Bellamy: My dad told me he'll die happy.

It took a hug from his father and a flashback for Craig Bellamy to realise the full scale of what he and his Cardiff City team-mates had achieved on Tuesday night.

He doesn't have the psychological scars of some in that dressing room - people like Peter Whittingham and Kevin McNaughton who played for Cardiff in finals of the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Championship play-offs and lost each of them.

Neither was he involved in last season's play-off semi-final disappointment.
But he was there at Ninian Park and countless other grounds as a young City fan with his dad, Doug, trying to figure out how it could get any worse for a team flapping around in the bottom two divisions.

Those conversations came into his mind when his father appeared with his arms outstretched at the end of the 0-0 draw with Charlton that made promotion to the Premier League a certainty.

It was a result and outcome that left Bellamy on his knees in tears and his employer, Vincent Tan, making promises of a £25million transfer budget ahead of Cardiff 's first top-flight campaign for 51 years.

'To have people I truly love around me to share this with - it was emotional,' said Bellamy. 'To see my dad afterwards, after all the heartache he has been through over the years. I have lost count of how many games I used to go to with him on a Tuesday night against some team.

'He'd pull me to the side and we'd leave 10 minutes before the end, saying we would never go back. Then on the Saturday we would be there again.

'For him to see us go to the Premier League and for his son to play a part in that makes it even more special. It hit home to me a little bit. He said he will die a happy man.'

Bellamy added: 'I am grateful to have played a small part in this club's future and past.'

Yet there has been nothing small about the part Bellamy has played in this remarkable campaign in which promotion has been secured with three games remaining.

He has not stood out from the rest, in words or deeds, quite as much as when he arrived for a season on loan from Manchester City in 2010. But his impact on the group in his second coming has been profound. 'Everyone looks up to him,' Whittingham told Sportsmail recently.

'He is always trying to help, talking to the younger lads to help them get the best out of themselves. He hasn't been as loud as we were expecting, but he has just spread this attitude of determination. He has brought so, so much, as a player and a person.

'Everyone in this squad has been on a bit of a mission to get promoted this season.'

Much of that drive has come from Malky Mackay, a manager of great intensity who has become a kindred spirit of sorts for Bellamy.

'He has been immense,' said Bellamy. 'His professionalism, his expectations of us as a group, the way he has grasped the city. We are a different breed down here. This is where I am from. We are intense, wear our heart on our sleeve and he has taken that on board.

'We have taken to him and the club have taken to him. He has really pushed us forward.'

Bellamy added: 'It has been so many years since this club was in the top flight. Everyone has been so desperate for it. We understood that as players. We have a hardworking group of boys who will do anything for each other. They will do anything to get a result.

'It makes it so special to be with this group of players to achieve that. I didn't really feel for one minute that we wouldn't. Even after a setback Monday at training was the same - an honest group who were positive and wanted to work hard for one another. The manager has instilled that in the players he has brought in. It has been a joy to be around and to be involved and achieve that goal of promotion is great for them as well. It's exciting to see what comes next.'

To that end, the eccentric owner, Tan, has already stated his intentions. It will come as a relief to some that he has abandoned his plans to change the club's name to something with a dragon theme and has since suggested Mackay will have money to spend in the summer.

'We need to strategise well and we'd like to spend some money - maybe £20m to £25m,' said Tan. 'Others have spent a big amount of money and not done well, so we will try to spend smartly.'

Early indications suggest a striker is on the cards - none of the squad have reached double digits for goals this season - and defensive cover is also needed.

Bellamy, 33, expressed a tongue-in-cheek hope that Cardiff don't look too closely at alternative left wingers. His place, in the team and the club's history, should be fairly secure.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... proud.html

His father Doug is a cracking bloke as well.

His father Doug is a cracking bloke as well.

Nah he was one of the fans who left with ten mins left..

I think I'm in love with a man.

I think I'm in love with a man.

Shit, I've... got something in my eye.

It took a hug from his father and a flashback for Craig Bellamy to realise the full scale of what he and his Cardiff City team-mates had achieved on Tuesday night.

He doesn't have the psychological scars of some in that dressing room - people like Peter Whittingham and Kevin McNaughton who played for Cardiff in finals of the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Championship play-offs and lost each of them.

Neither was he involved in last season's play-off semi-final disappointment.
But he was there at Ninian Park and countless other grounds as a young City fan with his dad, Doug, trying to figure out how it could get any worse for a team flapping around in the bottom two divisions.

Those conversations came into his mind when his father appeared with his arms outstretched at the end of the 0-0 draw with Charlton that made promotion to the Premier League a certainty.

It was a result and outcome that left Bellamy on his knees in tears and his employer, Vincent Tan, making promises of a £25million transfer budget ahead of Cardiff 's first top-flight campaign for 51 years.

'To have people I truly love around me to share this with - it was emotional,' said Bellamy. 'To see my dad afterwards, after all the heartache he has been through over the years. I have lost count of how many games I used to go to with him on a Tuesday night against some team.

'He'd pull me to the side and we'd leave 10 minutes before the end, saying we would never go back. Then on the Saturday we would be there again.

'For him to see us go to the Premier League and for his son to play a part in that makes it even more special. It hit home to me a little bit. He said he will die a happy man.'

Bellamy added: 'I am grateful to have played a small part in this club's future and past.'

Yet there has been nothing small about the part Bellamy has played in this remarkable campaign in which promotion has been secured with three games remaining.

He has not stood out from the rest, in words or deeds, quite as much as when he arrived for a season on loan from Manchester City in 2010. But his impact on the group in his second coming has been profound. 'Everyone looks up to him,' Whittingham told Sportsmail recently.

'He is always trying to help, talking to the younger lads to help them get the best out of themselves. He hasn't been as loud as we were expecting, but he has just spread this attitude of determination. He has brought so, so much, as a player and a person.

'Everyone in this squad has been on a bit of a mission to get promoted this season.'

Much of that drive has come from Malky Mackay, a manager of great intensity who has become a kindred spirit of sorts for Bellamy.

'He has been immense,' said Bellamy. 'His professionalism, his expectations of us as a group, the way he has grasped the city. We are a different breed down here. This is where I am from. We are intense, wear our heart on our sleeve and he has taken that on board.

'We have taken to him and the club have taken to him. He has really pushed us forward.'

Bellamy added: 'It has been so many years since this club was in the top flight. Everyone has been so desperate for it. We understood that as players. We have a hardworking group of boys who will do anything for each other. They will do anything to get a result.

'It makes it so special to be with this group of players to achieve that. I didn't really feel for one minute that we wouldn't. Even after a setback Monday at training was the same - an honest group who were positive and wanted to work hard for one another. The manager has instilled that in the players he has brought in. It has been a joy to be around and to be involved and achieve that goal of promotion is great for them as well. It's exciting to see what comes next.'

To that end, the eccentric owner, Tan, has already stated his intentions. It will come as a relief to some that he has abandoned his plans to change the club's name to something with a dragon theme and has since suggested Mackay will have money to spend in the summer.

'We need to strategise well and we'd like to spend some money - maybe £20m to £25m,' said Tan. 'Others have spent a big amount of money and not done well, so we will try to spend smartly.'

Early indications suggest a striker is on the cards - none of the squad have reached double digits for goals this season - and defensive cover is also needed.

Bellamy, 33, expressed a tongue-in-cheek hope that Cardiff don't look too closely at alternative left wingers. His place, in the team and the club's history, should be fairly secure.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... proud.html

His dad is a great guy with a great son, he also was a Ref on the Parks, really down to earth guy