Cardiff City

Cardiff City was founded in 1899 as a way to keep cricketers in shape during the winter, a common story among football clubs. They made the Football League in 1920 and had a good run there, making the First Division in 1921 and twice finishing runner-up in the league, once by a goal average of .024 per game. They played in two FA Cup finals, winning it in 1927; a statue of that team’s captain, Fred Keenor, is outside the stadium.

They dropped quickly after that, nearly going out of the league in the 1930s, and they became essentially a lower-league team for decades. They spent a few unimpressive years in the First Division, but as recently as the 1990s they were down in the Fourth Division. Since they kept winning the Welsh Cup, they qualified for various second-tier European competitions, and they made the semifinals of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in the 1960s. Eventually forced to make a choice, they abandoned the Welsh Cup for the FA Cup in 1995.

It was in 2000 that another familiar theme came along: foreign investment. A Lebanese owner pumped in lots of money, got Cardiff City to the second tier and into an FA Cup final (they lost), but left them with terrible debt. He sold to a group from Malaysia led by an apparently interesting character named Vincent Tan. He decided that after 114 years playing in blue, Cardiff City—the Bluebirds, remember—should play in red. He said this was to increase their international marketing appeal. The fans revolted, but Tan owns the club. It took three years and, he said, some advice from his mother to change them back to blue.

Cardiff made the Premier League in 2013, were relegated the next season, made it back in 2018, lasted one year in the top tier again, and have been in the Championship ever since—until this past season…

2024–25 SEASON: 24th in the Championship (relegated), 5th Round FA Cup, 2nd Round League Cup

2025–26 SEASON: League One (relegated in 2025)

Cardiff aren’t fond of either of the Bristol clubs (which is called the Severnside derby, for the local river) or nearby Newport County, but they rarely play the latter. However, the South Wales derby with Swansea is one of the most intense rivalries around; sadly it’s off for this season as they are in different leagues.

There have been some notable events in this one. In 1988 Cardiff won away at Swansea, and a group of their fans was chased into the sea after the game. In 1993 Swansea fans at Cardiff tore out and threw chairs at their hosts, who then invaded the pitch. This resulted in the derby being the first fixture in British history to have away fans banned for several years. You’ll still see Swansea players celebrate goals with a swimming motion, by the way.

Here is more in the South Wales Derby.

Cardiff City Women play in the Adran Premier League, with games at the Cardiff International Sports Campus very near the stadium. They are the two-time defending champions of that league and will once again be in the Women’s Champions League this season.

There’s one called “I’ll Be There” that’s an ode to the coal mining days. As near as I can tell, the only part they sing is “With my little pick and shovel, I’ll be there.” They sing “You Are My Cardiff ” to the tune of “You Are My Sunshine.” They also have more than one about Swansea, including one about people there eating rats.

Cardiff City Stadium replaced Ninian Park as the club’s home in 2009. It holds 33,280 and is yet another example of a not-too-inspiring new stadium. However, Cardiff City fans can make a lot of noise.

The away fans will be in the corner between the Ninian and Grange Stands, so if you want a good view of them, sit on that side of the Grandstand. The loudest Cardiff fans will be in the opposite end in the Canton Stand.

TOURS: Stadium tours cost £35 and can be booked on the club’s website.

GETTING THERE: The closest train station is Ninian Park, which is five minutes away. Trains run there every half hour from Cardiff Central; it’s four minutes and £2 on a train bound for Radyr. You can also walk from Cardiff Central in about 25 minutes or take bus 95. After the game, the club runs a free coach to Cardiff Central; look for it in the circle near the statue of Fred Keenor, or just ask a steward.

PUBS: There is not much good out by the stadium unless you are walking out from the center. In that case, look for The Ivor Davies and The Canton Cross Vaults, both along Cowbridge Road near Leckwith Road, which is where you turn south for the stadium. There is one uninteresting pub at the stadium, The Sand Martin, but they only serve drinks if you are sitting down and having a meal.

In town, there are some great options. Look for huge crowds of Bluebirds at the old-fashioned Queens Vaults, the more modern O’Neill’s, and in particular at The Borough Arms. All those are right along the high street.

GRUB: Again, it’s all about eating in town. Check out some of the arcades (basically covered shopping streets) in town for good options, and pop into the Cardiff Market, open since 1891, for, if nothing else, some traditional Welsh cakes. If you go out to the Bay (see Around Town below) there are more options out there.

AROUND TOWN: Cardiff Castle is the main attraction in town and just a few minutes’ walk from the station. It was built in the 11th century on Roman ruins, and in the 17th century it became the home of a series of marquesses, which is something like a duke. There are self-guided tours of the grounds as well as guided tours of the home and clock tower.

The National Museum of Art is highly rated and includes the largest collection of Impressionist works outside of France. Cardiff Bay, once one of the great coal-exporting ports in the world, has been redeveloped with restaurants and bars; a boat tour out there is recommended and can be booked on the spot. All of this is connected by the usual Hop-On Hop-Off bus, which you can pick up at the castle.

Also, check online for specialty tours to book ahead, like a Cardifferent Historic Pub Tour, a Castle Connoisseur Tour, and various food tours. Check as well to see if Street Food Circus is on. It moves around the city during nice weather.