Congratulations to Trust Member Matthew Bullock who was drawn out of the hat as the lucky winner of the £50 first prize of the Bluebirds Brainteaser Quiz in the October edition of Moving to a Different Beat – the Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust magazine.
Here are the questions and the answers:
- He played 8 games in goal for us in 2007-08 and went on to win a Champions League Winners Medal – who is he?
Ross Turnbull. Ross started his career at Middlesbrough where he never really established himself and his loan signing with us was his 6th and last loan spell away from ‘Boro. 2007-08 was a season of many goalkeepers for us when Dave Jones appeared not to know who his first choice would be until he made his mind up very fatefully. Ross started the season but lost his place to Michael Oakes after 6 league games and 2 league cup games. Kaspar Schmeichel arrived on short term loan playing 14 times. Michael Oakes then returned to the first team with David Forde also appearing in a couple of FAW Premier Cup games. In January 2008 Peter Enckleman arrived as our 3rd on loan goalkeeper of the season. Dave Jones then determined that Enckleman was to be first choice. A fateful decision given what happened in the Cup Final? At the end of the season, Ross returned to ‘Boro. At the end of the following season, he signed a 4 year deal with Chelsea where he was always going to be second string to Petr Cech. He was an unused substitute in the 2012 Champions League Final and earned himself a medal. Being the bridesmaid and not the bride at Chelsea worked well for him as he also picked up 2 FA Cup winners medals and a Europa League winners medal.
- Which future Bluebird escaped to victory?
Russell Osman. The 1981 film Escape to Victory was never going to be one that was going to be significant when it came to Oscar nominations. However, it was interesting in that the cast contained a number of prominent footballers like Pele, Bobby Moore, Ardiles, Deyna, Van Himst, Summerbee etc. who were very convincing with the ball at their feet but not when trying to act. Similarly, Michael Caine was convincing when acting the part but not when he had the ball at his feet. Cynics might argue that Sylvester Stallone was convincing neither as an actor nor as a goalkeeper. Seven Ipswich Town players appeared in the film one of which was Russell Osman who signed for the City in February 1996. He had quite a reputation as a former England Schools Rugby International, 11 caps for England at football and a UEFA Cup Winners Medal. However, at 36 his best days were some distance behind him and he only played 15 times in a very poor City team that finished 22nd in Endsleigh Division 3 (4th tier) in one of the worst seasons in the City’s history. His playing career ended on that low note. The following season, after the departure of manager Phil Neal, Osman returned as manager with Kenny HIbbitt as Director of Football which didn’t last long as, soon after, they swapped rôles. A confusing period of who was running Cardiff City ended when both Osman and Hibbitt were replaced by Frank Burrows.
- In a distinguished career that involved 59 International Caps, 2 First Division Championship Medals, and FA Cup and ECWC Winners Medals this player scored the winner on debut at Carlisle in 1993 – who is he?
Kevin Ratcliffe. A player with impeccable credentials. 498 appearances for Everton, 59 caps for Wales many of them as captain. 2 First Division Championship medals, an FA Cup Winners Medals and a UEFA Cup Winners Cup Medal. A class act in his day. After his lengthy career with Everton, he signed for Dundee where he only lasted 4 games. Whether his time at Dundee was short because, initially, he was having to live over a pub or it was down to his doubtful fitness I don’t know but it was certainly true that his lengthy career at the top had taken its toll physically. He signed for the City in January 1993 at a time when the City defence was in need of an old head to calm things down. As a result of the doubts over his fitness, he was signed on a contract to be paid on a match to match basis but at a level, reportedly, significantly higher than any player in the past. Anyway, his presence in the team certainly did the job and the defence became more sure. A sort of Brian Harris for the 1990s. Ratcliffe was never renowned for his goalscoring feats. In 561 games prior to joining the City he had only managed to score 2 goals. However, for Cardiff City he was comparatively prolific. In total, he only played 31 times for us but he managed 1 goal and that was on his debut getting the winner in a 2-1 win at Carlisle. With Stant, Dale, Blake and Pike banging them in that season his rare goal was an unexpected contribution to the team effort. We won Barclays League Division 3 that season (Division 4 in old money). Did you get a medal if you were champions of that division? I don’t know but if he did, I hope it’s in the front of his trophy cabinet.
- Kieffer Moore has played football for clubs in 3 Countries – Wales, England and which other?
Norway. Have boots will travel must be Kieffer’s motto. Cardiff City is his 11th club and he has now played more often and scored more goals for us than any other of his previous clubs. One of his stopovers was Viking Stavanger in the Tippeligaen(I’ve heard of Serie A and La Liga but that’s a new one on me). His spell there only lasted 9 games. The conspiracy theorist in me wonders why he transferred from Yeovil Town near a very busy military airfield to Stavanger, home of the NATO Joint Warfare Centre to Forest Green Rovers, no distance at all from GCHQ. Is he, like Austin Powers, an International Man of Mystery? Perhaps he is the next James Bond? I’m writing this just after he has scored a breathless late winner against Huddersfield to end our abysmal run so he’s simply a hero. Let’s hope he continues in that vein.
- We signed this centre half from Cardiff Corries in 1957. He only played 67 times in 6 years but ended up at Northampton where, famously, he was on the losing side on 7 February 1970 in an 8-2 FA Cup defeat to Manchester United when George Best scored 6 – who is he?
Frank Rankmore. A local boy who we signed from Cardiff Corinthians in 1957. In those days Cardiff Corries had a pitch just off Llandaff Road near the Penhill lights (now housing). They were a team that was very much part of the South Wales footballing fabric. Tommy Forse, Neil O’Halloran, Ritchie Morgan and Graham Vearncombe were some Corries players who went on to play for the City. There was a “nursery” link with the City in the days when we were managed by Cyril Spiers and City Chairman Fred Dewey was a former Corries player. When we signed Frank the centre half position very much belonged to Danny Malloy and it wasn’t until the first game of the 1961-62 season against Blackburn Rovers that Frank made his debut. Frank played 37 league games at the centre of our defence that season but we were relegated from Division 1. He was first choice centre half the following season but when John Charles arrived in time for the 1963-64 season Frank found himself down the list behind the great man himself and a young whippersnapper called Don Murray. A fee of £10,000 saw him join Peterborough where he stayed for 5 years before joining Northampton Town in 1968 for £12,000. The fateful day was 7 February 1970 when Northampton Town faced the might of Man Utd. at the County Ground in the FA Cup. In the run-up to this game, George Best had been in full naughty boy mode as he was wont to be having just been banned for 6 games for knocking the ball out of a referee’s hands. It was not a great day for Frank and the rest of the bemused Northampton defence as Best ran riot, Frank also missed a penalty. There is plenty of YouTube footage of the game which is worth checking out if only to see George Best in his pomp.
- A Degree in Chemical Engineering qualified this Nigerian International midfielder to spend the 2010/11 season with us on loan from Hull City – who is he?
Seyi Olofinjana. He played for us in 2010-11 season – a season that ended with the nightmare that was the 3-0 home defeat to Reading in the playoff semi finals. Dave Jones originally signed Olofinjana for Wolves in 2004 and 6 years later signed him on a season-long loan from Hull City. A combative midfield player, the threat of litigation over a tackle by him on Nottingham Forest’s Dexter Blackstock in a game at CCS in November 2010 hit the headlines for a time. Blackstock, who was out for 15 months after the tackle, claimed that his negligent (legalese for ‘dirty”) tackle and consequential knee injury deprived him for earning bonuses. A sum of £50,000 was mentioned. Unseemly arguments between Dave Jones and Forest manager Billy Davies over intent made the press. This legal claim was mooted in 2014 some 4 years after the event. Did anything come of the legal claim? Not that I can find. Answers on a postcard please. Anyway, Seyi is now employing his degree in Chemical Engineering in his rôle as Technical Director of Zurich Grasshoppers.
- This England one cap wonder scored on debut as a sub against Leeds in February 2013 and then scored twice on his first start against the Wurzels 2 weeks later – who is he?
Frazier Campbell. Having just seen the City’s memorable win over Huddersfield Town, I was mightily relieved that Sod’s Law that would have determined, in respect of this particular game, that Danny Ward and 34 year old Frazier Campbell would score, did not apply (although it nearly did for Danny). Interim England manager Stuart Pearce picked him for the England squad when he played for Sunderland and he won his only cap as a sub against the Netherlands in 2012. In February 2013, £650,000 persuaded Sunderland to sell him to the City and he scored on debut against Leeds and then twice on his home debut against Bristol City. He was Championship player of the month for his first month with the City. One of his most memorable games for us was the 3-2 win against Manchester City in our first home game in the Premier League. This game is often remembered as a famous victory and when Aron Gunnarsson scored our first ever Premier League goal. What is not always remembered is that Frazier scored the other two including the winner. However, he only scored 4 more Premier League goals for us that season. His spell with us ended with our 1st Premier League season and he signed for Crystal Palace for a fee in the order of £900,000.
- Two goalkeepers played for us in 2008 in our FA Cup run to the Final – one was Peter Enckelman who was the other?
Michael Oakes. See the answer to Question 1 for details of the 2007-08 Cardiff City goalkeeper merry go round. Michael Oakes played in the ties at Chasetown in Round 3 where Kevin McNaughton put one past him to put the opposition one up and in Round 4 at Hereford where Kev scored a rare goal at the right end. Dave Jones signed him from Wolves in July 2007, one of his former players. Michael is the son of Alan Oakes who holds the record for the number of appearances in a career for Manchester City. In recent years Michael was goalkeeping coach at Wrexham but fell victim to the Hollywood takeover when he stepped down to allow Phil Parkinson to choose his own staff.
- In 1965-66 the City paid which club the princely sum of £2,100 for Gary Bell and George Andrews, a fee which remains to this day a record for the club?
Lower Gornal Athletic (now just Gornal Athletic) Based in Dudley they now play in the West Midlands (Regional) League Division 1. George Andrews was signed as a centre forward and had a decent first season in 1965-66 with 20 goals from 38 games playing alongside the likes of Terry Harkin and George Johnston. However, the emerging John Toshack and the arrival of Bobby Brown rendered him surplus to requirements. He was sold to Southport who broke their club record to buy him for £6,000. He had a successful career there followed by equally successful spells at Shrewsbury and Walsall where he acquired legendary status scoring the only goal in a 1-0 FA cup upset against Newcastle. Gary Bell went on to play with us for 9 seasons. He made his debut at a time when the City defence, in my memory, was at its leakiest. The first 12 games of the 1966-67 resulted in the City conceding 42 goals with 2 defeats by 7 and 2 by 5. Gary made his debut in the 7-1 defeat at Wolves conceding 2 penalties. Signed originally as a left winger, he settled down at left back in a defence eventually consolidated by the arrival of Brian Harris from Everton. After the end of the 1973/74 season, he joined Newport County for whom he played over 100 times. In recent years he has been a popular figure in the club’s hospitality set-up.
- Which goalkeeper played in all 55 League and Cup games for the City in the 1990-91 season?
Roger Hansbury. Len Ashurst signed Roger from Birmingham City for £25,000 in the 89-90 season. Prior to his arrival, the goalkeeping spot had been taken up by an ageing George Wood so it was time for a change. Roger started his career at Norwich City where trying to get in the team instead of the excellent Kevin Keelan proved a bit of an impossibility. His next big club was Burnley where his debut in a 4-1 defeat at Hull did not go well and established his unpopularity there where he was seen as an inadequate replacement for his predecessor Alan Stevenson who had played over 400 games for them. 1990-91 was not a brilliant season. Losing 4-1 at Merthyr in the Welsh Cup was later followed by the FA Cup humiliation when 1,844 City fans saw Hayes hold us to a 0-0 draw at Ninian Park before beating us 1-0 in the replay. We finished 13th in Division 4 that season – ebbs don’t get much lower than that. Having said that I thought he did a decent enough job for us in the circumstances.