Bluebirds fans were in good voice at Canton Cross Vaults pub.
Staff at the pub were wearing ‘In Warnock We Trust’ T-shirts, while Lee Marvin’s version of ‘I was born under a Grange End Star’ rang out over speakers.
Roads around the pub were closed and the atmosphere was amazing.
A ground record 32,478 spectators were at Cardiff City Stadium on a day which is up there with the best in 100 years of Bluebirds history.
There were two big moments during the first half. Neither, though, was anything to do with the Bluebirds v Royals match.
The buzz swept around the stadium after Birmingham City’s Lukas Jutkiewicz scored their first goal after 15 minutes – and again when Harlee Dean headed number two.
Then came the moment when Birmingham made it 3-1 against Fulham and home fans went wild, dancing and prancing in the aisle. City’s goalless draw against Reading didn’t matter.
The realisation hit the entire Barmy Army. Warnock’s Bluebirds are a Premier League outfit. Fireworks went off and the party began.
Cardiff’s clash with Reading was a pretty drab affair and, if anything, the second half was worse than the opening 45 minutes.
One fan idiotically ran onto the pitch and was led away, while there was a mini pitch invasion during injury time and smoke flares were let off.
Personally, I hope every supporter who ran onto the pitch while the match was in progress is banned.
City players ran for the tunnel as the final whistle sounded.
But the excitement was building and, thanks to the Blues, manager Neil Warnock’s warriors were closing in on their Premier League dream.
It has been an astonishing season. Warnock and his players have been first class.
I’m still not sure how he built a team capable of following champions Wolves into the top flight.
How on earth did he persuade Derby County to allow Craig Bryson out on a season-long loan to Cardiff? The guy is a quality midfield player who never seems to stop running.
Warnock has the trust of his players, who will do anything possible for their manager.
‘We are Warnock’ said advertising slogans around the stadium.
Why would players like Sol Bamba and Junior Hoilett wait patiently until Warnock took a club? They were free agents when the Yorkshireman was appointed City manager – and he was able to bring them in even though the transfer window was closed.
Bamba, an immense centre-back with Premier League qualities, and winger Hoilett were king-pins in Cardiff’s promotion.
He brings the best out in players. Kenneth Zohore, a bit-part striker when Warnock arrived, has developed into a striker who has attracted attention from some of the leading clubs in Britain.
Zohore is the Danish sizzler it was hoped Andreas Cornelius would be when City were promoted five years ago.
Cornelius, it turned out, could not make an impact in the Premier League, but Zohore has the energy, pace and physique to be a big success.
Cardiff weren’t at their best against Reading, far from it, but home fans in the sell-out attendance were magnificent.
They sang, they chanted, they roared. At times they even danced – and waved flags high above their heads.
https://twitter.com/kzohore/status/993122015006674944
City players were aggressive and fought for the cause in the sunshine and supporters kept were non-stop in their loud and proud efforts to lift the players.
Captain Sean Morrison and his team have achieved what I thought was impossible this season. They have even surpassed Malky Mackay’s title winning season.
City have taken stick for their playing style, mainly from those jealous of Warnock’s ability to build a winning team on the cheap.
His style may not always be easy on the eye, but it was been highly effective. Those clubs who spent millions on players to try and buy promotion simply could not live with Warnock’s all-action Bluebirds.
Warnock has achieved his record-breaking eighth promotion. The man is a football genius and I salute him.
Cardiff City: Etheridge, Peltier, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett, Paterson, Ralls, Bryson, Mendez-Laing, Zohore (Madine 86), Hoilett (J Ward 78), Subs not used: Manga, Richards, Pilkington, Grujic, Murphy, Madine.
Reading: Mannone, Abiola Delfim Almeida (Kelly 34),
Kelly, Elphick, Moore, Gunter, Bacuna, van den Berg, Edwards, Aluko (McShane 84), Bödvarsson (Kermorgant 70), Barrow. Subs not used: Evans, Swift, Martin, Jaakkola, Kelly.
Referee: Robert Madley
Attendance: 32,478.
