What You Don’t Know About… Cardiff City

In partnership with

Hooligan Soccer

·9 January 2025

What You Don’t Know About… Cardiff City

Bluebirds. Blades. Bramhall Lane. This alliteration of “B’s” is boisterously bonkers. This battle between Championship-level teams will be the first Cup match for both. We’ve gathered together some trivia and facts about Cardiff… so you don’t have to.

They were founded in 1899 as Riverside A.F.C.
They changed their name to Cardiff City in 1908
Their nickname is “The Bluebirds” (see above pic), in part because of the bird on their crest and because their home colors are traditionally blue and white. They also have featured the Welsh dragon at times.
Between 2012-15 they switched to a red and black kit. Nobody liked this.
They are the only non-English club to have won the FA Cup, in 1927.
They also won the Welsh Cup in 1927, making them the only club to hold national cup titles for two different countries in the same year.
A celebration called “The Ayatollah” is performed by club supporters. It involves having both hands flat pointing at each other above the head, and moving them up and down in a patting motion.
Their main rival is Swansea City, against whom they contest the South Wales Derby.
Since WWII, they have spent only 11 years in the top flight, and spent 18 years in the 3rd and 4th tiers between 1985-2003.
Their starting goalkeeper, Ethan Horvath, is American.
Cian Ashford, a 20 year-old Welsh midfielder, was the first goalscorer of the Third Round after he stripped the ball from Sheffield United defender Rhys Norrington-Davies, driving into the goal box and coolly dispatching the shot past the keeper.