Birmingham’s win over Norwich not enough to avert relegation
Birmingham’s chairman, Tom Wagner, insists relegation to League One will not derail his grand plans for the club but it is impossible not to recognise it is a significant backwards step. Birmingham’s American owners plan to build a 60,000-capacity arena on a 48-acre site in nearby Bordesley Green, a world-class facility if it materialises, but no amount of CGI images can sugarcoat a thoroughly deflating end to another depressing season.
As arch-rivals Aston Villa close on qualifying for the Champions League, Birmingham are now preparing to play in the third tier for the first time since 1994-95. Barry Fry ensured it was a brief stay, clinching promotion as champions that season, and Birmingham can only hope they will repeat the feat, their 13-season run in the Championship over.
