Cardiff City have a pretty good recent record at Craven Cottage, but, with the team in their worst run since the mid eighties and the manager, seemingly, having very few, if any, backers among the club support, it’s hard to think of a match where we’ve been bigger underdogs in recent years – time to switch to 10-0-0 and seven centrebacks I wonder?
Anyway, here’s the quiz and a spot of good news is that at least the Under 23s are playing tomorrow. I’ll post the answers in Thursday.
60s. This wing half/midfielder, who was forced to retire from the game because of high blood pressure, was the second one at his first club, Aston Villa, the first one at his second and also at his third, Fulham. Who and what am I referring to? Also, what event from fifty three years was the reason why he and three others were honoured at a Premier League match this weekend?
70s. The winner of a single international cap, against Austria, this defender/midfielder played three times against City for Fulham during this decade and only avoided defeat once when the teams played out a draw. He played for sides in four countries and on three continents, making most appearances for south coast birds, but this was over two spells and he played most matches in a single stint for Fulham during a four year stay which saw him rack up close to a hundred and fifty league appearances. One of the clubs he played for towards the end of his career was called Green Gully who were based in the country where he now lives. Can you name him?
80s. Another one cap wonder, this full back was sent off in one of the domestic Cup Finals he played in, sent off in a London derby against Wimbledon for punching Dave Beasant and head butting Carlton Fairweather in the first ten minutes of the match and played in a winning Fulham side against City during this decade – he also won two European club trophies, do you know who he is?
90s. One tangly keeper (4,5).
00s. Smear North American river?
10s. He’s played for both teams and, towards the end of this decade, did something in a Cardiff v Fulham match that no one else has – who and what?
20s. Another to have won just a single cap and, currently back with the Scapular club, his middle names are Erowoli Orisunmihare Oluwaseun and he played for Fulham last season, name him.
Answers.
60.s. Stan Horne was the Aston Villa’s second ever black player and Manchester City and Fulham’s first. On Saturday he was a guest of Manchester City for their game with Burnley and, along with three other members of the club’s First Division title winning team of 1967/68 they were presented with winner’s medals following a change in the rules which previously stated that someone had to play I believe it was eight matches in a season to qualify for a medal – that figure has now been reduced to five and so he and three others qualified for medals that had previously been denied to them.
70s. Jimmy Dunne won a single cap for the Republic of Ireland and made his first appearance in the Football League while at Torquay where he did well enough to earn a move to Fulham in 1970. Four years later, Dunne had a short spell at Durban City, before returning to Craven Cottage for a second spell in which he did not play a game. He then went to another former club as he spent four years at Torquay, before moving to Australia with Green Gully, Ireland with Limerick and then back down under with Brisbane City.
80s. Doug Rougvie became the first player ever to be sent off in a Scottish League Cup Final in 1979, but won seven trophies (including the Cup Winners Cup and Super Cup in 1983) while at Aberdeen. He was transferred to Chelsea in 1984 where he had his run in with Wimbledon. Rougvie signed for Fulham following spells with Brighton and Shrewsbury, in 1989 and was in their team which beat us 2-0 at Craven Cottage in March of that year.
90s. Tony Lange.
00s. Mark Hudson.
10s. Harry Arter is the only Fulham player ever to have been sent off in a match against City – it came in a 1-1 draw between the clubs in August 2019 when he had a mad five minutes and picked up a couple of bookings.
20s. Josh Maja of Bordeaux.
Hi, Bob,
First of all, can I just say that I’ve been reading your reviews of City matches for very many years. They are the only reviews I look at and they are always very well written. You’re a very good judge of performances and the wider situation in the football club.
At the moment, I’m struggling to think of any other club that would keep a manager in this situation. I’m not a big fan of sacking managers after a few poor results, however, any self-respecting club would have got rid of this manager after the West Brom game. Actually, I think any club with a modicum of ambition would never have employed McCarthy in the first place. I wonder why the media do not keep asking Him what other successful clubs in world football employ 5 centre-backs. It’s embarrassing and provides no basis for the club to develop at all.
There seems to be some myth that City supporters like direct football. There may be a vocal minority of dinosaurs but I’m convinced the vast majority of our supporters or potential supporters would like to see us play progressive, modern football. Cardiff was one of the biggest Remain voting places in Britain. I don’t want to conflate political beliefs with football, but my point is that Cardiff is a cosmopolitan city where most young people have progressive views and would like to see their club reflect this and try and play football like nearly every other club does. In fact, I know some young Cardiffians who (secretly) prefer Swansea to Cardiff, including members of my own family, as they see them as representing the way football should be played. They get young players with potential, develop them as footballers and are consequently able to sell on players for good fees. I’m struggling to think of any platers we’ve developed and sold on for a good fee (compare the number of £10 million plus sales between the two clubs) Even after 2 spells in the premier league, we didn’t have any players that other premier clubs thought they should snap up afterwards.
Cardiff as a cosmopolitan capitol city with a decent stadium should be able to attract decent mangers and players. Brentford were a small club who managed to find and attract really good players from around the globe. At the time, Cardiff would surely have been able to out- compete a club like that for players yet we have no network for identifying these players. To be honest, a young kid on Football Manager would be able to find much better players than we attract.
I could go on and on with all the issues at the club, but I just find it really depressing. You just know that when McCarthy goes we will probably get a Tony Pulis or Flynn or Bruce. There’s no way we’ll unearth a Thomas Frank or Graham Potter or Russell Martin. How can we get the powers at be at the club to see what needs to be done?
A very good post, Sam.
I agree with most of it. I wouldn’t want to see Cardiff passing the ball about between defenders and then putting it back to the keeper for him to lump it upfield. I think our friends at swansea are sometimes guilty of passing just fo r the sake of passing and I don’t think our fans would engage with that. But obviously there is a happy medium.
Our “recruitment” is awful in every respect but unless there is a new owner somewhere I can’t see things changing.
Thanks all for your replies – he’s still there then and, if Paul Abbandonato is right, he will be for the Fulham and Middlesbrough matches at least.
Anthony, it looks like it could be a a high twelve thirty on Saturday as Neil Warnock, Sol Bamba and Lee Peltier return determined to help Mick McCarthy/Gary Cooper get sacked – I suppose Terry Connor is playing the Grace Kelly part!
Pr, your point about our manager trying to get sacked is one that is becoming increasingly common – that said, if he really did say Bacuna was the best player at the club (I’d not heard that one before) then you have to think he really is losing the plot. I can fully understand anyone who decides they’ve had enough of watching us this season (I agree we haven’t put in a ninety minute performance yet – no first half goals is all the proof you need of that) – I didn’t bother attending the West Brom or Reading matches and, with the Middlesbrough match being shown on Sky, I may well give that a miss as well.
Colin, on Sunday it was only bu chance that I looked at the clock and discovered it was only five minutes to kick off and, having seen the team he’s selected, even then I asked myself do I really want to watch this.
DJ, by contrast to my attitude towards the first team as kick off approached on Sunday, I’m rwally looking forward to watching the under 23s play in a few hours time. As you say, they play with three centrebacks, but the comparison with McCarthy’s team ends there because they have proper wing backs and players who are game changers at that level like Evans, Davies and Patten, while Zimba is increasingly looking like someone who should at least be on the bench for the senior side.Again, the difference in standards needs to be noted, but Denham and Connolly are comfortable with the ball at their feet in a way that Morrison, Nelson and Flint clearly aren’t. I agree completely wit you about the way we rushed to give McCarthy a two year contract – is it a coincidence that our resuits have been almost bottom three standard since he signed it?
Sam, welcome aboard and thanks for your kind words and a very good first post. Given your comments about what I agree is a myth about City fans liking direct football, you’re a man after my own heart! In saying that, I’ve no problem with “direct football” if it means well directed passing with the primary intention of the ball going forward and a sideways or backwards pass only being used if it is absolutely necessary, but when did we last play like that?
You make a great point about younger fans. It used to be a source of pride for me to see how many more younger fans were attending matches, but, with many veterans when it comes to supporting the club deciding enough is enough, how can you blame the youngsters if they decide to stop supporting City when the football is so drab and the entertainment value so low?
I’m not sure if your Football Manager point was made in jest or nor, but the truly concerning thing for me is that I can so easily manage to believe it’s true!
Sadly, I think you’re right Colin – why is Vincent Tan going to change when he hasn’t done in the preceding decade?