Cardiff City’s Malaysian owners have moved to quell the concerns of the club’s fan base by pointing out that it’s okay, these are just the opening gambits of negotiations, we go back and forth until we thrash something out and this is how business works.

The owners, Malaysian, today announced preliminary plans to change the club’s playing colours from blue to red and their official nickname from the Bluebirds to the Dragons, insisting that this self-debasement would amuse potential Far East investors, and that’s how these things get going.

While such flagrant disregard for the club’s traditions has angered many Cardiff supporters, police have had several reports of people being heard to say in public that, well, they are offering to put £100m into the club, and that they’d quite happily watch the team play in pink if it meant they could sign Neymar or someone.

In a statement released literally a few seconds ago, Cardiff City’s Malaysian owners said: “Okay, look, play in red and be called the Dragons, that’s just our first suggestion.

“But we definitely want changes. How about you get to be the Bluebirds, but you still play in Red and we only invest £50m?

“Okay, how about this – you can play in Blue, and be called the Bluebirds, but you also have to dye all of your skin and hair blue, and learn ballet?”

They added: “Okay, how about this – you get your £100m, you get to be the Bluebirds, you get to play in Blue – but you all have to name yourselves – as well any children you might have during our tenure – Blorx the Destruktor”

Negotiations are expected to rumble on tediously throughout the night.