View Post
    I'd say there is still a bit of a legacy from the almost 2 decades in the bottom 2 divisions. Many years of potential fans turned to big fashionable clubs, some of their children followed in their parent's footsteps.
    Over since 2003 we've spent more seasons in the Premier league than Derby for example, we are in a bigger city, with probably a bigger "catchment area" yet they usually seem to have bigger attendances than us.

    We aren't doing that badly in terms of crowds for a championship club by any means, but I just think if we hadn't spent those years playing in front of a few thousand people we could potentially be a really big club by championship standards.
    Following 17 years out of the top two divisions you would have thought Ninian park would have been rocking for the first home game against Bradford

    The crowd was 16421 , way short of a sell out

    We have a big catchment area but apart from the big games the local population doesn't support its football club like they do in say Derby

    People can put forward as many theories as they want but this is a fact

  9. #9

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    I've said on here before that during most of the nineties, I didn't believe I'd see City play again in the second tier in my lifetime. Clearly, that comment looks pretty ridiculous now. Most impressive during the past seventeen years for me is that there's only one season (04/05) where we've been in serious relegation trouble after Christmas, but, on the other hand, I'm in agreement with Eric really and think that, given the sort of club we've become in the past twenty years, we should have spent more time in the Premier League than we have done - the "plucky little Cardiff" state of mind has a lot to answer for!

  10. #10

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    I recall our days in the lower leagues well. In some respects I enjoyed football more then than now. There was more goalmouth action, defensive mistakes and muddy pitches compounding the errors made. Now our football is relatively unpleasant to watch and in the last few years our tactic has been to hoof the ball to the opposition which is not ideal viewing.

    I'm probably looking at this through rose tinted spectacles but, although I make huge effort and expense to continue watching the club, I know that I don't enjoy it as much as I did.

  11. #11

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    Quote Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee View Post
    We're one of 20 sides that, since 2003, haven't played at lower than Championship standard. While that's an obvious achievement, it should be mentioned that Leicester, Southampton and Norwich have all plunged into League 1 during this time, yet played more Premier League football than us in the last decade.

    17 years ago, many of our fan base would only have really known the 18 consecutive seasons we spent in the bottom 2 divisions, so associate Cardiff City with that and anything of Championship standard and higher is an absolute bonus. However, prior to that relegation from the old second division in 1985, we had spent 7 seasons in the top flight, 29 in the second division and 3 in the third division since WW2. Each relegation to the third tier was followed by immediate promotion back up. A second successive relegation in 1986 must have been a huge shock.

    At the end of this season we'll have spent as much time inside the top two divisions as we spent outside them consecutively. A great achievement? Probably. Unexpected back in 2003. Probably. That's not particularly relevant any more, though. Our fan base has grown in 2 decades, many of whom haven't seen us in the lower divisions. They've seen a side that hasn't finished lower than top half in the Championship since 2007, so we've been in the top 32 clubs in the country for 13 seasons. I'd now argue that's roughly where a club this size should be. When they don't, the argument I very occasionally hear of 'it's better than the dark years' is about as relevant as taking a quantum physics exercise book to a knitting class.
    That relegation became pretty apparent pretty quickly. We won 4-1 away on the first game of the season and it was all downhill from there. The team was absolutely shit. Pitiful. I wasn't around in the mid 90s, but it couldn't have been any worse. Crowds of about 2500 scattered around the vast Bob-Bank. Sometimes less than a coachful of away fans in the Grange End. Alan Durban. What a useless tosser.

  12. #12

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    Yeah anyone thinking the football was better in the lower leagues than now is either looking at it with rose tinted glasses , lying or needs locking up.

    It was generally utter shit.

  13. #13

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    Quote Originally Posted by Hilts View Post
    Yeah anyone thinking the football was better in the lower leagues than now is either looking at it with rose tinted glasses , lying or needs locking up.

    It was generally utter shit.
    Who said it was better? I said it was more enjoyable for the reasons stated although I did refer to rose tinted specs.

  14. #14

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    Quote Originally Posted by Vindec View Post
    Who said it was better? I said it was more enjoyable for the reasons stated although I did refer to rose tinted specs.
    I enjoyed it more, partic when Sam took over and then we got promoted to the championship etc. It was just so good to be out of the lower leagues and playing proper clubs instead of Colchester, Shrewsbury and Rochdale

  15. #15

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    Quote Originally Posted by Vindec View Post
    Who said it was better? I said it was more enjoyable for the reasons stated although I did refer to rose tinted specs.
    Replace more enjoyable with better and I stick with what I said. The football mainly was complete shit to watch.

    If you enjoyed Andy Kerr , Andy Saville , Cameron Toshack and the likes then fair enough.

  16. #16

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    Quote Originally Posted by Hilts View Post
    Replace more enjoyable with better and I stick with what I said. The football mainly was complete shit to watch.

    If you enjoyed Andy Kerr , Andy Saville , Cameron Toshack and the likes then fair enough.
    You have substituted what I said with what you think I said. Outrageous! Of course we have better players now. When did I say we didn't?

  17. #17

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    What a day that was too. Was the summer before I headed off to Uni. My Dad, Uncle and I were in the Poet's Corner (Neville) before the game, remember feeling pretty drunk going into the Millennium (trying to keep up on the beers with the old heads). Don't remember much of the game, but we were stood/sat behind the goal and do vividly remember Campbell lobbing the ball over the keeper and hitting the back of the net, pandemonium then!

    Forest away at the start of the season felt like we had arrived at the big time again and we won.

    Who would win? The team that started that 2003/04 season in their prime or the current one. Think Kav and co would pip it for me.

  18. #18

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    Quote Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee View Post
    We're one of 20 sides that, since 2003, haven't played at lower than Championship standard. While that's an obvious achievement, it should be mentioned that Leicester, Southampton and Norwich have all plunged into League 1 during this time, yet played more Premier League football than us in the last decade.

    17 years ago, many of our fan base would only have really known the 18 consecutive seasons we spent in the bottom 2 divisions, so associate Cardiff City with that and anything of Championship standard and higher is an absolute bonus. However, prior to that relegation from the old second division in 1985, we had spent 7 seasons in the top flight, 29 in the second division and 3 in the third division since WW2. Each relegation to the third tier was followed by immediate promotion back up. A second successive relegation in 1986 must have been a huge shock.

    At the end of this season we'll have spent as much time inside the top two divisions as we spent outside them consecutively. A great achievement? Probably. Unexpected back in 2003. Probably. That's not particularly relevant any more, though. Our fan base has grown in 2 decades, many of whom haven't seen us in the lower divisions. They've seen a side that hasn't finished lower than top half in the Championship since 2007, so we've been in the top 32 clubs in the country for 13 seasons. I'd now argue that's roughly where a club this size should be. When they don't, the argument I very occasionally hear of 'it's better than the dark years' is about as relevant as taking a quantum physics exercise book to a knitting class.
    When my Dad started taking me to games in 1962/3 we had spent more years in the top flight than in any other division !

  19. #19

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    Quote Originally Posted by Cardiff-Cal View Post
    It was over 17 years ago now!

    If I had told you that day, 17 years from now we won’t have come back down since, would you have believed me?

    I feel with Sam’s money and ambition, a lot of us probably had eyes on the prem anyway, especially after two promotions in three years plus the Leeds win. Everything was going well for us, but even so, I think most of us would have been delighted to hear that 17 years later we would still be up here. And even though I think based on our size as a club we should be a second tier club minimum, I still think it’s a great achievement that we’ve managed to stay up for going on two decades. Let alone having two promotions to the top flight.

    Sorry if you believe in jinxes, just feeling proud!
    With Sams money
    The man was a walking disaster an absolute joke of a man who racked up silly amounts of debt then took us to the brink to get the money back and with add ons and interest.
    I think the cockroach still wants to drag us through the court he's like a bad fart smell that won't sod off

  20. #20

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    Quote Originally Posted by Rjk View Post
    I would have been amazed.

    Being of an age that my entire life I'd only known Cardiff in the bottom 2 divisions it didn't seem real at the time.

    I remember looking at the fixtures list when it was first released and seeing the likes of Forest, Derby, Bradford, Palace etc and thinking we could literally lose every game here.

    For me it was more daunting at the time than either of the premier league promotions.

    That said, if you'd asked me if we'd spend any time in the premier league over the next 17 years I'd have probably said yes also.
    I remember the 4-1 win over Derby and thinking we just might hold our own in this league. The football was excellent too - pretty open and neat end to end stuff.

  21. #21

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    Quote Originally Posted by Hometown Unicorn! View Post
    What a day that was too. Was the summer before I headed off to Uni. My Dad, Uncle and I were in the Poet's Corner (Neville) before the game, remember feeling pretty drunk going into the Millennium (trying to keep up on the beers with the old heads). Don't remember much of the game, but we were stood/sat behind the goal and do vividly remember Campbell lobbing the ball over the keeper and hitting the back of the net, pandemonium then!

    Forest away at the start of the season felt like we had arrived at the big time again and we won.

    Who would win? The team that started that 2003/04 season in their prime or the current one. Think Kav and co would pip it for me.
    didn't we finish in 13th that season?

  22. #22

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    Quote Originally Posted by Vindec View Post
    You have substituted what I said with what you think I said. Outrageous! Of course we have better players now. When did I say we didn't?
    Of course we have better players. Never suggested you thought otherwise.

    You just enjoyed it when we really were crap.

  23. #23
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    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    Quote Originally Posted by Vindec View Post
    I recall our days in the lower leagues well. In some respects I enjoyed football more then than now. There was more goalmouth action, defensive mistakes and muddy pitches compounding the errors made. Now our football is relatively unpleasant to watch and in the last few years our tactic has been to hoof the ball to the opposition which is not ideal viewing.

    I'm probably looking at this through rose tinted spectacles but, although I make huge effort and expense to continue watching the club, I know that I don't enjoy it as much as I did.
    Part of that has to be the social aspect. Football just isn't as fun to go to as it once was

  24. #24

    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    A shame we couldn’t last the pace that one season, was it 2007/08? The year we drew with WBA in the Hartson heckling game, we started like a train but fell away badly. The infamous Leeds cup tie was still fresh in the memory and a season or two in the Premier League with the same atmosphere at the hostile shit pit that was Ninian Park may have earned us enough home points to bed in and move to the new ground with a few Premier seasons under our belt and a tad more established. As much as I knew we had to move and much prefer the new ground, a season or two in the Premier League over the road would have been mighty interesting.

  25. #25
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    Re: 2003 Playoff Final v QPR

    Quote Originally Posted by Hilts View Post
    Yeah anyone thinking the football was better in the lower leagues than now is either looking at it with rose tinted glasses , lying or needs locking up.

    It was generally utter shit.
    Was it the football or the craic that attracted us down there

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