Birmingham's new stadium plans

Birmingham City’s plans to build a new multi=purpose stadium have taken a step forward after owners Knighthead completed the purchase of land in the east of the city. Knighthead has bought a 48-acre site in Bordesley Park from cash strapped Birmingham City Council and confirmed plans to build a new “world-class” stadium and training ground.

The “Sports Quarter” will be home to facilities for the men’s, women’s and academy sides and aims to be a “globally recognisable sporting and entertainment location”.

The land is a former motor racing park and is located less than one mile away from St Andrew’s, which has been Birmingham’s home ground since 1906.   You can see it from the railway into Birmingham New Street which runs alongside.

The site had previously been the subject for a proposed 55,000-seater stadium for the football club and Warwickshire County Cricket Club as part of the Birmingham Sports Village, but this fell through in 2006.

Birmingham’s training ground has been located outside of the city at the Elite Performance and Innovation Centre, the former home of Wasps rugby club, following a fire at the Wast Hill training ground in March 2023. They signed a three-year lease for the centre in December.

The regeneration project will also include community pitches, a hotel (it is on the Birmingham Airport side of the city) and a commercial space to support local businesses. The club estimate it will create 3,000 new jobs.

Shelby Companies, a UK subsidiary of U.S.-based Knighthood Capital Management, purchased a 45.64 per cent stake in Birmingham and took full control of St Andrew’s in July 2023. NFL legend Tom Brady became a minority owner in August.

In an interview on Midlands TV, Blues emphasised that relegation this season, should it happen, would not affect these plans which are seen as a decade long project.

There have been problems with the condition of St. Andrews, the club’s home for over a century in recent years.   It is not clear what will happen to the site,  with one stand overhanging a railway line into New Street making demolition challenging.