BFC 1-1 Cardiff City, Tuesday 10th March 2026

’Steve Lowndes would wipe the f***ing floor with this lot.’

Well, I didn’t expect THAT. Not before the game, and definitely not 5 minutes after my entrance, as title-chasing Cardiff City open the scoring after yet another avoidable defensive mistake. Battling Barnsley are back! And, whisper it, a semblance of defensive organization, as we sit back second half in a low block and comfortably see out the draw.

Yes, I was late, Darrell, Nozzer and I prioritizing conversation (well, listening to Darrell) while supping deliciousness. Despite beating Exeter on Satdy, enthusiasm was low for yet another no-doubt dismal midweek outing at The Well. Don’t ever let me become an optimist. I’ll only be let down.

Yes, I was in my seat for 5 minutes before the ball sailed over Shepherd’s head at left back for the winger to control it and play it across for the inevitable tap-in. Whatthehell is Coach Conor doing giving this klutz a game? It’s bad enough that he was incapable of stepping back to get his head on the ball, but he also makes a pathetic attempt to cut out the subsequent cross. He is not a footballer. (Shepherd proceeds to have a very good game, actually.)

Loko makes a fair point about perhaps the goal being on Luca, O’Connell pointing at Connell to track the bloke who scores, but for me the goalscorer is for the centre half (O’Connell). I don’t blame Luca for trying to help out the hapless Shepherd instead. As it was, Luca was right, Shepherd wasn’t going to be capable in stopping the winger. Where Luca got it wrong was in perhaps not getting over quick enough.

Not long after, Bland fails to stop a cross from their left and it’s a free shot on the backpost for the Bluebirds. Thankfully, he’s too precise in keeping it down and it bounces over the bar. A let off. Luca and Bland then make a mess of it on the edge of our box and Goodman comes to the rescue. This could be a long nite.

But what’s this? We equalise soon after with another super team effort. Yoga wins the ball back (after giving it away in the first place, cunning) and plays Bradshaw down the right. His cross is drilled across goal. McG doesn’t get there, but takes 2 defenders with him, leaving Banks free behind him. The loanee controls it, steadies himself, and finds the bottom corner. Composure.

Then McG blazes one over from close range. Incredible. I would’ve put Reedy’s new house on him scoring. I wouldn’t mind, but in the Wycombe programme last week he described how when everything’s going in, you just have the confidence to hit it 1st time. It might also have been the first Reds goal I’m describing this season that involved Bland kicking the ball FORWARD, playing in O’Keeffe for the cross. Oh well, next time! (I won’t mention the highlights showing Bland again failing to cut out a cross, though the fact O’Keeffe was upfield means that Conor’s ‘total football’ tactics include central midfielders slipping into right back when Corey goes wandering/marauding.)

It’d been an entertaining half, very open, and we more than matched them. However, the second half seemed spent mostly in our territory, but without Cardiff ever threatening. Yes, Goodman pulled off the odd save, but nothing I wouldn’t expect any 3rd division goalkeeper to do. Our defensive positioning was its strongest all season. Even Cleary chased back to make the odd tackle after coming on! (Up there with hen’s teeth and Bland forward passes. Maybe the message is getting through.)

Yes, Coach Conor sent on the finishers...Cleary and Phillips (for Banks and Bradshaw) and hopes were high we’d become more attacking, but it never happened. The one shot we had on target (McG, edge of the box) I missed cos I’d gone to the toilet. (Goodman was injured.) But we battled, and it was great to see. Indeed, even the crowd responded, with a few rounds of ‘Come on you Reds’. Small steps, but it’s a start. Now, if we can win our (other) games in hand...

Onwards and upwards!

*** Goodman. Regulation saves, but what impressed me most was his coming out for catches and punches. Someone’s had a word.
** McGoldrick. If he could finish…he was everywhere. His all-round game (doesn’t ‘all-round’ include goalscoring?) was incredible, again. At one point I definitely had him down as our best defender and best midfielder.
* Yoganathan. Continues to grow into his attacking role.

Official MOTM: Goodman

Londontykes’ MOTM: 1. Yoganathan 2. MdG 3. McGoldrick

Despatches:
Do I have anything to add? Not really. Everyone played their part in nulling the Bluebirds. But thinking of future games, I wondered why yesterday, Barnsley FC were giving me ticket details for a game at Easter (Burton away) yet Northampton in a couple of weeks is strangely quiet on the ticket front. Turns out it’s international weekend. What will we do? Have it postponed if our international superstars are away and we’ve a mathematical chance of the play-offs? Or just play it? Northampton are getting relegated, and increasing the fixture pile-up might risk injury in the run-in. I know I’ve raged against games getting postponed this season, but these were HOME games, which also cost the club money. This time it’s costing Northampton money, so I’ve not especially got an opinion. Well, actually, I have. Just play it. S*** or bust. (Oh, and wasn’t Northampton home one of those games we chickened out of, only to eke a draw against them in the replay!?)

Drink du jour: Duvet Vous New England IPA at Heaven and Ale. Very nice.

Away: 977 (9,677). I’m sorry, but this bunch really are Mickey Mouse. Chasing the title, from a city of 600,000+, they bring less than a grand. ‘But it’s midweek and so far away.’ Shut up. They only bring 1500 on a good day. File under ‘teams I irrationally really really dislike’. It’s a long list.

The Damage:
£7 petrol
= £7

BFC 0-2 Cardiff City, Saturday 7th March 2020

‘I didn’t know that’s why they called Clive Baker ‘The cat’.

Welcome to ...

What a week to put in the most anaemic performance of the season.  Did nobody tell them our Championship future is on the line?  Honestly, you’d never believe we were fighting to avoid relegation.  It had end of season nothing to play for all over it.  We were pathetic.  We didn’t even manage a single shot on target.  At home.  Against Cardiff City.

Toby posing for the camera.

The only thing as bad as the players were the fans.  Not a single chant till halfway through the second half – so it came as some surprise to hear the PA tell the Ponty End off for inappropriate chanting.  None of us heard anything from the East Stand and Jonesy said he never heard any chants from where he sits in front of the usual suspects.  Rumour has it one fool had shouted something he shouldn’t, and BFC, after the James McClean debacle, need to be seen to act.

A racist, homophobic, nationalistic home end.  Not that I heard.

One set of fans who undoubtedly did chant nasty horrible things against our dear beloved country were Cardiff City.  But, really, it’s coming to something when Welsh people can’t chant ‘Ingerland is full of s***’.  I despair.  (On an associated note, I still wouldn’t have a problem with Cardiff joining the Welsh League, if they’re that bothered.)

I’d have certainly been irritated were I an away fan at nil-nil when we got away with MURDER.  Collins, under zero pressure, dropped a ball, their player nicked it and Collins simply took him out.  Penalty all day long, and a sending off to boot, given he made no attempt to get the ball.  The player himself would have had a tap-in to an empty net.  The officials gave a goal kick.  We looked a gift horse in the mouth and said ‘no thanks, we’re not interested.’

The Cardiff 'hordes'.

The goal was coming.  Everyone said it, and despite its scrambling nature, was fully deserved, despite a defender (Ben Williams?) clearing it off the line initially.  And while fans started to flood out with over a quarter of the game to go, Cardiff scored a second.  I was barely aware we’d kicked off after the first, but Halme still had time to allow a through ball to curl around him for Paterson to confidently score.  That’s two goals in two games he’s been at fault for.  Who’s coaching him?  Mads?

Hope has just climbed on that gift horse and is galloping out of town. 

Onwards and upwards!

*** Sollbauer.  Calm and measured.  Official MOTM.

** Ludewig.  Defence never looked in danger (!)

* No-one.  None of the rest looked interested.

Londontykes' MOTM:  1. No-one  2. Sollbauer  3. Ludewig

Nevermind a lack of chants...0-2 sees a lack of fans in the Ponty.  Pathetic.

Despatches:
I started the day in a bad mood anyway.  I can’t remember there being so many Dirty Leeds scarves in Kings Cross as there were on Satdy.  Are they doing well?  Why do we have to share a home game with them every week?  A new nadir this time round, as we’re on a table behind a bunch of them.  Only they’ve got a soundcube and they’re playing some godawful Dirty Leeds tune of theirs on it.  Fair play, they weren’t from round these parts.  But when they played it again, I had to have a word.  A message to the effect that it’s not just us who’re not interested in hearing it.  I was rather measured, if I say so myself. 

It was a lighter mood on the way back, possibly cos we had Nice Guy Chris with us.  Especially when he found out that Clive Baker was nicknamed ‘The Cat’ because he made miaow noises when in goal!  And we’d also had a good session in the Old #7.  You can’t let BFC (or Dirty Leeds) ruin a day out.

The players?  Don’t mention them to me.  The only one outside the top 3 who looked like he was trying was Brown…and he was still garbage.  Schmidt came on with 10 mins left and I took a sweep on how many touches he’d have.  2.  One to control it, one to pass it back to the keeper.  Hapless.  Special mention to for Ritzmaier...if I was being generous, I'd say the harder he tried, the worse he got.  As Loko said, he's never seen anyone play so poorly and survive three substitutions.'  We were that bad.

The old Main Stand.

Drink du jour: Leffe, Weihenstephaner, JD and Coke

Away: 820.  Big club, Cardiff.

The Damage:
£28 train
£25 home shirt
£15 3^rd strip shorts
= £68

The Tunes:
Euroleagues Podcast (BBC)
Classics (Dave Angel)
Coles Corner (Richard Hawley)

East stand panorama

Who doesn't want a BFC-Oxford half and half scarf?

Looking towards the away end.

The view from Blackfriars' Bridge, Satdy morning.

The detour to Oakwell.

BFC 0-0 Cardiff City, Tuesday 4th April 2017

‘Dogs Welcome. Please tie all children to the post outside.’

Town centre improvements/destruction continue.

If I wanted to watch paint dry, I’d have stayed in London.  But, tiring of coating the walls of my flat, I had to make a beeline for Oakwell and the midtable clash between the Super Reds and the Bluebirds. With one win in 11, I’d hate to miss it when we do finally win a game. I shouldn’t have worried.  It really was like watching paint dry.  Cardiff came for the draw and we’ve proved all season we can’t break down these teams, even with 72% possession.  

Heading towards Oakwell.

Early doors sounded exciting – but I was outside.  Dragging one’s self away from the pub is proving harder and harder these days.  I also killed a few minutes climbing the stairs to go in the upper tier.  With my dad not coming, it was a chance to enjoy a room with a view.  And it was nice to watch the sun set over Barnsley.  I struggle to remember owt on the pitch, as we allegedly kicked towards the Ponty. 

The Ponty v Cardiff.

Second half, we went close early on, a give-and-go from Janko resulting in him being able to get a shot off from the angle (saved) and Hammill’s follow-up being blocked.  It was a false dawn.  Cardiff happily ceded possession, got men back, and showed zero ambition in coming forward.  (Why?) Marley had a shot saved from the right, and later missed the chance of the match.  The ball sat nice for him on the bounce, 12 yards out.  All he had to do was pull the trigger, but instead, he elected to cut inside, where he lost it (the ball that is; his confidence in his shooting looks lost already).

The old Main Stand.

So there it was.  The only other entertainment lay in the ref’s handling of Bamba, a lumbering wreck of a defender who had disaster written all over him. Already booked, he dragged Scowen back as we broke (the BBC website says Bradshaw…maybe it was…but then again the papers said that late shot against Washday was Armstrong, when it was Hamill).  Where was I?  Oh yeah, the ref played advantage, none accrued, so he gave the free kick and while everyone is waiting for the inevitable 2^nd yellow, Bamba rolls around on the floor.  The physio comes on…the crowd are now getting restless…a few ‘off off  off’ chants (about the only chants of the nite, I might add)…and the longer it takes, the more you KNOW the ref is gonna bottle it.  Unbelievable.  Does he not want a promotion to the Premier League?  We’d have half an hour against 10 men, surely enough time for Cardiff to nick one on the break?

A sparsely populated away end.

Reds fans afterwards were also on the back of their keeper, who’d ‘wasted time’ in feigning injury early on.  Could said Reds fans (Molly was one) please note, the keeper went off at half time, injured And given he’d ran into Marley, I’m not surprised.

*** Janko.  Go on then.  Twitter MOTM, and the bloke next to me named him before the announcement.  Defended well, got forward, looked keen.  Perhaps he’s one loanee we might keep next year?
** Jones.  Another curveball. The left back impressed tonite, in particular going forward and getting a couple of shots off.
* Davies.  Ok, nought to do bar smothering a throughball and catching a couple of crosses, but after Satdy, a faultless display.

Londontykes' MOTM:  1. Janko  2. Jones  3. James

The view from up back.

Despatches:
Bradshaw again looked like a decent player in need of a partner up front.  Marley was allowed that grace once he was pushed up with sub Armstrong who didn’t even flatter to deceive this week. My new favourite player Kent got 20 odd minutes with which to impress.  And he certainly did that, losing the ball on the halfway line for their best break.  Though my personal fave was when he cut inside and beat one player, two players…before the 3^rd took it off him.  As predictable as day following night. Mowatt was crap again while James played some nice balls, but none of which threatened.  Scowen was his usual hare ‘em scare ‘em and possibly a contender for Top 3.  

Later, at Chez Salisbury, we tried to remember who our only home victories have been against since August.  Dirty L**ds, Blackburn and ……..Norwich City.

Oh well – it was a night out.  Unbeaten in 4 home games!  (Without a home win in 7.)

Onwards and upwards! 

Drink du jour: A cheeky red win on the train up, Erdinger in the pub...and a Baileys on the rocks at Salisbury's later!

Away: 183, according to the PA.  Never in a million years.  120 max.  It’s like claiming the crowd was 10,800.  Oh.

The Damage:
36 train

The Tunes:
Vulnicura (Bjork)
Trans Europe Express (Kraftwerk)
Tongue ‘n’ Cheek (Dizzee Rascal)
The Digging Remedy (Plaid)
So Tonight That I Might See (Mazzy Star)
Reading, Writing and Arithmetic (The Sundays)
Forever Gold (Patsy Cline)

Panorama v Cardiff.

Sunset over t'well.

183 away fans.  Allegedly.  These 'big' teams, eh!?

Cardiff City 3-4 BFC, Saturday 17th December 2016

Get the f*** in.  Everyone who was there witnessed a special, special match.  This team is incredible!!!!!!

‘Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I’ll give it to Heckingbottom’

The view from the away corner.

Unbelieveable (Jeff).  We go behind early doors, run them ragged, go in 3-1 up by the break (‘Should I cash out now or go for 6-1?’), throw it all away in a late collapse, then pinch it with an even later break as their lot get their little Welsh hopes up of the Great Comeback.  GET IN YOU F***ING BEAUTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!  As Molly said, we might have won 4-3 before (when?) but never in such circumstances as these.

It didn’t all start so brightly.  Yours truly made the age old mistake of chatting to Kempy on a street corner somewhere near the ground (but not near enough) and I got in just in time to see Cardiff swing in a corner on the screen in the concourse.  The roar from inside the stadium told me what happened next.  Yes, their bloke takes a step back and somehow has a simple header into an empty net.  Don’t we do marking?  Still, it means we’ll HAVE to score, so it rules out the cagey game.

I said to this Cardiff fan...'Oi!'

I find Andy, Molly, the Captain and Pompey and stand up near the back.  It’s a good atmosphere despite the early setback.  There is only one team in it – the Super Reds.  The game is mainly played up there, in the other half of the field but the equaliser, deserved as it was, comes out of the blue: Hourihane humps one in from wide right, Winnall drops off and somehow clears the keeper with a looping header.  Talk about slow-mo.  The keeper is wrong footed and the ball drops in the only place he could possibly score.  SSW does it again!!!!!!!!!!  My £50 looks shakier by the minute.

Cardiff make the mistake of trying to attack us and we rip them to bits on the break.  Scowen charges forward and we’re 3 on 1.  If he bothers to look to his right, he’ll send Bradshaw clear. He doesn’t. He plays it left to Kent, who gives it to Morsy to pull it across goal for SSW, in acres of space and aeons of time.  He coolly slots.  Cardiff look terrible, their only threat coming from corners.  Yet every time they get a corner, we look like we’ll pick them off on the counter.

'They're here, they're there, they're every f***ing where, empty seats, empty seats'

And it’s a counter which brings us our 3^rd.  We break down the left, Kent cuts inside and the touch (it later transpires it’s come off the defender) takes it past the onrushing keeper, who’s now in no-man’s land, as the ball rolls across the box for Scowen to stroke into an empty net.  Definitely the funniest goal of the day.  Reds fans jump around and hug each other. This game is surreal.

We calm down in the 2^nd half.  Like last week v Norwich, we try and concede an equaliser in the first minute, but they hit the post from close range.  Otherwise, it’s comfortable, without us going for the jugular. We start passing it around (as we do), taking the p*** out of them.  This never ends well.  And with 11 mins left they deliver another high ball in from the right.  Again we deal with it….then we don’t. Scowen (I think) scuffs a clearance straight to the one player in Cardiff’s side capable of banging it 1^st time with his left foot; Peter Whittingham.  Brilliant.  11 minutes to hang on.  

Stadium panorama

We retreat, deeper and deeper.  By now, Rickie Lambert is on for Warnock’s long ball wonders while Hecky has brought on Watkins to shore up midfield.  It’s not working.  Cardiff (and their fans) have woken up and smell blood.  We’re 86 mins in and the writing is on the wall, as they line up another free kick. I try to remain calm, telling Reedy that even if they score, we can still go on to grab a winner.  It’s that kind of day.  And it’s exactly what happened.

It’s now the 89^th minute and yet another corner comes in.  There must have been 20 players in that box and it’s too crowded for Davies to come out (not that he would anyway).  We lose another header and their player nicks it in front of Yiadom to equalise.  F***ing f*** f***.  We have thrown this game away.  I cannot understand how we have done this, so dominant were we.  And there’s still time for a Cardiff winner.  Depressed, demoralised….determined to make his half five train, The Captain leaves.

The home end.

Hecky takes a knackered Bradshaw off. He’s given everything.  On comes Ryan Williams.  Great. Just what we need.  Cardiff attack down the left and the ball is pulled back for the winner….but their lad lets it go across him cos he doesn’t have a left foot and the shot flashes wide of the right hand post.  I’ll tell you who WOULD have scored that: SSW!

Then a long ball out of defence finally finds one of ours (we couldn’t put a pass together in that last 20).  Winnall flicks it on with the outside of his boot and Marley is away down the wing. He drives between 2 defenders and shrugs them off with his strength.  He’s now in the box…surely not…surely he can’t….it’s an angle, but there’s a chance to score….but he pulls it across goal and Williams comes steaming in to sidefoot home.  PANDEMONIUM!!!!!!!!  We have nicked it.  Their lot are gobsmacked, we are jumping around like loons and we destroy what’s left of our voices screaming our heads off. Seriously, I came out of there with a headache, such was my own celebration.  F***ing brilliant.  Absolutely f***ing brilliant.  Even Molly was smiling.  The ref gives it another minute before we can do it all over again. Full time, 3-4, ‘Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells’ etc  Folk are laughing at what they have just witnessed.  ANOTHER great, great day for the Super Reds.  Another great, great day under Heckingbottom.  This man can do no wrong.

*** Christ, I don’t know.  Winnall.  Scored 2, played a part in the winner.  Moaned himself into the book.  Shook Geordie Al’s hand at Bristol station later.  Is there anything he cannot do!? 
** Davies.   Yeah, yeah, conceded 3, but you didn’t see the saves he DID make.  One, low to his left from a corner (obvs!) was world class.  Though the cameras problies enjoyed his dive for Whittingham’s longshot late on.
* Williams.  I cannot split the rest of them, so I’m going to give it to Sicknote himself, managing to run 10 yards for the first time in his Reds career without getting injured.  And making it a MERRY F***ING CHRISTMAS for Reds fans everywhere.  Do I love you? Indeed I do!!!!!!!!!!!

Party Time indeed.

Londontykes' Top 3:

1. Winnall

2. Davies

3. Kent

Despatches:
EVERYONE was magnificent in parts, everyone made mistakes.  That about sums it up.  But they dug deep and got the win in one of the best games I’ve ever seen.  A few chants at Warnock, though he never did return our plea for a wave.  3-1 up and 'Warnock, Warnock give us a wave' echoing around their shell of a ground.  Loved it.

Drink du jour: vodka and orange.  Decided not to bother SSW and Yiadom in 1^st class (after we shook hands on the platform, with the train coming in).  I’d have loved to tell Super Sammy to keep it up and prove me wrong (while telling Yiadom he’s destined for stardom even if Winnall isn’t).  Earlier, Andy found us a most excellent boozer, The Tiny Rebel (next to the Millenium Stadium) while afterwards he didn’t; one of at least 3 Wetherspoons I saw on my Cardiff travels.  It looked like another night of carnage in Cardiff city centre and I think we were all pleased to get out.

The Super Reds on the attack.

Away: Maybe the best part of 800.  We were certainly snug in our corner, while here, there and every f***ing where were empty seats (empty seats).  I hate this stadium. I hated it the 1^st time I came and since then they’ve added ANOTHER 6,000 empty seats.  Cardiff City – what’s the point?  Special mention to Barnsley FC, who provided the away end with Hecky masks, a letter commending our support at this expensive time of the year and a token for a free drink of our choice at the refreshment stand.  Nice touch.  (Though being late in, I missed all of it.)

Onwards and upwards!

The Damage:
23 travel
22 ent
3.70 steak pie

I’d tell you how much programmes were, but there weren’t any.  Mickey Mouse club.

Sean O'Driscoll's put some weight on...

Barnsley 1-2 Cardiff City, Saturday 24th November 2012

Another week, another defeat and despite 2 penalty claims being turned down, we really only have ourselves to blame.  For once, chances were created – not that you’d know it judging from match reports I’ve read which completely disregard the fact anyone but Cardiff City got a kick.  Dawson missed a sitter, arriving at the back post for an inch perfect cross, only to be taken by surprise and slice it wide.  I’m sorry, but if you’re gonna make the run, DON’T be surprised when the ball actually reaches you!  Then there was Tudgay’s miss before half time.  Being at the away end, I got the impression most Reds’ fans weren’t quite aware of how bad a miss it was.  A free kick was curled in and Tudgay looked 2 or 3 yards offside and flicked a header wide as if…he was offside and it didn’t matter.  But he wasn’t and it did.  2^nd half and Davies whipped in 2 balls across the box, the like of which he can only dream of being supplied himself.  As it was, no-one was there for one, and Tudgay only moved once it had gone passed him for the other.  Again, I know there’s a world of difference between a world class finisher like Lineker and a journeyman centre forward like Tudgay, but even I could teach Marcus something about gambling on the ball going into the right area and being there.  Or b) you could hide behind the defender like every other Barnsley FC centre forward has done in the last 20 years.

Then there were the goals conceded.  I’m sorry, Keith Hill, but I’ve seen enough of the Championship this season to see Cardiff scoring off corners.  The 2^nd was CRIMINAL.  I kid you not, I have seen Cardiff score this goal at least 3 times this season.  Whittingham bangs over a corner with his left, and while everyone goes with the Cardiff players in and around the 6 yard box, one guy peels off at the back post to nod home.  As for the 1^st, a simple header direct from the corner, Cardiff take advantage of the fact we don’t have a commanding centre half.  As much as I would like to blame the goalkeeper when a team scores from close range off a corner, Cardiff EVERY TIME put 4 (FOUR) players in and around the keeper.  Together with defenders, this means the keeper simply cannot come out and claim.  Fair play to Cardiff.  Every team (except us!) puts one player on the keeper, but this lot put half their team there.  PLus 3 others in the box.

As the manager did say though, the players let Steele down badly.  Both goals came from corners conceded from WORLD CLASS saves from Steele.  The 1^st one, their bloke turns our defender (McNulty?  Wiseman?) like he’s not there before Steele tips the shot wide. The 2^nd was even better.  Crainie, (having a nightmare at right back), tries to be clever and wants to rob their player of the ball rather than boot it into the stands.  Instead, he’s left looking like a fool as he himself has the ball robbed off him and their player strolls into the box.  It’s 2 on 1, them v us, their forwards v Steele.  The ball is squared to Helgusson who hits it firmly enough, but Steele somehow beats it away.  Helgusson’s reaction tells you what an unbelieveable save it is, cos he looks stunned.  To make up for his feelings, we let them score off the resulting corner.

*** Davies.  Big, strong, direct, gets shots off, even held the ball sometimes.  It was interesting that even with 2 men up front, it STILL felt like it was only Davies.  And Cardiff agreed, often putting 2, even 3, men on him when he had the ball.

** Greening.  Class act.  As Hill said, he has the discipline to keep his position and hold the team together.  Can also kick a ball 40 odd yards to a Reds player with EITHER foot, not the sort of ability I’m used to of a professional footballer at BFC.  Sponsors MOTM.

* Steele.  What can I say?  Made a few saves and not at fault with the goals.  Tho maybe my highlight, and a sad indictment of our style of play, was the 2^nd half kick off.  4 backward passes then Steele slices the ball into the Main Stand.  Start as you mean to go on and all.

Despatches:
I love Keith Hill.  He listens to the fans.  And after 2 months of me telling him we can’t afford to have a stroller like Mellis in central midfield, he drops him…to left midfield.  Oh well, at least he can’t do any harm out there.  To them OR us.  But at least he bags a tap-in as a multitude of defenders track the run of Davies and ignore our Jacob.  Who does FA else in the match, tho manages to get the ‘Football League Paper’ MOTM for us (6/10 since you ask).

On a Hill note, I read in last week’s Chronicle that Hassell has probably had his last game in defence for us, but is ‘still in the manager’s plans’ tho’ as a central midfield player.  So Hill blows that one apart by replacing an injured Perkins and out of form Mellis with on-loan Greening.  Can’t Sir Bobby take Hill to court on grounds of constructive dismissal?  Cos nothing, simply NOTHING will have Hill pick this bloke.  Wiseman could have his legs amputated and still get a game ahead of him.

As said, Crainie was appalling at right back.  Wiseman was dreadful too, tho I thought he improved once he and Crainie swapped positions halfway through the 2^nd half (the others disagreed – they thought Wiseman was the worst player on the pitch).  However, for me, the worst of the worst, whether was trying to defend, or pass the ball, or bring the ball out, was McNulty.  I thought he was outstanding for the most part of last season, and I’ll forgive him cos he’s just come back from injury.  (Tho’ someone said it was his 4^th game, so I take back that sympathy).

Despite the negativity of all the above, it was a pretty promising performance, much better than the Hudds and Forest games.  We got stuck into Cardiff in that last 20 mins and could’ve (should’ve?) got an equaliser.  2 penalty appeals at the Ponty were turned down. The 1^st looked nailed on to me, as Mellis shepherded the ball out of play and 2 of their guys just ran into the back of him.  Corner (of course).  The 2^nd one, when Golbourne looked like he was clipped, I wasn’t so sure about (maybe he slipped), but the Ponty and East Lower were in no doubt.  But my decision of the day was the ref booking their keeper for timewasting with TWO minutes left.  This keeper was at it from the minute Cardiff went in front.  (Note to Football League refs: a keeper may only hold onto the ball for a maximum of SIX seconds, otherwise it becomes an indirect free kick to the opposition from where the offence took place).  So, for a second home game in a row we have seen the opposition take the lead then timewaste their way to victory.  How depressing must the thought be that some teams must actually practice these tactics???

Other players:
Noble-Lazarus again looked keen when he came on.  Hill has noted an improvement in his attitude in training and it shows.  Rumour has it that it’s finally dawning on young Reuben that being a professional footballer is a far better option than the alternative – stacking shelves.

Buzaky – I’ve high hopes but he looked poor when he came on (central midfield).  Lack of match practice?  Anyway, he’ll come good by the time January comes round, allowing him to sign for a much better team than us.

Tudgay – I spoke to a Washday fan in the Old Number 7, who said that Tudgay doesn’t have much pace.  So don’t worry about him being slow, cos he isn’t going to get any faster.

The crowd was 8,200 with ‘669 Cardiff fans’.  There were NEVER 669 Cardiff fans.  I presume 200 of them bought tickets and never bothered.  I don’t know whether 500 is an appalling effort from a side at the top end of the division from a large urban conurbation, or a sad reflection on the state of the economy in this country.  Either way, I don’t suppose 28 quid to get in helps.

Drink du jour:  vodka and orange.  Despite it being a favourite of mine, it tasted a bit bland after the spiced rum exploits.  As ever, I fell asleep on my bus home and was woken up at the last stop by the driver.  I blame the extra pints in the Euston Flyer with Andy, watching Real Betis beat Real Madrid.

Oh, and for a 2nd match in a row, I arrange to meet someone outside Oakwell after the game and I stand in the cold and wet while they don't turn up.  Fair play to Hicksy tho, he sent me a text.  I might have even read it if my battery hadn't ran out!

Onwards and upwards!