Farewell and thanks, Joe Ralls. A modern Cardiff great and a true class act

Joe Ralls has been around forever. So long in fact, that when he made his league debut, he came on for Kenny Miller, who is now 45. When my son was teeny tiny, he was a Cardiff mascot and Ralls led him out. Seasons change, but he was a perennial. A totem.

To last so long at any club in the modern age is a minor miracle, but to last that long at Cardiff is actual water into wine stuff. I always assumed Ralls would stay the distance and move into coaching or assisting the academy, but Cardiff does not tend to deal in fairytales. They rarely get their act together enough to give long-serving players a proper send off, with negotiations and decisions routinely dragging on into the post season.

Ralls couldn’t have picked a worse season to play the least amount of games since breaking into the senior squad. He reportedly had a contract clause with the option of an additional year that evidently wasn’t activated and Cardiff badly missed his leadership in a campaign where they found themselves in a tailspin. It got to the point where Ralls was no longer missing with a specific injury anymore, he was just often absent. He, along with Aaron Ramsey, may have made all the difference, but they instead only added to the problems.

He may only be 31, but Ralls has an awful lot of football in his legs, as his detractors are all too keen to point out. He may not be the force he once was, but he was the standard setter to the end. His influence on the pitch may have waned, but he never shirked responsibility, always gave his absolute maximum and demanded the same from those around him. It should also not be forgotten and appreciated that those hard yards that have slowed him were in the Championship trenches for the Cardiff cause.

Ralls may have proved invaluable in League One, amongst a group that may be licking their wounds, but Brian Barry-Murphy thought otherwise and one of his first acts in charge was to kill Bambi. There is no internal alternative at hand, so an external replacement will need to be sought as a priority.

Cardiff’s greatest ever academy graduate, in terms of what he has gone on to achieve at the club, Ralls gave the club 15 years service, represented them 409 times, scoring 34 times and played a significant part in a promotion campaign. He played under 12 permanent managers and all of them rated him enough to make him a key proponent.

As much as Ralls gave on the pitch, he was equally as effective as an ambassador for the club off the pitch. It’s not an institution with the greatest of reputations at present, but having Ralls as a figurehead made Cardiff more likeable. Whether supporting the Cardiff City Foundation or lending his time to the Disabled Supporters Association, Ralls appeared to do so willingly and enthusiastically. Those gestures go a long way and will not be forgotten by those that benefitted.

If this piece has the feel of a eulogy its because it does feel like a death in the Cardiff City family, but I don’t doubt that Ralls will find a new club and continue to play for as long as his body will allow him. Seeing him in another team’s colour will be painful, but I wish him every success and a run of fitness. All that’s left to say is, if you’re listening Joe, thank you. A modern great, a class act and a huge loss to the club, but someone that will be forever respected, cherished and admired.