LOOKING BACK | CITY vs VfL OSNABRUCK

Cardiff City have landed in Germany!

The Bluebirds are there for an eight-day pre-season tour, taking in friendly fixtures against RW Ahlen, VfL Bochum, FC St. Pauli and VfL Osnabrück (CLICK HERE FOR FULL TOUR DETAILS).

While City are first in action against RW Ahlen, this Saturday’s Osnabrück Tournament will see us renew acquaintances with a team we faced in a friendly fixture some time ago...

Way back in March 1961, the Bluebirds played VfL Osnabrück, also known as Lila-Weiß (Lily Whites), in a friendly at Ninian Park. They were one of three continental sides to play us in home friendlies that season, with Zurich Grasshoppers and Biel FC also visiting Cardiff that season.

With the recent installation of the Ninian Park floodlights, we were able to play our first night-time games that season; indeed our fixture against Zurich was to commemorate the opening of the famous floodlights.



In a 7:45pm kick off against Osnabrück, we lost 2-1 in front of a 10,000 attendance. Winger Derek Hogg, signed from West Bromwich Albion the previous October, scored for the Bluebirds, while Welsh international Dai Ward, who had come to us from Bristol Rovers the previous month, made his first-team début.

A year later, on February 27th 1962, there was another friendly against German opposition at Ninian Park, when we played FC Offenbach Kickers. The game was won 2-0 by the Bluebirds, with goals from Welsh Internationals Derek Tapscott and Mel Charles, who had been signed from Arsenal five days earlier.

After thirty-five years without facing a team from Germany, we would only have to wait five more for our next encounter, with two famous clashes with HSV Hamburg that would live long in the memory…

You can keep up with the Bluebirds' tour of Germany, with exclusive highlights, commentary and live match broadcasting on Cardiff City Player HD!

City kick-off against RW Ahlen on 20/7, before the Osnabrück Tournament (vs. FC St. Pauli and VFl Osnabrück) on 23/7. Their final game is against VFl Bochum on 26/7.