I'll always have fond memories of Crewe

Last updated : 19 March 2004 By Site Staff
Gareth Whalley signed from under the noses of Manchester United as a 12 year old and he spent 13 years at the club, playing 223 games for Crewe and scored 18 goals before moving onto Bradford City in 1998 for £600,000.

He returned in 2002 when we were relegated from Division One. The midfielder had a 2 month loan and played 7 games but after calls for him to sign a permanant he said his final goodbye against Rotherham on the last day of the season.

He signed for Cardiff in the summer of 2002 and helped them to promotion through the play-offs. He set up the winning Andy Campbell goal that day but admits that the day at Wembley when he captained a Crewe side to a 1-0 win over Brentford in 1996 was just as, if not more, special.

"I'll always have fond memories of Crewe, after all, they were the first club I played for, I had two spells there and in two promotion-winning teams.

"Nobody expected Crewe to do anything in the play-offs at the end of 1996-97. We finished five points behind third-placed Luton Town. We beat them in the semi-final and went to Wembley to play Brentford.

"It was my proudest moment in football to captain the side that day and go up those famous steps to collect the trophy. Tomorrow, though, it's important for Cardiff that we get back to winning ways."