City starlets turn out to meet fans

Mar 20 2008 by Gareth Rogers, South Wales Echo

HUNDREDS of excited Cardiff City fans queued up to meet some of the club’s young stars at the Echo roadshow.

Supporters young and old queued to meet Aaron Ramsey, Darcey Blake and Erwin Sak at the event in St John’s Square, Cardiff, in the run-up to next month’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

Elsa Tesfalslasie, from Butetown, Cardiff, took her City- mad three-year-old Nabay to meet the players and get a team photo signed.

She said: “He really loves Cardiff City and he was excited to meet some of the players.”

Ambassador Alex Digby, of Caerphilly, also queued up to meet the trio to get a signed poster as a surprise for her partner Mike.

She said: “We are both looking forward to going to Wembley to see the team play and it would be great for them to get to the final.

“It is good of the players to come out and meet the fans.”

Lifelong fan David White, 26, of Ely, Cardiff, added: “I wanted to get a signed team photo for my mum who is in hospital. I have been to the roadshow every day so far.”

Meanwhile a group of city fans are chipping in for a giant flag to show their true colours at Wembley next month.

The supporters, who regularly use the Cardiffcitymad web forum, are trying to raise £1,000 to get one or two giant flags into Wembley for the FA Cup semi-final to add to the atmosphere.

City fan of 20 years Mike Inker, of Cyncoed, Cardiff, came up with the idea and fans have currently raised nearly half of the target in the first two days. He said: “We’ve played at Middlesbrough and Liverpool this season and they both had some great flags which they held up when their team ran out. It would be great if we could do that.”

Fans are currently balloting on the forum about three possible designs and have received £468 from on-line Paypal donations.

They have asked Cardiff City stadium manager Wayne Nash to approach Wembley to ensure that the flag is allowed into the stadium on the match day.

To vote for your favourite design visit ccmb.co.uk/fudforum and to make a donation to the flag fund visit paypal.com and pay the money to ccmb_banner_fund@hotmail.co.uk.

Chairman Peter Ridsdale was due to be joined at today’s roadshow by manager Dave Jones and FA Cup hero Peter Whittingham from 2pm at St John’s Square – see tomorrow’s Echo for report and pictures.

gareth.rogers@mediawales.co.uk

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