It’s been a few days now since Birmingham City have announced the naming rights deal agreed with Knighthead. Although touted as the largest commercial deal the club has done in its history, the deal is more than just about money. It gives us an insight into the true potential of the Tom Wagner-led ownership regime and just how big things might get.
Birmingham City announced on Friday what is claimed to be the biggest commercial deal in the club’s history. The deal, which could be worth in excess of £9m a year will see St Andrew’s rebranded as St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park as well as the Wast Hills training ground being renamed as the Knighthead Training and Academy Grounds.
Wednesday morning can’t have been a nice morning for Blues CEO Garry Cook to open his inbox, judging by the anger of several Blues fans online on Tuesday night. Small allocations and local derbies can quickly equal issues for those wanting away tickets, and the upcoming game against West Bromwich Albion is no exception.
Tuesday was a good day for Birmingham City. On the pitch at St Andrew’s, the team came back from a goal down to deliver Tony Mowbray’s first win as Blues manager, beating Hull City 2-1 and booking a fourth round FA Cup tie with Leicester City at the end of the month. However, on the other side of the world an announcement made to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange appears to be the next step in the final disconnection of Blues from the Far East.
New Year, same old Blues. A 3-0 defeat away to Leeds on New Year’s Day was evidently the straw that broke the camel’s back for Tom Wagner and Knighthead, with Wayne Rooney receiving his marching orders less than 24 hours later. Blues now seek their tenth permanent manager in just over seven years, as once again the R word hangs in the air like a bad smell.
