Vidmar to Lose Ever Present Record at Deepdale

Record Gone
By Chris O'Brien
April 20 2004

City centre-half and stand-in skipper Tony Vidmar will lose his ever present league record on Saturday as the Bluebirds take on Preston North End at Deepdale. The Australian was sent-off in City's recent 2-0 home defeat against Crystal Palace, and will serve his 1-match suspension at the weekend.

Cardiff City defender Tony Vidmar will lose his ever-present First Division record on Saturday, missing the Bluebirds' trip to Deepdale to take on Preston North End through suspension.

The Australian international was sent-off towards the end of City's 2-0 league defeat against Crystal Palace for two bookable offences, so will serve his one-match suspension on Saturday as the Bluebirds take on their third Lancastrian outfit in succession.

Vidmar has played all of City's 43 First Division league games to date, and also played City's one F.A Cup match against Sheffield United and both League Cup ties which were against Leyton Orient and West Ham United. The veteran was also included in Cardiff's FAW Premier Cup semi-final match against Wrexham, missing the decisive penalty in the end of game shoot-out, but he was rested for the quarter-final tie against Newport County.

These means Lennie Lawrence will have to make changes to the City defence. Rhys West will be hoping for a start after missing some time with injury, which would mean Gary Croft would revert as right-back. However, Chris Barker might look to be included, with Daniel Gabbidon and James Collins almost certain to continue their partnership at the heart of the Bluebirds backline.

Graham Kavanagh's injury has meant that the experienced Tony Vidmar has been stand-in skipper recently. His suspension means Lennie Lawrence will also need to pick a new captain, with the influential John Robinson surely the best option to take the captains arm-band for the game against a Preston North End slide who have hit a rough patch of form recently, ending the play-off aspirations they harboured earlier in the season.