Conference trucks::football;1

    HI,
       My name is Richard and i am writing from the U.S.A. I was born and
    raised in Cardiff and have now lived in the US for 7 years. I was
    wondering if there was anybody who could keep me up to date on how
    Cardiff City is doing, who is playing for them, managers etc. This
    information would be greatly appreciated and if anybody out thre wants
    to write to me with this information they can write to me at
    Dneast::alexander_ri. Also is there anybody who could give me the first
    and last names of the Wales Football team. I look forward to hearing
    from somebody in the near future.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Richard. 

Hi Richard,

Don`t know anything about Cardiff City (being a Swansea boy myself),
but I can give ya the lowdown on a lot of Wales regulars, maybe
someone else can fill in the holes (plenty of holes in the Welsh team!).

Neville Southall (goalie)...Everton........"Southo"
Peter Bodin (fullback)..club?.............."Bodo"
Gary Pemberton(f/back)..club?.............."Pembo"
Andrew Melville(c/back).Oxford Utd?........"Mello"
Mark Aizelwood (c/back).club?.............."Aizo"
Barry Horne(midfield)..Southampton........."Horny"
Gary Speed.(midfield)..Leeds Utd..........."Speedo"
Mark"Sparky"Hughes(midfield)..Man Utd......"Oscar"
Ryan Giggs..(forward)..Man Utd............."Giggo"
Ian"Ugly"Rush(forward)..Liverpool.........."Rushie"
Dean"Deano"Saunders..(forward)..Liverpool.."Elbo"

to name but a few, all good men strong and true.

over to you boyo!

Tono

    P.s
    
    Forgot Eric"Ninja"Young of Crystal Palace, defender
    
    Tony

    Richard,
    
    Well as a supporter of Wales's second-best football team got to
    reply to this note first I'll correct Tony's errors first (:==:).
    
    Bodin's first name is actually Paul and after brief spells at Newcastle and
            Crystal Palace is now back at Swindon
    Pemberton I believe plays for Luton "Down in 92" Town.
    Aizlewood played for Charlton and Leeds I don't know where he is now.
    
    Other Internationals are:
    Pat Van Den Hauwe (who's really belgian) from Spurs
    Clayton Blackmore (a manc!)
    Peter Nicholas (aberdeen?)
    
    If you go back through the European Championship note (28) you'll find
    some team listings and discussions about certain players for the last 6
    months or so - further back you'll have to go to the previous
    conference.
    
    As for Cardiff City - Wales's number 1 football team they have frankly
    been crap for a number of years leading some uninformed people to
    believe that Wrexham or god forbid Swansea were better (:==:)
    
    Having been stuck in the second division for all of my and I guess
    your childhood they have spent the last decade getting relegated from
    and promoted to the third division. They're currently about 8th in
    the fourth division just a few points away from a play-off spot.
    There's approximately 16 games left this season. 
    
    I used to see them a few times a season after I left Wales in 81
    usually at places where it would pour down with rain or was very cold
    and they would always seem to lose, Watford, Hayes, Bournemouth etc 
    but i've only seen them once in the last 18 months and that was a few
    weeks ago in Cardiff on January 1st when they lost 5-0 to Maidstone!!
    
    The team is very young - average age around 21 or 22. They have two
    good strikers called Dale and Pike who both have around 16 goals each
    but the rest of the team probably hasn't scored that many between them
    and the defence is like a sieve. the current manager is Eddie May.
    
    They haven't actually won the Welsh Cup for about 12 years and keep
    getting knocked out by Merthyr or Red Star Pembroke Dock! They always
    leave the Rumbelows cup at the first hurdle (presumably to avoid
    a fixture pile-up!), get knocked out of the F.A Cup at the first hurdle
    by non-leagus sides ... you get the drift.
    
    As Vogon News Service doesn't usually go down as far as the 4th
    Division my sources of results and information are:
    1) the Guardian Weekly - shipped from New York
    2) The Sunday Times - which is on Sale here in Atlanta!
    3) BBC World Service (see 34.166 for details)
    
    I guess the Boston Globe doesn't reach up into Maine but that seems
    to carry a lot of football information on a Sunday.
    
    Well at least I now know there's two of us here in exile.
    
    Regards,
    
    Andrew.D.wicks
                                                       

    hello,
           Thanks for the information lads it was appreciated. From the
    looks of it Cardiff is still struggling to get up there oh well i guess
    i still have to be a loyal fan. How has the Welsh football team been
    doing? It would be great to see the lads in the world Cup. When was the
    last time Wales were in anybody know? I still hope there is someone who
    can give me the names of the players for Cardiff. Take care. Have to
    run work to do you know.
    
    Never forget your Welsh.
    
    Richard.

    
    Hi Richard,
    
    I'm not Welsh and can't give you a lot of information about your
    national team. But we have been in the same qualification groups over
    the last years, i.e. for WC '90 and EC '92. Your team has strongly
    improved since '90 and it was a tough qualification this time. They played 
    some good matches but had not the power to get the most important result
    away against us (though you won at home). Like Andrew suggested just
    pop in the appropriate European qualification topic. I think the last
    time Wales participated in a big football event was WC '58 in Sweden.
    They only missed Sweden (again) this year by a hair's breadth.
    Good luck for the future! (Perhaps you'll be so lucky to not been
    drawn in the same qualifying group as we :-) ; at least for the WC '94
    we won't)
    
    regards 
    G�nter

    Indeed 58 it was. The team suffers from lack of strength in depth, but
    have one of the best goalies in the world and a forward line that would
    bring a gleam to any manager`s eye. Since last year they have finally
    been playing in the Arms Park and this has been a factor in their
    recently improving results, beating Germany and Belgium at home.
    
    Erratum: for Pemberton read Pembridge and the poor little sod plays
             for Luton
    
    Tony
    p.s Cardiff won 2-1 last night.

    Hi,
       Thanks for geting me some of the information. I hope there is still
    someone out there who can give me more info on City. Living in the US i
    don't get tp play much football or as they call it Soccer, when i lived 
    over there i played quite a bit my father was a manager for a football
    team and i used to play for him. Since moving to the US i have coached
    kids and they seem to enjoy it, it's great watching them. Take care.
    
    Richard.

    Andrew,
           I noticed in one of your replys that you said City had a player
    by the name of Pike would that be Chris Pike. Also does any one have a
    list of City Players yet?
    
                        Thanks,
    
                          Richard.
    

(Well, I'm sure ADW reckons I owe him a favour or two) so here's Sat's team:

Ward, Perry, Searle, Gibbins, Abraham (Gorman 45), Newton, Ramsey (so that's 
where he went!), Harrison, Pike (Griffith 89), Dale, Blake.

2-2 at Hereford, goals from Sir Alf and Harrison. 5th in Div 4!

g

    Well thanks to GASH for Saturday's team - unfortunately I did not hear
    Saturday's result due to attempting to throw the radio out of the
    window after hearing the first division results - say no more.
    
    Chris Pike is the ex Fulham and Merthyr player and both him and Dale
    have about 16 goals each this season - the next highest scorer is
    about 4.
    
    I still haven't located my copy of the Maidstone programme which listed
    all the players - I believe that as it might remind me that we lost
    5-0 I have hidden it!!
    
    Some other players I know about are Roger Hansbury who's the reserve
    keeper - he's about 36 years old and used to play for Birmingham
    There's a winger called Pat Heard.
    
    They're on a bit of a run having won 2-1 away at Doncaster and 3-0
    against York before the Hereford game (Did GASH really go the game
    or does the Guardian now report 4th Div results?)
    
    I think the top two go up automatically and the next four into the
    play-offs though i'm not sure.
    
    Looks like we might be playing giants like Oxford next season.
    
    Regards,                                         
    
    Andrew.D.Wicks

    
    I don't think Pat Heard's a winger - he was a central midfield player
    in his Everton days in the late 70's. He played with the other greats
    such as Joe McBride, Ross Jack and Imre Varadi. I think Everton sold  
    him to Villa and he's drifted about in the lower divisions since then.
    
    Paul

    
    re .11
    
    Roger Hansbury also used to play for Norwich, as did Roger Gibbins (who
    was a striker at Norwich, but plays in defence for Cardiff).
    
    Have I mentioned Norwich enough times in this note, Andrew?
    
    Jon

The 3rd/4th promotion still involves 4 going up, so if you're in the Top 7 at 
the end you'll be in with a shout!

g

    I have got a list of some City player's can any body tell me what has
    happened to them?
    
    Peter King    Winger             Wales Player's
    
    John Toshak   Striker            Brian Flynn     Alan Curtis
    
    Ronnie Bird   Winger
    
    Brian Harris  Sweeper
    
    Brian Clarke  Striker
    
    Alan Warboys  Striker
    
    Does any body know about these following players?
    
    Jimmy Greaves   Bob Wilson  Billy Bremmer  Ted McDougal  Geoff Hurst
    
    Alan Clarke  Brian Clough.

    Calling Andrew Wicks
    
    Finally saw your plaintive note in the Everton topic.
    
    A few points:
    
    No, I'm not a bluebird. But I was cheering for them in Division 3. The
    main reason is Kevin Ratcliffe, genius and legend and captain
    courageous (once upon a time). If I may be so bold, they seemed to
    charge up the table as soon as he joined this year. Hope they still
    keep going - could be European Cup for Ratcliffe, to make up for 1986,
    1987, 1988. Just kidding.
    
    Also, as a displaced Celt, one who could swim, it was great to see them
    win in the English league. And Wales is a pretty groovy place,
    especially Snowdonia.
    
    Hoping this kicks off a computer celebration of a championship season.
    
    Yours for Ratcliffe
    
    Peter Warrington!
    

    Peter,
    
    I think we were near the top all season - we were 6th when I saw them
    at Christmas. The league and cup double was certainly good but alas
    like Newcastle we usually follow up with a relegation season!
    
    Can't wait for the fixtures to be published, hoping that the computer
    doesn't screw things up and we get to thrash the Swans at Christmas!
    
    Regards,
    
    Andrew.D.Wicks

    
    >like Newcastle we usually follow up with a relegation season!
    
    Obviously an attempt to wind your mate Grahame up., but for the record,
    last season was only the 5th time in Newcastle's history that they've
    been promoted.
    
    Tim

    Tim,          
    
    and for the record how many times have they been relegated??
    
    Regards,
    
    Andrew.D.Wicks

    
    Four, I believe. They joined the league in the 2nd division and were
    then promoted some years later.
    
    Tim

Latest news from Cardiff is that the owner (sorry, can't remember his name) 
has failed to sell the club, so, he's going to give it away to the kids! 
Apparently he'll sign over his shares to the members of the 'Junior Bluebirds' 
(<14 yrs old). A firm of accountants will be appointed as advisors, and a new 
board made up of long-term supporters.

Brilliant idea!

grahame

    And who did the mighty bluebirds get in the Euro draw?

    
    Standard Liege I think.
    
    Gary.

    Oh ****! ah well should be another short European Campaign and then
    we can go back to concentrate on the league.
    
    Regards,
    
    Andrew.D.Wicks

    Andrew,
    
    just looked back to #.19 " I hope we get to thrash the Swans at
    Christmas."
    
    In the context of this season, 1 - 0 has to be worth celebrating (heard
    it on our own Thatcherite sports results mtime-charged phoneline.
    
    Where's Ratcliffe? I heard he was on loan to Forest. I thought he might
    be an outsider for the Everton job; at least he'd get a game. ( I also
    proposed Paul Bracewell for England player-manager in our local
    British Soccer rag, but I think they knew I was kidding, kind-of.)
    
    what a difference a few months make!
    
    Have a good holiday etc
    
    Peter.                                                            

    
    Good heavens, an entry in the Cardiff conference. Careful or we'll be
    catching up with Sunderland and Wednesday!!
    
    Cardiff here I come (with me boots of course!)....
    
    JBG

    JBG.
    
    Pray tell why you're off to the World's Greatest City?
    Sadly due to personal reasons this will be me first ever Christmas
    away from cardiff and the first time I haven't watched the Bluebirds
    play over the Christmas/New Year break since the mid 1960s.
    
    regards,
    
    Andrew.D.Wicks
    

    And a reply to Peter.
    
    Yes it looks like a dream Christmas with a game against the Swans
    (who I don't like) and Reading where of course I used to work/live.
    I'm hoping the short wave radio will bring good news of a couple of
    handy victories - it sure will be strange waking up on Boxing Day
    and not going out for a few pints of Brains Dark and then off to
    see Wales's greatest team beat whomever dares to challenge them.
    
    Hoping to get a chance to see the bluebirds sometime in the not too
    distant future.
    
    P.S wonder if I can dial clubcall from here in Atlanta?
    
    Regards,
    
    Andrew.D.Wicks

Andrew,

I went along to Ninian Park on New Year's Day to see the Bluebirds against 
Reading.  I was staying with friends in Bath on New Year's Eve/Day, some of 
whom are Reading supporters.  I was persuaded to join them, for my second 
game abroad this season :-)

It was a rather bleak day, and very cold (nearly as cold as the only other 
time I have seen Cardiff play - a game I'm sure Andrew remembers well...)
Reading played well in the first half - Jimmy Quinn should have scored 
twice with headers.  Reading play some nice passing football, but were 
guilty of being over-elaborate.  They did not turn their possession into 
good chances.  As the game went on, Cardiff improved, and could also have 
scored a couple before half-time.  Early in the second half, the game 
became scrappy, with a couple of flare-ups.  Cardiff were certainly the 
better team in the second half, and looked dangerous every time they 
attacked.  They scored their first goal after about an hour, and the last 
two in the last ten minutes (although we had left before the last goal).

I was quite impressed by Cardiff.  On their performance against Reading, 
Cardiff are in a false position.  But, they got stuffed 5-2 yesterday by 
Rotherham, so perhaps New Year's Day was an aberation!!

Jon

    Jon,
    
    yes I remember the Cardiff game that we saw together - thanks a lot for
    reminding me as the doctor was about to stop my medication now i've had
    a relapse! btw are we still in the F.A cup this season?
    
    Last year they were putting seating in on the Bob bank - did they still
    make you go up on top of the hill overlooking the train yard or did
    they let you in the open grange end?
    
    Did you partake of any Brains?
    
    regards,
    
    Andrew.D.Wicks
                                                           

Andrew,

Yes, I was on top of the hill, on the corner (as you stand on the away 
terraces, I was in the far right corner).  Unfortunately the wind was 
blowing straight into our faces.  There is seating along three sides of the 
ground now - only the away end is still all terracing (although there is 
some terracing at the front along the side opposite to the main stand).  

No time for Brains, I'm afraid.  We got to the ground just before kick-off, 
and didn't want to hang around afterwards.

Jon

    
    Hi Andrew,
    
    	I obviously haven't mentioned it already, ...... I'm a Llanrumney
    boy. My parents & brother & sister & their families are still their. My
    in-laws are in Lisvane. This was our first Christmas back in 4 years
    and there was an inch of snow on Christmas morning!!
    
    	I used to play in the Saturday Combination league for Cardiff
    Covenanters and I remember playing with an Andrew Wicks!! Was it you by
    any chance??
    
    Hi Jon,
    
    	I was thinking about going to watch the Reading game because there
    wasn't any 1st class rugby on........but then I decided to take my kids
    swimming instead! I do remember going to see the City play in my
    younger days - on 3 occaisions! I'm really a Cardiff RFU fan you see!
    Still it would have been great to meet you. Were you wearing your
    Norwich gear?
    
    JBG

    JBG,
    
    I find it difficult to believe that there was another Andrew Wicks in
    Cardiff - there were only 4 wicks in the phone book when I lived there
    and 3 of us were related - but I don't remember playing footie on Saturdays 
    because I was always watching either Cardiff or the mighty Liverpool.
    (btw what decade are we talking about?)
    
    Feel free to use the term "switzerland's most infamous Welshman"
    under licence without royalty payments.
    
    Regards,
             
    Andrew.D.Wicks

    Hi boyos,
    
    Could someone please post the phone number of the Cardiff ticket
    office?
    
    many thanks
    
    Peter
    
    

    
    
    Hmmm Peter, Not getting a little over confident are we?
    
    Tim

    Is this the F.A Cup - who did we draw and when's the game?

    Cardiff -v- Newcastle or Luton    

    What day?

    re last few,
    
    It should be 19th Feb but won't be.There is a rugby match at the Arms
    Park on the 19th and they want to switch the footie to Sunday or Monday.
    I'm not happy about that as the rugby will churn up the pitch. I'd play
    the football on Saturday and stuff the rugby!
    
    I'm not confident as Luton isn't a great ground to play at, but I can't
    make that game and it will have to be Cardiff.
    
    But has anyone got the phone number of Cardiff City?
    
    thanks
    
    Peter
    
    
    

    Peter,
    
    Ninian Park main tel. no. is 0222 398636
    
    Rob (He with the Rothmans Football Yearbook on his desk)

Apparently Cardiff aren't going to switch to the Arms Park, even if it is 
Newcastle, but they'll probably have to switch to Sunday on Police 'advice'.

g

    thanks Rob,
    
    Pity about the non-switch. A Sunday game might be a 12 o'clock kick
    off. Let's hope the ticket distribution is unfair!
    
    Peter

    Sunday the 20th then - you going GASH?
    
    I'll be there - is it all ticket.
    
    Regards,
    
    Andrew.D.Wicks

Hmm, haven't decided yet - I'm not THAT much of a Luton fan!!

g

New General Manager appointed today - Terry Yorath. Eddie May stays Team 
Manager

g

    GASH,
    
    I don't think Cardiff is Terry's home - he's a boy from the west!
    and he never played for us.
    
    regards,
    
    Andrew.D.Wicks