BCFC: Replacing Dong

Less than 72 hours after the Championship season ended, Birmingham City announced that embattled CEO Ren Xuandong was to step down from his role with immediate effect. The immediate reaction online from Blues fans was of one of almost universal happiness that Ren is gone from the club.

BCFC: Less is More

If you’d have told me in the wake of the three-nil humping handed to Blues by Bristol City back in March that Blues would be mathematically safe with two games to go, I’d have laughed. Yet a 2-1 comeback win against fellow strugglers Derby County has done just that, putting Blues in a nosebleed 16th place to boot.

BCFC: Accounts Analysis

The accounts for Birmingham City Football Club plc and it’s UK parent Birmingham City plc became live on the Companies House website on Tuesday. Although we’ve already seen general information on how the club has fared financially from segmented parts of the Birmingham Sports Holdings accounts, these accounts give us a good chance to understand the specific issues the club is facing.

BCFC: Our Own Hands

Sunday sees Birmingham City travel to the New York Stadium to play Rotherham United in a game that could have a massive bearing on both team’s seasons. The Millers’ defeat to Coventry City on Thursday night leaves Paul Warne’s men four points from safety with just two games in hand. Blues sit six points ahead in 19th with destiny very much in their own hands.

BCFC: Embargoes and Optics

“Financial Armageddon” screamed the headline. Ten clubs under a transfer embargo with the EFL, of which Birmingham City was one. The article from the Daily Mail appears to have gone, but the backlash hasn’t, with Coventry City, Luton Town and Cardiff City all issuing statements refuting the story. Was it all just a storm in a teacup or is there more to read into this?

BCFC: Asset of Community Value or not?

The announcement that Birmingham Sports Holdings are to sell their remaining stake in Birmingham City Stadium Ltd offered more questions than answers for Blues fans. One of the big questions right now is just how safe the club’s tenure at St Andrew’s will be once the sale has completed.

BSH: Stadium Sale

Birmingham Sports Holdings announced to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Wednesday afternoon that it had agreed to sell off its remaining 75% stake in Birmingham City Stadium Ltd. The sale passes St Andrew’s Stadium into the hands of a British Virgin Islands investment vehicle – and further muddies the water of how the club is run.

BCFC: Dong and Shayne

As the old cliché goes, a week is a long time in football. That’s certainly the case at Birmingham City, where there seems to be positivity in the air despite a 3-0 defeat to Watford on Saturday. Although Blues remain just three points above Rotherham in 22nd having played four games more, there seems to be a feeling that Blues can get out of this that wasn’t there last Saturday.

Editorial: Occam’s Razor

72 hours waiting for 21 words. Just over three days after Birmingham City rolled over and had their tummies tickled by Bristol City, Aitor Karanka’s reign as Birmingham City came to an end. No “thank you”, no “good luck” – just a terse two sentences confirming the Spaniard had exited the building.

BCFC: One Down, One to Go

Based on results alone, it seems inevitable that the reign of Aitor Karanka had to come to an end. While it’s not been confirmed at the time of writing, practically every outlet has reported that the 47-year-old Basque has departed Blues. So what next?