The demise of Birmingham City

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

With the 10th anniversary of their cup win nearly here, there's been a few articles looking at Blues' decline in the past decade.

Birmingham City: A decade in decline

www.skysports.com

'We never recovered': How draining Wembley win led to Birmingham's 10-year demise

Birmingham won the League Cup final and were relegated from the Premier League weeks later 10 years ago. They haven't bounced back since

theathletic.com

I get that their fans wouldn't swap the cup win, and I don't blame them, but it's obviously great to see them suffering near the bottom of the Championship, although no doubt they will find another way to escape again this season.

Anyway, point of this was, I don't think we take enough pleasure/credit that we should for starting all of this.

Perhaps it's because the next few years were awful for us, perhaps it's because they had the bragging rights of the cup win and Europe to look forward to initially, perhaps there was just focus on the fact that we'd survived.

But ten years on, it's a good time to reflect.

Yes, Spurs ended up beating them and sending them down, but they were going all-out attack because of Stephen Hunt's goal. That strike effectively relegated them and they have never been able to recover. So, well done Wolves.

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

With the 10th anniversary of their cup win nearly here, there's been a few articles looking at Blues' decline in the past decade.

Birmingham City: A decade in decline

www.skysports.com

'We never recovered': How draining Wembley win led to Birmingham's 10-year demise

Birmingham won the League Cup final and were relegated from the Premier League weeks later 10 years ago. They haven't bounced back since

theathletic.com

I get that their fans wouldn't swap the cup win, and I don't blame them, but it's obviously great to see them suffering near the bottom of the Championship, although no doubt they will find another way to escape again this season.

Anyway, point of this was, I don't think we take enough pleasure/credit that we should for starting all of this.

Perhaps it's because the next few years were awful for us, perhaps it's because they had the bragging rights of the cup win and Europe to look forward to initially, perhaps there was just focus on the fact that we'd survived.

But ten years on, it's a good time to reflect.

Yes, Spurs ended up beating them and sending them down, but they were going all-out attack because of Stephen Hunt's goal. That strike effectively relegated them and they have never been able to recover. So, well done Wolves.

I cant revel in the misery of other fans for this. Theyve been totally shafted for years by fraudulent owners.

 

[pacamac]

I can its Blues **** em.....its hilarious

 

[WickedWolfie]

I cant revel in the misery of other fans for this. Theyve been totally shafted for years by fraudulent owners.

Let's be brutally honest, had it not been for Fosun we likely would have been no better off. Managed decline is effectively what it is.

 

[AndyWolves]

I don't really take much pleasure in bham going the way they are, apart from potentially giving some of our younger lads experience on loan

 

[Ponty]

How sad, what a pity, never mind!

 

[Brizzlewolf]

You'd have to have a heart of stone not to laugh.....

 

[Alex Rae The Substitute]

As much as I hate their fans based on my few trips to St Andrew’s... actually scrap that, I’m indifferent to their fans, I just hate Kevin Phillips...

I can’t enjoy their plight, it could so easily be us. To be honest it could end up us at some point. If Fosun ever lose interest, and they likely will at some point, it just takes one bad owner to take us on and things can unravel pretty quickly.

That said, that final day escape at their expense is a day that will live long in the memory!

 

[Ginger Chimp]

Now here’s a thread to make you smile ...

**** em. Neanderthal *******s.

 

[Peszkywolf]

Proper club, proper fans....still hate them and they hate us..... you know you've been to an away game when you've been down Digbeth. Seems they were gambling with the millionaire hairdresser from Hong Kong, went down with a midtable prem team and have collapsed. Even the Tilton and Kop are looking like built on dodgy foundations.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

As much as I hate their fans based on my few trips to St Andrew’s... actually scrap that, I’m indifferent to their fans, I just hate Kevin Phillips...

I can’t enjoy their plight, it could so easily be us. To be honest it could end up us at some point. If Fosun ever lose interest, and they likely will at some point, it just takes one bad owner to take us on and things can unravel pretty quickly.

That said, that final day escape at their expense is a day that will live long in the memory!

And they will be feeling so sorry for us if that happens, I'm sure...

 

[crocos]

I must confess I dislike them more than I dislike the Boggies. However, we've had some good games over the years, it was always a proper day-night out at their place even though it could and often did get very nasty a few years back, and it's hard to take any real pleasure in any club fading away like this. Even them [said through gritted teeth]. Not without its funny side though :~}

 

[Parkfieldswolf]

They punched above their weight with what was effectively dodgy money. Sorry but I have no sympathy for them much like I have none for Portsmouth either. Both won cups using money they didn’t have and now they’re paying the price. I didn’t hear any grumbles from Pompey or Bluenoses when they were holding their own in the Premier and winning a cup each. Sorry but tough.

 

[reanswolf]

Its not the fans fault though, and it might so easily be us.
I know they have some nasty fans who will just about beat anyone up they come across, probably more than most, but that aside I quite like Blues, very passionate working-class base support.
Lets face it, our lot have played up way more around Digbeth than they ever have here.

 

[Alex Rae The Substitute]

And they will be feeling so sorry for us if that happens, I'm sure...

I’m sure!

I don’t wish them to do well, like them suffering in L1 due to poor management I could get behind. But when your owners **** up and are corrupt that is not fair on the fans.

Perhaps I’m an overly cautious person, but with the fragile state of football ownership it’s a very real possibility this could happen to any club outside of the big 6, and maybe Leicester/ Everton these days.

 

[Deleted member 5340]

**** em!!!... In my head I'm still dodging half enders after the match at their ****hole of a ground , while being penned in by the police back in the late 80s... For me? They can ****ing rot, the lot of em!

#notonetoholdagrudge

 

[pacamac]

Proper club, proper fans....still hate them and they hate us..... you know you've been to an away game when you've been down Digbeth.

it was always a proper day-night out at their place

but that aside I quite like Blues, very passionate working-class base support.

Yeah get what you guys are saying and agree Blues are kind of club/fanbase I should really like. They're what inner city fanbases should be like......nothing plastic about em.

But...................................its still Blues and they're still Brummies, so **** em!

 

[Contrarian]

I wish it was Villa.

 

[Nivada]

They remind me of myself in a lot of ways, failing.

 

[Hoganstolemywife]

I think I'm in the minority here as they're the club I truly detest.

Albion and us haven't been on-field rivals for a good while and I've grown up watching Villa play in the league above us.

I also know a couple of Birmingham fans who rubbed it right in when they had their one good premier League season.

I hope they go down and do a Bolton.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

I’m sure!

I don’t wish them to do well, like them suffering in L1 due to poor management I could get behind. But when your owners **** up and are corrupt that is not fair on the fans.

Perhaps I’m an overly cautious person, but with the fragile state of football ownership it’s a very real possibility this could happen to any club outside of the big 6, and maybe Leicester/ Everton these days.

I know the current owners are dodgy, but their current position is down to bad decisions, as opposed to the really bad Carson Yeung.

They sacked Rowett for Zola, they overspent on FFP, effectively gambling to win promotion, but that's what we did, and what most clubs have to do to be successful at that level. They really went for it under Redknapp, and should've had a good team on paper. They trusted the wrong man.

So, they've had more advantages than many in the Championship over the past five years, they've just ****ed it up, so it is funny!

 

[Chisels_n_ommers]

Fair play.

Birmingham City merit a thread once every 10 years given their glorious history and all that.

 

[Kebab Warrior]

I don’t revel in anyone’s downfall as there but for the grace of Fosun go we.
With the changes coming to European Competition in 2024 I think if we don’t stay at least at our current level until then, it’s essentially over for us to ever break into that group.
Rich getting richer will just accelerate.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

Surprised at the reaction on here, and the idea that Blues have been done over in recent years by a lack of ambition/backing from the owners, which is not the case.

It's similar to Sheffield Wednesday, there's a myth that there owner is a disgrace, when he's been done by the system. They're paying for bad decisions, but they, like Blues, decided to spend money they shouldn't have.

And, despite all this, Blues still haven't fallen as far as we did (League One), so they've done well to create this idea that they deserve sympathy.

I must be in the minority, but I'll find it really funny if they do go down, just like I'll find it funny if/when Albion go down. And, like Blues, I would love us to play a part in doing that to them on May 1st, although it might be a sombre mood on here if we do relegate them going by this. After all, Albion have a bad owner as well, poor souls...

 

[WickedWolfie]

Surprised at the reaction on here, and the idea that Blues have been done over in recent years by a lack of ambition/backing from the owners, which is not the case.

It's similar to Sheffield Wednesday, there's a myth that there owner is a disgrace, when he's been done by the system. They're paying for bad decisions, but they, like Blues, decided to spend money they shouldn't have.

And, despite all this, Blues still haven't fallen as far as we did (League One), so they've done well to create this idea that they deserve sympathy.

I must be in the minority, but I'll find it really funny if they do go down, just like I'll find it funny if/when Albion go down. And, like Blues, I would love us to play a part in doing that to them on May 1st, although it might be a sombre mood on here if we do relegate them going by this. After all, Albion have a bad owner as well, poor souls...

**** the Albion, l'd happily send those ****s down!

 

[Boss Hogg]

They won't even be able to have their local derby with Smallsall unless the latter go on an unlikley run in League 2.

 

[Newbridge Wolf]

Dare I say I’ve found myself having more sympathy for Blues since Villa became our main rivals.

Fair play to them, they’ve been hating those *******s since before it was popular.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Birmingham are in a terrible mess. Apparently two stands are condemned and can’t be used anymore. They are on the Hong Kong stock exchange which allows the owners to milk them of 30m a year. Shame it really is. They are a passionate fan base I’d rather them over the vile.

 

[Berlin Wolf]

Fair play.

Birmingham City merit a thread once every 10 years given their glorious history and all that.

And Roger Johnson was Blues centre half that day.

 

[Bankswolf The Third]

No way am I having anyone with this BS "ooh it happened to us" Sod them. Their fans are the worst, I hate them more than the albion and I won't rest until ST Andrews is turned into the car park it deserves to be

 

[Super Ted]

I don't really take much pleasure in bham going the way they are, apart from potentially giving some of our younger lads experience on loan

Every cloud....

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

Blues away, always an interesting affair. This pretend rivalry with villa has never been there for me but going to St Andrews has always been fun!

Can only speak as I find, I only know a handful of bluenoses but they are all really into their football and level headed about their clubs which is more that can be said about the other two teams they share a city with.

 

[Vicious Sid]

meanwhile the rich get richer and even wolves fans, whose club has been closer to the scrapheap than most, say let the devil take the hindmost, who cares we're getting richer.

 

[JR WAS KING]

Blues away, always an interesting affair. This pretend rivalry with villa has never been there for me but going to St Andrews has always been fun!

Can only speak as I find, I only know a handful of bluenoses but they are all really into their football and level headed about their clubs which is more that can be said about the other two teams they share a city with.

I have to say, I miss going to St Andrews.

I like matches with a bit of an edge to them.

 

[TFWanderers]

I can't stand them but know plenty who follow them and the majority feel the club needs to go down and rebuild. It's in a terrible state.

I know Blues have their rivalry with Villa and we have ours with Albion but there is 100% hatred on both sides. I really rate it as a derby and I really don't like them.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Birmingham are in a terrible mess. Apparently two stands are condemned and can’t be used anymore. They are on the Hong Kong stock exchange which allows the owners to milk them of 30m a year. Shame it really is. They are a passionate fan base I’d rather them over the vile.

Sounds like a certain club l remember in the early/mid 80s.....

 

[WKFWolf]

they laughed at us, when we went down...

 

[Oldgold Wolfcub]

Song thats why they call it the blues - Google Search

 

[WW1963]

I cant revel in the misery of other fans for this. Theyve been totally shafted for years by fraudulent owners.

I know plenty of Blues fans and they are sound. Their hatred of Villa is in part (but never fully) understood by more Wolves fans today than, say, five years ago.

Would never be a part of the West Brom/Blues level of friendship, mind.

It's just that their minority of thugs are much larger than most other club's minority of thugs.

 

[Deleted member 9202LYK]

I hope they go down and do a Bolton.

I hope they stay where the are and Bolton do another Bolton.