South Wales Battle Royal!

By: Tom | November 2nd, 2009

Joe Allen This Saturday sees the ‘big one’, between my beloved Swans and our neighbours C****ff. By now I’m sure you all know the significance of this fixture, the passion, the unbridled hate and unfortunately the occasional violence.. by the way there’s a footy game in the midst of all that! But for any ‘Jack Bastard’ or ‘Blue tit’ supporter this is the most important fixture of the season. and any fan who says otherwise, well frankly he or she doesn’t know jack (pardon the pun) about the rivalry.
I myself witnessed the first league derby at the Liberty last season (the first in 9years and my first ever) and I’ll admit it, I thought I understood how much I disliked Cardiff before, I thought I was a placid guy, but as soon as you see the fans and players in those blue shirts an indescribable sense of partisan venom builds up. I don’t think I’ve sung so loud or started so many songs in my life, I really was a one man rent-a-crowd.

I despise violence and wish that side of the rivalry would cease to exist, but sadly for as long as there are idiots coming to watch then they will try to start something. I can’t understand why people want to spoil such an entertaining spectacle and that needs to stop. The media in particular like to make a lot of the violent past between the idiotic minority of our clubs and i think that is why we still see crowd trouble even now.
Hate doesn’t come into it for me, just an enormous desire to win and too win in a way that humiliates and reverberates for years to come. Although the violent past in previous derbies has added to the legend and does add a piquant to the most tempestuous derby in Britain.

Despite this enormous partisan affiliation I am still a football fan and I appreciate a good football side when I see one. Cardiff are a very good team, easily better than last season but for all the goals I still fancy our chances against that defence. It will no doubt be a Goliath battle between the tightest defence in the football league and the most prolific goalscorers. I’m excited about the prospect of seeing two good attacking sides going hammer and tong to the soundtrack of wholehearted Welsh voices.

Bring it on!