Season of safety leaves City fans muted

As another season draws to a close, it is time for Cardiff City fans everywhere to take a good, long look at how their team has fared over the last 9 months.  

Close inspection will confirm what fans everywhere seem to be saying, this has been a frustratingly poor season that whilst occasionally peppered with sporadic moments of real hope; the true story is one riddled with inconsistency and a distinct lack of excitement on the pitch.

Let's go back to May 2016.

Paul Trollope unveiled as the next Cardiff City manager, May 2016

It would be fair to say that the air of excitement surrounding the new season was in the very least tainted with disappointment when Paul Trollope was announced as the new permanent manager of Cardiff City FC. 

The escapades of the Welsh national team which involved the new manager as a coach, seemed to placate some fans who were pleased to hear the new man promise that he was looking to implement the "Wales Way" of playing with fast full-backs in a 5-3-2 formation.

I was one of the lone voices on social media that begged fellow bluebirds everywhere to give the man a chance and get behind him, something that a lot of fans did do especially when the team won a pre-season tournament in Germany; it seemed the good times were back to stay.  Sadly I couldn't have been more wrong...

Less than 5 months later and the Welsh dream turned into a nightmare, only 2 wins in 11 games and a series of abject performances on the pitch had left the club floundering in the relegation places in danger of getting pulled into a real relegation battle, Cardiff had a difficult choice to make, or did they?

Neil Warnock hired as new Cardiff City manager, October 2016

The immediate popular choice was affable Yorkshireman Neil Warnock who had been out of work since finishing the rescue job at Rotherham in the previous season.  Here was a manager with a proven pedigree but it would be fair to say that his appointment was not met with universal approval, the questions began immediately.

1. Could Neil Warnock work with the enigmatic owner Vincent Tan?
2. Could Cardiff City FC afford to hire him and his staff?
3. What about the long-term plan Cardiff City FC were hoping to implement?

Radio phone-ins and social media were littered with people questioning the above, not to mention, would Mr Warnock want to come to Cardiff?  The answer was swift and authoritative, he would love to be given a chance to manage the Welsh capital.  Within 24 hours it was a done deal, a new dawn had begun.

Just two weeks and 3 new free-signings later and Bristol City arrive in Cardiff on the crest of a wave, looking to maintain their playoff place and further compound their Severnside rivals...

Sol Bamba scores the winning goal for Cardiff City on his debut

Much to the Robins' chagrin, and much to Warnock's delight, his City side was off to a dream start, Bamba had become a cult-hero and Bristol were about to plummet down the table faster than a Clarkes pie on the Ninian Stand.

It would be fair to say that the first half of the season had become a battle to ensure the Bluebirds would not be caught up in a relegation battle, the second half of the season was to see the emergence of a player that almost no one had seen coming....

Albin Kenneth Dahrup Zohore or "Big Ken" to the bluebirds had signed on a 3 year deal (without much fanfare) in pre-season and most fans had consigned him to the rather large vat of failed strikers at Cardiff City FC, how wrong we all were.

With 13 goals to his name and a player of the season nomination, bluebirds everywhere finally have someone to believe in for the 2017-18 season.

Whilst Warnock has restored hope and many bluebirds are now looking forward eagerly to the new season, there can be no denying that the 2016-17 season will be consigned to the history books as "the one that got away".

Bluebirds see red as Malaysian owners pledge change

So here we are, at the end of what was almost a spectacular season (sound familiar?).  The curtains have officially been drawn on the 2011-12 campaign, and what a season to remember for bluebirds the world over.  There's been penalty shoot-outs galore on a long, winding road to Wembley and play off semi-final heartache once again for the legion of Cardiff City fans the world over.  However, ironically the biggest drama of all this season for the South Wales club, came less than 24 hours after the second-leg defeat to West Ham at the Boleyn Ground.

Cardiff City Football Club's origins are to be found in the murky world of Riverside cricket team believe it or not, where the team was formed to keep their players fit during the Winter months.  The club name was officially made Cardiff City in 1908 and it's been that way ever since through two world wars and numerous takeovers.  The colour of the club strip has been blue since that time and they are affectionately known as "The Bluebirds" literally the world over, until now.  "The times they are a changing" was once penned by the great Bob Dylan and my word isn't that the case at the South Wales club now; where if rumours are to believed the club will henceforth be playing home games in a new red home kit with the traditional bluebird crest being replaced by a dragon and the motto "Fire and Passion will seize the day".  As expected this has prompted an outcry of almost biblical proportions by fans from Wales to America.

                                 The current club crest for Cardiff City FC

Malaysian investors Vincent Tan and Tien Ghee are major stakeholders in the club and have decided that to take the club from the Championship into the hallowed Premier League, will require a substantial increase in finances, which the majority of weary bluebirds would be delighted to see.  However, at what cost does this investment come  to the capitols club?

Here are the main points that have been gleamed by the supporters trust and others from a meeting held at Cardiff City Stadium and from an official statement made by the club late on the 09/05/12 :

1) The Malaysian owners are looking to "substantially increase" the investment in Cardiff City Football Club.
2) This will mean an increase in stadium capacity of the Cardiff City Stadium from its current 26,828 to 35,000 which will be done in time for the 2013-14 season.
3) There will also be a state of the art new training facility built in Cardiff, two sites have already been looked at by the club.
4) Manager Malky Mackay is to be given a very large transfer kitty in order to strengthen the squad sufficiently to make a serious push for promotion from the NPower Championship to the Barclays Premier League.
5) Historical debts such as the Langston debt, a long time mill around the clubs neck are to be settled.
6) The home strip will be changed from the traditional blue to red and the club crest to be changed to a dragon.

It is the final point that has seen such intense debate take place between fans and pundits alike quite literally the world over, with even famous faces such as Gary Lineker tweeting

"Despite the cash injection, I don't think any of us would like to see our clubs change their colours. #ridiculous" @GaryLineker.  

So just what is it that's causing so much angst and outright rage from many of the Cardiff faithful during these last few dramatic days?  Well it has to boil down to this:

Is the history of Cardiff City Football Club and the very thing that marks it out from the rest being compromised by the new proposals?

                               The historical FA Cup winning side of 1927 (in blue)

If you're looking for my opinion here then you're going to be disappointed because i am still withholding judgement until I've seen the full facts and figures of this move by the clubs owners.  I can confirm that like so many other bluebirds I am not at all comfortable with the change in home colours and badge and this stems mainly from a failure to understand just why it is necessary.  

The main reasons for the change in colour of the home strip and the badge as i understand so far as purely financial, in an attempt to woo the Asian market that is proving so lucrative for the likes of "super clubs" Manchester United and Liverpool.  In Asia the colour red is seen to be lucky and the dragon symbol is highly significant in the Malaysian culture, and it also happens to be the national flag of which Cardiff is it's capitol.  But are these reasons satisfying enough for a fan that has grown up supporting the bluebirds, singing the blues and uniting under a blue flag?  Not nearly enough.  In fact it leaves a bad taste in the mouth of those who just see this as a crude ploy to turn Cardiff City into a cash cow.

The fact of the matter is that the club may not survive in it's current state if left alone due to ongoing debts and lack of on-the-pitch success.  In fact when asked immediately following the fans' meeting with club officials, one fan was adamant that the verdict was accept the changes or the club could "under in two weeks".  Now whether this is conjecture or pure scaremongering remains to be seen but having lived through near administration on more than occasion most Bluebirds would accept this could well be the case.

So where next for the club?  Well these controversial proposals are yet to be signed into effect despite the statements otherwise and won't be done so until next week at the earliest.  As for me, i hope the Malaysians simply change the plans for a red kit to the away kit and keep the bluebird badge, a symbol of joy and hope to tens of thousands of fans both past and present. What is important is that heads are kept cool, all judgement is withheld until the full picture is revealed and above all, the club continues to thrive.  For while there's still a club, I'll Be There.

                                                  We'll be there