Biggest game of our lives?

21 May 2010 13:12
The FA Cup final was the most prestigious game I've seen Cardiff City play in. This surely must be the biggest for many other reasons. The money is the first thing that's mentioned. £96m this game is worth. £48m for being in the Premier League and if you get relegated after one season you get four more "parachute payments" over the next four years worth £12m a season.But it's more than that. I don't think we quite realise just how big a step winning tomorrow will mean. It's not just being on Match of the Day each week or the many live Sky games. It's about Cardiff City FC being exposed to a global market.TG, Vincent Tan and the Malysian investors may just have committed to spending the best £6m they ever spent. Not only would Cardiff City in the Premier League mean Cardiff, The Valleys and Wales taking an interest. We are talking the rest of the world as well. Premier League football has a worldwide interest.10 years ago Cardiff City were relegated to League 2 - the 4th level of the football league structure - one step away from non league football. Along came Sam Hammam and rattled the cages in South Wales like no one had before. Within 5 years we had two promotions, signed million pound players and were established in the Championship.Sam left, he had his bad times as well as the good times and if the club were to move on then Sam had to leave. In stepped Peter Ridsdale and Dave Jones took over as manager.Since then the team has improved and after a really low period at the end of 2007 has developed into a strong Championship outfit. Two trips to Wembley followed. At the same time the door was unlocked to build the new stadium. Peter Ridsdale represented a more credible person to deal with in getting the stadium built. Again Ridsdale had faults, and I think we'll find out a lot more afer he leaves the club next week - I don't think it'll be pretty, but the Stadium was built.Financial wrecklessness has been the weakness of the club in the last decade but without it I don't think we'd be where we are today. Rollercoaster, huge gamble, luck, insanity - all could describe where we find ourselves.So 10 years after the club hit one it's lowest ever ebbs it can realise a dream that none of us could ever imagine. A club that is actually ready to take the step up to the top table. A club with facilities to do it justice, a club with new owners who look like they could actually want to develop the club further on a secure financial footing.Blackpool stand in our way. Hats off to them. Ian Holloway has been brilliant for them and they will be thinking similar thoughts about the promised land, loads of money and trips to Old Trafford and Anfield.This all comes down to one game of football. Drama of the highest order for a reward as big as anything we can imagine.This time though, I hope in all my dreams that it's Cardiff's turn. We have served a seven year stretch in the Championship and it's turning into an itch to move on. Prior to 2003 we had 6 promotions or relegations in the previous 11 seasons. We have bided our time. Built our infrastructure and we are ready. Opportunity doesn't knock that often and when it does you must take it.People lived and died inbetwen City's visit to Wembley in the FA Cup. Tragically people have lived and died since we last played in the top league as well. The last time we played Division 1 or Premier League football as it is now was before the Beatles had had a hit record. Elvis Presley was top of the pops and the swinging sixties had barely started to rock.Our footballing lives are on the verge of change. One last effort to deliver our football club to a level of exposure that we have no idea about.We are Cardiff City. And we're going to Wembley. And hopefully the Premier League.Share |

Source: FOOTYMAD