This was Huddersfield Town's only chance, says Dean Hoyle

The Terriers completed one of the more unlikely promotions to the top flight on Monday by beating Reading on penalties in the Championship play-off final.

Christopher Schindler’s winning spot-kick sparked a huge celebration party among the 38,500 strong travelling army of fans who had descended on Wembley from West Yorkshire.

That party continued into yesterday evening as head coach David Wagner and his heroes toured Huddersfield in an open top bus that brought thousands of fans into the town centre.

For lifelong fan Hoyle, Huddersfield’s return to the top flight after a 45-year absence capped a remarkable season in which his club had gone toe to toe with rivals boasting huge resources and still prevailed.

“Our wage bill is small, but the heart, the desire and will to win is massive,” said the Terriers chief. “What we have achieved gives a lot of Championship clubs hope that you don’t have to blow your brains (to be successful).

“You don’t have to pay average players an unbelievable amount of money. It can be done the right way by building.

“There are fans’ expectations, but you have got to stick to your guns. Let’s be fair, it is only three years ago that fans were really disgruntled with Huddersfield Town as a club. But now it is happy days.”

Town’s return to the top tier after a 45-year absence will, Hoyle admits, be a big test for the county’s sole representative among the elite.

History backs up that assertion with 15 of the 25 clubs promoted via the play-offs in the Premier League era having gone straight back down, a tally that in the past two years has included Hull City and Norwich City.

Middlesbrough, runners-up in 2015-16, are also already back in the Championship to underline the size of the task ahead.

“It will be very difficult in the Premier League,” added Hoyle.

“But Bournemouth and Burney are examples of how we can do it right, do it the Yorkshire way and keep it tight and good.

“We will do it our own way, we will be prudent and we will be sensible. We will do it the Huddersfield Town way.

“Let’s see if we can survive. We were odds on to go down this year – it might be Champions League next season.

“I knew this was our only opportunity. This was our moment in time because football is skewed towards the parachute payments. We nailed it and are Yorkshire’s Premier League club.”

Hoyle was rightly lauded by the fans who packed the streets of Huddersfield last night to celebrate promotion.

His family have ploughed tens of millions into the club since taking full charge in 2009, money that for most of those eight years was needed to prop up a club making substantial losses.

Now, of course, the financial landscape has changed dramatically with the Terriers set for a cash windfall of £200m even if their stay among the elite lasts just 12 months.

On promotion, chairman Hoyle added: “It is a dream come true. We are there competing on the big stage. What we have achieved this season is unbelievable, there’s been great team spirit.

“We went left-field with the appointment (of Wagner) and we have had to fight really hard to keep hold of David. But now he is a Premier League manager.

“This is a step-change for Huddersfield Town and a step-change for Huddersfield as a town.

“Since I took over in 2009, it has got harder and harder every year. We are competing with some real big boys.

“But we have now proved that dreams can come true. David needs to take great credit, he has achieved the impossible, he has achieved the dream.”

Town’s triumph on Monday was the sixth time the club have won a penalty shoot-out in the play-offs, a record for the Football League with no other club having triumphed more than once.

It was also the third time promotion had been sealed by prevailing in a shoot-out – and, strangely, all three came after goalless draws in the final.

“I always thought to myself when we played Sheffield United (in the League One final) five years ago that I would never go through the wringer like that again,” he said about the 2012 Wembley triumph that saw both sides take 11 penalties apiece before Town prevailed thanks to Blades goalkeeper Steve Simonsen firing over.

“The spot-kick in League One was worth another £5m for that one, but this was a £200m spot-kick. I couldn’t watch. It is a great way to win, but a horrible way to lose. I really feel for Reading. I wouldn’t want to lose on penalties.

“For the fans, the manager and players and everyone who works at the club, this means so much. I have been fortunate to achieve some good things in my life, but this is the best.”

What next for Town? Page 22