Is there a more intimidating ground in the Football League than Ninian Park? In the nicest possible way, it's a horrible place for visitors, the away fans penned into the Grange End and surrounded on all sides by very loud, generally very angry, and occasionally very drunk, Welshmen (and women, obviously). Even the press can get a pretty rough time – I remember a couple of seasons ago a radio commentator from the north west being told he was "in the wrong fuckin' stand, mate" by a looming Cardiff City fan after excitedly reporting news of Nathan Ellington's goal for Wigan and there's nowhere I've been as an away fan or journalist where I scamper back to the train station quicker. For opposing teams it must be a nightmare, the archetypal "difficult place to go", though Birmingham proved on Saturday that three points for away sides are far from an impossibility.
Usually, the footballing Luddite in me would be bemoaning their impending move to the as-yet-unnamed New Stadium, another identikit corporate vision of the future, just over the road from Ninian Park, but not this time. The old ground does have its charm - from the press box you get a lovely view of "Brace's bread – bread for all seasons" splashed across the roof – yes the roof – of the stand opposite (you can see it on a zoomed-in Googlemap) - but they are fairly few and far between, and a move has been entirely necessary for years.
It's no coincidence that Hull and Stoke, surprise successes in the Championship last season, have moved into grand new stadiums in the past decade. The added finance from the associated add-ons – hotels, casinos, business centres, conference facilities, rock concerts and all the rest – helps underpin a club's financial security. So Cardiff's New Stadium is vital if the club are to move forward. The club will certainly lose something with the demise of Ninian Park, but they stand to gain much more.
• Wolves continued their fantastic start with victory over Bristol City, though not everyone was particularly impressed (you can see Sylvain Ebanks-Blake's spectacular second here - it's also worth having a look at Joey Gudjonsson's screamer for Burnley). Mick McCarthy's side have now made the best start to the Championship since Fulham won their first eight games in 2000/01, even eclipsing (on goal difference) the start made by Portsmouth in 2002/03. Both Pompey and the Cottagers went on to win the league.
• Reading and Birmingham kept the pressure on though, with the Royals beginning to rival the leaders for free-scoring fun. They meet at Molineux tomorrow night in what should be an intriguing tie. It's also derby day in south London and South Yorkshire tomorrow, with Charlton meeting Crystal Palace and Doncaster facing Sheffield United.
• Misguided chant of the weekend: Birmingham City fans attempted to wind Cardiff supporters up by singing God Save The Queen. Didn't think that one through, did they?
• Quote of the weekend: "These days are going to happen. It's a 46 rung ladder and we've slipped up on one of the steps." Iain Dowie gets his ladders and staircases confused in the aftermath of QPR's defeat to Derby.
• It's six wins on the bounce in League One for Scunthorpe after they swatted aside Yeovil. The Glovers manager Russell Slade was very complimentary post-match and only Oldham now stand between the Iron and the summit.
• After tentatively tipping Stockport's Peter Thompson as a decent each-each way bet for League One top scorer, it was pleasing to see him finally get off the mark at the weekend. OK, Rickie Lambert leads the way with eight goals, Jermaine Beckford has six already, but there's plenty of time left yet.
• League Two had its own version of Sky's Super Sunday on Saturday, with Bury taking on Wycombe and Bradford facing Shrewsbury. The Shrews were the only side to score, running out 2-0 winners, and landing a fairly hefty psychological blow to their rivals.
• Result of the weekend: Barnet, after six defeats in seven, finally bagged their first win of the season against managerless Grimsby, who take over the mantle as the target for Rotherham, Bournemouth and Luton. Ominously for the Mariners, they've scored just three goals. The board begin interviewing the eight candidates for the manager's job tomorrow.
• Also securing a first league win of season were Notts County, Richard Butcher scoring an injury-time winner over Aldershot to provide a fitting tribute to County legend Jimmy Sirrell, who died last week.
