Cardiff City Wins Promotion to Barclay's Premier League

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.

Leeds United Supporter Gets Jail Time in GK Attack

A Leeds United Supporter has been jailed for this incident last Friday.

Leeds United fan Aaron Cawley has been sentenced to four months in jail for attacking Sheffield Wednesday's GK Chris Kirkland during a League Championship match last Friday at Hillsborough Stadium.  At about the 77th minute, Cawley leaped onto the pitch, punched Kirkland in the face, and quickly escaped back into the crowd.

He was not arrested at the Stadium, but turned himself into the police after friends had supposedly told him what he had done.  Cawley admitted to being intoxicated.  He says that he had a number a beers followed by 3/4 of a liter of vodka before coming to the match, where he consumed 7 to 10 pints of cider.  Wow.

Cawley has been banned from football matches before, and has been cited for violating these injunctions at least 4 times. 

Cawley admitted to assault and going on to a football pitch. He was jailed for 16 weeks and ordered to pay £85 costs. The district judge said he will be given a new banning order, probably for five years.

Info from Sky Sports was used in this entry.

League Championship: Palace Blank Charlton at The Valley

Kagisho Dikgacoi scored the winner for Crystal Palace (PFA)

Crystal Palace took a nice win away from The Valley today as they bested Charlton Athletic in a hotly contested South London Derby.  It was Palace's first League win as visitors to Charlton since 1989.

There were quite a few good chances for both sides in the first half, and the first fell to Palace.  In the 6th minute Wilfried Zaha played a nice little ball to Palace's Kagisho Dikgacoi in space, but the midfielder sent his shot just over the bar to the relief of the home fans.

However Zaha continued to be a pain for the Charlton defense in the 11th minute.  He slipped his marker and got a shot off of a rebound from Glenn Murray's effort.  It looked to be headed for the back of the net as the Charlton 'keeper was beaten, but Charlton had a defender well stationed, and he managed to clear the ball off of the line to keep the match even.

Charlton had some chances as well, and they looked to have taken the lead on 32 minutes.  Lawrie Wilson sent a delightful free kick into the Palace area and Bradley Wright-Phillps headed the ball into the net to seemingly make it 1-0.  However, we was judged to have been offside and the goal was ruled out.  On first glance at the replay it looked have been the correct call, however one of the Palace defenders had fallen down, and looked to be playing Wright-Phillips on.

The teams emerged from the locker rooms still level at 0-0 after halftime, but Palace looked to be keen to take the lead, which they did in the 52nd minute.  Damien Delaney headed a Palace corner kick back toward the back of the box to a waiting Dikgacoi.  The South African international calmly chested the ball onto his feet and deposited a brilliant volley into the net to make it 0-1 to Crystal Palace.  It really was an impressive finish.

After the Palace goal Charlton started to throw men forward in search of an equalizer and got a couple of really good looks.  On 83 minutes Wilson dropped a ball to Ricardo Fuller unmarked in the box, however the Jamaican smacked his shot wide.  They also had a really good look late in stoppage time.  They brought 'keeper Ben Hamer up on a corner kick, and he slipped in behind Palace unnoticed.  He actually rose and got his head to the ball, ripping it on goal.  However Owen Garvan cleared the ball away from the line and Palace preserved the 0-1 win.

The win lifts Crystal Palace out of the bottom 3 to 14th.  Newly promoted Charlton sits on 18th early in the season.

Fabrice Muamba Retires From Football

Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba has announced his retirement (AP Photo)

This is a sad day for all fans of our game.  Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba has announced that he will have to retire from football.   Muamba collapsed on the pitch during an FA Cup match with Tottenham last season with cardiac arrest.   His heart did not beat on it's own for 78 minutes, but was successfully restarted at the London Chest Hospital.

Muamba has been seeking medical advice, but admitted earlier this year that he did not know if he would be able to play again.  According to the AP, Muamba traveled to Belgium this week to seek advice after consulting with doctors in England and elsewhere in Europe.  He was advised to retire from pro football.

Muamba had this to say about the news: ''While the news is devastating, I have much to be thankful for. I thank God that I am alive and I pay tribute once again to the members of the medical team who never gave up on me.''

Muamba played in 211 games in all competitions during his career, in which he played for Arsenal. Birmingham, and Bolton.  He scored six goals.  The Puddle wishes him well, and hopes he can still be a part of the game he loves so much!

EPL: Reading FC Promoted, Wolves Relegated.

One team this week has celebrated promotion to the Barclay's Premier League.  Today another team suffered the pain of relegation.  To me, promotion and relegation just adds incentive to nearly every fixture on the schedule.  Plus, it keeps us footy fans glued to our sets and favorite news sites long after the titles have been handed out.

First off for the excited folks: Reading FC has earned automatic promotion to the Premier League by virtue of their 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest earlier this week.  The automatic promotion means they will not have to take part in the promotion playoff.

Now for the sad folks.  Today Wolverhampton Wanderers were relegated to the Championship.  They lost 0-2 at home to Manchester City, but this has been in the cards for a few weeks at least.  Fearing eventual relegation back in February, Wolves fired manager Mick McCarthy and replaced him with Terry Connor.  However, Wolves have just taken two points from a possible 30 since then, and it has sealed their fate.  This ends a three year run in the top flight for them.

So Wolves become the first of three teams that will lose their place in the Premier League this year.  The rest of the bottom of the table as of 4/22/12 is as follows:

15. Aston Villa    36 pts
16. QPR              34 pts
17. Wigan           34 pts
18. Blackburn     31pts
19. Bolton           30 pts
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20. Wolves          23 pts

All of the other EPL teams have reached the 40 point mark, which is traditionally the mark at which teams consider themselves safe.

Robbie Rogers Gets His UK Work Permit

The last of the red tape has finally been cleared for US International Robbie Rogers. He will now join Championship side Leeds United on a 2 and a half year deal. Leeds is headed down a stretch run to try to secure promotion to the Barclay's Premier League.

Rogers goes back to Europe on a free transfer after his contract with MLS/Columbus Crew ended at the conclusion of last season. He's played in Europe before with Dutch side Heerenveen.

Rogers scored 15 goals and 16 assists in 115 games for the Crew. He also helped them win the MLS Cup in 2008. He's definitely a quality player, as I personally watched him torch RSL last season at the RioT. Best of luck to him and we'll see if this gets him more into the US National Team picture.

PHOTO: MLSSoccer.com

West Ham Signs George John On Loan

It looks like FC Dallas Defender George John has finally gotten his long awaited move to England, at least temporarily. The agreement is for a two month loan to West Ham United. Supposedly the deal also includes an option to make the arrangement permanent.

John has Greek heritage and was disappointed to see a high profile deal to Premiership side Blackburn fall through last summer. Sam Allardyce is pushing for West Ham's promotion after being relegated from the EPL last season.

Sam Allardyce Is the New Boss at West Ham United

Recently relegated club West Ham United announced on Tuesday that Sam Allardyce will be their new manager for the upcoming season as they push to be promoted back to the Premier League.

The Hammers fired Avram Grant immediately after their relegation last month. Rumor has it that Big Sam stands to get a big bonus if he can get the side promoted again at the first time of asking.

Allardyce was fired from Blackburn last December after the club was purchased by some chicken people. Rovers then fell down the table and were nearly relegated themselves.

Congrats to Norwich!

We now know the second of three teams who will be promoted to the Premier League next year in England. Norwich beat Portsmouth 1-0 and cemented the spot after Cardiff lost 3-0 to Middlesbrough.

Norwich joins QPR as automatic qualifiers. The third and final spot will be determined by a playoff between Cardiff, Swansea, Reading, and either Nottingham Forrest or Leeds.

Congrats to Queens Park Rangers!

Congratulations are in order for QPR, who clinched a promotion spot to the Premier League with a 0-2 win away at Watford. Now we wait to see what 2 other teams from the nPower Championship will join them.