CRAIG BELLAMY:

Bellamy: “I am not a Cardiff Fan and Cardiff were the last tick on my list to play for.”

View from the Ninian

Monday 3rd January 2021

Part 2
Link
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=219507





CRAIG BELLAMY:


“I played for Liverpool, who I supported as a boy and I always wanted to represent my country. I always wanted to play for Celtic and taste the Old Firm derby and Cardiff was the last tick. They were the teams I always wanted to play for.

I’m not a Cardiff fan, I’m from the area. I’ll always look out for Cardiff and my dad supports them, but most kids in the eighties grew up as a Liverpool or Manchester United fan. Was I supposed to support a team in the old fourth division?! You couldn’t even get their kit! Liverpool kits were everywhere and the number of fans in the area are huge.

In the era I grew up in, a lot of Cardiff supporters had another team. Now there are Cardiff fans that have watched them in the Premier League and in cup finals, so they’re easier to support now. I watched Cardiff against Blackpool in the play-off final and it was heart breaking, but Blackpool deserved it on the day.

Being in Cardiff at the time, everyone was just so deflated and I felt like that as well. I just thought to myself, imagine being in the first group of players to get promoted, but I didn’t think it would happen then because I had just come off the back of a decent season at Manchester City.

I always wanted to play for Cardiff, but I didn’t know when. I always thought as a kid that it would be at the start, but it wasn’t possible with their youth development programme at the time. I trained with them for about a year at an indoor facility in Trelai with boys a year or two older, but there were no games and no programme, so you had better opportunities elsewhere. I went to Norwich and it was like a different world. Playing Leeds United, going on tours to Scandinavia and Spain.

I went into pre-season with Manchester City and Spurs were trying to get me. Roberto Mancini had the opportunity to bring in loads of other players and had a lot of money to spend. I knew he wanted Edin Dzeko and I was going to be one of the players that would fall by the wayside.

Steve McClaren was at Wolfsburg and they wanted me to go in the other direction in the Dzeko deal, so I spoke to Steve and I’ve always been interested in going away. They had won the league the year before so would be playing in the Champions League, but being a makeweight, that wasn’t going to happen. You’re not getting me as part of a deal.

Then I could have been part of the deal with Valencia to sign David Silva and I look back now and wonder ‘what was I thinking?!’ I could have gone to Valencia and had a nice way of life, but I was stubborn.

I was holding out for Spurs and I was training non-stop, two sessions a day, which is not great for my knee, but its not great for footballers full stop. My knee swelled up and I came back home. Garry Cook called me to ask where I was and when I told him Cardiff, he said ‘well what about Cardiff?’

I said that they couldn’t pay my wages and he said that Manchester City would pay my wages and if Cardiff got promoted, they could sort out some sort of deal where they could pay some back.

They were just trying to find a solution for me to be happy because Garry said I had been brilliant for them, so he wanted to do right by you, but they didn’t want to sell me to a rival. Cardiff couldn’t believe their luck and it was something I always wanted to do.”

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Sums up my childhood pretty much.

Reply FB:

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He's right to a certain extent - as a kid in the 70's (just like today) kids want to follow the top successful sides - so liverpool, man utd, spurs etc.

Im in 2 minds over bellamy . In some ways he'd be good for us to have him in charge, he'll certainly want it more than most - if nothing else for his old man.

My only reservation is that he is a my way or highway type figure, I doubt there'll be any arms round shoulders - just kicks up backsides, which if you sre not careful leads to a negativity in te hdressing room and players not giving a sh1t. There is only so many times you can shout at a player - before you need to try a different method.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=219507

I was born in Cardiff and in my school in the 70’s, I was the only Cardiff fan in my year and everyone else supported Leeds, Liverpool and Man United

Cardiff / South Wales finally changed in the year 2000

That’s a pretty good summarisation as I’ve always seen it.

Bellamy is a bit like Marmite, you either love him or hate him. I fall in the the former category.

Approach him in a bar or club and you’ll get short thrift and I know a lot of people over the years dislike him for that reason. I’ve got mates who were drunk and called him a knob purely because of he told them to piss off!
Approach him on a more official capacity and he a nice, genial guy who’ll chat with you.

I’ve had chats with him a few times in Penarth.

Personally, I’d love to see him as the next manager here. Here’s got everything we need to change this club to a better and modern playing philosophy that many cry out for. He’s got everything except experience in management at this level but he’s got drive, modern and fresh ideas, and the will to win.
He doesn’t suffer fools, he’s articulate, has contacts in the game and with the right number 2 alongside him but be the way to go for me.

Knowing Cardiff City as I do though I just can’t see it happening.

I was born in Cardiff and in my school in the 70’s, I was the only Cardiff fan in my year and everyone else supported Leeds, Liverpool and Man United

Cardiff / South Wales finally changed in the year 2000

Same for me at that time. Thank goodness for my grandfather who introduced me to the mighty Bluebirds. After that introduction no interest in anyone else.

I was born in Cardiff and in my school in the 70’s, I was the only Cardiff fan in my year and everyone else supported Leeds, Liverpool and Man United

Cardiff / South Wales finally changed in the year 2000

Same for me at that time. Thank goodness for my grandfather who introduced me to the mighty Bluebirds. After that introduction no interest in anyone else.

I was in Marshfield Juniors in 1972 and 2 City players came to visit gave out comps, I took My Grandfather and that was it, we both became hooked and season ticket holders even though he supported Bury

I was born in Cardiff and in my school in the 70’s, I was the only Cardiff fan in my year and everyone else supported Leeds, Liverpool and Man United

Cardiff / South Wales finally changed in the year 2000

Same for me at that time. Thank goodness for my grandfather who introduced me to the mighty Bluebirds. After that introduction no interest in anyone else.

I was in Marshfield Juniors in 1972 and 2 City players came to visit gave out comps, I took My Grandfather and that was it, we both became hooked and season ticket holders even though he supported Bury

Yep, I think a lot of us went through a whole lot of abuse in the 70s and 80s for supporting our local team

However, I always thought things started to change around the time that Eddie May took over the reigns.

All of a sudden there was a real groundswell of good feeling towards the club and fans started to identify with the manager and players. It was only the start of the change and we had a few more downs before the 2000s but without that period I honestly doubt we would ever had the exciting times of the 2000s.

I was born in 1954 and moved down here from the Valleys in 1958 after my father was badly injured in pit fall, he had coal dust on his lungs and was advised to live by the sea.
Growing up in Barry in the early 1960 s the only football on Tv was match of the day with division 1 teams so i supported Liverpool as a youngster.
When I was 13 i then started catching the bus into Cardiff and supported Cardiff .I even took my father in with me once before he passed away. He loved it

Am I a plastic for not supporting Barry Town.? I did watch them once but didn t like the standard

My first match watching city was Portsmouth 1967 and I was hooked .

I was born in Cardiff and in my school in the 70’s, I was the only Cardiff fan in my year and everyone else supported Leeds, Liverpool and Man United

Cardiff / South Wales finally changed in the year 2000

I was lucky to start down Ninian Park as a very young lad in the late 60's when we were doing well, as my uncle was a supporter so I got caught up in the good atmospheres and stayed a Bluebird for life, despite the mainly lows of the 70's, 80's and 90's

There was a small group from my school who also attended and we formed a group to travel home and (when we could) away. However, as you say, the bulk of others around me were supporters of anyone bar the Bluebirds; and the standard 'joke' seemed to be 'Why should I go to watch City; they don't come to see me when I'm bad...!'

First Leeds, then Man Utd before Liverpool and (weird to think now) Nottingham Forest were the main ones

One boy was a proclaimed Stoke City 'fan' who'd never left South Wales (he was always a bit odd) but in those days the likes of Swansea Town (as friend or foe) never got a mention even in passing...

A good piece from Craig Bellamy (above and on the link) which is pretty much how it was back then; real ambition laid away from Cardiff and it took Sam to restructure both the club and thought bases of the 'missing' locals

I was born in Cardiff and in my school in the 70’s, I was the only Cardiff fan in my year and everyone else supported Leeds, Liverpool and Man United

Cardiff / South Wales finally changed in the year 2000

Same for me at that time. Thank goodness for my grandfather who introduced me to the mighty Bluebirds. After that introduction no interest in anyone else.

I was in Marshfield Juniors in 1972 and 2 City players came to visit gave out comps, I took My Grandfather and that was it, we both became hooked and season ticket holders even though he supported Bury

Yep, I think a lot of us went through a whole lot of abuse in the 70s and 80s for supporting our local team

However, I always thought things started to change around the time that Eddie May took over the reigns.

All of a sudden there was a real groundswell of good feeling towards the club and fans started to identify with the manager and players. It was only the start of the change and we had a few more downs before the 2000s but without that period I honestly doubt we would ever had the exciting times of the 2000s.

Yes it changed under Eddie May for 2yrs, then we lost everyone for 6yrs till the yr 2000 and we’ve never looked back since

I had the MICK taken out of me daily .
Also the egg laughed at us big time , that’s why I hate them so much.

I was born in Cardiff and in my school in the 70’s, I was the only Cardiff fan in my year and everyone else supported Leeds, Liverpool and Man United

Cardiff / South Wales finally changed in the year 2000

I was lucky to start down Ninian Park as a very young lad in the late 60's when we were doing well, as my uncle was a supporter so I got caught up in the good atmospheres and stayed a Bluebird for life, despite the mainly lows of the 70's, 80's and 90's

There was a small group from my school who also attended and we formed a group to travel home and (when we could) away. However, as you say, the bulk of others around me were supporters of anyone bar the Bluebirds; and the standard 'joke' seemed to be 'Why should I go to watch City; they don't come to see me when I'm bad...!'

First Leeds, then Man Utd before Liverpool and (weird to think now) Nottingham Forest were the main ones

One boy was a proclaimed Stoke City 'fan' who'd never left South Wales (he was always a bit odd) but in those days the likes of Swansea Town (as friend or foe) never got a mention even in passing...

A good piece from Craig Bellamy (above and on the link) which is pretty much how it was back then; real ambition laid away from Cardiff and it took Sam to restructure both the club and thought bases of the 'missing' locals

Good on you Chris

1972 my first game.

Forest became massive in the 80’s but never got the support Leeds, Man United or Liverpool had.



Bellamy is spot on.


It was Sam who woke South Wales up and this us why NO one should ever moan as no one would touch us.
The majority who slate him were not even born or never went week in week out , crowds 1,400 at home away 11 fans.

So they never had a club before anyway unless it was an English club

I grew up as a kid in the 70s, my friends were leeds and liverpool fans, but the bluebirds were always my team, my city, my team, didnt care we were shit tbh, just my club

I grew up as a kid in the 70s, my friends were leeds and liverpool fans, but the bluebirds were always my team, my city, my team, didnt care we were shit tbh, just my club

Could never understand how someone could 'support' a club they couldn't watch; particularly as the only way you could follow the (different now) was a two minute slot of Match of the Day and via the Press

I did have other sides; but they were always local ones that I could watch on the Saturday's we were away from home

I was born in Cardiff and in my school in the 70’s, I was the only Cardiff fan in my year and everyone else supported Leeds, Liverpool and Man United

Cardiff / South Wales finally changed in the year 2000

That's the way it was Annis

I agree to a point but I started aged 7 with my dad going to Ninian Park but Liverpool became my ‘second’ team then because of the transfer of John Toshack. Only in the past 12 months have I not been able to afford to go but City will always be No1 to me.

Would hate to see Cardiff do another “Toshack” and ignore Bellamy as a potential coach/manager if they decide to sack Harris. Worth at least an interview and one thing we wouldn’t doubt is commitment!!

I know he hasn’t got the experience and some wonder about his temperament but get a good experienced director of football to help him and who knows ?.