£650k Sunderland decision helped Cardiff City push to seal 12/13 Championship title:
Cardiff City’s decision to sign Fraizer Campbell helped them secure the Championship title.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Signing Fraizer Campbell for £650k in 2013 helped Cardiff City win the Championship title.
- Campbell scored 7 goals in 12 appearances, proving himself after a tough Premier League stint.
- Despite relegation, Campbell had a good career in the top two divisions, Cardiff fans will remember him fondly.
Signing Fraizer Campbell in January 2013 proved to be an excellent piece of business for Cardiff City.
Cardiff signed Campbell from Premier League side Sunderland on a three-and-a-half year contract in January 2013, for a fee in the region of £650k.
The Bluebirds were top of the Championship table under Malky Mackay at the time of Campbell’s arrival, with the striker brought in to fire Cardiff to the Premier League.
Campbell had spent one season in the second tier prior to his arrival at Cardiff, during a loan spell at Hull City during the 2007/08 campaign. The forward had scored 15 goals in the Championship that season, and he assisted Dean Windass’ winning goal as the Tigers beat Bristol City 1-0 in the play-off final to win promotion to the top-flight.
The former Manchester United youngster arrived in the Welsh capital with a point to prove, having only managed to score once in 12 Premier League appearances for Sunderland during the first half of the 2012/13 season. He had endured some injury problems prior to signing for Cardiff.
Campbell proved to be an excellent signing for Cardiff City
Cardiff’s team featured a few outstanding Championship players during the 2012/13 season, including club legend Peter Whittingham and former Manchester City forward Craig Bellamy.
Campbell settled in quickly at Cardiff, scoring the winning goal on his debut with his first touch for the club after coming on as a second-half substitute against Leeds United at Elland Road. The result put the Bluebirds 10 points clear at the top of the Championship table.
He scored braces in the 2-1 wins at home to Bristol City and away against Wolverhampton Wanderers, before being forced off through injury after scoring in a 3-0 victory at home against Blackburn Rovers.
The striker missed six games as a result of the injury, but returned in time to score the opening goal in a 2-2 draw with former club Hull on the final day – a result that meant the Tigers were also promoted. He only lost three times in his 12 appearances for Cardiff in the second half of the season.
Campbell scored seven goals in 12 appearances in the Championship as Cardiff won the title.
Campbell enjoyed a good career
After achieving promotion to the Premier League, Campbell remained a key player for Cardiff. He made 37 appearances in the top-flight during the 2013/14 season, scoring six goals and providing three assists as the Bluebirds finished bottom of the league and were relegated back to the Championship.
The striker left Cardiff to join Premier League club Crystal Palace for a fee that could have risen to £1m.
Campbell played for Hull, Cardiff and Huddersfield Town in the Championship, scoring 50 goals in 213 appearances. The striker also played for Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland, Cardiff and Crystal Palace in the Premier League, scoring 18 goals in 150 appearances.
Playing 363 games in the top two divisions in England and achieving promotion to the Premier League twice is an impressive feat, and Cardiff fans will look back fondly on their memories of when Campbell was a Bluebird during the 2012/13 season.
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