1953–54 Cardiff City F.C. season

The 1953–54 season was Cardiff City F.C.'s 27th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the first tier of English football, finishing tenth.

Cardiff City
1953–54 season
ChairmanWales John Morgan[1]
ManagerEngland Cyril Spiers
Division One10th
FA Cup4th round
Welsh CupSemi-finals
Top goalscorerLeague:
Ken Chisholm & Wilf Grant (12)

All:
Wilf Grant (15)
Highest home attendance49,137 v Arsenal, 26 September 1953
Lowest home attendance15,777 v Sheffield Wednesday, 24 April 1954
Average home league attendance32,410

The season would also be the last time the club was managed by Cyril Spiers who, in his second spell at the club, is still Cardiff City's second longest serving manager of all time. His fourteen years at Ninian Park placing him second only to Fred Stewart.

Season review edit

Partial league table edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
8 Chelsea 42 16 12 14 74 68 1.088 44
9 Charlton Athletic 42 19 6 17 75 77 0.974 44
10 Cardiff City 42 18 8 16 51 71 0.718 44
11 Preston North End 42 19 5 18 87 58 1.500 43
12 Arsenal 42 15 13 14 75 73 1.027 43
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored

Results by round edit

Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142
GroundAHAAHHAAHHHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAAHHAHAHAHAAHH
ResultDWLLWDWDWDLDWWLWLLLWLWWLDLLLLDWWWWLWWWLWLD
Position841317131361057810777688131011861189121315161513119101010101091110
Source: [2]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

FA Cup edit

After a 3–1 victory over Midland Football League side Peterborough United in the third round, Cardiff were eliminated in round four by Third Division North side Port Vale.[2]

Welsh Cup edit

Drawn against Barry Town in their first match, a 1–1 draw lead to a replay with Cardiff advancing after a 4–2 win. After receiving a bye in the sixth round, Cardiff were then drawn against Merthyr Tydfil in the seventh round and advanced to the semi-finals with a 5–3 victory. The club's campaign came to an end in the semi-finals for a second year in a row after a 2–1 defeat to Flint Town United.[3]

Players edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
-- GK   WAL Ken Jones
-- GK   WAL Ron Howells
-- GK   WAL Graham Vearncombe
-- DF   WAL Colin Baker
-- DF   WAL Ron Davies
-- DF   WAL John Frowen
-- DF   WAL Colin Gale
-- DF   WAL Ken Hollyman
-- DF   ENG Jack Mansell
-- DF   ENG Stan Montgomery
-- DF   WAL Harry Parfitt
-- DF   ENG Charles Rutter
-- DF   WAL Alf Sherwood
-- DF   WAL Ron Stitfall
-- DF   WAL Derrick Sullivan
-- MF   WAL Billy Baker
-- MF   WAL Dennis Callan
-- MF   WAL Alan Harrington
No. Pos. Nation Player
-- MF   WAL Islwyn Jones
-- MF   NIR Bobby McLaughlin
-- MF   ENG Cliff Nugent
-- MF   ENG Mike Tiddy
-- MF   WAL Roley Williams
-- MF   WAL John Lloyd Williams
-- FW   ENG Doug Blair
-- FW   ENG Ken Chisholm
-- FW   ENG Frank Dudley
-- FW   WAL George Edwards
-- FW   WAL Trevor Ford
-- FW   ENG Wilf Grant
-- FW   ENG Tommy Northcott
-- FW   WAL Ken Oakley
-- FW   ENG Johnny Rainford
-- FW   ENG Brian Rutter
-- FW   WAL Peter Thomas
-- FW   ENG Keith Thomas

Fixtures and results edit

First Division edit

19 August 1953 (1953-08-19) 1 Middlesbrough 0–0 Cardiff City Middlesbrough
Stadium: Ayresome Park
Attendance: 33,726
22 August 1953 (1953-08-22) 2 Cardiff City 2–1 Aston Villa Cardiff
15:15 Johnny Rainford  
Peter Thomas  
  Johnny Dixon Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 36,671
26 August 1953 (1953-08-26) 3 Huddersfield Town 2–0 Cardiff City Huddersfield
Jimmy Watson  
Vic Metcalfe  
Stadium: Leeds Road
Attendance: 30,089
29 August 1953 (1953-08-29) 4 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–1 Cardiff City Wolverhampton
Dennis Wilshaw   34'
Jimmy Mullen   38'
Johnny Hancocks   39' (pen)
  Wilf Grant Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 33,221
Referee: WH Clapton
2 September 1953 (1953-09-02) 5 Cardiff City 2–1 Huddersfield Town Cardiff
18:15 Wilf Grant  
Ken Chisholm  
  Jimmy Glazzard Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 29,446
Referee: RH Mann (Worcester)
5 September 1953 (1953-09-05) 6 Cardiff City 1–1 Sunderland Cardiff
15:15 Ken Chisholm     Tommy Wright Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 42,002
Referee: Frank Fiander (Bucks)
7 September 1953 (1953-09-07) 7 Sheffield United 0–1 Cardiff City Sheffield
18:15   Ken Chisholm Stadium: Bramall Lane
Attendance: 34,043
12 September 1953 (1953-09-12) 8 Manchester City 1–1 Cardiff City Manchester
Stan Montgomery   (og)   George Edwards Stadium: Maine Road
Attendance: 31,915
16 September 1953 (1953-09-16) 9 Cardiff City 2–0 Sheffield United Cardiff
17:45 George Edwards  
Wilf Grant  
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 27,350
Referee: J McCann (Preston)
19 September 1953 (1953-09-19) 10 Cardiff City 1–1 Bolton Wanderers Cardiff
15:15 Ken Chisholm     Harold Hassall Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 35,788
Referee: Stanley Rogers (Shrewsbury)
26 September 1953 (1953-09-26) 11 Cardiff City 0–3 Arsenal Cardiff
15:15   Doug Lishman
  Doug Lishman
  (og) Jack Mansell
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 49,137
3 October 1953 (1953-10-03) 12 Portsmouth 1–1 Cardiff City Portsmouth
15:00 Charlie Vaughan     Derrick Sullivan Stadium: Fratton Park
Attendance: 31,766
Referee: H Pearce (Luton)
10 October 1953 (1953-10-10) 13 Preston North End 1–2 Cardiff City Preston
Dennis Hatsell     Ken Chisholm
  Ken Chisholm
Stadium: Deepdale
Attendance: 23,500
17 October 1953 (1953-10-17) 14 Cardiff City 1–0 Tottenham Hotspur Cardiff
15:15 Wilf Grant   (pen) Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 41,083
24 October 1953 (1953-10-24) 15 Burnley 3–0 Cardiff City Burnley
Jimmy McIlroy   32'
Billy Gray   69'
Brian Pilkington   73'
Stadium: Turf Moor
Attendance: 25,539
Referee: Harry Broadhurst (Atherstone)
31 October 1953 (1953-10-31) 16 Cardiff City 5–0 Charlton Athletic Cardiff
15:00 Frank Dudley  
Ken Chisholm  
Ken Chisholm  
Ken Chisholm  
Mike Tiddy  
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 25,340
Referee: Norman Taylor (Wiltshire)
7 November 1953 (1953-11-07) 17 Newcastle United 4–0 Cardiff City Newcastle
14:30 Ivor Broadis  
Ivor Broadis  
George Hannah  
Jackie Milburn  
Stadium: St James's Park
Attendance: 42,355
14 November 1953 (1953-11-14) 18 Cardiff City 1–6 Manchester United Cardiff
14:30 Ken Chisholm     Dennis Viollet
  Dennis Viollet
  Johnny Berry
  Jackie Blanchflower
  Jack Rowley
  Tommy Taylor
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 26,844
Referee: R Hall (Middlesex)
28 November 1953 (1953-11-28) 20 Cardiff City 3–1 Liverpool Cardiff
14:30 Wilf Grant   74'
Ken Chisholm   75'
George Edwards   88'
LFC Report   38' Louis Bimpson Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 21,284
Referee: Charles Bucknall (Birmingham)
5 December 1953 (1953-12-05) 21 Sheffield Wednesday 2–1 Cardiff City Sheffield
14:15 Redfern Froggatt  
Jackie Sewell  
  Ken Chisholm Stadium: Hillsborough
Attendance: 26,597
Referee: SJ Perry (Cradley, Staffordshire)
12 December 1953 (1953-12-12) 22 Cardiff City 1–0 Middlesbrough Cardiff
14:30 Trevor Ford   Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 31,776
Referee: Ken Collinge (Cheshire)
19 December 1953 (1953-12-19) 23 Aston Villa 1–2 Cardiff City Birmingham
14:15 Johnny Dixon     Tommy Northcott
  Tommy Northcott
Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 27,012
26 December 1953 (1953-12-26) 24 Chelsea 2–0 Cardiff City London
14:15 Les Stubbs  
Frank Blunstone  
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 61,336
Referee: Norman C Taylor (Westbury)
28 December 1953 (1953-12-28) 25 Cardiff City 0–0 Chelsea Cardiff
14:30 Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 36,958
Referee: Norman C Taylor (Westbury)
2 January 1954 (1954-01-02) 26 Cardiff City 1–3 Wolverhampton Wanderers Cardiff
14:30 Cliff Nugent   59'   20' Roy Swinbourne
  37' Dennis Wilshaw
  82' Johnny Hancocks
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 42,521
Referee: WH Clapton
16 January 1954 (1954-01-16) 27 Sunderland 5–0 Cardiff City Sunderland
Ted Purdon  
Ted Purdon  
Tommy Wright  
Tommy Wright  
Len Shackleton  
Stadium: Roker Park
Attendance: 40,629
Referee: TL Wood (Bury)
23 January 1954 (1954-01-23) 28 Cardiff City 0–3 Manchester City Cardiff
15:00   Harry Anders
  Roy Clarke
  Don Revie
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 22,516
6 February 1954 (1954-02-06) 29 Bolton Wanderers 3–0 Cardiff City Bolton
Nat Lofthouse  
Willie Moir  
Dennis Stevens  
Stadium: Burnden Park
Attendance: 30,777
13 February 1954 (1954-02-13) 30 Arsenal 1–1 Cardiff City London
15:00 Doug Lishman     Trevor Ford Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 45,497
27 February 1954 (1954-02-27) 31 Cardiff City 2–1 Preston North End Cardiff
15:00 Wilf Grant  
Wilf Grant  
  Tom Finney Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 30,502
3 March 1954 (1954-03-03) 32 Cardiff City 3–2 Portsmouth Cardiff
15:30 Cliff Nugent  
Mike Tiddy  
Wilf Grant  
  Duggie Reid
  Dick Pearson
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 17,842
6 March 1954 (1954-03-06) 33 Tottenham Hotspur 0–1 Cardiff City London
  Mike Tiddy Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 45,248
Referee: H Ball (Worcester)
13 March 1954 (1954-03-13) 34 Cardiff City 1–0 Burnley Cardiff
15:15 Derrick Sullivan   89' Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 33,413
Referee: Harry Broadhurst (Atherstone)
20 March 1954 (1954-03-20) 35 Charlton Athletic 3–2 Cardiff City London
Eddie Firmani  
Gordon Hurst  
Stuart Leary  
  Wilf Grant
  Trevor Ford
Stadium: The Valley
Attendance: 20,717
Referee: Norman Taylor (Wiltshire)
27 March 1954 (1954-03-27) 36 Cardiff City 2–1 Newcastle United Cardiff
15:15 Cliff Nugent  
Mike Tiddy  
  Alan Monkhouse Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 26,242
3 April 1954 (1954-04-03) 37 Manchester United 2–3 Cardiff City Manchester
15:00 Jack Rowley  
Dennis Viollet  
  Wilf Grant
  Wilf Grant
  Derrick Sullivan
Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 24,616
Referee: R Hall (Harrow)
10 April 1954 (1954-04-10) 38 Cardiff City 2–0 West Bromwich Albion Cardiff
15:15 Wilf Grant  
Trevor Ford  
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 43,614
Referee: John B Jackson (Watford)
16 April 1954 (1954-04-16) 39 Blackpool 4–1 Cardiff City Blackpool
15:00 Allan Brown  
Stan Mortensen  
Ernie Taylor  
Bill Perry  
  Trevor Ford Stadium: Bloomfield Road
Attendance: 26,194
17 April 1954 (1954-04-17) 40 Liverpool 0–1 Cardiff City Liverpool
15:00 LFC report   43' Tommy Northcott Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 41,340
Referee: Charles Bucknall (Birmingham)
19 April 1954 (1954-04-19) 41 Cardiff City 0–1 Blackpool Cardiff
15:15   Bill Perry Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 44,508
24 April 1954 (1954-04-24) 42 Cardiff City 2–2 Sheffield Wednesday Cardiff
15:15 Alf Sherwood   (pen)
Trevor Ford  
  Dennis Woodhead
  Jackie Sewell
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 15,777

FA Cup edit

9 January 1954 (1954-01-09) Round 3 Cardiff City 3–1 Peterborough United Cardiff
14:15 Trevor Ford  
Trevor Ford  
Tommy Northcott  
  Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 34,000
30 January 1954 (1954-01-30) Round 4 Cardiff City 0–2 Port Vale Cardiff
14:45   Ken Griffiths
  Albert Leake
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 27,000

Welsh Cup edit

20 January 1954 (1954-01-20) Round 5 Barry Town 1–1 Cardiff City Barry
    C Burder Stadium: Jenner Park
Attendance: 2,500
10 February 1954 (1954-02-10) Round 5 (Replay) Cardiff City 4–2 Barry Town Cardiff
Trevor Ford  
Mike Tiddy  
Cliff Nugent  
Cliff Nugent  
 
 
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 4,500
20 February 1954 (1954-02-20) Round 7 Merthyr Tydfil 3–5 Cardiff City Merthyr Tydfil
15:00  
 
 
  Wilf Grant
  Wilf Grant
  Wilf Grant
  (og) H Lowe
  Cliff Nugent
Stadium: Penydarren Park
Attendance: 7,000
24 March 1954 (1954-03-24) Semi Final Flint Town United 2–1 Cardiff City Wrexham
 
 
  Tommy Northcott Stadium: The Racecourse
Attendance: 10,500

See also edit

References edit

  • Hayes, Dean (2006). The Who's Who of Cardiff City. Breedon Books. ISBN 1-85983-462-0.
  • "Football Club History Database – Cardiff City".
  1. ^ Shepherd, Richard (2007). The Cardiff City Miscellany. Pitch books. ISBN 978-1-905411-04-7.
  2. ^ a b "Cardiff City 1953–54 results". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  3. ^ "Welsh Cup 1953/54". Welsh Football Data Archive. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2010.