17 Apr 2013

Cardiff City to play in the Premiership next season

11:36 am on 17 April 2013

Welsh football club Cardiff City has gained promotion to the English top flight for the first time in the Premier League era after drawing 0-0 at home to Charlton Athletic in the Football League Championship.

The result guaranteed their return to the elite after a 51-year absence and prompted delirious fans to spill onto the pitch in celebration at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Cardiff will join fellow Welsh side, and sworn rivals, Swansea City in the Premier League next season, when there will be two teams from Wales in the English top flight for the first time.

The Bluebirds last played among the English elite in 1962 and were playing in the fourth tier as recently as 2001.

Ironically, their promotion comes at the end of a season that began amid angry protests at Malaysian owner Vincent Tan's controversial decision to change the club's home kit.

He also altered the club's crest, with a red dragon taking the place of the traditional bluebird, which was moved to the base of the badge.

Bristol City were relegated to the third division after losing at home to Birmingham, while the All Whites striker Chris Wood's club Leicester City is back in the top six playoff zone with a 3-2 home win over Bolton, who drop to seventh.