A defender, he spent six years at Blackpool in the 1930s, making over 100 the Football League appearances for the club, and helping them to win promotion out of the Second Division in 1936–37.
After starting his career with South Shore and Imperial Hydro, Cardwell made his debut for Blackpool on 17 January 1931, in a 5–1 defeat at Middlesbrough.
[3] He missed the entire 1931–32 campaign due to injury and only returned with ten games of the following 1932–33 season remaining, appearing in six of them.
[4] Sandy MacFarlane succeeded Harry Evans as Blackpool manager before the 1933–34 season, and the Scot only gave one start to Cardwell, in a 3–0 Boxing Day defeat at Hull City.
[9] Cardwell moved on loan to Netherfield and then left Maine Road permanently on a transfer to Crewe Alexandra in 1947.