' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 8:38 am
By Paul Evans
A year on from Cardiff City 'scarfgate'...how much has changed?
Wednesday 19th Feb 2014.
South Wales Echo.
Our fans' columnist reflects on a strange and unsettling year at the Bluebirds since 'scarfgate'
Some fans dumped their red scarves in protest
Today marks the anniversary of “scarfgate”, the very chilly night when supporters were given free scarves in the club’s colours before a game against Brighton.
At any other club, this would have been seen as a generous gesture by those in charge – a recognition of what the fans had contributed over the previous six months.
At Cardiff City however, it was viewed by some (myself included) as a somewhat cynical attempt to finally put an end to resistance towards owner Vincent Tan’s “re-branding” of the club kit and badge.
In the immediate aftermath of the match, it was thought by many that the blue cause had been well and truly routed.
There had been a “sea of red” in the stands with some saying that as many as 95% of the home fans present had been wearing that colour.
I had been turning up in my blue scarf and shirt in my own small protest against the change to red and had, frankly, been wondering whether it was worth it – with a winning team to watch and no organised resistance to the re-branding, it seemed to me that it was not a high priority matter for most who went to matches.
The re-branding battle was being lost and then the club put it back to the forefront with their decision to give those scarves away.
I thought that was a mistake at the time and do so even more today.
In a way, “scarfgate” worked in favour of the blue cause. From that night on, the numbers wearing blue grew as fans became a bit more “stroppy.”
Anti-red songs started being heard at games for the first time. Indeed, Mr Tan was serenaded by some with choruses of “we’ll always be blue” as he made his way around the pitch on the night promotion was confirmed a couple of months after.
I thought of “scarfgate” when I first read CEO Simon Lim’s statement on the club’s website last week. What started off as an endorsement of Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s transfer dealings in January soon got to the real object of the exercise when the Andreas Cornelius transfer was, once again, used as a stick with which to beat former manager Malky Mackay.
Details which came out just after Christmas giving apparent details of the Cornelius transfer and contract had, in my view, succeeded in lessening Mackay’s popularity levels amongst significant numbers of supporters.
As someone who is basically pro Mackay, I myself find it very difficult to defend the Cornelius signing.
But I do question whether it was really necessary for the club hierarchy to take further potshots at Mackay when we have the more important matter of a fight to beat relegation to deal with?
After the only league win we have managed since the change of management, Tan talked up Solskjær, but then he used the words “better than Malky Mackay.”
Why? Others might disagree, but it seems to me that those in charge at the club could benefit from letting things go on occasions.
Some fans dumped their red scarves in protest
A year on from Cardiff City 'scarfgate'...how much has changed?
Wednesday 19th Feb 2014.
South Wales Echo.
Our fans' columnist reflects on a strange and unsettling year at the Bluebirds since 'scarfgate'
Some fans dumped their red scarves in protest
Today marks the anniversary of “scarfgate”, the very chilly night when supporters were given free scarves in the club’s colours before a game against Brighton.
At any other club, this would have been seen as a generous gesture by those in charge – a recognition of what the fans had contributed over the previous six months.
At Cardiff City however, it was viewed by some (myself included) as a somewhat cynical attempt to finally put an end to resistance towards owner Vincent Tan’s “re-branding” of the club kit and badge.
In the immediate aftermath of the match, it was thought by many that the blue cause had been well and truly routed.
There had been a “sea of red” in the stands with some saying that as many as 95% of the home fans present had been wearing that colour.
I had been turning up in my blue scarf and shirt in my own small protest against the change to red and had, frankly, been wondering whether it was worth it – with a winning team to watch and no organised resistance to the re-branding, it seemed to me that it was not a high priority matter for most who went to matches.
The re-branding battle was being lost and then the club put it back to the forefront with their decision to give those scarves away.
I thought that was a mistake at the time and do so even more today.
In a way, “scarfgate” worked in favour of the blue cause. From that night on, the numbers wearing blue grew as fans became a bit more “stroppy.”
Anti-red songs started being heard at games for the first time. Indeed, Mr Tan was serenaded by some with choruses of “we’ll always be blue” as he made his way around the pitch on the night promotion was confirmed a couple of months after.
I thought of “scarfgate” when I first read CEO Simon Lim’s statement on the club’s website last week. What started off as an endorsement of Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s transfer dealings in January soon got to the real object of the exercise when the Andreas Cornelius transfer was, once again, used as a stick with which to beat former manager Malky Mackay.
Details which came out just after Christmas giving apparent details of the Cornelius transfer and contract had, in my view, succeeded in lessening Mackay’s popularity levels amongst significant numbers of supporters.
As someone who is basically pro Mackay, I myself find it very difficult to defend the Cornelius signing.
But I do question whether it was really necessary for the club hierarchy to take further potshots at Mackay when we have the more important matter of a fight to beat relegation to deal with?
After the only league win we have managed since the change of management, Tan talked up Solskjær, but then he used the words “better than Malky Mackay.”
Why? Others might disagree, but it seems to me that those in charge at the club could benefit from letting things go on occasions.
Some fans dumped their red scarves in protest
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Re: ' A year on and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 8:46 am
Funny at that meeting with our club regarding the rebrand,when 9 out of say 12 fans who attended all voted against the Rebrand including myself, Paul Evans aka TOB said " it did not bother him " and said " either way he wasnt bothered. "Hmm
The rest of us were stunned, we thought the 12 out of 12 would vote against it.
Yes I will agree the night the club gave away Red scarfs, it back fired on them, I walked out and I do believe it made the fans who cared about our identity stand up more and since that night the BLUE has increased every game
The rest of us were stunned, we thought the 12 out of 12 would vote against it.
Yes I will agree the night the club gave away Red scarfs, it back fired on them, I walked out and I do believe it made the fans who cared about our identity stand up more and since that night the BLUE has increased every game
Re: ' A year on and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 8:54 am
The complete Bollocks Tan comes out with, it's almost safe to say the opposite will happen. After the first win of his CCFC career he claimed Solksjær is 'better than Mackay.'
I do think Solksjær signed a very good player in Juan Cala mind.
Scarf-gate, sickening. That picture should of been 18,000 piled up and not just 50 odd
I do think Solksjær signed a very good player in Juan Cala mind.
Scarf-gate, sickening. That picture should of been 18,000 piled up and not just 50 odd
Re: ' A year on and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 9:09 am
Forever Blue wrote:Funny at that meeting with our club regarding the rebrand,when 9 out of say 12 fans who attended all voted against the Rebrand including myself, Paul Evans aka TOB said " it did not bother him " and said " either way he wasnt bothered. "Hmm
The rest of us were stunned, we thought the 12 out of 12 would vote against it.
Yes I will agree the night the club gave away Red scarfs, it back fired on them, I walked out and I do believe it made the fans who cared about our identity stand up more and since that night the BLUE has increased every game
It's an interesting article Annis, if they were more patient their repugnant scheme, it could of worked out for them to play the long strategy. The only hope of a successful rebrand was success on the pitch to subdue people's thoughts & feelings. A > £50million player investment was never going to work.
Tan hasn't got a clue what football clubs mean to people. It looked truly horrendous that night, and I must say im glad it was a rubbish match too. Totally backfired on the regime.
Thank you Annis for sticking up for the fans who just want a club they can be proud to support
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 9:59 am
Scarfgate was a shocking & cynical ploy by the club at further attempt to accept the rebrand with the promise of possibly winning a free season ticket
It was a horrific sight to see so many accept them, I would be seen dead with one
It was a waatershed moment really as since that game more & more have started wearing blue to home games
It was a horrific sight to see so many accept them, I would be seen dead with one
It was a waatershed moment really as since that game more & more have started wearing blue to home games
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 10:05 am
Remember it well.Was a cold night so I got hold of three.
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 10:06 am
Fairwater Youth wrote:Scarfgate was a shocking & cynical ploy by the club at further attempt to accept the rebrand with the promise of possibly winning a free season ticket
It was a horrific sight to see so many accept them, I would be seen dead with one
It was a waatershed moment really as since that game more & more have started wearing blue to home games
This is where i am not as confident as some regarding the fans turning to blue.
Come the summer there is just as much chance of seeing more red than blue, this seasons pre-friendlies showed that. Next seasons warm up games will be interesting.
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 10:34 am
Worst day in the clubs long glorious history, shamed 
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 10:53 am
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 11:21 am
joncandy wrote:These were the photos I took that evening :'(
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joncandy/s ... 804814323/
Thanks Jon, these photos are timeless.
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 11:25 am
The funny thing that night is that I know some "hardcore" pro blues on here that took those free scarves and have the cheek to lecture others about our identity.
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 11:31 am
A lot of people will take anything free , But to still keep wearing them now They are cheap tacky & red 
They are cheap tacky & red
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 12:51 pm
I saw two ( am sure there were more) of those red scarves at the Wigan game, and just looked (from a distance) at the persons wearing them. One was about 15, and the other was in his 60's.
I thought to myself, well it can't be a new generation thing ie as the 15 year old would have no real idea of the blue history but the 60 year old
I just cannot comprehend how anyone with any feeling of support for the club (and why else would someone be there?) would want to wear a red scarf with a red 'bluebird' on it?
If it is to be relegation (most likely given the championship quality of the players Mackay kept on, and acquired plus the ones OGS has brought in) then Tan hopefully (yeah right) will agree red is not a lucky colour and we can revert to blue.
I won't hold my breath.
I thought to myself, well it can't be a new generation thing ie as the 15 year old would have no real idea of the blue history but the 60 year old
I just cannot comprehend how anyone with any feeling of support for the club (and why else would someone be there?) would want to wear a red scarf with a red 'bluebird' on it?
If it is to be relegation (most likely given the championship quality of the players Mackay kept on, and acquired plus the ones OGS has brought in) then Tan hopefully (yeah right) will agree red is not a lucky colour and we can revert to blue.
I won't hold my breath.
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 12:53 pm
CraigCCFC wrote:The funny thing that night is that I know some "hardcore" pro blues on here that took those free scarves and have the cheek to lecture others about our identity.
Some fans would do anything for the chance of a free season ticket. How many of those fans who were pictured in those vile tacky cheap disgusting bits of asian polyester and got free season tickets, actually still wear them
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 1:31 pm
Never felt more ashamed of our fans than that night. It was Horrible. 
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 2:04 pm
CraigCCFC wrote:The funny thing that night is that I know some "hardcore" pro blues on here that took those free scarves and have the cheek to lecture others about our identity.
Like who ?
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 2:08 pm
I hated that night so much
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 2:19 pm
Xcasual wrote:CraigCCFC wrote:The funny thing that night is that I know some "hardcore" pro blues on here that took those free scarves and have the cheek to lecture others about our identity.
Like who ?
it matters not who, they know who they are
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 2:28 pm
We're a Premier League side with more fans in the ground
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 2:40 pm
Not a lot has changed. If your going to give things away for free people will take it no matter what it is.
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 3:03 pm
CraigCCFC wrote:The funny thing that night is that I know some "hardcore" pro blues on here that took those free scarves and have the cheek to lecture others about our identity.
yes i know a few too, and plenty on here that are critical but didnt even attend the game........in fact dont attend full stop.
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 4:08 pm
The best thing that happened that night was we lost the game. It was only when the second goal went in that they started getting hurled towards the front. I wonder if the column inches would have concentrated on the march to promotion rather than the scarfs if we had won that night. Nearly everyone around by me had one on which surprised me but I have not seen many since. I think the majority of fans that night were only guilty of being naive or being welsh not knocking back a freebie. It was definitely the moment the pointless rebrand hit home to me. Just wished it hit home 7 or 8months previously
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 4:19 pm
Danny Says wrote:I thought to myself, well it can't be a new generation thing ie as the 15 year old would have no real idea of the blue history but the 60 year old
Unfortunately some people just don’t care what colour we play in or what badge we wear. No ‘one who wants a return to blue would ever wear red.
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 4:26 pm
PartyWithOle wrote:We're a Premier League side with more fans in the ground
It's important to me how success is achieved, if you gave me the choice of winning the Champions League in red, or simply returning to our traditional colours, I without doubt choose the players to be representing the club in blue as a 1st strip.
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 5:38 pm
welshflinty wrote:Remember it well.Was a cold night so I got hold of three.
Mine went in the urinal'and was well pissed on.Shame Tan was'nt lying next to it.I would have loved to have pissed on him too.
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 5:50 pm
I took one and shoved it in my pocket, had no intention of wearing it and have never wore it. I got it in a cupboard somewhere with other City stuff. The sight of so many City fans wearing the scarf was unbelievable and also surreal.
Looking back, that was a terrible night in the history of CCFC and also a shameful night for the adult fans who wore those scarves.
Looking back, that was a terrible night in the history of CCFC and also a shameful night for the adult fans who wore those scarves.
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 5:59 pm
joncandy wrote:These were the photos I took that evening :'(
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joncandy/s ... 804814323/
Seeing those pics again is still astonishing, even 12 months on.
Even if we accept that people just like free stuff, the images of so many Cardiff City 'fans' wearing a scarf that represents the division of our fanbase and the destruction of a sizeable part of the club's traditional identity are sobering ones.
There have been lots of low points in Cardiff City's history - financial crises, relegations, episodes of mindless hooliganism but 'scarfgate' is right up there (or, perhaps, that should be down there...) for many of us.
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Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 6:21 pm
The night I lost my love for Cardiff city , now I'm just a follower and at times not really bothered about missing a game like Wigan last weekend . That would never of happened before the rebrand .
This was the game that changed everything after struggling with the rebrand
This was the game that changed everything after struggling with the rebrand
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 7:43 pm
Blueboys1927 wrote:Worst day in the clubs long glorious history, shamed
Agree, to me probably the lowest point of this rebrand bollocks. Amazing how many people went mad for some free tat . The majority sadly . Sent a message to tan of acceptance unfortunately
Re: ' A year on from that night and how much has changed ? '
Wed Feb 19, 2014 7:44 pm
northside of risca wrote:Blueboys1927 wrote:Worst day in the clubs long glorious history, shamed
Agree, to me probably the lowest point of this rebrand bollocks. Amazing how many people went mad for some free tat . The majority sadly . Sent a message to tan of acceptance unfortunately
I cant believe all those fellow Bluebirds in the Directors box wearing them
