I'm tired, old and grumpy but my parents were married to each other several years before I arrived and I have the birth certificate to prove it. 1) How much influence did Sam Hammam have in creating a Welsh national identity for Cardiff City? The Welsh identity was always there and the Wales v England nonsense. I started supporting City in 68/69 and while the chants have become more "focused and insulting" they were always there. The one bad thing Hammam helped create was a greater element of rabble rousing which drove other people's opinions of City supporters further into the gutter. This has taken along time to get over and is still a bit of an issue but much less so nowadays. 2) Do you feel associated with the English identity due to your involvement in their League system? No. Cardiff were invited along with Swansea to join the Football League in 1920 and both clubs have always proudly maintained their Welsh identities although some doubts have been raised about this 40 miles down the M4 where Union jacks are seen in the home ends - more to do with being "Jacks" (nickname for Swansea people) rather than English association.That doesn't stop us taking the pi$$ out of them for it though. 3) What are you feelings of Vincent Tan - do you agree with his commercialisation of the club? A very astute business man - to paraphrase the boss from Reggie Perrin, he didn't get where he is today by not being an astute business man. He has put shedloads of his own money in and in line with some of the things ISAW and ITI have said, he is entitled to do what he wants with the club. Some things have not been done and not gone down well but in the main we must respect what he has done to keep the club going and take us forward to the brink of the Premier League. Hopefully any future changes he considers are better thought out, done in consultation with the fans and implemented with greater sensitivity. That way he will foster greater support and be seen to be doing things for the better of the club and not just as his personal plaything.
