Match Day Thread Swansea Town - Home

Game #38 (#39 for our visitors from down West) sees our boys in blue return home to the CCS after the international break for the visit of arch rivals Swansea City (nee Town) for the 2nd South Wales derby of the season which is, rather unusually for this fixture being played out at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon.

It would be a bit of an understatement to say that in recent years our little cousins have had the better of us by quite some way (in fact in the whole history of this fixture they are quite some way ahead of us in terms of wins sadly, but then smaller clubs often raise their games against bigger rivals don't they? )

Earlier this season at the Swansea.com rustbucket stadium, despite starting the better of the 2 sides, the Bluebirds went down to a 2-0 defeat after having Callum Robinson sent off in the 7th minute for a rather stupid set to with Ben Cabango. After a needless shove in the back by Cabango, Robinson proceeded to throw the ball at Cabango's head, breaking one of his eyelashes and causing him to clutch his face in sheer agony, which frustratingly was enough of a reaction for the referee to decree foul play had ensued.
Despite some gallant effort, the extra man eventually paid dividends for the home side as the Bluebirds tired.


Swansea City's Ben Cabango picks up his Oscar for "the most convincing injury" category earlier this season

The corresponding fixture last season of course was a horror show from a Bluebird perspective. Not only did we see a 0-4 defeat on our own turf but that result also meant that the Jacks gained the honour of being the 1st side in the history of this fixture to do the double in the league games, prompting 1 of their their very own Doube brother to break out their banner.


Let's hope this season is more a Doube Doube Don't than a Doube Doube Doo!

Just so it's not all doom and gloom for this matchday thread, us Bluebirds can at least console ourselves with the fact that we still hold the record for the biggest winning margin in this fixture (5-0 way back in 1965) and of course we can hold onto the fact that we also won the 1st ever top flight meeting back in the 2013 Premier League meeting, which incidentally was our last victory over the Swans on home soil. Steven Caulker's towering 2nd half header being enough to pick up the points and also show that the "ex-player haunting you" rule is still alive and kicking with him having been on loan at Swansea the season prior.

https://www.premierleague.com/video/single/2327476?TAG=On this Day

In terms of current form (though in true derby day fashion, form means nothing for games like these) the Swans have actually been pretty dire in recent weeks. The recent 2-0 win against the Wurzels aside (mirroring our own result against the same opponents recently), they have just a solitary point in addition to that win across their last 6 games.

By contrast, our own Capital City club have picked up 10 points from the last 18 on offer and could have picked up a further 3 points save for some Yorkshire skullduggery and a bit of inclement weather.

With our visitors being 7 points and 5 places above us in the table (albeit having played that game more), the pressure will be on the home side to pick up maximum points to continue our relatively good form and to to help stave off any lingering fears about relegation.
The fact that we could then move even closer to our nearest rivals and give ourselves a chance of overtaking them by the end of season would be an added bonus and a small crumb of comfort and hope in what has been an otherwise turbulent and disappointing season.

Early Bluebirds Team News
Following the international break, the Bluebirds are sweating a little on the fitness of all their returning players with most notably Calum O'Dowda. According to the gaffer Sabri Lamouchi the winger/wing back will be fit but one wonders if his appearance may be restricted to a place on the bench as a precautionary measure.

The returning Mahlon Romeo and Romaine Sawyers both missed a training session on Thursday but will return to training today after their international duties.

Sadly it seems top scorer (and villain of the 1st meeting) Callum Robinson will not have the opportunity to redeem himself on this occasion, with Lamouchi stating that he is still yet to be fit enough for consideration.

Aside from the usual long term absentees the rest of the squad appear to be available and have trained this week.

By contrast our visitors appear to be reporting a clean bill of health with previously unavailable players now returning to full fitness, including former Welsh international stalwart Joe Allen (hmm, makes you wonder if he purposely identified this week to be fit eh??).

Luckily I have managed to sneak into one of their training sessions and have sent some details to the Bluebirds gaffer... I do like their training ground setting but I'd say Russ Martin does need to be a little more careful with his posture.

Would this indicate they are going four four poo on Saturday?

I also have an exclusive picture from the City's own training session, with the gaffer working on moves to help pin the Swans in their own half.


The Bluebirds gaffer demonstrating how to intimidate and block off the opposition this weekend

Prutton & Co Predict
Well, I must say, it is a little bit of a surprise, and I can only assume that our visitors recent poor form has had an impact on Davey boy's thought process, but he's actually not tipped us to lose this one! He has instead opted for a thrilling 2-2, which to be fair, if we don't win then I think I'd happily settle for an entertaining draw instead.

The bookies actually have us down as favourites to win, so we can only hoe their intel and wisdom is spot on;
Home Win 29/20 Draw 11/5 Away Win 19/10

Sharing The Love
OK, no "fun fact" this week as a) these games are rarely fun for us Bluebirds, and b) there is a more important message to transmit under this heading.

A team of legends from Cardiff and Swansea are to take to the pitch in a charity match to raise funds for the family of former Bluebirds and Swans player, Jason Bowen.
As we know, it was recently revealed that the former winger has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. The 50 year old originally from Merthyr, also played for Birmingham, Reading, Newport and Llanelli, now lives in Langstone, Newport.
In March 2021 he was given the devastating Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis after feeling weakness and twitching in his arm. Sadly, his wife Hayley’s mum passed away from the cruel disease 15 years ago.

The legends game will see a Cardiff City team captained by Andy Legg take on a Swansea City captained by Lee Trundle. The match will take place at Penybont FC on Sunday, April 23.

Andy Legg, who also played for Cardiff and Swansea posted on Twitter: “The charity game is between ex players who had the pleasure of sharing being on the pitch with a gifted player in Jason Bowen.
“Please support the old boys turning back the clock in support of Jason Bowen MND CHARITY.
Players will be announced bit by bit with Graham Kavanagh, Scott Young, John Cornforth, Steve Jenkins to name a few already committed with more to follow.”




OK, having previously featured some real greats and "interesting" players in common on the away thread, here a few more who may invoke some fabulous memories (or result in howls of anguish perhaps).


So, can the Bluebirds help turn this game into Russell Martin's Swansong? Will we make this a ten year anniversary to remember by ending Martin's tenure?? Will we have our own Capitol riots, with Bluebirds painting the town blue in celebration come 5pm???

All I know is I'll be there, with my little pick and shovel (and Mrs Brizzle) and it'll be a bumper crowd, so let's hope the boys can turn on the style and treat us to another derby day delight... it's certainly long overdue!!

Bloooooooooooooooooooobirds.

 

Masterpiece again.

 

Excellent as usual Brizzle. But when did we sign Callum Wilson?

 

Love it Brizzle

 

Yessss. Brizzle. Another fine job.

Gotta win this... please please please.

Bloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooobirds

 

Oops, good spot.... I need to hire a proof reader I reckon???

 

Just confirming that I read all of your excellent thread.

 

Still feel the pain from NYD 1980 made even worse by a certain ex bluebird scoring the winner in injury time

 

Somebody get Nin a rum quickly.

 

The last gasp Chopra winner

 

Wrong CCFC, I think.

 

What's the date?...............

https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/footb...-to-lee-trundle-as-he-joins-cardiff’s-academy

 

Trundle and Britten. Double delight!

 

https://www.swanseacity.com/news/jo...d-joel-latibeaudiere-return-south-wales-derby

 

Preston 2 - 0 Blackpool at HT.

 

Cardiff City: Allsop; Ng, McGuinness, Kipre; Philogene, Wintle, Rinomhota, Ralls, O'Dowda; Kaba, Ojo.

Subs: Alnwick, Romeo, Simpson, Sawyers, Colwill, Wickham, Davies.

 

Brizzle pal, Swansea is my second team…..though challenged by Wrexham at mo, but it hurts to see you refer to them as Swansea Town, please desist from this childish attempt at attention seeking. A fine writer of Matchday threads you certainly are, but c’mon ….you’re better than this. Clingy keeps adding an e to my famous name to wind me up, but he suffers small wood syndrome…so it is tolerated! Pull your pants up man! No offence intended!

 

Masky mate, when they build a Cathedral then we can infer true city status upon them, but until then.......

(ps. I have no clue if they actually do have a cathedral near by but that always used to be the measure by which a city was deemed as such I believe)

 

University is the other criteria I believe.
But who cares?

Time to rock n roll
Bloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooobirds