This Saturday's last ever league opponents at Ninian Park, Ipswich Town, raised a few eyebrows today by sacking manager Jim Magilton and his assistant John Gorman just 3 days after beating their deadly rivals Norwich City at Portman Road.
Magilton, who has been under the microscope throughout the season, has ultimately paid the price for failing to provide a serious play-off challenge this season. It was his third year in the job and after Town finished 14th in his first term and 8th last year, their aims were lofty but they have stood still and currently stand 9th with nothing to play for in their final two matches.
The Suffolk side are restructuring and yesterday announced British Olympic chief Simon Clegg as their new Chief Exec. Clegg seems hell bent on wanting to make an impact and has not ruled out the possibility of a new boss by the weekend although coah Bryan Klug (who the **** is he?) is set to be caretaker boss.
Whether any this helps Cardiff City seeking the solitary point to confirm their play-off place remains to be seen but it surely won't do any harm as Town have effectively admitted their season is over.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Charlton 2 Cardiff 2 - the press have their say
Dave Jones tells his stars to relax
WalesOnline
Cardiff dig deep to claw back a point at the Valley
WalesOnline
Mixed emotions for Dave Jones
WalesOnline
Cardiff City earn valuable point with late show
WalesOnline
Jones hails battling Bluebirds
SkySports
Last-gasp Bluebirds earn point
SkySports
Cardiff pull off comeback at Charlton
Telegraph.co.uk
Bluebirds target Hudson set for Valley show against Cardiff
WalesOnline
Parkinson Post Cardiff
Vitalfootball
Addicks fans right to boo - boss
Clubcall
Parkinson slams 'naive' Addicks
GiveMeFootball.com
Legend lends a hand
Charlton Athletic Football Club
Jones prepared to limp to line
4TheGame
Parkinson empathises with fans
Sportbox
Phil Parkinson won't go for youth
This is
Championship: Charlton 2-2 Cardiff
Mirror.co.uk
Charlton 2 Cardiff City 2
The Wharf
GAB GETS CITY OUT OF JAIL
Mirror.co.uk
LAST-GASP GAB SAVES CARDIFF
Mirror.co.uk
ACCEPTING: Phil Parkinson
Charlton 2 Cardiff 2: Doomed Addicks show their weakness again to ...
Daily Mail
Parky unhappy at Charlton's naivety
Charlton Athletic Football Club
Charlton 2 Cardiff City 2
The Sun
Charlton 2-2 Cardiff
Sportbox -
Charlton 2-2 Cardiff City
News Shopper
Gyepes Creepers! Addicks spurn two-goal lead again
Charlton Athletic Football Club
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
| P | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Wolverhampton | 44 | 27 | 86 |
| 2 | Birmingham | 44 | 17 | 80 |
| 3 | Sheff Utd | 44 | 24 | 76 |
| 4 | Reading | 44 | 31 | 74 |
| 5 | Cardiff | 44 | 16 | 74 |
| 6 | Burnley | 44 | 8 | 72 |
| 7 | Swansea | 44 | 15 | 68 |
| 8 | Preston | 44 | 10 | 68 |
| 9 | Ipswich | 44 | 5 | 60 |
| 10 | Bristol City | 44 | 4 | 60 |
| 11 | QPR | 44 | -1 | 60 |
| 12 | Sheff Wed | 44 | -8 | 57 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace | 44 | -1 | 56 |
| 14 | Doncaster | 44 | -12 | 55 |
| 15 | Coventry | 44 | -9 | 54 |
| 16 | Watford | 44 | -7 | 52 |
| 17 | Blackpool | 44 | -12 | 52 |
| 18 | Derby | 44 | -11 | 51 |
| 19 | Plymouth | 44 | -12 | 50 |
| 20 | Nottm Forest | 44 | -17 | 49 |
| 21 | Barnsley | 44 | -14 | 48 |
| 22 | Norwich | 44 | -9 | 46 |
| 23 | Southampton | 44 | -21 | 44 |
| 24 | Charlton | 44 | -23 | 36 |
Champ Game 44: CHARLTON ATH 2 CARDIFF CTY 2
It’s a result that almost signs, seals and delivers a play off place. Cardiff can only make automatic promotion by winning their final two matches and hoping 4 teams now above them somehow mess up while they can only miss a play off berth if they lose their final two games and Swansea or Preston win both of theirs. In reality, Cardiff head into Ninian Park’s last ever league match this Saturday looking for a point to wrap up a play off berth and put the club within 180 minutes of Wembley and 3 matches away from the Premiership – what a sign off for the old lady.
Dave Jones made 4 changes following the Deepdale debacle. One was enforced as Kevin McNaughton was injured and replaced by Miguel Comminges while Peter Whittingham, Steve McPhail and keeper Stuart Taylor were apparently dropped and none of them were in the 16 either meaning City had no reserve stopper. The bench contained surprises too as Riccy Scimeca and first year defender Adam Matthews were included.
Subs Not Used: Burke-Eddie Johnson-Purse-Scimeca-Matthews.
Charlton’s relegation to League One – just 2 years after being a Premiership club – was confirmed last weekend having been obvious from some time after an 18 match non-winning run mid-season. However, with pressure off and long term injuries improving, they have gone unbeaten in 5 and stopped the likes of
The official crowd on a beautiful evening was 19,390 including over 1,250 from South Wales but pundits reckon only 13-14,000 were present with a couple of thousand Charlton season ticket holders giving up the ghost until next August.
Charlton: Elliot; Butterfield-Hudson-Ward-Youga; Sam-Zhi-Racon-Bailey; Shelvey-Burton.
The first half was rarely riveting and devoid of chances but the home side, led by prodigy 17 yr old Jonjo Shelvey, started to shine and cause problems. Comminges was being exposed on the right hand side so it was shocking but no shock (if that makes sense) when Shelvey – almost running the entire show - opened the scoring by latching onto a stray Roger Johnson header and poking past Heaton with Comminges once again gone to sleep. For City, keeper Elliott made two superb stops to deny Chopra and a stunning Ledley effort.
The second half saw constant
Chopra went off (again looking far from fit), City pushed Johnson up but against the run of play, Charlton doubled their lead with 7 minutes remaining as Bailey rammed home a corner barely cleared by more poor defending.
That was a sickener and City were in crisis but up stepped Chris Burke off the bench, after recently being ignored, to drill home a goal within a minute of the restart.
It was set up for a grand finish as City threw everything into an equaliser and they were rescued by a stunner as Gabor Gyepes controlled, turned and fired home with the skill and aplomb of a world class striker. That was the cue for bedlam amongst the City support as Cardiff avoided the embarrassment of what would otherwise have been losing to all the current bottom three in the past 6 weeks.
We can only pray that was the boost and lift City needed. Autos may be gone but the Ninian send off and play off dramas look set to begin.
*** Elsewhere tonight,
|
| P | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Wolverhampton | 44 | 27 | 86 |
| 2 | Birmingham | 44 | 17 | 80 |
| 3 | Sheff Utd | 44 | 24 | 76 |
| 4 | Reading | 44 | 31 | 74 |
| 5 | Cardiff | 44 | 16 | 74 |
| 6 | Burnley | 44 | 8 | 72 |
| 7 | Swansea | 44 | 15 | 68 |
| 8 | Preston | 44 | 10 | 68 |
They Call Us Mellow Yellow
Cardiff City - feeling Blue about them being Yellow???
It's probably a trivial gripe but why do Cardiff City insist on dicking around with our away colours??
Last season, they kept telling us the black and yellow shirts were lucky for us and we didn't even try to wear blue in two visits to Wembley.
This season, we seem to have become hell bent on not playing away in blue even when we can and should be - including the last 3 games at Palace, Preston and at Charlton tonight.
Those putrid mulberry shirts should be our away clash colours but not been seen since early season.
Now, even though it's far from lucky and we don't need to be wearing it anyway, we're now wearing yellow all the time.
Why, why, why???
Last season, they kept telling us the black and yellow shirts were lucky for us and we didn't even try to wear blue in two visits to Wembley.
This season, we seem to have become hell bent on not playing away in blue even when we can and should be - including the last 3 games at Palace, Preston and at Charlton tonight.
Those putrid mulberry shirts should be our away clash colours but not been seen since early season.
Now, even though it's far from lucky and we don't need to be wearing it anyway, we're now wearing yellow all the time.
Why, why, why???
Bothroyd looks forward to Charlton tonight
and, obviously, is keen to put the Preston debacle behind him and the club. Listen/watch at lonk below.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/8008637.stm
Davis makes belated apology to Roger Johnson
After Roger Johnson spent 2 days in hospital following Claude Davis' elbow charge on him and the Crystal Palace loanee was charged by the F.A. with violent conduct which subsequently earned him a 3 match ban. the Jamaican finally contacted Roger to say sorry.It is believed that no Crystal Palace club official made any attempt to check after the wellbeing of City's centre half as both club owner and manager engaged in an unseemly war of words.
On the phone call, City boss Dave Jones commented, "I don't know what was said or what Roger's response was, but I think it was done on Friday night. He should have done it on the day (it happened), but he's done it now. I think justice has been served on it. It's been done and we move on."
Monday, April 20, 2009
Burnley Blunt Blades
Burnley overcome Sheffiled United 1-0 at Turf Moor tonight. On the face of it, that's a result that means both sides are likely to join Cardiff in the Championship end of season play-offs.
The game's sole goal came from The Clarets leadign scorer Martin Paterson on 23 minutes and put a massive dent in Sheffield United's automatic promotion hopes.
It was a result Championship play-off chasers Swansea and Preston didn't want as only miracles will now surely get those sides into the play-off zone.
Cardiff visit bottom of the Championship and already relegated Charlton at The Valley tomorrow seeking the 2 points to confirm the play-off place.
The game's sole goal came from The Clarets leadign scorer Martin Paterson on 23 minutes and put a massive dent in Sheffield United's automatic promotion hopes.
It was a result Championship play-off chasers Swansea and Preston didn't want as only miracles will now surely get those sides into the play-off zone.
Cardiff visit bottom of the Championship and already relegated Charlton at The Valley tomorrow seeking the 2 points to confirm the play-off place.
| Team | P | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Wolverhampton | 44 | 27 | 86 |
| 2 | Birmingham | 44 | 17 | 80 |
| 3 | Sheff Utd | 44 | 24 | 76 |
| 4 | Cardiff | 43 | 16 | 73 |
| 5 | Burnley | 44 | 8 | 72 |
| 6 | Reading | 43 | 29 | 71 |
| 7 | Swansea | 44 | 15 | 68 |
| 8 | Preston | 44 | 10 | 68 |
Life Ban for Chucking Chewing Gum
The Cardiff City fan arrested and banned for life in the immediate aftermath of the Cardiff v Swansea clash which saw ref Mike Dean receive a cut head from a thrown coin was sentenced today but with a downgraded charge after it could no be proved he was the perpetrator.
With 28 coins collected from the pitch, David Roberts (aged 24 of Pontypridd), claimed he threw chewing gum only and it was not him who hit the referee. Depsite apparently being turned in by other fans and stewards, his claim could not be disproved although his charge was downgraded from throwing a coin to throwing a missile.
Roberts was fined £200 but his confession of getting "swept up in the emotion of a local derby" will prove more costly as his lifetime badn was upheld.
Peter Ridsdale issued a club statement after the sentence confirming his ban will be upheld and that the club, with police, are still seeking further offenders who can expect similar treatment.
With 28 coins collected from the pitch, David Roberts (aged 24 of Pontypridd), claimed he threw chewing gum only and it was not him who hit the referee. Depsite apparently being turned in by other fans and stewards, his claim could not be disproved although his charge was downgraded from throwing a coin to throwing a missile.
Roberts was fined £200 but his confession of getting "swept up in the emotion of a local derby" will prove more costly as his lifetime badn was upheld.
Peter Ridsdale issued a club statement after the sentence confirming his ban will be upheld and that the club, with police, are still seeking further offenders who can expect similar treatment.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Preston 6 Cardif City0 - how the press saw City's slaughter
JONES READY TO MAKE CHANGES
Sportinglife.com
Jones calls for attitude change
BBC News
Jones calls for a response
SkySports
David Giles urges City to finish the job and secure play-off place ...
WalesOnline
Deepdale disaster one to forget for Cardiff City
WalesOnline
Deepdale horror show must be forgotten quickly
WalesOnline
Cardiff City boss Dave Jones must lift his side
WalesOnline
Honest Jones admits hard truth after Cardiff's Deepdale shocker
WalesOnline
Sorry Cardiff hit for six after failing to heed Jones warning
WalesOnline
Bluebirds boss Jones: ‘I didn't see thrashing coming'
WalesOnline
Preston revive playoff hopes in six-goal rout
Times Online
Cardiff flops set for video nasty
BBC Sport
JONES STAYS POSITIVE
Sportinglife.com
Cardiff hit for six at rampant Preston
WalesOnline
Preston 6-0 Cardiff City
BBC News
Alan Irvine's Preston North End make a point
GiveMeFootball.com
Jones remains positive
Clubcall
Irvine - We have a chance
Clubcall
Irvine shocked by City rout
Sportbox
Preston 6-0 Cardiff: Paul mckenna draws level with Tom Finney in ...
Mirror.co.uk
Fate still in other teams' hands - Irvine
Deepdale Nightmare For Battered Cardiff City
Vitalfootball
Irvine: I didn`t see this coming
Virgin Media Sport
Preston 6 Cardiff 0: Jones delivers his jolt to complacent Bluebirds
Daily Mail
Preston 6-Cardiff 0: North End flex play-off muscles
Mirror.co.uk
Mellor Strikes Signal Rout As Preston Hit Cardiff for Six
Buzzle -
Preston 6 Cardiff 0: Mellor leads North End's six-hit parade
Daily Mail
Match Review: A Fantastic Response
PNEFC
Preston 6-0 Cardiff
Sportbox
Final score: Preston North End 6 Cardiff City 0
Saturday, April 18, 2009
DJ in shock as City hit for 6!
Listen to Dave Jones' post-match trauma as Preston incredibly massacre Cardiff City 6-0. That was the biggest margin loss by City since losing 7-1 at Luton in September 1978 ... unfortunately I was there that time as well!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/8006368.stm
Friday, April 17, 2009
Davis Gets 3 Match Ban
Claude Davis, the on-loan man at Crystal Palace who elbowed Roger Johnson into hospital last weekend, was found guilty of violent conduct at a F.A. Hearing today.
He denied the charge but didn't contest or appear at the hearing so, as expected, he was handed a 3 match ban effectively ending his season.
Meantime, Roger Johnson is rated as 50/50 to be involved at Preston tomorrow but is unlikely to be risked as he recovers fromhis throat injury.
Claude Davis given three match ban for clash with Roger Johnson
Times Online
He denied the charge but didn't contest or appear at the hearing so, as expected, he was handed a 3 match ban effectively ending his season.
Meantime, Roger Johnson is rated as 50/50 to be involved at Preston tomorrow but is unlikely to be risked as he recovers fromhis throat injury.
Claude Davis given three match ban for clash with Roger Johnson
Times Online
The Ninian Park tealeaf and a pint with England stars (a Ninian memory)
http://www.lenashurst.com/CardiffCity.html
Just saw Len Ashurst's website promoting his autobiography (link above) and a brief comment as a taster on his time at City recalling how he narrowed the pich (by 7.5 yards on either side, wasn't it?) for a F.A. Cup tie v QPR while the match taking for that game were stolen.
Think we all suspected it was Tony Clemo as City left the takings in the ground all weekend in a safe all weekend while the alarms were turned off.
However, in true Scooby Doo fashion, it turned out to be a called called Tony(?) who was the wild manner janitor ... sorry barman who used to run the bar at Block E/F of the Grandsstand.
City had the safe in a office by reception and the key to the safe hanging on a nail behind reception desk!
I rememember this game well as Paul Parker - later of England and Man U was with QPR - was/is a friend. My brother and myself had a drink with Ray Wilkins and himself after the game, Wilkins wanted to try a pint of S.A. and loved it.
So much so, he left us £30 to buy a cask of S.A. from the Brains shop in St Mary St the following week and send it on a train to London where he had someone meet it at the other end!!
That's how the game has changed - somehow, I can't imagine Steven Gerrard doing that!! :>)
Just saw Len Ashurst's website promoting his autobiography (link above) and a brief comment as a taster on his time at City recalling how he narrowed the pich (by 7.5 yards on either side, wasn't it?) for a F.A. Cup tie v QPR while the match taking for that game were stolen.
Think we all suspected it was Tony Clemo as City left the takings in the ground all weekend in a safe all weekend while the alarms were turned off.
However, in true Scooby Doo fashion, it turned out to be a called called Tony(?) who was the wild manner janitor ... sorry barman who used to run the bar at Block E/F of the Grandsstand.
City had the safe in a office by reception and the key to the safe hanging on a nail behind reception desk!
I rememember this game well as Paul Parker - later of England and Man U was with QPR - was/is a friend. My brother and myself had a drink with Ray Wilkins and himself after the game, Wilkins wanted to try a pint of S.A. and loved it.
So much so, he left us £30 to buy a cask of S.A. from the Brains shop in St Mary St the following week and send it on a train to London where he had someone meet it at the other end!!
That's how the game has changed - somehow, I can't imagine Steven Gerrard doing that!! :>)
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