CV DJs Radio Episode 6

This latest episode of CV DJs Radio is out now & available to stream on Mixcloud.

As per the norm, first up is Nick's mix of cyber rave vibes before passing the virtual crossfader to @gavinbonson for his jams in the second half. 

Note, the CV DJs Technical Team are currently working on the free DL MP3 option. 

#CVDJs 

(Shouts to Sly for the photo shoot and being a part of CV DJs Radio Episode 6)

QPR 2 Cardiff City 2 > Malone You Beast

Upon signing Scott Malone from Millwall in January for approx £10, most Cardiff fans laughed at Russell Slade when he tried to convince us that the player had been snatched from under the noses of German powerhouse Borussia Dortmund. (Major LOLs all round)

After a patchy first few months though finding his feet in a lifeless team, he's started this season like a beast. Malone may have a hairstyle worthy of a dead arm every time you see him (and a lame tat of Marilyn Monroe on his hand) but he’s made a fine start to the campaign capped with an outrageous injury time equaliser on Saturday. 

True enough, City can’t keep relying on last minute worldies for points but things on the pitch have improved.

Many argued Cardiff deserved a point on Saturday but, given the dominance of the game and the amount of decisions that went against them, they will feel they deserved more. In a white-knuckle second half, City will feel hard done by after seeing QPR keeper Rob Green not sent off for handling outside the box when Antony Piklington was in on goal. And then there was the conceding of the weird double hand ball goal which everyone claimed not to see.  

Despite the s**ty luck, City looked like a unified team that had a plan, kept the ball and were willing to scrap. A refreshing change after last season’s limp slog.

Last year Russell Slade’s team sat in a mundane 1980s style 4-4-2 system and couldn’t hold the ball, resulting in inconsistency and mega grumpy fans (me included). Love Slade or hate him though (I've hated him) it’s clear to see work has been done over the summer. In the three games so far this season, City have mustered 62% (QPR), 57% (AFC Wimbledon) and 54% (Fulham) possession. Granted, this doesn’t earn you points, but it does highlight small improvements the bald one and his staff are making brick by brick. 

Things may have improved slightly but some longer term problems remain, like getting the team selection wrong. How Alex Revel continues to get picked is very mysterious to most who watch Cardiff play - model professional he may be but competent to lead the line ahead of Cardiff’s other striking options is an insane thought. How he started ahead of Sammy Ameobi and Kenwyne Jones at QPR only the bald one knows.

Then, when you add to that Craig Noone is foaming at the mouth to play after two slick goals in two games and is only on the bench… questions need answering.

A strong showing at QPR is pleasing and improvements are there to see, but with a few more tweaks and common sense we should’ve taken home a W. Lets hope more improvement is seen up at Blackburn tomorrow. 

Below: Scott Malone fan art 

Isaac's First EVER 'Proper' Football Match - Cardiff City 1 Fulham 1

This entry here is dedicated to my son Isaac (above) who had a new experience this weekend… his first ever (‘proper’ as he called it) football match.  

Straight after his swimming lesson, I broke the news to him in the car park that we were going to watch City instead of going food shopping with the ladies of the family (A cunning ploy from me to boost the appeal of the event!).  

And to up the ante that little bit more, I also chose this moment to reveal an outstanding packed lunch to take to the stadium, complete with Kinder Hippos, Moams and all the trimmings - I knew what I was doing. You could only really better this if a Transformer was giving us a lift to the game. 

I remember not really enjoying my first game in 1990 (aged 9) and my main overriding emotions being fear for safety (we were stood on the terraces). It took a few games to get into it and it wasn’t until the following June when Wales beat West Germany famously that I got ‘the bug’ for football. At five years old, I'm easing Isaac in very delicately. 

His enthusiasm levels were higher than predicted whilst parking up at the ground, even though on route he had informed me (quite sternly) that he ONLY supports Wales at football and nobody else. Seeing the boy using his own ticket and entering the stadium in the hustle and bustle of thousands of other fans for the first time got me all emotional and nostalgic. Elton John could’ve soundtracked this moment on his piano in the Cardiff City Grandstand foyer and if it was a film it could've been in slow motion for dramatic effect.  

As we know, it can be tricky for a Dad not to come on too strong with sports for their son, and I’ve always been conscious of that going for a drip feed of exposure to the game instead of forcing a season ticket on him. He prefers spaceships, ninjas and Minecraft to sport at the moment but that could change over time of course. 

Watching the game itself, we analysed the new City ‘Bluebird’ mascot’s outfit and the amount of seagulls flying around instead of tactics. A comic and the packed lunch had seen us through till half time but the second half saw the boy getting bored resulting in him playing an emergency game of Angry Birds on my phone in a bid to see us through till full time as City pushed for an equaliser. 

Sure enough, in the 87^th minute, Craig Noone smashed one in from outside the box and the stadium erupted. The scenes on our row were a tad different to the rest of the place though with Isaac only looking up from Angry Birds for a split second to punch the air and then it was eyes back to the iPhone. He would later report to his mum that these celebrations were too loud. 

Overall, Isaac enjoyed lots about his first time at the football - mostly the snacks. If only I could go back to 1990 and read what my Pop put on his blog about me. 

The Year of the Joes

Joe Ralls