There was no miraculous ending for Aaron Ramsey or Cardiff City. As relegation from the Championship was confirmed, a dispiriting air hung over the Cardiff City Stadium, signalling the club’s return to the third tier of English football for the first time in over two decades.
In the closing minutes, with hopes of survival fading fast, Bartley Bluebird — the club’s mascot clad in a shirt bearing the number 99 — abandoned the unfolding disaster on the pitch to entertain young fans at the front of the stands, many blissfully unaware of the grim reality facing their club.
The final whistle brought scenes of devastation. Players in blue collapsed to the turf in despair, while Bartley moved among them in a surreal attempt at consolation. Cardiff’s fate was sealed: a dismal campaign, with just nine league victories, ended with relegation to League One, trading places with Wrexham in a sobering shift of fortunes within Welsh football.
No one felt the pain more than Ramsey. The emotion was etched deeply across his face as he grappled with the scale of the club’s downfall. The Caerphilly-born midfielder, who once raced to training in a lime green Ford Fiesta, had returned last summer for a third spell with his boyhood club, dreaming of a glorious return to the Premier League. Instead, Cardiff now face trips to the likes of Stevenage and Exeter.
“This club means a lot to me,” said Ramsey. “I wanted to come back and help the team on the field, that hasn’t materialised like we all imagined and all wanted. Game-time, minutes on the pitch, it hasn’t been great and it’s been very frustrating. I felt like I could have an impact and have that miracle ending. It wasn’t to be and we have to own up to that.”
Sidelined for much of the season following hamstring surgery, the 34-year-old stepped into the breach as caretaker manager for the final three matches, alongside his assistant and long-time friend Chris Gunter, another Cardiff academy product.
Although Ramsey and Gunter managed to inspire a spirited showing against West Bromwich Albion, the 0-0 draw was not enough. Cardiff needed back-to-back victories to stand any chance of survival — a near-impossible task given their form. Their tally of nine wins from 45 games is the lowest in the Championship this season, with only Shrewsbury faring worse across the English Football League.
Despite West Brom arriving in woeful form — five defeats from six leading to Tony Mowbray’s dismissal and James Morrison’s promotion to caretaker manager — Cardiff could not find the cutting edge they so desperately needed. As Joe Ralls curled a shot narrowly wide in the dying minutes, Gunter clawed at the back of his head in frustration while Ramsey, hands on head, could only watch helplessly.
Earlier, Josh Griffiths produced a remarkable double save to deny Alex Robertson and then foiled further attempts from Youssef Salech and Calum Chambers in a frenzied goalmouth scramble that epitomised Cardiff’s season: close, but not close enough.
The supporters, sensing a glimmer of hope, had roused themselves with chants of “Aaron Ramsey’s barmy army,” but the final whistle brought only heartache. Ramsey, a player-manager in all but name, awkwardly moved among the players — his teammates until just a week prior — offering words of comfort.
The wider issues at the club are impossible to ignore. Despite operating with what is believed to be a top-eight Championship budget, Cardiff have slumped alarmingly. Off the field, disputes continue over the tragic Emiliano Sala transfer, with Cardiff claiming over £100 million in compensation, a case due in court this September.
Owner Vincent Tan’s absence has been telling — the Malaysian businessman has not been seen at a Cardiff fixture since a home defeat to Hull City in November 2022. Since then, the club has lurched from one interim solution to another, with Erol Bulut the latest in a long line to be cast aside.
Ultimately, too many short-term fixes have led to long-term decline. Cardiff City now face a hard reset — a painful but necessary journey — in the unfamiliar territory of League One.
