The majority of fans in attendance at Elland Road tomorrow will struggle to remember the last time we beat Cardiff City, which is hardly surprising when you discover the last time was 1984 – some of our fans won’t have been alive!

The Welsh side are Leeds’ ultimate bogey team. Since 1984, the side have met eleven times, ten of which were in the league, with Leeds collecting just 3 points. Cardiff City meanwhile collected 24 points from the same ten fixtures, and knocked a Leeds side featuring Mark Viduka, Jonathan Woodgate, Rio Ferdinand and Lee Bowyer out of the 2001/02 FA Cup.

The strange thing is, that before Cardiff’s unbeaten run against us began in the 1984/85 season, Leeds were on an unbeaten run of their own having remained undefeated in nine previous meetings with City – six wins, and three draws.

It’s almost like someone decided enough was enough back in 1984, placing a curse on Leeds United that would make them incapable of beating Cardiff City ever again. Either that or they’ve simply wanted it more ever since.

That’s always the case with Leeds’ bogey teams. They are, without exception, teams who seem to believe the game is a huge rivalry, only they’ve forgot to tell anyone in Leeds and we turn up wondering what the hell is going on.

In turn, that gives the players of our faux-rivals a huge lift. Leeds United’s players meanwhile share bemused looks with the crowd. “We don’t get paid enough to work hard every week!” a frustrated Mark Viduka was heard muttering in January 2002.

Perhaps the hooligan problem of the 80’s caused the shift in attitudes, and developed another largely one-sided rivalry. In fairness to Cardiff, they’re not my most liked team, and I took great pleasure in watching Peter Ridsdale teach them financial savvy, but I’ve never considered them actual rivals – just minor irritants with annoying accents.

As you can see from the below video, Cardiff City most definitely hate us. Perhaps we need to acknowledge them as huge rivals – or at least feign rivalry for the sake of victory?