' THE 16 YEAR OLD CARDIFF CITY WONDER KID '
Fri Nov 13, 2015 8:22 am
' THE 16 YEAR OLD WONDER KID MAKES HIS DEBUT FOR CARDIFF CITY 50 YEARS AGO '
From Cardiff City to Casablanca... via Liverpool FC and Real Madrid: An extraordinary 50-year football journey
FRIDAY 13 NOV 2015
BY CHRIS WATHAN
November 13, 2015 marks exactly 50 years since John Toshack made a goalscoring Cardiff City debut - and still some fans haven't forgiven club for selling him
It started with a goal in front of the Grange End and a celebratory soft drink in the Ninian Park dressing room. In the 50 years since, the scrawny 16-year-old became a hometown idol, a Liverpool icon, manager of eight clubs across 11 countries – including Real Madrid, twice – collecting trophies in five of them.
It’s been some journey for John Toshack.
There cannot be many who have racked up half a century in the game and yet, as he prepares for African Champions League involvement after winning the Moroccan title last season, that is the anniversary the man most know as simply Tosh can reflect upon today.
For it was on this day, November 13, back in 1965 that Toshack took his first steps into the professional game with Cardiff City, beginning a road that has taken him across continents and seen him hand Wales debuts to Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey.
The Canton teenager and debut goal
Fresh out of school and having passed his sweet sixteenth birthday 236 days earlier, an injury to Graham Coldrick opened the door for Toshack that he still has no intention of closing.
Fair to say the teenager from Canton had little idea of what was to follow as he made his debut for the Bluebirds against Leyton Orient in a 3-1 win.
Coldrick was actually a defender but esteemed Cardiff manager Jimmy Scoular switched things around to make room up front for the teenager he obviously had high hopes for.
And how Scoular’s decision worked. The following day’s Western Mail match report, written by Dewi Lewis, didn’t mention the newcomer until 16 paragraphs in, with the page lead more concerned with the transfer demands of Wales’ Barrie Hole.
But it then read: “Sixteen year old Toshack can be well satisfied with his debut. When scoring with a couple of minutes remaining for play, he took his chance with a coolness which would have done credit to a player of more experience.”
The report also focussed upon the fact that Toshack “made history by becoming the youngest City first-team player when he came on for the injured Coldrick.” That was a record that stood for 41 years until Aaron Ramsey figured against Hull in 2007 at 112 days younger. Fully 50 years on, Toshack says that despite the glittering career that was to follow, he can still remember his debut goal as clear as day and it remains one of the highlights of his career.
John Toshack and Brian Clark in action for Cardiff City against Arsenal in 1969
He recalled: “There was only one substitute in those days. Peter King, who was a great servant for the club, pulled the ball back from the byline on the left hand side and I scored with the outside of my right foot and we managed to win the game.
“I had used to stand on the Grange End to watch the side play so to score my first goal at that end was very special.
“I was on £12 a week as an apprentice with another £8 a week appearance money. We got £4 for a win and £2 for a draw so when we beat Leyton Orient and then went to Middlesbrough and won I got £12 basic, £16 for two appearances and another £8 for the two wins. With £36 I thought I could buy Wenvoe!”
It was a good job for Cardiff he did not have a goal bonus at the time as he netted a total of 100 goals in the space of four years, winning the Welsh Cup three times in a row and forming a partnership with Brian Clark that is seen as one of the club’s best and that should have won promotion to the top-flight.
From finishing 20th in his first two seasons, Cardiff moved up to mid-table and then fifth in 1969 – with Toshack top-scoring with 31 – finally ending up seventh before he left for Liverpool.
The offer "too good to turn down"
It has gone down in legend that certain fans haven’t returned to watch the club after the Bluebirds directors chose to sell Tosh, but in the matchday programme the following week the club stated: “It must be made clear the club did not want him to go. We have played fair with the player. We gave him the facts of the Liverpool offer and left the decision to him. John decided he wanted to go and we take this opportunity to wish him well at his new club.”
In the report of the £110,000 move, Toshack said: “The offer is too good to turn down. I shall be sorry to leave Cardiff, especially with the team playing so well, but Liverpool are a fine club and I have to look at the situation in a professional manner. Financially it will be a great move for me. I am looking forward to being part of the Liverpool set up.”
Meeting Shankly at Lime Street station, his hopes were realised. Three league titles, an FA Cup and three European honours vindicated the move, even if it took until 2013 for Cardiff to get that promotion they had hoped would come with Tosh leading the line.
Cardiff, for the record, finished 19th the season after the young Bluebird left for Merseyside.
“I was fortunate to be among good pros like Bobby Ferguosn, Don Murray and Peter King,” reflects Toshack of those early years. “I was a youngster coming into an experienced side. I couldn’t have had a better start than those four or five years playing in that team.
“We were a very good Second Division side who missed out on promotion two or three years on the run including the year I left.
“The year before I had the chance to sign for Fulham under Bobby Robson, the club had accepted a £65,000 fee, and I remember speaking to him and thanking him for interest, but just didn’t feel it was the right time or the right club.
“Fortunately, with no disrespect to Fulham, it turned out to be right decision because I had a super season for Cardiff that led to the Liverpool move.”
Move into management
John Toshack as manager at Real Madrid
It set Toshack on the path to groundbreaking management success at Swansea, to unprecedented success overseas – hired by Real Madrid twice – with the international football of Wales and Macedonia thrown in for good measure.
In front of 65,000 fans, Toshack won his most recent title as manager of Wydad Casablanca.
“You have to have a certain amount of luck on the way,” he said. “I had some breaks go for me at difficult times and been fortunate enough to work with some very good people, but 50 years is easy to say but little bit more difficult to do.
“Things have gone in my favour in Morocco but I have the same enthusiasm I’ve always had. The minute I lost it would be time to finish.”
Fifty years on from that debut to be satisfied with, the teenager from Canton is showing no signs of stopping just yet.
From Cardiff City to Casablanca... via Liverpool FC and Real Madrid: An extraordinary 50-year football journey
FRIDAY 13 NOV 2015
BY CHRIS WATHAN
November 13, 2015 marks exactly 50 years since John Toshack made a goalscoring Cardiff City debut - and still some fans haven't forgiven club for selling him
It started with a goal in front of the Grange End and a celebratory soft drink in the Ninian Park dressing room. In the 50 years since, the scrawny 16-year-old became a hometown idol, a Liverpool icon, manager of eight clubs across 11 countries – including Real Madrid, twice – collecting trophies in five of them.
It’s been some journey for John Toshack.
There cannot be many who have racked up half a century in the game and yet, as he prepares for African Champions League involvement after winning the Moroccan title last season, that is the anniversary the man most know as simply Tosh can reflect upon today.
For it was on this day, November 13, back in 1965 that Toshack took his first steps into the professional game with Cardiff City, beginning a road that has taken him across continents and seen him hand Wales debuts to Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey.
The Canton teenager and debut goal
Fresh out of school and having passed his sweet sixteenth birthday 236 days earlier, an injury to Graham Coldrick opened the door for Toshack that he still has no intention of closing.
Fair to say the teenager from Canton had little idea of what was to follow as he made his debut for the Bluebirds against Leyton Orient in a 3-1 win.
Coldrick was actually a defender but esteemed Cardiff manager Jimmy Scoular switched things around to make room up front for the teenager he obviously had high hopes for.
And how Scoular’s decision worked. The following day’s Western Mail match report, written by Dewi Lewis, didn’t mention the newcomer until 16 paragraphs in, with the page lead more concerned with the transfer demands of Wales’ Barrie Hole.
But it then read: “Sixteen year old Toshack can be well satisfied with his debut. When scoring with a couple of minutes remaining for play, he took his chance with a coolness which would have done credit to a player of more experience.”
The report also focussed upon the fact that Toshack “made history by becoming the youngest City first-team player when he came on for the injured Coldrick.” That was a record that stood for 41 years until Aaron Ramsey figured against Hull in 2007 at 112 days younger. Fully 50 years on, Toshack says that despite the glittering career that was to follow, he can still remember his debut goal as clear as day and it remains one of the highlights of his career.
John Toshack and Brian Clark in action for Cardiff City against Arsenal in 1969
He recalled: “There was only one substitute in those days. Peter King, who was a great servant for the club, pulled the ball back from the byline on the left hand side and I scored with the outside of my right foot and we managed to win the game.
“I had used to stand on the Grange End to watch the side play so to score my first goal at that end was very special.
“I was on £12 a week as an apprentice with another £8 a week appearance money. We got £4 for a win and £2 for a draw so when we beat Leyton Orient and then went to Middlesbrough and won I got £12 basic, £16 for two appearances and another £8 for the two wins. With £36 I thought I could buy Wenvoe!”
It was a good job for Cardiff he did not have a goal bonus at the time as he netted a total of 100 goals in the space of four years, winning the Welsh Cup three times in a row and forming a partnership with Brian Clark that is seen as one of the club’s best and that should have won promotion to the top-flight.
From finishing 20th in his first two seasons, Cardiff moved up to mid-table and then fifth in 1969 – with Toshack top-scoring with 31 – finally ending up seventh before he left for Liverpool.
The offer "too good to turn down"
It has gone down in legend that certain fans haven’t returned to watch the club after the Bluebirds directors chose to sell Tosh, but in the matchday programme the following week the club stated: “It must be made clear the club did not want him to go. We have played fair with the player. We gave him the facts of the Liverpool offer and left the decision to him. John decided he wanted to go and we take this opportunity to wish him well at his new club.”
In the report of the £110,000 move, Toshack said: “The offer is too good to turn down. I shall be sorry to leave Cardiff, especially with the team playing so well, but Liverpool are a fine club and I have to look at the situation in a professional manner. Financially it will be a great move for me. I am looking forward to being part of the Liverpool set up.”
Meeting Shankly at Lime Street station, his hopes were realised. Three league titles, an FA Cup and three European honours vindicated the move, even if it took until 2013 for Cardiff to get that promotion they had hoped would come with Tosh leading the line.
Cardiff, for the record, finished 19th the season after the young Bluebird left for Merseyside.
“I was fortunate to be among good pros like Bobby Ferguosn, Don Murray and Peter King,” reflects Toshack of those early years. “I was a youngster coming into an experienced side. I couldn’t have had a better start than those four or five years playing in that team.
“We were a very good Second Division side who missed out on promotion two or three years on the run including the year I left.
“The year before I had the chance to sign for Fulham under Bobby Robson, the club had accepted a £65,000 fee, and I remember speaking to him and thanking him for interest, but just didn’t feel it was the right time or the right club.
“Fortunately, with no disrespect to Fulham, it turned out to be right decision because I had a super season for Cardiff that led to the Liverpool move.”
Move into management
John Toshack as manager at Real Madrid
It set Toshack on the path to groundbreaking management success at Swansea, to unprecedented success overseas – hired by Real Madrid twice – with the international football of Wales and Macedonia thrown in for good measure.
In front of 65,000 fans, Toshack won his most recent title as manager of Wydad Casablanca.
“You have to have a certain amount of luck on the way,” he said. “I had some breaks go for me at difficult times and been fortunate enough to work with some very good people, but 50 years is easy to say but little bit more difficult to do.
“Things have gone in my favour in Morocco but I have the same enthusiasm I’ve always had. The minute I lost it would be time to finish.”
Fifty years on from that debut to be satisfied with, the teenager from Canton is showing no signs of stopping just yet.
Re: ' THE 16 YEAR OLD CARDIFF CITY WONDER KID '
Fri Nov 13, 2015 6:01 pm
his Spanish speaking is amazing, not sure if Bale will ever be fluent like him.
He deserves the plaudits for the tough job he done blooding youngsters to the national team. Tosh is a man who is very strong willed and made the big decisions for the greater good, not just the ones to keep a job
He deserves the plaudits for the tough job he done blooding youngsters to the national team. Tosh is a man who is very strong willed and made the big decisions for the greater good, not just the ones to keep a job
Re: ' THE 16 YEAR OLD CARDIFF CITY WONDER KID '
Sat Nov 14, 2015 9:12 am
always thought he would have been a good director of football for us
Re: ' THE 16 YEAR OLD CARDIFF CITY WONDER KID '
Sat Nov 14, 2015 10:41 am
It's a disgrace that we have never had Tosh as our Manager with all the rubbish ones we have had? HE is still better than Slade will ever be? 
Re: ' THE 16 YEAR OLD CARDIFF CITY WONDER KID '
Sat Nov 14, 2015 11:07 am
My first Cardiff City hero, in my opinion one of our best players and who also started off the success story of the current Wales team but above all was the man responsible of finishing off tthe welsh career of that dick of a player Savage
Well done Tosh
Well done Tosh