Cardiff – capital of Wales. Wales – home of rugby. The Six Nations tournament is fast approaching, the Welsh team is defending its title and a third Grand Slam in five years could even be on the cards. Welsh coaches have been picked to tour with the British Lions and Cardiff Blues are riding high in the Heineken Cup. So what’s with all these football supporters?
Thanks to last year’s amazing cup run that saw Cardiff City fans descending upon Wembley for the FA Cup final, the city is waking up once again to the call of the spherical ball. Cardiff surprised everyone last year, and if the fans are to be believed, there’s no reason why they can’t do it again.
"They're going to win it," says banking executive Chris Lock. "No one's standing in their way. This year they're going to go one better."
First, though, there’s a minor obstacle: a little-known team called Arsenal.
The Premiership giants will be travelling to Ninian Park on Sunday, January 25. It is likely to be the last big match the ground hosts – even if Cardiff win, the chances of a home draw against another of the Big Four are slim – before the club moves into its new stadium at the end of the season. This could be Ninian Park's great swansong, and in Arsenal – who knocked Cardiff out of the FA Cup three years ago – they couldn't have a more perfect opposition.
In April 1927, Cardiff beat Arsenal in the FA Cup final to take the trophy out of England and into Wales. It was St. George's Day. Beating Arsenal again in the last season at Ninian Park would be not only incredible but strangely appropriate, especially after last year's success story.
Sadly, one man will not be watching the match. David Morgan was 16 when Cardiff won at Wembley and 97 the next time Cardiff played there, in the semi-final and final last year. He watched both games from the stands, even though the 1927 final was the first match to be broadcast live on BBC radio (with an Arsenal director commentating), and became something of a talisman for Cardiff City in last year's cup run. He passed away on December 29, but his passion for the club lives on in younger fans – "the new breed", as Ninian Park steward Kella Winney calls them; "the ones that come from the FA Cup."
Today, of course, Arsenal's young guns probably have no interest in the events of 80 years ago, but with a poor league showing this season they might be wary of an embarrassing FA Cup upset.
"They'll be giving [Cardiff] credit, I think," muses lifelong fan Chris Jenkins. "If you got in the final last season then you're going to be respected."
Not all Cardiff fans give Arsenal the same credit.
"They might turn up and think it's going to be an easy game," says Peter Mulhern, a policeman from Barry. "If you watch them in the Premier League they don't give some of the Premiership teams too much respect. We've seen Arsenal lose a couple of easy games this season, which they had every right to have won, so they may turn up and not respect us."
"I think with the attitude of Arsenal they'll stick a second team out," agrees City fan and trade union official Roger Jenkins.
Next year, though, Arsenal might have to take Cardiff a lot more seriously.
At the time of writing, the Bluebirds are fifth in the Championship, looking to hold on to a play-off place with the hope of Premiership football next year. Some fans are wary of tempting fate; others, less so. "It's Cardiff's year again," says Kella the steward. "We're going to do the play-offs, go to the final and we'll be back at Wembley."
For the moment, though, it's the cup match against Arsenal exciting fans and players alike, especially with 18-year-old Welsh prodigy Aaron Ramsey making a return to Ninian Park after his £5m transfer to the Gunners ("It'll be great to play against him and the fans will be happy to see him down here again," says 21-year-old Cardiff star Joe Ledley, seen below scoring the winner in the 2008 semi-final).
The fixture is helping financially too, and not just for the merchandise vendors already camped outside the
ground: the match is expected to raise £600,000 in gate receipts, television rights and prize money. "It's a lot of money, isn't it?" concludes television producer and lifelong Cardiff fan Garmon Emyr, after some debate and calculation (heard in the audio clip below). "That's a few players for us," he adds.
A draw at Ninian Park would mean a replay at Highbury and potentially more money – not to mention memories. But is a draw or even a win against Arsenal a realistic possibility? "It's the FA Cup," reminds Peter Mulhern. "There's always a chance."
It's an exciting time to be a Cardiff City supporter. Who cares about rugby anyway?
