Match 42
17th May 1947
Cardiff City (h)
SPEED WAS CARDIFF'S ASSET AT ST JAMES'S PARK.
BLUEBIRDS WIN AND SECURE PROMOTION TO THE SECOND DIVISION.
Saturday, May 17th 1947.
EXETER CITY 0
CARDIFF CITY (Gibson, Rees) 2.
Half-time: Exeter O Cardiff 1.
Attendance:- 12,431, receipts £1,032.
City: Singleton; Thompson, Blood; Cutting, Fellowes, Owen; Wardle, Walker, Ebdon, Wright, Challis.
Cardiff:- Canning; Lever, Sherwood; Hollyman, Stansfield, Baker; Gibson, Rees, Richards, Allen, Clarke.
Speed was Cardiff City's asset at St James's Park today, where one of the biggest crowds of the season saw them triumph over Exeter to secure the points which ensured them of promotion. Cardiff had a meteoric rise to fame shortly after the end of the first war. They gained promotion to the 1st Division and for some time were among the leading clubs in the Football League. They also appeared in two Wembley Cup Finals, the second of which they won. In the years which followed, however, which coincided with the SouthmWales trade depression, the club gradually declined until it was a pale shadow of its former self. Now it seems that a timely revival is due to take place. Two snap goals decided today's contest. Gibson scored the first with a cunning low shot made on the half-turn. Rees netted the second one when he met the ball on the run and shot a spectacular winner. The City goalkeeper was powerless to save as the ball, driven from fully 25 yards, flew into the top corner of the net. Between the scoring of these goals Exeter were unlucky to have been denied a penalty when Wardle was blatantly tripped from behind. He was less than ten yards from goal and shaping for a shot. The best football was seen in the first half when the play on both sides contained plenty of movement. But the game deteriorated and the Welsh side, practically certain of promotion, were content to concentrate on compact defensive tactics. Exeter were unable to outwit them.
Comments
Tony Brooks
I will always remember this game, Cardiff were far the best team in the 3rd Division South at that time, large crowds attended the Cardiff City matches. I was 10 years old at the time, my friend and I arrived at the park in what we thought was in plenty of time, paid our 9 pence (the going rate for school age supporters) to stand in the Cowshed. We were amazed to find the shed absolutely packed, there was no way could we could get to the front to watch so that we would be able see. We thought what are we going to do. At the rear of the shed were short metal supports to the roof, we managed to climb on to the roof and crawl to front and laying down and watched the game in comfort. Imagine doing that today. We did not tell our parents what we had done.