Cardiff v Leeds United 13th January 2024 at Cardiff City Stadium please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image After a nine-hour hospital visit with my husband yesterday, it was touch and go whether I would make it to the game today. When you have someone with a terminal illness we feared the worst, but it was such a relief to learn his cancer hadn’t spread. You only have to scratch underneath the surface though to find the pressure that this brings with it, so I was grateful to get on the coach to the game. This is my recuperation time for relaxing, sleeping on the coach, being with our fans and watching our team which makes me stronger and able to carry on. Having just returned from the 17 hours round trip to Cardiff, you could say it’s been a challenging two days but having met many of our Welsh fans there today, they do this for every home game. We have a fantastic worldwide fan base, and I wouldn’t expect anything else from them. The things fans do to follow their team cannot be underestimated. Thank you for all the concern and support from everyone today too. As we got back onto our coach after the game, I was appalled to hear what had happened to one of our fans as he queued to get into the ground. He is now heading to A & E in Leeds and will be in for a long night on top of the trip today. He is one of the mildest mannered people I have met but was on the receiving end of over-the-top aggression from a steward who I hope at the end of any investigations, is never allowed to be one again. Team: Meslier (back after suspension), Ampadu (the first Welsh International to captain Leeds in Wales since John Charles did it v Cardiff City on 6/10/56 and only the second in our history) stat courtesy of @lufcstats and @Lufc), Rodon, Gray, James, Bamford, Summerville, Kamara, Firpo, Rutter, Gruev. Subs: Byram for Firpo (84), Piroe for Bamford (90), Shackleton for Kamara (90), Anthony for Summerville (90), Gnonto for James (90). Subs not used: Klaesson, Gelhardt, Poveda, Joseph. Leeds won the game 3-0 with Bamford (13), James (31) and Rutter (88) scoring the goals. Attendance: 25,991 with 3,213 Leeds fans (thanks Phil thumbsup Cresswell). Referee: Oliver Langford. Booked: Gruev. With an icy chill in the air with snow forecast over the coming days around the country, it didn’t take long for the Leeds fans to be able to celebrate an opening goal. Sheer persistence from Summerville at the left-hand side of the goal after a Firpo pass saw him cut the ball back into the middle of the goal. The initial ball was blocked but Bamford hit the rebound into the net to the delight of the travelling support. Just after the half hour mark this time it was Kamara who provided the ball to Summerville who proceeded to beat two defenders and their keeper to cross the ball for James to get our second goal. With the Leeds fans in good voice, this was a great result so far as coming to Cardiff hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for us for many years. I did see Leeds win at Ninian Park in 1972 so had been keeping those memories with me today so it must have rubbed off on the team! Rutter saw the keeper make a good save from his shot as the score stayed at 2-0 to Leeds as we went in at the break. The second half saw a great pass from Gray to James in the penalty area who lifted the ball over the keeper but saw it bounce off the top of the crossbar and away. Cardiff suddenly looked dangerous on the attack, but their final shot was weak and Meslier picked the ball up easily. Leeds were awarded a penalty when Rutter was brought down in the area. Bamford picked the ball up and handed it to Summerville who saw his shot bounce back off the post with no one near enough to hit the rebound into the net. Rutter was fouled and as he was waiting to come back onto the pitch, I thought he was going to be subbed but he stayed on the pitch. Leeds came forward again towards the Leeds fans and James danced through two defenders as they collided with each to come away with the ball. His speed saw him get a cross to Summerville as he pulled the ball back which Bamford left as it reached Rutter. He took the ball to the right and hit a sweet shot into the bottom corner of the net to send the Leeds fans into raptures and came to celebrate right in front of me. His celebrations of playing a guitar in tribute to Luke Ayling who was transferred to Middlesbrough this week was lovely to see. That was an emphatic victory today and it’s a long time since we’ve seen a performance like that in Cardiff that’s for sure, but we’ll take the plaudits for it. There had been a great buzz amongst the fans especially paying tribute to Ayling as well as supporting the team today. I did get out of the way at half time once the beer started to get thrown as it was too cold for a beer bath. A great three points today as we now have a break before playing Preston at home next Sunday with another early kick off before a very busy period of games. See you then, LUFC – Marching on Together! please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
Heidi, It's great to hear that your hubby's illness has not got any worse. Onto the game. We have em beat by half time, it would have been great to rest some players and bring some subs on. What is it about Leeds and penalties? Why are we so bad? Last game of the season against the Saints. Could be our most important game in recent times!!!
Thank you. I hadn’t even realised we played them for the last game. I had a feeling Summerville would miss it as soon as Paddy handed the ball to him. In the end it didn’t affect the result and we might not have had the last goal by Rutter.
Great read, best wishes to you and your family. Lost a friend and Leeds fan on the 11th December to this illness far too soon at 58 years young.
I suppose I don't like giving in but then my body does tell me I have to stop hence I had an issue with my bp dropping drastically last week which requires further investigation. The thing is once I sleep on things, even a 5 minute cat nap, things always improve. I used to say trouble follows me around in the 70s which it did but it feels like that ever since my husband was first diagnosed with cancer 5 years ago, never a week has gone by without something else happening in the extended family. I wish I'd written everything down then it may not have happened!
Hey @FollowMe&LeedsUnited, was skipping through the Daily Record, & almost had a heart attack! Either you have doppelganger, or I've completely lost my recognition capabilitie, forever .....
Wow definitely. It was always said you’ve a double somewhere and it looks like you’ve found mine. Sad news about her though.
