Cardiff City news 14/09/00

Thurs 14th Sep 2000 - City in talks with Marriott

Andy Marriott met with Bobby Gould earlier this week after Bobby travelled to the North East to see Marriott play for Sunderland reserves.

Cardiff and Sunderland have agreed a fee of Ł300,000 for the former Arsenal, Wrexham and Wales keeper but City could not agree personal terms with the player himself. Its thought that Bobby will up the offer to Marriott to get him to sign for the Bluebirds. Marriott is third choice keeper at the Stadium of Light with little chance of first team, football.

City are also enquiring about former Bluebird Simon Haworth. The Wigan striker is on Bobby's hit list and the Latics have already turned down a Ł0.5m bid for the player. It appears though that with the signing of Leo Fortune West another striker is not a priority.

Report from TotalWales.
CARDIFF CITY are ready to splash out another club record transfer fee for Sunderland’s Welsh international ’keeper Andy Marriott.

The Premiership club has accepted City’s offer of Ł300,000 - the amount they paid Rotherham last week for striker Leo Foturne-West but Marriott turned down the terms he was initially offered.

However, City manager Bobby Gould is understood to have had fresh talks with the former Wrexham ’keeper. After watching his impressive display for Sunderland reserves over Newcastle reserves at Kingston Park on Monday night.

Gould is believed to have been empowered by Sam Hammam, City’s new owner, to offer Marriott an improved three-year contract in the hope of persuading him to swap reserve team football at Sunderland where he is third choice for regular league football in Division Three.

Report from Teamtalk.
Cardiff City are set to use some new found riches to attempt to resurrect their move for out of favour Sunderland goalkeeper Andy Marriott.

The Wales international 'keeper turned down a Ł300,000 move to Ninian Park last week after the Bluebirds failed to meet his personal terms, but Cardiff have since been given a Ł500,000 cash injection by new owner Sam Hammam, and are now in a position to offer Marriott, 29, a better deal.

City chief Bobby Gould is so keen to sign the player, that he made a 650 mile round trip to watch him in action against Newcastle in Monday night's reserve team clash. Despite his solid form for the Black Cats' second string, Marriott is third choice at the club behind Thomas Sorensen and Jurgen Macho.

However, now that Danish international Sorensen has recovered from a knee injury, Marriott is no longer required at the club as cover, and he should be free to move.