We signed some decent players from Cardiff a few years ago. Norman Dean (who sadly had his career blighted by injuries whilst at Barnsley), Frank Sharp, Les Lea & Gordon Owen all added quality to our team at the time. Sadly, last year we brought in Declan John & Kadeem Harris on loan from there, neither of whom were able to have any serious impact similar to their predecessors from yesteryear. Due to my appalling memory loss and advanced old age, there's probably quite a few other players we've bought from the Bluebirds who I can't remember, this morning!
I for one would never doubt your memory. I thought maybe Billy Ronson but I think he came via brief spell elsewhere. Gordon Owen was a favourite. Sent via Royal Mail and typed up by my Tapatalk byatch
Yeah, Billy signed for £50,000 from Wrexham, after being relegated with them in his only season there (1981/82).
Gordon Owen Best penalty taker we've ever had? I remember him scoring a hat-trick of headers against Oxford, he never scored with his head..... I also remember him scoring against us for Cardiff at Oakwell just before we signed him, lost 3-2 if memory serves.
Re: Gordon Owen Neil Thompson. Never, ever any chance that he wouldn't score. Getting in the way of the ball would quite possibly have been fatal.
Strangely enough we were talking about Les Lea only last night , and we couldn't remember where he came to us from !!!
Frank Sharp and Les Lea were signed at the same time for a combined fee and club transfer record of £20,000 in 1970. It was a few weeks after we'd sold Stewart Barrowclough to Newcastle United for£40,000, also a club record.
Les Lea - I believe he`s lived in Ardsley ever since he signed for us. Still goes to all our home games and if you ever speak to him he`s an absolute gentleman.
Re: Gordon Owen Yes he smacked them alright. So did Gordon Owen, straight down the middle - statistically the best place to put them as it is psychologically hard for a keeper to simply stand in the middle of the goal because he looks really stupid when the ball goes in the corner. Paul Hayes had a great record, but oddly he didn't fill me with confidence when he took one.
Absolutely whenever he took one on front of the Ponty I was scared he would miss and decapitate a kid in the front rows.
Re: Gordon Owen Defo. His coolness and technique were absolutely brilliant, but he didn't half make me nervous. I was close to vomiting with fear when he stepped up against Huddersfield in the playoff semi final.
I reckon the fat kid with the goalie gloves and the obscure player names on his shirt would've stopped it. Well, at least he would've tried.
Re: Gordon Owen I was thinking of that when I wrote my post. I even get scared when I watch the replays 10 years later....
Les Lea sits in the ESL and looks fit enough to still be playing now. Can't remember whether it was him or Norman Dean who had European Cup Winners' Cup goals to their name while with Cardiff.
He must have lived in Hemsworth, given that he was always in Jack Green's sports shop on Crosshills. At least, Jack told us it was Norman Dean.....