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,…

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—and they have been back together in the Championship since the 2019-20 season! There have…

Cardiff City Women play in the Welsh Premier Women’s Football League, with games at the Cardiff International Sports Campus very near the stadium. But a bigger local team, Cardiff City Ladies, which used to be affiliated with the men’s club, is in the Women’s National League Division 1 at tier 4 of the English system. Their games are at the CCB…

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…

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….

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…