Cardiff City: Alexander, Weston (34, Anthony), Barker, Collins, Gabbidon, Croft (81, Perry), Boland (81, Young), Langley (61, Ledley), Parry, Lee (69, Fleetwood), Earnshaw
Birmingham City: Maik Taylor (45, Bennett), Johnson, Clapham (61, Sadler), Cunningham (61, Motteram), Martin Taylor, Clemence (45, Kilkenny), Savage (45, Carter), Hughes, Barrowman (45, Morrison), Forssell (45, John), Sisic (trialist).
The game was a gentle, meaningless end of season wind-down which like the start of season testimonial, had myself and many others wondering what exactly we were doing
there. It is nothing more than blind loyalty but that's what football and football clubs do to you, isn't it?
City played the first teamers available to them and finished with three youth players and ex-players Psycho Jason Perry in midfield and Scott Young in attack. Birmingham brought the nucleus of the Premiership side and used mostly Premiership quad players when they made second half changes too.
The reason for this 'out of the blue' testimonial announced last month remains a mystery. At best, it was bizarre. Len didn't serve 10 years at City nor finish his career early due to illness or injury, the accepted standard for a testimonial.
Indeed he was manager here for little more than 3 years. His first spell saw him take City to what is now Division One in 1985 (the last manager to do that until Lennie) until he deserted us for Sunderland. His far less successful spell in 1991, when the club were in a real trough, saw him steer City into the basement of Division Four (now
Three).
The best suggestions for the testimonial were that it was to acknowledge him serving 50 years in football, another was that it was to say farewell as he moves to the North East after living, another that it was because he was retiring, another was that is was something to do with him moving from South Wales after quarter of a century.
Who knows? Conspiracy theorists suggest it was something to do with David Sullivan's, Birmingham's Penarth porn baron born Bluebird admirer/teaser, or
that it was a footie equivalent of a Selling Stakes putting Earnie and Gabbs
in the shop window against Premiership opponents. It may even have been
arranged for Len Ashurst having 15 years of running a successful trophy shop
in Llandaff Road or.perhaps, celebrating his bushy eyebrows, the most
distinguished ever seen at Ninian Park until Sam Hammam claimed the crown
off him. Whatever the reason, Uncle Len split the take 50/50 with the local Noah’s Ark charity committed to building a Children’s Hospital in the area, a nice touch.
Testimonials in the modern game however, and their popularity, have waned considerably and are generally less palatable to football fans. Even at Cardiff City, we now know average players can earn towards £500,000 each year. Most of us have to settle for a badge, certificate or minor award for 5, 10 or 25 years’ service. It does
seem a bit rich to stump up £10 out of our pockets to someone infinitely better off than most of us can hope to be. And the cost of watching regular football these days is so heavy that it is tough to expect many to find more money at a time they have to work out many hundreds of pounds for their new season ticket.
The pricing was hardly attractive either. Only the Family Stand, Grandstand and Lower Grandstand Grange End were open. It was £10 for adults (£15 in the centre blocks) and £5 for kids (£2 in the Canton/Family Stand). To take a family group to what is essentially a non-event, with no special offers, was off putting to many too.
It's not being negative or miserable, it reflects the general feeling otherwise how can you explain the crowd being just 2,456 which including 26 visiting fans in the Grange End surrounded (heavens knows why) by 4 police and half a dozen stewards on a humid evening on the hottest day of the year so far with temperatures hitting mid-70’s and Cardiff apparently the hottest city in the UK for the third day in succession.
It’s just so Cardiff City that even with this low a crowd, it was still a struggle to make the game before kick-off. There was no pay on the gate and tickets could be bought from the ticket office or a portakbin near the club shop. Both had long queues, the portakbin queue snaking back into Sloper Road.
Anyway, onto the game. Lennie was away (as was Sam I believe) leaving Butterworth and Wilkinson to run the bench. The starting line up was Alexander, Weston-Gabbidon-Collins-Barker, Croft-Langley-Boland-Parry, Earnie-Lee. Quite a few players were injured, away or preparing for international duty so these seemed to be the only first teamers available. The bench consisted of youth players plus Perry and Youngie.
Both sides wore 1 to 11 rather than their squad numbers, I missed the tannoy announcement of the Birmingham side so you could only identify those you know. Robbie Savage was instantly recognisable of course (although someone thought he was Beckham with his hair tied up!), their keep was Ian Bennett and others starting included Bryan Hughes, Jamie Clapham, Matthew Upson, Mikael Forsell.
The opening period was rarely entertaining to watch. Players were largely going through the motions and there was no tackling, no blood and thunder. If players collided with the ball, they often both stopped, almost apologised to each other
and waited to see which was it fell before carrying on.
There was some good football to enjoy though. City passed and moved well, Crofty did surprisingly well in midfield and was awarded City’s player of the match and Willie Boland showed that his passing has improved 100% over the season.
Chances were at a premium with neither side really registering a shot on target until near half-time but City went close on a couple of occasions, the best when Earnie met a cross field ball at the far post and fired first time back across goal at an angle missing the far post by a fraction. One smart move saw Birmingham cut open through the middle and Boland side step two or three defenders but as the goal opened for him, he went wide and the opportunity was gone. The main excitement came when Croft, Collins, Langley and Gabbidon took off on exciting 60 to 70 yard bursts.
Rhys Weston had to depart after 25 minutes having appeared to pull a hamstring. The boy really does seem to be becoming injury prone. He missed half the season with what always seemed to be leg injuries. Youngster Byron Anthony replaced him and did reasonably well too.
Birmingham, at times, showed invention and some dazzling touches and flicks but never converted that into a shot in anger. The only mild entertainment came when Savage did the ayatollah before a corner.
The deadlock was broken on 42 minutes with a goal as soft as the game had been. City attacked well but Birmingham won control of the ball on the edge of their area. Savage took it within the “D” and rolled a pass back to his keeper not realising EARNIE was behind him, he collected the ball and coolly despatched it wide of Bennett. 1-0, somersault, thank yew very much and Savage whispering something to him light-heartedly probably wanting credit for his assist.
Half-time: CITY 1 BIRMINGHAM 0
Len Ashurst appeared on the pitch half-time but there was no sign of ex-players Jeff Hemmerman, Carl Dale, Nathan Blake and co as pre-publicity claimed. Blakey probably had his excuses having been released by Wolves earlier in the day which, no doubt, makes him an immediate City target ... so the media will tell us tomorrow.
Birmingham, playing in yellow, made interval changes by introducing Stern John and Clinton Morrison for Savage and Forsell. I do not know if Darren Carter, a supposed City target played. If he did, he didn’t particularly stand out. Birmingham however upped the ante a little and started to make opportunities but found Neil Alexander back to his confident, assertive best after a season when he completely lost those qualities.
Taking high balls and far post balls under pressure and getting behind every shot, Alexander stood out. One save from a Stern John 25 yard screamer destined for a top corner was stunning. Even so, he was aided by Morrison putting free headers wide of target on two occasions.
When City made changes on the hour, youth player Joe Ledley getting a midfield run, you feared we would get overpowered but City did well. Ledley in fact nearly set up a goal with his first touches, his cross just cut out before reaching Earnie.
Alan Lee was decent in his bits and pieces around the box but is fast becoming Gavin Gordon-esque by having no presence whatsoever in the area. Has there ever been a more misleading chant than when we sing, “when he gets the ball, he scores a goal, Alan Alan Lee”? If he was Ronnie Moore, we would have made badges by now. His best opportunity came when Gabbs delivered an inviting cross there to be challenged but Lee lost out to someone 4 or 5 inches shorter than him.
Alexander made a couple more stops before the final 10 minutes saw Perry play midfield and Young at centre forward with Stuart Fleetwood also given a run out. Incredibly, with three youth and two ex-players, this was when City played their best and most powerful football completely dominating the closing stages as the game became stretched.
Fleetwood was denied twice, one of them bringing a superb low save from Bennett, Collins was denied too as he hit a 30 yard missile, another flew narrowly over. Youngie was so close on three occasions to getting on the end of Paul Parry crosses, last gasp interventions stopping him getting on the end when he was ready to pounce and as Birmingham broke, City always won it back in style too.
What was funny was that even with a crowd so meagre, many made their excuses and left a few minutes early presumably to “beat the rush”. Old habits die hard for some!
Final whistle brought standing applause for both sides. It was reasonable entertainment but nothing more, that’s how testimonials and friendlies always are. Yet in just over two months time, I’ll do exactly the same for pre-season friendlies and wonder why I bothered attending those too. Crazy.
Match report from Birmingham City Official Website.