South Wales derby passion will match Old Firm and El Classic

And so it is upon us... Cardiff City versus Swansea City.

By Paul Abbandonato

27 Oct 2013

Paul Abbandonato takes a look at next week's big derby between Cardiff City and Swansea City and compares it to some managers Malky Mackay and Michael Laudrup will be familiar with

Next Sunday will be a great occasion for the fans of both of our Premier League clubs

If not the biggest game of football in Welsh club history, certainly the most high-profile derby day showdown given the billions across the globe who tune in every week to see the Premier League.

As players, Malky Mackay and Michael Laudrup have been involved in some of the fiercest football rivalries in the world.

Mackay played for Celtic against Rangers. Laudrup appeared for Barcelona against Real Madrid, then for Real Madrid against Barcelona.

As fierceness goes, games don’t get any bigger than Old Firm or El Classico showdowns and it would be churlish to put a little Welsh spat between the Bluebirds and Swans into that bracket.

But I guarantee that by the time the week is up, Mackay and Laudrup will know they have been involved in an occasion which for passion, fervour, raw emotion and sheer intensity matches any of the more great occasions in Glasgow or either of Spain’s two biggest cities they have previously been involved with

To outsiders, Cardiff versus Swansea may appear little more than a parochial shoot-out for Welsh bragging rights.

Those of us who have been to the games – and I have to many at Ninian Park, the Vetch, Cardiff City Stadium and the Liberty – know it means far, more than that. Far, far, far, far more.

And this one on Sunday is being played out for the first time to a Premier League audience, elevating Welsh derby day to a status even it has never witnessed before.

Enter a restaurant, or go for a little walk this week in either Cardiff or Swansea, and Mackay and Laudrup will be approached and told in no uncertain terms ‘Whatever you do the rest of the season, make sure you beat that lot up the road.’

Failure is simply not an option for either club.

Knowledgeable Cardiff fans know deep down that Swansea are a better, more established Premier League team. But over the course of 90 adrenaline-filled minutes, when any form and logic goes out of the window, they will expect Mackay’s team to prevail.

Swans fans also know deep down their team is superior on paper, but will fear the prospect of the club widely regarded as the bigger in Wales gaining ascendancy when it really matters.

It makes for a thrilling cocktail and, as newcomers to the scene, I strongly advise Mackay and Laudrup to each buy into the special ethos that is Cardiff v Swansea.

Dave Jones, Mackay’s predecessor in the Bluebirds post, never did.

It’s just another game, another three points to play for, was his mantra, one which infuriated Cardiff fans

You don’t get four points for winning the derby, it is true, but just a typical league game it most certainly is not.

Jones came from a Liverpool-Everton background, so as an outsider could have been forgiven a little, I guess, for not fully comprehending the magnitude of the Welsh derby.

Mackay, whose team is based around organisation, passion and giving absolutely everything to the shirt, won’t make the same mistake.

As a world-class player second only to Diego Maradona during the 1980s, Laudrup has been involved in the most grandiose football occasions on the planet. But he is too intelligent and too shrewd a manager not to buy into what this special week means to football folk across South Wales.

It takes being here to fully grasp the significance of such an occasion – the build-up, the match itself and the aftermath.

I recall Peter Ridsdale, fully accustomed to Leeds versus Manchester United, telling me after his second derby-day experience: “I’m shocked by just how big it is to the fans.

“It certainly rivals Leeds versus Man Utd. Before I came here, I honestly didn’t realise it was that big.”

Well, played out in front of the Sky TV cameras, this one on Sunday is going to be bigger than anything that has gone before. So, who will emerge triumphant?

For the time being, I’m not even going to go there because I honestly can’t call it.

Logic says Swansea, but derby day defies logic. How can anyone categorically say Swansea when 24,000 vocal Bluebirds fans will invariably influence the referee with the passion and fervour they create?

What I will say is that whoever wins at Cardiff City Stadium, be it the Bluebirds or the Swans, will probably lose the return game at the Liberty.

I’ve trawled through the record books, dating right back to the 1929-30 season, and cannot find a single example where the league double was done by either side.

Even in 1964-65, when Cardiff won the first game 5-0, they lost the return 3-2 at The Vetch.

When the boot was on the other foot in 1949-50, with the Swans victorious by five goals in the first match, the Bluebirds responded with a 1-0 triumph at Ninian Park next time around.

The consistency continued right up to the last time the two teams met in 2010-11. Marvyn Emnes scored in a 1-0 Swansea victory in Cardiff, giving Rodgers’ men a real chance to finally crack that elusive double.

The inevitable happened in the return at the Liberty, Craig Bellamy firing the winner for Cardiff.

Celtic v Rangers and Barcelona v Real Madrid do not have that symmetry to their rivalry.

There is something very special, and unique, about Cardiff v Swansea.

Bring it on.

Hope we make its as hostile as we can without actually being violent Lol last sw derby at home, we were shit... Fans and players, it was totally flat. Lets make up for it this time, and get right into them. We are the underdogs this time around, so lets treat it like a cup final. Our fans have a massive part to play just like we did against man city, only we have to take it up another level again. COMMME'ONNNN CITY!!!

This should be like the Man City game with more of an edge.

As fans, we need to drop the nerves and get vocal from start to finish.

The Man City game had that, probably because there was no pressure of expectation.......let's hope the nerves don't get to us.

I expect it to be fecking mental at The CCS..........want to hear how good it was on Sky Sports all week.

Should beat the Tyneside derby hands down after watching that today!

This should be like the Man City game with more of an edge.

As fans, we need to drop the nerves and get vocal from start to finish.

The Man City game had that, probably because there was no pressure of expectation.......let's hope the nerves don't get to us.

I expect it to be fecking mental at The CCS..........want to hear how good it was on Sky Sports all week.

Should beat the Tyneside derby hands down after watching that today!

The first example of the main reason why Malky has taken the players away this week.

I was asked several questions for the programme that's getting aired tomorrow night. They asked me if Swansea fans will try and bait Cardiff fans about the rebrand etc

I said it doesn't matter. You won't hear them anyway. No matter what anyone thinks of the politics of the club everyone should be in unison singing throughout the game for the team. The 12th man is of major importance next week, and anyone agreeing with or applauding whatever lyrics they have to throw at us(there's plenty of sickening kiss-arses on here)then they'll deserve a smack in the face from whoever is sat next to them

I was asked several questions for the programme that's getting aired tomorrow night. They asked me if Swansea fans will try and bait Cardiff fans about the rebrand etc

I said it doesn't matter. You won't hear them anyway. No matter what anyone thinks of the politics of the club everyone should be in unison singing throughout the game for the team. The 12th man is of major importance next week, and anyone agreeing with or applauding whatever lyrics they have to throw at us(there's plenty of sickening kiss-arses on here)then they'll deserve a smack in the face from whoever is sat next to them

bluebirds,bluebirds

I couldn't care less what they sing or what their banners say. To care I'd have to respect their views or them as rival fans. I don't.

Opposing fans singing 'disrespectful' and mocking songs about their opponents! Shocking!
There ought to be a law against that kind of thing (sadly there probably is/will be soon).

Please lads, let's grow a pair, give them back what they deserve and get behind the team.

Opposing fans singing 'disrespectful' and mocking songs about their opponents! Shocking!
There ought to be a law against that kind of thing (sadly there probably is/will be soon).

Please lads, let's grow a pair, give them back what they deserve and get behind the team.

This x 100

We're Coming For You.

We're Coming For You.

This x 1000

I couldn't care less what they sing or what their banners say. To care I'd have to respect their views or them as rival fans. I don't.

Too true

I was asked several questions for the programme that's getting aired tomorrow night. They asked me if Swansea fans will try and bait Cardiff fans about the rebrand etc

I said it doesn't matter. You won't hear them anyway. No matter what anyone thinks of the politics of the club everyone should be in unison singing throughout the game for the team. The 12th man is of major importance next week, and anyone agreeing with or applauding whatever lyrics they have to throw at us(there's plenty of sickening kiss-arses on here)then they'll deserve a smack in the face from whoever is sat next to them

You won't see any stewards on Sunday walking around the Ninian stand with clip boards telling supporters to sit down, that is for sure
We must at the very least re-create the same atmosphere and noise that we did against Man City, as it's a 4pm KO, I have every faith in my fellow supporters that it will be loud and hostile

Lets hope ALL our fans get in their 'seats' early to create the atmosphere well before ko.
This seemed to be the case against Man City & really worked.

I was asked several questions for the programme that's getting aired tomorrow night. They asked me if Swansea fans will try and bait Cardiff fans about the rebrand etc

I said it doesn't matter. You won't hear them anyway. No matter what anyone thinks of the politics of the club everyone should be in unison singing throughout the game for the team. The 12th man is of major importance next week, and anyone agreeing with or applauding whatever lyrics they have to throw at us(there's plenty of sickening kiss-arses on here)then they'll deserve a smack in the face from whoever is sat next to them

the atmosphere was incredibly flat for both liberty and ccs fixtures last time round, probably cos in both games the away team looked a lot stronger than the home team and it therefore made most fans too nervous to shout! (did for me anyway...)

i think if we start to outplay you then you'll fall silent

Compulsory ten pints and sing your heart out game don't let the cnuts, get a single song heard