| 2011–12 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Datuk Chan Tien Ghee | |||
| Manager | Malky Mackay | |||
| Stadium | Cardiff City Stadium | |||
| Championship | 6th | |||
| FA Cup | Third round (eliminated byWest Bromwich Albion) | |||
| League Cup | Runners-up (byLiverpool) | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: Peter Whittingham (12) All: Peter Whittingham (13) | |||
| Highest home attendance | League: 25,109 vs.Leeds United, 21 April 2012 All: 25,652 vs.Crystal Palace, 24 January 2012 | |||
| Lowest home attendance | League: 20,366 vs.Hull City, 13 March 2012 All: 6,829 vs.Huddersfield Town, 23 August 2011 | |||
| Average home league attendance | League: 22,139 All: 22,139 | |||
The2011–12 season was the 85th season of competitiveassociation football in theFootball League played byCardiff City Football Club. After suffering defeat in theChampionship play-off semi-finals toReading the previous year, Cardiff competed in the second tier of English football for the eighth consecutive year. The season covers the period between 1 July 2011 and 30 June 2012.
Malky Mackay was appointed manager at the start of the season and signed 9 players in the summer transfer window ahead of his first season in charge of the club. Cardiff occupied a place in the play-offs for the majority of the season and eventually finished the regular season in sixth position. During the season, Cardiff reached theFootball League Cupfinal, however their first final in the competition ended in defeat againstLiverpool.
At the end of the 2010–11 season, following a second consecutive defeat in the play-offs, managerDave Jones was sacked from his position after an end of season review into the club's performance. At the time of his departure, Jones was the longest serving manager in the Championship having held his post since May 2005.[1] The club held talks with former England andNewcastle United captainAlan Shearer to replace Jones but he rejected the job despite stating that he was impressed with the "vision, ambition and determination of the owner Dato Chan Tien Ghee and the board".[2] TheBluebirds instead approached Championship rivalsWatford for permission to speak to their managerMalky Mackay, which was initially rejected.[3] However, after the two clubs agreed a compensation fee, Mackay was officially appointed as Dave Jones' replacement on 17 June on a three-year contract.[4] Mackay set about reshaping his coaching staff, allowing assistant managerTerry Burton, first-team coachPaul Wilkinson and fitness coach Alex Armstrong to leave the club,[5] before appointingDavid Kerslake,Joe McBride and Richard Collinge as their replacements.[6] Goalkeeping coachMartyn Margetson later also left the club to take up the same position atPremier League sideWest Ham United.[7] Cardiff also appointed Mackay's former Watford colleague Iain Moody as their new head of recruitment.[8]
Players released at the end of the season wereMartin John andGavin Rae, whileJay Bothroyd andChris Burke also left the club after failing to agree new deals.Adam Matthews departed on a free transfer to Scottish sideCeltic,[9] having agreed a pre-contract agreement in February 2011,[10] and strikerMichael Chopra was sold toIpswich Town.[11] During the summer transfer window, Mackay agreed deals to sign free agentsCraig Conway,[12]Don Cowie,[13]Robert Earnshaw,[14]Rudy Gestede,[15]Aron Gunnarsson[16] andAndrew Taylor.[17] The club also completed transfers forJoe Mason, for £250,000,[18]Kenny Miller, for a reported £870,000,[19] as well as signing Slovakian midfielderFilip Kiss on a season-long loan deal fromSlovan Bratislava.[20]
| 15 JulyFriendly | Charlton Athletic | 0–1 | Cardiff City | Coria del Río |
| 19:30CEST | Report | Gestede 25' | Stadium:Guadalquivir Referee: Barea Gonzalez (Spain) |
| 20 JulyFriendly | Cardiff City | 0–1 | Celtic | Cardiff |
| 19:45BST | Report | Stokes 34' | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 10,000 |
| 23 JulyFriendly | Bournemouth | 2–1 | Cardiff City | Bournemouth |
| 13:00BST | Malone 8' Lovell 53' | Report | Taylor 58' | Stadium:Dean Court |
| 26 JulyFriendly | Yeovil Town | 1–1 | Cardiff City | Yeovil |
| 19:45BST | Ehmer 52' | Report | 18'Whittingham | Stadium:Huish Park Attendance: 1,377 |
| 30 JulyFriendly | Cardiff City | 0–0 | Parma | Cardiff |
| 15:00BST | report | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium |
The opening game of the2011–12 Football League Championship season saw Cardiff travel toWest Ham United, who had been relegated from thePremier League the previous year, with debutant striker Kenny Miller scoring the only goal of the game in the 91st minute to secure a victory for Cardiff.[21] In the following match, the club progressed through to the second round of theFootball League Cup after defeating League Two sideOxford United 3–1 in extra-time.[22] The team continued their winning start to the campaign in their first home tie, defeatingBristol City in the firstSevernside derby match of the season.[23] Three days later, on 17 August, Cardiff suffered their first defeat of the season, losing 3–1 toBrighton & Hove Albion.[24] Cardiff ended August with two successive away draws in matches againstBurnley andPortsmouth and advanced to the third round of the League Cup after a 5–3 victory overHuddersfield Town.[25][26][27] On the final day of the summer transfer window,Coventry City defenderBen Turner completed a transfer to the club.[28] As part of the deal, Cardiff strikerJon Parkin had been expected to move to Coventry but, after he failed to agree terms, the move subsequently collapsed, Turner joining Cardiff in a cash-only deal for a fee of £750,000.[29]
At the start of September, prior to an international fixture break, a club record 10 players were called up for international duty by their respective countries.[30] Due to a close affiliation with the country, MalaysianinternationalSafee Sali attended a two-week trial at the club.[31] Cardiff played their first match of the month on 10 September, defeatingDoncaster Rovers 2–0 after goals fromAnthony Gerrard and Robert Earnshaw.[32] In the following match, a 1–1 draw withBlackpool, Cardiff recorded their third consecutive away draw afterDon Cowie had initially given them the lead.[33] Three home matches at theCardiff City Stadium, a 0–0 draw and a League Cup penalty shoot-out victory overLeicester City and a 2–1 victory overSouthampton,[34][35][36] ensured Cardiff finished the month of September unbeaten. Striker Jon Parkin left the club on an initial one-month loan move to fellow Championship side Doncaster Rovers[37] and goalkeeperElliot Parish joined Cardiff fromAston Villa on a loan deal set to last until January 2012.[38]
Cardiff suffered their first defeat since mid-August on 1 October, losing 2–1 toHull City. Youth team graduateJoe Ralls scored theBluebirds only goal of the game with a volley that was described as "spectacular" in his league debut.[39] Following a two-week international break, Cardiff recorded a 2–2 draw withIpswich Town,Peter Whittingham equalising from a penalty after Ipswich had taken the lead through former Cardiff player Michael Chopra who had been sold to the club three months earlier.[40] Their following two matches saw a total of 15 goals as Cardiff suffered a 4–3 defeat away toPeterborough United on 18 October before recovering with a 5–3 victory overBarnsley four days later.[41][42] On the same day as their victory over Barnsley, Chief Executive Gethin Jenkins stepped down from his position on the board.[43] Cardiff defeated Burnley 1–0 in the fourth round of the League Cup following a goal from Joe Mason,[44] reaching the quarter-finals of the League Cup for only the second time in the club's history.[45] In their final match in October, Cardiff drew 1–1 withLeeds United, Mason netting for the third consecutive match.[46]
Cardiff began the month of November with two wins in the space of three days, defeatingDerby County andCrystal Palace 3–0 and 2–0 respectively,[47][48] elevating the team into the play-off places for the first time since the end of September. Following an extended break due to international fixtures, Cardiff recorded a 2–1 win overReading after goals fromPeter Whittingham and captainMark Hudson.[49] A second Malaysian international, national team captainSafiq Rahim, attended a three-week trial with the club. Rahim had originally been invited on a trial with his teammate Sali in August but was only able to attend in November.[50] Cardiff drew 1–1 withCoventry City on 22 November, having gone ahead from a Peter Whittigham goal, before beatingNottingham Forest 1–0 in their final league game of the month,[51][52] ending November unbeaten having won four and drawn one league match, a run of form that saw manager Mackay awarded the November Championship manager of the month award.[53] DefenderDekel Keinan left the club on loan to join Crystal Palace on an initial six-week loan deal and Jon Parkin completed his second loan deal of the season by joining Huddersfield Town until January.[54][55] On 29 November, Cardiff defeatedBlackburn Rovers 2–0 in the quarter-final of the League Cup, reaching the semi-final of the competition for the first time since the1965–66 season.[45]
A goal from Kenny Miller secured a 1–0 victory overBirmingham City on 4 December as Cardiff continued their good form, reaching third place in the Championship table,[56] and a 0–0 draw with Millwall saw the side record their ninth consecutive league match without a defeat.[57] One week later, their unbeaten run came to an end as they suffered a 3–2 defeat at home toMiddlesbrough, the team's first defeat since 18 October.[58] A late own-goal byWatford defenderAdrian Mariappa rescued a 1–1 draw for Cardiff to avoid a second defeat in a row on 26 December in manager Malky Mackay's first match against his former side.[59] Cardiff eventually recorded their first league win since the start of December with a 1–0 victory over Nottingham Forest following a goal from Miller, ending 2011 in fourth position.[60]
The club's first match of 2012 ended in a 3–1 victory over Reading following goals from Miller, Mason andAron Gunnarsson.[61] With the winter transfer window opening at the start of January, Cardiff completed their first signing with Elliot Parish joining the club on a permanent basis having been on loan since September.[38] In the third round of theFA Cup, Cardiff were knocked out of the competition by Premier League sideWest Bromwich Albion after suffering a 4–2 defeat.[62] On the same day, Cardiff saw a £400,000 bid rejected byBrighton & Hove Albion for wingerCraig Noone.[63] Three days later, Cardiff played the first leg of the League Cup semi-final against fellow Championship side Crystal Palace, losing 1–0 atSelhurst Park.[64] Cardiff returned to league action for the first time in two weeks with a 0–0 draw withDoncaster Rovers on 14 January.[65]Cypriot investment bankerMehmet Dalman joined the board, replacing U-Jiun Tan as a director.[66] Cardiff failed in a second attempt to sign a winger afterBlackpool rejected a £800,000 bid forMatt Phillips.[67] In the club's last two league matches in January, they recorded a 3–2 victory overPortsmouth and a 1–1 draw with Southampton.[68][69] On 24 January, in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final, Cardiff defeated Crystal Palace 1–0, following an own-goal from Palace defenderAnthony Gardner, leaving the tie at 1–1 after extra-time, resulting in a penalty shoot-out. Cardiff goalkeeperTom Heaton saved two penalties and Palace'sJonathan Parr missed his penalty to give Cardiff a 3–1 shoot-out victory, Miller the only Cardiff player to fail to score his penalty,[70] reaching the first League Cup final for in the club's history.[45]
In the closing days of the winter transfer window, Cardiff completed their second transfer, signing wingerKadeem Harris fromLeague Two sideWycombe Wanderers for an undisclosed fee[71] and allowed Hungarian defenderGábor Gyepes to leave the club after his contract was cancelled by mutual consent.[72] Jon Parkin left the club for a third time during the season on loan, joiningScunthorpe United,[73] andSolomon Taiwo completed a loan move toLeyton Orient.[74]
Having not lost a game since 17 December, Cardiff opened February with two defeats, losing 3–1 at home against Blackpool, after conceding three goals in the final 11 minutes of the match,[75] and 2–1 to Leicester City,[76] the first time during the season that Cardiff had suffered consecutive defeats.[77] A 3–1 victory over Peterborough United in their following match saw Cardiff briefly return to third place,[78] before a third league defeat of the month against Ipswich Town dropped them back into fourth.[79] Despite suffering 3 defeats in their previous 4 matches, Malky Mackay was handed a three-and-a-half-year contract extension, keeping him at the club till June 2016.[80] On 26 February 2012, Cardiff played Premier League sideLiverpool in the2012 Football League Cup Final atWembley Stadium, the first League Cup final in the club's history. TheBluebirds took a surprise lead in the opening 20 minutes through Joe Mason but a second-half goal from Liverpool defenderMartin Škrtel took the tie into extra-time after 90 minutes.Dirk Kuyt gave Liverpool a 2–1 lead in the 18th minute of extra-time but pressure from Cardiff saw Ben Turner score a late equaliser with two minutes left of the match to take the game to a penalty shoot-out. After 4 penalties for either side, the shoot-out stood at 2–2 beforeGlen Johnson gave Liverpool the advantage by converting his penalty. Cardiff defenderAnthony Gerrard took the final penalty for Cardiff, needing to score to avoid defeat, but hit his penalty wide to hand victory to Liverpool.[81] Despite suffering defeat, Mackay stated that the Cardiff players' performance had "done the club proud".[82]
At the start of March, Cardiff returned to league competition, losing 2–0 to West Ham United, suffering consecutive league defeats for the second time in the space of one month and dropping out of the Championship play-off places for the first time since November 2011.[83] A late goal fromSam Vokes saw Cardiff draw 2–2 with Brighton & Hove Albion in their next match, having led 2–1 going into the final stages of the game.[84] Cardiff claimed a second Severnside derby victory of the season in the following match, beating Bristol City 2–1 with both goals coming from own goals scored by Bristol players.[85] After a defeat to Hull City, Cardiff embarked on run of four consecutive draws, three of which came at home, that left them outside the play-off places in eighth position.
Entering April with a four match unbeaten streak, Cardiff continued their form, avoiding defeat in the remaining six matches of the season. This included victories over Middlesbrough, Barnsley, Derby County and Crystal Palace to finish the season in sixth position, securing the final spot in the Championship play-offs.[86] Cardiff were drawn against West Ham, who had finished the season in third position, in the play-off semi-finals. Two goals fromJack Collison gave West Ham a 2–0 advantage in the first-leg and Cardiff were unable to mount a comeback in the second-leg, suffering a 3–0 defeat to lose the semi-final 5–0 on aggregate.[87]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Birmingham City | 46 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 78 | 51 | +27 | 76 | Qualification forChampionship play-offs |
| 5 | Blackpool | 46 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 79 | 59 | +20 | 75 | |
| 6 | Cardiff City | 46 | 19 | 18 | 9 | 66 | 53 | +13 | 75 | |
| 7 | Middlesbrough | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 52 | 51 | +1 | 70 | |
| 8 | Hull City | 46 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 47 | 44 | +3 | 68 |
Supplier:Puma
Sponsor(s):Malaysia
          Home |  Home Alternate |     Away | Away Alternate | Away Alternate 2 |      Third |    GK Home | GK Away | GK Alternate |
Source:[citation needed]
| No. | Name | Position (s) | Nationality | Place of Birth | Date of Birth (Age) | Club caps | Club goals | Int. caps | Int. goals | Signed from | Date signed | Fee | Contract End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | |||||||||||||
| 1 | David Marshall | GK |  | Glasgow | (1985-03-05)5 March 1985 (aged 27) | 65 | 0 | 5 | 0 | Norwich City | 12 May 2009 | £500,000 | 30 June 2013 |
| 22 | Tom Heaton | GK |  | Chester | (1986-04-15)15 April 1986 (aged 26) | 54 | 0 | – | – | Manchester United | 16 June 2010 | Free | 30 June 2012 |
| 29 | Elliot Parish | GK | | Northampton | (1990-05-20)20 May 1990 (aged 22) | – | – | – | – | Aston Villa | 3 January 2012 | Free | 30 June 2013 |
| 30 | Jordan Santiago | GK |  | Calgary | (1991-04-03)3 April 1991 (aged 21) | – | – | – | – | Academy | 1 June 2010 | Trainee | 1 July 2012 |
| Defenders | |||||||||||||
| 2 | Kevin McNaughton | RB/LB/CB | | Dundee | (1982-08-28)28 August 1982 (aged 29) | 207 | 2 | 4 | 0 | Aberdeen | 26 May 2006 | Free | 30 June 2013 |
| 3 | Andrew Taylor | LB/LM | | Hartlepool | (1986-08-01)1 August 1986 (aged 25) | – | – | – | – | Middlesbrough | 4 July 2011 | Free | 30 June 2014 |
| 5 | Mark Hudson | CB | | Guildford | (1982-03-30)30 March 1982 (aged 30) | 79 | 2 | – | – | Charlton Athletic | 2 July 2009 | £1,075,000 | 30 June 2014 |
| 6 | Anthony Gerrard | CB | | Liverpool | (1986-02-06)6 February 1986 (aged 26) | 49 | 2 | – | – | Walsall | 2 July 2009 | £200,000 | 30 June 2013 |
| 12 | Dekel Keinan | CB |  | Rosh HaNikra | (1984-09-15)15 September 1984 (aged 27) | 20 | 2 | 20 | 0 | Blackpool | 21 January 2011 | £300,000 | 30 June 2013 |
| 14 | Paul Quinn | RB/CB | | Wishaw | (1985-07-21)21 July 1985 (aged 26) | 56 | 1 | – | – | Motherwell | 4 June 2009 | £300,000 | 30 June 2012 |
| 18 | Lee Naylor | LB | | Bloxwich | (1980-03-19)19 March 1980 (aged 32) | 31 | 2 | – | – | Celtic | 19 August 2010 | Free | 30 June 2012 |
| 21 | Jonathan Meades | LB/LM |  | Cardiff | (1992-03-02)2 March 1992 (aged 20) | – | – | – | – | Academy | 1 June 2009 | Trainee | 30 June 2012 |
| 23 | Darcy Blake | CB/RB/DM | | New Tredegar | (1988-12-13)13 December 1988 (aged 23) | 90 | 0 | 2 | 0 | Academy | 1 June 2005 | Trainee | 30 June 2014 |
| 25 | Ben Turner | CB | | Birmingham | (1988-08-21)21 August 1988 (aged 23) | – | – | – | – | Coventry City | 31 August 2011 | £750,000 | 30 June 2014 |
| 31 | Alex Evans | CB | | Blackwood | (1991-05-03)3 May 1991 (aged 21) | – | – | – | – | Academy | 1 June 2011 | Trainee | 30 June 2012 |
| Midfielders | |||||||||||||
| 4 | Filip Kiss | DM/RM |  | Dunajská Streda | (1990-10-13)13 October 1990 (aged 21) | – | – | – | – | Slovan Bratislava | 21 July 2011 | Loan | 30 June 2012 |
| 7 | Peter Whittingham | CM/LM/RM | | Nuneaton | (1984-09-08)8 September 1984 (aged 27) | 211 | 55 | – | – | Aston Villa | 11 January 2007 | £350,000 | 30 June 2014 |
| 8 | Don Cowie | RM/CM | | Inverness | (1983-02-15)15 February 1983 (aged 29) | – | – | 3 | 0 | Watford | 1 July 2011 | Free | 30 June 2014 |
| 11 | Craig Conway | LW/RW | | Irvine | (1985-05-02)2 May 1985 (aged 27) | – | – | 2 | 0 | Dundee United | 23 June 2011 | Free | 30 June 2014 |
| 13 | Liam Lawrence | LM/CM |  | Retford | (1981-12-13)13 December 1981 (aged 30) | – | – | 15 | 2 | Portsmouth | 2 March 2012 | Loan | 30 May 2012 |
| 17 | Aron Gunnarsson | DM/RB |  | Akureyri | (1988-04-22)22 April 1988 (aged 24) | – | – | 23 | 0 | Coventry City | 8 July 2011 | £350,000 | 30 June 2014 |
| 24 | Solomon Taiwo | CM/RM |  | Lagos | (1985-04-29)29 April 1985 (aged 27) | 10 | 0 | – | – | Dagenham & Redbridge | 25 August 2009 | £250,000 | 30 June 2012 |
| 27 | Kadeem Harris | LW/RW | | London | (1993-05-29)29 May 1993 (aged 19) | – | – | – | – | Wycombe Wanderers | 30 January 2012 | £150,000 | 30 June 2016 |
| 28 | Aaron Wildig | CM/LM | | Hereford | (1992-04-15)15 April 1992 (aged 20) | 21 | 1 | – | – | Academy | 15 April 2009 | Trainee | 30 June 2012 |
| 32 | Ibrahim Farah | CM | | Cardiff | (1992-02-24)24 February 1992 (aged 20) | – | – | – | – | Academy | 1 June 2011 | Trainee | 30 June 2012 |
| 37 | Stephen McPhail | CM/LM | | London | (1979-12-09)9 December 1979 (aged 32) | 193 | 3 | 10 | 1 | Barnsley | 13 June 2006 | Free | 30 June 2013 |
| 52 | Joe Ralls | CM/LM | | Aldershot | (1993-10-13)13 October 1993 (aged 18) | – | – | – | – | Academy | 30 September 2011 | Trainee | Undisclosed |
| Forwards | |||||||||||||
| 9 | Kenny Miller | CF | | Edinburgh | (1979-12-23)23 December 1979 (aged 32) | – | – | 55 | 14 | Bursaspor | 26 July 2011 | £870,000 | 30 June 2013 |
| 10 | Robert Earnshaw | CF/RW | | Mufulira | (1981-04-06)6 April 1981 (aged 31) | 205 | 105 | 54 | 16 | Nottingham Forest | 6 July 2011 | Free | 30 June 2013 |
| 15 | Rudy Gestede | CF |  | Essey-lès-Nancy | (1988-11-10)10 November 1988 (aged 23) | – | – | – | – | Metz | 26 July 2011 | Free | 30 June 2014 |
| 16 | Jon Parkin | CF | | Barnsley | (1981-01-30)30 January 1981 (aged 31) | 13 | 1 | – | – | Preston North End | 1 January 2011 | £100,000 | 30 June 2013 |
| 20 | Joe Mason | CF/LW | | Plymouth | (1991-05-13)13 May 1991 (aged 21) | – | – | – | – | Plymouth Argyle | 10 July 2011 | £250,000 | 30 June 2016 |
| 33 | Nathaniel Jarvis | CF | | Cardiff | (1991-10-20)20 October 1991 (aged 20) | – | – | – | – | Academy | 1 June 2010 | Trainee | 30 June 2013 |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Championship | FA Cup | League Cup | Play-offs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 1 | GK | SCO | David Marshall | 48 | 0 | 45+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | SCO | Kevin McNaughton | 48 | 0 | 41+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Andrew Taylor | 52 | 1 | 42+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 7+1 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | SVK | Filip Kiss (on loan fromSlovan Bratislava) | 33 | 1 | 13+13 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+3 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Mark Hudson | 44 | 5 | 38+1 | 5 | 0+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Anthony Gerrard | 25 | 2 | 18+2 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 3+1 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Peter Whittingham | 55 | 13 | 46+0 | 12 | 0+0 | 0 | 5+2 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | SCO | Don Cowie | 53 | 7 | 44+0 | 4 | 0+0 | 0 | 7+0 | 3 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | SCO | Kenny Miller | 50 | 11 | 41+2 | 10 | 0+0 | 0 | 4+1 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | WAL | Robert Earnshaw | 22 | 4 | 8+11 | 3 | 1+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | SCO | Craig Conway | 38 | 5 | 24+7 | 3 | 1+0 | 0 | 5+1 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 13 | MF | IRL | Liam Lawrence (on loan fromPortsmouth) | 15 | 1 | 12+1 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 14 | DF | SCO | Paul Quinn | 5 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 15 | FW | FRA | Rudy Gestede | 31 | 3 | 5+20 | 2 | 1+0 | 0 | 4+1 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | ISL | Aron Gunnarsson | 50 | 5 | 41+1 | 5 | 0+0 | 0 | 5+1 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | ENG | Lee Naylor | 6 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 20 | FW | IRL | Joe Mason | 46 | 12 | 24+15 | 9 | 0+1 | 1 | 4+0 | 2 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 21 | MF | WAL | Jonathan Meades | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 22 | GK | ENG | Tom Heaton | 10 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 7+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | WAL | Darcy Blake | 28 | 0 | 9+11 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 3+2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | ENG | Ben Turner | 43 | 3 | 36+1 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 27 | MF | ENG | Kadeem Harris | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 29 | GK | ENG | Elliot Parish | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 30 | GK | CAN | Jordan Santiago | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 31 | DF | WAL | Alex Evans | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 32 | MF | WAL | Ibrahim Farah | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 37 | MF | IRL | Stephen McPhail | 27 | 0 | 11+8 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 3+2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 38 | DF | ENG | Adedeji Oshilaja | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 40 | MF | WAL | Theo Wharton | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 52 | MF | ENG | Joe Ralls | 14 | 1 | 5+5 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| Players currently out on loan: | |||||||||||||
| 12 | DF | ISR | Dekel Keinan (atCrystal Palace) | 4 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 16 | FW | ENG | Jon Parkin (atScunthorpe United) | 2 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | NGA | Solomon Taiwo (atLeyton Orient) | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | ENG | Aaron Wildig (atShrewsbury Town) | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 33 | FW | WAL | Nathaniel Jarvis (atNewport County) | 1 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 |
| Players featured for club who have left: | |||||||||||||
| DF |  HUN | Gábor Gyepes | 2 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | |
| MF |  SVN | Haris Vučkić (on loan fromNewcastle United) | 5 | 1 | 2+3 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | |
| No. | P | Name | Country | No. games | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | DF | Mark Hudson | | 43 | Club captain |
| 2 | DF | Kevin McNaughton | | 4 | |
| 7 | MF | Peter Whittingham | | 4 | |
| 14 | DF | Paul Quinn | | 3 | |
| 37 | MF | Stephen McPhail | | 3 |
Last updated: 18 February 2012
Source:Competitive match reports.
Competitive matches only
Matches started as captain only
Country: FIFA nationality;No.: Squad number;P:Position;Name: Player name;No. Games: Number of games started as captain.
| Rank | No. | Po. | Name | Championship | FA Cup | League Cup | Play-offs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | MF | Peter Whittingham | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 |
| 2 | 20 | FW | Joe Mason | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| 3 | 9 | FW | Kenny Miller | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| 4 | 8 | MF | Don Cowie | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 5 | Own Goals | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 6 | 11 | MF | Craig Conway | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 17 | MF | Aron Gunnarsson | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| 5 | DF | Mark Hudson | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| 9 | 10 | FW | Robert Earnshaw | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 10 | 15 | FW | Rudy Gestede | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 25 | DF | Ben Turner | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| 12 | 6 | DF | Anthony Gerrard | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 | ||||||||
| DF | Gábor Gyepes | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 33 | FW | Nathaniel Jarvis | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 4 | MF | Filip Kiss | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 13 | MF | Liam Lawrence | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 16 | FW | Jon Parkin | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 52 | MF | Joe Ralls | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 3 | DF | Andrew Taylor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| MF | Haris Vučkić | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Total | 66 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 84 | |||
| No. | Pos. | Name | Championship | FA Cup | League Cup | Play-offs | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | | | | | | | | | |||
| 5 | DF | Mark Hudson | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | Kevin McNaughton | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | Peter Whittingham | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | Don Cowie | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | Anthony Gerrard | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | Aron Gunnarsson | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | Filip Kiss | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | Andrew Taylor | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | Ben Turner | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | Darcy Blake | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 13 | MF | Liam Lawrence | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1 | GK | David Marshall | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | Kenny Miller | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 37 | MF | Stephen McPhail | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | Craig Conway | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 32 | MF | Ibrahim Farah | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | FW | Rudy Gestede | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 33 | FW | Nathaniel Jarvis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 12 | DF | Dekel Keinan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | FW | Joe Mason | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | Lee Naylor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | FW | Jon Parkin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | DF | Paul Quinn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 52 | MF | Joe Ralls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 58 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 74 | 0 | ||
| Date | Matches Missed | Player | Reason | Opponents Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 October | 1 | Anthony Gerrard | 5× | Leeds United (A) |
Key:(H) = League Home, (A) = League Away, (FA) =FA Cup, (CC) =League Cup
| No. | P | Name | Country | Level | Caps | Goals | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | David Marshall | Scotland | Senior | 0 | 0 | [1]Archived 7 October 2011 at theWayback Machine | |
| 2 | DF | Kevin McNaughton | Scotland | Senior | 0 | 0 | [2] | |
| 4 | MF | Filip Kiss | Slovakia | U-21 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 8 | MF | Don Cowie | Scotland | Senior | 7 | 0 | ||
| 9 | ST | Kenny Miller | Scotland | Senior | 5 | 2 | ||
| 10 | ST | Robert Earnshaw | Wales | Senior | 4 | 0 | ||
| 11 | MF | Craig Conway | Scotland | Senior | 1 | 0 | ||
| 12 | DF | Dekel Keinan | Israel | Senior | 1 | 0 | ||
| 17 | MF | Aron Gunnarsson | Iceland | Senior | 5 | 0 | ||
| 19 | MF | Haris Vučkić | Slovenia | Senior | 1 | 0 | ||
| 20 | ST | Joe Mason | Ireland | U-21 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 21 | MF | Jonathan Meades | Wales | U-21 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 23 | DF | Darcy Blake | Wales | Senior | 7 | 1 | ||
| 31 | DF | Alex Evans | Wales | U-21 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 52 | MF | Joe Ralls | England | U-19 | 1 | 0 |
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Age | Status | Contract length | Expiry date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | MF | | Jonathan Meades | 19 | Signed | 1 year | June 2012 | Official Site |
| 30 | GK | | Jordan Santiago | 20 | Signed | 1 year | June 2012 | Official Site |
| 7 | MF | | Peter Whittingham | 26 | Signed | 3 years | June 2014 | BBC Sport |
| 33 | FW | | Nathaniel Jarvis | 20 | Signed | 1 year | June 2013 | [3] |
| 5 | DF | | Mark Hudson | 29 | Signed | 2 years | June 2014 | Official Site |
| 15 | FW | | Rudy Gestede | 23 | Signed | 2 years | June 2014 | Official Site |
| 20 | FW | | Joe Mason | 20 | Signed | 4 years | June 2016 | BBC Sport |
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Age | EU | Moving from | Type | Transfer window | Ends | Transfer fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | MF | | Craig Conway | 26 | EU | Dundee United | Free transfer | Summer | 2014 | Free | Official Site |
| 8 | MF | | Don Cowie | 28 | EU | Watford | Free transfer | Summer | 2014 | Free | BBC Sport |
| 3 | DF | | Andrew Taylor | 24 | EU | Middlesbrough | Free transfer | Summer | 2014 | Free | Official Site |
| 10 | FW | | Robert Earnshaw | 30 | EU | Nottingham Forest | Free transfer | Summer | 2013 | Free | Official Site |
| 17 | MF | | Aron Gunnarsson | 22 | EU | Coventry City | Free transfer | Summer | 2014 | £350,0001 | Official Site |
| 20 | FW | | Joe Mason | 20 | EU | Plymouth Argyle | Transfer | Summer | 2014 | £250,0002 | Official Site |
| 9 | FW | | Kenny Miller | 31 | EU | Bursaspor | Transfer | Summer | 2013 | £870,000 | BBC Sport |
| 15 | FW | | Rudy Gestede | 22 | EU | Metz | Free transfer | Summer | 2012 | Free | Official Site |
| 25 | DF | | Ben Turner | 23 | EU | Coventry City | Transfer | Summer | 2014 | £750,0003 | Official Site |
| 52 | MF | | Joe Ralls | 17 | EU | Youth system | Promoted | 2015 | Youth system | Official Site | |
| 29 | GK | | Elliott Parish | 21 | EU | Aston Villa | Transfer | Winter | 2013 | Free | Sky Sports |
| 27 | MF | | Kadeem Harris | 18 | EU | Wycombe Wanderers | Transfer | Winter | 2015 | £150,0004 | Official Site |
~ £2,370,0001Despite being a free transfer, Cardiff paid £350,000 compensation fee for Gunnarsson because he is under 24.[88]
2Although officially undisclosed,BBC Sport reported the fee to be around £250,000.[18]
3Although officially undisclosed,South Wales Echo reported the fee to be £750,000.[89]
4Although officially undisclosed, South Wales Echo reported the fee to be around £150,000.[90]
| No. | Pos. | Name | Country | Age | Loan club | Started | Ended | Start source | End source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | MF | Filip Kiss | | 21 | Slovan Bratislava | 21 July | 31 May | BBC Sport | BBC Sport |
| 29 | GK | Elliot Parish | | 21 | Aston Villa | 23 September | 3 January | Official Site | Sky Sports |
| 19 | MF | Haris Vučkić | | 19 | Newcastle United | 10 February | 12 March | Official site | BBC Sport |
| 13 | MF | Liam Lawrence | | 30 | Portsmouth | 2 March | 21 May | Official Site | Sky Sports |
| No. | Pos. | Name | Country | Age | Type | Moving to | Transfer window | Transfer fee | Apps | Goals | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | DF | Adam Matthews | | 19 | Transfer | Celtic | Summer | Free | 48 | 1 | BBC Sport |
| 11 | MF | Chris Burke | | 27 | Contracted Ended | Birmingham City | Summer | Free | 121 | 16 | Sky Sports |
| 26 | DF | Martin John | | 22 | Contract ended | Free agent | Summer | N/A | 1 | 0 | Official Site |
| 4 | MF | Gavin Rae | | 33 | Contract ended | Dundee | Summer | Free | 153 | 8 | South Wales Echo |
| 8 | FW | Michael Chopra | | 27 | Transfer | Ipswich Town | Summer | £1,000,0001 | 162 | 65 | BBC Sport |
| 9 | FW | Jay Bothroyd | | 28 | Contract ended | Queens Park Rangers | Summer | Free | 136 | 46 | BBC Sport |
| 19 | DF | Gábor Gyepes | | 30 | Contract terminated | Free agent | Winter | Free | 74 | 5 | CCFC Official Site |
EU = if holds or not aEuropean Union passport;Country: when 2 flags, 1st flag = country that plays for internationally, 2nd flag = country of birth;N = number on jersey;P =Position (for position name, pause mouse pointer on abbreviation);Name = Name on jersey (for more extensive name, pause mouse pointer on name);Age = age on the day of the signing;Moving from = only indicate the club the player was playing before start playing for this club in this season, for the type of the moving see Status column;Moving to = only indicates the club the player is going to play next, for the type of the moving see Status column;Ends = when the player's current contract ends;n/a = Not applicable.
~ £1,000,000| No. | Pos. | Name | Country | Age | Loan club | Started | Ended | Start source | End source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | FW | Jarvis | | 20 | Newport County | 9 September | 25 November | Official Site | South Wales Echo |
| 16 | FW | Parkin | | 29 | Doncaster Rovers | 21 September | 24 October | Sky Sports | BBC Sport |
| 28 | MF | Wildig | | 20 | Shrewsbury Town | 8 November | 30 June | Official Site | |
| 12 | DF | Keinan | | 27 | Crystal Palace | 21 November | 2 January | Official Site | BBC |
| 16 | FW | Parkin | | 30 | Huddersfield Town | 23 November | 23 January | Official Site | HTFC Official Site |
| 32 | MF | Farah | | 19 | Tamworth | 24 November | 1 January | BBC Sport | BBC Sport |
| 33 | FW | Jarvis | | 20 | Newport County | 1 January | 30 June | [4] | |
| 24 | MF | Taiwo | | 27 | Leyton Orient | 26 January | 30 June | BBC Sport | |
| 16 | FW | Parkin | | 30 | Scunthorpe United | 31 January | 30 June | CCFC Official Site | |
| 12 | DF | Keinan | | 27 | Bristol City | 22 March | 30 May | BBC Sport |
| 7 August1 | West Ham United | 0–1 | Cardiff City | London |
| 13:00BST | report | 90+1'Miller | Stadium:Boleyn Ground Attendance: 25,680 Referee:Howard Webb |
| 14 August2 | Cardiff City | 3–1 | Bristol City | Cardiff |
| 15:00BST | Hudson 18' Conway 23'Earnshaw 36' | report | 82'Maynard | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 22,639 Referee:Graham Salisbury |
| 17 August3 | Cardiff City | 1–3 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Cardiff |
| 19:45BST | Whittingham 90' (pen.) | report | 39',63' (pen.)Barnes 87'Hoskins | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 23,013 Referee:Keith Stroud |
| 20 August4 | Burnley | 1–1 | Cardiff City | Burnley |
| 15:00BST | Austin 2' | report | 40'Earnshaw | Stadium:Turf Moor Attendance: 13,428 Referee:Anthony Bates |
| 27 August5 | Portsmouth | 1–1 | Cardiff City | Portsmouth |
| 15:00BST | Kanu 80' | report | 76'Taylor | Stadium:Fratton Park Attendance: 14,354 Referee: Andy Woolmer |
| 10 September6 | Cardiff City | 2–0 | Doncaster Rovers | Cardiff |
| 15:00BST | Gerrard 52' Earnshaw 70' | report | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 21,863 Referee: Kevin Wright |
| 17 September7 | Blackpool | 1–1 | Cardiff City | Blackpool |
| 15:00BST | K Phillips 62' | report | 49'Cowie | Stadium:Bloomfield Road Attendance: 12,798 Referee: Jon Moss |
| 25 September8 | Cardiff City | 0–0 | Leicester City | Cardiff |
| 15:00BST | report | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 21,154 Referee: Mark Haywood |
| 28 September9 | Cardiff City | 2–1 | Southampton | Cardiff |
| 19:45BST | Miller 56',63' | report | 90+3'De Ridder | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 22,502 Referee: Philip Gibbs |
| 1 October10 | Hull City | 2–1 | Cardiff City | Kingston upon Hull |
| 15:00BST | Fryatt 39' Barmby 71' | report | 62'Ralls | Stadium:KC Stadium Attendance: 18,305 Referee: Colin Webster |
| 15 October11 | Cardiff City | 2–2 | Ipswich Town | Cardiff |
| 15:00BST | Gestede 19' Whittingham 72' (pen.) | report | 30'Scotland 52'Chopra | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 21,809 Referee: Dean Whitestone |
| 18 October12 | Peterborough United | 4–3 | Cardiff City | Peterborough |
| 19:45BST | Boyd 21' McCann 24',87' (pen.)Taylor 90+2' | report | 6'Cowie 60'Whittingham 79'Gunnarsson | Stadium:London Road Stadium Attendance: 6,351 Referee: Nigel Miller |
| 22 October13 | Cardiff City | 5–3 | Barnsley | Cardiff |
| 15:00BST | Miller 10' Mason 34'Gunnarsson 38',71'Cowie 60' | report | 36'Drinkwater 82'McNulty 86'Vaz Tê | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 20,665 Referee:Scott Mathieson |
| 30 October14 | Leeds United | 1–1 | Cardiff City | Leeds |
| 13:15BST | Snodgrass 73' | report | 17'Mason | Stadium:Elland Road Attendance: 20,270 Referee:Phil Dowd |
| 2 November15 | Derby County | 0–3 | Cardiff City | Derby |
| 19:45GMT | report | 20'Kiss 62' (og)Kilbane 73'Whittingham | Stadium:Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 23,078 Referee: Eddie Ilderton |
| 5 November16 | Cardiff City | 2–0 | Crystal Palace | Cardiff |
| 15:00GMT | Miller 69' Whittingham 80' | report | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 22,032 Referee: Steve Rushton |
| 19 November17 | Reading | 1–2 | Cardiff City | Reading |
| 15:00GMT | Kébé 77' | report | 2'Whittingham 70'Hudson | Stadium:Madjeski Stadium Attendance: 20,361 Referee: Darren Sheldrake |
| 22 November18 | Coventry City | 1–1 | Cardiff City | Coventry |
| 19:45GMT | Jutkiewicz 61' | report | 48'Whittingham | Stadium:Ricoh Arena Attendance: 12,317 Referee:Darren Drysdale |
| 26 November19 | Cardiff City | 1–0 | Nottingham Forest | Cardiff |
| 15:00GMT | Mason 70' | report | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 22,556 Referee: David Phillips |
| 4 December20 | Cardiff City | 1–0 | Birmingham City | Cardiff |
| 12:30GMT | Miller 68' | report | 63'  Davies | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 22,010 Referee:Anthony Taylor |
| 10 December21 | Millwall | 0–0 | Cardiff City | London |
| 15:00GMT | report | Stadium:The Den Attendance: 11,314 Referee: Gavin Ward |
| 17 December22 | Cardiff City | 2–3 | Middlesbrough | Cardiff |
| 15:00GMT | Turner 23' Gunnarsson 44' | report | 15'Ogbeche 60'McDonald 76'Haroun | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 23,373 Referee: Graham Salisbury |
| 26 December23 | Watford | 1–1 | Cardiff City | Watford |
| 12:00GMT | Bauben 62' | report | 80' (og)Mariappa | Stadium:Vicarage Road Attendance: 14,604 Referee: Patrick Miller |
| 31 December24 | Nottingham Forest | 0–1 | Cardiff City | Nottingham |
| 15:00GMT | report | 59'Miller | Stadium:City Ground Attendance: 19,750 Referee: Andy Woolmer |
| 2 January25 | Cardiff City | 3–1 | Reading | Cardiff |
| 15:00GMT | Mason 13' Gunnarsson 19'Miller 36' | report | 45'McAnuff | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 23,655 Referee:Chris Foy |
| 14 January26 | Doncaster Rovers | 0–0 | Cardiff City | Doncaster |
| 15:00GMT | report | Stadium:Keepmoat Stadium Attendance: 8,834 Referee: Oliver Langford |
| 21 January27 | Cardiff City | 3–2 | Portsmouth | Cardiff |
| 15:00GMT | Miller 15' Hudson 69'Conway 90+2' | report | 39'Futács 49'Halford | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 22,199 Referee:Steve Tanner |
| 31 January28 | Southampton | 1–1 | Cardiff City | Southampton |
| 19:45GMT | Lambert 57' (pen.) | report | 36'Conway | Stadium:St Mary's Stadium Attendance: 24,356 Referee: Mark Haywood |
| 4 February29 | Cardiff City | 1–3 | Blackpool | Cardiff |
| 15:00GMT | Mason 59' | report | 79'K Phillips 83',90'M Phillips | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 22,577 Referee:Keith Stroud |
| 11 February30 | Leicester City | 2–1 | Cardiff City | Leicester |
| 15:00GMT | Gallagher 41' (pen.),71' | report | 77' (pen.)Whittingham | Stadium:Walkers Stadium Referee: Mark Hasley |
| 14 February31 | Cardiff City | 3–1 | Peterborough United | Cardiff |
| 19:45GMT | Whittingham 34' Gestede 38'Vučkić 40' | report | 90'Taylor | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 21,342 Referee: Michael Naylor |
| 18 February32 | Ipswich Town | 3–0 | Cardiff City | Ipswich |
| 15:00GMT | Martin 21',73' Chopra 48' | report | Stadium:Portman Road Attendance: 17,032 Referee: Simon Hooper |
| 25 February | Cardiff City | – Postponed due toLeague CupFinal | Hull City | Cardiff |
| 15:00GMT | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium |
| 4 March33 | Cardiff City | 0–2 | West Ham United | Cardiff |
| 12:45GMT | report | 43'Nolan 77'McCartney | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 23,872 Referee:Chris Foy |
| 7 March34 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 2–2 | Cardiff City | Brighton |
| 19:45GMT | Barnes 72' Vokes 89' | report | 52'Mason 74'Whittingham | Stadium:AMEX Stadium Attendance: 18,786 Referee: Roger East |
| 10 March35 | Bristol City | 1–2 | Cardiff City | Bristol |
| 17:20GMT | Stead 52' | report | 45+3' (og)McManus 87' (og)Cissé | Stadium:Ashton Gate Stadium Attendance: 12,495 Referee:Michael Oliver |
| 13 March36 | Cardiff City | 0–3 | Hull City | Cardiff |
| 19:45GMT | report | 6' (og)McNaughton 47'Chester 55'McLean | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 20,366 Referee: Graham Scott |
| 18 March37 | Cardiff City | 0–0 | Burnley | Cardiff |
| 15:00GMT | report | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 21,276 Referee: Iain Williamson |
| 21 March38 | Cardiff City | 2–2 | Coventry City | Cardiff |
| 19:45GMT | McDonald 18' (og) Whittingham 83' | report | 69'Clarke 90+5'Norwood | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 20,564 Referee: Robert Madley |
| 25 March39 | Birmingham City | 1–1 | Cardiff City | Birmingham |
| 12:00GMT | Huseklepp 68' | report | 78'Hudson | Stadium:St Andrew's Attendance: 17,704 Referee:Andy D'Urso |
| 31 March40 | Cardiff City | 0–0 | Millwall | Cardiff |
| 12:30GMT | report | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 21,259 Referee: Andrew Bates |
| 7 April41 | Middlesbrough | 0–2 | Cardiff City | Middlesbrough |
| 15:00BST | report | 11'Turner 19'Mason | Stadium:Riverside Stadium Attendance: 17,564 Referee:Kevin Friend |
| 9 April42 | Cardiff City | 1–1 | Watford | Cardiff |
| 15:00BST | Miller 45' | report | 82'Nosworthy | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 21,259 Referee: Darren Deadman |
| 14 April43 | Barnsley | 0–1 | Cardiff City | Barnsley |
| 15:00BST | report | 69'Lawrence | Stadium:Oakwell Attendance: 9,122 Referee: Geoff Eltrigham |
| 17 April44 | Cardiff City | 2–0 | Derby County | Cardiff |
| 19:45BST | Mason 24' Hudson 63' | report | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 21,216 Referee:Lee Probert |
| 21 April45 | Cardiff City | 1–1 | Leeds United | Cardiff |
| 12:30BST | Mason 41' | report | 73'Becchio | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 25,109 Referee:Mark Halsey |
| 28 April46 | Crystal Palace | 1–2 | Cardiff City | London |
| 12:30BST | Zaha 13' | report | 53'Whittingham 62'Cowie | Stadium:Selhurst Park Attendance: 15,510 Referee:Lee Mason |
| 3 May1st Leg | Cardiff City | 0–2 (0–2agg.) | West Ham United | Cardiff |
| 19:45BST | report | 9',41'Collison | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 23,029 Referee:Neil Swarbrick |
| 7 May2nd Leg | West Ham United | 3–0 (5–0agg.) | Cardiff City | London |
| 16:30BST | Nolan 15' Vaz Tê 40'Maynard 90' | report | Stadium:Boleyn Ground Attendance: 34,682 Referee:Mike Dean |
| 7 JanuaryRound Three | West Bromwich Albion | 4–2 | Cardiff City | West Bromwich |
| 15:00GMT | Odemwingie 7' Cox 33',61',90' | report | 36'Earnshaw 50'Mason | Stadium:The Hawthorns Attendance: 12,454 Referee:Lee Probert |
| 10 AugustRound One | Oxford United | 1–3 (a.e.t.) | Cardiff City | Oxford |
| 19:45BST | Clist 30' | report | 12'Conway 98'Whittingham 120+1'Jarvis | Stadium:Kassam Stadium Attendance: 5,435 Referee:Andy D'Urso |
| 23 AugustRound Two | Cardiff City | 5–3 (a.e.t.) | Huddersfield Town | Cardiff |
| 19:45BST | Gyepes 16' Parkin 17'Cowie 90+3',117'Conway 96' | report | 53',88'Rhodes 70'Ward | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 6,829 Referee: James Linington |
| 21 SeptemberRound Three | Cardiff City | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (7–6p) | Leicester City | Cardiff |
| 19:45BST | Cowie 33' Gestede 82' | report | 40'Howard 66'Dyer | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 8,697 Referee: Roger East |
| Penalties | ||||
Naylor Earnshaw Cowie Conway Kiss Gestede Quinn | DyerHowardAbeDannsSt LedgerPaintsil Fernandes | |||
| 25 OctoberRound Four | Cardiff City | 1–0 | Burnley | Cardiff |
| 19:45BST | Mason 40' | report | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 11,601 Referee: Darren Deadman |
| 29 NovemberQuarter Finals | Cardiff City | 2–0 | Blackburn Rovers | Cardiff |
| 19:45GMT | Miller 19' Gerrard 50' | report | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 19,436 Referee:Martin Atkinson |
| 10 JanuarySemi-finals 1st leg | Crystal Palace | 1–0 | Cardiff City | London |
| 20:00GMT | Gardner 43' | report | Stadium:Selhurst Park Attendance: 22,147 Referee:Mike Dean |
| 24 JanuarySemi-finals 2nd leg | Cardiff City | 1–0 (a.e.t.) (1–1agg.) (3–1p) | Crystal Palace | Cardiff |
| 19:45GMT | Gardner 7' (og) | report | 55' 78'McCarthy | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 25,652 Referee:Howard Webb |
| Penalties | ||||
| Miller Conway Gestede Whittingham | EasterScannellJedinakParr | |||
| 26 FebruaryFinal | Cardiff City | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (2–3p) | Liverpool | London |
| 16:00GMT | Mason 19' Turner 118' | Report | 60'Škrtel 108'Kuyt | Stadium:Wembley Stadium Attendance: 89,044 Referee:Mark Clattenburg |
| Penalties | ||||
| Miller Cowie Gestede Whittingham Gerrard | GerrardAdamKuytDowningJohnson | |||
End-of-season awards[edit]
Source:South Wales Echo[permanent dead link] |
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