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26 December 2009
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BBC WM's Richard Wilford

Wilf's World of Football

BBC WM's Richard Wilford is the first and last word in Football! Wilf talks about Birmingham City's plans for a super stadium.

Why Blues' super stadium bid is a non-starter

Birmingham City are calling on their fans to sign petitions to try to persuade the Council to back their proposals for a huge new stadium in Saltley. The project would largely be funded by an American company who hope to have a large casino approved as part of the complex. And therein lies the crux of the matter - if the Las Vegas Sands Corporation can secure a regional licence for this Super Casino, then Blues' could have a 52,000 seat venue within a mile or so of Villa Park. This is surely a pipe dream.

The City Council are the initial port of call for the Blues' board because they would have to apply for the regional casino licence for the project to go ahead at all - and there will be plenty of competition from the likes of Blackpool, Manchester and Coventry amongst others. What is more, the government's initial plan to roll out several regional licences has been cut to a single Super Casino in the whole country, following the protests of the anti-gambling lobby. Blackpool is considered to have the inside line to become the Vegas of Britain.

St Andrews - home of Birmingham City FC

The rhetoric coming out of St Andrews has been pretty strong, the directors' frustration at the backing that other cities have already received is more than evident. The Blues co-owner David Sullivan believes the new stadium would create jobs, and play a part in the regeneration of a deprived area of the city. He feels it's high time that Birmingham had a venue to rival Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, the City of Manchester Stadium, and the new Wembley. Sullivan also points to the multi-purpose possibilities of the arena, with cricket matches, athletics and concerts a possibility.

Much of this is pie in the sky. A stadium with an athletics track round it is hardly ideal for football, and would utterly rule out cricket because the dimensions are too tight. Equally, if athletics were knocked out of the equation altogether, the needs of a cricket oval are hardly compatible with football unless you drag temporary stands halfway across the outfield. Cricket is a red herring - and the Warwickshire chief executive Dennis Amiss has been lukewarm publicly about involvement with the scheme.

And what of these 52,000 seats? Even allowing for the added spectators drawn by the feel-good factor of a new facility, are we really expected to believe that Blues will have 50,000-plus gates? This year it has taken an attractive midweek pricing policy to get anywhere near to filling St Andrews. Where are the other 25,000 people coming from?

Now I appreciate that there is some frustration over the lack of development potential left at the club's existing ground. The Main Stand is the one throwback from darker times, and in desperate need of an overhaul. The prospects are limited by the presence of listed houses immediately behind the stand. But I find it hard to believe that either the club or the city actually needs this new venue.

David Gold

I also hope that David Gold's rumoured interest in a takeover bid for West Ham is not an attempt to focus Council minds on the options ahead of them. After a decade of sustained success, this is not the time for the Blues board to spit the dummy and bale out. More well thought out investment in the playing side will continue the club's transformation into a potential European challenger. The capacity of St Andrews might benefit from another 5,000 seats or so, but that would be ample.

Birmingham City are profitable, increasingly popular within the community, respected in the game and most probably going places. Saltley is unlikely to be one of those places.

last updated: 23/05/05

Have Your Say

Do you think Blues should have a new Stadium or do you agree with Wilf? Let us know what you think.

Aaron O'Toole
I think we need a new stadium, we have been in this stadium for while. We cannot compete with this stadium, we have no hope. WE WANT A NEW STADIUM

natalie
defintly not am an avid blues fan blues is a fotball club no a gambling society

M Farooq Usman
Eglnad is the home of cricket but i didn`t see any famous cricket ground in BIRMINGHAM CITY. I would like to see here a cricket stadium like "THE OVAl" one of the extraordinary beautiful cricket stadium in the world.

Ben
i think they should get the stadium, i do not support the blues but i have been to lots of matches, they are a brilliant team and they have had a rough time lately.

thomas fair
i think the villa fans are just jelauce coz there not getting a new ground. up the blues

Dan Heele
i am a birmingham fan and have been for 10 years. i have had a season ticket since i was 5 and i think its about time we had a new stadium, ours is not realy big enough for the prem so do something about it PLEASE!!!!

Dan
i think its about time the council did somthing for the blues for onece. Bring on the new stadium!!!

Colin Carberry
Richard Wilford is a keen Aston Villa supporter. Why are some Villa fans like Richard so desparate to decry anything Blues try to do, at any cost? It's absolutely sickening to see a scheme like this stadium, which would create 1,500 new jobs for a city that's just lost 6,000 Rover jobs being run down just because of one fan's childish and petty team rivalry. Grow up Richard!

Matt
Great to hear a well balanced view of the situation. It should also be remembered that another sport would suffer greatly if this new stadium got the go ahead. The Wheels Adventure park attracts hundreds of Stock Car and Karting competitors nearly every week as well as spectators in their hundreds, occasionally thousands. Not forgetting, of course, the local motor project which keeps youngsters off the streets. Motor Sport venues are difficult to come by at the best of times, particularly anywhere near cities, and relocation may not be possible at all. The Birmingham Wheels park is a gem but much of it is run down. It does need upgrading, but not flattening!

A wednesday fan
Why are so many clubs wanting to expand their stadiums to levels they can never dream to fill. I can understand the snob value of having a huge stadium, but you suffer when you dilute the presence of the 'real' fans and the noise levl drops as people become more spread out.

der hammer
I didnt think that you could rent two properties from the council!!!!not so long ago the people who hold the purse strings in B9 said that if small heath ever got to the top flight they would be able to add on to what they already have .If they want a decent stadium why not finance it themselves?

TP
The proposed new stadium is one big red herring, so that when Messrs Gold, Sullivan etc take themselves off to West Ham, they can say that Birmingham City Council didn't support their plans. Star City already has a huge casino, there is no way another will be approved in the City, especially in close by Saltley. Lack of away support? Another red herring. At 45.00 a ticket Blues are just pricing themselves out. Only desperate or silly Villa fans pay up.

CS
This article is missing so many crucial facts, it is a poor piece of journalism that will unfortunately encourage those who are ignorant of the facts to not be forward thinking for both Birmingham and the Blues. Firstly, more regional casino's are likely to be considered as the government has admitted that it has not set it stone that one will ultimately be the final number, although this is its current recommendation. Blues attendances have only been short of numbers mainly due to away fan allocation. There is a waiting list on season ticket applications and the match by match tickets that are made available, due to compulsary Premier League rules, are expensive for poor and unsheltered views due to limited capacity. A larger stadium would allow for many cheaper and more competive pricing options inevitably resulting in increased attendances. As for these so called cheap weekday matches and 25,000 attendances, Mr Wilford is a few years out of date. Blues need the opportunity to grow into a larger capacity stadium, something many other clubs before them have done. With regards to the to Birmingham, just look how Cardiff has been revitalised and pushed positively into the public eye with the success of the Millenium Stadium. Unfortunately, what Mr Wilford doesn't realise is that he isn't helping to back a forward thinking city but the often referred to 'biggest town in Britain' by outsiders and it will remain so for as long as the city has limited amibition.

M.S.
Well what an appalling article. whilst ideally i would like us to stay at st andrews n see it completed,i can see the benefits of having a much bigger stadium, we DO have the fan base, for e.g. the season tickets of those fans who went last season but couldnt afford to renew this season, were snapped up by other blues fans who couldnt get them before due to limited amount available. our average this season has been 28,700+ n would be higher (our capacity is only 30009)if away fans bought their allocation. the demand is there and that is without having any success of note yet. On top of this there is also i believe, a waiting list for season tickets, so the demand is there to fill such a stadium. Cheaper prices in a bigger stadium would get those old season ticket holders back in through the gates as well as all the current ones n ones on the waiting list. our board arent stupid n they saw the potential of this club when they decided to buy it, its been a slow process getting to where we are now, without the council's help, yet the minute we ask for some help the council arent very supportive. the fans are there, the board have looked at the situation n feel this would be best for the club and fans, we have to trust their judgement because without them our club would possibly be extinct now.

TF666
We iz the best in brum and always av bin. This'll show the villa

dave deakin
It is not practicle to have such a large capacity and yet it would be only half full based on most of the attendances at St Andrews this season.

tinh co don
yes this is a w0nderfill stadiem.

Rob M
So has Mr Gold heard of Alexander Stadium, it has a track, holds sporting events and has plenty of room for expansion. Has he also heard of edgbaston cricket ground. If a super stadium was built to provide all sports in a one stop shop what will become of Birmingham's other sporting locations and what will become of the jobs that are already in place With out doubt Birmingham City want to go places but lets be honest they haven't got the fans to place them into a 52,000 seater stadium. Back to the drawing broad Mr gold and think of the City of Birmingham and not putting more gold into your increasing bank account

D Wallis
What an appalling article. Yet again the representatives of Birmingham are happy to fall behind other cities in the country. Any ambitious to grow and progress is criticised without examining the facts.

Martin Statham
I agree with Richard.St Andrews is now a great stadium which only needs the redevelopment of the Main Stand to hopefully include room for another five to ten thousand seats possibly.This would make it a super stadium.I for one would not look forward to the prospect of watching the Blues home games anywhere other than St Andrews

Mark Greensall
On the one hand it is a great idea, to have such a large capacity ground, assuming our success continues, but imagine a slump in our fortunes, ie relegation in say a few years time after moving in to the new venue, how will those seats be filled? Also, wouldn't want it as a combined athletics stadium. I generally agree with the things that wilf has written.

Craig Hall
I think Richard is obviously not from Birmingham, he should get his facts right for starters re struggling to fill St Andrews!! We have sold out every game except for poorly supported away fans. Instead of being negative and destructive to the ambition of blues he should be calling for support and backing from the London biased Government.