The Football Echo (aka The Pink 'un)

For those City fans of a certain vintage, one of the highlights of the week (before the computer era) was reading the Football Echo on a Saturday evening. This was particularly so when City won away games and you wanted to read a full report of the game. Many a fan used to wait with keen anticipation outside their local newsagent for the arrival of the Echo van.

A heading that has stuck with me all through the intervening years was one from the late sixties when we beat Portsmouth away (I think 3-1). It read, "Slick City give Pompey a pounding". They don't write them like that anymore !

Blast from the past, an excellent paper.

Blast from the past, an excellent paper.

Total agree, I missed it big time when it stopped.

Blast from the past, an excellent paper.

Total agree, I missed it big time when it stopped.

They also showed all the school football results and the scorers inside but I was inconsolable when I scored my one and only goal for Glanyravon against Rhydypenau under 11's and they only showed that we had won 3-0 (no scorers). Still gutted to this day !

Used to love the Football Echo.

Because of the print deadlines there used to be quite a detailed write up of the first half and then just a line or two about the second half!

"And Cardiff scored twice more and conceded once after the break!" was often the total write up for the second half

And indeed it was a great thrill to see your school teams results in the same paper as the Bluebirds!

"Goal glut at Ninian" was always a favourite.
For many years I had a cutting of Adrian Alston heading and Eric Steele (same one) saving after we beat Posh 5-2 at home from the Pink.

Blast from the past, an excellent paper.

Total agree, I missed it big time when it stopped.

They also showed all the school football results and the scorers inside but I was inconsolable when I scored my one and only goal for Glanyravon against Rhydypenau under 11's and they only showed that we had won 3-0 (no scorers). Still gutted to this day !

I bet you were, plenty of memories from the Pink Football Echo

A great paper the kids today got all the technology, gadgets but i loved growing up back then

After home games, it was a walk up Tudor Street, and a short wait. The Football Echo would arrive at the General Station at about half past five. For away games, they would always give an estimate of how many City fans had made the trip. Happy days!

Fantastic memories, of the great football echo
I made a fortune selling it
I took it around all thepubs and working mans clubs, in penarth
Think I got 1penny for each one I sold
Cant remember but think they were about 4pennies to buy at the time and the men wereusually worse for wear by timei took it round the, amount of tanners I got 6 pennies, for those that dont know and told . Keep the, change, kid
Those were the days

Blast from the past, an excellent paper.

Total agree, I missed it big time when it stopped.

They also showed all the school football results and the scorers inside but I was inconsolable when I scored my one and only goal for Glanyravon against Rhydypenau under 11's and they only showed that we had won 3-0 (no scorers). Still gutted to this day !

I was a goal machine mate at u-11's in Grangetown and was in there most weeks!
As an adult I always bought it as I played on a Saturday afternoon and couldn't wait to read the reports on City's games.
Happy days and a great paper!!!

Made the front page on the F Echo once, must of been about 1974 as I played for Bargoed YMCA under 14s or 16s then, we had played at Watford and I scored 3. They usued to have snippets at the bottom of front page of goings on in league 1 (prem now) and below Kevin Keegan scored the winner at Leeds fe was, Phyl James completed a hat trick at Watford for Bargoed! Must have thought it was Watford Hertfordshire, but it was Watford Caerphilly lol!

I used to sell them at Caerphilly Station on a Saturday night as a kid. Who in their right mind would allow a 12/13 year old kid to do that these days ?

I remember old grannies moaning about the behaviour of the football fans and I'd just stay quiet as these lads were the ones buying the papers and giving the tips !

I used to keep one every week in a box in my cupboard and when I was 15 and playing senior football I used to keep them when I scored and had my name in there.

Even when I went to college and moved away my mum and dad would send them up to me. I used to love them, I'd read every inch.

Kept them for years and I think I've still got them somewhere now.

Even loaned them to Annis to use in one of his books .

Hundreds of great memories in those papers

Walk from Ninian park to Cardiff train station and pick up the echo before catching the train home, good days without the tech we have today, somehow seemed to add that little bit more excitement!

love it - 6.00pm or Saturday night up to the newsagents - wait for the paper to come in - Happy Days

Still got loads of them in my memorabilia box along with old city programs and arms park greyhound race meeting cards...good memories.

Blast from the past, an excellent paper.

Total agree, I missed it big time when it stopped.

They also showed all the school football results and the scorers inside but I was inconsolable when I scored my one and only goal for Glanyravon against Rhydypenau under 11's and they only showed that we had won 3-0 (no scorers). Still gutted to this day !

I was a goal machine mate at u-11's in Grangetown and was in there most weeks!
As an adult I always bought it as I played on a Saturday afternoon and couldn't wait to read the reports on City's games.
Happy days and a great paper!!!

I used to be dead jealous of a lad called Ronnie Skyrme who like your good self was a veritable goal machine. He played for Greenway Road Juniors I believe and had his name in the Echo practically every week. He also played for Cardiff Boys and was probably the best centre forward in his age group at the time. That would be about 1965.

Great paper..remember waiting outside newsagents for it to come in...when City had a good away win would be up to 10/15 people in the shop waiting for it to arrive.

Anyone remember when it finally stopped being printed??

I remember the 'Bob Banker' section which gave a fans eye view. From what I understand it was written by the Nigel fella who posts on CCMB, the Scot Johnson of those days

used to wait outside Cardiff central to get the train home with my football echo---I was always amazed how fast the paper was on the street after the game at ninian park

I used to deliver them in the early seventies to all the pubs and clubs around Ferndale I used to pick them up from the local newsagent Jimmy Fisher God rest his soul then go round every pub and club selling them. The pubs and clubs were rammed in them days and just about every bloke would want to buy them it was the bollox I used to make as much on tips as the newsagent did selling them he used to moan like fck when we used to cash up at the end of the night lol happy days indeed.