The past two years, playing in our colours and fighting for the right to play in, then eventually playing in the most prestigious football table in the world.
+ Visit Cardiff FC for Latest News, Transfer Gossip, Fixtures and Match Results |
59/60/60/61
The past two years, playing in our colours and fighting for the right to play in, then eventually playing in the most prestigious football table in the world.
3 2 wins back to back. Alan Cork years I believe
Another for 92/93. I’m not even sure how we swung it but we got tickets for the only side of the ground at Scunthorpe that wasn’t completely full of City fans, but the tickets we had also gave us access to the players bar after the game and the City team all came in - I’ve still got a picture of me and Nick Richardson somewhere.
JRH is right - we did it with a swagger
Yep, I was 13-15 years old and not a care in the world. 59-60 we had what seemed like a super team many of which were Cardiff born and bred and played their entire careers as Bluebirds - Vearncombe in goal, Ron Stitfall, Alan Harrington, Colin Baker, Frank Rankmore. A great season was capped off with a 1-0 NP win over Villa to confirm promotion to Div 1; young Graham Moore scored the winner in front of 60,000. Villa also went up (only 2 in those days) leaving Liverpool in 3rd and 8 points adrift.
60-61 saw City finish a creditable 15th (of 222 mind) with 37 points. Spurs won the League / FA Cup double, the first time it had ever been done but in doing so they lost an evening game 3-2 at Ninian Park, a game in which Derek Hogg scored 2; I was behind the Grange goal that evening going nuts when Hogg scored the winner. The following season 61-62 saw City relegated in 21st place, returning to the 2nd Division with Chelsea who finished 22nd and last.
Not sure why those seasons stay so vividly in my mind; I was young, went with a few pals from Llanrumney and we made it a full day out. Of course there was a certain innocence about life in those days as well, which elevates it in the memory. Great stuff.
Last season has to be right up there, but, for me, it's a season that I don't think has been mentioned yet - 75/76.
Having watched my first game thirteen year earlier, I'd begun to think that City didn't do promotions, so it was great to finally experience one and it didn't disappoint in the slightest.
So many great games - beating Wrexham 3-0 early in the campaign was good, but it was on Halloween night that the season really began to click into gear. That was the night, the superb (at Third Division level at least) Alston/Evans partnership was launched with the former making his debut in a 4-3 win over Chesterfield.
Within about six weeks of that, there was a 3-0 thumping of an impressive and in form Shrewsbury team and a fantastic 6-2 triumph over Exeter in the FA Cup in which Alston scored a hat trick, but the real star was Willie Anderson who tore whoever was marking him (Exeter had two or three right backs in the ninety minutes) to shreds.
Christmas brought a 4-0 hammering at lowly Swindon on Boxing Day and when high riding Peterborough scored at Ninian Park the following day in the first few minutes, it seemed that the promotion bubble was about to burst, but City's response was to turn on probably their best performance so far as Phil Dwyer scored a beauty in a 5-2 victory. There was an FA Cup win at Second Division Orient and a case of daylight robbery shown on Match of the Day as Brighton won 1-0 at Ninian Park in early January and for a while City's form suffered - curiously, their best performance in that time was probably in a 1-1 home draw with Rotherham when they were foiled time and again by Tom McAllister with the best goalkeeping display I've seen in one of our matches.
The goals weren't as plentiful as the season came to an end, but a defence, which could be quite dodgy at times, tightened up considerably in sight of the finishing line with a series of clean sheets. One of them came at Selhurst Park where we absolutely battered Palace but only won by another Alston goal to nil as we proved we could cope on the big occasion. Palace manager Malcolm Allison was reduced to claiming that there wouldn't be 25,000 at Ninian Park in a few days time when they entertained Champions elect Hereford like there had been in the match his team had just been thoroughly outplayed in and he was right - the official attendance was 35,549 (there are those who were there who swear it was really a lot more than that)! Once again, City ended up convincing winners, this time by 2-0, with the goals coming from unusual sources as midfielders Doug Livermore and new signing Alan Campbell scored in the second half.
Palace still had a chance of overhauling us on the night of our final game, but promotion was clinched when we won 1-0 at Bury (thanks to probably the most scruffy goal Alston scored for us) and Palace were beaten at Chester - we then capped things off by beating Hereford to win the Welsh Cup.
No, the Lincoln game was on the Wednesday and the Hartlepool game followed it on the Saturday.
https://takemeback.to/22-November-2000
https://www.11v11.com/teams/cardiff-...s/season/2001/
08/09 or 09/10.... By far the best team I've seen at that level, a half-decent manager and we'd have easily won the league for me.
No hesitation, 07/08 I saw every game and the FA Cup final run will forever stay with me, from the welcome of Chasetown, to the euphoria of the Riverside.
My first season of 68/69 is where my hero's came from.
agree with Bob, 75-76 for me 18 and loving it,
Point of order. Surely Malcolm Alison made that quote before the 73/74 relegation baTyler in April 74 which ended 1-1 and Pa lace relegated? Villers scored for City. Jack Taylor was ref.
Apart from that, if I am right the rest of your memory of that season is amazing. I saw every one bit can hardly remember a bloody thing.
The Malcolm Allison remark about attendance was mad in advance of the 75/6 game v Hereford. I think those comment sparked the interest of the South Wales football fans, hence the 35,000+ attendance on the night.
I think the 75/6 season was my favourite too as I remember as TOBW stated the Alston debut v Chesterfield on a Friday night, the Hereford game, and I went away to Crystal Palace where we murdered them 1-0 (and could have had 6!), and to Bury for the promotion clincher.
I also well remember Tom McAllister's great game for Rotherham at Ninian Park, the best performance from a 'keeper I've ever seen, although I also saw Bill Irwin give a similar performance away at Halifax too that season, where we hung on for a 1-1 draw.
Having trawled through the first page and no mention of 75/76 I thought I was the only one who enjoyed it. Glad to see now there's plenty of others agreeing on that fantastic year. In the Brighton home game Adrian Alston shot from the kick and almost embarrassed the Brighton keeper Peter Grumett.
The atmosphere in the Hereford game was something I'd never experienced previously.
Willie Anderson was brilliant that season. Campbell Livermore and Buchanan would win the ball, feed Willie who'd beat whoever was unlucky enough to be marking him and the he'd put it on a plate for Alston and Tony Evans.
For me the first game of the following season should also be included, as we went to Charlton and beat them 2-0 with Derek Showers playing and scoring twice as Tony Evans was injured. I really loved my football back then.
Last season NQAT
No, Allison had plenty to say before that match in 1974, but it was definitely before the Hereford match that he made the quote I talked about.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...-drink-2204878
I wonder how much of your favourite season is influenced by how old you were and what you were doing at the time?
1982/83 & 1987/88 seasons for me
both promoting winning seasons .