Cardiff Reds Sing the Blues

The speculation alone has led to weeks of argument and counter argument amongst fans and interested onlookers. Now, Cardiff City has confirmed that they are changing the colour oftheir home kit in return for much needed investment from their Malaysian owners. What next?

Well for one thing, the ‘Bluebirds’ will be a lot more red from now on. According to the owners at the club, Cardiff is more likely to build a fan base amongst fans in South East Asia in red than in blue. This hasn’t gone down well with the Cardiff fans in and around the city itself though – and that body of anger amongst the fans poses a very pressing communications challenge for the powers that be at the club.

That’s not to say some fans haven’t welcomed the changes. I witnessed a particularly full-blooded discussion between two Cardiff fans, and one pointed out that without this money, there would probably be no team at all a year from now, given their perilous financial position (the club is rumoured to be losing £1m a month at the moment). “So what would you prefer: a red kit, or no kit?” he said.

The response to this is that the heart and soul of Cardiff City, and its history, have been torn up purely for financial gain. Fans in the Far East may supposedly respond more positively to a team in red, but what about the fans in South Wales where generations of the same family have adorned blue flags, worn blue tops and even had the colour blue tattooed onto their skin?

Whether or not it is true, the overriding feeling amongst the majority of Cardiff City fans is that commercial considerations have strayed too far into disrupting the very fabric of what a football club is. They will no doubt cite the fact that there is no real evidence to support the ‘red is best’ theory put forward – not to mention the fact that blue clubs have had a pretty good year this year (Manchester City won the Premier League, and Chelsea won the FA Cup and Champions League).

A football club is nothing without its fans. Therefore, the top brass at Cardiff cannot ignore this groundswell of anger. To use a classic footballing cliché, they need to get the fans back onside.  

There are three things they could do:

·        Create some sort of public forum that allows genuine interaction between fans and owners. The fans can vent their anger and concerns, and the owners can respond;

·        Issue a public statement that demonstrates both an understanding of the importance of the fanbase, and their long-term commitment to the club;

·        Start winning… and quickly!

Some fans will never come round to the change. But if the things above happen, they stand a good chance of getting the majority accepting it.

Tom Yazdi

Consultant

tom@linstockcommunications.com