Congratulations to Swansea on becoming the first team from Wales to win a place in the English Premier League. And well done to dignified manager Brendan Rodgers for leading his team to a thrilling 4-2 win over his former club Reading in the Play-Off Final at Wembley.

It has been a traumatic year for Rodgers who lost his mother Christina in 2010 and his father Malachy is suffering terminal cancer. It is good to see one of football’s genuine nice guys finally enjoy the sweet taste of success. T

he former Manchester United youth team player was tipped for the top as a manager by Jose Mourinho back in 2004 when he invited Rodgers to join his backroom staff at Chelsea.

– BY JOHN GUBBA