Not Exactly Return of the King

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By Chris O'Brien
April 7 2005

Yet again, Cardiff City supporters will be guilty of blowing things out of proportion as Graham Kavanagh and Wigan Athletic visit Ninian Park on Saturday. It was not that long ago that most season ticket holders wanted the Irish international dropped to the bench.

Cardiff City fans have always been a fickle bunch, as have supporters of Welsh sport in general.  Cheering in the first-half, booing in the latter. A brief glance down the average attendance tables will tell you that. We've all been guilty of it. Hero the one minute, enemy the next. Yet the erratic, changeable mood of our faithful will take another twist on Saturday as Wigan Athletic roll into town in a game so important to both sides for very different reasons.

The game is, of course, the return of skipper Graham Kavanagh to Ninian Park after his controversial departure only weeks ago. Hit by a financial crisis, the club was forced to desperate measures by offloading the Irish international to Wigan Athletic for a fee believed to be on the region of £400,000. Outrage followed.

Quite rightly, the lying, greedy Sam Hammam took a load of slack from the terraces. Yet at the same time, the departing Kavanagh suddenly became a legend. Fans chanted his name for the majority of the next few fixtures and the local media went as far as to lavish the 30-year-old with names such as "hero".

Why are football fans so critical? After a sensational first season as a Bluebird, Kavanagh struggled to shrug off abuse from the terraces after he failed to build on a tremendous 2001/2002 campaign. Many season ticket holders called for the captain to be dropped for the bench and numerous parts of his game came under close scrutiny. Kavanagh was accused of negative passing, a distinct lack of pace and a slow approach to attacking.

I will, undoubtedly, join in with giving Kavanagh a good reception when he steps to the field on Saturday. He was a fine servant to the club and enjoyed a captain's reign of nearly four seasons. He was forced out and clearly showed great emotion at moving from South Wales. Still, on a huge wage and harbouring a seven figure price tag, he cannot be deemed a 'legend' and, although a talented player, will never go down as one of the club's greatest ever footballers.

Thank you Kav for some great memories and some first-class performances, but it is time we all move on and concentrate on City on Saturday rather than the return of the former Home Farm, Darlington, Middlesbrough and Stoke City midfielder.