Scott Young is ready for a day of nostalgia when he turns up at Cardiff City Stadium for the FA Cup clash with Leeds United.
The former defensive stalwart, a one-club hero who played more than 300 times for the Bluebirds, he is one of the guests of the club for their clash with the Premier League side for a fixture that will evoke all the memories of the day 21 years ago he scored the winner in the 2-1 triumph over a Leeds team that were then top of the Premier League.
That game, on 6 January, 2002, has a special place in Welsh sporting folklore and even has its own Wikipedia page. Young, now 46, never tires of talking about his winner that day, but is hoping a new hero will emerge this afternoon in another Dai v Goliath clash.
Scott Young scored the winner as third tier Cardiff City dumped out Leeds 21 years ago
David O’Leary’s side were flying high at the top of the Premier League at the time of the tie
‘I knew as soon as the draw was made that everyone would want to talk about the game in 2002. The phone hasn’t stopped ringing since,’ said Young.
These are difficult times for Cardiff City. They’ve only scored 20 goals in 26 league games, haven’t won in their last seven games and have had a Fifa transfer ban imposed on them for the current transfer window.
‘We’ve just got to batten down the hatches and somehow get through this difficult patch. We need some new impetus at the club and perhaps a win over Leeds could provide that,’ said Young.
‘The ultimate aim is to stay in the league, but we need a proper philosophy and identity at the club, rather than continually chopping and changing the manager.
A hostile atmosphere between the two sets of supporters marred the third round tie in 2002
Cardiff were under the control of controversial owner Sam Hammam at the time of the game
‘We need to know where the club is going to go next – what are the short and medium term goals? The club needs targets to aim at and reach.
‘Beating Leeds would certainly help the club and it will be a welcome break from the Championship, which is so relentless. They are in a battle for survival in the league at the moment.’
A local product, the Tonypandy-born Young is delighted to see the Bluebirds’ academy beginning to produce more talent and is looking forward to watching the likes of Rubin Colwill, Issak Davies and Mark Harris taking on mighty Leeds on Sunday.
Cardiff are winless in their last seven games and Scott Young urged them to try and get through the current crisis
‘We need to produce more home-grown talent and it’s great to see that starting to happen. They need to be given the chance to establish themselves,’ he added.
Young has just returned from a holiday in Tenerife having had his first festive period out of football. Even so, he couldn’t escape talking about the inevitable Leeds goal while he was away.
He is ready for a day of it at the game this afternoon, but hopes to find a Colwill, Davies or Harris ready to steal his thunder and finally consign his great moment to the history books.