Cardiff City can be as big as Newcastle United with enormous gates if they stay up and become established in Premier LeagueBluebirds legend and former Wales star Blakey on why the stakes are so high for Cardiff City
The business end of the Premier League season is upon us and, looking further forward, there is far more at stake for Cardiff City than perhaps most people realise.
This is not just about the Bluebirds versus Brighton, who's relegated, who stays up.
Each have three matches left, starting with Cardiff at Fulham on Saturday and followed afterwards with Brighton hosting Newcastle.
With a three point lead, better goal difference and time running out, most would take Brighton's position right at this moment in time. But they can't score goals, have gone into a defensive shell to try to nick the odd point here and there. In terms of momentum and performance, give me Cardiff's position.
They really can do this. I genuinely feel wins over Fulham, then Crystal Palace at home, will be enough, too much for Brighton who will get nothing from two really tough final games against Arsenal and title-chasing Manchester City.
But whereas we have to focus upon the immediate short-term, ie Fulham, Palace and Manchester United for the Bluebirds, for me the bigger picture is far greater than that.
If they come through the current challenge, Cardiff City have a real opportunity to start establishing themselves as a Premier League club with proper planning. If teams like Watford, Southampton, Leicester and Newcastle can do it, then Cardiff most certainly can.
The sold-out signs are already there for most Bluebirds matches. With a few years in the Premier League, I could see Vincent Tan increasing the capacity of Cardiff City Stadium to 40,000.
In fact, I could easily see Cardiff getting the type of 50,000 crowds that Newcastle attract.
Don't scoff. There is a truly massive population catchment area the Bluebirds can tap into through being a Premier League top 10 side and marketing themselves properly. Throw in the pride Welsh exiles everywhere would take from having their capital city club punching its weight in the best league in the world, and thus also coming on board, and potential 50,000 gates are most certainly not a pipedream.
They might have to increase the stadium capacity further again. Which in turn, of course, would benefit a successful Wales national side for the future, given Cardiff City Stadium is their home as well. That would be a boost to the Welsh population, enable far more people to follow Wales, whereas we've seen sold out signs in recent times and frustrated fans unable to get their hands on a ticket.
Sam Hammam had this kind of vision when he first breezed into Cardiff, believing a nation would rally around its capital club. If Hammam was naive in many ways, some of the principles of what he was attempting to achieve were actually spot on, in my view.
What were Cardiff's gates when he first arrived? Around 10,000? See how quickly the fan base has grown since.
Look, even if they are relegated, Cardiff will have 22,000-plus crowds in the Championship.
So, without really trying, they've already increased this season by 8,000. That's what the Premier League does for you.
Imagine some sustained success on top of that, Cardiff holding their own instead of being outclassed - as has been the case in many matches this season? Tally that with a proper marketing campaign, going into schools, showcasing what they've really got, trying to persuade some of those to take a look at Premier League football.
I really don't think, with efforts like that, it would be too difficult to quickly go from 30,000 to 40,000, particularly as the away following would also increase.
Then, once you're properly established, you have the local youngsters who suddenly become Cardiff City fans, as opposed to following Liverpool, or Manchester United, or Chelsea, or Arsenal.
Indigenous Welsh support for the local football team in the Welsh capital. Are 50,000 crowds, the type Newcastle get, really that unfeasible? Not I don't think they are, not for one second.
As I say, just look at the catchment area. You can go west towards Bridgend, or even Neath and Port Talbot where there is already a more than decent Cardiff following. Go east towards Chepstow, go up through the Valleys up towards Merthyr, then further afield into mid-Wales.
Target Gwent, where Newport County get a loyal fan base of around 3,000, but no more than that week by week.
There must be tens of thousands in those various areas who would love to see regular Premier League football nearby in Cardiff.
Throw in the city's own population, on top, which stands at over 300,000, and you get an idea of the kind of figures I'm talking about. It's a fabulous city, a growing one, with so much going for it in every sense. Culturally, sporting wise, you name it.
We've got the best rugby stadium in the world smack bang in the middle, an iconic venue that has also hosted the Champions League final and FA Cup finals. Play on that, don't see it as a rival. Heck, boast about the Grand Slam success of Warren Gatland's rugby side, tap into the psyche and again try to persuade some of those supporters to take a look at Premier League football.
It's much cheaper, for starters.
Persuade people to make a weekend of it in Cardiff, when possible. Six Nations rugby one day, the Premier League the next. These are mouthwatering marketing options that only Cardiff City can really offer. Twickenham and the London clubs isn't quite the same, in my eyes.
So why hasn't it happened to date, you may well ask? And rightly so.
I've touched on that. Welsh folk around here starved of success at club level have turned to the bigger clubs. Hence the enormous support for Liverpool and Man Utd in South Wales. Then it gets passed on down the years, through the generations.
But give the local people regular Premier League football and you watch how quickly they start to come on board. Then it becomes chicken and the egg, the success breeds more interest, the greater the interest and fan base the more revenue is brought in and the greater that chance to achieve success.
Play on the local celebrities. Get the Manics at Cardiff City matches, make an issue of getting top rugby players coming to Premier League games. I don't see any of that at the moment.
Cardiff City head to Craven Cottage with a golden chance to make up groundGet a vibe going that this club is really going places, get more youngsters wearing Bluebirds replica tops, asking to go to games. I repeat, if clubs like Leicester, Watford and Southampton can become sustainable, then Cardiff most certainly can. One hundred per cent.
But, of course, you can't run before you walk and first things first.
If Brighton lose at home to Newcastle, I'd take a point at Craven Cottage this weekend because I genuinely feel Cardiff will beat Crystal Palace the following weekend.
Brighton are going to put their eggs in the Newcastle basket, knowing they are unlikely to get anything from their last two games against Arsenal and Man City.
But they can't score goals and that plays into Cardiff's hands.
The Bluebirds have first go on Saturday and if they beat Fulham, it will really pile the pressure on Brighton when they play in the tea-time kick-off.
I fancy Cardiff, 2-0, and it remains to be seen if Brighton can match that.
The stakes are enormous in these final three games. But, as I've tried to explain, they can prove to be even bigger than that. 40,000 or 50,000 times bigger.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/cardiff-city-can-big-newcastle-16175062
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