" SOL BAMBA EXCLUSIVE "
Fri Jan 13, 2017 5:46 pm
" SOL BAMBA EXCLUSIVE "
The Sol Bamba interview: My embarrassing red card meltdown and how I struggled to explain it to my kids
By Chris Wathan
Friday 13th Jan 2017
Cardiff City defender Bamba issued a public apology and was clearly upset at letting teammates, Neil Warnock and his family down
Cardiff City star Sol Bamba has opened up for the first time on just what happened with his red card rampage at Ipswich – and admitted he was left mortified when he realised his children had seen what he had done.
And he says he struggled to shake the disappointment of knowing friends and family simply didn’t recognise the “craziness” on the Portman Road pitch a month ago.
Bamba shocked Bluebirds fans – and manager Neil Warnock – when he flew into a rage against Ipswich when a poor challenge from Jonathan Douglas went unpunished, clashing with club staff and the fourth official before even grappling with his own boss.
It saw the imposing defender slapped with an FA charge, eventually seeing an extra game added to his two game ban, and left Warnock fuming with his players’ out-of-the-blue actions.
Bamba issued a public apology and was clearly upset at letting teammates and Warnock down that day, but it was nothing compared to his feelings of disappointment in himself as footage of the incident went widespread.
“It was a moment of craziness, I think I can call it that,” says Bamba, a warm and friendly character that is different to the enforcer on the pitch and completely removed from the frenzied figure at Ipswich that day. “I thought it was a bad tackle – that’s it’s not an excuse because I shouldn’t have reacted like that at all. But I’m a strong player but I always look to play the ball and with that one I didn’t think it was the case. What happened, happened, but it shouldn’t have.
“When people around me saw the footage they didn’t understand, especially my children. I have three, the youngest being five, and they’d seen it because they were going to school with everyone talking about it. I couldn’t hide from it. I was embarrassed. Friends and families said that it’s not me, they didn’t recognise that person out there.”
Neither did Warnock. Though he was quick – and perhaps justified – to ask whether the referee could have avoided a reaction by pulling up Douglas for his foul, Bamba’s snap couldn’t have been seen coming.
Still, it was soon clear that not even a tussle with the towering centre-back – who starred in defensive midfield in the last league outing against Aston Villa– would stop Warnock having one of his jokes. He’d already said about wishing he’d been a foot taller to have been able to stop the man he signed on a free after a spell at Leeds ended.
“Luckily the manager and the club were very supportive, just asking to make sure it never happens again, but friends and family were disappointed as I was in myself,” adds Bamba.
“I tried to explain to them that it was a bad reaction, something you cannot do. I had to tell them I had made a mistake and talk to them, make sure they didn’t do something like that. I was more disappointed for them. I let the team down and the club down because they had been magnificent with me, but it was my family seeing it. I can guarantee it won’t happen again. I have to move on and I can apologise with my performances.”
That is something Bamba has promised to the manager and others at the club after admitting he spoke to many to apologise, though believes that the best form of sorry can come through his displays.
He’s made a good start, his performance against Villa enhancing further his status as a firm fan favourite that seemed to come from just one game in a Bluebirds shirt after a colossal debut against Bristol City in Warnock’s first game in charge.
The Sol Bamba interview: My embarrassing red card meltdown and how I struggled to explain it to my kids
By Chris Wathan
Friday 13th Jan 2017
Cardiff City defender Bamba issued a public apology and was clearly upset at letting teammates, Neil Warnock and his family down
Cardiff City star Sol Bamba has opened up for the first time on just what happened with his red card rampage at Ipswich – and admitted he was left mortified when he realised his children had seen what he had done.
And he says he struggled to shake the disappointment of knowing friends and family simply didn’t recognise the “craziness” on the Portman Road pitch a month ago.
Bamba shocked Bluebirds fans – and manager Neil Warnock – when he flew into a rage against Ipswich when a poor challenge from Jonathan Douglas went unpunished, clashing with club staff and the fourth official before even grappling with his own boss.
It saw the imposing defender slapped with an FA charge, eventually seeing an extra game added to his two game ban, and left Warnock fuming with his players’ out-of-the-blue actions.
Bamba issued a public apology and was clearly upset at letting teammates and Warnock down that day, but it was nothing compared to his feelings of disappointment in himself as footage of the incident went widespread.
“It was a moment of craziness, I think I can call it that,” says Bamba, a warm and friendly character that is different to the enforcer on the pitch and completely removed from the frenzied figure at Ipswich that day. “I thought it was a bad tackle – that’s it’s not an excuse because I shouldn’t have reacted like that at all. But I’m a strong player but I always look to play the ball and with that one I didn’t think it was the case. What happened, happened, but it shouldn’t have.
“When people around me saw the footage they didn’t understand, especially my children. I have three, the youngest being five, and they’d seen it because they were going to school with everyone talking about it. I couldn’t hide from it. I was embarrassed. Friends and families said that it’s not me, they didn’t recognise that person out there.”
Neither did Warnock. Though he was quick – and perhaps justified – to ask whether the referee could have avoided a reaction by pulling up Douglas for his foul, Bamba’s snap couldn’t have been seen coming.
Still, it was soon clear that not even a tussle with the towering centre-back – who starred in defensive midfield in the last league outing against Aston Villa– would stop Warnock having one of his jokes. He’d already said about wishing he’d been a foot taller to have been able to stop the man he signed on a free after a spell at Leeds ended.
“Luckily the manager and the club were very supportive, just asking to make sure it never happens again, but friends and family were disappointed as I was in myself,” adds Bamba.
“I tried to explain to them that it was a bad reaction, something you cannot do. I had to tell them I had made a mistake and talk to them, make sure they didn’t do something like that. I was more disappointed for them. I let the team down and the club down because they had been magnificent with me, but it was my family seeing it. I can guarantee it won’t happen again. I have to move on and I can apologise with my performances.”
That is something Bamba has promised to the manager and others at the club after admitting he spoke to many to apologise, though believes that the best form of sorry can come through his displays.
He’s made a good start, his performance against Villa enhancing further his status as a firm fan favourite that seemed to come from just one game in a Bluebirds shirt after a colossal debut against Bristol City in Warnock’s first game in charge.
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Re: " SOL BAMBA EXCLUSIVE "
Fri Jan 13, 2017 8:46 pm
Very happy with his reaction and his honesty about it because we had dimwits on here who saw it as 'passion'. 
Just pleased he has put it behind him now.
Just pleased he has put it behind him now.
Re: " SOL BAMBA EXCLUSIVE "
Sat Jan 14, 2017 4:42 am
It was a terrible incident but Sol has overall been a breath of fresh air. His passion, his uncompromising defensive ability, his leadership and his character .... I'll take that with his flaws every day of the week.
Re: " SOL BAMBA EXCLUSIVE "
Sat Jan 14, 2017 8:03 am
When we signed Gary medal that is what we're expecting g from him,there were people disappointed he never once showed that part of him,bamba did it once,and there were calls for him to be kicked out of the club lol