The view on the re-branding saga, from a 15 year old!

Yes, I may only be 15, yes I may only now be entering my 3rd season of being a ST holder, & yes I may not know as much about the club and it’s traditions as some of the older fans, but one thing I do know, is that regardless of what colour kit we’re wearing or what our badge is/looks like & what stadium we’re in, not only next season, but the season after that, and the one after that, and so on, I will always support my local club, CARDIFF CITY FC, no matter what, I will be there.

Now, when we left Ninian Park, a place which I only visited twice unfortunately, how many of our fans were happy about that? How many of our so called “loyal” fans stood up and said “No, this is our home, we belong here!”? Look, I know leaving the Ninian was tough, but it was for the best, for the ADVANCEMENT of our club, most of us didn’t like it, and most of us miss it, but we are living with it, & hey look on the bright side, we’ve got a fancy 27,000ish seater stadium, with loads of technology and a real good feel about the place, from the second I put my season ticket into the turnstile at the start of the 2010/11 season, I felt at home, I had a connection. I loved it if I’m honest, and I still do.

What I’m getting at by here is, we may not like this colour/badge change, I don’t and the majority of our fan base don’t like it, judging by what I’ve seen on here, Twitter & Facebook. But what I’ve learned is, at the end of the day, yes it’s our identity, yes it’s the kit we’ve loved over the past 100odd years, and it’s a kit we all wear with pride, if it’s at the park, in the stadiums at home or away games, or even in the pub with your mates, it’s your top you’d wear with pride, it’s a top that says “Look at me, I am a Cardiff City fan, and I love my club!” – But if truth be told, it’s not going anywhere! If you don’t like our RED HOME KIT, then don’t buy it, buy the BLUE AWAY KIT instead, buy a training top or a CCFC hoodie, or even one of those retro 70’s tops (which seem to be popular in the Grandstand, if I may add!). Yes it’s going to be very odd seeing the team run out onto our home turf with a red kit on, but we can adapt, we can learn to love this kit, because it is also a top which says “Yes, I am a Cardiff City fan”, all I’m saying is, if you don’t like it, don’t buy it, simple.

Now with the circumstances in which this re-branding came about, the club messed this up, from the leak to the assurances of no colour change, it was a disaster, but how did they respond? The Supporters Club sent out a ballet form to fill in, it was passed onto the board, which means that YES, THEY DID CONSIDER OUR FEELINGS IN ALL THIS, they compromised, the badge isn’t the best – in fact, it’s terrible – but it’s still the badge of OUR club, we wanted the Bluebird on there, & we got one! But it is still the badge of Cardiff City, the team we love, the team we will always support! Which brings me onto the next point, these fans saying “I won’t step foot into the CCS ever again, our soul is gone, we ain’t the same” They have a point by there, we ain’t the same, we’re red, but more importantly, we’re still Cardiff City! Now I’m sorry, but if you don’t like these changes, then bugger off and support Newport or something.

Now onto these promises, firstly, the training ground idea seems fairly solid, talks with the council are going well and it looks like we’re leaving the vale, so looks like promise 1 will be fulfilled. Promises 2&3, the debt and this £100 million investment, firstly, the debt saga is something which has haunted our club for many years now, and finally we’ve got a chance to clear it all, or at least most of it! From what I’ve heard, the Langston debt is looking likely to be wiped out, unless there’s some big stumbling block or something, and the other ones, if there are other ones, I hope should be sealed as well, I fully expect our club to be virtually debt-free, and all those shares stuff turned into equity, which sounds promising (sorry, I’m 15 & haven’t got a clue what this means haha). Secondly, & this is the big one, the investment, now I’ve been told that most of this is going towards clearing the debts, and the new training ground etc. I’ve heard a sensible sum of around £10million will be sent into the kitty, now that sounds good, right? So, who do we buy? No, not Messi or Ronaldo or anything, but honest now, I would like a striker who’s similar to Carlton Cole, a strong, tall striker who’s deadly infront of goal, next, we need a player who’s like Stephen McPhail, a midfield general, who has got an eye for a pass, who can give players like Whitts & Gunnar the opportunity to push up, while he hangs back, & also someone who can actually tackle, I mean, let’s face it, Whitts ain’t the best tackler ever! Now I’m sure there are plenty of them around, and within our budget, right? Next, a winger, a fast, skilful player who can create something, because as much as I love Cowie, I think he’s more of a CM, Conway, on the other hand, should be a regular starter, and the sooner he returns from injury, the better! Lastly, we need some defensive cover, a new left back to cover for Tayls, and a new Centre-back who can cover from Ben/Huds, or maybe 2 if we’re lucky(the more the merrier haha), next season I think Kev will be cover for Darcy, it’s just my opinion. & also some youngsters would be a bonus, & speaking of youngsters, I wouldn’t mind seeing Kadeem Harris play a part next season; he seems to be a promising youngster, as do Tommy O’Sullivan, Ibby Farah & Nat Jarvis etc. Can all these players fit can be bought with our kitty? I don’t know, only time will tell.

So, just to re-affirm my stance on the re-branding, I don’t like it, I love our old badge & blue kit, and I’ve seen people being branded as being “plastics” or “sell-outs” just for accepting these changes, & I can see where people are coming from, but it’s for the best, I’d rather have a red club than no club, rather be red than dead, as they say. Feel free to post angry comments citing my lack of knowledge & age etc, but remember, it’s just my opinion.

Through thick and thin, through good times and bad, come wind or rain, mid-week game or a Sunday game, I will always be there, supporting Cardiff City!!

honestly couldn't be bothered to read all that, christ

Stopped reading when you said you were 15, the youth of today do not know our history and many of them support man yoo.

Stopped reading when you said you were 15, the youth of today do not know our history and many of them support man yoo.

how do you expect the club to grow if you don't want the younger generation to support the club? do you want the club to have no fans when you older lot aren't around anymore?

Much respect...very well thought out.

honestly couldn't be bothered to read all that, christ

Fair play to him though, sensible post, I'm only 39 and I felt well old reading that

What an excellent post and if you are fifteen as you say and I've no reason to doubt you, then you show a wisdom way beyond your years and if you haven't thought of a career in journalism, then i suggest you seriously have a re think, spot on me old kid.

It does not matter how old any person/City fan is, they deserve respect and to be listened to.

I will read it when I get home late this afternoon.

good sensible post, fair play

Good post, well thought through. You are our future and I wish you well.

Most sensible and mature post in a long time, 15 yrs.old, makes us older people se more foollish, well done.

Very good post i may not agree with some of what you are saying but you know everyone is allowed too have there veiw on things and i respeced that. But again very sensiable post and a very good read.

Hope you keep posting you are sensiable and i really enjoyed reading something sensiable for once and not people threatening other people

Never Underestemate the Power Of Youth.

Well written post, might I just add as long as we have a club we will always be the Bluebirds. My daughter thought Swansea were really called jack bs because she heard it so often at Ninian Park.

i'm 15 and im against it

Good post gwyn.