Sevenside derby Sunday

A season is always spiced up by a bit of local rivalry and I class Bristol City as local rivals and they visit Sunday should crate a good atmosphere. Over the past six seasons, we had a manager in Dave Jones who constantly played these games down as just other game. Along with a large number of Cardiff City fans, his attitude irritated me when you are looking for some passion on show. 

I read something the other day about rivalry being good for sport and I have to agree. Rivalry over the years has become synonyms with hooliganism, which is not true always true. Back in the 70’s/80’s yes, but since the introduction of CCTV cameras and better policing trouble is becoming less of a problem. Every football fan will tell you his club has a local rival, a local derby down to non-league foot down to parks football they exist. 

The local rivals at Cardiff City are Swansea, Bristol City and to some extent Bristol Rovers. The closest club to Cardiff when they were in the Football League was Newport County, but from the Cardiff side there has been no great rivalry between the club with a good few Cardiff fans would go to their games if Cardiff were playing away. 

There are other rivalries has well like Leeds United that go back to the early70's, you can add Chelsea, Birmingham City and Millwall plus others. They tend to have risen via hooliganism or a gripe over a game, but can be intensive as local rivalry.Back to the Sevenside derby in my book always been the biggest Cardiff City derby game more than them up the road that it is more about pure hatred than rivalry with them. 

The Cardiff City boss Malky Mackay is up for the intensity of the Bristol City game, but is somewhat disappointed there is no South Wales derby game. Has a Scot he knows all about derby games have played for Celtic and in the Norwich and Ipswich.Former boss Dave Jones would drone on about three points and yes at the end of the day three points are the most important issue. However, derbies are important to the fans out of all the games in a season. The manager and players owe us fans a victory. Bragging rights are important to a fan of any club, but when it is your local rivals, it is just a bit better.

Mackay commenting on derbies said,

“I do love being involved in derbies. It’s just the passion of them really. In the Championship it’s great, you are at some great stadiums and they are rocking, but I think in a derby that little bit more intensity and edge helps.

“Certainly it’s something as a player you love being involved in and now as a manager too. 

“I recognise derbies, after all I come from a city where one of those small derbies happens. 

“I do realise that there’s those bragging rights on Sunday’s game. 

“Bristol is going to be one to savour, but you never know with Swansea, there’s always the cups coming along.”

I tend to think about derby games all the more as the kick-off gets closer. I get myself so wound up by obsessing over it I can be a real pain to be around.