With hopes dwindling and a handful of minutes left to play, theCardiff Citymascot, Bartley Bluebird, the No 99 on the reverse of his costume, resorted to a meet-and-greet of sorts with younger supporters at the front of the grandstand, most oblivious to the bigger picture and the impending bad news.
Then, relegation from theChampionshipwas confirmed, the club trading divisions with Wrexham and dropping into the third tier for the first time since 2002-03 when they won promotion via the playoffs across town at the then Millennium Stadium. Soon there was the bizarre sight of Bartley consoling those players in blue shirts, who at the final whistle collapsed to the turf like dominoes.
The reality of relegation was not lost on Aaron Ramsey, the emotion etched across his face as he began to digest the damage. He used to whizz to training in a lime green Ford Fiesta as a teenager. Ramsey, who grew up in nearby Caerphilly, joined the club aged eight and last summer returned to the club for a third spell with aspirations of returning Cardiff to the Premier League, from which they were relegated in 2018-19.
Since then, there have been a couple of near-misses at both ends of the table. Soon the Cardiff supporters who sang against the club’s owner, Vincent Tan, will be preparing for League One trips to Exeter and Stevenage. Relegation is a major failing considering the club are thought to have a top-eight Championship budget. It is the same club still bickering over compensation for Emiliano Sala, claiming they are owed north of £100m over the striker they hoped would save them from Premier League relegation in 2019, only for him to be killed in a plane crash en route from Nantes. The case comes to court in September.
“I wanted to come back and help the team on the field, that hasn’t materialised like we all imagined and all wanted,” said the 34-year-old Ramsey. Sidelined after undergoing hamstring surgery, he agreed to take over as caretaker manager with three games to play. “Game-time, minutes on the pitch, it hasn’t been great and it’s been very frustrating because this club means a lot to me. I felt like I could have an impact and have that miracle ending. It wasn’t to be and we have to own up to that.”
There was a finality to his message on a dispiriting afternoon. At least Ramsey, together with his assistant, best friend and one-time flat-mate Chris Gunter, who also started his career at Cardiff, helped generate another spirited performance. It was a punishing climax for a team who have mustered nine wins from 45 league matches, the fewest in the Championship, and only Shrewsbury have won fewer games in the English Football League this season. It was always going to be a big ask for Cardiff to fashion back-to-back wins from nowhere to give themselves a shot at survival. Even then, it might have proved insufficient.
Confirmation of relegation came after a 0-0 draw at home to a horribly out-of-formWest Bromwich Albion, who had lost five of their previous six matches, a run of form that cost Tony Mowbray his job; James Morrison, another former Premier League midfielder, was promoted from his role of first-team coach to take charge of his first game as caretaker manager.
Just as on Easter Monday, Cardiff showed promise, but could not eke out a potentially priceless victory. Gunter furiously scratched the back of his head as Joe Ralls sent a bending shot just wide of a post with four minutes of normal time to play. Ramsey put his hands on his head.
There was another what-if moment on the hour. Three points presumably flashed before Ramsey’s eyes as Josh Griffiths, the West Brom goalkeeper, somehow kept the ball out. Griffiths saved Alex Robertson’s initial shot and then repelled his acrobatic effort with his right boot. Youssef Salech sent a shot thudding into the ground and against a post before the ball boomeranged to Calum Chambers, but his shot was smothered by Griffiths. The Cardiff centre-backs, Will Fish and Jesper Daland, stood in disbelief close to halfway. That ludicrous episode brought a rallying cry. “Aaron Ramsey’s barmy army,” sang the home support.
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Ramsey could be mistaken for joining in but, really, he was applauding the sense of growing momentum. It was a contrasting scene at full time. Ramsey, not sure where to start, awkwardly made his way around his players, teammates until last week when taking over the reins from Omer Riza, originally a sticking plaster who had been given the job until the end of the season after Erol Bulut’s sacking.
There have been too many temporary fixes in recent years and Cardiff have paid the price. Tan is not thought to have attended a Cardiff game since November 2022, a home defeat by Hull under Mark Hudson, who lasted 18 matches.
At the final whistle, Rubin Colwill, another who joined Cardiff aged eight, crouched, the wind taken out of his sails. Callum O’Dowda, who began as captain, dragged himself to his feet and then stood hands on hips, staring into the distance towards the Canton Stand. Plenty of supporters stuck around as Cardiff bid the Championship farewell.
“For them to stay at the end and clap the boys off, that means a lot,” said an emotional Ramsey. “Sometimes you take a step back to go two forward and hopefully this is a moment like that.”