Archive June 4, 2025

Tom Wagner, the chairman of Birmingham City, says that the ultimate goal is to win the Premier League next year and that he is open to the possibility of hosting domestic cup competitions abroad to raise money.

The League One champions celebrated their highest point total in a season in 2024-2019 by breaking the EFL record for that time frame. In an exclusive interview, the American businessman told BBC Sport he wants to increase his ambitions for a top flight runoff “as soon as we can.”

Wagner thinks the Blues will be “highly competitive” in the Championship with plans for a new stadium receiving a significant boost on Tuesday following the government’s confirmation of £2.4 billion in investment in local transport links.

After being demoted from the Premier League, Leicester City, Southampton, and Ipswich Town will each receive almost £50m next year.

After the government approved a new tramline to a planned “Sports Quarter” in the east of the city, Wagner’s hopes for a new 62, 000-seat stadium to replace St. Andrews significantly increased.

Owners of the club, US investment firm Knighthead Capital, have been trying to persuade ministers to give the West Midlands billions of pounds to build new transport links for the regeneration project. Wagner founded the group and wants to build a 125-acre sports and leisure complex on abandoned land in Bordesley Green.

Wagner says the goal is for the “transformative” Sports Quarter, which will also include a 20, 000-seat arena, hotel, and training complex for the club’s men’s, women’s, and academy teams, to be open by 2030. He also pledges between £2 and $3 billion of private investment.

Wagner argued that “we needed the transportation links to make the site viable.”

“This will be a unique venue for entertainment,” he declared.

“We have a fantastic opportunity. It would be difficult to find another city with such a large land area in western Europe where a project of this size could be built.

The goal would be to host a wide range of international competitions, not just football but also American football and rugby, according to the statement, “This will be a venue that is used 365 days a year.”

Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion, owns Birmingham City in part because of it.

When asked if there was a chance the new stadium would cause more expensive tickets for fans, Wagner responded, “If you price out the fans who are here, you lose the singing, you lose the passion, and then you’ve lost your product.

The answer to growing commercial revenue isn’t solved by raising ticket prices; rather, it’s solved by creating a better product, as the people’s club has been taught.

Former Birmingham City manager Garry Cook stated last year that playing a league game against Wrexham, a rival team owned by the US, on American soil would be “a great idea.”

Wagner said, “I don’t believe it makes sense to do it necessarily with regular-season games.”

When asked what he thought might be the subject of some domestic cup competitions in the US, he responded, “It’s something that needs to be thought about.”

When you consider the top-tier Premier League clubs, they compete internationally, which means they must have global fans and scale revenue, and if doing so means playing some games abroad to increase the club’s following and revenue, I believe that’s a good thing.

It’s a very balancing act because you have to find a way to do it that doesn’t harm your neighborhood. There is a very fine line to be crossed, but I believe it needs to be carefully considered for the best clubs.

Perhaps there is a different tournament or a circumstance that permits that, perhaps at a different time during the season. Beyond just the pre-season tours, there are a number of options that can be pursued.

Wagner responded to fans’ questions about the number of English clubs currently owned by US investors by saying, “The reason Americans are drawn to investing here is because it’s English football.

The NBA All-Star game will pit a USA team against other teams in “some form” next year.

The 2026 Winter Olympics, which are being broadcast by NBC in the United States on February 16, will host the game.

The NBA All-Star game will now start in the afternoon, with broadcast rights to the Winter Olympic games following.

What better time is there to feature some sort of USA against the world? Adam Silver, the commissioner of the NBA, said on Wednesday.

Silver, who spoke to Fox Sports, said he “payed a lot of attention to what the NHL did” in February by hosting the 4 Nations Face-Off rather than an All-Star game.

In recent years, there has been a decline in interest in the NBA’s All-Star game, and even a change in format failed to stop the decline.

Viewership dropped by 13% from 2024 to the second-lowest TV audience in 25 years despite four teams competing in a three-game mini-tournament.

Although there was a Global Stars team, it had been suggested to add a more international element starting next year, especially since there are already so many NBA players from other countries.

Rangers are close to putting together a deal to succeed Russell Martin as manager.

The 39-year-old was chosen as the frontrunner in a process that included the club speaking with former Feyenoord manager Brian Priske and former Real Madrid assistant manager Davide Ancelotti.

Martin will succeed Philippe Clement, who replaced him with Barry Ferguson in February.

Matt Gill and Rhys Owens, as well as former Rangers defender Maurice Ross, are expected to join the former MK Dons, Swansea, and Southampton manager at Ibrox.

Martin himself stated on the BBC’s Match of the Day last month that “how the style of play will fit” and “how convinced are the ownership and people in charge with how we do things” be key factors in choosing a job.

That suggests that he still believes in his philosophy.

John Walker, a football coach and analyst, has done a thorough analysis of Martin’s managerial career and thinks that many people don’t understand his style.

He told BBC Scotland, “I believe there is a misconception that possession is very passive for possession’s sake.”

“To me, whenever I watched MK Dons, Swansea, or Southampton in the Championship, it was actually really forward attacking play,” said one player.

It moved very quickly. Although the patterns weren’t exactly the same as Postecoglou’s Celtic, it wasn’t too dissimilar.

Because I think it’s a style of football with aggression that can work in Scotland, I’m so happy for him to take over Rangers.

Postecoglou and Martin both accuse one another of being reluctant to adapt. However, Angus Gunn, the former team-mate of the latter and Norwich City, would disagree.

In the English Championship, Gunn faced Martin’s Southampton team on the way to a failed Premier League appearance.

The Scotland goalkeeper described them as “a tough team.” We played a few good games to them, they said. One was 4-4, and the other was 1-1, which was quite striking.

They were quite open when we first played them, they said. Then, when we played them again, they showed some skepticism, which I believe demonstrates a coach’ ability to adapt and modify the way his team plays.

“Watching his teams over the course of the few years he was in charge, I believed he did it, despite the fact that some people likely claimed he was reluctant to make significant changes.”

I thought he did that well, particularly in the Championship.

The former Scotland defender’s story was that he was too resolute and needed to adapt, especially when he was playing for Southampton in the Premier League.

The former Rangers’ defender’s response was consistent.

He told BBC Sport, “There is a difference between having conviction and being stubborn.” As a coach, manager, or leader, it follows logic for me to stick with something and strive to improve.

With new funds available following the takeover led by Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises, it seems like there will be a significant, if not seismic, change in Rangers’ squad personnel.

But how large would that be in order for Martin to put his ideas into practice?

Walker insists Martin would not be alarmed by such a task, but that he would need to see a complete overhaul of Rangers.

Walker said, “I don’t think many of the players that are currently there will survive.” I believe Swansea made 17 signings when he arrived, with 18 players leaving over the summer, according to my memory.

“There were 20 people wanting to leave when he entered Southampton.”

He has the experience of quickly implementing the style of play and building a squad. If he joins, I anticipate a significant squad overhaul.

“I believe that with the play, you’ll also have teething issues and a lot of goals will be conceded.”

Do you believe Martin would succeed as manager of the Rangers?