I suspect that many of the regulars on here will know Mark, who died in the last day or so, but, if you do not, then I call tell you that he was the salt of the earth and that the collective Cardiff City knowledge of the club’s supporters has probably dropped by a few per cent as a result of his passing!
Here is the message I posted in the thread about him on the City messageboard I use.
“That is awful, shocking news. I met Mark a few times and can only echo your description of him. If you fall into the category of someone who knows the name, but cannot put a face to it, Mark is the City fan sat on the right (the one who does very well in answering questions from 82/83) in this video which was posted on here a few days ago.
http://www.ccmb.co.uk/showthread.php…-Not-Like-That
Mark also wrote this book
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Our-Ninian-…/dp/0957205503
back in 2012 and a very good read it was too,
I’m sure that most on here will have come across Mark at sometime or other at a City game or club related event – this news has certainly taken a lot of the gloss off yesterday’s very good win for me.
Heartfelt condolences to Mark’s family and friends.
RIP to, as Steve says, a top, top bloke who was no age at all.”
Very, very sad news indeed. Mark was a lovely chap who I first met at The Park Hotel, Barry at the Tuesday night pop quiz. Believe me, Mark’s knack as a quiz demon wasn’t just confined to football, and his music knowledge was encyclopaedic. It was always nice to catch up with Mark at the CCS, and CCFC will be a lot poorer for his untimely passing. A true Bluebird, and a gentleman – rest easy, mate.
My sincere condolence’s go out to his wife Irene, his family and massive circle of friends…………….Fly Bluebird, fly………………R.I.P Bluebird \o/ \o/
I first met Mark many years ago when he joined Radio Glamorgan (the Hospital Radio station at the UHW) as a volunteer presenter, and he also raised money for them by organising Pop Quizzes. We spoke of our mutual support of Cardiff City then, and our paths crossed again some years later when he was hosting the Cardiff City Phone-In on GTFM, and I was then involved with Bro Radio, the Barry-based Community Radio station, which started to broadcast the Phone-In (for a few seasons).
Mark had been the main CCPI host for several years and I then began to either be a studio guest, or a phone-in guest from the Bro Radio studio while making sure the show was going out, and for a few months I would even be a 2nd half studio guest, firstly making sure that the show was going out on Bro, and then jumping in the car and driving (at legal speed) from Barry to Cardiff to join Mark for the last half hour!
Although he was a massive Cardiff City fan, I know Mark’s (and some others) passion for Cardiff City was severely tested by the Red rebrand, and it was soon afterwards that he decided to withdraw from hosting the Phone-In.
I’ve since felt privileged to be a regular CCPI host replacement, following in Mark’s shoes. I’d not had much communication with Mark since he left the show, so was unaware of how things had been, so the news of his passing was quite a shock – RIP Mark!
Dreadful sad news.
Thank you for your replies – I hope Mark’s family get to see them – Blue Bayou, I must have heard you on the GTFM phone in because it was very rare for me to miss one of them.
Having been one of those invited by the club to those meetings in May 2012 after details of the rebrand had been leaked, I can definitely confirm that Mark (who was there as a representative of the Supporters’ Club) was no fan of us playing in red.
So many memories of Mark growing up – going home and away during the 80s with him and a couple of other mates – just remember having a good laugh either on Ader glas buses, the train or when he or Paul “taffy” Thomas drove. Just good mates generally going to concerts, pub etc. hanging out in pontcanna or llandaff fields
So many memories but one that makes me smile still was when he knocked me up early morning once on my birthday and treated me to an away game on a Tuesday up north Tranmere is in my mind but he would know – he drove we lost and it was such a good laugh!!!!!
Went to Ibiza with Mark on both our first foreign holiday – he never could get a tan ironically!!!!
Lost contact a bit when I moved away and got married but caught up in the last couple of years again on away trips – especially remember chatting about the old days on the way back from the carling cup final with him and my boy lapping it up
Mark will never get the chance to write the book on the ashurst promotion season – I know he had the scrapbooks still and his comments on each game but at he least he got his book on ninian as his legacy
Just a top top bloke who loved the city loved music and loved life
Mark will be sorely missed and my prayers are with Irene and I am so glad that the club are doing their bit to remember a proper bluebird
RIP mate