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Cardiff City news as Rotherham United game 'should restart with Bluebirds 1-0 up' and Nottingham Forest swoop for January target

Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Thursday, March 23.

Millers game 'should restart with Cardiff 1-0 up'

Cardiff City's game against Rotherham United should either restart with the Bluebirds 1-0 up in the 48th minute or be played at Cardiff City Stadium, according to former Wales striker turned pundit Iwan Roberts.

The postponement has angered Cardiff fans, who believe their team were firmly in the ascendancy and many of whom believe the Millers' lack of urgency regarding the action of their ground staff after the downpour of rain last Saturday was sub-standard.

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And ex-Norwich City and Leicester City striker Roberts, who was at the New York Stadium at the weekend, agrees that it took too long for staff to try and clear the water.

As a result, he argues, City should have their one-goal advantage intact when the game restarts.

"There was only one group of fans who were cheering when the announcer said about five o'clock that the game was going to be postponed and scheduled for another day and that was the home fans," Roberts told the BBC.

"We had a couple of Rotherham fans saying, 'Oh, when the date comes out we will have two of our better players, who weren't available today, available to play that game.'

"I just think if that is going to happen, they should start the game at 1-0 to Cardiff on the 47th minute and 24 seconds, with the same starting XI, if that's possible, that was on the pitch.

"Or, if they can't do that, they should have to go and play at the Cardiff City Stadium, because Cardiff are getting punished for something that is... well, it was out of Rotherham's hands, but they made no effort whatsoever to play that.

"It took them 25 minutes to come on and get rid of the surface water! I'm not saying, had they started as soon as the players were taken off that it would have made any difference whatsoever, because it rained that hard, it would have taken two hours to clear.

"Maybe they should have done what Wrexham did a few years ago and got towels! But, my initial thought was that game was never going to finish.

"They played well, scored a good goal, could have had another goal..."

It's 'skulduggery' but Bluebirds would have done the same

Former Bluebirds and Wales centre-back Danny Gabbidon has argued Cardiff would have used the same "skulduggery" tactics if the shoe was on the other foot.

While Cardiff were in the ascendancy at New York Stadium, Gabbidon believes that if the shoe was on the other foot then the Bluebirds would have implemented a similar ploy.

"It's skullduggery, but if the shoe was on the other foot, Cardiff would have done exactly the same. I guarantee you," Gabbidon said on the same show.

"I don't know what the EFL will do. What will they do to punish them? I'm not really sure. Will they award Cardiff the three points? No.

"Rotherham will be up in arms (if it starts at 1-0). It will just get replayed again. From a Cardiff point of view, it's not nice. If you're on the receiving end, you're 1-0 up and you're seeing what's happening with the ground staff, you're not going to be happy.

"But if it was Cardiff, the opposite way around, and they were 1-0 down, I'm sure they wouldn't be trying their hardest to get the water off, either! It's just the situation you're in."

Of the replay, the date of which is as yet unknown, he added: "To go again, after being 1-0 up, it didn't sound like Rotherham were very good, it sounded like Cardiff would have gone on to get the three points.

"To then replay it, Rotherham might have players back and it's a totally different game again.

"It's not nice to be on the other end it when there's skulduggery happening, but they've used the situation to their advantage - and most teams would!"

Nottingham Forest in for January transfer target

Nottingham Forest have been linked with reported Cardiff City January transfer target Sydney van Hooijdonk.

The Bluebirds were desperate for a striker in January before bringing in Sory Kaba on loan from FC Midtjylland and signing Connor Wickham on a free transfer.

And they were linked with Van Hooijdonk, along with Swansea City, Stoke City and Millwall, as well as teams on the continent.

Now, though, it appears Premier League outfit Forest are keen on signing the 23-year-old forward, who has scored 13 goals in 29 appearances for his loan side Heerenveen across all competitions so far this season, including a brace against Groningen at the weekend.

He is the son of former Nottingham Forest striker Pierre van Hooijdonk, of course, and that link might prove important in being able to prise him away from Serie A side Bologna this summer.

Cardiff will, of course, be in the market for strikers again in the off season, with Kaba set to return to Denmark and, at time of writing, Wickham's contract set to expire in June.

Warnock's troubled team gets takeover

Fellow relegation strugglers Huddersfield Town have been boosted by the news of a takeover.

The Terriers, managed by Cardiff favourite Neil Warnock and sitting one spot below Cardiff in the table, have announced that a North American have acquired the club.

The deal keeps the club out of administration and avoids what would likely have been a ruinous points deduction.

"We can confirm that Dean Hoyle has completed a deal to acquire the remaining 75% shareholding in Huddersfield Town from Pure Sports Consultancy. As a result, Dean Hoyle now owns 100% of the shares in the Football Club," Huddersfield wrote in a statement.

"Simultaneously, Mr Hoyle has exchanged contracts with a North American group on a sale of the 100% shareholding in Huddersfield Town. Completion is subject to legislative and governance procedures.

"We will give more information to supporters as soon as these procedures have been completed.

"Once again, we would like to thank fans for their continued patience and support."

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