BLUEBIRDS & MILLERS: CONNECT FOUR
Club News
21st September
This Saturday sees the Bluebirds travel to the AESSEAL New York Stadium for the Championship clash with Rotherham United. How many connections do the two clubs share?
Alex Revell
Alex Revell spent more of his footballing career at Rotherham United than at any other club, notching up a total of 170 appearances over a three-and-a-half-year period. His undoubted highlight in a Millers shirt came at the end of the 2013-14 season as Steve Evans guided his side to the League One play-offs. The 6’3” talisman netted during the first-leg of the semi-final before going on to score twice at Wembley against Leyton Orient, helping his side force a penalty shoot-out which subsequently resulted in promotion to the Championship.
Six months later, in January 2015, Revell joined the Bluebirds. He made his debut the following day, in what was a momentous 1-0 win over Fulham, before going on to score his first goal for the club a week later against Norwich City. During his time with the Bluebirds, the former Cambridge United man made a total of 26 league appearances, scoring two goals in the process.
Alan Lee
Lee enjoyed three successful years at Rotherham, following a short but successful loan spell in 2000. During the striker’s opening season at the Club, he managed 15 goals in 35 appearances, helping Ronnie Moore’s side to promotion from the Second Division. The following year, the former Republic of Ireland international continued to make his mark, netting nine goals in 38 league games, before more blistering form in 2003 saw him earn a move to the Bluebirds.
Lee was unlucky with injuries during the start of his career at Ninian Park. The former Burnley man scored three goals in his opening season with the Club, before faring slightly better the following season, finding the net on seven occasions.
Pat Heard
Heard was another player to make the switch from the Millers to Cardiff, this time in 1990. The midfielder, who scored seven goals in 44 league appearances during his two years at Rotherham, was part of the side that won the Division Four title in 1989 in what was his most pivotal moment while at the club.
In 1990, the former Aston Villa and Newcastle United man joined the Bluebirds and notched up 46 appearances in the Fourth Division across two seasons with the club. His four goals helped the side to 13th and 9th respectively, before leaving in 1992 to rejoin Hull City.
Andy Dibble
Dibble began his career as an apprentice at Cardiff, joining in 1981 and turning professional the following year. The goalkeeper made his first-team debut in a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on what was his 17th birthday, but it was the 1982-83 season that he really made an impact. The 6’2” shot-stopper established himself in the starting line-up, helping the Bluebirds to promotion, while the following season he missed just one league match in the Club’s Second Division campaign.
The 51-year-old is now a goalkeeping coach with the Millers, following previous roles at Accrington Stanley, Coventry City and Peterborough United. Since joining six years ago, Dibble has seen Rotherham gain two successive promotions (in 2012 and 2013), helping secure at least 15 clean sheets in the league for both campaigns.
