Congratulations to Trust Member Mark Johns whose name was drawn out of the hat as the lucky winner of the £50 prize for the Bluebirds Brainteaser quiz in the December edition of the Trust magazine “Moving to a Different Beat”. Here are the answers to the questions.
- Which member of Cardiff City’s 1927 FA Cup Final winning team was a member of the IRA and was once arrested by the British Army and held in Mountjoy Prison in Dublin?
Tom Farquharson. Born in Dublin, he became a member of the IRA in his teens. He was arrested by the British Army for removing wanted posters of IRA activists and banged up in Mountjoy Prison. He was released on the proviso that he left Ireland which he did choosing, fortunately for us, to settle in South Wales playing for Oakdale and then Abertillery Town where he was spotted by Cardiff City scouts. He made his debut in the last game of the 1921-22 season in a 3-1 win over Manchester United. He was a permanent fixture in the great Cardiff City sides of the 1920s and appeared in both Cup Finals. He had a reputation as a notable saver of penalties his technique being standing with his back to the net and rushing forward in the direction of the penalty taker. So effective was he that, after such a save in the 6th round of the 1927 FA Cup v Chelsea, Football’s governing bodies changed the rules to ensure ‘keepers remained on their line until the kick was taken. His Irish Republican past never left him as stories abound of him keeping a loaded revolver in his kitbag whilst at the City. He played his last game for the City in a 4-0 defeat at Ashton Gate in the final game of the 1934-35 season Tom lived at 155 Allensbank Road and later in Alltmawr Road in Cyncoed. He was a well-known local figure and could often be seen walking his dog around Roath Park Lake. He opened a tobacconist shop in the centre of Cardiff but in 1958 he emigrated to Canada to join his children where he died in 1971. He played a total of 518 times for the City, a total only exceeded by Billy Hardy, Phil Dwyer and Don Murray. It seems to me that, sometimes, the phrase “Cardiff City Legend” is handed out far too freely. Not in Tom’s case.
- Signed by Russell Slade in January 2015 this player had previously played Champions League football for Liverpool – who is he?
Lee Peltier. We signed him from Huddersfield Town in 2015 where he was having his second spell and not particularly enjoying it. He found himself down the pecking order under new manager Chris Powell who also replaced him as captain with former City favourite Mark Hudson. He established himself fairly quickly under Russell Slade but when Paul Trollope arrived and signed Jazz Richards his place in the team seemed less certain. However, Trollope did not last long, Neil Warnock arrived, a manager for whom Lee’s dogged defensive abilities were much appreciated. The fact that it always seemed that he got a nosebleed every time he got into our opponent’s half was not an issue for Neil and Lee figured prominently in our promotion season of 2017-18. He was affected by injury in our Premier League season but did make 17 starts. After Neil Warnock left in November 2019 he joined West Brom just over 5 years after joining us. Lee started his career at Liverpool where he did not play any Premier League games but did start and play 90 minutes at right back in Champions League tie against Galatasaray.
- After the sacking of Malky Mackay who acted as caretaker manager of the Bluebirds prior to the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer?
David Kerslake. I suppose it is the destiny of managerial support staff to be collateral damage when their boss, the first team manager, gets the sack. And so it was for David Kerslake. Malky was sacked the day after our Boxing Day 3-0 home defeat to Southampton in 2013 and the writing was on the wall for David. He and coach Joe McBride were in charge for two games, the frustrating 2-2 home draw against Sunderland and the 2-0 away defeat to Arsenal on New Year’s Day 2014 the day before the fateful appointment of OGS. It was at Watford that David hitched his wagon to Malky Mackay and when Cardiff came calling for Malky, David followed on. After Malky’s departure, his future employment prospects were damaged considerably after allegations of discriminatory text messages so David teamed up with the late Justin Edinburgh and took up Assistant Manager positions with him at Gillingham and Northampton. Currently, he is Assistant Manager at Lincoln City under Michael Appleton.
- Which Welsh International member of the 2003 play-off final matchday squad against QPR had previously won an Anglo-Italian Cup winners medal with Notts County?
Andy Legg. We signed Leggy from Reading in 1998 and I think it is fair to say that, initially, he was not a popular signing due to the 5 years he spent at the beginning of his career at a certain club 40 miles or so down the M4. However, it was on the pitch that he proved himself and those who were small-minded enough to resent his previous club history and send death threats and a razor blade hidden in an envelope were silenced by the vast majority of right-thinking City fans and Leggy was awarded Club player of the year for 2 consecutive seasons. The various long throw merchants who have played for us from Gunnars onwards can’t hold a candle to Leggy when it comes to long throws (or Bobby Woodruff from years gone by for that matter). His career was blighted on 2 occasions by operations to remove tumours from his neck the second one being malignant. After the second operation and a course of radiotherapy he was able to take to the field again despite having been given advice to the contrary – a tribute to his courage and determination. In his lengthy league career he made more appearances for us than any other club. When he looks back on his career I wonder which game will mean most to him? Playing at a deserted Wembley in front of 11,000 fans to beat Ascoli in the Anglo Italian Cup final or beating QPR 1-0 in front of 66,000 fans in the Play-Off final at the Millennium Stadium. I bet I know the answer.
- Who was the opposition on 1 September 1910 in the game arranged to celebrate the opening of Ninian Park?
Aston Villa. After humble beginnings playing in the Cardiff and District League and the South Wales League,Riverside FC who became Cardiff City in 1908 with Bartley Wilson as the driving force, harboured ambitions of professionalism. The Southern League were looking to form a Second Division but the basic facilities at Sophia Gardens where they played, the lack of an enclosed pitch, turnstiles and spectator facilities meant that ambition was not feasible. The Club Committee were offered an area of waste ground that had been used as a refuse tip between Sloper Road and the railway sidings. The land was levelled and prepared with the help of volunteers and Cardiff Corporation staff. The pitch was enclosed, a small wooden grandstand was built and ash banking was raised on all sides of the ground for spectators. The ground now complied with Southern League requirements. Lord Ninian Crichton-Stuart, son of the Marquis of Bute, acted as a financial guarantor and, in gratitude for his generosity, the club named their new ground Ninian Park instead of the previously proposed Sloper Park. At the time Aston Villa were the Football League Champions. This prestigious fixture attracted 7000 spectators. In a memorable match with the ceremonial kick-off performed by his Lordship, the City lost 2-1 with Jack Evans scoring the City’s first-ever goal at the new ground. It sounds a far more momentous occasion than the final Ninian Park game!
- Which member of the City’s 2012 League Cup Final matchday squad had previously won the Double with Glasgow Celtic and also played Champions League football for them?
Lee Naylor. Lee was signed from Celtic in August 2010 at the fag end of a transfer embargo and run-ins with HMRC. He made his debut against Doncaster on 3 August 2010 coming on for the injured Kevin McNaughton but his debut was somewhat overshadowed by Craig Bellamy who was also making his debut scoring a spectacular goal from a free kick. However, after a run as first choice left back he found himself down the pecking order behind Paul Quinn and Jlloyd Samuel and in his second and final season hardly figured at all with Andrew Taylor as first choice. Lee started his career at Wolves who he played for 333 times. He moved from there to Celtic where he won the League and Cup Double in his first season and played in all their Champions League games the following season. In the 2012 League Cup final he was an unused substitute and did not appear for the remainder of what was his final season with us. After a failed trial at Birmingham and short spells at Accrington Stanley and Derby he retired from football.
- Which one of the City’s 2008 FA Cup Final starting XI was born in Norway?
Tony Capaldi. Tony was born in Porsgrunn, Norway, where his Scottish father was playing professionally for the local team. We signed Tony on a free from Plymouth Argyle where he had established himself winning 22 caps for Northern Ireland for whom he was eligible through his Irish grandmother. He made his debut for us, along with Messrs. Turnbull, Rae, MacLean and Sinclair in a 1-0 home defeat to Stoke in the first game of the 2007-08 season. He was very much first choice that season appearing 54 times culminating in the Cup Final. The following season saw a knee injury keep him on the sidelines and, when fit, found it difficult to dislodge the dependable Mark Kennedy from the left back spot. In 2009-10, his 3rd season, Mark Kennedy was still very much first choice so, in order to get more game time, he joined Leeds on loan for a couple of months but it did not work out and he returned to Cardiff in January 2010 to see out the final few months of his contract. After leaving Cardiff he had spells at Morecambe, Oxford and 3 non-league teams before retiring. A bit of a forgotten man really as far as the City is concerned but an important part of one momentous season.
- If you take the word for a person with no magical ability at all in the Harry Potter books and add to it a word that means 100 mph, you get the surname of a goalkeeper who played 6 times for us on loan in 2001 – who is he?
Well, in the Harry Potter world, a person with no magical ability is a muggle and 100 mph is a ton -Muggleton. We signed Carl Muggleton on loan from Stoke City towards the end of the 2000-01 season when regular keeper Mark Walton was injured. Despite failing to win in his final 4 appearances for us we still managed promotion from the 3rd Division (4th tier) as runners up to Brighton. In his career Carl managed 13 different loan spells with various clubs but playing most games for Stoke and Chesterfield but in a 22 year career he managed over 500 appearances in total. After retiring he took up positions as a goalkeeping coach but in 2018 he had a completely different change of direction career-wise. So, if you live in the Leicester area and need to pass your driving test, give the Carl Muggleton School of Motoring a call.
- Which Cardiff City manager had previously won 4 European Cup medals with Liverpool?
Phil Neal. Manager of the City from January to October 1996. In terms of performance on the field 1995-96 has to be one of the worst seasons in the history of the City finishing 22 out of 24 in the 4th tier. The team that applied for re-election to the Football League in the 1930s must be the worst. The only bright spot of that season was Carl Dale’s miraculous 30 goals in 53 starts. An amazing performance considering the abysmal team we were. The managerial situation was somewhat confusing with previous manager Kenny Hibbitt being moved sideways to assume the “General Manager” role with Phil Neal taking over the team. His tenure started brightly with a Carl Dale hat trick securing a win over Doncaster but 12 defeats in the final 19 league games of the season were a continuation of the dire form displayed under Hibbitt. To be fair to Phil Neal he did not have a lot to work with when he took over but the close season acquisitions of Jason Fowler and Jeff Eckhardt did much to improve the team and set us on a course that would see us in the play offs in 1996-97. However, Neal would not stay long enough to see it as he walked out on us to be assistant to Steve Coppell at Manchester City.
- Former City player Charlie Oatway was given by his parents the unenviable burden of 11 first names of players in the 1973 squad of which other team ?
Queens Park Rangers. Hold the front page! The story, splashed all over the internet about him being named after 11 QPR players is probably not true. I had a go at researching which QPR players he is named after. His first 8 names were quite easy to relate to QPR players at that time….
Anthony(Hazell) Phillip (Parkes) David (Clement) Terry (Mancini) Frank(McLintock) Donald(Givens) Stanley (Bowles) Gerry (Francis)
However, his remaining 3 names are not quite so straightforward….
Gordon must be after Gordon Jago who was their manager at the time.
Stephen is a mystery.
James might be Jim Gregory who was the QPR Chairman who built the club up in the 60s and 70s.
I emailed the official QPR Club Historian who had not, in the past, thought to relate his names to actual QPR players. He agreed with my identifying the 8 names to players. He agreed that Gordon could only be the manager, he confirmed that no-one called Stephen played first team football for QPR at the time and that James might be Jim Gregory. So, it seems that Charlie Oatway is not named after 11 QPR players but 8 QPR players, the manager, possibly the Chairman and an unknown person. If that is true then it is usual not to let the facts get in the way of a good story.