25 years. That’s how many years Tom Brady’s parents were San Francisco 49ers season ticket holders, until they decided not to draft him. So, it was very ironic that Tom Brady was in the stands to watch a 49er owned team, in his first match as Birmingham City minority owner. As 49er owned Leeds United lost to a 90th minute penalty to Birmingham City, in a great start to Brady’s Bluenose life.
But aside from the fact his parents live in the Bay Area, and 20 minutes from the 49ers home until 2013 of Candlestick Park, what is it about the 49ers that attracted Brady to support the team?
A lot of times when supporting a team, it’s culture. Bill Walsh took over the Niners, and overhauled the entire franchise from top to bottom. In the book The Score Takes Care of Itself, Bill talked about his “The Standard of Performance” philosophy – an ethos that was expected from every aspect of the organization. He talked about how there is a link between the professionalism of how receptionists answer the phone, to players winning Superbowl’s. It’s a team’s culture that can help define success, and is what can help future fans identify with it too -just like Brady’s family did.
Birmingham City is amongst a winds of change similar to when Bill Walsh took over the 49ers. A club starting from Year Zero. A culture and philosophy being formulated as we speak.
The Real Madrid Year Zero
A team whose culture and philosophy has transformed them is Real Madrid. Real Madrid is a member owned club, with the members identifying as Socios (partners) who then elect a president. When Florentino Perez became president of Real Madrid in July 2000, he polled the Socios on what their attitudes and expectations were.
Below was what he got from the data
Transparency
Accountability
The will to win
Sportsmanship
Excellence
Teamwork
A beautiful attacking style on the field
Economic responsibility
This became the basis for what a Florentino Perez Real Madrid would look like, as they went on to win the UEFA Champions League 6 times over his two spells.
Why now is such an important time in defining that culture for Birmingham?
Statement of intent. That is the term a lot of blues have rightfully used in regards to the moves Knighthead have made since they took over. No outlandish promises – just intent.
Are they promising that the women’s team will be the best in the country? No, but they appointed Hope Powell, a pioneer of the women’s game with a lot of expertise. A statement of intent of where they want to go.
Are they promising immediate promotion, and finishing in the top half of the Premier League consistently? No, but they have bought in people like Garry Cook and Tom Brady who bring in world class knowledge. A statement of intent of where they want to go.
Are they promising a world class stadium, be it at St Andrews or elsewhere? No, while that isn't out of the question, they have renovated the existing infrastructure of St Andrews to bring it to a high standard of what they expect of a stadium. A statement of intent of where they want to go.
As you can see, there are no promise or declarations, but a culture of doing. A culture that fits the city itself of knuckling down and just getting it done.
In the book The Real Madrid Way, the author talks about why fans identify with different NFL franchises. He surveyed a group of students on NFL Jerseys. Jerseys are one of the biggest ways of aligning with a franchise. It is an outward demonstration of allegiance.
Here were what each teams perception was reflected in the survey feedback
Pittsburgh Steelers – People outside of Pittsburgh relate to the steely hard-nosed blue-collar history of Pittsburgh. With the name Steelers coming from its steel mills, where that hardworking identity was forged. Since the city has lost their steel mills, that same tenacity has still been reflected in the team since – and therefore recognised going forward and a brand symbol for the city.
Dallas Cowboys – They got their nickname America’s Team, after the narrator John Facenda of a
highlight film introduced them as America’s Team, as their players are recognisable as movie stars and presidents. With their star Quarterback nicknamed Captain America and a blue star is their logo. In 2023 Forbes ranked them as the No.1 valuable sports franchise in the world.
Jacksonville Jaguars - However, when he asked about the identity of the Jacksonville Jaguars – the response he got from the students he polled was “You’re from Jacksonville”. No other identity other than a geographic association.
And as you can see so far from Knighthead since they took over, they clearly do want to align the club with the city. However, they are not solely doing that. That simply isn’t enough for Knighthead.
They want to take the city’s name to project an identity, that isn’t merely geographical like Jacksonville. You can clearly see from the improvements to the ground they have been making, the hires they made, the partnerships they have made – they want to project the city in a world class light. That’s the statement of intent we have all been talking about. That’s the identity. Being a place to be. Being able to pick it out on a map and see it as a land of opportunity.
Structural and cultural lessons from clubs around the world
A lot of sports teams around the world have experienced the winds of change of a new regime. Let’s have a look at some things new owners of sports teams have done that Knighthead can look to.
I have separated it into 3 categories –
Something a club has done in the community. What a franchise has done with their physical land to bring in revenue. And thirdly, the significance of the appointments one makes.
New York City FC – When City Football Group was set up by Manchester City, their aim was to put into place Ferran Sorriano’s vision of Multi club ownership. A vision that he originally had for Barcelona but was denied. At City he has been able to do so, and in New York for one of CFG’s clubs they have a special programme for the youth in New York. It is called Saturday Night Lights, where they run a programme for 11–18-year-olds for people from poorer communities to give them high quality sports training and provide academic support. It is specifically done on Saturday nights when crime is highest, to deter young people away from crime.
Dallas Cowboys - When Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys in 1989, he appointed his daughter Charlotte Jones to look after the business side. She said, I don't know how to run a sports franchise. Jerry's response - neither do I. So learning on the job like her dad, Charlotte went about building the franchise, including a revolutionary concept that her dad did not originally believe in - The Star. This would be very difficult for any club in England to do due to land compared to the US. But the Dallas Cowboys have created their own district called The Star district to drive revenue into the club. There are restaurants, retail stores, as well as office space for businesses to rent. In the middle of the office spaces is a field where the Cowboys practice. So, when people work there or bring clients to to their office, they can watch the Cowboys practice daily. In the same way Disney World has everything Disney culture within a 25,000 acre radius - everything is Dallas Cowboys culture within 91 acres of space in Texas. With 400,000 square office space, it’s not something that can be incorporated in England – but could a mini The Star resembling the Colmore Business District work in Birmingham?
Newcastle United – Newcastle’s rise in the past year from relegation battlers to the Champions League has been remarkable, but not without controversy due to their ownership by the PIF. What I want get into, is how they have made similar moves to Knighthead as soon as they took over. As discussed, Knighthead went about appointing people in high regard to set a marker for where they want to go. This was also done at Newcastle. Poaching Dan Ashworth from Brighton. Appointing Liverpool’s Director of International Business Development Jonathan Kane as their new Director of Partnerships. As well as appointing former heading of global scouting for nearly a decade at Manchester United - Marcel Bout. It’s very clear that on the scale of Newcastle United, and the current scale at Birmingham City, that if your aim is to be world class – it starts with huge appointments in the front office. Statements of intent.
Birmingham history
Birmingham as a city has undersold itself for far too long. I was at a Future Faces event in February 2020 on Temple Row for a talk by Kelly Haslehurt, the Marketing Director of Conventions & Exhibitions at the NEC Group. One of the questions she asked was “What puts Birmingham on the international stage?”. There were many answers from the audience – engineer James Brindley, Black Sabbath, having more canals than Venice and much more. One of the things Kelly also said, is what Manchester have over Birmingham is their football teams being big exports of their city around the world. Birmingham unfortunately doesn’t have that - given the road that its taken. Especially with Aston Villa being called Aston Villa. But aside from its named football team, the city itself has undersold itself in many other ways, until the mid-to-late 2010s it has slowly been finding its swagger.
Minnesota is one of the cities in America with the longest sports drought, when the Minnesota Twins won the World Series back in 1991. Yet, Minnesota has the largest shopping mall in the United States with the Mall of America attracting tourists from around the globe. As well as making it a hub for movies, with famous films like Jingle all the Way filmed there, as well as the first episode of WCW Monday Nitro. As well as this, the NFL franchise Minnesota Vikings boasts a 66k seater that has had huge success as a multi-purpose venue. The first event to ever take place there was actually a soccer game. Chelsea vs AC Milan. As well as an Ed Sheeran concert in 2023 where over 72,000 packed inside the stadium. Minnesota last saw sporting success before the Premier League was even born. Jude Bellingham still wasn’t born for another 12 years. Yet, the city has found itself a way to bring in tourists, and become a sporting mecca. Even if silverware for Birmingham takes time, the Minnesota Vikings have proved during that wait they can bring people into the city in other ways. Birmingham has only started to find its confidence in the past decade . And now its time for its named club to do so too.
Football in the Midlands
But why has football success in the Midlands not been the same as its counterparts North and South of it? In the book, The Beautiful Game is Over: The Globalisation of football by John Samuels, he says Birmingham and the Midlands should love itself more than it does – or have a stronger “self image”. Which again shows how Birmingham has always undersold itself and not maximised it’s potential. He goes on to say, that it has suffered from the North-South polarisation. For people in the North, Birmingham is seen as the South, while people in the South see it as the North - with nothing to distinguish it.
One of the key points John made from a sporting context, is that there was a lot of conservatism from directors running Midland’s football clubs, at a time when the Premier League was created. A time where clubs in other areas of the country were risk-taking and capitalising on the money that the Premier League brought. He also goes on to say that -
"Historically, directors of Midlands companies have been reluctant to invest in new technology with the result that the region lost the machine tool industry, the motorcycle and most of the automobile industry – all industries in which the Midlands had once led the world. A region that was once famous for its engineering skills and ingenuity suffered a decline in its fortunes as a result of weak leadership and poor-quality management. Names such as Austin’s Lucas, Alfred Herberts, GEC, Rover and Rootes disappeared. There was underinvestment in Midland’s industry in general, and underinvestment in particularly in local football teams" - John Samuels
It's clear John Samuels really hammered home the biggest factors impacting the lack of success for Midlands teams.
I can personally see how it had an effect on today’s generation of people in the region too. In 2019, I attended a tour of Gymshark HQ in Solihull. All the biggest directors at Gymshark were present. From talking about the disastrous Black Friday 2015 that costed the company dearly, to where they have come since. As the tour group made its way back from one of the presentation rooms to the main building past the Lifting Club, founder and Villa fan Ben Francis was at the back of the crowd casually chatting to members of the group as we walked. It was funny, because everyone was in a hurry to get to the next stop of the tour by pacing towards the front of the queue. Whereas, it was the people who were left at the back who got to have a free 2 minute chat with Ben. He was casually chatting, taking selfies and answering questions. He then mentioned about when he was growing up, all he remembered whenever Birmingham was in the news was for the closure of MG Rover, as we stopped to look both ways to cross the road. It was one of his inspirations for creating Gymshark; to create a monumental business to bring good publicity to the city. Born in 1992, Ben would only have 3 years old when his beloved Villa last won a trophy. Although Birmingham have won a trophy in that time, (where blues fans like to add they have taken a picture on a mobile phone, winning a trophy while Villa have not) – its clear that success in the city has been barren for a long time – so it’s no surprise MG Rover shutting down is the only thing that stands out. Gymshark has been a huge exporter of the city’s brand, and it’s time for the city's named club to be that too.
Liverpool was another club that did not take advantage of the money that came into the Premier League in 1992. In the book An Epic Swindle by Briane Reade, he mentioned two anecdotes of when Poland came to England for an international match, they decided to make the trip to Anfield to have a stadium tour. However, the club was not taking tours that day. A massive example of one of the biggest clubs in the world operating like a lower league club.
As well as the fact the club shop was closed the day after winning the Champions League in 2005. These were two examples of how Liverpool as a club commercially undersold itself. They didn't see the big commercial picture that allowed Arsenal and Manchester United to run off into the distance.
However, what worked for Liverpool was that they weren’t in the position Birmingham were in. Liverpool as a city stepped up in that time and became the European Capital of Culture. Also, the definition of Liverpool not being "successful" was being mid-table compared, to challenging for the league title regularly like they did in the 80s. A "my wallet won't close because I have too much money" problem compared to the tumultuous problems Birmingham had under BSHL. The commercial underselling of Liverpool football club in the 90s while other clubs raced away, mimics Birmingham as a city commercially underselling itself compared to cities like Manchester and Liverpool until recently....
Birmingham as a city has stepped up in the last decade, and Knighthead and co are making sure the club is now too.
Lessons from The Real Madrid Way by Steve Mandis
Once you establish your clubs mission statement, just like the Real Madrid Socios did in 2000 – that becomes the culture. Players and agents coming in knowing that this is who the club is, and will not bend to anyone. A club and its fans on the same hymn sheet, and suddenly it’s an even tougher place for opposing teams to visit. Right now, we are in the “Florentino Perez in the year 2000 stage” where he polled the Socios of what attitudes and expectations they expect of the club. Right now, it is the 1979 when Bill Walsh took over the San Francisco 49ers, and instituted his Standard of Performance blueprint across the organisation. But what’s great about blues, is there isn’t a sole maverick figure like a Bill Shankly that is leading this. There are many people in lockstep making this happen.
Right now, 2023-24 is where the internal culture of Birmingham City is being defined. As seen by the surprising departure of John Eustace. I personally was not a fan of the idea of sacking Eustace. It really is a "If it's not broken don't fix it" sort of thing. It reminded me of when Mark Hughes was sacked by Manchester City in 2009. The remit was to finish in the top 6, and there was no reason that couldn't have happened.
Recently sacked Wayne Rooney was been bought to establish an attacking way of football that all Birmingham City teams will play. In the same way Santiago Bernabeu was responsible for Galactios 1.0, and Florentino Perez has established Galacticos 2.0 and 3.0 – what Birmingham is doing at the moment is assembling a collection of individuals for each department, to create cultural blueprints for that department. Hope Powell for the women’s team. Gary Cook overseeing the club’s vision and brand. While on the men’s playing side, bringing in established winners in Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole and John O’Shea. It’s no coincidence all three are former Premier League winners.
When Real Madrid look for a coach, one of the things they look for, is if they were a success as a player. This was the case when higher-ups long viewed Zinedine Zidane as a future manager, and when they appointed Carlo Ancelotti, a European cup winner as both a player and a manager. The few times they have broken that in the past 13 years was the appointments of Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho. Rafa Benitez was born and bred within the Real Madrid culture and knew the community values. While Jose Mourinho was needed at a time when Perez’s second reign was in its infancy. Someone who had a culture of winning, and to set the club up for winning again. Some could argue he helped set the team up for four Champions Leagues under Ancelotti and Zidane. But Real always go back to a manager with success as a player – and 3 Premier League winners on the Birmingham coaching staff is no coincidence.
Be it not breaking the club’s wage demands for a new contract for Claude Makelele, or Nicolas Anelka not aligning with the Socios values- sometimes Real Madrid let people go that are quite prominent - because they may not fit the blueprint. Again, a blueprint that is currently being put into place at Birmingham, and sometimes it means making unpopular decisions. And those shock Real Madrid departures are shades of the word “misalignment” used by Gary Cook when talking about John Eustace ambition and that of the club’s - as it interferes with the blueprint being currently implemented. The Wayne Rooney appointment was ill-timed, unnecessary, and not the way to implement the blueprint. This season was meant to be one of optimism, after finally having a promising ownership. That was undone, but it's great to see a blueprint nonetheless. Tony Mowbrary is a stabilising part of that blueprint.
HS2
We've heard so much about it. The plans, the finances, to the cancellation of the Manchester and Leeds legs, and basically scrapping any plans north of Birmingham. I do hope it is brought back with private funding. Because, when Tom Wagner said on an interview with Masters of Business that when HS2 is finished 80% of the UK will be within a 1 hour train ride of Birmingham - a completed HS2 is the only way to get to that. It's no surprise he wrote a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urging it not to be cancelled. It appears the race to a late 2024 general election, where a party potentially offers to reverse the decision vs land being hastily sold off before then is one of the options. The other is private funding, and who knows maybe Knighthead could be one of many parties that help fund it.
If there is a hypothetical world where HS2 is completed in full across the UK - it's very clear Birmingham will be the epicentre of that. A multi-purpose stadium, where most people around the country take a 1 hour train ride to a concert, NFL games and many more prestigious events in Birmingham - would be seismic for the city.
As well as this, university students from all over the UK coming to Birmingham, as well as easy access for domestic tourists, HS2 has so much potential for the city. But only if completed in full spanning all over the country (as seen in the picture above), instead of a hopeful revival of the Manchester leg only.
Multi-Cultural hub
One of the biggest things Birmingham City need to tap into is the culture in Birmingham – something it already does to an extent. One of the unspoken amazing things about Leicester City’s Premier League miracle in 2016, was not only did it bring the city together – but it’s a multicultural celebration. In 2013, The Independent declared Leicester as a model for Multiculturalism. 3 years later in 2016, that multiculturalism was on show in their Premier League title winning parade. Leicester has one of the biggest Caribbean festivals outside of London. First held in 1985, it was the brainchild of Elvy Morton who first settled in Leicester in 1961. With over 80,000 people attending every year, it’s a chance to show the world the significance the Caribbean people have in Leicester. 21 years this was reflected in may ways around Leicester including the festival. And on its 21st year, Leicester’s Caribbean presence was felt in another big way. Jamaican Wes Morgan captained Leicester to that Premier League triumph.
Leicester has long been known for its huge Diwali celebrations, with over 40,000 attending the annual celebrations on Belgrave Road in 2022. In August 1972, 60,000 South Asians in Uganda were given 90 days to give up their hard-earned homes, businesses and lives and leave the country on a whim. Many came to Leicester, and as the South Asian population grew – so did the cultural fabric of the city.
Leicester demonstrates and celebrates its Multiculturalism in many ways. And Leicester City’s title win in 2016 was another torch in shining a light on this for the world to see.
Birmingham too has a very large migrant population. According to the Census in 2021, 31% of the population in Birmingham identified as British Asian. That’s over a quarter of the population of Birmingham. Birmingham based news outlet DesiBlitz tries to give that community a voice with a week dedicated to South Asian heritage, culture and arts, with events around the city organised by founder Indi Deol, who is an example of South Asians around Birmingham trying to make change. Indi started this outlet despite having no journalism or media experience. He created DesiBlitz to give a platform for South Asian voices in the media - a community who have made a huge impact on Birmingham. Anita Champaneri who runs Delicious PR, gives graduates of all backgrounds internships at her agency, to help them learn the ropes of the industry. There are many South Asian leaders in the city who give back to all communities - it's great to see.
The South Asian impact on the city has been celebrated by hit BBC Series "Back in time for Birmingham" where the Sharma family re-enact daily life for South Asians who migrated to the UK in the 1950s. Many South Asians cam to the UK during the 50s for a better life. The British Government set out a controversial ban in 1962 to stop this. This led to people coming in their droves in 1961 to "beat the ban". A lot settled in Leicester and Birmingham. Men worked long shifts sending money back home. Houses were full of men in double figures where they had a bed rota. Night shift workers would sleep in the beds in the day, while day time workers used them at night. This wasn't an easy life, and showed the true grit and perserverance that South Asians contribute to Birmingham.
On the show, Manisha Sharma put it best –
The Asian community have absolutely changed the fabric of this country. So the great thing about Britain - is the fact that we have this fusion - Manisha Sharma, BBC Series Back in time for Birmingham
A fusion no doubt already embraced by Birmingham City fans, with the supporters group Panjabi Blues and Blues 4 all, who in November 2023 came together to celebrate Diwali and Bandi Chhor with the Fans for Diversity fund.
According to Populationdata.org 9% of Birmingham's population is black. The Black community have contributed hugely to Birmingham. One of them is Patricia White CEO of Suited for Success.
Imagine you are homeless for a long time, unemployed or just released from prison and looking to gain work. You may not be able to afford a suit or smart clothes. This is where Suited for Success come in. Suited for Success have had buses located around the city centre recently where employability workshops have taken place. A football club with a bigger profile brings more attention to many causes created by the black community in the area - and help to people who need it.
Just like Leicester City’s success have done that for their multicultural population. Just like Inter Miami has done with its Hispanic population, by hosting Hispanic Heritage night, maybe this is something Birmingham City can take inspiration from, for the many cultures in Birmingham.
While some ideas like Athletic Bilbao only signing local Basque players wouldn’t work for a club in England, they are only one of three teams to never be relegated from La Liga. Sometimes community values help shape future glory. And Birmingham has a huge underrepresented multiculturalism - that Birmingham City can become a vehicle to embrace further.
Multi-Purpose Stadium
It's something that has been mooted for decades. From Ron Atkinson in 2001 wanting to build the new Wembley here and bizarrely still call it...Wembley, to the rendering below in 2006 of the proposed City of Birmingham Stadium in Saltley - to now a lot of fans speculating about the former Wheels site. I remember going to Birmingham Wheels back in the day, and there definitely is a lot of land there. And it's the first thing you see before Millennium Point, when on a train getting closer to New Street.
Would a Multi-Purpose Stadium work? Absolutely. The type of events that could be held there.
NFL games - Tottenham have proven a football Stadium outside of Wembley can do so. If you are worried about demand. Circle the next London NFL game in your calendar. And Sunday morning between 8-11am, take a walk around town or even neighbouring train stations around the Midlands. You will witness a sea of NFL shirts making their way to Digbeth Coach Station for the 11.30am coach to Wembley. Imagine if they only needed to catch a short train or Metro to a game usually in London or America. The only loser is National Express coaches. NFL is more Birmingham than you realise.
Concerts - Now, Resorts World Arena is still planning to increase their capacity to 21,600 to become the largest arena in the UK. However, I've always felt Arena Birmingham is a better located venue due to its prime city centre location. Beautifully and aesthetically situated on Brindley Place, it is so easy to get to via the Metro stopping outside Brindley Place. You can either get a train to Five Ways or New Street, and hop on to a designated tram stop near those train stations to get to Brindley Place too. And like Resorts World, there's a lot there to do around it on Broad Street, Library, SEA Life Centre and much more. It's problem - too small a venue compared to other national arenas. And with Resorts World Arena expanding, will we ever see a city centre concert again? The WWE sold out Arena Birmingham in April, and usually takes it in turns between Resorts World Arena and Arena Birmingham. I can definitely see them making Resorts World Arena their permanent Birmingham home upon expansion. More and more big events, especially concerts will move away from the city centre, upon Resorts World Arena's possible expansion. A city centre stadium that could host concerts will bring them back to the city centre. The problem is - will it kill off Arena Birmingham? I think it will do fine, but Birmingham needs a city centre base for concerts, and Arena Birmingham will lose out if Resorts World Arena expands.
FA Cup Semi-finals - It was awful seeing Liverpool and Man City fans made to travel to Wembley last year for the Semi-final. A prime central location in a big-time venue that can host that, would be a Birmingham Multi-Purpose stadium. Even the 2023 final Manchester Derby would of been perfect in the Midlands at a huge stadium....with much cheaper beer. With BOXPARK coming to Digbeth, that fits in perfectly.
Community Shield, Internationals and more - Teams from the North should not have to travel to London for a glorified friendly. And internationals have another big venue. Perhaps the League Cup final in Birmingham, and the FA Cup final in London every year is a good compromise.
Miami Freedom Park, The NEC of the city centre - A lot of people have said over the years land by the NEC will be perfect for a new Birmingham Stadium. But it needs to be at the heart of the city. And Miami Freedom Park, just like Dallas Cowboys The Star on a smaller scale, could help bring extra revenue into the club. Miami Freedom Park will have retail, restaurants, green spaces and a tech hub when opening in 2025, with the stadium being 25,000 capacity. Not all these examples need to be incorporated, but a complex like Miami Freedom Park could work.
There's a lot of ways a Multi-Purpose stadium can bring in revenue. Some pipedream and some realistic. But the key thing is, is accessibility and affordability. A prime city centre location is a huge need. But also affordability. Man City have been mocked for cheap Champions League tickets for students.. But that is how you grow the next generation of fans. Champions League campaigns start in Freshers week if you haven't noticed - Man City know what they are doing and it's fantastically smart. And with 3 prime universities in BCU, Aston and UOB - a lot of students are there who can adopt the club locally, or for life when going back to their home city post-graduation. Uni memories last for life, and the club can be a part of that, especially if those students one day return to the city to meet old friends later in life - and visit the stadium for a game while here. Later on in this case study, you will see me mention the BCFC September 2015 missed opportunity - this is what I am alluding to too, to prevent it happening again. Now, this stadium may not sell out, but those seats are not empty seats they are growth seats. Ones that could be offered to schools, and local organisations. One of the key reasons Spanish games take place at night, is part of the culture is to go shopping with a game in the evening. Birmingham can be a premiere destination for that. The growth seats hold the most value to the club. A Multi-Purpose stadium to build multiple generations.
The Youth of the city
Tom Wagner talked about how Birmingham has the youngest population in Europe. That isn’t just a mere stat. That would be overlooking the sheer urban dynamism of the city, and everything being done to harness that. Organisations like Create Central, who give a platform for youngsters trying to break into TV, film and many other creative outlets. They worked alongside Sunset & Vine, Solihull College, and the West Midlands Combined Authority in providing Skills Bootcamps, to build skills for people of all ages working in the Commonwealth games. The sheer drive of so many outlets giving opportunities to young people, is pivotal in Peaky Blinders Writer Stephen Knight creating a new film studio Digbeth Loc Studios. Spanning 80,000 square feet, it’s expected to be a premiere hub for film.
WM Generation - the time a city came together. A precursor to the Commonwealth Games
This is a far cry from the WM Generation movement of 2017-18. This was a time when Channel 4 was considering between Leeds or Birmingham to build a new studio. Leeds was the preferred choice. But Birmingham did not go down without a fight. If you thought the dynamism of Brummie youth was at play in tandem with other generations in the Commonwealth games, then WM Generation was something else. Young creatives, alongside Media school lecturers from Brum universities, Mayor Andy Street and even Ozzy Ozbourne campaigned louder than a typical night down Broad Street. As big as a “hot take” this is – I feel the way the city came together for the WM Generation project - walked so the Commonwealth Games dynamism could run. WM Generation was a powerhouse effort by many leaders locally and internationally – and the heartbeat of that was the youth. It really felt like a dream run to the Champions League final, but to lose at the final hurdle. Take 70 seconds to watch below the BCU Media video as part of this campaign - you will not regret it. The youth of Tom Wagner Birmingham praised, was shown at its best during the #WMGeneration campaign. They are the future Birmingham City FC employees, fans and innovators. We must not let there be a "brain drain" of them to other cities. Watch the magic below.
After the disappointment of losing Channel 4 to Leeds, Birmingham's creative dynamism did not stop there. With the success of Peaky Blinders, and the new BBC HQ at the former Typhoo tea factory opening in 2026 – Birmingham’s creative sector just kept on thriving. It’s named football club can too. One of the most influential people in the city, and a force for the good of young people is Louise Teboul. Louise is a part of Common Purpose, who alongside Mick Gillick MBE has ran leadership programmes for people in industry for some time. But have also helped young people as well. In Partnership with Birmingham City University ran the FrontRunner Leaders course at the famed Fazeley Studios in Digbeth, to help create the leaders of tomorrow. While also playing an influential role in the Graduate Plus programme the university has, by attending awards ceremonies and taking part.
In 2039, it will be 150 years since Birmingham was granted city status. Common Purpose have created a programme for 18–25-year-olds to help build the next generation of the city. You have to believe, with the ambitions Knighthead have for the city and the club – that the next generation of leaders at Birmingham City could come from this programme. People in finance, marketing, business development, operations and much more. This is a programme to keep an eye on for the next set of leaders at the club.
Future Faces are a membership cohort of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce connecting young professionals in the city through professional and social events. I was lucky to have my membership by them sponsored by GymShark. Common Purpose offered the winner of the Future Faces award in 2020 a position on their Emerging Leaders programme.
Louise spoke on the importance of young people on the future of Birmingham
The next generation of leaders have the opportunity to do things differently, to have a voice, to challenge the status quo, and we can help them do that - Louise Teboul
This not only hits home for the people of Birmingham, but for the club as well. Right now, Gary Cook, Tom Wagner and his team are creating the culture for the next generation to do the the things Louise said of - do things differently, to have a voice and to challenge the status quo. Lets take a look at how they have gone about that so far.
To do things differently – The club have elevated the mindset, ambitions and cultural vision for the club.
To have a voice – On the 1st November 2023, Birmingham City set out three fan initiatives to engage the fans. The Blues Open House, where 1000 Birmingham City fans will be attending an invitation-only quarterly open evening. As well as the Blues Matters Fan Engagement Programme launching in January 2024. As well as the Blues Official Supporters Club.
To challenge the status quo – A huge club like Birmingham City is not solely aiming to be a mid-table Premier League club. There is no limit to what they can achieve, and propelling themselves to the upper echelons of English football will mean challenging the status quo. It's no coincidence when Tom said the word "unlimited".
The city centre itself is abuzz with a huge student population. The opening of the now closed John Lewis at New Street Station in 2015 created 850 jobs. While the world’s biggest Primark opened in 2019 and created 500 jobs. A lot of those young people who took some of those jobs in the mid-to-late 2010s, will most likely be working in industry now. They have been replaced by many more students, with even more shops opening in that time. Whether it’s the triumvirate of universities of Birmingham City University, Aston and University of Birmingham, as well as the ever-growing student jobs in the city - The case is clear. People come all over the world to study and work in Birmingham. Although some may already have their teams, the allure of a multi-purpose stadium close to the city centre with football, concerts and other sports at student discount prices is a missed opportunity.
The youth of Birmingham are certainly watching things with interest. Brum Forward is the name of a Twitter account of a young diehard blue, who's simple aim is to raise the benchmark of success the clubs fans are aiming for. I looked long and hard in June 2020 to find an account like this. It's great to see people out there with the same vision, ready to challenge any cognitive dissonance the public may have towards Birmingham City as a big force. It's clear there are youth in Birmingham trying to propel the club in a world class direction. We now have the owners who are ready to satiate that appetite.
The September 2015 missed opportunity
Birmingham City University moved their long held Perry Barr campus to the city centre in September 2015, in the same month the Grand Central shopping centre opened above the newly renovated New Street station. With such a huge amount of people drawn in and relocated to the city centre in their thousands, September 2015 saw a huge footfall into the city centre. It was a huge opportunity that the club wasn’t in the right hands to take. BCU has a massive Freshers outdoor activity hub in Eastside Park outside the new campus opened in 2015, as well as enough space in the newly opened at the time Grand Central, where a lot of Activations from the club SHOULD of been happening. This pales to the Activations Wolves did for their shop opening in Shanghai.
You have to wonder if Tom Wagner was around that month, that Birmingham City could have taken that opportunity hugely. A marketing team ready to capitalise, must be in place for the next September 2015 moment. It cannot be missed again.
The Zara's Broad Street analogy
If you ever frequented Broad Street a decade ago, you will have seen Zara's nightclub. Nowadays, a building that was a big part of the city's night life - is a nice architectural building left to decay, with weeds overgrowing and fallen apart. That's how Birmingham City FC was under the previous regime. A club that was once brightly lit up and bustling - to a decaying and morbid existence, as passers by look on, as they walk towards other attractions. However, unlike Zara's, the youth didn't go to another option on Broad street for its fix. They went to other cities football clubs for that fix. And will pass that club to their children. Sigh.
The Challenger Brand myth
When a new company or entity start-up to challenge the market leader, they are a Challenger Brand. In the book Eat the Big Fish by Adam Morgan about Challenger Brands, he provides insights on how to get noticed and steal customers. Challenger brands exist in many industries. Uber, Air BNB, Virgin Atlantic, and even Netflix being a disruptor.
Is Birmingham a Challenger Brand as a city and a football club, to other UK cities and clubs?
While the city itself takes on the same ahem...challenges, they are not. Birmingham has long been regarded as the Second City, but has not lived up to it until recently.
Birmingham the club however, IS challenging the status quo on the pitch, as a new entrant with the long-term aims of breaking a crowded top half of the Premier League. But the city itself is already up there and not a Challenger Brand. But a synergy between the club and city can break the Challenger Brand challenges for the club too. Birmingham has undersold itself as a city for too long. It is only now that it is showing the world what it’s about. Birmingham as a city must not see itself as this new challenger brand, that is trying to muscle in on the market. You do deserve to be there Birmingham, you have so much going for you. You are already a big player in the market. You are not a Challenger Brand entering the space. You are just picking where you left off.
And the best part about it is, the city itself can enthuse that into the club. Any other club would feel like a Challenger Brand to the market leaders of English Football. But when you are the named club for the Second City - you have a USP the rest of the chasing pack others don't.
The generation problem
One of the issues Birmingham has in creating new fans, is the same issue a long-time mooted NFL UK franchise has. Most fans in the UK have their own team already, that they have had passed down generations in their families. You look at The Asian Liverbird book, about how many South Asians coming to the country during Liverpool's heyday adopted Liverpool as their club -and now their children and grandchildren do too. A lot of those are based in Birmingham. A lot of 90s kids became Manchester United fans because of their perennial success when they were growing up. Now turning 30, those fans will likely pass that on to their children. Just like the conundrum a potential new NFL UK franchise faces – Birmingham has a challenge in converting generations of fans already entrenched into other Premier League teams as their own. A multi-purpose large stadium may not sell out – but this is the opportunity for those fans to attend Birmingham games as an experience, on the day the team they support are not playing – and perhaps taking a child with them who will choose Birmingham over their parent’s team in the process. It’s what Birmingham City as a club can do in that scenario in the Push Vs Pull tug of war of - local success vs generational family sporting ties. Sporting success is sometimes the only ingredient you need in that case. And with the club trying to regain Category One status as an academy, and devising a playing style that all Birmingham City teams will play – the club clearly have those lofty sporting aims in place.
Why I haven't gone into detail on The Obvious Three
There are three things that have been talked about when it comes to the future of Birmingham, and what it can draw from.
1 How Birmingham City Council's finances will affect the city
2 A more in-depth look at the Commonwealth Games sporting legacy
3 And of course, drawing from the legacy of Peaky Blinders
These are three things publicly talked about a lot. However, if you left this case study thinking about those three things - then this case study hasn't done its job. Those are widely discussed in the media, and the genesis of this case study was me realising, there are so many unspoken causes, factors and people that contribute to the amazing much potential Birmingham City has - that aren't widely discussed. And that is what I want the takeaways be, instead of The Obvious Three.
Final thoughts
There’s always been a vibrancy in Birmingham. It’s a vibrancy driven by innovation in a city that ticks 24 hours a day – and it’s done so since the days of Boulton, Watt and the great industrial pioneers who put Brand Britain and Brand Birmingham on the worldwide stage. - Judith Armstrong, director of Finance at Clarke Transport
This perfectly articulates a city that has a lot to offer. And Birmingham City FC is now playing its part. The shape of the Digbeth Arches represent the up and down rollercoaster Birmingham City has been on. And right now, yes there maybe teething problems on and off the pitch. But it is now, where the Bill Walsh Standard of Performance is being drawn up. It is now, the Florentino Perez Socio values are being formed. It is now, where the Knight’s head turns in the right direction - and keeps right on. The culture of Birmingham City for many decades is being implemented right now, before our very eyes.