While ZO Future Group (as Birmingham Sports Holdings are now known) don’t have any operational or financial control over Birmingham City anymore, they are still duty bound to make announcements to the stock exchange of Hong Kong about various transactions. This is why on Thursday afternoon an announcement was made by ZFG to confirm that Shelby Companies Limited have doubled the loan facility available to the club to £100M.
The company formerly known as Birmingham Sports Holdings announced their financial results for the year ending 30 June 2024 to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. While ZO Future Group (as they’re now known) have zero financial or operational control over Birmingham City, they still have to cover the club’s financial results in their own accounts, allowing us an early glimpse into the club’s current financial position.
The last week or so has been incredibly busy for Blues; a new manager has been appointed, season ticket prices have been confirmed and the new first team kit has been launched. While all of this noise is going on in the foreground, the new financial reality of League One continues to govern just what Knighthead and Blues need to do to remain in the black and on the right side of the rules.
On Tuesday morning Birmingham City Limited filed their accounts with Companies House for the period ending June 30, 2023. The accounts confirm what most of us already knew about the final season under the old regime at St Andrew’s – that money was tight and the losses were only growing.
On Thursday afternoon, ZO Future Group (formerly known as Birmingham Sports Holdings Ltd) announced their interim accounts to the stock exchange of Hong Kong, for the six month period ending December 31, 2023.
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.
