Since the Bluebirds’ return to the second tier of English football in 2003, there have been fewer more gut-wrenching experiences than being at Hillsborough on May 3rd, 2009.
Dave Jones’ City had been pushing for the Play-Offs during their final season at Ninian Park. A strike force that boasted Ross McCormack, Jay Bothroyd and the returning Michael Chopra was complemented by the burgeoning talents of Joe Ledley and Peter Whittingham and the stoicism of a spine that included Stephen McPhail in central midfield and Roger Johnson in defence.
By mid-April, after three straight wins against Derby County, Crystal Palace and Burnley, Jones’ side knew a top six finish was within their grasp with only four games left to play. Their fate was in their hands.
And then the wheels came off at Preston North End in a 6-0 away defeat.
City never truly recovered from this beat down and after drawing 2-2 at Charlton Athletic, they were trounced 3-0 by Roy Keane’s Ipswich Town in the final ever game at Ninian Park. They would have to go to Sheffield Wednesday and avoid defeat to hang on to their Play-Off place.
In a tetchy and somewhat drab affair, Roger Johnson’s first-half header hitting the bar was as close as City would get to a goal. As time ticked on, it looked like a 0-0 stalemate would be enough to see them over the line, only for Jermaine Johnson to strike home from outside the area to ultimately snatch the points.
As news of Preston re-taking the lead against QPR found its way into the stands, the Hillsborough Stadium staff re-enforced the cruel point by putting the score up on the big screens for three sides of the ground to gloat over. A chastening experience for all associated with the Bluebirds.
City would finish seventh, level on points with North End but with an inferior goal-difference. That 6-0 pummelling three games prior would prove fateful.
And so, where next for Jones’ bruised Bluebirds? That Premier League dream remained elusive and further heartache would follow the next season in Play-Off Final defeat to Blackpool. The year after, a semi-final defeat over two legs to Reading.
With Jones gone in 2011, City would rebuild with a new core of players that would take them to the League Cup Final in 2012 and another Play-Off semi-final. They would lose over two legs on this occasion to West Ham United, although this time it felt different. City weren’t expected to finish sixth that year, nor be promoted; unlike in recent years, they were the underdogs, rather than the favourites to slay.
But promotion would come gloriously the following campaign. A side that now had the steely determination of Aron Gunnarsson, Ben Turner, Don Cowie and Heiðar Helguson, complemented the talents of Whittingham, Craig Noone, Jordon Mutch, Kim Bo-Kyung and the home-coming hero, Craig Bellamy.
And in a sweet twist of fate, City would return to Hillsborough towards the end of the season and vanquish the ghosts of 2009.
Ironically, now with Dave Jones as manager, the Owls fell to a 2-0 defeat thanks to goals from Cowie and Matt Connolly as City opened a seven-point gap at the Championship summit.
There was no need for any big screen announcements that afternoon and nine games later, City were finally promoted back to the top-flight for the first time in 51 years.