Scott Johnson – Playing for England
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Jay Bothroyd made us all care about an England game. That’s how good he was.
In November 2010, Cardiff were perched atop the Championship, having won 4-2 at Scunthorpe, giving them a one point lead over QPR and keeping them seven clear of Swansea in third. Bothroyd netted twice in that game and an England call-up followed.
Having started on the bench, he replaced Andy Carroll in the 72nd minute in a game that England lost 2-1. It may have been an under-strength squad, but it was still a remarkable achievement for Bothroyd, a proud moment for the club and testament to his form in the second tier at the time. It was also something of a turning point.
I remember when Robert Earnshaw scored a hat-trick for Wales against Scotland while playing for Cardiff and was invited to appear on a Question of Sport. You just knew it was the beginning of the end. He had outgrown the club and had one foot out of the door.
The same was true of Bothroyd, who was heading out of contract the following summer. Had Cardiff gone up, he would have stayed, but they didn’t and he didn’t.
Scott Salter – THAT goal vs QPR
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It’s hard to pinpoint a single moment that stands out from Jay Bothroyd’s spell at Cardiff City – there were so many! I really love his goal against QPR, though.
That team was brilliant, wasn’t it? Whittingham, Burke, Chopra, McPhail, Bellamy, Kev and more.
That QPR match – a side managed by now Cardiff manager Neil Warnock – ended in a 2-2 draw, dying Warnock’s QPR promotion that day.
What I love most about that goal is Jay’s ability to make something brilliant out of nothing. It’s a real scrappy goal. The ball bobbles around a lot, is hoofed up and down the pitch, before eventually landing at Bothroyd’s feet out wide.
He cuts inside, onto his left foot, and curls a fantastic effort into the top right corner of the net. It was reminiscent of Nathan Blake’s famous FA Cup goal against Manchester City in 1994.
And that was Bothroyd to a tee. Capable of the sublime when you least expected it. A truly superb and talented player – it was a pleasure to watch him in a Cardiff shirt.
Paul Gronow – Reading away
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On September 11th 2010, Cardiff City travelled to Reading hoping to continue their promotion push against a strong Brian McDermott side. Having fallen behind to a deflected shot, it fell once again upon the shoulders of the enigmatic Jay Bothroyd to salvage a precious point for the Bluebirds (see Lee Tomlin last season too).
Jay Bothroyd was the type of striker you’d love to hate if he was playing for the opposition; languid and seemingly lacking in intensity, he nevertheless could turn a game on it’s head with a moment of genius.
Bothroyd wasn’t known for tap-in’s, this goal was up there with that QPR beauty for me, as the ball bounced from crossbar to post and in, or was it? McDermott was slightly miffed to say the least at the goal being given and it resulted in something of a touchline frenzy as both dugouts erupted.
This summed up Bothroyd for me; a real Rolls Royce of a player that could salvage a draw or win from the jaws of defeat, but only if he fancied it.
Bethan Phillips – Scunthorpe 2009: a dream start at a new stadium
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It was the end of an era when the Bluebirds left Ninian Park. Many of us still feel nostalgic about those memories today. Jay himself reminisced about the compact and incredible atmosphere at the original home fortress. However, change was inevitable and we’ve had some equally good days at the Cardiff City Stadium. I was 15 when we moved into the new place next door. A lot of my favourite City memories have occurred there.
My favourite goal was Jay’s contribution to a 4-0 stuffing against Scunthorpe at home in 2009 – our first league game at the new stadium. It takes me back to arguably one of the most exciting teams I’ve grown up watching, including the likes of Ledley, Whits, Chops McPhail, Hudson, McCormack, Burke and Rae was incredible.
As well as it being an exciting team, it was also an exciting time – we were fighting for promotion and played with pace on the wings and good attacking football. Jay’s goal against Scunthorpe epitomises the way I look back at both himself and the team that I grew up watching.
What’s your favourite Jay Bothroyd moment? Tweet us @VFTNinian.