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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.

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