1985–86 Cardiff City F.C. season

The 1985–86 season was Cardiff City F.C.'s 59th season in the Football League. They competed in the 24-team Division Three, then the third tier of English football, finishing twenty-second, suffering relegation to Division Four.

Cardiff City
1985–86 season
ChairmanJack Leonard
ManagerAlan Durban
Football League Third Division22nd
FA Cup1st round
League Cup1st round
Welsh CupSemi-finals
Freight Rover TrophyPreliminary round
Top goalscorerLeague: Nigel Vaughan (12)
All: Nigel Vaughan (17)
Highest home attendance9,375 (v Swansea, 26 December 1985)
Lowest home attendance1,777 (v Walsall, 5 April 1986)
Average home league attendance3,433

At the end of the season manager Alan Durban was sacked as manager. It ended a disastrous spell in charge as the team suffered two relegations in two years.

Players edit

First team squad. [1] 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 Mel Rees
-- GK   WAL Chris Sander
-- GK   ENG Lee Smelt
-- DF   ENG Phil Brignull
-- DF   ENG John Carver
-- DF   ENG David Corner
-- DF   WAL Wayne Curtis
-- DF   ENG Mike Ford
-- DF   SCO Jake King
-- DF   ENG Carleton Leonard
-- DF   ENG Jimmy Mullen
-- DF   WAL Allen Price
-- DF   ENG Andy Spring
-- DF   WAL Nigel Stevenson
-- MF   ENG Derrick Christie
-- MF   WAL Richard Evans
No. Pos. Nation Player
-- MF   WAL Brian Flynn
-- MF   ENG Roger Gibbins
-- MF   WAL David Giles
-- MF   WAL Jason Gummer
-- MF   WAL Chris Marustik
-- MF   ENG Paul McLoughlin
-- MF   WAL Tarki Micallef
-- MF   WAL Tim O'Connor
-- MF   ENG David Tong
-- MF   WAL Nigel Vaughan
-- MF   ENG Paul Wheeler
-- FW   ENG Mark Farrington
-- FW   ENG Will Foley
-- FW   ENG Kevin Meacock
-- FW   WAL Gerry Nardiello
-- FW   ENG Robbie Turner
-- FW   ENG Graham Withey

League standings edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
20 Bury 46 12 13 21 63 67 −4 49
21 Lincoln City 46 10 16 20 55 77 −22 46 Relegated
22 Cardiff City 46 12 9 25 53 83 −30 45
23 Wolverhampton Wanderers 46 11 10 25 57 98 −41 43
24 Swansea City 46 11 10 25 43 87 −44 43
Source: [citation needed]

Results by round edit

Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546
GroundAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAHHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHHAHAAHAH
ResultWLWLDLDLLLLLWLLLLLLDWWWDDWDLLWLLWLDDLLLLDLWWLW
Position11811121615182121212221212223242424242421212121191919201719201919192122222223242422212322
Source: [2]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Fixtures and results edit

Third Division edit

17 August 1985 (1985-08-17) 1 Notts County 1–4 Cardiff City Nottingham
15:00 Alan Young   47'   8' Paul McLoughlin
  31' Mark Farrington
  58' (pen) Jimmy Mullen
  37' Nigel Vaughan
Stadium: Meadow Lane
Attendance: 3,856
24 August 1985 (1985-08-24) 2 Cardiff City 0–2 Chesterfield Cardiff
15:00 Brian Flynn     21' Phil Brown
  89' Ernie Moss
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 3,601
Referee: Ron Groves (Weston)
26 August 1985 (1985-08-26) 3 Newport County 1–2 Cardiff City Newport
11:00 Roy Carter     (pen) Jimmy Mullen
  Nigel Vaughan
Stadium: Somerton Park
Attendance: 5,027
31 August 1985 (1985-08-31) 4 Cardiff City 1–3 Reading Cardiff
15:00 Paul McLoughlin   60'   6' Trevor Senior
  Trevor Senior
  Trevor Senior
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 3,539
Referee: Paul Vanes (West Midlands)
7 September 1985 (1985-09-07) 5 York City 1–1 Cardiff City York
15:00 Chris Evans   86'   39' Mike Ford Stadium: Bootham Crescent
Attendance: 3,760
Referee: Alan Robinson (Fareham)
14 September 1985 (1985-09-14) 6 Cardiff City 1–3 Bristol City Cardiff
15:00 Graham Withey     Alan Walsh
  Alan Walsh
  Howard Pritchard
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 4,412
17 September 1985 (1985-09-17) 7 Cardiff City 0–0 Bury Cardiff
19:45 Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 2,011
21 September 1985 (1985-09-21) 8 Blackpool 3–0 Cardiff City Blackpool
15:00 Mike Davies   57'
Eamon O'Keefe   82'
John Deary   88'
Stadium: Bloomfield Road
Attendance: 3,783
28 September 1985 (1985-09-28) 9 Cardiff City 0–2 Derby County Cardiff
15:00   (pen) Ross MacLaren
  49' Trevor Christie
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 3,435
1 October 1985 (1985-10-01) 10 Rotherham United 3–0 Cardiff City Rotherham
19:30 Mick Gooding  
Mick Gooding  
Tony Simmons  
Stadium: Millmoor
Attendance: 2,906
5 October 1985 (1985-10-05) 11 Cardiff City 0–1 Bournemouth Cardiff
15:00   8' Chris Shaw Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 2,156
12 October 1985 (1985-10-12) 12 Gillingham 2–0 Cardiff City Gillingham
15:00 Keith Oakes  
Mark Weatherly  
Stadium: Priestfield Stadium
Attendance: 3,367
19 October 1985 (1985-10-19) 13 Cardiff City 3–1 Wigan Athletic Cardiff
15:00 Chris Marustik   40'
Robbie Turner   78'
Nigel Vaughan   87'
  46' Ian Griffiths Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 2,020
Referee: Brian Stevens (Stonehouse)
22 October 1985 (1985-10-22) 14 Darlington 4–1 Cardiff City Darlington
19:30 David McLean  
David McLean   (pen)
Carl Airey  
Carl Airey  
  Paul McLoughlin Attendance: 2,446
26 October 1985 (1985-10-26) 15 Cardiff City 0–1 Bolton Wanderers Cardiff
15:00   Graham Bell Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 2,502
Referee: Malcolm Cotton (Camberley, Surrey)
2 November 1985 (1985-11-02) 16 Brentford 3–0 Cardiff City London
15:00 Terry Hurlock  
Robbie Cooke  
Tony Lynch  
Stadium: Griffin Park
Attendance: 3,934
8 November 1985 (1985-11-08) 18 Cardiff City 0–1 Doncaster Rovers Cardiff
19:45 Robbie Turner     Brian Caswell Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 2,015
Referee: Keren Barratt (Coventry)
23 November 1985 (1985-11-23) 19 Bristol Rovers 2–1 Cardiff City Bristol
15:00 Mark O'Connor   1'
Gary Penrice  
  2' (pen) Jimmy Mullen Stadium: Eastville
Attendance: 4,563
30 November 1985 (1985-11-30) 20 Cardiff City 1–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers Cardiff
15:00 Wayne Curtis     61' Andy King Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 2,453
14 December 1985 (1985-12-14) 21 Lincoln City 0–4 Cardiff City Lincoln
15:00   50' Nigel Vaughan
  Robbie Turner
  (pen) Jimmy Mullen
  Mark Farrington
Stadium: Sincil Bank
Attendance: 2,127
Referee: Howard Taylor (Oadby, Leicestershire)
26 December 1985 (1985-12-26) 23 Cardiff City 1–0 Swansea City Cardiff
11:00 Nigel Vaughan   88' Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 9,375
Referee: Ray Lewis (Great Bookham, Surrey)
28 December 1985 (1985-12-28) 24 Cardiff City 1–1 Newport County Cardiff
15:00 Mike Ford     Gordon Staniforth Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 7,450
4 January 1986 (1986-01-04) 26 Cardiff City 1–0 Brentford Cardiff
15:00 Nigel Vaughan   Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 3,398
Referee: Alan Seville (Birmingham)
11 January 1986 (1986-01-11) 27 Reading 1–1 Cardiff City Reading
15:00 Kevin Bremner   80'   51' Mike Ford Stadium: Elm Park
Attendance: 6,784
18 January 1986 (1986-01-18) 28 Cardiff City 1–3 Notts County Cardiff
15:00 Jimmy Mullen   45' (pen)   22' Mick Waitt
  (og) Jimmy Mullen
  86' Ian McParland
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 2,410
Referee: Lester Shapter (Paignton)
25 January 1986 (1986-01-25) 29 Bristol City 2–1 Cardiff City Bristol
15:00 Steve Neville  
Gary Marshall  
  Paul Wheeler Stadium: Ashton Gate
Attendance: 7,541
31 January 1986 (1986-01-31) 30 Cardiff City 2–1 York City Cardiff
19:45 Nigel Vaughan   71'
Paul Wheeler   80'
  Keith Walwyn Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 2,051
4 February 1986 (1986-02-04) 31 Cardiff City 0–1 Darlington Cardiff
19:45   Garry MacDonald Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 2,222
8 February 1986 (1986-02-08) 32 Wigan Athletic 2–0 Cardiff City Wigan
15:00 Warren Aspinall  
David Lowe  
Stadium: Springfield Park (Wigan)
Attendance: 3,428
22 February 1986 (1986-02-22) 33 Cardiff City 1–0 Blackpool Cardiff
15:00 Wayne Curtis   Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 2,430
1 March 1986 (1986-03-01) 34 Derby County 2–1 Cardiff City Derby
John Gregory  
Ross MacLaren   89'
  Nigel Vaughan Stadium: Baseball Ground
Attendance: 11,014
Referee: Phillips
8 March 1986 (1986-03-08) 35 Bournemouth 1–1 Cardiff City Bournemouth
15:00 Colin Clarke     78' Robbie Turner Stadium: Dean Court
Attendance: 2,707
15 March 1986 (1986-03-15) 36 Cardiff City 1–1 Gillingham Cardiff
15:00 Jason Gummer   33'   23' Tony Cascarino Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 2,505
22 March 1986 (1986-03-22) 37 Bolton Wanderers 5–0 Cardiff City Bolton
15:00 Phil Neal   45'
Mark Came   46'
Warren Joyce  
Tony Caldwell  
George Oghani  
Stadium: Burnden Park
Attendance: 4,114
25 March 1986 (1986-03-25) 38 Cardiff City 2–3 Rotherham United Cardiff
19:45 Paul McLoughlin   7'
Jimmy Mullen   89' (pen)
  31' Alan Birch
  75' Tony Simmons
  88' Tony Simmons
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 1,863
Referee: Roger Milford (Bristol)
28 March 1986 (1986-03-28) 39 Cardiff City 1–2 Plymouth Argyle Cardiff
19:45 Gerry Nardiello   49'   14' Kevin Hodges
  32' John Matthews
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 3,834
31 March 1986 (1986-03-31) 40 Swansea City 2–0 Cardiff City Swansea
15:00 David Hough  
Phil Williams  
Stadium: Vetch Field
Attendance: 6,643
5 April 1986 (1986-04-05) 41 Cardiff City 1–1 Walsall Cardiff
15:00 Will Foley   3'   (og) Phil Brignull Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 1,777
8 April 1986 (1986-04-08) 42 Bury 3–0 Cardiff City Bury
19:30 Lee Dixon   52'
Carl Harris   55'
Andy Hill   77'
Stadium: Gigg Lane
Attendance: 1,720
12 April 1986 (1986-04-12) 43 Doncaster Rovers 0–2 Cardiff City Doncaster
15:00   12' Gerry Nardiello
  25' Gerry Nardiello
Stadium: Belle Vue
Attendance: 2,051
19 April 1986 (1986-04-19) 44 Cardiff City 2–0 Bristol Rovers Cardiff
15:00 Nick Tanner   (og)
Nigel Vaughan  
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 2,735
26 April 1986 (1986-04-26) 45 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–1 Cardiff City Wolverhampton
Keith Lockhart   13'
Andy Mutch   18'
Micky Holmes  
  52' Gerry Nardiello Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 3,353
Referee: T Simpson
3 May 1986 (1986-05-03) 46 Cardiff City 2–1 Lincoln City Cardiff
15:00 Robbie Turner   31'
Robbie Turner   40'
  45' Kevin Kilmore Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 1,904

Source [2] [3]

Milk Cup edit

20 August 1985 (1985-08-20) Round 1 (First Leg) Cardiff City 2–1 Swansea City Cardiff
19:45 Brian Flynn   20', 48'   Chris Marustik Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 4,218
Referee: Alan Seville (Birmingham)
3 September 1985 (1985-09-03) Round 1 (Second Leg) Swansea City 3–1
(4–3 agg.)
Cardiff City Swansea
19:30 Colin Randell   45'
Colin Randell  
Colin Pascoe   55'
  40' Mark Farrington Stadium: Vetch Field
Attendance: 4,621

FA Cup edit

16 November 1985 (1985-11-16) Round 1 Exeter City 2–1 Cardiff City Exeter
15:00 Darren Gale  
Darren Gale  
  Nigel Stevenson Stadium: St James's Park
Attendance: 2,772
Referee: Bob Hamer (Brislington, Bristol)

Welsh Cup edit

26 November 1985 (1985-11-26) Round 3 Caerleon 2–3 Cardiff City Caerleon
14:00 Rowberry   13'
Sims   63' (pen)
  Nigel Vaughan
  Nigel Vaughan
  85' Chris Marustik
Stadium: Cold Bath Road
Attendance: 500
8 January 1986 (1986-01-08) Round 4 Cardiff City 4–1 Mold Alexandra Cardiff
19:45 Robbie Turner   28'
Jeff Hemmerman   43'
Nigel Vaughan   83', 90'
  Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 604
11 March 1986 (1986-03-11) Round 5 Cardiff City 0–0 Barry Town Cardiff
19:45 Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 2,053
13 March 1986 (1986-03-13) Round 5 (Replay) Barry Town 0–2 Cardiff City Barry
14:30   Jeff Hemmerman
  David Giles
Stadium: Jenner Park
Attendance: 1,750
15 April 1986 (1986-04-15) Semi Final (First Leg) Wrexham 4–1 Cardiff City Wrexham
19:30 Andy Edwards   6', 65'
Barry Horne  
Jim Steel   90'
  Nigel Vaughan Stadium: The Racecourse
Attendance: 1,639
Referee: Ron Bridges (Deeside)
22 April 1986 (1986-04-22) Semi Final (Second Leg) Cardiff City 1–2
(2–6 agg.)
Wrexham Cardiff
19:45 Chris Marustik    
 
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 1,255

Freight Rover Trophy edit

21 January 1986 (1986-01-21) Round 1 (Group) Newport County 1–0 Cardiff City Newport
19:30 Steve Mardenborough   Stadium: Somerton Park
Attendance: 1,863
Referee: E Scales
28 January 1986 (1986-01-28) Round 1 (Group) Cardiff City 0–2 Swansea City Cardiff
19:45   Sean McCarthy
  Sean McCarthy
Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 1,006

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "All Cardiff City football club players: 1986". 11v11. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Cardiff City 1985-86 results". Cardiff City Forum. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Cardiff City football club match record: 1985". 11v11. Retrieved 13 January 2022.

Bibliography edit