Cardiff City
Formed 1899
Elected to Division Two 1920
Kit History
Riverside
1899
1899-circa1908 a
Cardiff City
1908
circa 1908-1914 a
1914-1920 a
1920-1926 a
1926-1930 a
1930-1936 a
1936-1939 a
1939-1947 a
1947-1948 a
1948-1949 a
1949-1951 a
1951-1955 a
1955-1956 a
1956-1957 a
1957-1958 a
1958-1959 a
1959-1960 a
1960-1961 a
1961-1963 a g
1963-1964 a
1964-1965 a
1965-1967 a e
1967-1968 a
1968-1969 a
1969-1970 a
1970-1973 a
1973-1974 a h
1974-1975 a
1975-1977 a h
1978-1980 a h
1980-1983 a
1983-1985 a
1985-1987 a
1987-1988 a
1988-1989 a d
1989-1990 a
1990-1991 a
1992-1993 d
1994-1995 d
1995-1996 d
1996-1997 b
1997-1998 b
1998-1999 b d
1999-2000 c d
2000-2001 c d
2001-2002 c d
2002-2003 c
2003-2004 c
2004-2005 c
2005-2006 c
2006-2007 c
2007-2008 c
Background
Riverside FC was formed by
members of the Riverside Cricket Club and for some years the team played
in the elegant surroundings of Sophia Park in the centre of the city,
where cricket continues to be played to this day. After a season of friendly
fixtures, they joined the Cardiff & District League in 1900. In
1905 the committee applied to change the club's name to Cardiff City following
the granting of a city charter. Pemission was denied as the FA of Wales
considered the club too junior to enjoy such a prestigious title. Three
years later, in 1908, with the club competing in the South Wales Amateur
League, the FAW relented and Cardiff City was borne.
By the end of the decade City were in desperate need of a proper enclosed ground and began negotiations with the Bute Estate who offered a piece of waste ground previously used as a rubbish tip in the west of the city. The son of the Marquis of Bute, Lord Ninian Crichton-Stuart agreed to act as guarantor to the club and the new ground was named Ninian Park in his honour. In 1910, Cardiff were elected to the Southern League Second Division, rising to the First Division two years later.
In 1920 The Football League decided to incorporate the Southern League First Division as the new Third Division. The three clubs who had finished bottom of Division Two had to apply for re-election. Cardiff City decided to challenge them for a place in Division Two and were duly elected, effectively pinching a promotion over their Southern League colleagues. City went on to finish as runners-up and were promoted to Division One at the first attempt. The Twenties turned out to be City's golden period: in 1924 they were runners-up in the League, finishing equal on points with Huddersfield Town but losing out on the narrowest of goal average margins - 0.024. The following year, City reached the FA Cup final but lost to Sheffield United by a single goal. Then, in 1927, the club won the FA Cup , beating Arsenal 1-0. Famously, this is the only occasion that the FA Cup has been taken out of England.
The end came unexpectedly two years later when Cardiff were relegated and in 1931, the club dropped into Division Three South where they were to stay until after the Second World War.
In 1947, the Bluebirds won the Third Division South Championship by a margin of nine points, fielding ten Welsh players and one Englishman. In 1952, 52,000 fans crammed into Ninian Park to see City beat Leeds United and clinch promotion back to Division One. They stayed at the top level for five years, spent three seasons in Division Two 1957-1960 before returning to Division One. In 1962 they dropped back into Division Two and this time there would be no return. For the next 13 years, City languished in the mid to lower reaches of the Second Division although they narrowly missed out on promotion in 1971.
Despite mediocre league performances, City enjoyed frequent European campaigns by virtue of their participation in the Welsh Cup. English clubs often won the competition but could not qualify for the European Cup Winners Cup, their place going to a side based in Wales. In 1994 Welsh competition was restructured with the introduction of a national league and this back door into Europe was effectively closed.
In 1975 City dropped into Division Three for a single season but during the Eighties and Nineties, they were relegated and promoted with bewildering regularity. They had spells in Division Two 1977-82, Division Three 1982-83, Division Two 1983-85, Division Three 1985-86, Division Four 1986-1988, Division Three 1988-1990 and Division Four 1990-93. When the League restructured in 1993 City started off in Nationwide Division Two the old Third Division having won the Fourth Division championship the previous season. Two years later they were back in the basement.
In 2000 the controversial Lebanese entrepeneur Sam Hammam bought the club. Hammam had previously masterminded Wimbledon FC's career in the Premiership before selling his interest. He now set out his goal of taking City to the Premier Division and with promotions in 2001 and 2003, Cardiff returned to the second tier now known as "The Championship".
Sources
- a The Official History of Cardiff City FC John Crooke 1992
- b South Wales Echo
- c Cardiff City Official Website
- d David King
- e David Walters
- f www.jumpers4goalposts.com
- g Ralph Pomeroy
- h Alick Milne