'Promotion this season means everything.' Spencer Prior

Last updated : 17 September 2002 By Michael Morris
Spencer Prior, City defender, ex Premiership defender and undoubtedly the heaviest rocker at the club (see last Saturdays Soccer AM show) has been speaking ahead of tonights home game v Brentford.

"Winning promotion this season means everything. It means everything to the fans, the players and to the club. It looks like the new stadium is going to go ahead so it's imperativen we get out of this division. We don't want a new stadium and we're playing in the Second Division. I don't think this club can take another setback such as the one we had last season.

"With only two automatic promotion places up for grabs, and with the play-offs being such a lottery, this is a hard division to get out of.

"Over the course of the season we need a little bit of luck and a lot of ability to win promotion. Hopefully we've got both.

"I don't want to stay in the Second Division for another season after this and I think we've got players at Cardiff who have spent the majority of their careers in this division when they should be playing at a higher level."

"I think we're a better side than we were last season. The squad is better. If the manager wants to change things around he's got more options this season than he had last season.

"With Reading and Stoke out of the way maybe this is our best opportunity to go up and we've got to grab it with both hands."

Speaking after the win against Stockport last Saturday

"That was the most flattering 2-1 defeat Stockport will suffer this season. Our goalkeeper didn't have a single save to make.

"If we keep playing like we did against Stockport we'll be there or thereabouts at the end of the season. The way we played was very pleasing.

"The movement throughout the team was excellent. We are progressing, not just as a team but as a squad. Layton Maxwell came in at Boston last week and played very well.

"Robert Earnshaw was outstanding on Saturday but Andy Campbell, who he replaced, was playing very well himself.

"We conceded a silly goal which allowed Stockport to equalise but we bounced back even though it went quiet inside the ground for 10 minutes after they scored.

"We are going to concede goals during the season and the way we react to that is important. On Saturday we didn't lose our heads. We didn't try to change the way we were playing.

"I also thought we defended better against Stockport. They never threatened after they scored. The concentration levels of the defenders was spot on.

"There are going to be games where we're drawing after 70 minand we've got to keep believing that the way we play will bring us success."


Spencer Prior was speaking to the Western Mail.