No thaw in relations as time fails to heal bitterness

DERBY DAYS: SOCCER ENGLISH CHAMPIONSHIP Swansea City v Cardiff City: Over the years the clashes of these Welsh giants came with a health warning as rival supporters seemed permanently fixed on settling old scores

WHEN ANY sporting encounter becomes known as "The Battle of . . ." there can only be two explanations – either a momentously entertaining match has occurred or a terrible moment for sport. The December, 1993, meeting of the Welsh entrants to the football league in England is commonly recalled as "The Battle of Ninian Park".

By the early 1990s, despite several fixtures throughout Britain causing major headaches for the authorities – both in the football associations and the police forces – the meetings of Swansea City and Cardiff City managed to regularly muscle in on the limelight, usually for incidents such as the day when a dart was thrown at a policeman’s head.

The tie in Cardiff in late 1993 was initially delayed due to the late arrival of a thousand Swansea fans, who were then placed in the grandstand – a major mistake.

There had already been trouble outside the ground and, when the home side scored, the away fans invaded, closely followed by the home support, with many of those remaining in the stands taking the opportunity to rip up seats to use as missiles.

The incidents put Welsh soccer on the map, though not exactly how the FAW had envisaged, and, subsequently, away fans were banned from the fixture for several years – the first fixture in Britain to have this imposed.

Possibly more than any other derby in Britain, the South Wales Derby has been constantly marred by violence.

The rivalry began in 1912 and, apparently, for several decades it was not unusual for Welsh people to support both clubs as they toiled against the might of England. Those days, however, are a world away now.

At the conclusion of the 1998/99 season, Cardiff City were promoted from the basement of the football league. Swansea made the play-offs, but missed out.

There was much rejoicing – not just in Cardiff bars, but also by the over-worked South Wales police. To them, it was a result. The derby with one of the worst reputations in Britain was on hold.

The following season, Cardiff went straight back down, passing the promoted Swansea.

And, a year later, Cardiff went back up. Swansea went down.

Conspiracy theorists might have been tempted to point at the chuckling coming from the police stations in Wales’ two big cities.

Swansea struggled to get out of the lowest division until the 2005/06 season, but by that stage Cardiff had already left the third tier and were now seconded in the Championship. So the derby had to wait until Swansea City won the League One title in 2007/08.

And then, well it’s always the way isn’t it, you wait for one for nine years, and then three come at once – the sides were also drawn to meet in the League Cup.

It was soon apparent, that a rivalry that had been on ice, had not thawed.

A calm build-up to the first derby in almost a decade was urged – fixed for September 23rd, 2008 at Liberty Stadium. Cardiff City midfielder Joe Ledley, though, was apparently left out of the loop, commenting before the game that, “hopefully the first tackle I’ll win the ball and take someone out as well.”

Moving 1,300 Cardiff fans 34 miles down the M4 and home again was a military operation – but a successful one, at least inside the ground, with the hostile atmosphere limited to home chants of Stand Up If You Hate Cardiffand Swim Awaya reference to an incident when Swansea supporters chased Cardiff fans all the way into the sea, before the police waded in.

The League Cup tie was settled by a second-half strike by Jordi Gomez, but as the 17,000-strong crowd dispersed trouble flared outside the ground – with rumours and counter-rumours spreading through the crowds.

Riot police successfully kept the rival supporters apart, but in doing so took much of the flak themselves – with bottles, stones and bricks raining down.

New era, old problems.

It was a flash-back to the many confrontations which it was hoped were long forgotten, and sparked much debate before the November league tie at the same venue as to whether a return to the ban on visiting fans may be the best form of defence.

In the end, most of the fiery encounters in the Championship clash were confined to the pitch, with what was a terrific advertisement for the game resulting in a 2-2 draw, with Stephen McPhail one of two players to see red during the action-packed tie.

In fact, there is likely to be a strong Irish presence on the field this weekend, with McPhail – the Cardiff City vice-captain – likely be joined in midfield by Mark Kennedy, while Swansea may hand a starting position to midfielder Thomas Butler.

The third instalment of the recent-revived rivalry, however, ruined all hopes that the south Wales derbies would become known for the quality of entertainment on the pitch, rather than the circus that has historically accompanied each clash.

While the game last April – which kicked off at 11am in a desperate attempt to take the sting out of the tie – witnessed another quality 2-2 tie, it will be remembered for an incident in the first half when referee Mike Dean was struck by a coin thrown from the crowd.

It was not confined to just one idiot in the crowd. “I could have picked £250 up at the end to be honest,” said Swansea goalkeeper Dorus de Vries afterwards.

The clashes after the match between supporters and police only sealed the view that the fixture had simply hibernated – rather than caught up with the modern age.

For clubs that not so long ago languished at the bottom of the English Football League, both clubs now view a Premier League place as a realistic target.

For most of the supporters on both sides, that is the only target worth aiming for. For some, however, no matter how high their club climbs, one eye seems permanently fixed on settling old scores.

Swansea City v Cardiff City

Saturday, kick-off 12.45pm

Liberty Stadium, Swansea

Live on Sky Sports 1