what was otherwise a forgettable season for Cardiff fans. Cardiff signed John Charles for the start of the 1963–64 campaign, allowing the brothers to play alongside each other for the first time at club level. However Swindin was against the move, as his team were already quite aged without the 32-year-old former superstar; instead it was the club's chairman who pushed for the £22,500 deal. On his league debut for Cardiff, against Norwich City, John scored from a free kick inside his own half. However Mel picked up an injury, and Cardiff's promotion hopes began to fade after a poor run of form in the Christmas period. The season did end on a high note though, as both brothers played in the Welsh Cup final victory over Bangor City. The two-legged affair had finished as a draw, and so Cardiff only lifted the cup after a 2–0 win at the Racecourse Ground, in a hastily arranged replay. Swindin was sacked for failing to bring promotion, and new manager Jimmy Scoular did not see eye-to-eye with Charles. Charles scored a hat-trick against Swindon Town, but was dropped by Scoular for the next game after he told his striker that he hadn't worked hard enough for the team. Charles responded by pointing at a horse in a field by Ninian Park and telling Scoular "you could put a number eight shirt on him and he would run all day – but he wouldn't score a fucking hat-trick for you!" Scoular responded to this outburst by telling Charles that he had played his last game for Cardiff and could look for a new club. Later career Charles' next club would be Welsh Football League side Porthmadog. Despite being a little known outfit, the club was bankrolled by a millionaire, and so Charles was paid a higher wage than he had received at Arsenal and Cardiff. They finished the 1965–66 season second in the Welsh League, behind Caernarfon Town. Despite enjoying his time in North Wales, he decided that he could not turn down an offer to return to the Football League by Port Vale, then managed by Stanley Matthews. Port Vale paid Porthmadog a £1,250 fee, and Charles made his Vale debut in a 1–0 defeat at local rivals Crewe Alexandra on 3 February 1967. He played a further six games, including a rough encounter with Walsall, another one of Vale's rivals, before