When Cardiff City won the FA Cup

In our Welsh Sale auction on July 16th we will be offering three rare items in a single lot relating to this iconic occasion for Welsh sport.

1927 FA Cup Final programme, signed menu card and travel itinerary for Cardiff City v Arsenal, the programme for the final-tie, played on April 23rd at Wembley, printed and published by Fred Blower of Watford and sold at 6d, together with a dinner-card for a City of Cardiff reception at City Hall, Cardiff, 25th April, signed by the Cardiff players including captain Fred Keenor, also signed by the Lord Mayor William Grey, together with the exceptionally rare blue-ribboned travel itinerary programme card which schedules the arrangements of the players and Cardiff City FC officials from the eve of the match on the Friday, to the Monday after, when the traveling party heads back to London. The itinerary includes train times, hotel and dining arrangements while in London and a sight-seeing tour with high-tea arranged

The items have been entered by a family in Cardiff and are the first time to market, they were originally obtained from previous director of Roath Furnishings / Roath Radio & TV, who were sponsors of Cardiff FC and who attended the match and the reception, the vendor's father bought out Roath Radio & TV Co. and went on to have a close association with CCFC, even naming Radio Ninian after he had installed the radio equipment at the club

''The Welsh team which won the English Cup returned to Cardiff just after half-past six tonight, and received a tremendous welcome from the crowds of people who had gathered to see them come home. Arriving at the station they encountered a barrier of admirers, who cheered madly. When the train arrived there was a mighty roar as Keenor, the Cardiff captain, was seen at the window with the cup in his hands. As the train passed over the bridge, in full view of the tram centre, many people had dodged the vigilant policeman at the station entrance and gained the platform. The train arrived at an unexpected platform, and men and women, heedless of the risk they ran, dashed across the lines, and before they were checked had fairly mobbed the players, several women in frantic excitement kissing two of the players. As soon as was possible the Cup winners were taken to the City Hall, where the Lord Mayor of Cardiff received them.

The route to the hall was crammed, and progress was very slow as a result. Cheers rent the air from all quarters, and there was not a break in the volume of sound during the mile journey from the station to Cathays Park. Outside the station and along the route to the City Hall every vantage point had been taken by the spectators. One woman arriving late and finding herself on the fringe of the crowd borrowed or took French leave with a step-ladder from a shop, and installed herself in the centre of the square. Unfortunately the ladder was far too popular, and after rocking under the pressure of eight women it collapsed on to the crowd below, who broke the fall. A small boy found that the occasion offered splendid opportunity for a remunerative business on the canal bridge, where a large number of people had ensconced themselves on the parapet and pillars. To their mortification a gust of wind carried away a dozen hats, some landing on the towpaths and others sailing down the stream. The boy volunteered at twopence per man to shin down the side of the bridge to retrieve the lost headgear. All along the route men, women, and children ran alongside the cars, throwing garlands of flowers, lucky mascots, and other favours to the Cup winners. On reaching their destination the City players rose from their seats and waved to the crowd. Keenor lifted the Cup time and time again, and each time he did so the cheering was doubled. On the portico of the City Hall each player was brought forward to shake hands with the Lord Mayor, and ten minutes elapsed before there was anything like silence. Then the singing began, and after patriotic songs others in honour of the occasion and of the eleven players were rendered. The players later went to the Assembly room in the City Halls where a dinner and dance were given to the players, the reserves, and to their wives. It is understood that Keenor vigorously refutes the report that he said Cardiff were lucky to win. He does not consider that they were lucky. What decided the game, he says, was Cardiff's supremacy in defence over the Arsenal's attack''