Six decades of Cardiff City v Bolton Wanderers matches.

Usual format, six questions on our next opponents – I’ll put the answers on here tomorrow.

60s. Can you identify this player? Bolton born with a father who played for Newport County, this winger’s first two clubs had a definite Lupine connection. After that, he returned home to play over a century of times for Bolton, before much shorter spells at a glasshouse, a place named after a former City player and manager (I might have made that last bit up!), in the saddle and then, to finish, at some midland Harriers. He played on three continents and, having scored from forty three of the forty four penalties he took, he must be a candidate for Britain’s spot kick king.

70s. Who is this member of a winning City team against Bolton at Ninian Park during this decade?

80s. The player pictured played for us in a match at Bolton where the City team might well have been a candidate for the worst one we have ever fielded. He is described as follows in reference material I use to compile this quiz;-

“Non-contract player who emerged from Welsh League football with Swansea City, before joining City towards the end of a desperate 1985-86 season. He was a striker who never really looked the part at professional level, and when City were relegated at the end 1985-86, he was not offered full time terms by the club for the following season. He eventually joined Brecon Corries in the Welsh League.”

His only City goal came in a match more memorable for what the City keeper did, but who is he?

90s. Starting his senior career with Prescott Cables and ending it with Sligo Rovers, the word “nomadic” could have been invented for this midfield player who played for twelve different clubs (he had three spells at a stripey Lancashire Athletic club), but he played most games for Bolton and Wikipedia describes his time there thus;-

“In three years with Bolton, ………. became a firm favourite with the fans, who nicknamed him Zico in homage to ………. footballing style, despite his (at times) obvious weight and fitness problems.”

Who is this player and for a bonus worth nothing whatsoever, who is more famous, and far more notorious, footballing cousin?

00s. The player pictured played a few games for Bolton at the end of this decade with his only goal coming in a game against Chelsea and he played at Cardiff City Stadium for his current club in August 2017, who is he?

10s. Name this member of the last Bolton team to play at Cardiff City Stadium.

Answers.

60s. Ex Wolverhampton Wanderers, Los Angeles Wolves, Bolton Wanderers, Crystal Palace, Durban City, Walsall and Kidderminster Harriers man Terry Wharton.

70s. Frank Sharp.

80s. Will Foley who made his City debut when he came on as a sub in a 5-0 defeat at Burnden Park in March 1986 – the match he scored in was a 1-1 draw with Walsall at Ninian Park where Chris Sander saved two penalties.

90s. Tony Kelly who, among other, played for Stoke and West Brom and had three spells with Wigan – Joey Barton is his cousin.

00s. Chris Basham, who was in the Sheffield United side beaten 2-0 here early in the season.

10s. Arsenal’s Rob Holding.

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Mr Keith Stroud and Cardiff City.

 

One of the regular correspondents to the blog’s Feedback section had the following to say about the man who upset Neil Warnock last night with his decision to disallow a goal by Sol Bamba and failure to award us a penalty late on in the 1-1 draw with Millwall at the New Den;-

“Hi Paul,like you I was astounded by Mr Stroud’s decision last night,I was speaking to my son earlier in the day and when I found out that he was in charge I thought that we would get nothing from the game.What I mean by that is I can’t remember a time when we have a game when he is refereeing us,until that is you reminded me of the Bristol game,old age does not one alone,but I would be interested if anyone more qualified than me could give a stat that would confirm or deny that theory that in the majority of games we never get a positive result under him.”

Well Clive, as this is hardly a day for the wide outdoors, I decided to do some research to see whether your claims stood up or not!

Here is a list of all of the Cardiff matches Mr Stroud has officiated in over the past thirteen years;-

6/2/05 West Ham 1 Cardiff 0 (the first Championship match he ever took charge of)

13/9/05 Cardiff 1 Leicester 0

21/9/06 Southend 0 Cardiff 3

21/1/07 Cardiff 3 Leicester 2

6/5/07 Ipswich 3 Cardiff 1

22/12/07 Cardiff 1 Sheffield United 0

22/3/08 Cardiff 2 Bristol City 1

25/10/08 Forest 0 Cardiff 1

18/4/09 Preston 6 Cardiff 0

22/2/10 Cardiff 0 Barnsley 2

15/1/11 Norwich 1 Cardiff 1

17/8/11 Cardiff 1 Brighton 3

4/2/12 Cardiff 1 Blackpool 3

6/11/12 Charlton 5 Cardiff 4

10/2/13 Cardiff 0 Brighton 2

4/5/13 Hull 2 Cardiff 2

6/4/15 Cardiff 0 Bolton 3

7/11/15 Cardiff 2 Reading 0

9/2/18 Millwall 1 Cardiff 1

Overall record

P   19   W   7   D   3   L   9   f   24   a   35   Pts   24

What stands out from that lot for me is that for a few years at least Keith Stroud was something of a good luck charm for us as we won six out of the first eight City matches he took charge of, but then it all went wrong on a notorious April afternoon at Deepdale in 2009. Since then, far from a good luck charm, he has been like an albatross around our neck with just one win, three draws and seven defeats in the past nine years when he has reffed us.

The 16/17 season ended early for Keith Stroud when he was suspended following his decision to disallow a Newcastle goal scored from the penalty spot and award Burton Albion a free kick for encroachment by one of the Newcastle players. I’m sure there won’t be similar action taken against him after last night, but, just like that decision at St James’ Park, it’s hard to see how he could begin to justify his actions .

It’s not just that our recent record with him in charge is so bad, it’s that he has been the man in the middle for some of the more miserable occasions in our recent history. Preston 6 Cardiff 0 is probably the single most humiliating defeat we’ve had in the twenty first century, but Mr Stroud was there for the 5-4 at Charlton, the “scarfgate” night against Brighton and I remember Cardiff 0 Bolton 3 as probably the low point of the awful, awful 14/15 season.

Overall, our record in games he has taken charge of is not too bad, but it would not be surprising if some City fans felt he was something of a curse on us when you consider some of the memorable for all of the wrong reasons Cardiff City matches he has taken charge of.

When I see a ref making the sort of blunder Mr Stroud did last night with the disallowed Bamba goal, the same question tends to pop into my mind, “crooked or inept?” – in the huge majority of cases, I opt for the latter, just as I do in the case of Keith Stroud last night.

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