INCREDIBLE DAY: OVER 10 YEARS SINCE THIS...

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INCREDIBLE DAY: OVER 10 YEARS SINCE THIS...

Postby The Cobra » Thu Dec 13, 2018 5:13 pm

Darren Purse lives just up the road, teaching sport in local school, swapped his BMW for a C5.


Article:
By Katie Sands and Ian Mitchelmore

What's become of the Cardiff City heroes who reached the FA Cup final in 2008?

The Bluebirds enjoyed a memorable run to the final of the 2008 competition an entire decade ago


Can you believe it's been a whole 10 years since Cardiff City made it to the 2008 FA Cup final?

They were the team that beat Chasetown, Hereford, Wolves, Middlesbrough and Barnsley to take the Bluebirds to their first FA Cup final since their only triumph in the competition in 1927.

And while the Bluebirds suffered final heartache at the hands of Portsmouth at Wembley on May 17, 2008, it was ultimately a run that will leave Cardiff fans with some special memories that will last a lifetime.

But what are the heroes who were in the match-day squad for the 2008 final doing now? We've taken a look...


Peter Enckelman

It's been a bizarre turn of fortunes for the Finnish goalkeeper who ended his playing career in his homeland with IFK Mariehamn in 2014.

The shot stopper did not cover himself in glory in that final as his tame parry allowed former Arsenal striker Nwankwo Kanu to smash home the only goal of the game in the 37th minute.

But these days, Enckelman is working as a field sales executive for logistics giants DHL Express. Quite the career change for the former goalkeeper.


Kevin McNaughton

Kevin McNaughton in action for Cardiff City against Portsmouth in the 2008 FA Cup final (Image: Getty Images)
McNaughton is undoubtedly a club icon after featuring in every game of the FA Cup run, scoring in the fourth-round win over Hereford, as well as making 28 appearances in the 2012/13 campaign that saw Cardiff gain promotion into the promised land of the Premier League.

The ex-Scotland international returned to his homeland from Wigan in 2016 to join Inverness, where he stayed for a season.

In November 2017, Kevin joined Forfar Athletic's coaching team, assisting with first-team duties as well as taking an active role with the club’s development side.

The Bluebirds fan favourite - who has a passion for painting - spoke to WalesOnline just this week about the lessons Neil Warnock's men can learn from the Class of 2013 to stay in the Premier League next season.


Roger Johnson

The Surrey-born defender made more than 100 appearances during his three-year stint with the Bluebirds and was an integral part of the 2007/08 squad.

His finest hour was arguably his towering header in Cardiff's stunning 2-0 quarter-final win over Middlesbrough - and the 35-year-old is still involved in the game having just ended his season with Bromley.


Glenn Loovens

Glenn Loovens (Image: Getty Images)
After initially joining on loan, Dutch defender Loovens made the move from Feyenoord to south Wales permanent in 2006 and went on to form a solid partnership with Johnson at the heart of the Cardiff defence.

The whole fate of the FA Cup final may well have been completely different had Loovens' goal at the end of the opening half not been ruled out for handball.

The imposing centre-back joined Celtic after his impressive displays in the Welsh capital and after playing for Sheffield Wednesday from 2013 to the end of this season, he has left the club.


Tony Capaldi

The Norwegian-born Northern Irishman joined the Bluebirds at the start of the 2007/08 campaign from Plymouth and found himself locked in battle with current Wales defender Chris Gunter for a starting place.

But Gunter's departure to Tottenham paved the way for Capaldi to make an impact and he went on to feature in all six FA Cup games.

Capaldi, who won 22 caps for Northern Ireland, was most recently turning out for Southern League Premier Central outfit Rushall Olympic.


Joe Ledley

Portsmouth's Lassana Diarra and Cardiff's Joe Ledley in the FA Cup final (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)
It was the start of something special for Ledley who went on to make more than 200 appearances from the club he joined as a schoolboy in 1996.

A decade on from the FA Cup final, via moves to Celtic and Crystal Palace, Ledley has just ended his first season with Derby County - during which he made 15 league appearances for the side.

An integral part of Chris Coleman's Wales plans during Euro 2016, and was this week named in Wales manager Ryan Giggs' squad to face Mexico in a friendly in California on May 28.


Gavin Rae

Gavin Rae of Cardiff City (C) and team mates after the final whistle (Image: Getty Images)
The 14-time capped Scotsman enjoyed some of the finest years of his career in south Wales after joining from Rangers in 2007 and made a remarkable 55 appearances in his first season with the club - more than any other player.

Rae is now the head coach of Australian semi-pro side Hakoah Sydney City East FC.


Stephen McPhail

The Republic of Ireland international was part of both the 2008 FA Cup final and the 2012/13 promotion sides after joining from Barnsley in 2006.

He joined Sheffield Wednesday before spending two years with Irish outfit Shamrock Rovers but retired from football in October 2016.

He is now the sporting director of Shamrock Rovers FC, dubbed the most successful club in the Republic of Ireland.


Peter Whittingham

A man who needs no introduction, Whitts will always have a special place in Bluebirds fans' hearts after he remained with the club up until the end of the 2016-17 season - making a total of 457 appearances for the club since 2007 and scoring 96 goals.

He was arguably the star performer of the FA Cup run - scoring against Chasetown, Wolves and Middlesbrough in the competition.


Paul Parry

The Chepstow-born Wales international spent five years with the Bluebirds before joining Preston North End a year after the 2008 FA Cup final.

He later enjoyed a two-year stint with Shrewsbury Town before hanging up his boots at the age of 34 and moving into sales, lettings and property management from an estate agency based in Llandaff North, Cardiff.


Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in action during Cardiff City's FA Cup win over Middlesbrough in 2008 (Image: Getty Images)
With Cardiff for the 2007-08 season, he made a total of 44 appearances for the side and scored a total of nine goals.

The former Chelsea, Leeds and Atletico Madrid striker was sacked as Queens Park Rangers manager in November 2016 with the club languishing in 17th place in the Championship.

In April 2018, he was sacked as manager of League One side Northampton Town.


Aaron Ramsey

He came on in the second half of the FA Cup final in 2008, and his fortunes since then have been well documented.

He left Cardiff in 2008 and moved to Arsenal, spending time on loan to both Nottingham Forest and even returning to the Bluebirds for a month-long loan in 2011.

The Arsenal star was this week named in Giggs's latest Wales squad for the Mexico friendly after the midfielder missed out on team's China Cup campaign back in March due to a hamstring injury.


Steve Thompson

Coming on in the second half of the 2008 final, Thompson later moved to Burnley after leaving the Bluebirds in 2008.

He stayed there until 2011, and joined up with Scottish outfit St Mirren FC before hanging up his boots in 2016.


Trevor Sinclair

Retiring after the FA Cup final, he went on to enjoy a successful career in punditry with the BBC.

But the ex-England winger was ordered to complete 150 hours community service and given a 20-month driving ban in January 2018 after pleading guilty to drink-driving and a racially aggravated public order offence.

The court was told Sinclair had racially abused a policeman and urinated in a police car after being arrested.

The BBC later confirmed they had no scheduled plans to use Sinclair on the broadcaster's programmes.


Darren Purse

The unused sub for the match later went on to play for clubs including Sheffield Wednesday, Millwall, and Plymouth Argyle before ending his playing career at London side Enfield Town.

In April 2018, Oxford United announced that Purse will be coaching the Under-16s side next season.


Michael Oakes

The unused sub ended his playing career after the defeat to Redknapp's side and is currently a member of Wrexham's coaching staff, where he is a goalkeeping coach.



https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/foo ... y-12285323
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The Cobra
 
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INCREDIBLE DAY: OVER 10 YEARS SINCE THIS...

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Re: INCREDIBLE DAY: OVER 10 YEARS SINCE THIS...

Postby Chris Holmes » Thu Dec 13, 2018 8:42 pm

I wonder how many parcels Encks has dropped for DHL?

A few updates...

Trevor Sinclair is back on the BBC, he was on Final Score the other week


Roger Johnson is still with Bromley and has played 19 games for them this season

Glenn Loovens is now with Sunderland and has played 11 times for them this season


Only 4 games at Derby so far this season for Joe Ledley


Former England footballer Trevor Sinclair returned to BBC Sport this weekend - a year after being dropped as a pundit for racially abusing a police officer who had arrested him for drink-driving.

Sinclair, 45, appeared on the FA Cup Final Score programme on BBC One and later tweeted: “Very grateful to be invited back to the bbc sport team today, made mistakes, accepted responsibility & criticism. Apologize for letting myself down. Trying to be a better person.”

In January, the BBC ditched the former Manchester City winger after he was sentenced to 150 hours of community service and given a 20-month driving ban by Blackpool magistrates court.

Sinclair had pleaded guilty to drink-driving and a racially aggravated public order offence on 12 November last year. The court heard he was more than twice the legal drink-drive limit, had asked the arresting officer if he was being arrested because he was black, accused the police of racism and urinated in a police car.

Sinclair continued making racist comments after he was taken to the cells at Blackpool police station. Nick Freeman, representing Sinclair, said the catalyst for his client's behaviour was being subjected to racism in front of his family while having a meal hours earlier.

Sinclair had been a regular analyst on Football Focus and Match of the Day since retiring from the game in 2008. After he was charged, the BBC said he was employed on a freelance basis and that it had “no scheduled plans to use him on our programmes”.
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Re: INCREDIBLE DAY: OVER 10 YEARS SINCE THIS...

Postby Sven » Thu Dec 13, 2018 9:05 pm

Thanks for the update, Chris (Holmes) :thumbright: :ayatollah:
"If you think what I say is 'offensive' to you, you should hear what I keep to myself...!"
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Re: INCREDIBLE DAY: OVER 10 YEARS SINCE THIS...

Postby pick and shovel » Fri Dec 14, 2018 8:31 am

On the whole, Dave Jones was a good manager for us. A pity that he couldn't judge a good keeper as Enckelman along with Bywater are 2 of the worst ones we ever had.
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