I popped into my local newsagent yesterday morning who doesn't even stock it. "No demand", he said. And maybe he has a point when other morning papers seem to have double the contant at half the price.
Cardiff City fans spent the day on tenterhooks, monitoring online news and messageboards hoping for the best and their wishes were fulfilled as the club held onto all its key personnel. 
Jay Bothroyd strikes his sixth goal of the season as Cardiff City go joint-top of the Championship.
1) Tim Vine "I've just been on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday. I'll tell you what, never again."
2) David Gibson "I'm currently dating a couple of anorexics. Two birds, one stone."
3) Emo Philips "I picked up a hitch hiker. You've got to when you hit them."
4) Jack Whitehall "I bought one of those anti-bullying wristbands when they first came out. I say 'bought', I actually stole it off a short, fat ginger kid."
5) Gary Delaney "As a kid I was made to walk the plank. We couldn't afford a dog."
6) John Bishop "Being an England supporter is like being the over-optimistic parents of the fat kid on sports day."
7) Bo Burnham "What do you call a kid with no arms and an eyepatch? Names."
8) Gary Delaney "Dave drowned. So at the funeral we got him a wreath in the shape of a lifebelt. Well, it's what he would have wanted."
9) Robert White "For Vanessa Feltz, life is like a box of chocolates: Empty."
10) Gareth Richards "Wooden spoons are great. You can either use them to prepare food. Or, if you can't be bothered with that, just write a number on one and walk into a pub…"
Scotland international striker Ross McCormack has joined Leeds United for an undisclosed sum from Cardiff City with the deal completed at lunchtime.
Rumours has it that he left for just £300k, a healthy profit on the £100k paid to Motherwell when Cardiff signed him but a far cry from the £4M bid turned down from Hull this time last year.
However Ross' star has waned with off field self inflicted problems affecting his football and he found himself completely out of contention this season so better to lose his £8k a week wage than keep him. I'm sure City will have a suitable sell on clause for a player very capable of settling down and rediscovering the football that electrified City and Scottish fooball fans - good luck to him!
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Following their Carling Cup victory over Southend United last night, Mick McCarthy has revealed striker Andy Keogh was not in the squad as "It's a racing certainty that (he) is to join Cardiff City.
McCarthy left the Republic of Ireland international out of his side's Carling Cup win over Southend on Tuesday, ensuring the player is not cup-tied.
A permanent transfer, Keogh would become Cardiff's 8th signing of the summer following Craig Bellamy, Seyi Olofinjana, Danny Drinkwater, Jason Koumas, Lee Naylor and Tom Heaton in south Wales.
Keogh has scored 49 goals in 180 competitive appearances for Leeds, Scunthorpe, Bury and Premier League Wolves since 2004.
McCarthy told Wolves' website: "Andy has been fabulous here both for me and this football club. It's a good move for him to go to Cardiff and good luck to him. It was my decision to let him go but he goes with our best wishes and warmest regards"
Forty Four years after both sides were losing League Cup semi-finalists and 8 months on from THAT 4-4 draw,
Two-one was the final score with Cardiff failing to capitalise on a one sided first half having only Jay Bothroyd’s 5th goal of the season to show for total domination and they regretted that as the tide turned 2nd half and Cardiff’s defence cracked badly to allow Mackail-Smith (74) and Boyd (87) to take Posh into Round 3.
This season is surely all about the League only but the Carling Cup has taken
However the line-up and front six was still strong enough as
Peterborough have started the season well enough in the quest to bounce back into the Championship after May’s relegation with three high scoring win and one high scoring defeat but were under the cosh from the off in front of just 3,800 fans, three hundred from South Wales.
City had chance after chance but, somehow, never really extended Joe Lewis in goals as moves were too elaborate or the finishing wasn’t as smart as the set ups. Koumas (twice), Bothroyd (twice), Drinkwater (twice) and Burke were all guilty of not taking advantage of good openings but after enough warnings,
Shortly afterwards, Seyi Olifinajana went off – hopefully no more than a precaution – and Steve McPhail came on immediately having two clear chances himself but failing to take them. City should have been out of sight by the interval, their failure to do so cost them.
H/T: POSH 0 CITY 1
If the first half was all about Cardiff, it was almost the reverse story after the break with Tom Heaton having to make two excellent early saves and City on the back foot.
However they seemed to be surviving the storm although rarely threatening to get the killer second goal which always encouraged the hosts and it all went wrong with 16 minutes to go as clever interplay played in McKail-Smith with finished with style.
Game on and Cardiff should still have won it as the ref failed to award a penalty as Jay Bothroyd was pulled back inside the area then Burke wasted a one on one type opportunity.
Extra-time beckoned which was unwelcome but City were saved the extra half hour as BOYD crashed home a wonderful winner.
Both goals conceded came from shambolic defending with City’s centre halves at fault. If it acts as a reminder to Jones how me must bring in strength at the back, maybe it will have done
A poor result, a bad defeat and questions to be answered. However
Leeds United appear to be closing in on out of favour Cardiff City forward Ross McCormack who has found himself further down the pecking order at The Bluebirds with Craig Bellamy’s arrival. Thoughts that City may hold onto the player with news that Michael Chopra could be absent for 6 weeks with an injury in Saturday’s win over
Roscoe’s agent Willie McKay confirmed, “We have been given permission to speak to
During Saturday’s memorable victory over Doncaster, word spread around Cardiff City fans like wildfire that centre-half Anthony Gerrard is heading for the exit door for a season’s loan at League One Sheffield Wednesday with Celtic’s Glen Loovens returning through the entrance on the same deal but there appear to have been no developments so far.
Gerrard’s move remains likely to happen, the player slipping out of the first team picture and rumour would have it, out of Dave Jones’ thoughts too. His only appearance this season in the Carling Cup victory over
Loovens’ situation is more intriguing.
However the story has moved on with Loovens preferring to fight for his place and declining City but then promptly being removed from Celtic’s squad as they beat St Mirren 4-0 yesterday with Joe Ledley scoring the opener, his first for The Bhoys. Gossip had it that Loovens stormed away from Parkhead when told of the decision but that’s being played down today with Celtic claiming that he had an injury.
Don’t therefore be surprised to see Loovens back with the Bluebirds, sooner rather than later.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/8934877.stm
As debuts and hysteria events go, this was one that met and surpassed the dreams.
To put his result into context, it was Doncaster’s biggest defeat since being in the Championship and their first four goal loss in the league since beating beaten at home by the same margin in January 2008 League One ironically by … Swansea.
Yet there were few signs of this outcome in a first half that Doncaster edged on points for a sizeable period while
After a week of what felt like unprecedented drama and fervour (and that alone takes some doing with the soap opera that is
The difference was also noticeable in
The sights and sounds were spine tingling as the teams were led out with Bellers at the front. The crowd was 24,027 and the poignancy of the occasion was heightened again as the club paid full tribute to my boyhood idol, true legend and all round nice guy Brian Clark who sadly passed away recently after illness. He will never be forgotten for scoring the goal that beat Real Madrid, surely the greatest night in club history, but I will always remember him for far more that that. That minute’s applause and chants of there’s only one Brian Clark with both teams and former team-mates Bobby Woodruff, Don Murray, Steve Derrett and Gary Bell on the pitch with the big screen showing some magical memories was very fitting … even if Dave Jones wearing his black armband over his white shirt did look slightly, and very unintentionally, Nazi.
Darcy Blake was injured warming up having rolled on his ankle so swiftly replaced by Adam Matthews but, with all other players available including Kevin McNaughton after his concussion/hospital trauma last weekend, the questions were who would Bellamy replace and what formation would City deploy?
It was the unfortunate Chris Burke, last week’s match winner, who found himself on the bench as City stayed 4-4-2 with Bellers on the left and Peter Whittingham switched to the right. Such has been City’s activity in the market that they went from 4 subs only in the league opener a fortnight ago to what must be City’s strongest bench ever.
So to the game and after all that build up, Bellamy could. Maybe should, have opened inside 2 minutes as City’s first slick move saw Chopra taken out by an horrendous Thomas flying studs in challenge but play moved so fast, few saw it as the ball was worked by Jay to Bellamy who hooked over as O’Sullivan ran out to block.
Chops needed prolonged treatment and also limped off for more later while the game was in play but in between came so close to opening the scoring as he latched onto Jay’s flick on, tried to lob veteran keeper Neil O’Sullivan whose reflexes belied a player who turned 40 last season.
However it was Donny who opened up the better with the game being played at a furious pace that was never going to last. Passing and moving the ball as they can, they were exposing
Cardiff’s problems increased as Kevin McNaughton limped off inside 20 minutes followed by Chopra who could not recover from his knock (and may now be out for up to 6 weeks) but City’s bench showed its power as they were replaced by debutant Lee Naylor producing a very pleasing debut and Chris Burke showing how to respond to being dropped with, arguably, a man of the match display.
Within 4 minutes,
Half-time: CITY 1 DONNY 0
The proverbial game of two halves, City were now able to open up and show their mighty attacking quality. I personally felt Donny had worked so hard in the first half, they had run their legs off to a certain extent and while
It was a sideshow to what were three stunning second half goals. Donny can question their defending but no denying each goal was a classic in its own right.
The second and decisive goal on 62 minutes was almost a tribute to Brian Clark. Chris Burke, back to his very best, got the ball wide, ran at defenders, dummied past one and got to the by-line before crossing to the far post for BOTHROYD to send a towering header back across goal into the top corner. Clarkie would have been smiling looking down at that. It was Jay’s 4th of the season as he sets about beating last season’s 13.
Any thoughts Donny could still make a game of it were banished 6 minutes later and in incredible style. Bellamy won the ball by the corner flag with City defending. As he belted it up field, it looked like a clearance but the ball cleared Donny’s defence and sent CHRIS BURKE clear. He would never be caught and finished with real aplomb as he fired home high from just inside the box leaving O’Sullivan motionless. CCS was now truly rocking.
Job done, game over, the contest looked now resembled a training match but had one moment of humour as City put together 20 or more passes before nearly scoring with each pass greeted with an ole only for Donny to get the ball and do their best to replicate with their beleaguered support doing the same, volume 50 times quieter.
Bellers is a long way from match fitness and blowing frequently but came alive on the ball but his afternoon finished in amazing style. Winning a free-kick 35 yards out on the left side of goal, BELLAMY let fly with the ball seemingly accelerating en route to beat O’Sullivan and hammer in off his far post. It was truly an extraordinary moment, the noise and celebrations in the crowd simply fantastic.
Before he departed for a standing ovation, he got booked for dissent (I think the ref just wanted his name in the book) but that still left time for Jason Koumas to show how devastatingly good he can be with some superb touches and passes.
However this was a team display where every player performed really well, apart from those already mentioned, I was especially impressed by Olifinjana in midfield who only plays 25 yards either side of halfway and doesn’t veer too far left or right but the game can’t pass him by there and he is an anchor, the type of general the side have been missing for too long.
The frightening thing is that you suspect this side will only get better. They are still working on their shape, they are still getting to know each other. Even the City pessimists are optimistic!
As Lou Reed sings, it’s such a perfect, I’m glad I spent it with you. Final whistle saw the heavens open and the mother of all downpours, City fans left CCS truly singing and dancing in the rain. What a day, it will never be forgotten by anyone there.
A mementous week was ended by Cardiff City, in comnjunction with Championship sponsors N-Power, flashing player, squad and club images onto the walls of Cardiff Castle tonight.
| PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES |
Hooter’s has been granted permission to open by the Council this afternoon.
You weren’t expecting other news, were you?
usinessmen may be contributing too and Bellamy will skipper the side against Doncaster this weekend. This from a club were have major money woes and who only saw off a winding up order in the courts last week! There again, when has life ever been normal, straightfdorward or predictable with this soap opera of a club.
