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2017 EVERGREEN 21<br />
CARDIFF CITY<br />
It was in 1899 that members of the<br />
Riverside Cricket Club in Cardiff<br />
formed a football section. A year<br />
later they joined the Cardiff and District<br />
League before joining the South Wales<br />
Amateur League in 1907 and changing<br />
their name to Cardiff City. In 1910 the<br />
club moved into a stadium at Ninian<br />
Park, turned professional and were<br />
admitted to the Southern League’s<br />
Second Division.<br />
After winning promotion three<br />
years later, Cardiff joined the Football<br />
League’s Second Division in 1920 and<br />
won promotion at their first attempt.<br />
There then followed probably the club’s<br />
best years: in 1924 they were denied the<br />
League Championship on goal average<br />
and the following season reached the<br />
FA Cup Final only to lose to Sheffield<br />
United (0-1). In 1927 they became the only<br />
club to take the FA Cup out of England<br />
after beating Arsenal by the only goal in<br />
the final. However, Cardiff’s demise was<br />
swift and in 1933-34 they suffered the<br />
humiliation of finishing bottom of the<br />
Third Division South.<br />
Happily, by 1952 the “Bluebirds”<br />
were back in the First Division and spent<br />
seven of the next 10 seasons in the top<br />
flight. However, after relegation in 1962<br />
it would be over 50 years before they<br />
enjoyed life at this level again, this being<br />
for one season only in the Premier League<br />
(2013-14).<br />
Cardiff reached the semi-finals of the<br />
European Cup Winners Cup in 1967-68,<br />
and were defeated by Portsmouth in the<br />
2008 FA Cup Final by one goal to nil.<br />
ALAN ROBINSON<br />
Cardiff City<br />
(1927)<br />
Back row<br />
(players only):<br />
J. W. Thirlaway,<br />
J. Nelson, L. Davies,<br />
T. Farquharson,<br />
T. Sloan, T. Watson,<br />
E. Curtis.<br />
Front row<br />
W. Hardy,<br />
H. Ferguson,<br />
F. Keenor,<br />
S. Irving, T. Pirie,<br />
G. McLachlan.