TRANSFER WINDOW SHUTS - The Stars Stay but Gerrard Goes

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.


It is believed, despite all the rumours, that no Premier side made late moves for Bothroyd or Burke, Nottingham Forest never made one final increased offer for Peter Whittingham.

It means City can crack on with the Championship assault and will keep their personnel intact until January at least.

However in the final hour, before the window shut at 6pm, one player did depart as centre half ANTHONY GERRARD left for a season's loan with fellow Championship outfit Hull City.

Gerrard has been injured, out of form and out of favour with stories mingling of bust ups with the City hierarchy. As the club ponder moves for Chris Riggott, Danny Gabbidon and Calum Davenport, it was obvious that Gerrard was falling down the pecking order.

One consequence of the move is that Gerrard can play against Cardiff as Hull reciprocated allowing City star man Seyi Olifinjana to play against Hull. The side ironically meet in their next Championship fixture at CCS when action resumes after the international break on September 13th.

Transfer Window D-Day

The Summer Transfer Window shuts firmly at 6pm this evening so 12 hours to go on what may, or may not, be an active day but will there be inward or outward moves at Cardiff City?

Having already brought in 7 men, mostly loans, Dave Jones has conducted most of his business already but is still hoping to add "one or two more". It is a fair bet those players will be centre-halves but those deals may not take place today.

Chris Rigott, already training with the club, and Calum Davenport, also linked, are free agents so do not need to be signed today. Both have injury histories and represent gambles, City are understood to be arranging a friendly tomorrow to run the rule over Riggott and maybe Davenport too.

Unlike at is seems, one shock move could see out of favour Anthony Gerrard heading to Premier League West Ham United in some sort of swap move with a homecoming for Bluebirds star, and another injury prone centre half, Danny Gabbidon. Gabbs has just pulled out of Wales' squad for their Euro 2012 opener in Montenegro on Friday but has played in the last two games for the beleagured Hammers ... who, erm, got hammered.

However most concern will be on whether any star men leave with the likes of Peter Whittingham, Jay Bothroyd and Chris Burke all in new contract talks but out of deals next summer making it vital to9 tie them down fast or risk, a la Joe Ledley, losing them for nothing. Whitts, in particular, has been linked to Nottingham Forest who are rumoured to be weighing up one final fling for him. City really do not want to lose any of these men and fans will be counting down the minutes until 6pm.

Others who may go could be Gavin Rae (Leeds or Derby showing interest), Steve McPhail (Ipswich may move for him) and other squad members like Taiwo and co but, again, these players may leave on loan at some time after today rather than find a permanent move now.

Eyes down then and let's hope for the best.

Gerrard had no hesitation about joining City

New Cardiff City man Anthony Gerrard gave his first interview to the official club wesbite expressing his delighting at becoming a Bluebird and immediately made moves to win the support.

"The fans are known to be very passionate and will get behind the team, which is important. I also know the Ayatollah and will make sure when im asked to do it I get it right first time. It's a great move for me and as I said I can't wait to get started."

The full interview can be seen here:

http://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10335~1712081,00.html

CARDIFF CITY SIGN GERRARD (That's Anthony - Steve's Cousin)

CARDIFF CITY this evening announced the capture of centre-half ANTHONY GERRARD from League One Walsall. The player who will be 23 years old this weekend made 157 league starts for The Saddlers scoring 7 times and had been in demand.


Walsall had turned down several offers in the past year for a player contracted to them until 2010 and announced only this morning that they had declined a £200,000 bid from Scunthorpe United so it's a safe bid Cardiff City topped that offer for a man who has twice been voted their player of the season and has been hugely popular for his whole-hearted committed displays.


Gerrard along with yesterday's signing Mark Hudson effectively means City have replaced Darren Purse and Roger Johnson although Slovakian Maros Klimpa is on trial and may yet be signed as a further centre half who also has an ability to play in midfield. The move surely signals the end of the Bluebirds road for Darren Dennehy who has never fitted in at the club and was loaned to Hereford United last term.