Cardiff City promoted.

[Wowbagger]

Crikey.

That would have made my dad happy. He never stopped going on about the time they beat Arsenal 1 - 0 in the FA Cup. 1927 it was. He was 13.

And there's even some Youtube footage!

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/J5A5CNx9M2s&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/J5A5CNx9M2s&rel=1</a>

[madcow]

They even managed to survive a visitation from Peter Ridsdale ,allegedly a  football finance expert.
Cardiff have proved very hard to beat. Congrats from a jealous Leeds supporter.

[Nuncio]

My Blues Reds season-ticket-holding-fan friend has made the inspired move of bringing in cakes to work (in Swansea) to celebrate the promotion.  This put my cake-and-Swansea-City-loving colleagues, many of whom have spent the last two years giving him severe stick, into something of a quandary.  But in the end both cake and pride have been swallowed.

[Peter]

They even managed to survive a visitation from Peter Ridsdale ,allegedly a  football finance expert.
Cardiff have proved very hard to beat. Congrats from a jealous Leeds supporter.

This is even more remarkable than promotion.

madcow, are Cardiff still a "Welsh" team, or are they foreign, like Manchester United, City, Chelski, Blackburn and so on?

[Snakehips]

But in the end both cake and pride have been swallowed.

I love a happy ending!

[Greenbank]

are Cardiff still a "Welsh" team, or are they foreign, like Manchester United, City, Chelski, Blackburn and so on?

Malaysian owner who made them change to red home shirts (not bad for a club nicknamed the Bluebirds).

Only one Welsh player in the main squad (Bellamy) but a few in the reserves.

[caerau]

Well it's been a long time coming.  They've screwed up the play offs for what, 4 years on the trot?  But I think that's good - this is now much less likely to be a team that will be out of their depth in the premiership  - they've build a much stronger squad than they had then.
I'm now even more glad I quit driving to work last year as my commute went right past the stadium - I don't miss trying to battle around there when a match was on and it will only be worse from now on.

Well done anyway, I live in a happy city today.
(Not as happy as when they win the Rugby mind )

[Peter]

are Cardiff still a "Welsh" team, or are they foreign, like Manchester United, City, Chelski, Blackburn and so on?

Malaysian owner who made them change to red home shirts (not bad for a club nicknamed the Bluebirds).

Only one Welsh player in the main squad (Bellamy) but a few in the reserves.

Ah, thanks, Greenbank.

[Riggers]

I think the Swansea v Cardiff games will be fun for the police to, er… police.

Cardiff City supporter: "Well played you fellows. Your side beat us fair-'n'-square, 'n' no mistake, 'n'all!"

Swansea City supporter: "That's very decent of you to say Guv'n'r. Lawks, 'n'Oi 'ope you 'ave a better encounter next time dancha now!"

Why they are Cocker-knees I've know idea. They just are.

[Wowbagger]

A rather touching piece from a Cardiff City fan who cannot support this new setup. Not following football, I was unaware of the background to Cardiff's promotion.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/apr/17/cardiff-city-promoted-died-last-summer

It was big decision to walk away. Every fan has their own tipping point, but I knew immediately that I couldn't support a franchise. I wouldn't support a business like Tesco or Sainsbury's, and that's what Cardiff City have become. The club is no longer a community asset; it's just a football team that happens to play in the city. Cardiff City are one step away from MK Dons.

[Peter]

Wow, that's increasingly how I feel about professional football.  My team (Newcastle United) are still a British club (if you don't count the players) but the English chairman has re-named the stadium The Sports Direct Stadium (no prizes for guessing the name of his company).  The old name, St James's Park will never die (unlike the chairman) but its eclipse indicates just how little the chairman thinks of the supporters who make Newcastle the team with probably the highest attendance of local people in the league.

Football is eating itself.

[Andrew]

It was big decision to walk away. Every fan has their own tipping point, but I knew immediately that I couldn't support a franchise. I wouldn't support a business like Tesco or Sainsbury's, and that's what Cardiff City have become. The club is no longer a community asset; it's just a football team that happens to play in the city. Cardiff City are one step away from MK Dons.

Yes, I think that could equally well describe many a team. Certainly the team I follow (I don't call myself a fan any more).

I read something somewhere this morning, something worthy of a Trivial Pursuit style question. Something like that Cardiff is the only European capital city without a top division football team... or some'at like that anyway. That's the curious thing about such facts - it has immediate 'gosh' value but is instantly forgotten!

[Greenbank]

I read something somewhere this morning, something worthy of a Trivial Pursuit style question. Something like that Cardiff is the only European capital city without a top division football team... or some'at like that anyway. That's the curious thing about such facts - it has immediate 'gosh' value but is instantly forgotten!

It's hardly a surprise though, given that (almost?) every European country has it's own league and, all bar a few, its only the top division that is professional. There's an argument that (English) football can only really support two professional divisions without the massive influx of money from sugar daddies.

Cardiff would easily have a top division football team if Cardiff played in the Welsh Premier.

[Greenbank]

Oh, and Lietchenstein has no domestic football league and FC Vaduz play in the Swiss second division.

[Andrew]

and the only thing less interesting than some facts is when people over contextualise them

[LEE]

I think the Swansea v Cardiff games will be fun for the police to, er… police.

Cardiff City supporter: "Well played you fellows. Your side beat us fair-'n'-square, 'n' no mistake, 'n'all!"

Swansea City supporter: "That's very decent of you to say Guv'n'r. Lawks, 'n'Oi 'ope you 'ave a better encounter next time dancha now!"

Cardiff City supporter: "Now try extracting this broken bottle from your face"

FTFY

[Snakehips]

I went to a Cardiff - Swansea match a long time ago, in the 1970s I guess. It was the first time I sat at a football ground. The cheaper seats were lumps of wood like railway sleepers, fixed to the concrete of the terraces.
The start of the match was delayed while those Swansea fans who hadn't already been arrested were led in to the ground shouting abuse.
I look forward to next season's encounters with interest.

[Greenbank]

and the only thing less interesting than some facts is when people over contextualise them

Never let the facts get in the way of a good story...

[Andrew]

Exactly. You're getting the hang of it now aren't you?

[LEE]

Nice to have three Welsh team in the Premiership

Cardiff, Swansea and Gareth Bale.

[Morrisette]

Mr M was at a Cardiff-Swansea match once when the Swans fans ripped up their seats and chucked them in the family enclosure. Good times, good times.....erm, wait a minute....

This victory has nothing to do with him, mind. Since he's lived in East Anglia he's seen them play here nine times (at Norwich, Ipswich and Peterborough I believe) and they've lost every single time!