Birmingham City owners complete purchase of new stadium site

Birmingham City are a step closer to a new stadium after their American owners completed the purchase of land under a mile away from their St Andrew’s home.

Knighthead aim to leave St Andrew’s by August 2029 for the 48-acre former Birmingham Wheels site in Bordesley.

Blues chairman Tom Wagner estimates that the overall Sports Quarter project will cost an estimated £2-3bn.

“My timeframe is lunacy but we’ll look to get this completed in five years,” Wagner told BBC Sport.

“Five years from August, we’d be in. In a perfect world, if everyone works with us at the same pace, we’re willing to work.

“I’m going to keep saying it, even if it makes people sweat. A lot of it is outside of our control, but that is the goal.”

Blues are currently in the Championship bottom three, in danger of relegation.

But Wagner insists that if Blues do get relegated, it will have no effect on the project.

“No, not at all,” he said. “First and foremost, let’s stay positive.

“We have got a lot of confidence in our side and their ability to play out the rest of the season.

“It’s important to note that when we are making a commitment to pursue a multi-billion pound development, we cannot think about what the next few weeks hold. We have to think longer term.

“The entire project has been based around the development and the infrastructure. This is the first step.”

Knighthead say the new stadium and training facilities at the site, within walking distance of the city centre, will create a “world class Sports Quarter” and create 3,000 jobs.

Talks over the sale have been ongoing for weeks, involving US-based club chairman Tom Wagner, Blues chief executive Garry Cook and the council’s lead commissioner Max Caller, with West Midlands Mayor Andy Street acting as a mediator.

“The total investment is between £2-3bn. I don’t know how quickly we can pursue that. I hope with immediacy. “

A government grant of about £17m was secured to help clean up the abandoned site through the levelling-up fund – and work to clear the site has already started as a result of that funding.

“We are an organisation accustomed to dealing with companies and sovereigns in financial turmoil,” said Wagner.

“Most people get nervous and are uncomfortable with that. For us it’s a comfort zone. We have great professionals that know how to navigate those waters. Quite honestly, one might argue it makes things a bit easier.”

The club say the site will have “a new multi-use stadium, high-performance training facilities and other mixed-use real estate development including a range of entertainment options”.

“Our owners have an ambition that is greater than anything this club has ever seen,” said Cook. “When we deliver it the impact on the global reputation of Birmingham will be seismic.”

Chairman Wagner added: “When we invested in Birmingham City, we made it very clear we had an ambitious vision to transform the experience for our fans and make a positive contribution to the growth and vitality of the city.”

Blues have played at their existing home in Small Heath since 1906.

They currently have two training grounds.

The men’s first team are based at Henley-in Arden, having taken over the former Wasps training base, while the women and academy sides train at their long-standing establishment in the south of the city in Kings Norton, at Wast Hills.

Analysis – BBC Radio WM’s Richard Wilford

While on-field events remain concerning for Birmingham City, the confirmation that they have acquired the 48-acre Birmingham Wheels site points to an exciting future.

The announcement reveals that they have now actually purchased 60 acres of land, excluding St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.

It remains to be seen exactly where those additional 12 acres are, but it is reasonable to assume they are close to the main site.

The establishment of a Sports Quarter on the outskirts of the city centre is a major play for Birmingham as a whole, let alone for the football club.

The ambition of Tom Wagner and his Knighthead group is there for all to see.

Blues chairman Wagner also said that part of the plan is also a more hands-on practical role for his co-owner – global American Football superstar Tom Brady, whose playing career went past the age of 40.

“We have had long conversations about what the infrastructure can do to benefit player performance,” said Wagner.

“I’m not going to get into Tom’s trade secrets, but he has a lot of views on how to use that as a significant competitive advantage in pursuit of excellence on the pitch.

“Listening to his comments, they really resonate. He has given a lot of thought to what we can do to support the players.

“The hope and objective is for Birmingham City players to come and extend their careers and play for a long time, because we will be helping them with those things with the same processes Tom used throughout his career.

“What he did was unprecedented, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be replicated.”