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The Boyz Are Back In Blue!

1/12/2015

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   In June 2012 the owner of Cardiff City FC Vincent Tan made the decision to rebrand the club.
   Last Friday he made the momentous decision to return our team to blue and next season, to restore the bluebird on our badge.
   I honestly thought this would never happen under his regime.
   What were the factors which lead to this ?
   Tan has claimed his mother, a devout Buddhist, told him to bring unity and togetherness back to the club.
   He has dismissed totally the influence of a long and hard-fought struggle on the part of the fans, which was going to be intensified over the coming months.
   Tan's rebrand was opposed from the beginning and , initially, he did state it wouldn't happen, only to go back on his word. He openly lied to the supporters.
   When it was instigated he actually said that red was his lucky colour, though it was widely reported that he had chosen red because it was lucky in the Far East.
   Many pointed out that Malaysia played in blue and that there was, in fact, a Malay bird called a bluebird!
   He also claimed that there would be a large demand for red shirts in the Far East, though this was illogical given the massive competition from Man. U, Arsenal and Liverpool.
   In other words, the rebrand made no sense from the start, especially as Tan claimed to lift the dragon emblem from the Welsh flag, thus creating more confusion.
   However, many fans accepted it as a condition for further investment in the club and, as long as we were successful, were prepared to go along with it.
   Others boycotted the club instantly, believing it had become the plaything of a billionaire and ceased to belong to them in any way.
   I chose to stay on but join in every protest to return to blue and also the badge.
   I believed - ' Without our history we are nothing....we might as well be machines!'
   Free red scarves were handed out at our home game v. Brighton on Feb. 2013 and a number took them only to fling them onto the field.
   We were divided almost 50/50 and even friends were in opposition over the rebrand.
   One friend believed that Tan's threats to pull out were genuine and never acknowledged that all his investments were loans which the club would one day have to pay back with interest. 
  Tan promised to convert the debt to equity and he has never done so, thus ensuring that we are in the same precarious situation which existed under Sam Hammam.
   That same friend eventually came round to joining the 'back to blue' cause.
   The sacking of manager Malky Mackay (which, in retrospect, was perfectly understandable) seemed at the time all part of Tan's megalomania and the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - who never stood up to the owner - proved a disaster.
   This season, the attitude amongst the vast majority of fans has changed radically.
   Being cynical, our lack of success certainly gave those who'd embraced the rebrand an excuse to change.
   From being divided, we became united behind the call for blue to be restored and the loudest chant during the games was on 19 minutes 27 seconds with - 'We're Cardiff City / We'll always be blue!'
   Brentford fans made themselves very popular by joining in.
   All the fans' organisations played their part, from the Supporters' Club to the Trust; but it was the group called Bluebirds Unite , led by Sian Branson, who were the most driven and passionate.
   They were all present at the meeting last Thursday night and articulated their views with such fervour and emotion that chairman Dalman and chief exec. Choo couldn't help but be impressed.
   Fan power was the most important factor in this.
   The cumulative effect of protests, boycotts and a campaign not to renew season tickets was destroying any credibility in the club.
   Manager Russell Slade (who'd replace Solskjaer) began to argue two weeks ago that the atmosphere at our stadium was seriously  affecting  the players and Slade's own influence on Tan's decision cannot be underestimated.
   The commercial side of the club was being hit really hard.
   Red shirts sales were minimal and, in recent months, even the most ardent season ticket holders stopped going, which affected match-day revenue. 
  After last Thursday's very positive meeting - which avoided direct criticism of Tan, but unanimously urged a return to blue and our traditional crest - the owner had no choice.
   If he  had continued with red he would've been completely isolated, without even the support of chairman and chief executive, let alone manager and team.
   There is a strong argument mooted that Tan is preparing to sell up. Certainly, he hasn't attended one game all season ( after professing to have fallen in love with the sport).
   The appointment of a manager with no Championship experience on a lower salary, the sale of assets like young Norwegian international Mats Daehli  and the signing of players out of contract this year for small fees, hardly suggests that Tan sees the Premiership as a goal.
  He has collected football clubs like Solskjaer did players and it may be that the return the blue is a plan to make us more commercially viable before he gets out. 
   There have been many rumours of consortia , but nothing absolute.
   Ultimately, the club was on a rapid downhill descent adorned in red and, as  a businessman Tan must've listened to Dalman and Choo and looked at the figures.
  The idea of his mam saying - 'Little Vinnie, the bird builds nests and the dragon burns them down!'......makes as much sense as his early question  about why David Marshall (our keeper) didn't score more goals! 
  The real respect and thanks should be given to all those fans who campaigned, protested, wrote to the Malaysian press and even got banned for raising banners of dissent.
   The story of our return to blue is all about the remarkable power of supporters to make a difference to the club they love and to win back an identity which should never have been taken away.


       I wrote this poem just after the Board meeting last Friday and the announcement of our return to blue.


                             BLUEDAY


For this Saturday, just for once
I'll be celebrating even if we lose.


For me, y diwrnod glas,
the happiest of bluedays.


Cynicism will be left behind
in the fog of the dank hills;


because we are one again
team and fans reunited


in sound and motion, a place
reclaimed but also grown.


Once again WE without wariness ;
smiles returning, birds from another clime.






       
1 Comment
s w c
1/12/2015 06:57:27 am

Great read. You sound blue through and through :-)

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