Soccer

Cardiff City Owner Vincent Tan Finally Giving Fans Hope By Listening

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By @DFresh39

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If you have been following the saga surrounding the rebranding of Cardiff City, Monday’s news is a milestone. Owner Vincent Tan is willing to listen to supporters so they can “share their view.” Up until this point, it has been only what Tan wanted for the team and there has been plenty of backlash. The team sent out invitations on Monday to an array of supporters for a consultative meeting that will take place on Thursday.

For the first time since taking over the Wales’ club, Tan has finally given the fans hope.

After playing in front of less than 4200 fans in their FA Cup win last week, Tan asked other leading members of the front office to pull together fans. Some of those in attendance will be representatives from the Keep Cardiff Blue (KCB) campaign. The group was founded in June of 2012, the same month that the redesign appeared with a dragon in the crest and red replacing blue as the primary color. Obviously, the supporters of a team nicknamed the Bluebirds took umbrage to the move, and KCB have been the most outspoken.

If you combine this with a Premier League implosion and some serious infighting, the past years have just gotten progressively worse for fans. However, Tan helped get Cardiff to the Premier League once and has thrown plenty of money at the club to help erase a large debt. Now he is providing a glimmer of hope to reunite the fanbase.

The door is now open, and it needs to be for the fans and for Tan. The Malaysian owner has yet to attend a match this season and many believe it is because he does not feel safe. However, Tan has invested a fortune in the team and has proven he can be a great owner in supporting the on-field staff. If he were to allow the team to switch back to blue, most wounds would heal, including the rift between different factions of fans.

The club’s identity is the No. 1 priority for the owner right now. They have other issues, such as sitting 12th in the English League Championship, but finding a common ground on this issue would make addressing the other areas of need so much easier. Tan has finally shown a willingness to work with the fans. Here is to hoping that the supporters will take the opportunity.

Douglas Smith is a soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DFresh39, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

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