TOP FLIGHT FLASHBACK - PART 2
MANCHESTER UNITED
. That result took United into top spot which they retained to the end of the season, while we struggled and went down, one from bottom. We lost the return game at Old Trafford on March 1st 1975 when a 43,601 attendance saw their 4-0 victory.AndersonRon Healey, Phil Dwyer, Freddie Pethard, George Smith, Don Murray, Leighton Phillips, Jimmy McInch, Clive Charles (Peter Sayer), Jack Whitham, Gil Reece, Willie after being relegated from Division One in May ’74. So the last time that we played them in League competition was in that ‘74/75 season when our manager was Jimmy Andrews and United were managed by Tommy Docherty. They came to Ninian Park on August 31st 1974 and were 1-0 winners through a first-half Gerry Daly penalty. 22,500 saw the game, our line-up being: 1974/75It may be hard to believe for modern-day followers of the game, but Manchester United had a season in the Second Division (second tier) in
NEWCASTLE UNITED
There has been no top-level meeting between Cardiff City and Newcastle United since 1960/61, but we have played them several times since then at Second Division (second tier) level. Our most recent competitive encounter was in the Championship in the 2009/10 season. They came to Cardiff City Stadium on September 13th 2009 as leaders of the division after four wins and a draw in their opening five games. We lost 1-0 through a 12th minute goal from Fabricio Coloccini in front of 25,630. They were still top when we went to St. James Park for the return on February 5th when 44,028 saw them win 5-1 with goals from Andy Carroll (2), Gabor Gyepes (own-goal) and Peter Lovenkrands (2)). Our consolation effort came in the last minute from substitute Aaron Wildig. Newcastle went up as Champions with 102 points. Our last actual meeting was in a pre-season friendly on August 11th 2012 at home when a 9,687 attendance saw us defeat them 4-0 with goals from Aron Gunnarsson (2), Joe Ralls and Etien Velikonja.
NORWICH CITY
We have never played Norwich City at top level, but there have been encounters between us over the years at Southern League, Third Division (South), Second Division and Championship levels. Our most recent games with them took place in 2010/11 in the Championship. We defeated them 3-1 at Cardiff City Stadium in front of 24,634 on October 30th with goals from Jay Bothroyd, Michael Chopra and a Peter Whittingham penalty. Wes Hoolahan scored for Norwich. When we went to carrow Road on January 15th, Jon Parkin made his debut for us following his move from Preston twelve days earlier. We were in third place, Norwich were second. Before a 25,270 attendance Parkin scored with a great shot after seven minutes to give us the lead and we held on until stoppage-time when Russell Martin equalised for a 1-1 draw. Norwich went up in second place, we lost in the Play-Off semi-final to Reading.
SOUTHAMPTON
Connections between ourselves and The Saints go back to pre-World War One days when we played them in the Southern League. We have never met at top level, but more recently played them in The Championship between 2005/06 and 2008/09. They went down for two seasons but then gained back-to-back promotions (2010/11, 2011/12) so it was in that latter season of ‘11/12 that we last met. On September 28th 2011, we beat them 2-1 at Cardiff City Stadium in front of 22,502 with two goals from Scotland International Kenny Miller, Steve De Ridder replying for Southampton in the last minute. The return match was at St. Mary’s Stadium on January 31st 2012 before a 24,356 attendance. They were top of the table, we were third. Craig Conway gave us a 38th minute lead, Ricky Lambert equalised from a penalty twelve minutes after half-time. They went up in second place, we finished sixth in the Play-Off positions and lost to West Ham United in the semi-final.
STOKE CITY
There has only been one season in which we have met Stoke City at top level (the old Division One) and that was way back in 1952/53 – we were back in Division One after a 23-year absence, Stoke were to go down that season. Since then we have met them on a number of occasions in the second tier (Second Division/Championship), and our last meeting was in 2007/08, a memorable season for both clubs since Stoke went up in second place while we reached the F.A. Cup Final. In that ‘07/08 season, we opened against Stoke at Ninian Park and lost 1-0 in front of 18,840 – Stoke’s goal was scored by Ryan Shawcross after 27 minutes. And they did the double over us on February 2nd with a 2-1 win at the Britannia Stadium where a 15,045 crowd saw our defender Roger Johnson concede an own-goal after 29 minutes followed by a Ricardo Fuller penalty twelve minutes after half-time. Our goal came from former Dutch International Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbainck who scored after 63 minutes. He had joined us that summer after being with Charlton Athletic.
SUNDERLAND
Everyone knows of the intense rivalry between Sunderland (The Black Cats) and Newcastle United (The Magpies). And when we last played Sunderland in 2006/07 at Championship level, the game at the Stadium of Light on October 31st saw an interesting omen before the kick-off when a passing magpie alighted on one of the crossbars. And a former Magpie – Michael Chopra – scored both our goals in our 2-1 victory before a 26,528 attendance. But Sunderland, who went up that season, had their revenge at Ninian Park on March 31st 2007 with a 1-0 victory seen by 19,353 – there were no magpies for us that day - and Chopra would go on to become a Mackem the following season!
SWANSEA CITY
Both clubs have played at top level since their formation a few years before the 1914/18 War – but never together at top level until this season. All previous League meetings have been either at Southern League or Second Division (second tier) levels. The last occasion (2010/11) saw honours even. The Swans beat us 1-0 at Cardiff City Stadium on November 7th 2010 with a second-half goal from Marvin Emnes in front of 26,049. We gained the upper hand at The Liberty Stadium on February 6th when a goal by Craig Bellamy five minutes from time gave us a 1-0 victory before an 18,020 attendance. Both clubs reached the Play-Offs that season, we lost in the semi-final to Reading who themselves lost to Swansea in the Final at Wembley. The all-Welsh battle in the Premier League will continue throughout this season as each club bids to be higher than the other.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Over half a century has passed since Tottenham and ourselves last played each other at top level (the old Division One) in 1961/62, and it was Spurs who provided our first-ever opposition in Division One when we first reached it in 1921. But since 1962 we have met on several occasions either at Second Division (second tier) level or in Cup competitions. It was in the F.A. Cup Third Round that we last met in January 2007, but our previous League meeting was in 1977/78 when Spurs spent a season in Division Two. Just 8,901 saw the Ninian Park game on September 3rd 1977 when we drew 0-0 with a Tottenham side that included Glen Hoddle, Steve Perryman and Peter Taylor. When we visited White Hart Lane on January 21st ’78, we lost 2-1. A 29,104 crowd saw the game, our goal coming from Paul went who at that time was being used in attack. Tottenham’s goals both came from John Duncan.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION
It was in 1961/62 that Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion last played each other at top level in the old Division One. But with Albion often alternating between Championship and Premier league over the past ten years, we have been in fairly regular meetings with them. The last occasion was in 2009/10 when they went up in second place. And we had the better of them that season with a 2-0 win at The Hawthorns on December 8th when Chris Burke and Peter Whittingham scored in each half. A 20,742 attendance saw that game, while the return at Cardiff City Stadium on February 16th was a 1-1 draw in front of 20,758. Peter Whittingham scored from an 8th minute penalty, Gianni Zuiverloon equalised for Albion in the last minute of the first half.
WEST HAM UNITED
