Why 8th August is a big date for Birmingham City and their Premier League dream | OneFootball

Birmingham City can prove their promotion credentials as early as 8 August

Birmingham City’s big return to the Championship will come with a mouthwatering clash against Ipswich Town on 8 August.

The Blues were disappointingly relegated in 2023, but made quick work of coming straight back up from League One, with Chris Davies’ side earning a record points tally of 111 on their way to the title.

The ambitious American owners at St. Andrew’s, led by Tom Wagner, will be keen to see the club compete at the top end of the Championship straight away this season.

Their sights are set on bringing the Midlands outfit back to the Premier League for the first time since 2011.

And there is no better opponent to take on first than a recently-relegated top flight side that are also the last club to achieve back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League.

Birmingham’s Premier League ambitions

Birmingham have been active in the transfer market already this summer, bringing in Taylor Garder-Hickman and Alfons Samspsted on permanent deals following their initial loan stints.

Phil Neumann has also arrived after his pre-contract agreement was made earlier this year.

And their real ambitions are starting to be revealed, with a move for Tommy Doyle starting to come to fruition.

It was exclusively revealed by FLW that the Blues were set to win the race to his signature, with Alan Nixon now reporting that a £10 million option to buy clause will be inserted into the loan deal with Wolves.

It’s unlikely that their spending will end there, with the window still only in the early stages.

Davies will be backed by Wagner, with the club issuing a statement of intent by winning the race to sign Doyle, someone with over 50 games of Premier League experience under his belt already at the age of 23.

Ipswich will test Birmingham’s Premier League credentials on that opening day, even if their summer business won’t be concluded by that point.

Kieran McKenna’s side competed in the top flight last year, and will look to keep most of their squad together in order to fight for a place back in the division in 2026.

Birmingham and Ipswich could prove promotion rivals

Ipswich and Birmingham’s opening day clash could even prove pivotal at the business end to the campaign.

Both clubs will obviously want to lay down a marker for their promotion hopes, but this six-pointer could be a match we look back on in April and May as potentially decisive, if the two sides are in the mix for a top two spot and separated by just one or two points.

Speaking to the BBC in early June, Wagner said that achieving a place in the Premier League “is certainly the goal,” and that he wants the club to do so “as quickly as we can.”

If they can earn an impressive result at home to the Tractor Boys on 8 August, then they will be showing that this isn’t such an outlandish claim to make.