Kind of topical at the moment is the club nick name. I remember as a sprog, many years ago, when I first heard of Cardiff City FC and their nick name the bluebirds. Now at the time I lived in Rumney and the guys I ran with, as far as I can remember, never referred to "the city" as the bluebirds. In fact the first time I recall hearing the word bluebirds associated with the city was when we moved to Llanedeyrn in 1970. Come the weekend it was "off to the city", "goin to watch the city", etc, etc... Now I know the bluebirds nickname has been around awhile and it is used often when referring to Cardiff City FC. Now I know it took me a long while to start calling "the city" bluebirds, mainly because I thought it a bit girly and the city was anything but girly. Perhaps it's an age thing who knows, but I can't think of calling Cardiff City FC anything other than the bluebirds these days. What was your first impression on finding out Cardiff City FC were the bluebirds? Did you adopt the bluebirds because the crowd yelled it but it was a bit girly? If the answer is no to question 2 give your reason.
Fantastic article Taff and I hope it gets the respect it deserves. You're absolutely right mate. While I was vaguely aware that City had Bluebirds as a nickname, it was never in common use use among supporters if at all. Nicknames at most clubs was purely decoration and had absolutely no importance for the hardcore supporter of the day. My first recollection of thinking that the club was taking it a bit more seriously was when they had it in script on their shirts or as the bird in a white circle. Ironically, I thought it was something going on that we would now call "rebranding" and it didn't really matter. With regard to the Bluebird chant, well I guess I went with the flow as it didn't really matter as long as the players felt the love! It was again ironic that a new generation of supporters took on the historic nickname and did their own "rebranding"! Must admit, I did like the old "Cardiff" which was followed by two thumps of the back of the Grange End and Canton Stand - but that's personal nostalgia.
From early recolection it was more likely to be BLUES (thump, thump, thump, thump, thump) BLUES (thump, thump,thump, thump, thump), withe the BLUES being short, deep and gutteral. Or the one I never got my head around, KEYARDIFF. Got me thinking as to what other clubs use their nickname to any great extent by reference or by chant. Most of the time the nickname is used is by commentators, other media or opposition. Can't recall Everton chanting toffees, Sunderland Black Cats or Leeds TWATS (is that last one right?).
We use ours a bit. 'Oh when the Whites go marching in' 'We are we are we are the Whites' Then you get loads of out of town supporters groups called 'South Welsh Whites', 'Donny Whites', 'Bradford Whites' etc. The old 'BLUES' chant sounds like a massive rip-off of our old-fashioned grunted 'LEEDS LEEDS LEEDS' by the way. Hate it when Newcastle do that with 'TOON' as well, cramming it into every song they can.
They must be relatively new as you've only been white since the 60s being one of the front runners in re-branding. I suppose it's one thing refering to the colour of your shirts, another having some other reference, Blades, Hammers, Owls, etc. None have a reference to the shirt colour. Interesting comments though Ifil.
As a Rhondda boy, it was always "The City"......Are you going down the City on Saturday ? Remote, I can remember the first time I heard the Key hard iff chant, it was after the visit of Pompey who chanted Pee oats mouth. I hated it.
Also in the case of Everton and Sunderland, they're more likely to use the derogatory epithets they've adopted for themselves than the 'official' nickname, as many clubs do. So in their case, Bluenoses and Mackems, and you can add to that Gooners, Yids, Taffs, Jacks, Scummers, Mags and Smoggies.
Good point Jerel, I guess away fans using the "official" nick name may be seen as showing some sort of respect to that club.
Always known it as "city" too , and the chant of bluebirds was always there but seemed to be at the start of matches , for me the nickname and the colour of shirts were a bit of a coincidence ( just a personally feeling)
DJ. It was the same for us Splott boys too. "Going down the City" was the term, and for me, still is.
I remember being on the School bus down the valley, us boys would be upstairs singing Cardiff City songs. I can't remember ever singing about "Bluebirds" "Bless them all" was the main one in those days
The tradition is unaffected, people will remember the days when many clubs were called different nicknames and you can still shout out bluebirds at the ground. The welsh dragon represents Wales and should represent the capital. The new badge has got "fire and passion" on it a red dragon and a bluebird...talk about trying to please everyone. On the other hand the fans that would dictate to the owners might like to pay off Langstons and get some expensive players then I would start to agree with them. john
Going into town = Cardiff City centre Going to Canton = Admiral Napier,Kings,Insole,Corporation Going to the City = watching Cardiff play Everyone I knew from Cardiff would know what I meant if I said these to them
Indeed I do DNA, many a drunken afternoon in the (old) Corporation when Denzil ran it in the late 70's early 80's
You might have met my dad Taff he knew Denzil ( everyone knows my Dad was a nightmare walking anywhere in Cardiff with him as he would stop and chat with everyone on the way ) late 70's early 80's was a bit early for me to be drinking , but used to work in the kings , the westgate , and the Napier in the late 90's . Used to work most Saturday's and leg it to Ninian park and back after the match or if we were lucky would be a " guest " of Brains at the match which meant had to carry the landlord back after the match as he would fully partake of the hospitality
drank in the kings every saturday....top pub great for a real ale.... down the city for aberdare lads 2
DNA, you never know, I was usually there on the Saturday and Denzil would have the main doors locked and we get in through the off licence. Spent most of my time in the pool room at the back.
