Birmingham City v Bristol City

the last game of the league season against promoted
Sheffield United just hours after penning an open letter
to supporters. The next chapter awaited.
June’s fixture release was surrounded by more exciting
news as Championship promotion winner Tyler Roberts
and Japan international Koji Miyoshi, alongside returning
faces Long and Krystian Bielik, joined the Men’s First
Team at their new base in Henley-In-Arden, and the EFL
granted its approval for an extraordinary general meeting
to be held in the coming weeks relating to the Club’s
ownership.
This would take place in mid-July and was swiftly
followed by the announcement that Knighthead Capital
Management through its affiliate, Shelby Companies
Limited, had completed its transaction with the majority
owners of Birmingham City. Newly appointed Chief
Executive Officer, Garry Cook, got to work in B9 and led
the organisation in honouring the late Trevor Francis’ life
whilst football matters, including five more permanent
signings and a successful pre-season training camp,
added real energy to a Football Club that had taken the
handbrake off.
The season curtain raiser only ever simmered after
Siriki Dembele’s well-taken goal gave Blues the platform
to take a point, but anyone bemused as to what all
the fresh excitement was about would find out when
the home campaign went off with a bang. Flames
and fireworks greeted the hosts and visitors Leeds
United into a new-look St. Andrew’s and with the newly
appointed Chairman of the Advisory Board, Tom Brady,
cheering on those in royal blue, Jutkiewicz’ late goal and
touchdown celebration was the signal for lift-off. Another
goal from the no.10 sealed victory at Ashton Gate to
continue the unbeaten start before the Tilton had a new
hero when Jay Stansfield’s 95th-minute stunner on debut
sunk Plymouth Argyle.
The lad on loan from Fulham notched again to earn a
draw against Millwall, barely hours after the deadline day
arrivals of Cody Drameh and Oliver Burke, but only one
further point in September paved the way for change and
a significant one at that. Home wins over Huddersfield
Town and West Bromwich Albion would be the last
matches of John Eustace’s proud 15-month tenure as
the Club acted decisively to appoint Wayne Rooney to
the position of Manager, supported by Ashley Cole, John
O’Shea, Carl Robinson and Pete Shuttleworth. Although
dealt a tough hand of fixtures and armed with a remit to
transform the style of play, supporters waited patiently
for the promise to be fulfilled.
Promotion-pushing Ipswich Town were lucky to escape
the West Midlands with a point on Bonfire weekend and
whilst the Armistice Day trip to Sunderland could have
fallen either way, Birmingham made sure matters did
go in their favour when Sheffield Wednesday journeyed
southbound after the year’s final Men’s international
break. Bacuna’s goal-of-the-season contender and
Jordan James’ close-range finish turned the game on its
head. Rooney was up and running.
December began with the next point on the board when
Blues and Rotherham played out a stalemate, only for
the forward direction of travel to be stalled again owing
to a difficult night along the M6 in Coventry. Critically,
an impressive response was forthcoming to claim the
Club’s first-ever win at the Cardiff City Stadium and
this was followed up by a character and quality-filled
display that, unfortunately, anybody but league leaders
Leicester City would have probably succumbed to on the
inaugural Blue Nose Day matchday. Ten men bravely held
off late advances of Plymouth in a 3-3 back and forth on
Christmas Eve Eve where more than 1,600 Bluenoses
showed up in style ahead of the year shutting down with
back-to-back home tests – each accompanied by light
shows and the statement razzmatazz that says this is just
the beginning.
BCFC.COM BLUES NEWS | 17