Birmingham City take big step forward in building new stadium | OneFootball

Birmingham City have taken a step forward in their plans to build a new stadium.

According to the BBC, the Blues have purchased land owned by the local council with a view to replacing St. Andrew’s in the near future.

St. Andrew’s has been the home of the Midlands outfit since 1906 and has a capacity of 29,409.

Work has recently been done on the stadium to bring safe standing to parts of the home ground, with previous renovations also being done to repair damage to two stands.

But a new stadium could yet be built by the new owners, with Tom Wagner completing his takeover of the Championship side just last year.

Birmingham City set for new stadium

The sale of land is located on Bordesley Park and is set to be signed off by the council’s property committee this week, potentially as early as Thursday.

While it has yet to be confirmed whether Birmingham are behind the purchase, it is understood that the club has agreed to the deal.

It is expected that up to 3,000 jobs could be created from the upcoming development of the 48-acre site.

The site is less than a mile away from the club’s current home ground.

This could be a huge undertaking by the second division side, and could take multiple years to complete.

Birmingham City’s St. Andrew’s plans

The new owners recently agreed a deal to rename St. Andrew’s to St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead, which CEO Garry Cook claimed was the beginning of their attempts to help grow the Blues’ brand.

This could be the next step in that attempt for growth, as a new stadium could help raise the profile of the club even further.

"A worldwide audience has tuned in to what is happening at Blues, they want to find out more, and we have only just scratched the surface of what is possible," said Cook, via the BBC, back in January.

"Knighthead has invested in Birmingham and is bringing a level of ambition that is going to improve the fortunes of both the club and the city itself.

"Our partnership is an example of this.

“We look at the football world differently, and we know that creating broader awareness and engagement across social and other media platforms will increase our commercial growth opportunities.

"For Blues, this means the prospect of significant investment, both on and off the pitch."

Birmingham are currently 21st in the Championship table, only sitting outside the bottom three due to a superior goal difference.

Promising next step for Birmingham

While leaving their home of over 100 years could be a sentimental moment for many supporters, this could be what’s needed for the Blues in the long-run.

A new stadium could be quite an exciting project, and certainly shows the ambitions of the new ownership.

While this will no doubt be an expensive undertaking, the long-term benefits may outweigh the short-term financial pain.