Hello and welcome to the newest Gloucester Groundhopper blog post.
This chapter takes us to Wales to watch a charity match between Cardiff City of the Championship and Aston Villa of the Premier League. The game honoured former footballer Peter Whittingham, who died tragically in March 2020. The game took place at Cardiff City Stadium, where both sets of fans were undoubtedly emotionally invested.
Cardiff has a castle, numerous sporting venues, including the Millennium Stadium and the Cardiff City Stadium, and Cardiff Bay. Cardiff is also the capital city of Wales, making it a popular tourist destination.
A History Of Cardiff
Cardiff was founded as a Roman fort. The Romans invaded Wales around 50 AD and built a fort on the site of Cardiff around 55 AD. As Wales became more peaceful in the late first century, the fort's size was reduced. However, the fort was rebuilt and strengthened in the mid-third century to defend South Wales against Irish raiders. However, by the fourth century, Roman civilisation had declined. The Romans abandoned Cardiff Fort near the end of the century.
Cardiff was re-established after the Normans conquered Glamorgan. The area was conquered by a Norman named Robert Fitz Hamon. Within the walls of the old Roman fort, he constructed a wooden castle. (In the early 12th century, the castle was rebuilt in stone.)
In the shadow of the castle, a small town grew up. That was common in the Middle Ages because the castle's garrison served as a market for the goods made by the town's craftsmen. In the Middle Ages, Cardiff had a population of between 1,500 and 2,000 people. Towns were very small back then, especially in Wales.
Cardiff was a lawless, pirate-infested port by the Elizabethan era. Cardiff received a Royal Charter from King James I in 1608, transferring control of the town to a Corporation.
The Bute Family, known as the "Forefathers of Cardiff," invested their fortunes in building the first docks in Cardiff in 1839, betting that their new canal would give them nearly total dominance over the coal export business. Coal was required for the industrial revolution and railways to thrive, and Cardiff's new docks supplied it to the world.
Cardiff became the world's largest coal-exporting port, with more than 13 million tonnes of coal leaving here at its peak in 1913.
It's All In The Name
The origins of Cardiff City's nickname, "The Bluebirds," are intriguing. It was first used, along with 'The Cardiffians,' 'The City,' and 'The Citizens,' after the club's original colours of chocolate and amber were changed to royal blue and white around 1910.
There is a reference to the classic children's play The Blue Bird, written by Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck in 1909. The happy bird is pursued by children who want to put it in a cage, and the theme of the play encourages us not to try to keep happiness for ourselves. This play had its world premiere in late October 1911 at Cardiff's New Theatre. During its six-night run, it received positive reviews, and Maeterlinck was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature a week later for his symbolist plays such as The Blue Bird and Pelleas and Mesilande.
The publicity surrounding the arrival of the play in Cardiff, followed by Maeterlinck's honour, led to an unknown Cardiff City fan naming the team, resplendent in their blue strip, 'The Blue Birds.' Before being officially adopted, it gradually became the club's preferred nickname.
Some Notable Former Players:
Robin Friday
Kenwyne Jones
Frederico Macheda
Kieffer Moore
Bobby Decordova-Reid
Craig Bellamy
Aaron Ramsey
Peter Whittingham
Some Notable People From Cardiff:
Roald Dahl- Author
Gareth Bale- Footballer
Shirley Bassey- Singer
Colin Jackson- Athlete
Tom Ellis- Actor
A History Lesson With AFC Finners
Cardiff City was founded in 1899 as Riverside AFC to keep players for the Riverside cricket team fit during the winter. Cardiff was granted city status in 1905, and the name was changed to Cardiff City in 1907.
They were initially denied a place in the newly formed Second Division due to a lack of required facilities, so they played a number of friendlies against high profile sides to help gain interest in the team, which helped them secure a new home in Ninian Park. The purchase of this ground aided their professionalisation in 1910, when they joined the Southern Football League Second Division.
They were granted a place in the Football League in 1920, joining the Second Division. They finished second in their inaugural season, securing promotion to the topflight. They narrowly missed out on the Premier League title in their third season after Huddersfield beat them on goal average. Cardiff would have won the league if Len Davies had not missed a penalty in a 0-0 draw on the final day.
The following season, they made their first trip to Wembley, appearing in their first FA Cup final in 1925, but they were defeated by Sheffield United. They'd return two years later to face Arsenal. There was no disappointment this time, as they defeated the Gunners 1-0 to win the FA Cup, their first and only major trophy to date. 150,000 people lined the streets of Cardiff to celebrate the victorious team's return.
This year, they added to their trophy cabinet by winning the Welsh Cup and the Community Shield. However, this was followed by a period of decline, as they were relegated to the Third Division South in 1929. The division's results were so bad that manager Fred Stewart resigned after 22 years in charge. They remained in the Third Division until the end of WWII.
Billy McCandless led them to the Third Division South in 1947, and they finally returned to the top flight in 1952, after a series of promotions and relegations between the first and second tiers towards the end of the decade.
In the 1960s, they won the Welsh Cup and qualified for the new European Cup-Winners' Cup, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to Real Zaragoza. Despite being a second-tier team, they reached the semi-finals two years later, narrowly losing to Hamburg in the final. Since then, no Welsh team has advanced further in European competition.
They had more success in the competition in 1971, defeating Real Madrid 1-0 at Ninian Park in the first leg of the quarter finals, but were defeated 2-0 by Los Blancos in the second leg.
Their league form was unimpressive, and after a long period dominated by time in the Second Tier, they dropped further down in the 1980's, eventually ending up in the Fourth Tier in terms of points.
Following the purchase of the club by Lebanese businessman Sam Hammam in 2000, the future appeared brighter. They were promoted to the Second Tier in 2003 after defeating QPR in the playoff final.
In 2008, the club returned to Wembley for the FA Cup final against Portsmouth, but were narrowly defeated by a goal from Nwankwo Kanu, who sealed the cup for Pompey. Cardiff City moved into their current stadium the following year.
They returned to Wembley in 2012, losing the League Cup final on penalties to Liverpool, and in 2013, they won the Championship to play in the Premier League for the first time in their history. Unfortunately, they were relegated after only one season.
Neil Warnock took over in 2016, with the club second from bottom. After finishing second in the Championship in 2018, he had turned their fortunes around, and they were promoted to the Premier League.
Unfortunately, their return to the Premier League was overshadowed by tragedy, as January signing Emiliano Sala died when the plane, he was travelling on from France to Cardiff crashed in the English Channel. Cardiff were relegated straight back to the Championship amid the tears.
In addition, Cardiff City were the first team that the entire country saw win the FA Cup, as the 1927 FA Cup final was the first time the final was broadcast on radio by the BBC.
Honours
🏆 First Division (Runners-up: 1923–24)
🏆 Second Division (Champions: 2012–13) (Runners-up: 1920–21, 1951–52, 1959–60, 2017–18) (Play-Off Runners-up: 2009-10)
🏆 Third Division (Champions: 1946–47) (Runners-up: 1975–76, 1982–83) (Play-Off Winners: 2002-03)
🏆 Fourth Division (Champions: 1992–93)
(Runners-up: 1987–88, 2000–01) (Promoted: 1998-99)
🏆 Southern Football League Second Division (Champions: 1912–13)
🏆 FA Cup (Winners: 1926–27) (Runners-up: 1924–25, 2007–08)
🏆 FA Charity Shield (Winners: 1927)
🏆 Football League Cup (Runners-up: 2011–12)
🏆 FA Youth Cup (Runners-up: 1970-71)
🏆 Welsh Cup (Winners: 1911–12, 1919–20, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1929–30, 1955–56, 1958–59, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1975–76, 1987–88, 1991–92, 1992–93)
(Runners-up: 1928–29, 1938–39, 1950–51, 1959–60, 1993–94, 1994–95)
🏆 FAW Premier Cup (Winners: 2001–02) (Runners-up: 1997–98, 1999–2000)
An Interview With Cardiff City fan, Tobie Mynard:
GG: What do you enjoy most about being a football fan?
TM: Seeing football's highs and lows. It's now a family affair, as I can spend the day with my son, who is a huge Bluebirds fan. He was fortunate enough to see Peter Whittingham play for Cardiff.
GG: When was your first game, and what do you recall about it?
Queen's Park Rangers and Cardiff City had reached the play-off final. I didn't have a ticket, so I went down to the stadium and put up a sign to see if anyone else did. In the end, QPR fans sold me a ticket. It was a fantastic game. But I wish I had been able to celebrate. I had to keep quiet because I was in the away end.
GG: Could you tell us about Peter Whittingham?
TM: He was a fantastic left-footed player. My favourite memory is when he scored on his right foot in the FA Cup against Middlesbrough.
GG: How did Peter Whittingham affect the club?
TM: He was always thinking about the club, a good team player who worked hard. A true club legend.
GG: Can you tell us something interesting about Cardiff City?
They are the only non-English team to have won the FA Cup in 1926-27.
GG: What is the most famous event to have occurred at Cardiff City Stadium?
When they were promoted to the Premier League. My son and I went on the pitch together. It made the day even more special to be able to share it with my son.
GG: Who has been your favourite Cardiff City manager over the years, and why?
TM: Neil Warnock because he took over the team when they were struggling in the Championship and guided them to promotion to the Premier League.
GG: What are the club's current goals?
TM: The club's primary goal at the moment is to remain in the Championship.
GG: Which is your favourite stadium, and why?
Ninian Park, our former stadium, because the atmosphere was incredible at every game.
GG: Finally, could you tell us what the memorial game means to everyone at Cardiff City FC?
TM: This will be a crucial game. It will be a time to honour Peter Whittingham as a person and for his contributions to the club.
The Life and Career Of Peter Whittingham
Peter Whittingham grew up in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, and went to King Henry VIII School in Coventry. His father, Harry, was a well-known fishmonger in the area, dubbed "Harry the Fish." His mother was an educator. He has an older brother named James who works for Goldman Sachs as an investment banker.
Whittingham began his football career as a youth player with his hometown club, Coventry City, when he was seven years old. Whittingham had been noticed playing on the side of the pitch by one of the club's scouts after his brother had been playing in the club's youth sides. Whittingham played for Coventry until the age of 16, when he was released after the club decided not to offer him a contract due to officials believing he was too small to play professionally. Ray Gooding, a Coventry scout who had argued against his release, instead called Aston Villa officials to recommend Whittingham. He signed for the Midlands club after a successful trial.
Whittingham joined Aston Villa in April 2001 and was a member of the team that won the FA Youth Cup in 2002. Manager Graham Taylor gave him his first team debut against Newcastle United on 21 April 2003, as a half-time substitute for Gareth Barry in a 1-1 away draw.
Taylor was replaced by David O'Leary before the 2003-04 season, and the Irishman was quick to praise Whittingham's abilities. He scored his first senior goal against Wycombe Wanderers in the League Cup third round on September 23, 2003, during a 5-0 win at Adams Park, after appearing regularly early in the season. He was named Villa's young player of the season for that season.
Whittingham signed for Championship club Burnley on a one-month loan on 14 February 2005, after not playing for Villa for nearly two months. The following day, Whittingham made his Burnley debut in a 1-1 draw with Crewe Alexandra. Whittingham started all nine of his loan games, seven in the league and two in the FA Cup, before returning to Villa in late March, despite Steve Cotterill's hopes for an extension.
Whittingham started three of Villa's first four games of the 2005-06 season before joining Derby County on a three-month loan on 15 September. He made his Derby debut three days later in a 2-2 draw with Southampton, appearing in 11 games without scoring before rejoining Villa in November 2005.
Whittingham was transferred to Cardiff City for a reported fee of £350,000 on 11 January 2007, after making just five appearances for Villa since the end of his loan spell with Derby more than a year before, and it is here that he arguably had the best days of his career. Despite competition from Joe Ledley on the left side, he quickly established himself in the team and remained a first-team member until the end of the season.
Whittingham began the 2010-11 season in a new central midfield role following the loan arrival of Craig Bellamy. Manager Dave Jones praised his performance. Whittingham saw his first two penalties saved in this season after scoring eight in the previous season, prompting Jones to announce that Whittingham had been relieved of penalty duty. He did, however, take and score Cardiff's next penalty against Coventry City in a 2-1 win, adding to his first two goals of the season, which came from a brace of free kicks against Bristol City three days earlier. Whittingham's spectacular volley against Barnsley on March 13 was voted Football League Goal of the Year for 2011. Cardiff failed to gain promotion for the second year in a row at the end of the season, and Whittingham was heavily linked with a move away from Cardiff City Stadium, being linked with newly promoted Norwich City and Portsmouth.
Whittingham made his 300th league appearance against Burnley in a 1-1 draw. Whittingham signed a contract extension on August 26 that will keep him at the club until at least the summer of 2014. Whittingham was a key player in Cardiff's midfield, putting in many impressive performances and scoring a number of fine goals, including direct freekicks against Peterborough and Crystal Palace, as well as a sublime chip from 35 yards away to Reading. On November 22nd, he scored his 50th league goal for Cardiff City against Coventry City. Whittingham was nominated for November Championship Player of the Month after scoring four goals in five games.
Whittingham was named FourFourTwo magazine's best player outside the Premier League. Whittingham went on to win his second Cardiff City player of the year award at the end of the season. He was later named to the PFA Championship Team of the Year.
Whittingham finally received a winner's medal in 2013, when Cardiff lifted the Championship trophy following a home game against Bolton Wanderers in April. Whittingham scored against Hull City for the first time in nine years. Despite a promising start, Cardiff were relegated after only one season.
Whittingham was named to the Football League Awards' Football Manager Team of the Decade despite the Bluebirds finishing 11th, their lowest finish in eight years.
Whittingham scored twice in a 4-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, passing John Toshack and Hughie Ferguson on the club's all-time list of English league scorers. Whittingham's playing time for Cardiff decreased after Neil Warnock was appointed manager in October 2016. Because his contract was set to expire at the end of the season, he received a standing ovation when he came on as a substitute in his final home match, against Newcastle, in 2017.
Whittingham signed a two-year contract with newly relegated League One club Blackburn Rovers on June 13, 2017, following the expiration of his Cardiff contract in July. Warnock praised him for his dedication to the club and offered Whittingham a one-year contract extension, but made it clear that he would play less frequently than before. Whittingham then announced his retirement from football.
Peter Whittingham did have some international experience. Whittingham played for England's under-21 team, making his debut against the Netherlands in 2004. He was also a member of the squad that competed in the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, which was held in the Netherlands. During the tournament, he made one substitute appearance, coming on late in a 2-2 tie with Italy.
Whittingham led the under-21 team with three goals. He scored his first two goals against Wales before scoring his final goal against Norway in February 2006.
Whittingham then married Amanda and had two sons with her.
Unfortunately, South Wales Police confirmed on 18 March 2020 that Whittingham was in hospital after suffering head injuries as a result of an accidental fall at a pub in Barry on 7 March. He died from his injuries on March 18th, at the age of 35, at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.
Most football fans will remember Peter Whittingham for his set piece technique and skill on the ball. His devotion to each club for which he played was unwavering, and his approach to his career was unwavering. His death has shocked many football fans, and the void he has left in the sport will take a long time to fill.
Matchday: Cardiff City 3-1 Aston Villa (Peter Whittingham Memorial Match)
On a rainy Wednesday afternoon, we crossed the border into Wales and parked at the Asda near the Cardiff City Stadium. With plenty of time on our hands, we headed to the city centre via Asda, where we took in the Principality Stadium, the castle, and the city's plethora of shops. We also enjoyed walking around the Christmas market. We then decided to get some food at Taco Bell in the city centre.
We returned to the stadium and decided to wait for the players. The stewards were a little annoying because they kept standing in front of the players when we tried to photograph them. We then completed our ground circuit. Cardiff City Stadium is comprised of four massive stands: the Ninian Stand, the Grandstand, the Family Stand, and the Canton Stand. There is a memorial to Fred Keenor, Cardiff City's FA Cup-winning captain. The grounds also include the original gates to their previous location, Ninian Park, and a lovely memorial garden.
You enter the ground through a foyer filled with food establishments selling a variety of foods such as burgers, pies, and doughnuts. I can't believe I'm saying this, but one of the most extraordinary features were the enormous toilets. I'm only kidding; the best features were the various newspaper segments from Cardiff City's history that were displayed on the foyer walls.
We met some lovely Cardiff City and Aston Villa supporters. They were extremely friendly, eager to talk about all things Cardiff City and Peter Whittingham, and extremely helpful when we were unsure where to go.
The mood was extremely emotional. We could tell that people were still mourning Peter Whittingham as soon as we stepped into the ground, and their songs reflected that. Songs like 'here's to you, Peter Whittingham' and 'he does what he wants' rang out around Cardiff's stadium throughout the game. It was a lovely occasion, and the crowd did themselves proud.
Teamsheet
Cardiff City
Manager: Mark Hudson
Ryan Allsop
Mahlon Romeo
Perry Ng
Cedric Kipre
Joel Bagan
Ryan Wintle (c)
Andy Rinomhota
Romaine Sawyers
Gavin Whyte
Ollie Tanner ⚽️
Kion Etete ⚽️ ⚽️
Substitutes
Jak Alnwick
Curtis Nelson
Niels Nkounkou
Jack Simpson
Vontae Campbell
Joel Colwill
Tom Sang
Caleb Hughes
James Crole
Morgan Wigley
Aston Villa
Manager: Unai Emery
Filip Marschall
Ashley Young (c)
Calum Chambers
Tyrone Mings
Sebastian Revan
Tommi O'Reilly
Boubacar Kamara
Marvellous Nakamba
Emiliano Buendia
Cameron Archer
Ollie Watkins
Substitutes
Oliwier Zych
Ezri Konsa
Douglas Luiz
Danny Ings
Lucas Digne
Leon Bailey
Jacob Ramsey ⚽️
Lamar Bogarde
Arjan Raikhy
Josh Feeney
Kadan Young
Both teams were led out by Peter Whittingham's family and former teammates, before the game was paused in the seventh minute for all those present to pay their respects with a minute's applause in honour of Cardiff City's number 7. In the 27th minute, Aston Villa created the game's first clear-cut opportunity, but Buenda could only volley over the crossbar from eight yards after being set up by Kamara's chipped ball over the top. Tanner surged into Villa's penalty area and unleashed a low left-footed strike across Filip Marschall and into the far corner to put the hosts ahead just before halftime. Sebastian Revan attempted an immediate response but was blocked by Perry Ng as the Bluebirds led at the break.
Within minutes of the restart, substitute Leon Bailey twice came close to equalising, but it was the hosts who doubled their lead when Kion Etete swept home from Niels Nkounkou's low cross. Aston Villa were soon back in it when Jacob Ramsey converted Douglas Luiz's close-range corner. Kion Etete lobbed wide in the 64th minute, prompting Emery to bring on Josh Feeney and Kadan Young from the bench. As Villa sought a leveller, City added a third through the lively Kion Etete, who headed home Morgan Wigley's cross. Cardiff City won the game 3-1 in a fitting tribute to one of their greatest players.
Scores On The Doors
Atmosphere: 7
Food and Drink: 7
Stadium: 8
Welcome: 7
Overall Experience: 7.5
GG