Full name Cardiff City Football Club
Nickname The Bluebirds
Founded 1899 (as Riverside A.F.C.)
Owner Vincent Tan
Manager Malky Mackay
2012–13 The Championship, 1st (promoted)
Cardiff City will compete in the Premier League for the first time in the 2013–14 season. They play their home games at the Cardiff City Stadium, after moving from Ninian Park in 2009.
The club was founded as Riverside A.F.C. in 1899 and is the only club from outside England to have won the FA Cup, which they won in 1927. The club won the Football League Championship title in the 2013 season and were promoted to the top flight for the first time in 51 years.
In 2012, Cardiff City was rebranded by the club's Malaysian owner, Vincent Tan. This included the change of the club's home colours and crest.
Match Appointments:
Referee: Howard Webb. Assistants: M Mullarkey, D Cann. Fourth Official: K Stroud.
Last Time Out:
West Ham 3 - 0 Cardiff
West Ham sealed their place in the Championship play-off final by completing an emphatic semi-final victory over Cardiff.
The Hammers came into the second leg with a firm grip on the tie courtesy of a 2-0 win in Wales last week.
They strengthened this in the 15th minute when captain Kevin Nolan headed in from a Matt Taylor corner.
They made sure of the win when Ricardo Vaz Te fired in a superb drive with Nicky Maynard adding a late third.
Sam Allardyce's side remain on course to make amends for allowing automatic promotion to slip through their fingers. They are now just one game away from the Premier League, with either Birmingham or Blackpool representing the final hurdle at Wembley on Saturday, 19 May.
It will be West Ham's first appearance at the national stadium since the 1981 League Cup final.
Form:
West Ham 2 - 1 Pacos De Ferreira
On the board in 16 seconds. That’s all it took for Ravel Morrison to present Sam Allardyce with another compelling case to be selected for West Ham’s campaign opener against Cardiff.
The young midfielder, once compared to Paul Scholes for natural ability, could be on the verge of making his Premier League debut after scoring his sixth goal of pre-season during the 2-1 win over Pacos De Ferreira, a team readying themselves for a Champions League play-off match with Zenit St Petersburg.
That the opposition at Upton Park was of such standing gives you an indication of the positivity surrounding Morrison and the West Ham team as a whole after a promising pre-season.
Cardiff 2 - 1 Athletic Club
Cardiff City completed their Premier League preparations with a 2-1 win over La Liga outfit Athletic Club at Cardiff City Stadium.
It was classy strikes from Peter Whittingham and Fraizer Campbell either side of half-time that did it, as City made the most of the chances that came their way. Whittingham's fantastic 20-yard volley just before the break giving the Bluebirds the lead despite a tough first period against the Lions.
City wasted no time in doubling their advantage after the break as Campbell raced clear of the Athletic Club's back line, confidently rounding Athletic Club 'keeper Gorka Iraizoz before slotting the ball home past the Lions' scrambling defence.
New Arrivals:
ANDY CARROLL
Born: 6 January 1989, Gateshead, England
Former clubs: Newcastle United, Preston North End (loan), Liverpool
England striker Andy Carroll joined West Ham United on loan from Liverpool on 30 August 2012, making an eye-catching debut in a 3-0 home Premier League victory over Fulham two days later.
The pony-tailed centre forward earned a fearsome reputation during his time at first club Newcastle United, where he helped fire the Magpies to promotion and worked under and alongside future West Ham manager Sam Allardyce and captain Kevin Nolan.
A talismanic presence for club and country, Carroll scored in the 2012 FA Cup semi-finals and final for Liverpool and spearheaded England's attack at the 2012 UEFA European Championship finals, netting a trademark header in the 3-2 group-stage victory over Sweden.
ADRIAN
Born: 3 January 1987, Seville, Spain
Former clubs: Betis B, Real Betis
Adrian San Miguel del Castillo, more commonly known as Adrian, is an imposing 6'3 shot stopper who has spent virtually his entire career with his hometown club, enjoying an outstanding 2012/13 season in the Spanish top flight.
The 26-year-old joined the Hammers on 1July following the expiration of his contract with Primera Division side Real Betis Balompie. He has signed an initial three-year deal, with the Club having an option to extend this for a further two seasons.
RAZVAN RAT
Born: 26 May 1981, Piatra-Olt, Romania
Former clubs: Rapid Piatra-Olt, Sporting Piteşti, Cetatea Târgu Neamţ, Rapid Bucureşti, Shakhtar Donetsk.
Experienced Romanian international Razvan Rat joined West Ham United on an initial one-year deal on 1 July, following the expiry of his contract at Shakhtar Donetsk.
Having racked up 88 appearances for his country and upward of 248 for former club Shakhtar Donestk, the left-back comes with a mightily impressive CV.
During his time with Shakhtar, Rat won seven Ukrainian Premier League titles, four Ukranian Cups and lifted the UEFA Cup in 2009, as well as totting up as many as 57 outings in the UEFA Champions League.
Just last season, the Piara-Olt-born defender played eight times in Shahktar's UEFA Champions League campaign, helping his side to defeat Chelsea on their way to the last-16.
DANNY WHITEHEAD
Born: 23 Oct 1993, Trafford, England
Former Clubs: Stockport County
Manchester-born youngster Danny Whitehead was West Ham United's fourth summer signing of 2013, penning a two-year deal from Conference North outfit Stockport County.
An attacking midfielder by trade, Whitehead joined the Hatters at the age of 14 and wasted no time making an impression, scoring regularly for their Under-18 side despite still being a schoolboy.
He subsequently made his first-team bow in September 2011 at just 17 years of age, coming off the bench in a 4-2 defeat by Fleetwood Town. His first goal for the club followed just a week later; with the youngster finding the net in a 2-2 stalemate away at Cambridge United.
Cardiff:
Premier League new boys Cardiff City have broken their club record for a third time this summer, after agreeing a deal with Sevilla for the signature of Chilean midfielder Gary Medel.
Medel, 26, was in the stands to watch the sides friendly against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, with reports in Spain claiming the deal to worth as much as €13m (£11.2m).
he deal is subject to the midfielder completing his medical in the next few days.
Prior to this season's promotion to the Premier League, Cardiff's transfer record had stood at £3m for the signature of Michael Chopra in 2010, however Malky Mackay's side had already shattered the club record after signing Andreas Cornelius for a fee of £8m from FC Copenhagen earlier last month.
The Welsh club didn't stop there, adding highly rated England defender Steven Caulker to a growing squad, breaking the club record for a second time in less than two weeks.
This time prizing the 21-year old away from Tottenham Hotspurs for £8.5m.
Astonishingly Cardiff have upped that record again, smashing the record in capture of the highly rated Medel, who brings international pedigree, with over over 60 Chilean caps to his name, including appearances at the 2010 World Cup.
"We're delighted to have secured the services of Gary- a tenacious and intelligent international midfielder," Mackay told the club's official website.
"Having had two seasons of regular football in La Liga- with 60 odd international caps to his name and three appearances at a World Cup- his experience will be an invaluable asset to our squad.
"He's played in a number of Boca v River Plate derbies in Argentina- one of the world's biggest derby matches- and I've no doubt that his background and pedigree will complement our midfield group in the Barclays Premier League."
Mackay will have to wait a little longer to see his new man in action, with Medel due to fly out with his international teammates on sunday, for Chile's friendly against Iraq in Denmark on Wednesday.
Medel is expected to be available for Cardiff's first match in the top flight, away to West Ham next Saturday.
Tickets:
Less than 600 tickets remain for the opening Premier League fixture of the 2013/2014 season. All remaining tickets are on general sale.
Travel:
District line
Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 August, no service between Tower Hill and West Ham. Replacement buses operate.
Replacement buses operate
Service A: Tower Hill - Aldgate - Aldgate East - Whitechapel - Stepney Green - Mile End - Bow Road - Stratford, for Central and Jubilee lines, London Overground and National Rail.
Service B: Tower Hill - Aldgate - Aldgate East - Whitechapel - Stepney Green - Mile End - Bow Road - Bromley-by-Bow - Canning Town, for Jubilee line
H'smith & City line
Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 August, no service between Liverpool Street and Barking. Replacement buses operate.
Replacement buses operate
Service A: Tower Hill - Aldgate - Aldgate East - Whitechapel - Stepney Green - Mile End - Bow Road - Stratford, for Central and Jubilee lines, London Overground and National Rail.
Service B: Tower Hill - Aldgate - Aldgate East - Whitechapel - Stepney Green - Mile End - Bow Road - Bromley-by-Bow - Canning Town, for Jubilee line and Docklands Light Railway
There is a good service planned for the Jubilee Line.
Programme:
To Follow
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Hope you don't mind me doing the first match thread but couldn't wait any longer!!
so here it is the the start of the premier league 2013/14 season and we kick off our campaign against Cardiff City here are their in and outs up to now
In: Andreas Cornelius - FC Copenhagen - £7.5m
John Brayford - Derby - £1.5m
Simon Moore - Brentford - Undisclosed
Steven Caulker - Tottenham Hotspur - £8m
Out: Jese Darko - Released
Nat Jarvis - Released
Stephan McPhail - Released
Elliot Parish - Bristol City - Free
Heldar Helgurson - Retired
Ben Nugent - Brentford - Loan
i think this could be a tricky start but im sure most will feel that although 3 points is great a point on the opening day against a newly promoted team isnt the end of the world.
As for our starting eleven team im going for something like this
jussi
demel
reid
collins
rat
noble
diame
jarvis
morrison
nolan
miaga
subs tomkins, o'brien , adrian ,cole ,vaz te , collison
prediction 1-0
