Do you see similarities between Eddie May's men and Warnocks
Wed May 02, 2018 6:02 pm
Do you see similarities between Eddie May's men and Neil Warnock's side?
Brilliant stuff on the side that gained promotion under Eddie May, and how they compare with the current crop.
“I guess a lot of the fans today are the offspring of the thousands who suddenly started going to watch the team back then,” says Paul May in an interview that will tug at the soul of many Bluebirds fans.
“Cardiff had been starved of success for years, could easily have gone the way of Newport County and out of the league. Let’s be honest, Ninian Park was kind of falling apart at the time, wasn’t it?
“But that one season changed everything. That was the start of it for many Cardiff fans.”
Eddie May’s son, Paul
Brilliant stuff on the side that gained promotion under Eddie May, and how they compare with the current crop.
“I guess a lot of the fans today are the offspring of the thousands who suddenly started going to watch the team back then,” says Paul May in an interview that will tug at the soul of many Bluebirds fans.
“Cardiff had been starved of success for years, could easily have gone the way of Newport County and out of the league. Let’s be honest, Ninian Park was kind of falling apart at the time, wasn’t it?
“But that one season changed everything. That was the start of it for many Cardiff fans.”
Eddie May’s son, Paul
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Re: Do you see similarities between Eddie May's men and Warn
Wed May 02, 2018 6:04 pm
'Neil Warnock is the closest thing to my dad Cardiff City have seen in 25 years... he's making us proud again'
Eddie May's son, Paul, speaks to
Wednesday 2nd May 2018
The world has changed an awful lot in the last quarter of a century: the internet, mobile phones, devolution in Wales.
But one constant that has never once wavered during those 25 years has been the love Cardiff City fans have for Eddie May.
It was 25 years ago this very week that the chants of "Eddie May's Barmy Army" reverberated around Ninian Park as his Class of 1993 roared to the old Division Three title.
Perhaps the stars are aligning for promotion to the Premier League this weekend too, because for the first time since Cardiff again have a manager to match May for popularity.
Then again, he and Neil Warnock were cut from the same cloth. Men of the people, straight talkers who just 'get' Bluebirds fans, their passion and what the football club means to them.
If you further believe in promotion omens, when he took a telephone call from us at his Wrexham home, Paul May, the 53-year-old son of Eddie, was actually watching a YouTube clip of Cardiff's promotion celebrations against Shrewsbury.
Special memories
That 2-1 Ninian win happened on May 1, 1993 — close on 25 years to the very day that Warnock's Bluebirds tangle with Reading this weekend.
The prize at stake, of course, is entirely different. The £100m-plus Premier League dream, as opposed to promotion from what is known these days as League Two.
But older Bluebirds fans and even today some will say their greatest time supporting the club was back then, eclipsing what happened during Malky Mackay's reign.
Under Warnock, the club united once more and back in blue, Sunday will surely be the finest moment yet.
Yet perhaps even the prospect of that may never have happened without that truly stardust 1992-93 season.
"I guess a lot of the fans today are the offspring of the thousands who suddenly started going to watch the team back then," says Paul May in an interview that will tug at the soul of many Bluebirds fans.
"Cardiff had been starved of success for years, could easily have gone the way of Newport County and out of the league. Let's be honest, Ninian Park was kind of falling apart at the time, wasn't it?
"But that one season changed everything. That was the start of it for many Cardiff fans.
"I was just watching the YouTube clip of the Shrewsbury game and one of the first things the commentator says is 'Cardiff used to get crowds of 3,000, suddenly there are 17,000 inside for this one'.
Cardiff City manager Eddie May dressed as Father Christmas with some of his first team squad at Ninian Park in December 1992 (Image: Media Wales)
"It's like as that season went on, a whole new army of supporters began following the team. Thousands of them still do today.
"It was the last half dozen games or so when they really came back. To think we had 5,000 away fans travelling to Scunthorpe for the next match when the title was clinched."
Cardiff, of course, were playing unheralded opposition back then, including Halifax Town, Torquay United and Scarborough.
But manager May, supported by the brilliant marketing skills of charismatic Cardiff owner Rick Wright, tapped into the psyche of the public and delivered something they suddenly wanted to be a part of.
Just as the clamour for tickets has been unprecedented two and a half decades on as Bluebirds everywhere get ready to flock to Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday.
If he takes Cardiff up, it's a fair bet Warnock will be remembered as fondly by Cardiff fans in 25 years time as May still is today.
Paul tells a lovely story of how Bluebirds supporters have contacted him on Facebook because they want to make a 40-foot flag of Eddie to fly at Cardiff City Stadium next season, hopefully in the Premier League.
"That's incredibly touching, makes us so proud," says Paul. "You see that sort of thing at Liverpool, where images of Paisley and Shankly are on giant flags, but not many other grounds.
"To think it could be happening with Cardiff City is very, very special for us as a family.
"But that's the rapport my dad always had with Cardiff fans. Listen, he played as captain of Wrexham for years, but always said Cardiff was the pinnacle of his career —— for what he achieved as a manager but, more importantly, that unique bond with the public.
"I've had people contact me on Facebook to say 'Whatever happened under Malky Mackay, first and foremost we will always be Eddie May's Barmy Army'.
"He loved them as much as they loved him. Would meet up with fans at the gates and remember their name, go to the pub and buy a round of drinks for them. Just loved chatting Cardiff City, sharing their passion, listening to what they had to say about his team.
Eddie May's son, Paul, speaks to
Wednesday 2nd May 2018
The world has changed an awful lot in the last quarter of a century: the internet, mobile phones, devolution in Wales.
But one constant that has never once wavered during those 25 years has been the love Cardiff City fans have for Eddie May.
It was 25 years ago this very week that the chants of "Eddie May's Barmy Army" reverberated around Ninian Park as his Class of 1993 roared to the old Division Three title.
Perhaps the stars are aligning for promotion to the Premier League this weekend too, because for the first time since Cardiff again have a manager to match May for popularity.
Then again, he and Neil Warnock were cut from the same cloth. Men of the people, straight talkers who just 'get' Bluebirds fans, their passion and what the football club means to them.
If you further believe in promotion omens, when he took a telephone call from us at his Wrexham home, Paul May, the 53-year-old son of Eddie, was actually watching a YouTube clip of Cardiff's promotion celebrations against Shrewsbury.
Special memories
That 2-1 Ninian win happened on May 1, 1993 — close on 25 years to the very day that Warnock's Bluebirds tangle with Reading this weekend.
The prize at stake, of course, is entirely different. The £100m-plus Premier League dream, as opposed to promotion from what is known these days as League Two.
But older Bluebirds fans and even today some will say their greatest time supporting the club was back then, eclipsing what happened during Malky Mackay's reign.
Under Warnock, the club united once more and back in blue, Sunday will surely be the finest moment yet.
Yet perhaps even the prospect of that may never have happened without that truly stardust 1992-93 season.
"I guess a lot of the fans today are the offspring of the thousands who suddenly started going to watch the team back then," says Paul May in an interview that will tug at the soul of many Bluebirds fans.
"Cardiff had been starved of success for years, could easily have gone the way of Newport County and out of the league. Let's be honest, Ninian Park was kind of falling apart at the time, wasn't it?
"But that one season changed everything. That was the start of it for many Cardiff fans.
"I was just watching the YouTube clip of the Shrewsbury game and one of the first things the commentator says is 'Cardiff used to get crowds of 3,000, suddenly there are 17,000 inside for this one'.
Cardiff City manager Eddie May dressed as Father Christmas with some of his first team squad at Ninian Park in December 1992 (Image: Media Wales)
"It's like as that season went on, a whole new army of supporters began following the team. Thousands of them still do today.
"It was the last half dozen games or so when they really came back. To think we had 5,000 away fans travelling to Scunthorpe for the next match when the title was clinched."
Cardiff, of course, were playing unheralded opposition back then, including Halifax Town, Torquay United and Scarborough.
But manager May, supported by the brilliant marketing skills of charismatic Cardiff owner Rick Wright, tapped into the psyche of the public and delivered something they suddenly wanted to be a part of.
Just as the clamour for tickets has been unprecedented two and a half decades on as Bluebirds everywhere get ready to flock to Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday.
If he takes Cardiff up, it's a fair bet Warnock will be remembered as fondly by Cardiff fans in 25 years time as May still is today.
Paul tells a lovely story of how Bluebirds supporters have contacted him on Facebook because they want to make a 40-foot flag of Eddie to fly at Cardiff City Stadium next season, hopefully in the Premier League.
"That's incredibly touching, makes us so proud," says Paul. "You see that sort of thing at Liverpool, where images of Paisley and Shankly are on giant flags, but not many other grounds.
"To think it could be happening with Cardiff City is very, very special for us as a family.
"But that's the rapport my dad always had with Cardiff fans. Listen, he played as captain of Wrexham for years, but always said Cardiff was the pinnacle of his career —— for what he achieved as a manager but, more importantly, that unique bond with the public.
"I've had people contact me on Facebook to say 'Whatever happened under Malky Mackay, first and foremost we will always be Eddie May's Barmy Army'.
"He loved them as much as they loved him. Would meet up with fans at the gates and remember their name, go to the pub and buy a round of drinks for them. Just loved chatting Cardiff City, sharing their passion, listening to what they had to say about his team.
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Re: Do you see similarities between Eddie May's men and Warn
Wed May 02, 2018 6:12 pm
When we were on Sky the other week, Andy Hinchcliffe said Warnock is our most popular manager since Eddie May.
Don’t think anyone can argue with that.
Don’t think anyone can argue with that.
Re: Do you see similarities between Eddie May's men and Warn
Wed May 02, 2018 9:00 pm
Wouldn’t it be amazing to get a little Eddie Mays Barmy Army going on Sunday just for a little bit not long 
Re: Do you see similarities between Eddie May's men and Warn
Thu May 03, 2018 12:50 pm
On the way to Hull I said to my son that we needed a performance like the Eddie May's team had at Wrexham the year we went up. Wrexham were just behind us in the table and there were only a few games left. We won 2-0 and controlled the game to put us in the driving seat for promotion and as it turned out the League title. Rick Wright came on at the end and did the Ayatollah to almost 4,000 of us behind the goal. Exactly the same type of display at Hull. After getting over a nervy 20 minutes we took control of the game and as soon as we went one up there was only one winner.
Re: Do you see similarities between Eddie May's men and Warn
Thu May 03, 2018 3:46 pm
Eddies first season was awesome.unfortunately the second was a disaster which wasn't his fault as the club didn't back him .
So far Neil has fared much better.
So far Neil has fared much better.
Re: Do you see similarities between Eddie May's men and Warn
Thu May 03, 2018 5:36 pm
Stil remember the best flag
"THE DARLING BUDS OF EDDIE MAY"
You have to be older to remember the series.
"THE DARLING BUDS OF EDDIE MAY"
You have to be older to remember the series.
Re: Do you see similarities between Eddie May's men and Warn
Thu May 03, 2018 6:01 pm
and what a smashing bloke to chat to. fond fond memories 
Eddie 
.