Merry Blooming Xmas Cardiff City

Yesterday saw the final end of Sam I am at Ninian Park. He had to leave his own way though, causing as much stress and strife as possible. The story is he was after an extra £10m guaranteed payments if/when City get promoted and stay up. Clearly he walked away with something more than he was originally going to get. Which presumably means less for City. As I write it has appeared on a BBC website that he demanded and got a further £500,000 plus a bizarre payment of £90,000 to his brother. I am at a loss as to why he is being wished well but so many fans though. Frankly, good riddance. The argument in his favour goes: "He saved us from the dungeon, without him we'd still be in the low divisions". Well that may be true: but I have no doubt the bugger was trying to get as much out of City as possible, and I would love to see his balance sheet at the end of the day: what's the betting he leaves City with a tidy profit?

He is a strange man though: despite all the above, he loves to be loved and admired, and clearly has a love of football and an affection for Cardiff City (and their traditional cypress tree - an interesting aside: this was the Lebanese businessman's suggestion for City's logo). I wonder how long he will be seen hanging about at Ninian Park though, as life president?

As I write City are playing away at Leicester. I was going to go, but various circumstances prevented this from happening, so I'm listening to Richard Shepherd commentate (he's actually a second cousin of mine) for the City site. Leicester are on top and our character from Pride and Prejudice has just come on: Darcy Blake, instead of an injured Ricky Scimeca. And Josh Low has gone off for Leicester. I used to like Low when he played for us, but he was one of those players who fans decide they don't like no matter how well they play: a bit like poor Rhys Weston. It's a strange phenomenon. Others, like Ainsworth, are loved, despite how rubbish they are.

Anyway, ten minutes into the second half and we're not losing. Of course this means I now can't stop typing until the end of the game, thus turning this blog entry into one of the most pointless accounts of a match ever written. So although I'm writing I'll only cover the key points. Like Julian jenkins (helping Richard Shepard out on the radio) getting annoyed about Purse fouling pointlessly. That's a pointless annoyance about a pointless foul. Purse will do this until he can't run any more. Just like he will get sent off a couple of times a season and give away too many penalties.

I received my Thin Blue Line this morning. My column was pretty weak, but I have to say it was the worst edition I have read in a long time. Too much stuff on Hammam: which was too generous (back to the game: Gilbert's gone off, Alan "short arse" Wright has come on. Jenkins reckons it's because Gilbert's not fit enough to play any longer. Nor Wright. I can't wait for the transfer opening to window - joke). The worst thing in TBL was the comment about Hammam leaving us in "safe hands". Unbelievably this wasn't a joke. Peter bloody Ridsdale, "safe hands". You have to laugh or else you'll cry. Hey Leeds fans! Did you hear that? Peter Ridsdale: "safe hands"!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Jeeeeeesus. Strange below par edition all round though. Maybe Andrew's had enough? I wonder if he'll read this? And answer me? As you can see from the image on the left he's being doing this a long time. I only joined in an issue later I think. As you can see from the headline very little has actually changed at the club. Better covers on TBL now, though, and I liked the donkey joke.

This is a picture of Darcy Blake. A good looking young man, you might think. But it turns out this isn't the Darcy Blake who plays for City, but a dancer who you find when you do a google image search. I'll see if I can find a picture of the City Darcy Blake. Here you go, on the right here. At least I think that's him. Hard to tell given the paucity of phtos on the web. He seems to be playing well, but I wonder if the other Darcy Blake would be better? Back at the game, still 0-0 with 20 minutes to go. Sounds like Leicester are the better side, but we're getting the odd chance: Purse just headed a corner over the bar. Probably fouled someone at the same time.

Suddenly all over them! Sounds like we should have scored, with chances for Purse and Parry. Oops as i say that Leicester get a corner. 15 minutes to go. Leicester score: offside: phew. Cheers Linesman. still 0-0, 12 minutes to go Richard tells me.

I've killed a few minutes by uploading a few of the above pictures: it's an interesting experience looking for TBL on the web. I found this image on a German website for fanzines. Meanwhile Chopra has missed a sitter according to Jenkins, "A real chance" according to Richard Shepherd. How long to go Richard?" Inside the last minute of normal time". Thanks. Julian Jenkins very impressed with Darcy Blake, who looks "such a footballer". 3 minutes added time. Inside stoppage time. 0-0. Wright goes forward on the left. Sounds more confusing than it reads. Nothing happens. Thompson failed to control the ball (not for the first time). Jenkins is criticising our forwards' form. What's that coming over the hill? The transfer window. Into the third minute of stppage time. Swansea have equalised. Birmingham winning 4-0 at Southend. Final whistle. 0-0. A draw is ok. Better than last week by a looooooong way. And i'm glad to have done my part, without having to have run from the crisp bowl to the station. Richard's wishing me a Merry Christmas. (Well, to be fair it was to all his listeners) So Merry Christmas to him too. And all his listeners.