County through the Ages (2001-2011)

Cardiff County's brief but turbulent history began at the turn of the century as a pipedream shared by three good friends... bona fide County legends Andrew Davies, Chris Edwards and Anthony King.

In early 2001 they started putting their dreams of Sunday League glory into action and set about gathering a group of local drunks, layabouts and racist coppers, to represent the locals of the (in)famous Robin Hood pub in Canton.

County's maiden season as Robin Hood FC in the Cardiff Sunday League was the 2001/02 season, joining the 4 Walls 4 Sale leagues. A unique brand of football combined with a take no prisoners attitude and half time smokes/beers ensured they more then held their own for a number of seasons in the technically challenging Sunday leagues.

The 2004/05 season saw Robin Hood FC transition to the snappy new name of Big Sleep Hotel FC (due to a change in sponsors). The team continued to hold their own in the Sunday leagues but alas, all was not well in the camp...

Sometime around 2005-2006 the club was rocked to its very foundations. A deep and irreconcilable split within its founding fathers had begun to surface.

Anthony King and a number of bright, young stars brought through the academy had become disillusioned with the weekly commute from Barry to Cardiff. Anthony decided that enough was enough and set off to form our bitterest rivals the Barry Pumas, taking a healthy chunk of home-grown talent with him. This was to mark the start of some tough times.

Realising the size of the task ahead of them Andy Davies and Chris Edwards went on a frenzied recruitment drive, bringing in a number of new players and in the process obtaining yet another new sponsorship and name.

County launched into the 2006/07 season as Real Caerdydd with a brand new kit, some new faces and a very fierce and bitter rivalry with the Barry Pumas.

After a single season as Real Caerdydd, the inspirational moniker of AFC Cardiff Dragons was bestowed upon us (due to a name clash with another team). Andy Davies took over as player/manager and did his very best to drag us out of the dungeons of the 4 Walls 4 Sale league.

Unfortunately the 2007/08 season, like too many of the previous, was spent scrapping points together, often struggling to field 11 players, sometimes struggling to get a team together at all!

Motivation and spirit was at an all time low.....

Then something strange happened, just as it seemed that County might implode and cease to exist, some fresh new faces started popping up and spirits within the team started to rise.

Wanting to concentrate on prolonging his playing career Andy Davies stepped down as player manager at the start the 2008/09 season and fellow County founder Chris Edwards decided to call time on his County career. Who would step up and take County to the next level.... Enter one Phill Dodds, County would never be the same again!!

Another 2 years were spent battling in the lower echelons of the 4 Walls 4 Sale league as AFC Cardiff Dragons.

2008/09 was very much a transitional season, as The Dragons struggled with new faces and training sessions. The season ended with a whimper as pitiful as the previous few seasons. Phill Dodds demanded more.....

2009/10 was our final season in the 4 Walls 4 Sale league, and was a rollercoaster of emotions! There was more fight, spirit and balls within the team. We pulled off some huge victories against the big boys, threw in some stinkers against truly awful opposition and went on an unbeaten cup run to reach the semi-finals... only to have the cup cancelled!!

At the end of the 2009/10 season the 4 Walls 4 Sale leagues finally merged with the Lazarou leagues. The 4 Walls 4 Sale leagues had been struggling for a number of years with a lack of referees and poor organisation, so the move to such a well respected and well run league was hugely anticipated and much needed.

In the run up to the 2010/11 season, Phill Dodds decided we should start life in the Larazou leagues with a clean slate...

Cardiff County Football Club was born out of the ashes of AFC Cardiff Dragons. A clean start in a new league with a new name, kit, sponsor, ground and most importantly a new attitude and professionalism bringing a new lease of life to the previously ailing club.

The 2010/11 season is a special season for Cardiff County, it represents a new era for a club reaching it's 10 year anniversary in the Cardiff Sunday leagues and see the club finally settled into a name, ground, league and a style of football that sits well with the club and bodes well for the coming seasons and for the ultimately for future of the football club.

Cardiff County FC

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