PEPPERMINT IGUANA: CITY SHOW FLARE AND SURPRISE THE MIGHTY SPURS: Cardiff 0 Spurs 0

Grange End is electric for this clash with the big boys

The FA cup is always a distraction from the important thing, the league, but on times can provide a good day out. Last year we travelled away to Arsenal, today we were hosts to Tottenham Hotspurs. It always had the potential to be an interesting game, and on the day it turned into a great day out.

I was on the platform to get the train into town nice and early. Had a bit of a laugh on the train with some old faces from the past, remembering antics from trips in the 80s. Then a swift jar in a pub by the station with some lads from up the valley then went for a cracking Chinese meal with some comrades from the union.

When we arrived at the ground the atmosphere was electric; a capacity crowd in full voice anticipating a re-run of the legendary victory over Leeds when they were sitting on top of the Premiership. Kick off was not until 4pm so it was getting dark and the rain was lashing the ground. The hair was standing up on the back of my neck as the Grange End Orchestra started off their concert.

City putting Spurs goal underpressure throughout game

City of late seem to have lost the fire they had at the beginning of the season, so I was apprehensive as the ball was first kicked, but it was not long before we could see that this was not going to be a walk in the park for the Premiership team. For 90 minutes the two teams battled against each other with the ball constantly moving from end to end, only to end in a goalless draw, but the prospect of a trip to the big smoke.

Talking of big smoke, during the second half some Spurs ‘lads’ decided they wanted to have a go and started rucking with the old bill in an attempt to get on the pitch. While this was kicking off someone on the Grange decided to light up a distress flare. It created a brilliant atmosphere on the Grange, I could feel the hair standing up on the back of my neck, just like being at a European game, but with hindsight, it was a bit of a dull thing to do. There is now a mini manhunt on for the guy and it looks like when they catch him he will be banned for life. Again city will be branded as mindless hooligans for the action of one person, and the fact that it was Spurs that actually kicked off will be relegated to a postscript. All in all, the whole thing is a storm in a tea cup becasue nothing really happened

One thing that cannot be taken away though, is the fact that City had the better of Spurs and we are starting to look hot again.

FLARE AS SEEN FROM BOB BANK