Congratulations to Cardiff City on promotion to the Premier League.

It’s been quite a year for Wales, given the country’s Six Nations success, Swansea’s triumph in the Capital One Cup and now the arrival of top-flight football in the capital for the first time in 51 years.

It’s said that this promotion, which followed three successive seasons of play-off heartache, will be worth £100m.

And it’s certainly taken the edge off the controversy which followed the Malaysian owner Vincent Tan’s decision to change the club’s traditional blue shirts to red.

Cardiff have had to live in the shadow of arch-rivals Swansea in recent years, so it’s no surprise that’s one of the matches the fans are most looking forward to.

But showdowns with the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal aren’t to be sniffed at either!

Both South Wales clubs have had their ups and downs, and both have worked their way up from the basement division with the help of new stadia.

While Swansea have the Liberty, the Cardiff City Stadium has been open since 2009 and provides a great base.

I liked the history, stature and atmosphere of Ninian Park, but like our own Leeds Road, it was outdated.

The new ground is very close geographically, but miles away in terms of the facilities it provides.

The club also made an effective managerial appointment in Malky Mackay and great signings in Cardiff-born Craig Bellamy, who is a quality performer, and striker Fraizer Campbell, from here in Huddersfield.

But in the main, it’s been a success for team spirit and work ethic, because while Cardiff have few big names, they are a very strong unit who have been good defensively and made a success of grinding out wins, just as they did against us in the very first match of the Championship season back in August, when they won 1-0 with a last-gasp goal.

It was scored by their captain Mark Hudson, who until being hit by injury, was a very consistent performer in a pretty consistent team.

In this season’s Championship, that’s been a rarity, and Cardiff, top of the table since back in November, have reaped the rewards.

PORTSMOUTH have been relegated to League II, but I don’t think we’ve heard the last of those famous chimes.

It’s been an amazing 10 years down at Fratton Park.

There were highs of getting promotion to the Premier League, winning the FA Cup and entertaining the likes of AC Milan in the UEFA Cup.

But with a spiralling wage bill and problems in the background, the lows soon arrived.

Two spells in administration and two relegations later the club were faced with the threat of expulsion from the Football League within weeks if a long drawn-out deal for purchase by the Pompey Supporters’ Trust could not be agreed.

That’s been achieved, and despite a third relegation in four years, this time to League II, being confirmed, Pompey are down but thanks to the loyalty of their fans, certainly not out.

THESE are really interesting times at Chelsea, where Rafa Benitez aims to atone for FA Cup disappointment by clinching Europa League glory and providing a Champions League berth for the man who succeeds him.

People decry the FA Cup, but the 2-1 semi-final setback against Manchester City in a competition Chelsea have dominated in recent years will have been a major blow for the club, particularly after their early exit from the Champions League.

And ‘interim’ boss Benitez would have loved to respond to his critics among the Stamford Bridge faithful by delivering a double of FA Cup and Europa League, as well as finishing as high up the Premier League as possible.

Now he must focus on the Europa semi-final against Tottenham’s conquerors FC Basel – the first leg being in Switzerland on Thursday – and crucial league games against Swansea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Everton.

And all this against the background of a very public debate about who will replace him in the hot seat – if the press are to be believed, a choice between former manager Jose Mourinho and Manuel Pellegrini.

Mourinho, of course, had great success in his first spell at Chelsea and after knocking out Manchester United, is currently trying to lead Real Madrid to an amazing 10th European Cup success.

He seems set on leaving Madrid, and his appointment by Chelsea would be hugely popular with the supporters, but there is always the concern of someone going back to a club after being such a hit previously.

Chilean coach Pellegrini might not be quite as big a name as Mourinho, but he has done a fantastic job at Malaga, who made the last eight of the Champions League, having previously coached at Real Madrid and Villareal.

He speaks good English, is renowned as a disciplinarian and has implemented a brand of attractive, attacking football and is believed to have impressed Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who has a big decision to make.