# 2005–06 Cardiff City F.C. season

During the 2005–06 season Cardiff City played in the Football League Championship. It was the club's third year in the Championship since being promoted from League One.

## Season review
### Kit

Cardiff ended a 3-year deal with Puma and changed to Spanish company Joma. Housing firm Redrow continued as the main shirt sponsor.

### League

Cardiff began their season with 1–0 loss to Ipswich Town but bounced back with a win at Leeds United before going four games without a win, breaking the streak with consecutive wins over Leicester City and Crystal Palace. On 22 October Cardiff recorded their biggest win of the season with a 6–1 victory over Crewe Alexandra but this was followed by two draws and a loss and by Christmas the sides form had seen them win just three out of thirteen games since the end of October.
The new year saw a continuation of Cardiff's poor form with a 5–1 defeat against Reading. Six wins from the final eighteen games of the season left Cardiff with a 12th-place finish.

### League Cup

Cardiff entered in round one, beating Colchester United 2–0 at the Colchester Community Stadium. They claimed a victory in the second round over Macclesfield Town before being eliminated by Leicester City in the third round.

### FA Cup

Cardiff were drawn against Premier League side Arsenal after entering the competition in the third round, suffering a 2–1 defeat at the Arsenal Stadium on 7 January.

## Squad statistics

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Championship | Championship | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | FAW Premier Cup | FAW Premier Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | SCO | Neil Alexander | 48 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Jermaine Darlington | 10 | 0 | 7+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Chris Barker | 45 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | NIR | Jeff Whitley | 38 | 0 | 32+2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Darren Purse | 43 | 6 | 39 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Neil Cox | 29 | 2 | 21+6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Neal Ardley | 33 | 0 | 22+8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | WAL | Jason Koumas | 47 | 13 | 42+2 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | IRL | Alan Lee | 29 | 2 | 6+19 | 2 | 0+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | SCO | Steve Thompson | 14 | 4 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Cameron Jerome | 47 | 20 | 44 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | WAL | Paul Parry | 30 | 1 | 11+16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | DF | WAL | Rhys Weston | 33 | 1 | 26+4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | GK | ENG | Tony Warner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | IRL | Willie Boland | 16 | 0 | 11+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | NED | Glenn Loovens | 36 | 2 | 32+1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | WAL | Joe Ledley | 45 | 4 | 42 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | ENG | Kevin Cooper | 38 | 2 | 31+5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | NIR | Phil Mulryne | 5 | 0 | 1+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | MF | FIN | Toni Koskela | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | MF | ENG | Riccardo Scimeca | 18 | 1 | 17+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | DF | WAL | Byron Anthony | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 21 | DF | WAL | Daniel Parslow | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | FW | WAL | Stuart Fleetwood | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | GK | WAL | Martyn Margetson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | JAM | Richard Langley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | FW | ENG | Michael Ricketts | 17 | 5 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | FW | COD | Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu | 12 | 0 | 4+7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | FW | ENG | Andy Campbell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | FW | ITA | Andrea Ferretti | 7 | 0 | 0+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | MF | WAL | Nicky Fish | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | WAL | Jon Kift | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | MF | WAL | Anthony Taylor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | GK | WAL | Lee Worgan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 31 | MF | WAL | Darcy Blake | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 42 | DF | WAL | Joe Jacobson | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 49 | MF | WAL | Curtis McDonald | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |

## Transfers
### Summer transfers in

| Player | Club | Fee |
| Kevin Cooper | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Undisclosed |
| Neil Cox | Watford | Free |
| Andrea Ferretti | Parma | Undisclosed |
| Philip Mulryne | Unattached | Free |
| Darren Purse | West Bromwich Albion | Undisclosed |
| Jeff Whitley | Sunderland | Free |
| Lee Worgan | Unattached | Free |

### Summer transfers out

* * Indicates player joined club after being released by Cardiff
| Player | Club | Fee |
| Lee Bullock | Hartlepool United | Free |
| James Collins | West Ham United | £3.5 m (combined) |
| Danny Gabbidon | West Ham United | £3.5 m (combined) |
| Gary Croft | Grimsby Town* | Free |
| Graham Kavanagh | Wigan Athletic | £400,000 |
| Richard Langley | Queens Park Rangers | Free |
| Arran Lee-Barrett | Weymouth* | Free |
| Jobi McAnuff | Crystal Palace | £600,000 |
| Rob Page | Coventry City | Free |
| John Robinson | Crawley Town* | Free |
| Danny Thomas | Carmarthen Town | Free |
| Peter Thorne | Norwich City | Free |
| Tony Vidmar | NAC Breda | Undisclosed |
| Darren Williams | Hartlepool United* | Free |

### Loans in

| Player | Club | Arrival Date | Return Date |
| Glenn Loovens | Feyenoord | August 2005 | End of Season |
| Jason Koumas | Wigan Athletic | August 2005 | End of Season |
| Michael Ricketts | Leeds United | August 2005 | January 2006 |

### Loans out

| Player | Club | Arrival Date | Return Date |
| Byron Anthony | Forest Green Rovers | February 2006 | March 2006 |

### January transfers in

| Player | Club | Fee |
| Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu | Darlington | Undisclosed |
| Riccardo Scimeca | West Bromwich Albion | Undisclosed |
| Steve Thompson | Rangers | £250,000 |

### January transfers out

| Player | Club | Fee |
| Stuart Fleetwood | Hereford United | Undisclosed |
| Tony Warner | Fulham | Free |

## Standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 9 | Norwich City | 46 | 18 | 8 | 20 | 56 | 65 | −9 | 62 |
| 10 | Luton Town | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 66 | 67 | −1 | 61 |
| 11 | Cardiff City | 46 | 16 | 12 | 18 | 58 | 59 | −1 | 60 |
| 12 | Southampton | 46 | 13 | 19 | 14 | 49 | 50 | −1 | 58 |
| 13 | Stoke City | 46 | 17 | 7 | 22 | 54 | 63 | −9 | 58 |

### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
| Ground | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A |
| Result | L | W | L | L | D | D | W | W | D | W | L | W | D | W | D | L | D | W | L | D | W | L | W | D | L | L | W | L | W | W | D | L | W | D | W | L | W | L | W | D | L | L | L | D | L | L |
| Position | | | | 21 | 19 | 21 | | 12 | 14 | | 11 | 9 | | 7 | 9 | | 11 | | 10 | | | 10 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7 | | 7 | 7 | | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | | 8 | 9 | 11 |

## Fixtures and results
### Championship

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 6 Aug | Ipswich Town | A | L 0 – 1 | 24,292 | |
| 9 Aug | Leeds United | H | W 2 – 1 | 15,231 | Koumas, Purse |
| 12 Aug | Watford | H | L 1 – 3 | 9,256 | Jerome |
| 20 Aug | Derby County | A | L 1 – 2 | 23,153 | Jerome |
| 27 Aug | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | D 2 – 2 | 11,502 | Jerome (2) |
| 10 Sep | Burnley | A | D 3 – 3 | 10,431 | Jerome, Loovens, Purse |
| 13 Sep | Leicester City | H | W 1 – 0 | 9,196 | Ricketts |
| 17 Sep | Crystal Palace | H | W 1 – 0 | 11,647 | Ricketts |
| 24 Sep | Millwall | A | D 0 – 0 | 9,254 | |
| 27 Sep | Stoke City | A | W 3 – 0 | 12,240 | Jerome (2), Purse |
| 1 Oct | Luton Town | H | L 1 – 2 | 14,657 | Ricketts |
| 15 Oct | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | W 2 – 1 | 6,485 | Koumas, Lee |
| 18 Oct | Preston North End | H | D 2 – 2 | 9,574 | Ledley, Koumas |
| 22 Oct | Crewe Alexandra | H | W 6 – 1 | 10,815 | Ricketts, Ledley, Cooper, Purse, Jerome, Koumas |
| 29 Oct | Sheffield United | A | D 0 – 0 | 25,311 | |
| 1 Nov | Norwich City | A | L 0 – 1 | 23,838 | |
| 6 Nov | Coventry City | H | D 0 – 0 | 11,424 | |
| 9 Nov | Sheffield Wednesday | A | W 3 – 1 | 20,324 | Koumas, Jerome (2) |
| 19 Nov | Preston North End | A | L 1 – 2 | 13,904 | Loovens |
| 22 Nov | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | D 1 – 1 | 9,595 | Lee |
| 28 Nov | Ipswich Town | H | W 2 – 1 | 8,724 | Ricketts, Koumas |
| 3 Dec | Hull City | A | L 0 – 2 | 18,364 | |
| 10 Dec | Leeds United | A | W 1 – 0 | 20,597 | Koumas |
| 17 Dec | Derby County | H | D 0 – 0 | 12,500 | |
| 26 Dec | Plymouth Argyle | H | L 0 – 2 | 16,403 | |
| 28 Dec | Queens Park Rangers | A | L 0 – 1 | 12,329 | |
| 31 Dec | Southampton | H | W 2 – 1 | 13,377 | Ledley, Jerome |
| 2 Jan | Reading | A | L 1 – 5 | 22,668 | Jerome |
| 14 Jan | Burnley | H | W 3 – 0 | 10,872 | Thompson (2), Koumas |
| 21 Jan | Leicester City | A | W 2 – 1 | 20,140 | Jerome, Koumas |
| 31 Jan | Millwall | H | D 1 – 1 | 12,738 | Jerome |
| 4 Feb | Crystal Palace | A | L 0 – 1 | 17,962 | |
| 11 Feb | Stoke City | H | W 3 – 0 | 10,780 | Cooper, Cox (2) |
| 14 Feb | Luton Town | A | D 3 – 3 | 7,826 | Koumas (2), Scimeca |
| 18 Feb | Hull City | H | W 1 – 0 | 11,047 | Jerome |
| 25 Feb | Watford | A | L 1 – 2 | 17,419 | Whitley |
| 4 Mar | Sheffield Wednesday | H | W 1 – 0 | 11,851 | Jerome |
| 11 Mar | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | L 0 – 2 | 23,996 | |
| 18 Mar | Plymouth Argyle | A | W 1 – 0 | 13,494 | Thompson |
| 25 Mar | Queens Park Rangers | H | D 0 – 0 | 14,271 | |
| 1 Apr | Southampton | A | L 2 – 3 | 22,388 | Jerome, Purse |
| 8 Apr | Reading | H | L 2 – 5 | 11,866 | Jerome, Parry |
| 14 Apr | Sheffield United | H | L 0 – 1 | 11,006 | |
| 17 Apr | Crewe Alexandra | A | D 1 – 1 | 5,865 | Koumas |
| 22 Apr | Norwich City | H | L 0 – 1 | 11,590 | |
| 30 Apr | Coventry City | A | L 1 – 3 | 22,536 | Thompson |

### League Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 24 Aug | One | Colchester United | A | W 2 – 0 | 1,904 | Purse, Jerome |
| 20 Sep | Two | Macclesfield Town | H | W 2 – 1 | 3,849 | Ledley, Koumas |
| 26 Oct | Three | Leicester City | H | L 0 – 1 | 8,727 | |

### FA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 7 Jan | Three | Arsenal | A | L 1 – 2 | 36,552 | Jerome |

### FAW Premier Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 10 Jan | Quarter-final | Carmarthen Town | A | L 1 – 2 | 900 | Anthony |