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Remember the FA Cup, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool fans?
To 99 per cent of football supporters it is the impossible dream - the day the unsung club you have followed all your life reach the FA Cup Final. The dream has just come true for Sportingo's Gerry Horsfield after 50 years.
by Gerry Horsfield on 07 April 2008
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Anyone who supports one of the Big Four would not have the faintest understanding of what this article is about. These sentiments are meant for the millions of fans of little clubs who dream of achieving real glory but know it can never happen. The words are aimed at those fans who know their team can never hope to challenge for the Premier League title or reach the FA Cup Final.Because miracles really DO happen and the impossible dream really can come true. I know. It happened to me today.Fifty years ago, as a 12-year-old schoolboy, I stood on the terraces at Ninian Park and watched Cardiff City for the first time in the old Second Division. We lost 1-0 (to Barnsley, would you believe) but I was hooked. I was a Bluebirds fan for life and I lived for the day they would rule the football world.It was a scenario painted at lesser clubs up and down the country year upon year. The youngster going to watch his local team for the first time - and becoming a totally committed fan for the rest of his days, through thick and thin or, in many cases, thin and thinner.Unless, of course, you were one of those people who jumped on the ladder of success and big-time fame by deciding to support Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal or some other remote moneybags giant miles and miles from home with whom you had absolutely no logical tie. Other than to become a serial winner without putting any effort in, that is.What the big-time Charlies will never experience is the feeling I have tonight, knowing that my beloved Bluebirds will be contesting the 2008 FA Cup Final against Portsmouth at Wembley on May 17.Never mind the rest of the football world, I cannot believe a single Cardiff fan out there believed before the third round that there was any way we could reach the English game's biggest showpiece final this year - or any other, for that matter. Certainly not until some moneybags Yank hands over £200m to manager Dave Jones to buy new players!You see, for 50 years my football world had been a dream. A dream of what just MIGHT have been, but realistically never would be. The euphoria of winning promotion to the old First Division in 1960 is probably the nearest thing I had ever experienced to true football euphoria before.OK, there have been one or two magic moments, like reaching the European Cup Winners' Cup semi-final in 1968 and knocking Leeds United out of the FA Cup a few years ago when they were top of the Premiership and we were two divisions below.But the two impossible dreams I always held closest to my heart were challenging for the English League title and seeing my heroes take the field for a Wembley FA Cup final.During the three seasons we were in the top flight in the early 60s, I genuinely believed a Wembley date was a possibility - particularly after we signed aging Welsh legends John Charles and Ivor Allchurch. But once we tumbled back into the second flight and proceeded to freefall into the depths of the lower divisions in the 80s and 90s, we were more often than not out of contention even before the big boys came in at the third-round stage.In fact, until this season, the best I can recall is us reaching the fifth round three times in 50 attempts!I wouldn't have put a penny on us getting that far this season, either - even after drawing unknowns Chasetown and little Hereford away from home in the third and fourth rounds.I mean, what chance do a side full of free transfers, old stars in their dotage and kids, assembled for a pittance by a manager whose job was under threat as recently as last November, have of competing with the Big Four and their cronies? How many of the players who saw off Middlesbrough in the quarter-final and Barnsley in today's semi could a Man United or Arsenal fan name? Just three, I'll wager - Jimmy, Floyd and Hasselbaink!Any Cardiff City fan, on the other hand, could almost certainly name the entire Man united squad without too much trouble. Huge names, huge salaries, huge transfer fees...and as genuinely Manchester United as their hundreds of thousands of Cockney and Irish fans.Barnsley fans, I salute you, along with the supporters of 80 or more other Football League clubs. You were unlucky to lose to Joe Ledley's super early goal and are what football support is really about - not jumping on the bandwagon of success.Local boy Ledley will inevitably now be swallowed up by one of the megabucks giants, along with our other star players like centre-back Roger Johnson and 17-year-old midfielder Aaron Ramsey. And we'll undoubtedly go on being a selling club rather than a buying one, with no real chance of ever getting right up there with the top Prem clubs.But Jonesy and his boys proved to me today that whether you support Lincoln City, Mansfield, Southend, Darlington, Rotherham or whoever, your football fantasies really CAN come true.It really doesn't matter to me what happens on May 17 as long as we put on a good show against Pompey. Because after 50 years of dreaming the impossible dream, I am finally living it. And I'm not yet convinced that I'm not asleep...
Comments (8)
by Norman McGregor on April 07, 2008
one of the "big four" (Chelsea) for almost as long as you've been supporting Cardiff and despite our success over recent years I completely understand what this article is about. Enjoy the moment - brilliant!
by Steve Cousens on April 07, 2008
Your generalisation of fans of the big 4 was way off the mark. These clubs have local supporters too. I started supporting Arsenal when I was 9 years old and they hadn't won anything for 10 years. The 60's 70's and 80's were not very successful and there were loads of bad times. What do you expect people to do? Change teams to a lower division club just because their teams has started to be successful?
by ollick on April 07, 2008
Finally someone else realises Everton are a small club! Oh and I'm a Liverpool fan, best part of a decade without much glory or success 1990's, I know what it's like to be unsuccesful and believe me, when you've dominated Europe and your league then go into decline, albeit a smaller decline then say Leeds are suffering now, it hurts.
by David Watkins on April 07, 2008
I was born in my local sides home town in 1954 at the local hospital. I lived, for the first 47 years of my life at my parents home at Alroy Road. My first ever football match I attended was in 1961 at the age of 8 – I saw my side win against Preston North End, I went to see them again a few months later away against Brighton & Hove Albion. They are my local side – the clubs ground is no less than 2 streets away from my home. The following year, I followed my local team all the way to the League 1 Championship!! I became a season ticket holder at the age of 17 in 1971. I have remained a season ticker holder ever since. I still live near to my local club, except I now live 4 streets away in Tancred Road. Miracle do happen Mr Horsfield, as happened this weekend, as a 8 year old child watching his local side – dreaming and hoping to emulate the Division 1 winner side of Ipswich Town or the Tottenham, Hotspur side with the incredibly skilled Jimmy Greaves playing for them. I wanted my club to sign Jimmy Greaves so badly that at the age of 9, I wrote to my local club, including a farthing and begged them to use it to sign Jimmy!! Or at least the fantastic Ray Crawford running out the divisions top goalscorer for Ipswich. I find the article from you completely insulting. My local side is Liverpool Football Club. Who I started to support as a division 2 outfit – whose manager, a little known individual called Bill Shankley, who my father knew personally. I am not, or never will be a “big time Charlie”. I do know what it is like to experience the feeling of pride you describe. I felt it when we won the Division 2 Championship in 1962. I felt it when I first saw Liverpool win FA Cup in 1965, which I do remember and for which I attended – with pride!! – I felt it again when I first saw Liverpool win the League Cup in 1981 and win it for 4 consecutive years. I remember leaving my wifes side and my 1 year old sons, to watch Liverpool win their first European Cup in 1977 – right up to watching them win it for the 5th time in 2005 – at the age of 51 – with my son. I felt pride on Saturday when a 2nd rate side drew 1-1 with Arsenal. I will feel pride in my local side if we win or lose on Tuesday – a game, I will be attending with my Anfield Road season ticket. Mr Horsfield, when you say that one of the “Big Four would not have the faintest understanding of what this article is about” – you insult me. You insult your club, you insult every geniune fan of football that there is. I was so pleased when Cardiff made the final. I have family who live in Pontypool in Wales. They support Cardiff – they have done for many years. You insult them too!! Please stop written such rubbish – your team getting to final is a massive achievement and I wish you the best. It reminds me of the newspaper headlines when George Swindin signed John Charles from Roma – a big deal at the time, akin to Liverpool signing Fernando Torres – but as a “big time charlie”, I would have no idea of that now would I???! Time for you to stop talking Mr Horsfield - not until you realise that hole in the ground is what you're about to fall into because your foot is in your mouth!!
by emmanuel alexander on April 07, 2008
Man-u is definately the team to beat even though the title chase is now open but am confident Man-u will soar high and pick up the trophy.
by Gerry Horsfield on April 07, 2008
I in no way meant to insult genuine supporters of the Big Four - people from the areas where those clubs are based. I now live in Manchester and most of my family support United and City - and rightly so (I just could never convince them Cardiff were THE team!). The people I was targeting are those who jumped on the success bandwagon in preference to supporting their local clubs. They just do not understand what it is to see the little club you support beat the big boys! And how could I criticise someone who has no local club to support...so flies the flag for the nearest club to his or her home? That is only natural - which is why anyone from Pontypool should I in my view support Cardiff! (as I am sure your friends would agree, Mr Watkins). I am very impressed by your knowledge of Bluebirds history...I was actually at John Charles's debut game for Cardiff, when he led the team out against Norwich with a ciggy in his mouth and proceded to score a goal from 75 yards!
by kiarash khoshkhou on April 08, 2008
kiarashkhoshkhou
by nestret on April 10, 2008
fitore ma shum
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