Bluebirds prepare for a Bank Holiday double header

Cardiff City travel to Nottingham Forest on Saturday for the first meeting between the clubs in over 26 years.

In fact it was on the 50th anniversary of out FA Cup win, April 23rd, 1977 that Peter Sayer scored the only goal of the game to see Cardiff City beat Forest on the day.

Remarkably Forest then went on a run that saw them unbeaten at home for a couple of seasons and in that time they won promotion from the old Div 2, the Divison 1 title the following season and then the European Cup. They actually were unbeaten in the next 51 league games at the City ground. Game 52 the run was broken when Brighton won on November 17th 1979, over 2 and a half years later. All of this under Brian Clough, who has a stand named after him at the City Ground.

The game on Saturday kicks off at 3:00pm. All Cardiff City tickets have been sold out and fans have been warned that ID cards will be asked for as well as the match ticket.

Just over 48 hours later Cardiff City make their first live appearance of the season on Sky. Derby County, like their neighbours Nottingham Forest, won a Division 1 title in the 70's, actually they won 2, the first of them in 1972 under? Of course it was the same manager, Brian Clough, who achieved titles with both clubs within the same decade. Clough is one of the few managers like Lennie Lawrence to have managed over 1,000 games. Lennie has a way to catch up though as Cloughie was the gaffer for 1319 matches, Lennie has a few seasons to go before getting to that stage. The teams last met in March 1986 in the old third division, Derby did the double over City that season. 2 - 1 at the Baseball Ground and 2 - 0 at Ninian Park.

The game at Ninian Park on Bank Holiday Monday is a 5:35pm kick off. Tickets can be purchased from the ticket office on 0845 345 1400.

Cardiff are likely to keep the same 16 that played against Bradford. Layton Maxwell, Jason Bowen and Stuart Fleetwood missed out on the last 16 places last weekend as Rhys Weston, Alan Lee and Richard Langley came into the squad. It is probably too soon for Peter Thorne, Gavin Gordon or Spencer Prior for Saturdays game but injuries pending they could be called upon for Monday but Lennie would prefer they get another game under their belts before returning.

City probable sqaud

Alexander, Weston, Vidmar, Gabbidon, Barker, Boland, Kavanagh, Whalley, Robinson, Earnshaw, Lee, Margetson, Collins, Bonner, Campbell, Langley.

More exact team / squad news when available.