For the overwhelming majority of the last 15 years, Birmingham City’s supporters have been treated about as well as a pack of homeless stray dogs. Ever since former owners David Sullivan and David Gold decided to cash in and hand over the running of the club to ex-Hong Kong hairdresser Carson Yeung, it has been one long painful step on that journey towards the end of the road they sing about. More faceless, absentee owners followed after Yeung was jailed for money laundering.
The new bosses at least propped up the Championship club financially but with each year, a drop into League One looked increasingly likely. Tired, weary, and thoroughly fed up. A club forever teetering on the precipice, where points deductions, fan protests, and outright civil war prevailed in a crumbling stadium. Enter Knighthead Capital. A New York-based investment house. Big plans, big dreams and big talk after their takeover 18 months ago.
Question was: Could they back it up? Could they breathe fresh life into this rotting corpse of a club? After 18 months the answer was there for all to see at St Andrew’s on Saturday night. To coin a phrase from across the Pond: Hell yeah, they can. A spruced-up palace and proper pulsating throwback atmosphere fuelled by the alcohol-friendly kick-off time and a glut of fanzones that have been erected surrounding the ground. All right, the vibe may be Miami Beach Party—a difficult trick to pull in the February fog in Small Heath—but that success-starved group of fans has gone with it.
The confidence of an unbeaten 18-game run after a record-breaking League One transfer of Jay Stansfield and major squad re-build and dreams are slowly turning into reality. Off the pitch, talk of building a £2-3bn sports’ village on the east side of the city has heightened the senses and inflamed the passion that has for so long remained dormant. This week, there was even talk of constructing a two-mile cross-city tunnel to transport fans to a new stadium with a 60-70,000-capacity.
That came from Knighthead frontman Tom Wagner. Who then ruined a promise that is unlikely to be fulfilled by suggesting it could be done for £20m. Good try, Tom. You’re not building a subway under Smallbrook Queensway for that. Steady on, old son. However, Wagner’s largesse has been backed up by the squad new boss Chris Davies has put together. The Blues’ head coach is a former protege of Brendan Rodgers. A man who has occupied some of the hottest, most pressurised jobs in English football. To stay for around a decade at Celtic Park and Anfield takes some doing.
All the while, Davies has been looking and learning. And now he’s putting it into practice. With the brief on automatic promotion, the 39-year-old targeted players who had played for the Old Firm last summer. Those who were used to the pressure of winning week in, week out. Birmingham have plundered that market. Used it to stunning effect - as evidenced by the magnificent effort from ex-Celtic man Tomoki Iwata that drew Brum level just before the break. For well over an hour, they stood toe-to-toe with Eddie Howe’s side.
And, okay, Newcastle’s big guns were kept in reserve. Alexander Isak was named on the bench. Joelinton and Anthony Gordon didn’t travel. But otherwise this is a Magpies’ squad contesting a Champions League spot and one that defeated Arsenal in each leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. They’re at the top of their game. And Brum knew it. They absolutely tore into the Magpies. Four goals shared in the first half. Home midfielder Marc Leonard was taken off on a stretcher following a clash with Lewis Miley.
Fire met with even more fire. Fabian Schar was then dumped into the digital pitchside advertising hoardings by Stansfield, Joe Willock followed suit, courtesy of Christoph Klarer. The pride and ambition are back in Birmingham City. So is the fight. And it took every ounce of Newcastle's effort to quell that. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.