Cardiff Match

[The Laughing Bluebird]

Hammam's prancing about in our section was beyond belief.

Why? Was he playing a recorder?

 

[RickofBHAFC]

I have been to Cardiff on the last 3 occasions - it's an intimidating place and the last visit was the worse. However I believe that things have substantially improved since the infamous Leeds FA cup game at NP. The car park is now segregated for away fans and well patrolled by police.
The only reason I will not be attending on this occasion is because my firm have refused my leave application.
Cardiff is a good place to go because we usually get a result (my 3 visits have resulted in 3 draws - 2-2, 1-1, 1-1) and this time round we may go one better and get the 3 pts as our away form is pretty good and Cardiff are probably struggling more than on any of the previous 3 occasions we've met them!
Read on some of the previous posts about the intimidating wait inside the ground for upto an hour afterwards - my advice is get out the ground straight away at the end. This is when the streets are the busiest and the police presence the strongest. Although intimidating I didn't encounter any problems on 3 previous visits so get along and cheer the boys on!

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

I don't think away fans are kept in at all these days unless it is a high-profile game such as Leeds, West Ham, etc.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I don't think away fans are kept in at all these days unless it is a high-profile game such as Leeds, West Ham, etc.

In fairness, on our last visit, we were not kept in the ground. It was more that you could not safely get out of the ground.

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

In fairness, on our last visit, we were not kept in the ground. It was more that you could not safely get out of the ground.

The regular routine back in 2001 was for hundreds of nutters to mill around outside the ground and in the car park after the game until the police attempted to move them on. Then all hell would break loose.

These days, there are CCTV cameras in the streets outside the ground and in the car park, which seem to have sorted that particular problem out. Also the policing and stewarding around the ground and in the car park have all been greatly improved, as has the actual car park itself.

 

[Uncle Buck]

The regular routine back in 2001 was for hundreds of nutters to mill around outside the ground and in the car park after the game until the police attempted to move them on. Then all hell would break loose.

These days, there are CCTV cameras in the streets outside the ground and in the car park, which seem to have sorted that particular problem out. Also the policing and stewarding around the ground and in the car park have all been greatly improved, as has the actual car park itself.

I am going with a reasonably open mind to this one, but due to previous visits, I will be keeping an eye out.

Also suspect the walk back to the station can still be fun.

 

[Mellingriffith]

Paddy B - Your wrong on all acounts about an away friendly pub in Cardiff.

The Lansdowne Hotel in Canton has had numerous visting supporters mixing with Bluebird supporters on match day.

The pub is run by Roger a staunch Cardiff City fan and the pub is a bit of a shrine to all things CCFC etc.

There are no pubs in the immediate vacinity of Ninian Park the nearest being the Nininan Park BUT that is for home fans only.

There are pubs in Grangetown 15 mins walk but they are normally favoured by the Stone Island brigade (from what I have been told)

Likewise the pubs in Canton with an exception of a few ( I normally drink in the Ivor Davies and there have been a few away fans in colours this season again there has been no problems)

If I was a Brighton fan coming to Cardiff by train I would stick to the City Centre and get a taxi to the ground.

If I was coming by car I would arrive early and head for Cardiff Bay were there are numerous bars and resataurants on the waterfront or stop 15/20 mins somewhere of the M4 eg Whitchurch/Tongwynlais/Taffs Well/Rhiwbina and then park up in the club car park adjacent to Ninian Park.

The council owned car park is now tarmaed, CCTV, Floodlit, and the away coaches are segregated there is also a more visible presence of "Heddlu" as well.

As for being detained inside Nininan Park after the match it is a possibilty the reason being is that Sloper Road is the only exit road away from ground on which fans converge (Ninian Park is a tired old lady and not really up to holding big crowds hence the reason why we are having a new stadium at Leckwith)

A lot will depend on the amount fans that you bring Heddlu have deemed it easier to clear home fans away from Sloper Road before letting way fans cross Sloper Road to their coaches and cars.

I am not naive to suggest that the "problem" has disapeared totally from Ninian Park BUT things have got a lot better in recent seasons.

Anyway best of luck, glad that BZ does not play for BHA anymore the lad had a canny lack of scoring against us in the lower divisions.


PS

Hope you get Falmer sorted

 

[The Wookiee]

Whats the pub called that you drive past, after turning left out of the car park, as you leave the car park at the furthest exit from the ground ?

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

Whats the pub called that you drive past, after turning left out of the car park, as you leave the car park at the furthest exit from the ground ?

Are you talking about leaving the car park via the exits facing the ground?

 

[eastlondonseagull]

PS

Hope you get Falmer sorted

Nice one Mellingriffith, thanks mate. Think I will be doing this one, probably on the train.

 

[The Wookiee]

Are you talking about leaving the car park via the exits facing the ground?

With your back to the ground, it would be the exit in the top right hand side of the car park.

 

[Mellingriffith]

By the sounds of it you have got yourself lost! Turn left and your heading for Penarth the pub in question would be The Merry Harriers in Llandough just down the road from Llandough Hospital.

Actually it would be a good choice for a quiet pint about 5 min drive from the car park and its a Brains pub!

Laughing Bluebird if you were on that bus (Fat Nicks) at MFC a few seasons back we have probably had a pint or two watching CCFC at sometime.

Best wishes.

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

Laughing Bluebird if you were on that bus (Fat Nicks) at MFC a few seasons back we have probably had a pint or two watching CCFC at sometime.

The Wookie's got me confused too. I don't know what pub he's on about. Can't picture the route at all.

I was on THAT bus to Millwall, so no doubt we have met. It was scary at the time, but quite funny looking back on it now. Being parked up a lane outside the Millwall end was probably not the best place to be after the game. In fact, travelling to that game by coach was a pretty dull idea in the first place! But we survived. Just.

 

[saltash seagull]

i went last time and lets just say i was a little relived to get out afterwards and that was with them scoring a late equaliser! good knows wat would av happened otherwise!

but i'll be there

 

[The Wookiee]

The Wookie's got me confused too. I don't know what pub he's on about. Can't picture the route at all.

Perhaps I am confusing myself with the exit, but it definatley was not the exits opposite the ground as these were closed.

As We left the car park we turned left, and I am certain we passed a pub on the left hand side, I carried on and we eventually came to the motorway.

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

As We left the car park we turned left, and I am certain we passed a pub on the left hand side, I carried on and we eventually came to the motorway.

No pubs on the left. The athletics stadium, some bushes, a roundabout and you're straight onto the dual carriageway that takes you back to the motorway.

There is road to the left as you approach the roundabout, but there are no pubs there either. All of the buildings are industrial or retail units of one sort or another.

 

[Brixtaan]

No pubs on the left. The athletics stadium, some bushes, a roundabout and you're straight onto the dual carriageway that takes you back to the motorway.

There is road to the left as you approach the roundabout, but there are no pubs there either. All of the buildings are industrial or retail units of one sort or another.

Sounds gorgeous.

 

[Hydro Driven]

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

Sounds gorgeous.

Yes indeed. The strange thing is that the area to the left when you leave the car park is the site where the new stadium retail park will be built. There is sod all there at the moment. And yet that's the area the Wookie saw this mysterious pub. Which almost certainly doesn't exist.

Drugs are my guess......

 

[Brixtaan]

Yes indeed. The strange thing is that the area to the left when you leave the car park is the site where the new stadium retail park will be built. There is sod all there at the moment. And yet that's the area the Wookie saw this mysterious pub. Which almost certainly doesn't exist.

Drugs are my guess......

So it's not all bad.