Ahhh, the magic of the F.A. Cup, a competition that we have an illustrious history in (oh ok, maybe that's stretching things a little but we do have a better history than many). This 3rd round tie sees our back in form Bluebirds pit their wits against divisional rivals Sheffield Wednesday for the 3rd time this season. If we can replicate our league results against the Owls then I'm sure we'll all be happy Bluebirds as we make our way into round 4, however, this is nowhere near a given being that we have encountered 2 close games against Wednesday plus of course there is the propensity for managers to make sweeping changes for this grand old competition nowadays - a sad reflection on the way the game has moved in my book. As much as I've hinted at our past glories in this competition, our recent record is sadly rather abysmal, with our beloved club not getting past the 4th round since 2013-14 when we went out to Wigan, who in turn were knocked out by Arsenal in the semi-final on penalties. Arsenal would go on to lift the trophy with a goal from a certain Aaron Ramsey clinching victory for the Gunners in extra time against Hull City that season. Our hosts also have a pretty proud heritage in this tournament, winning the trophy on 3 occasions and finishing as runners up on 3 occasions also, with their most recent appearance in a final back in the 1992-93 season when they too lost out to Arsenal (this was the season we suffered humiliation at home to Bath City in a 2-3 defeat ). Bulut's Bulletin (or should that be Karyadas Comments?) Despite the lip service being paid to this game by our stand in gaffer (anyone else suspect that Erol's illness may just be cover for a trip to Turkey after flying out from Bournemouth just to tie up some new signings??) we can surely expect several changes for this game, some enforced, some just to give our beleaguered squad some much needed rest time. Karlan Grant, despite his injury not being as bad as first feared will definitely miss out as will Dimitrious Goutas following the sad passing of his grandmother. Unless Forest want to avoid Panzo getting cup tied then I'd fully expect him to come in with Perry Ng probably also dropped to the bench in favour of Mahlon Romeo. In midfield there could be quite a few changes, with it being likely that Callum Robinson will return to the starting line up in a bid to help him find some form, Ollie Tanner may also get a rare start and don't be surprised if we see one or more of Adams, Rinomhota and Sawyers get a start. Could we see a bold and brave move with some of our fringe youngsters such as Colwill Jnr come in from the off? Who knows.... Our opponents are also likely to field a largely second string too as they prioritise trying to keep their recent decent league form going.... as much as cup run is enjoyable, we know all too well from our 2008 exploits how much it can impact your squad and league form. Past Campaigns There has only been 1 previous meeting between ourselves and Sheffield Wednesday in the F.A Cup, way back in January 1948 when the Bluebirds lost at home to the Owls with the game finishing 2-1 to the visitors. Of course, we do have some history against the 'other' Sheffield club, Utd, with our brave team losing out in our 1st final appearance in 1925 to the Blades at Wembley, going down 1-0. That team have become something of a forgotten band of heroes after being overshadowed by our exploits just a couple of year later as we triumphed in 1927, though to be fair several of the players from that 1925 final also played in 1927 too. Such was the fervour and excitement at the time when the team made that final in 1925 that the Lord Mayor rewarded the team for their gallant effort with a dinner at Cardiff City hall. The final would be seen as something of a missed opportunity for the Bluebirds with Harry Wake taking the lions share of the blame after he was dispossessed by Utd's Fred Tunstall on the edge of the box, with the Blades player firing past Tom Farquharson in the City goal. Fred Keenor quickly absolved Wake of sole blame stating that they were a team unit and all of them were equally as culpable for not defending well enough. As previously stated though, thankfully many of the side didn't have to wait too long to lift the trophy, a feat that still remains our biggest honour by far. Despite losing, Jimmy Nelson was carried from the pitch by the Bluebirds fans, clutching the match ball which he later auctioned to raise funds for Cardiff's Rookwood Hospital. Rookwood was originally built for Colonel Sir Edward Hill in 1886; he, and subsequently Lady Hill, lived there until 1917. The name 'Rookwood' was given to the house during its course of construction by Lady Hill. Before her marriage she was brought to see the building operations and was asked to find a suitable name for it. When she came to the property a number of rooks were flying overhead and she immediately thought of 'Rookwood', and decided that should be the name. In 1918 Rookwood was taken over for use as a convalescent home. At the end of the First World War it was purchased by Sir Lawrence Phillips and presented to the ministry as a home for Welsh paraplegic pensioner cases, later being used by the University Hospital of Wales. In 1932, after being extended, it became a general hospital. During the 1970s and 1980s Rookwood would go on to have eight wards caring for people with spinal injuries, brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease. The hospital gardens and grounds are Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. So, can cup fever once again come to Cardiff? Will Karydas carry us across the line in Bulut's possible absence?? Can Rambo's love for the cup help inspire the team to victory??? All I know is if/when we reach the final, we really need to come up with a better song than the last one!! (Confession time - yes, I did buy a copy)..... Bloooooooooooooooooobirds!!!!
Wow, someone has been studying the history books. Another epic BB. A cup run could be a benefit to all, chances for fringe players and youngsters and an opportunity to take a Prem scalp as we move forward although, and correct me if I'm wrong, on our route to the final did we not play our strongest team in each round?
The FA cup this season believe it or not sees games stretched for 5 days from last night to Monday next week. A far cry from when every 3rd round kicked off at 3pm on the first Saturday in January when it represented a big deal in the football calendar. Most stadiums were packed and clubs picked their strongest team with dreams of getting to the twin towers in May. Tales of giant killing feats were the headlines in the Sunday papers. How times change
I'm pretty sure we did BfB... Although we also blooded a young Rambo during that run too, in fact he scored his first goal for the club v Chasetown I believe??
Not a good game at Tottenham apart from the goal. One thing though, I didn't spot Bellers amongst Kompany's support team. Did anyone see him?
Right back in the day, teams had no choice but to play their strongest teams. There were only 15 or 16 in the whole squad. Chasetown was about the hardest game. To be fair, we had quite an easy run. No big teams came our way.
Looking at that team, not even going to listen to this game. As usual and even with a new manager, Cardiff City not interested in this cup, so Masky can’t be arsed! Masky
