During each month throughout this season, we will be remembering the most important moments, matches and milestones from the history of Cardiff City Football Club, proudly celebrating our momentous 125th anniversary.
After nine years at the helm, Jimmy Scoular departed Cardiff City in November 1973. Despite a series of famous European runs, the Bluebirds’ league form had steadily declined, and, after avoiding relegation by the barest of margins at the end of 1972/73, Scoular was unable to prevent another poor start to the following campaign. Five draws and a win was followed by nine losses in twelve, and he was replaced by Frank O’Farrell.
Having enjoyed an impressive spell with Leicester City, O’Farrell had been selected by Sir Matt Busby to be his replacement as Manchester United manager in 1971. However, the Irishman was unable to replicate the glorious successes of the Busby Babes, and, amidst disciplinary issues surrounding the mercurial George Best, was dismissed in December 1972 with the Red Devils third from bottom. Despite an underwhelming tenure at Old Trafford, it was something of a coup for City that O’Farrell arrived at Ninian Park to replace Scoular.
His initial impact was promising; the Bluebirds beat Bolton Wanderers at home before picking up a rare away win, defeating Orient 1-2. Yet form slumped again throughout February and March, with the new boss only lasting 27 matches in the dugout. With four games left of a tough campaign, O’Farrell took up an offer to become the Iranian national team manager, leaving his assistant Jimmy Andrews to fight City’s relegation battle. On the final day of the 1973/74 season, Tony Villars scored the all-important goal to earn a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace, saving City and relegating Malcolm Allison’s Eagles in the process.
By now, Phil Dwyer was a regular in the Bluebirds’ side. The Grangetown lad had made his debut for his hometown club in October 1972 and soon began to occupy the central defensive role where he would become a mainstay. With experienced players like Don Murray and Gary Bell to lean on, Dwyer was affectionately known as ‘Joe’ due to his resemblance to Manchester City forward Joe Royle, and made 31 appearances in his first campaign.
In tight financial circumstances, Andrews was unable to keep the Bluebirds in the Second Division at the end of 1974/75. City were in the third tier for the first time since the end of the Second World War, but wouldn’t say there long. The 1975/76 campaign saw Andrews’ side return to the Second Division at the first attempt, the Club’s first promotion in 13 years. The Bluebirds boss had made several signings, including former Spurs man Mike England, the returning Real Madrid-conquering hero Brian Clark and, in October 1975, Australian international Adrian Alston.
After an inconsistent start to the season, by late October Andrews’ side had begun to click. Alston scored two on his debut, a 4-3 Ninian win over Chesterfield which sparked a run of 10 victories in 16 games. This had City flirting with the upper reaches of the table, but it was a period in March and April which would consolidate their promotion. Nine unbeaten games to see out the season included memorable wins over high-flying Crystal Palace and Hereford, which set the Bluebirds up for a final-day showdown against Bury.
Alston was the hero at Gigg Lane, tapping in his 14th goal in 33 games to send City back to the second tier. It was to be a league and Cup double, as Andrews’ men defeated Hereford once again, 3-2 in the second leg, to secure an overall 6-5 Welsh Cup Final triumph.
England and Alston soon departed for the US, with the latter’s exit opening the door for a cult hero to arrive. Robin Friday travelled from Reading to Cardiff Central to sign for the Bluebirds in December 1976. Famously, he was without a valid ticket, forcing Andrews to bail his new recruit out of police custody in order for him to put pen to paper. Two days later, on New Years’ Day, 1977, Friday wowed the 20,368 at Ninian Park with a dazzling debut display. Two goals in a 3-0 win over a Fulham side which contained George Best and Bobby Moore was some way to make your mark!
Skilful and unpredictable, Friday only played 21 league games for City, scoring six times, including another brace in April that year. Luton Town were the opponents, with goalkeeper Milija Aleksic on the receiving end of a classic ‘celebration’. Aggrieved that the keeper has refused his hand of apology after the pair had clashed, Friday pinched the ball from the resulting Luton free-kick and tucked it past Aleksic, with his following hand gesture going down as a City cult classic.
That game, a 4-2 win in which Peter Sayer and Dwyer also scored, was not without significance; Andrews’ side avoided relegation by goal difference, with those points against the Hatters proving crucial. Sayer also netted in a famous FA Cup win that season, with the Bluebirds defeating Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 at Ninian Park. Furthermore, City had been involved in the European Cup Winners’ Cup once again, but lost 3-1 on aggregate to Georgian side Dinamo Tbilisi.
Friday left City in December 1977, during another season of struggle at Ninian Park. Paul Went’s goal against Notts County in early May made sure of another year in the Second Division – this time, City’s margin of safety was a single point rather than just goal difference like the year prior. It was a difficult time for football in the Welsh capital.
At the start of 1978/79, the Bluebirds competed in the Anglo-Scottish Cup, used as an early-season warmup competition. City beat Fulham but lost to both Bristol sides in the group stages, which sadly set the tone for a tough start to the season. Seven defeats in the opening thirteen games followed, including a 4-1 home loss to Charlton Athletic in November which would prove to be Andrews’ final fixture at the helm after three years in charge, leaving the Bluebirds in 20th position.
Richie Morgan was his replacement – another local lad like Dwyer, Morgan had made 68 appearances for City as a player, often as understudy to Don Murray. He had retired from playing in 1977 to work for the administrative staff at Ninian Park, and was now handed a big opportunity. The remainder of the campaign was quite possibly the highlight of this ‘sticky’ period. From February 24th to the end of the campaign, Morgan’s men lost just three times – consecutive defeats to Stoke City, Notts County and Crystal Palace in late March. From their 19 matches, the Bluebirds recorded 11 victories to secure a ninth place finish, their highest league return since 1970/71. Sadly, it was the start of a false dawn. 15th in 1979/80 was followed by 19th in 1980/81, and another scrape with the drop.
John Buchanan wrote his name into Bluebirds folklore in December 1980, scoring a thunderous goal against Swansea City in one of the most high-profile South Wales derbies which was heightened by ex-City man John Toshack’s presence as player-manager of the visitors. 3-1 down with minutes to spare, Peter Kitchen pulled one back before Buchanan rifled home from Wayne Hughes’ tapped free-kick to earn a 3-3 draw that lives long in the memory of many Bluebirds fans.
Morgan’s time in the dugout came to an end in November 1981. Goal difference had again saved City from relegation at the end of the previous season, and another indifferent opening to the campaign saw him move back into an administrative role. Graham Williams was his brief replacement, but was soon dismissed for Len Ashurst. A legend at Sunderland, Ashurst immediately injected a new-found energy to Ninian Park, but it was too little, too late. Despite enjoying a run of four wins in five, the Bluebirds found themselves back in the third tier. Despite the doom and gloom of relegation, Phil Dwyer was awarded a well-deserved testimonial match in 1982. Ten years after making his debut, 10,000 watched on at Ninian Park as Dwyer led the Bluebirds out against Stoke City.
Like the 1975/76 campaign, 1982/83 is another season that is fondly remembered in these parts. A team full of popular players, including the Bennett brothers, Gary and Dave, Roger Gibbins, Jeff Hemmerman and Andy Dibble, with now-senior pro Dwyer still very much involved, charged the Division Three table. Ashurst’s side were in contention for promotion from the off, hitting the heights of second with a 1-0 October win against Bradford City. Seven unbeaten games to end the season saw City clinch promotion, with a 2-0 win over Leyton Orient sealing another immediate return to the second tier.
There was stability in 1983/84, a 15th place finish, before Ashurst opted to return to his beloved Black Cats in March ’84. Unfortunately, the manager’s departure was the catalyst for back-to-back relegations, sending City plummeting to the fourth tier of English football for the first time in our history.
There were some highlights during that period. Popular player Jimmy Mullen and respected coach Jimmy Goodfellow took joint charge of the Club, and Dwyer cemented his place as an all-time Bluebirds great by making his 446th league appearance against Blackburn Rovers, becoming our record Football League appearance holder, second in the overall list only to Billy Hardy. However, this chapter of our story ends with the unwanted record of a double relegation. Alan Durban returned to the Welsh capital as boss having made over 50 appearances as a player between 1959 and 1963. Crowds were low, funds were sparse and Durban sadly oversaw a dreadful 18 month period in which the Club fell from the Second Division to the Fourth.
It was the end of an era, too, for Dwyer. Phil made his 575th and final appearance in blue against Notts County in February 1985. After fourteen seasons, eight managers, three Welsh Cups and two promotions, Mr Cardiff City went on to end his playing days with Rochdale, but was a regular spectator at Ninian Park and Cardiff City Stadium for the rest of his life.