It has been a difficult few years for loyal Birmingham City fans. There have been issues with their ownership and leadership, and they have also spent a good few seasons being unable to fully use their St Andrew’s Stadium to the fullest extent, as areas needed to be closed off for safety issues.
Things were finally looking up for the Midlands side though back in the 2022/23 campaign under manager John Eustace. It was a difficult first season in charge, but he kept them clear of the relegation spots, and there were small signs that 2023/24 could have become a dramatically different kind of campaign for them and for those who like a flutter odds that you’ll find offered on the top betting sites would have reflected that.
Things even looked more positive in the summer of 2023 as Shelby Companies Ltd, a subsidiary of asset management company Knighthead Capital Management, took a 45.96% ownership share in the club. The group was fronted by Tom Wagner, co-founder of the US-based Knighthead group. They also took over full ownership of the stadium itself, and in assuming full charge of club operations moving forward, Shelby was effectively 100% in charge from that point forward.
With the arrival of former Manchester City Chief Executive Officer, Garry Cook, to the same role, NFL and Super Bowl winning legend, Tom Brady, also joined as a minority owner, and took on the role of Chairman of their Advisory Board.
They certainly hit the ground running when the Championship campaign started. Eustace had them riding high in the second tier, and by early October, the 44-year-old Birmingham native had them perched inside the Play-Off spots.
Then for some reason, they became obsessed with former England striker Wayne Rooney and Eustace was sacked. This made many in the fan base nervous as they had seen it before. Back in the 2016/17 campaign, the Blues were sat in the Play-Off spots under Gary Rowett, but he was sacked in December as their then-owners saw a brighter future under Gianfranco Zola – he lasted four months, having then won just two games as they plummeted towards the relegation spots.
They were right to be nervous, as lightning does strike twice.
