' Cardiff City are going head to head with Wales rugby '

By Paul Abbandonato
Paul Abbandonato: I can't believe Cardiff City are going head to head with Wales rugby this weekend
29 Jan 2014
Head of sport Paul Abbandonato takes a look at Cardiff City's Saturday afternoon clash with Wales' Six Nations opener against Italy


-Sam Hammam had a clear vision when he arrived at Cardiff City


Despite the ridicule he took at the time. Sam Hammam, it seems, was right.

Fourteen years ago Sam Hammam breezed into Cardiff City and uttered the words: “We’re going to take on Welsh rugby head on... and kick its arse.”

Cue smirks, laughter and chortles of derision throughout Wales. From Cardiff to Caernarfon, Newport to Newtown, Llanelli to Llandudno.

Who did this bloke think he was coming into our territory and telling us how our national game would be usurped by a football team?

To put Hammam’s seemingly outlandish comments into context, the club he took over were about to be relegated into the bottom tier of English football. Back then, with Ninian Park gates barely touching 3,000, the Bluebirds were being thrashed 4-0 at home by Cambridge United and Preston and 4-1 at Gillingham.

Far from being able to sign two Manchester United stars, or boast England internationals on their books, Cardiff’s squad featured such names as Russell Perrett, Jörn Schwinkendorf and Craig Middleton. Instead of meeting Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal, Hammam’s Cardiff were preparing to face Barnet, Halifax, Darlington, Kidderminster Harriers and Macclesfield.

No wonder the charismatic new Cardiff chief drew dismissive derision for his brazen prediction.



That was then. This is 2014 and I wonder if Hammam will afford himself a little smile of ‘he who laughs last satisfaction’ this weekend as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Bluebirds go head to head with Warren Gatland’s Six Nations champions in Cardiff.

On Saturday afternoon, Wales kick-off their title defence against Italy at the Millennium Stadium at 2.30pm. Barely will the national anthems have been sung and the first few scrums packed down than Solskjaer’s team kick-off at 3pm a mile down the road for their most important game of the season to date against Norwich.

I stand to be corrected here, but despite Hammam’s rhetoric, I’ve never known the Bluebirds actually go head to head in the Welsh capital with the Wales rugby team.

Hammam talked a good game, but when push came to shove the Bluebirds invariably switched the dates of their own fixture if there was a clash.

Cardiff City and Wales have occasionally played on the same day. Even as recently as November, Malky Mackay’s Bluebirds met Arsenal at Cardiff City Stadium (3pm kick-off), with Gatland’s Wales taking on Australia at the Millennium (5pm kick-off).

In theory you could just about watch the two games if you wished to, namely by leaving the football slightly early and running!

This time, though, that is not possible because the games are being played at the same time. It’s a straight choice for fans... the rugby or the football.

And my guess is that most Cardiff City followers will stick with the football, whereas in the past thousands of them would have plumped for the more grandiose occasion of the start of a Six Nations title defence. This is exactly the scenario Hammam had the vision to forecast back at the beginning of the millennium when he took over as Bluebirds owner.

At the time, Cardiff City needed to fight for every single paying customer going. Hammam could make his seemingly ridiculous remarks, but the reality was that the Bluebirds couldn’t risk clashing with the Wales rugby team because floating supporters were going to go with the oval ball game.

This weekend, however, Cardiff know they will almost certainly be able to announce a near 27,000 sell-out despite the rugby going ahead at the same time. Okay, Italy are hardly New Zealand, England or France and thus not the biggest draw. But it is still Wales looking to defend their crown and make it a hat-trick of title triumphs for the first time in their history, a feat not even achieved by Barry John, Gareth Edwards and the greats of the 1970s.

If we’re talking unglamorous opposition, Norwich are hardly Manchester United or Arsenal either. But expect Cardiff City Stadium to be packed to the rafters and full of passion and fervour for a game which eclipses even those historic home triumphs over Manchester City and Swansea as the most important yet of this Premier League season.

Personally, I can’t believe the head to head Premier League versus Six Nations clash is actually happening in Cardiff this weekend. Premier League rules make it more difficult to switch the dates of fixtures, but the Bluebirds and the authorities could still have agreed a different kick-off time. They haven’t though. Cardiff City have chosen to play at the same time as Wales ... and do so confident they will have a capacity crowd.

Despite the ridicule he took at the time. Sam Hammam, it seems, was right.

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Paul Abbandonato is an egg-chaser, and a crap 'journalst'.

He's not an egg chaser at all - he's a football man

He's not an egg chaser at all - he's a football man

He constantly peddles this football and egg line. Apart from the traffic and train congestion, who cares if the egg are playing. Abbandonato always pushes the idea that we should support the egg. Let them get on with their game, and we'll get on with ours. We're in a relegation dogfight. I, for one, don't give a toss what the Welsh egg-chasers do. Now, or ever. Sick of the Welsh media pushing the egg down our throats. 'National game' my arse!

Abbandanato is sports editor of that diabolical rag 'The Western Mail', the so-called 'national newspaper of Wales'. They, and BBC Wales, push this myth that all Welsh people like the egg. Bollox!

Any City 'fan' who would miss a home game to watch the egg, is not a true fan. Simple as that, really.

One thing for sure, there will be plenty of paid for but empty seats in the ccs 2moz.

He's not an egg chaser at all - he's a football man

He try's to be controversial. He's not though he just makes himself look like dull tw*t.

To say Abbandanato is pro rugby is complete and utter nosense.

If you bothered to read the piece then you would realise that he was celebrating the fact that football can now go head to head with rugby in Cardiff whereas years ago it had no chance.

One thing for sure, there will be plenty of paid for but empty seats in the ccs 2moz.

I think it'll be empty tomorrow aswell

One thing for sure, there will be plenty of paid for but empty seats in the ccs 2moz.

I think it'll be empty tomorrow aswell

Balls that means 2 more days in work .

I'll be in the Millennium Saturday but i'll still keep track of the Cardiff game

This decision has really annoyed me personally. I love my football and enjoy rugby. I will be at the CCS for the game against Norwich but I always look forward to watching Wales play especially when Wales plays Italy due to my family being from Italy. Whoever made this decision in my opinion has not given a fair choice. This isnt a choice between Cardiff City and Cardiff Blues, this is a choice I shouldnt have to make between my club and my country. Whatever sport you play ive always believed internationals should take priority.
Why does it have to be head to head why cant we watch both?

This decision has really annoyed me personally. I love my football and enjoy rugby. I will be at the CCS for the game against Norwich but I always look forward to watching Wales play especially when Wales plays Italy due to my family being from Italy. Whoever made this decision in my opinion has not given a fair choice. This isnt a choice between Cardiff City and Cardiff Blues, this is a choice I shouldnt have to make between my club and my country. Whatever sport you play ive always believed internationals should take priority.
Why does it have to be head to head why cant we watch both?

Top post.

This decision has really annoyed me personally. I love my football and enjoy rugby. I will be at the CCS for the game against Norwich but I always look forward to watching Wales play especially when Wales plays Italy due to my family being from Italy. Whoever made this decision in my opinion has not given a fair choice. This isnt a choice between Cardiff City and Cardiff Blues, this is a choice I shouldnt have to make between my club and my country. Whatever sport you play ive always believed internationals should take priority.
Why does it have to be head to head why cant we watch both?

Top post.

Agreed. Disgraceful decision by those who decide these things and I hope it doesn't happen again.

Personally, I'll be having the rugby on the telly while keeping an eye on a live stream on my laptop...

Perhaps the rugby should be moved for once? Wouldn't harm them to play ungodly hours for once. Plenty of late trains back to the valleys for the 'Go on Shaaaane!' lot anyway

Perhaps the rugby should be moved for once? Wouldn't harm them to play ungodly hours for once. Plenty of late trains back to the valleys for the 'Go on Shaaaane!' lot anyway

thats fine no argument from me, move the rugby to suit the football rather than the other way round. I dont agree with having them being played at the same time

Perhaps the rugby should be moved for once? Wouldn't harm them to play ungodly hours for once. Plenty of late trains back to the valleys for the 'Go on Shaaaane!' lot anyway

Move an international game for a club game?, dream on that will never happen there will be 72,500 people in the Millennium

This isn't the first time that City have played a home game on the same day as a Welsh rugby international down the road.

This isn't the first time that City have played a home game on the same day as a Welsh rugby international down the road.

no first time the kick-offs are so close together though making it impossible to watch both

Cardiff is easily a big enough city to handle the both sporting events on the same day. Don't see the problem. Maybe I'm in the minority but I do like the six nations rugby and think its great that both the football and rugby are being held on the same day at home. Its gonna be wild Saturday night lol

Cardiff is easily a big enough city to handle the both sporting events on the same day. Don't see the problem. Maybe I'm in the minority but I do like the six nations rugby and think its great that both the football and rugby are being held on the same day at home. Its gonna be wild Saturday night lol

Because a lot of football fans only like football and think other sports are inferior

Cardiff is easily a big enough city to handle the both sporting events on the same day. Don't see the problem. Maybe I'm in the minority but I do like the six nations rugby and think its great that both the football and rugby are being held on the same day at home. Its gonna be wild Saturday night lol

thats been proven but why do they have to be played at the same time why cant we watch both?

Cardiff is easily a big enough city to handle the both sporting events on the same day. Don't see the problem. Maybe I'm in the minority but I do like the six nations rugby and think its great that both the football and rugby are being held on the same day at home. Its gonna be wild Saturday night lol

thats been proven but why do they have to be played at the same time why cant we watch both?

Shit, yeah, I just had a look at the kickoff times! For some reason I thought the Wales v Italy match was the 5pm kickoff, just found out the France v England match is the late kickoff and Wales is 2.30. Bit of a bummer that is

Perhaps the rugby should be moved for once? Wouldn't harm them to play ungodly hours for once. Plenty of late trains back to the valleys for the 'Go on Shaaaane!' lot anyway

Move an international game for a club game?, dream on that will never happen there will be 72,500 people in the Millennium

Wales haven't sold out for games against Italy in the last few years. More people are just content on going into town and showing off their pink cowboy hats and daffodil hats

Perhaps the rugby should be moved for once? Wouldn't harm them to play ungodly hours for once. Plenty of late trains back to the valleys for the 'Go on Shaaaane!' lot anyway

Move an international game for a club game?, dream on that will never happen there will be 72,500 people in the Millennium

I doubt if there will be more than 50k tops in the millennium as they can't give the tickets away

Perhaps the rugby should be moved for once? Wouldn't harm them to play ungodly hours for once. Plenty of late trains back to the valleys for the 'Go on Shaaaane!' lot anyway

Move an international game for a club game?, dream on that will never happen there will be 72,500 people in the Millennium

I doubt if there will be more than 50k tops in the millennium as they can't give the tickets away

Millennium Stadium are always sold out or nearly sold out especially during the 6 Nations

Cardiff fans are in no positive to take the piss out of the rugby fans with the amount of plastics we have game after game in red shirts.

A red shirt or a girl in a daffodil hat? I know which one has more to do with Cardiff and Wales

No need to be so cynical about rugby, all it comes across as is jealousy. Cardiff will basically be full, so will Wales.