HASSELBAINK GETS HIS CARDIFF CITY PAY-OFF THEN RETIRES

It has been confirmed that Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink has quit football, his final appearence taking place at Wembley in Cardiff City's F.A. Cup Final defeat at Wembley ... a high to go out on but a personal display that suggested his time was up.

YESSS! I GOT MY PAY-OFF

OUT OF RIDSDALE!

He did recently trial with Norwich City, or train with them as he described it, but no contract offer was forthcoming. Good Luck to Jimmy.



It closes one of many inglorious chapters that took place over summer at Cardiff City. As became known, Peter Ridsdale get himself suckered into a position where Hasselbaink was able to claim entitlement to a contract for this season reportedly worth nearly £800,000 even though City had no intention of keeping him.



The PFA became involved and the matter threatened to boil over into the courts but that has, thankfully, been averted with Peter Ridsdale declaring that "the football club are entirely satisfied with the outcome". He would say that, wouldn't he?



However no way should anyone be satisfied that the club got itself placed in this situation and, although we'll never know what has been paid to Jimmy, it's a fair bet it wasn't cheap and that it may well have impacted on the playing bdget and possibly spending for this season.





And we're supposed to be "entirely satisfied" at that?

LINK TO NEWPAPER STORY

Hasselbaink calls it quits after City deal WalesOnline

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HASSLEBAINK 'NOT ON THE RADAR' OF JOINING NORWICH

... ...Not yet anyway!

Although it is still suspected, even if not publicly admitted, that JIMMY FLOYD HASSELBAINK will be offered a short-term deal with Norwich City, the fact that his contract dispute with Cardiff City is still to be resolved (despite Peter Ridsdale informing South Wales press that it would be concluded by early this week) couple with the fact Norwich are playing at Ninian Park today, means that JFH's presence is East Anglia is still in the "I'm training with them' category.

When pressed on the issue, Canaries boss Glenn Roeder is quoted as saying, "He was here Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and I think he's coming back next week for another three days. He's really enjoying it and he feels that his fitness has increased greatly in just the three days he's had with us. But I think he had business on yesterday and is back in Cardiff today before moving back to London." I wonder if JFH will pop along to the game later?

Roeder however seems to have been guardedly impressed by the Serial Moaner adding, "I think he's been good for the younger strikers and even Cureton passed some nice comments about Jimmy. And in the small-sided games that we've had, he's scored plenty of goals. There's nothing wrong with that right foot - that's still working, even at 36 but I don't want to talk about if there's any possibility of him joining us. It's not on the radar at the moment. We're just helping him out - and in his own way, he's helping us out.".

I reckon the deal wil be sealed next week once the City contract and our game is out of the way.

HASSELBAINK - LIKELY TO SIGN DEAL FOR NORWICH BEFORE TOMORROW

In a week when Hasselbaink declared his belief that he has one more season left in him, Norwich skipper, Mark Fotheringham, would like to see Jimmy sign a short-term deal to help inspire Norwich's players and the club.

However his only duties tomorrow will be 'insider secrets' on Cardiff City for the club will the official line is that he is there for training only.

Fotheringham, in an audio interview, says he is looking to visiting ST. NINIAN'S PARK tomorrow!

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/sport/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=Sport&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=Sport&itemid=NOED20%20Aug%202008%2017%3A10%3A34%3A443

HASSELBAINK - BLUEBIRD TO CANARY TO FACE CITY?

A rare shot of Jimmy looking as if he

nearly got off the ground for a header

What an irony if Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink joined a new club and faced Cardiff at Ninian Park in his first outing ... it may still be unlikely but there's an increasing chance it could happen this coming weekend.

With his Cardiff City contract dispute believed to be near settlement, JFH - who has recently been seen pounding the streets of Cardiff around his Cyncoed home - set the Farmer's Boys' tongues wagging as he sat with Norwich officials in their Director's Box at their home draw with Blackpool last Saturday.

It is with some irony that on the same weekend last season, Jimmy was seen in the Director's Box at QPR as he joined City ... deja vu!

Glen Roeder, Norwich Manager, commented "Was he? Did he come and watch the game? I don't know" post-game while Jimmy today said that he is there for training ... Norwich is a hell of a long way to go for training when you live in Cardiff.

This evening, it is being touted in East Anglia that Jimmy is set to be offered a short-term contract, apparently to the end of the year initially with a view to the full season if successful. Roeder is under pressure with Norwich having a poor season's start, his failure to bring in new faces and a transfer window closing which, it is believed, has seen him turn to our Jimmy who is believed to be trying out for the short-term deal.

If concluded quickly, Jimmy ironically could be back at Ninian Park this weekend ... stranger things have happened.

MORE CITY HASSLE - HASSLEBAINK'S TAKING US TO COURT

Cardiff City's miserable summer just seems to have no light at the end of the tunnel and has another low.

Lengthy talks between Peter Ridsdale, Dave Jones, Jimmy Floyd-Hasslebaink and the PFA broke down yesterday with the player quoted as saying, "It’s not resolved yet, We have to wait until we can resolve it. I would have loved to have played another year of football with Cardiff. I had a great year with the club last year but it is not to be. It looks like it could go to court.”

Hasselbaink - yes, I've got them!!

The background to this latest mess is that while Peter Ridsdale always delared in public that the option to trigger a second year on the contract was always up to Cardiff City, it transpired that only Hasselbaink played 23 matches, that clauses automatically triggerred.



However Ridsdale and Jones are adamant that they realsied last Christmas that Hasselabaink wasn't "fast or fit enough" or roght for the club to have a second year which reached a dilemma in February when JFH has played 22 games.



Ridsdale claims that player and himself reached a verbal agreement at that time over the second year being waived but nothing to that effect was ever signed. Ridders, a man of vast business and football experience who dosn't seem to be showing he's learned lessons, states he confirmed the converstaion in writing but that JFH told him he was 'a man of my word' so that was as far as it went at that time.



While Ridsdale obviously believes agreement was reached, it contradicts Hasselbaink stating many times in the second half of the season that he hoped to be with City for this season. He supposedly arrived for pre-season training but was turned away.



With Jimmy's contract being worth £15k a week, this could not only be a £3/4M gaffe by City, it must also be affecting the budget for replacements. What a mess and you can certainly argue about the incompetence of Ridsdale. Even if City win the day, how did they allow themselves to be put in this situation? This has to be City's worst summer for years.

EURO'2008 GROUP C: ROMANIA 0 FRANCE 0

Group C - dubbed the Group of Death as it contains Italy, Holland and France - may as well be renamed to Coma Group if this evidence is anythign to go by. So bad was this game that it almost made me fondly sentimental about some of the dross Cardiff City were serving up at Ninian Park last Autumn!

Romania were cynical, set up defensively for a 0-0 and showed no ambition so they will be the happier side of the two even though they don't look like scoring or winning all tournament on this showing. France had the better possession but where unable to create and made to look poor and slow - a fear some held for their ageing side in which veterans Thierry Henry and Patrick Viera (who almost make Fowler and Hasselbaink seem young) were injured and Captain Lilian (lovely name) Thuram (not so lovely name) was winning his 141st cap.

Romania's star man Mutu couldn't sniff a half chance. Funny that, he had no problem sniffing at Chelsea! The quality of the game was best summed up when Romania brought on a sub who plays for the mighty Inverness!

I gave up and ate salad, it was more exciting.

POTENTIAL INNIES AND OUTIES AT NINIAN PARK

Away from Aaron Ramsey, the weather may be cold cold cold but the rumour mill is getting hot hot hot with comings and goings.

Here's just a few of the latest.

- Peter Enckleman has signed permanently says today's South Wales Echo but nowhere else seems to know this.

- Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink is definitely gone says yesterday's News of the World. Almost certainly will be true but again unconfirmed at present.

- Joe Ledley is oop north according to www.cardiffcity.com messageboard and going to Sunderland for £7M but it don't end there, Michael Chopra's coming our way in part-exchange for £3.5M.

- Jason Roberts is also coming from Blackburn (back to the Echo) but for £3M and we're trying to get Freddie Eastwood from Wolves too for £1.5m.

- Peter Whittingham's going as well btu nobdy's sure where and Paul Parry will revert to wing play in his place (the good'ol messageboard).

- And, of course, Robbie Fowler's still messing us about and being allowed to!

- Oh, and Darren Purse admits in today's Echo that he was truly crap last season but wants to stay and get his first team place back. That's the most worrying rumour yet! :>)

Mention enough players and enough clubs and someone will get one right soon I'm sure!

RIDSDALE SPEAKS ON JFH & FOWLER BUT NOTHING WE HADN'T WORKED OUT ALREADY

Click the link if you like but you know the story already;

- City don't want to keep keep veteran strikers really
- They're happy to dispense with Jimmy Floyd-Hasslebaink
- They'd like Robbie to stay but he's stalling on the contract offer
- Every player has his price and we can expect a sale or two

There's column inches to fill, y'know.

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/footballnation/cardiff-city-fc/2008/05/23/city-s-star-duo-may-go-91466-20962683/

FOWLER AND HASSELBAINK - ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, ACT NOW DAVE

FOWLER AND HASSELBAINK - ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, ACT NOW DAVE

Latest newspaper stories suggest that the futures of both Robbie Fowler and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink are under review and that neither may stay. At last, some sense as far as I'm concerned except it appears that while JFH may be a goner (and his Cup Final performance showed why), Dave Jones seems to have an infatuation with Fowler and is prepared to play a waiting game for the second season running.

DJ believes Fowler can get City 20 goals even though no evidence of this exists since 2001, the player who been either in decline or injured since with rare exception.

Last summer, the player held the club to ransom until long after pre-season has started before committing to Cardiff which meant he just wasn't ready in August, always playing ctah up and never cuaght up really then got injured.

Fowler has not played for 6 month, had the ultimate in care and attention and been looked after better than any player in Bluebirds history. Understandably, in his 34th year, City want to offer a pay-as-you-play deal to someone who tells us he just wants to play football and can't need money that badly with his finances believes to be more than £30M.

However Fowler and his agent are once again playing the stalling game and it's said they will not commit until late next month at the earliest. Enough of this Jonesy, we owe Fowler nothing at all and he should feel he owes us.

When Andy Robinson tried messing Swansea around fr the 2nd time in as many years this week, they didn't stand for it and gave him the ultimatm to sign now or go. He chose to go.

Cardiff City should do exactly the same to Fowler - enough of this love-in. Give him a deadline or withdraw the offer.

Fowler is not bigger or better than this club and, arguably, isn't good enough to stay around anyway. To have him and his agent refusing to commit for the 2nd season running just isn't acceptable. Sign now Robbie or feck off!

FOWLER AND HASSELBAINK - ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, ACT NOW DAVE

FOWLER AND HASSELBAINK - ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, ACT NOW DAVE

Latest newspaper stories suggest that the futures of both Robbie Fowler and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink are under review and that neither may stay. At last, some sense as far as I'm concerned except it appears that while JFH may be a goner (and his Cup Final performance showed why), Dave Jones seems to have an infatuation with Fowler and is prepared to play a waiting game for the second season running.

DJ believes Fowler can get City 20 goals even though no evidence of this exists since 2001, the player who been either in decline or injured since with rare exception.

Last summer, the player held the club to ransom until long after pre-season has started before committing to Cardiff which meant he just wasn't ready in August, always playing ctah up and never cuaght up really then got injured.

Fowler has not played for 6 month, had the ultimate in care and attention and been looked after better than any player in Bluebirds history. Understandably, in his 34th year, City want to offer a pay-as-you-play deal to someone who tells us he just wants to play football and can't need money that badly with his finances believes to be more than £30M.

However Fowler and his agent are once again playing the stalling game and it's said they will not commit until late next month at the earliest. Enough of this Jonesy, we owe Fowler nothing at all and he should feel he owes us.

When Andy Robinson tried messing Swansea around fr the 2nd time in as many years this week, they didn't stand for it and gave him the ultimatm to sign now or go. He chose to go.

Cardiff City should do exactly the same to Fowler - enough of this love-in. Give him a deadline or withdraw the offer.

Fowler is not bigger or better than this club and, arguably, isn't good enough to stay around anyway. To have him and his agent refusing to commit for the 2nd season running just isn't acceptable. Sign now Robbie or feck off!

CITY'S RETAINED LIST - IT'S TA TA TREV BUT THE JURY'S STILL OUT FOR FOWLER & JIMMY

Sinclair could always be Zorro!

With the F.A. Cup Final out of the way, Cardiff City were finally able to name their retained list which contained no real shocks but also not the cull of Dave Jones' squads of the past couple of season with 7 allowed to leave.

The Bluebirds signed the Saga Superstar Trio of Robbie Fowler, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Trevor Sinclair -collectively aged 104! -to enormous publicity last summer and no matter what the differing views of wages being paid top them,, an equally enormous hole in the playing budget too.

With the key objective of the Championship producing City's 5th successive mid-table finish, it's time to move on.

Trevor Sinclair, at 35, started the best and did get corwds behind him until it transpired there wasn't much of an end product to his play and then injuries struck - a theme of his latter years. 14 league games and 1 goal wasn't quite what City expected and it makes sense to let him go.

Robbie Fowler, now 33, came here unfit, ended the season unfit and found himself injured most of the rest of the time meaning just 10 league games and 4 goals, 2 of those were penalties. A majority of City fans, myself included, have the view it's time to go separate ways but all the soundbites are that Dave Jones believes he will be fit, will socre goals and will give him another year - maybe on pay-as-you-play terms.

The eldest stateman, Hasselbaink, is now 36 but provided the best return with 33 league starts and 7 goals. He'd love to stay but the club have - rightly- hinted he couldn't be first choice next term and more pace is needed in attack.

While the wait over Fowler and Hasselbaink goes on, City released the goalkeeping due of Michael Oakes and David Forde. The two Matts - Reserve youngsters Matt Green and Matt Smith - failed to prove they should have new contracts and are also out with Matt Green set to join Oxford.

The only other out-of-contract player is Riccy Scimeca who has been offered a new one year deal after overcoming horrific injuries and the popular midfielder is expected to sign.

There are several players with only one year remaining on the contracts and the club are expected to offer most new deals but some will be vulnerable including Darren Purse, Steve Thompson (who is officially still on the transfer list anyway) and Willo Flood. Warren Feeney, with two years remaining, may also leave.

It's a start to what may yet prove another hectic summer of ins and outs but a good start as far as I'm concerned.

HASSELBAINK SET TO STAY ON

JIMMY CAN'T BELIEVE HE'S GETTING ANOTHER YEAR AT CITY

Jimmy seems to think so - he describes it as 99.99% certain. It would seem strange if City retained both immy and Robbie for another season as it didn't work with Robbie injured througout and, strong influence around the club that he is, Jimmy only scored 9 and is running out of steam.





Surely, when the F.A. Cup Final again exposed City's limitations in attack, something needs to change?





This link includes a good audio interview with JFH.



Hasselbaink set for Cardiff stayBBC Sport

HASSELBAINK - SHOULD HE STAY OR SHOULD HE GO?

JIMMY FLOYD HASSELBAINK today contradicted numerous newspaper reports that he will either be retiring or leaving Cardiff City by commenting that he still expects to be with City for next season.

It may tie in with some rumours that Jimmy could be a coach and support player but it would surely be too fanciful for Cardiff to still have both Fowler and Hasselbaink but we will have towait and see. Clearly, Jimmy is not ready to give it up just yet.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink wants to stay at Cardiff City

BBC News

SATURDAY CITY-RELATED F.A. CUP FINAL STORIES

Some of the weekend press previewing the F.A. Cup Final, there will be more stories and I'll publish anything worthwhile.

Jimmy eyes final bling for Cardiff

guardian.co.uk - UK

Dave Jones: I won't forget the people who stood by me as I fought ...

Daily Mail

Joe Ledley hopes family’s luck is on form

ic Wales

CITY DENY HASSLEBAINK LEAVING ... FOR NOW!

Cardiff undecided on HasselbainkBBC Sport, UK

It’s strange to know what is going on here. Clearly Dave Jones’ decision to offer playing contracts to Robbie Fowler and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink this season has not worked.

It brought City enormous kudos but also put an enormous dent in the playing budget too. Injuires, age, no pace and a lack of sufficient goals from the pair says it;s a gamble that didn't pay off.

Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink has, without question, served City the better of the pair contributing all season and scoring 9. At 37, perhaps he has reached the end of his Bluebirds road but can go out in glory with the F.A. Cup Final, our grateful thansk and eternal memories.

So far, the same cannot be said of Robbie Fowler who came to City unfit, ended the season injured and managed few games or goals. Yet Dave Jones is on record believing he is our 20 goals man for next season - something he hasn't achieved for 8 years!

While Jones is confused why newspapers are suggesting Jimmy's time is up, it's probably not helped by his many supportive comments towards Robbie and his future, a sharp contrast to anything he says for Jimmy.

On a personal level, unless Robbie is pay-as-you-play and Dave Jones doesn't see him as our main figurehead or reliable striker, he may be worth a punt but otherwise I'd rather see us bring in younger, hungrier strikers who give more pace and movement to City. Ultimately, it's a significant reason why we couldn't match the Championship's leading aside in the final reckoning.

CARDIFF CITY'S STRIKING PROBLEM

Here's a very worthy appraisal by Steve Tucker of City's problem in the forward department and Dave Jones' dubious record bringing in the men to get him goals from this morning's Western Mail.

I endore the entire article.

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/footballnation/football-news/2008/05/07/cardiff-city-boss-jones-must-find-hitman-91466-20871198/

ENCKLEMAN & JIIMMY in the DAILY TELEGRAPH

Enckleman's "Grandad Hair"

as seen in his early days at City

Peter Enckelman's rehabilitation at Cardiff

Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/04/04/sfnsmi204.xml

JFH in The DT

HASSELBAINK ALMOST LEGLESS

Perhaps this helps to explain why Jimmy has lost his pace? :>)

Jimmy - I nearly lost leg
SkySports - Isleworth,UK

HASSELBAINK LOSES APPEAL & STARTS 3 MATCH BAN

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's next Cardiff City appearance will be in the F.A. Cup semi-final at Wembley on April 6th after the FAW dismissed Cardiff City's appeal against his controversial red card at Colchester United last weekend.

Only once in my memory can I recall the FAW overturning a CCFC appeal, even when red cards have been blatantly ridiculous, so the outcome had some inevitability about it although it has produced an angry reaction from Peter Ridsdale.

More worrying for now is that City's forward options for three successive Championship home games pre-Wembley consist solely of Paul Parry, Steve Thompson and Warren Feeney. Unbelievable!

Stories and reaction from Echo and Western Mail
HASSELBAINK LOSES BAN APPEAL
Hasselbaink must serve his suspension

CARDIFF'S BIZARRE RED CARD HAT-TRICK AT COLCHESTER

Oh dear

What can he do?

Jimmy sees red

Now he's feeling blue

City may be appealing it but yesterday's Jimmy Floyd-Hasslebaink completed an unusual hat-trick, a Bluebird given an instant dismissal straight red card in each of City last 3 League visits to Colchester's Layer Road.

Steve Mc"Phail"s
to see the funny side of his red card

Last season, Steve McPhail was also harshly red carded. That came in the final minute, a penalty resulting from the same incident made it 3-1 to Colchester. I seem to recall City appealed that one too but were knocked back.

Banzai!!! It's Fan Zhiyi

The previous league visit to that was in 2002, City won 2-1 thanks to a superb Earnie double but Fan Zhiyi, laughingly dubbed "The Chinese David Beckham" which many City fans seemed to believe in advance, was red carded for what looked like a Hong Kong Phooey kung fu attack on a Colchester opponent in the goalmouth in front of City fans. Fan Zhiyi didn't last long at City.

Given this record, perhaps it's just as well that Colchester are going down.