Trust News

The Fred Keenor Fundraising Committee is delighted to announce that Cardiff City Football Club and the Football Association of Wales have agreed to meet the remaining £14,000 needed to meet the £85,000 target.

Project manager David Craig said: “We are absolutely thrilled that Cardiff City and the Football Association have confirmed they will meet the shortfall of £14,000. This is brilliant news.

“The club, which has been hugely supporting this appeal since 2010 and we were delighted when they confirmed they would meet 50 per cent of the remaining amount.

“In addition, Jonathan Ford, Chief Executive of the FAW, has also confirmed that they will also be contributing 50 per cent. They, too, have been very supportive of the appeal.

“Both Cardiff City and the FAW have recognised that Fred Keenor is a Welsh sporting icon, captaining the club to the FA Cup triumph in 1927 – the only time the FA Cup has been taken out of England – while leading his country with distinction to the home international championships.”

David Craig, a board member of Cardiff City Supporters Trust, added: “This appeal has been very much a grassroots-led initiative and the fans of Cardiff City and Wales have been fantastic in their support for the appeal as have been a number of businesses.

“I’d also like to pay tribute to Cardiff City Supporters Club and the independent coach operators who took fans to the Carling Cup Final. They raised almost £4,500, which was superb.”

Phillip Nifield, Press Officer for the appeal and Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust, said: “It is just over two years since we officially launched the appeal and, providing there are no hiccups, the statue should be in a position to be erected in September.

“The statue is almost ready to go to the foundry and we’re sure football supporters will welcome the finished image. It will be a great landmark outside the Cardiff City Stadium.”

Cardiff council has provided £15,000 and the Welsh Government contributed £5,000. Supporters have donated varying amounts of up to £500 as well as buying the memorabilia sold in aid of the appeal.

Following the statement made by the club chairman yesterday it has been decided to postpone the planned meeting in Cardiff tomorrow called by the Trust and the Supporters’ Club.
We will keep you informed of future developments.
Many thanks for your input through help@ccfctrust.org and on Facebook
Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust Board

We have always enjoyed friendly and positive relations with our Malaysian backers, who, we hope, will remain as committed to the club as they have been up to now.

Like the vast majority of Cardiff City fans, we are extremely grateful for the financial support Vincent Tan and his associates have provided in difficult times and we hope that their investment in our wonderful club can continue.

Many supporters will be pleased at the announcement by the club chairman Dato’ Chan Tien Ghee that the team will play in blue next season and the Bluebirds club badge will continue to be used.

Our Malaysian backers have clearly recognised the strength of feeling about the traditions and history of the club which stretch back more than 100 years.

We believe that it is very important for the future of the club that there is dialogue between fans’ representatives and the club’s board, particularly when radical proposals are under consideration.

It is now important that everyone, owners, team, staff and fans continue to pull together to develop a strong and sustainable future for our football club, which sees the Bluebirds moving forward in a positive way.

We thank our Malaysian backers for responding so quickly to concerns raised by many Cardiff City supporters and look forward to working with them in the future for the good of the club we love.

Cardiff’s Assembly Members Vaughan Gething, Mark Drakeford, Julie Morgan and Jenny Rathbone said: “We call on Vincent Tan (club owner) to actively engage with the club’s fan base and consult on these plans before destroying more than 100 years of history and tradition.

“To strip away the club’s identity without proper consultation is an insult to thousands of loyal supporters who follow their beloved Bluebirds around the country week in week out.

“Cardiff City Football Club is the lifeblood of the local community and the fans deserve a say over its future. We intend to work closely with supporters’ representatives, including the Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust and Cardiff City Supporters’ Club, to make sure fans have a voice on this matter.

“We all want to see a successful Cardiff City Football Club on and off the pitch but we cannot stand back and let such a radical proposal go through without the fans’ blessing.”

Emergency Meeting with the Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust and the Supporters’ Club

Wearing red shirts and having a dragon rather than a Bluebird on its badge is a step too far, according to the Cardiff City Supporters Trust Board. The changes announced by the club will see the end of more than a century of tradition and could undermine support for the Bluebirds in South Wales .

While we welcome the continued investment by our Malaysian owners, these changes ignore the history of the club and the attachment that generations of fans have for the Bluebird and blue strip.

As a Trust we want to canvass supporters’ opinion and with the Supporters Club we are holding an emergency meeting this weekend.

All City fans are invited to a meeting at the Municipal Club, 11, City Road , Cardiff , CF24 3BJ, at 3 p.m. on Saturday to discuss the next steps.

A football club is not like any ordinary business which can be rebranded and traded without any thought for the fans. Cardiff City Football Club belongs to supporters and their families who have supported it through thick and thin. Most want to stick with the blue colours and the Bluebird on the crest. Of course we would like the City to become an international brand, but at what price?

e-mail help@ccfctrust.org if you intend to come to the meeting.

It is vital the fans have their say – Join the Supporters Trust now!