" interesting read on our official site "
Mon Jun 25, 2012 6:20 am
OFFICIAL CARDIFF CITY HISTORY/CLUB SITE.
CLUB BASICS
Bluebirds - the popular nickname of Cardiff City who are the only senior club in British football to have that title. But how did City have that nickname? Was it because of the blue shirts? And how did the Club come to have the colour blue?
The Start
Cardiff City began life in 1899 as 'Riverside', the football section of Riverside Cricket Club and formed by cricket club member Bartley Wilson as a way of keeping his cricketing colleagues together in the winter months. The colours then were amber and brown shirts and the nickname Bluebirds was some years in the future.
The Name Change
When the town of Cardiff was granted city status in 1905, Wilson's amateur club was by then Riverside Albion after combining with Cardiff Albion FC. Wilson decided to change the name to Cardiff City but the South Wales and Monmouthshire F.A., who administered the game locally, would not sanction the change as the club played at too low a level. But he continued to call his club Cardiff City much to the displeasure of the local F.A.
The Colours
But in 1908, when the Club was elected to the South Wales Amateur League, permission was given. By this time the colours were blue shirts and white shorts - could the colours have been selected because the leading sports organisation in the city were Cardiff Rugby Club, one of the giants of the game and who played in blue and black hooped shirts?
Changes Of Style
Blue has been the colour of Cardiff City since then, and when the Club became a professional organisation in April 1910 kicking off the following September in the Southern League Second Division, those colours remained. How have the styles of the colours altered over more than 100 years? The pattern has changed over the years, as have the various trims, sometimes with white sleeves, and in several periods all-blue. Here is a chronological list of the changes, all confirmed from City's comprehensive photo-archives:
September 1910/April 1935: Blue shirts, white shorts
August 1935/April 1942: Blue with white sleeves, white shorts
August 1942/June 1947: Blue shirts, white shorts
August 1947/May 1949: Blue shirts with white sleeves, white shorts
August 1949/May 1954: Blue shirts, white shorts
August 1954/November 1955: Blue shirts with white sleeves, white shorts
November 1955/September 1965: Blue shirts, white shorts
September 1965/September 1967: Blue Shirts, blue shorts
September 1967/May 1975: Blue shirts, white shorts
August 1975/May 1982: Blue shirts, blue shorts
August 1982/May 1995: Blue shirts, white shorts
August 1995/May 1996: Blue shirts, blue shorts
August 1996/May 1998: Blue shirts, white shorts
August 1998/May 1999: Blue shirts with white sleeves, white shorts
August 1999/May 2000: Blue shirts, white shorts
August 2000/May 2007: Blue shirts, blue shorts
August 2007 to present: Blue shirts, white shorts
The Logos
It was not until the 1958/59 season that Cardiff City wore an official badge on the shirts. It was a white badge with a Bluebird logo and the name Bluebirds incorporated into it. The badge worn by the Club in the 1925 and 1927 F.A. Cup Finals was the coat of arms of the City of Cardiff, and that was with the special permission of the Lord Mayor.
From '58/59 onwards, the style of the badge altered, and on several occasions in 58/59 and 59/60, some of the Club's kits did not have a badge, but usually they did. From 1960/61 to 1965/66 there was no badge on any of the first-team strips, but in 1967/68 the word 'Bluebirds' was on the shirts again. This was the case until 1969/70 when a new design, being a circular white patch containing a Bluebird, was used. This was the situation until the end of 1984/85 when a more elaborate design was used, and that has continued with small changes to the present day. The exception came during the period between August 2003 and May 2008, during which the Bluebirds played with the alternative flag of St. David design incorporated into the crest.
The Nickname
In November 1911, just over a year after Cardiff City had turned professional, a play was performed at Cardiff's New Theatre. It was by Belgian author and playwright Maurice Maeterlinck and was called 'The Blue Bird', a fairy story mainly for children. The Blue Bird represented happiness and was imprisoned in a cage, the point of the story being that happiness was all for to enjoy, and could not be contained in a cage for a limited few to enjoy.
A week after the play was performed in Cardiff, Maeterlink was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature and there was a great deal of publicity about it in the South Wales Echo. Shortly after that, fans began calling Cardiff City 'The Blue Birds', the name gradually being shortened to 'Bluebirds'. The title appears in a 1913/14 match-programme. Meanwhile a racing-car enthusiast named Malcom (later Sir Malcolm) Campbell, had seen the play, and decided to call his racing car 'Bluebird'. Campbell and his son Donald later went to hold the world land and water speed records, their cars and boats always being named 'Bluebird'. It's a little known link between Cardiff City and the Campbells.
CLUB BASICS
Bluebirds - the popular nickname of Cardiff City who are the only senior club in British football to have that title. But how did City have that nickname? Was it because of the blue shirts? And how did the Club come to have the colour blue?
The Start
Cardiff City began life in 1899 as 'Riverside', the football section of Riverside Cricket Club and formed by cricket club member Bartley Wilson as a way of keeping his cricketing colleagues together in the winter months. The colours then were amber and brown shirts and the nickname Bluebirds was some years in the future.
The Name Change
When the town of Cardiff was granted city status in 1905, Wilson's amateur club was by then Riverside Albion after combining with Cardiff Albion FC. Wilson decided to change the name to Cardiff City but the South Wales and Monmouthshire F.A., who administered the game locally, would not sanction the change as the club played at too low a level. But he continued to call his club Cardiff City much to the displeasure of the local F.A.
The Colours
But in 1908, when the Club was elected to the South Wales Amateur League, permission was given. By this time the colours were blue shirts and white shorts - could the colours have been selected because the leading sports organisation in the city were Cardiff Rugby Club, one of the giants of the game and who played in blue and black hooped shirts?
Changes Of Style
Blue has been the colour of Cardiff City since then, and when the Club became a professional organisation in April 1910 kicking off the following September in the Southern League Second Division, those colours remained. How have the styles of the colours altered over more than 100 years? The pattern has changed over the years, as have the various trims, sometimes with white sleeves, and in several periods all-blue. Here is a chronological list of the changes, all confirmed from City's comprehensive photo-archives:
September 1910/April 1935: Blue shirts, white shorts
August 1935/April 1942: Blue with white sleeves, white shorts
August 1942/June 1947: Blue shirts, white shorts
August 1947/May 1949: Blue shirts with white sleeves, white shorts
August 1949/May 1954: Blue shirts, white shorts
August 1954/November 1955: Blue shirts with white sleeves, white shorts
November 1955/September 1965: Blue shirts, white shorts
September 1965/September 1967: Blue Shirts, blue shorts
September 1967/May 1975: Blue shirts, white shorts
August 1975/May 1982: Blue shirts, blue shorts
August 1982/May 1995: Blue shirts, white shorts
August 1995/May 1996: Blue shirts, blue shorts
August 1996/May 1998: Blue shirts, white shorts
August 1998/May 1999: Blue shirts with white sleeves, white shorts
August 1999/May 2000: Blue shirts, white shorts
August 2000/May 2007: Blue shirts, blue shorts
August 2007 to present: Blue shirts, white shorts
The Logos
It was not until the 1958/59 season that Cardiff City wore an official badge on the shirts. It was a white badge with a Bluebird logo and the name Bluebirds incorporated into it. The badge worn by the Club in the 1925 and 1927 F.A. Cup Finals was the coat of arms of the City of Cardiff, and that was with the special permission of the Lord Mayor.
From '58/59 onwards, the style of the badge altered, and on several occasions in 58/59 and 59/60, some of the Club's kits did not have a badge, but usually they did. From 1960/61 to 1965/66 there was no badge on any of the first-team strips, but in 1967/68 the word 'Bluebirds' was on the shirts again. This was the case until 1969/70 when a new design, being a circular white patch containing a Bluebird, was used. This was the situation until the end of 1984/85 when a more elaborate design was used, and that has continued with small changes to the present day. The exception came during the period between August 2003 and May 2008, during which the Bluebirds played with the alternative flag of St. David design incorporated into the crest.
The Nickname
In November 1911, just over a year after Cardiff City had turned professional, a play was performed at Cardiff's New Theatre. It was by Belgian author and playwright Maurice Maeterlinck and was called 'The Blue Bird', a fairy story mainly for children. The Blue Bird represented happiness and was imprisoned in a cage, the point of the story being that happiness was all for to enjoy, and could not be contained in a cage for a limited few to enjoy.
A week after the play was performed in Cardiff, Maeterlink was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature and there was a great deal of publicity about it in the South Wales Echo. Shortly after that, fans began calling Cardiff City 'The Blue Birds', the name gradually being shortened to 'Bluebirds'. The title appears in a 1913/14 match-programme. Meanwhile a racing-car enthusiast named Malcom (later Sir Malcolm) Campbell, had seen the play, and decided to call his racing car 'Bluebird'. Campbell and his son Donald later went to hold the world land and water speed records, their cars and boats always being named 'Bluebird'. It's a little known link between Cardiff City and the Campbells.
Re: " interesting read on our official site "
Mon Jun 25, 2012 6:28 am
BLUEBIRDS. CCFC 
Re: " interesting read on our official site "
Mon Jun 25, 2012 8:02 am
Possible 100 years celebration next year then !
Re: " interesting read on our official site "
Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:47 am
NIBluebird wrote:Possible 100 years celebration next year then !
I think were stuck on 99 years thanks to Vincent Tan and his silly ideas of 'rebranding' for little or no reason
A great story that - makes me angry and sick looking at our new red kit and 'beer mat' badge
Re: " interesting read on our official site "
Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:53 am
We may not play in blue at home next season, but we will always be known as the bluebirds, anyone thinking this will be different is suffering from king Canute syndrome.
When we come out in red next season I will be screaming "bluebirds", this may actually make us stronger and louder.
When we come out in red next season I will be screaming "bluebirds", this may actually make us stronger and louder.
Re: " interesting read on our official site "
Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:00 pm
Funny has a kid I supported Cardiff City .
Re: " interesting read on our official site "
Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:16 pm
llan bluebird wrote:We may not play in blue at home next season, but we will always be known as the bluebirds, anyone thinking this will be different is suffering from king Canute syndrome.
When we come out in red next season I will be screaming "bluebirds", this may actually make us stronger and louder.
Making the fans stronger and louder could be one of many reasons why they have made the change??
Re: " interesting read on our official site "
Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:24 pm
I bet in 99 years time there will be an annis abraham junior junior junior who will be going bonkers over cardiffs afghanstan owners rebranding from red to blue! .... he was quoted as saying "we've been in the premiership for 98 years in red and won the champions league wearing red, why the f**k are we going back to the colour that brought us nothing but heartache?!!!"
Re: " interesting read on our official site "
Mon Jun 25, 2012 6:46 pm
HandyLegs wrote:NIBluebird wrote:Possible 100 years celebration next year then !
I think were stuck on 99 years thanks to Vincent Tan and his silly ideas of 'rebranding' for little or no reason
A great story that - makes me angry and sick looking at our new red kit and 'beer mat' badge
And by coincidence, we were also at Ninian Park for 99 years
Re: " interesting read on our official site "
Tue Jun 26, 2012 3:10 am
Barrow FC, former football league team that now plays in the conference are also Bluebirds
http://www.barrowafc.com/
http://www.barrowafc.com/
Re: " interesting read on our official site "
Tue Jun 26, 2012 3:34 pm
Start of the propoganda ?
I am a Bluebird and we should play home games in Blue...
But I will watch the team I have supported since 1967, even if they ARE IN RED at home.
I dont think we have any choice.. in the matter, as no RED kit = no investement = no real choice for the fans = .
I will continue to ask for a Blue Home Kit , and also to keep our last seasons badge , and not the new abomination..
I am a Bluebird and we should play home games in Blue...
But I will watch the team I have supported since 1967, even if they ARE IN RED at home.
I dont think we have any choice.. in the matter, as no RED kit = no investement = no real choice for the fans = .
I will continue to ask for a Blue Home Kit , and also to keep our last seasons badge , and not the new abomination..