Overview

Chronicling Cardiff City's momentous promotion campaign, from the controversial rebrand to the open-top bus tour of the city, celebrating the title and promotion to the Premier League. Profiling those involved and covering every game as the season unfolded.

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9781847717399

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The 2012/13 season was a momentous one for Cardiff City, ending in promotion to the Premier League after three consecutive heartbreaking failures in the play-offs. It would be the first time since 1962, a lapse of fifty-one years, that the Bluebirds would play in the top flight of British football, and the presence of their fierce rivals Swansea City in that division for the last two years provided an even greater incentive, if one was needed, to emulate their success. Cardiff has long been considered a 'sleeping giant', and with their new stadium completed in 2009, a wealthy Malaysian owner, and a large fan base, they would appear well-equipped to cope with Premier League survival and success. Since their promotion, they have also spent a considerable sum of money on strengthening their squad. Scott Johnson's very readable book, arranged in chronological monthly chapters, charts the ups and downs of their promotion season. Although they encountered a few hiccups on the way, they eventually managed to top the league in a fairly emphatic manner, winning 25 of their 46 games, drawing twelve and losing only nine. They amassed a total of 87 points, finishing comfortably ahead of runners-up Hull City in second place. Owner Vincent Tan certainly ruffled a few feathers on his way when he insisted on changing the traditional blue of Cardiff City to red, a colour which is considered to bring happiness and success in the Far East. This controversial move appeared to have alienated a large section of supporters, but the euphoria of promotion and a home win against mighty, big-spending Manchester City in their first home Premiership match appears to have diluted a lot of the initial opposition. The book includes a section of colour photographs which enhance the narrative. I would have liked to have seen the season's results collated in a tabulated appendix, together with additional details such as goal scorers and attendance figures, which would have been a very useful addition to the text. Swansea City's presence in the Premier League is said to have boosted the local economy by a staggering GBP58m; Cardiff's presence will undoubtedly have a similar, if not greater, effect. As a life-long Swansea supporter, I wish them well -- as long as they don't manage to overtake us as the leading club in Wales! Richard E. Huws It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgment should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council. Gellir defnyddio'r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatad Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru. -- Welsh Books Council

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