4# The man who changed Cardiff City forever

One man had a greater impact on the course of Cardiff City history than any other.

It wasn’t Bartley Wilson; the enigmatic businessman who, in 1899, established a football club in Cardiff with the intention of keeping the cricketers of Riverside Cricket Club in shape during the winter months.

It wasn’t Brian Clarke; whose famous header in 1971 helped the Bluebirds beat Spanish giants Real Madrid at Ninian Park in the European Cup Winners Cup.

It wasn’t even Fred Keenor; the Cardiff born Cardiff bred Somme veteran who led his home town club to FA Cup glory, taking the Cup from England for the first and only time on St George’s Day 1927. Oh no.

The man who had the greatest impact on the course of Cardiff City history was a quiet, unassuming man from North Wales. His name was John Hugh Evans.

Affectionately known as “Jack” Evans, he was born in Bala on 31 January 1889. In 1909, he moved to South Wales to play for Rhondda side Cwmparc.

In 1910, Jack’s life was to change forever. In the summer of that year, he signed for Cardiff City for the sum of six shillings. By doing so, Jack became the first ever player to be paid to kick a ball for Cardiff City.

Now six shillings may only equate to around 30 pence in today’s terms, but those first six shillings that made their way from Cardiff City’s coffers and into Jack Evans’s pocket changed everything forever. From that moment, Cardiff City was a professional football club, and Jack Evans its first professional footballer.

As Cardiff City careers go, Jack Evans had a pretty memorable one. He was the first player to score at Ninian Park and the first Cardiff City player to play for Wales. His infamously fierce shot earned him the nickname “The Bala Bang.”

Legend has it that his shots were so powerful that one goalkeeper broke his wrist trying to save one. Another, in goal for Manchester City, was knocked out cold when he felt the full wrath of “The Bala Bang”.

Jack’s body may have been laid to rest back home in his beloved Bala in 1971, but his impact on Cardiff City Football Club is still very much alive.

He’s the reason Cardiff City is the club it is today. He’s the reason thousands travel to places like Doncaster and Barnsley on a bitterly cold Tuesday night in November. He’s the reason the club plays in a swanky 27,000-seater stadium. He’s the reason we ‘do the ayatollah’ and the reason Michael Chopra drives a Porsche 911. He’s the one responsible for all our great memories and the one to blame for all our bad ones.

One thing’s for sure, things would have been very different had it not been for one man from Bala, and six priceless shillings.

Y Bala Bang; wedi darfod ond heb ei anghofio.