Craig Bellamy and Cardiff City have clinched promotion to the EPL (BBC.co.uk)
It's been a long time coming, but Cardiff City have finally secured promotion to the Barclay's Premier League, where they'll play next year. As it turns out, they'll be bringing at least one familiar face with them, Craig Bellamy, lately of Liverpool fame. The Blue Birds clinched a spot in next year's top flight by securing a point in a 0-0 draw with Charlton yesterday.
Cardiff have lead the nPower Championship for the last 21 weeks, and the promotion caps a tumultuous year for the club. Last summer the club's new Malaysian owner forced a change of kit color from Cardiff's iconic blue to red. Earlier this season he also began to talk about changing the club's name to the Cardiff Dragons, which not everyone has been thrilled over. However, for now, both owner and supporter alike will rejoice the club's promotion to England's top flight. Now the question remains as to whether their owner will spend the money it takes to keep them there. However, money is not always the key to staying in the EPL, just ask QPR.
Cardiff, who lost last year's League Cup final to Bellamy's Liverpool, will be the second Welsh club to feature in the Barlcay's Premier League. They'll join this year's League Cup winners Swansea City. This also means that the heated South Wales derby will return and take place at the Premier League level for the first time. That should be really great for everyone involved.
There are still two promotion places left in the Championship. Cardiff top the table with 84 points. Hull City look to be in a good position to sew up the second automatic spot in second place with 77 points. The next four teams in the standings, Watford (77 pts), Brighton (66 points), Crystal Palace (66 points), and Leicester (64 points) will participate in a playoff for the final spot if the table holds. Last year's relegates Bolton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest sit right on the outside looking in with 63 points. In case you're wondering about the other two sides to be relegated from the Premier League last year, both Wolverhampton and Blackburn sit just barely above the bottom three, which would drop them into League 1, the the third division of English football.
But for now, congratulations to Cardiff, and welcome to the Barclay's Premier League.
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