The sight of a dejected Bluebird sitting on his own in a vast expanse of Wembley Stadium said it all. He could not believe what had happened and couldn’t muster the energy to join the other Cardiff fans streaming out of the stadium at the end of yesterday’s play-off final.
The sight of a dejected Bluebird sitting on his own in a vast expanse of Wembley Stadium said it all. He could not believe what had happened and couldn’t muster the energy to join the other Cardiff fans streaming out of the stadium at the end of yesterday’s play-off final.
But some of the pessimism being expressed by Cardiff supporters to the effect that they may never have a chance like this again could well be misplaced. They may well not believe the boosterism of chairman Peter Ridsdale. There is no doubt that the club faces continuing financial challenges. They still have to pay £1.9m in unpaid tax or face a winding-up order, although presumably revenue from the final should help there. They also owe about £10m to Langston, a Swiss-based finance firm represented by former chairman Sam Hammam.
Much now depends on prospective Malaysian owner Dato’ Chan Tien Ghee. He has already pumped £2m into the club with the promise of a further £4m after a shareholders’ meeting on Thursday that will approve his 30.46 per cent holding. The club may look less of a bargain now.
However, the medium to long-term fundamentals look good: a new stadium and a good fan base which could be expanded. Understandably in football the short-term is everything, particularly to fans who have just suffered a painful setback. In the medium term, we may yet see Cardiff City in the top flight and they would be better placed to stay there than Blackpool or Burnley.