September Newsfile

Newsfile Archive

Report from today's Telegraph.
A CROWD of 72,000 assembled at the Millennium Stadium for Wales's opening Rugby World Cup match against Argentina. What few of them will have known is that they were seated where once stood the modest terraced house of a man whose imagination, and persistence, for more than 30 years upstaged rugby's pre-eminence in South Wales.

Today is the 100th anniversary of the first association match played by the amateur football section of Riverside Cricket Club (annual membership fee half a crown), who were to become, within eight years, the fully professional Cardiff City in the South Wales and Monmouthshire League. And who, within another 12, had joined the Football League Second Division.

Much of the social history of Britain over the past 200 years is closely linked with sporting clubs, so often the inspirational work of anonymous, long-forgotten figures. Bart Wilson, Cardiff's founder, beavered, begged and bullied to create what was to become one of Wales's most famous institutions, built on a corporation refuse site, where the players received a bonus of 6d an hour for clearing glass from the pitch.

Wilson's energy and enterprise were legendary, and he served the club long into retirement. When he died aged 84, in 1954, a thunderstorm flooded the graveyard, his coffin floating and obliging postponement until the following day. "The old sod, he won't go," a mourner observed.

At the burial next day, the headstone was mislaid, and for 45 years Wilson lay in an unmarked grave. It was rediscovered last year, overgrown by weeds, by Grahame Lloyd, author of an informative centenary history, C'mon City: a turgidly stagnant title for a worthy story for which the editor, in succession to 27 managers, should receive a red card.

Following their first Southern League match against Ton Pentre, the Western Mail stated: "This must have gone far to complete the conversion of the many rugby enthusiasts who witnessed it."

In 1924, Cardiff played their final First Division match against Birmingham, needing to win to take the title. Len Davies missed a penalty and Huddersfield, managed by Herbert Chapman, were champions on goal average by the tiniest margin yet: 0.024 of a goal. The following year Cardiff lost the FA Cup final to Sheffield United, and in 1927 became the only club to take the cup out of England, beating Arsenal 1-0.

In the front row of Wembley's royal box, the Lord Mayor was told by the King: "Don't mind me, you cheer as much as you want."

The historic winning goal, 17 minutes from time, came from Hughie Ferguson, who scored 271 goals in 281 matches. His shot, deflected by a defender, screwed out of the grasp of goalkeeper Dan Lewis - who just happened to be Welsh.

In the Thirties, life turned downhill, but by 1947 the club were winning the Third Division (South) title, once more with crowds of 50,000. Welsh rugby's re-ascendancy was still some way off. Promotion to Division One was gained in 1952, under Cyril Spiers, and in 1960 under Bill Jones. I was among the 50,000 when Tottenham's Double team were halted 3-2, the winner coming from Derek Tapscott.

Then came 11 years of leadership from Jimmy Scouler during which, in 1971, Brian Clark enjoyed his, and one of the club's, finest moments, heading the Welsh Cup winners into a first-leg lead over Real Madrid. Heady days.

What more appropriate for the centenary than that Cardiff should have gained their ninth promotion, under the guidance of another of those undemonstrative figures who make the British game: Frank Burrows, nominated by Kevin Keegan in his all-time XI of dependable, loyal club players.