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Divided we fall: Bournemouth Reflections
Birmingham City were today humiliatingly beaten by Bournemouth in what is I’m told the worst ever home defeat. Bournemouth scored eight times and were unlucky not to get into double figures having hit the woodwork three times on top of that. Blues misery began with an early red card and was compounded by Paul Caddis missing a penalty at 0-3.
As I sit and write this, I know I’ve calmed down. I felt pretty upset when I left the ground – not because we had lost so heavily but because I can see the club that means so much to me is dying before my eyes. A team minus a manager, devoid of hope; a fanbase divided so deeply fights broke out in the Kop towards the end and owners who are not just absent but so ambiguous we don’t know who they are any more – and little current prospect for change.
Today hurt. It hurt because it wasn’t just being dicked by a team that could actually play football, but because it was so inevitable. Yes, the ref had a shocker in many ways; yes there was circumstances of fortune for Bournemouth and yes the lino probably needed his eyes testing but the issues run much deeper than a card happy ref or “the rub of the green”. To sing “You’re not fit to wear the shirt” to a bunch of players who through no fault of their own aren’t good enough is harsh; poor Callum Reilly was in tears at the end because he knew how badly it hurt us.
To believe it’s purely down to the players or the management (or lack thereof) is myopic. The fact is our team isn’t much good – yes, with a great manager they might become okay but it’s going to take some serious inspiration to pick them up. What we’re seeing is the product of three years of no investment, three years of having to shave costs continually and three years of stultification; a team which by all rights probably should have gone down last season and almost certainly barring a dramatic change of fortune will go down this season. This has only been caused by one thing – a faceless entity 6,000 miles away which can’t or won’t seem to get the investment needed to sell the club – who can’t even get their own accounts signed off and who seem to in the midst of a continual power struggle.
I’ve seen people talk about positive change being just around the corner but the evidence isn’t there yet. As much as people talk about how things are going to be better they will not be until things have changed significantly enough within BIH to allow or even force a change of ownership. We don’t know for sure who’s got the authority to run the club here, we don’t know for sure who’s got the authority to run BIH in Hong Kong and we don’t know for sure that some of the biggest issues affecting the club and the holding company – ie Carson and Pannu – are still in the picture.
The only thing we can do as fans is to unify. I don’t care under what name, what organisation, or which “leader”, one of the few things we can do as fans is to come together as one. As one we can speak louder, demand action and most importantly force the issue louder than we can as individuals. The more we fight among ourselves the easier it is for this situation to continue. I don’t know the answers and I certainly wouldn’t want to be a leader but I do think that until we get over this anarchic mentality of not joining together we’re done for.
United we stand, divided we fall.
191 Responses to “Divided we fall: Bournemouth Reflections”
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One of the darkest days. A bit like under the wheldkn times.
Altrincham 1-2
Rotherham 5-1
Cambridge 0-3
Bristol city 0-4
Aldershot 3-0
At least the fans were united then
Who would want to work for the chinese?
Gary Rowett and his team are clearly up for it. come on lads! While I agree about the disastrous ownerships/management, I believe we have players who can turn it around if they know what they’re expected to do. Why are Bournemouth so good? How did Burnley win the league with a team of virtual nobodies? We can do it if (for starters)
– Players are played in the right position i.e. specialists in midfield or centre back – whatever happened to that USA international Will Packwood?
– we pass the ball and keep it (we have worst pass completion stats in league) and Randolph holds the record for long passes year to date
– we have consistency and continuity so players get used to playing together rather than chopping and changing every week trying to find a winning formula
– we have a clear Plan A and plan B which the players understand and don’t play long ball game to a lone striker dominated by huge centre backs and then don’t win the second ball
– if we pick Gray and Arthur we give them the ball early to their feet so they can turn and run at defenders rather than wait for the opposition to line up and close them down- with a goalkeeper who looks to throw the ball out wide asap
– we play a holding midfielder like Barry Ferguson who protects the back four and is brave enough to receive the ball at any time to link the play
– we don’t play two wingers which leaves a massive gap in centre midfield for the opposition to run through
– we give former SPL players like Shinnie and Johnstone a chance to show what they can do
– we find two or three leaders – remember Ferguson and Johnson arguing because they cared so much?
Good luck Gary and team. I’ll there, keeping right on….Wolves 1 Blues 1
Spot on but we get what we deserve. I’m still waiting for the Meaning Evil to make good on their editorial back when Yeung took over. They spoke of a “city institution” and “holding them to account” So far they and the rest of the so called local media have done nothing. Tattum’s far too busy wondering where ex players are and Ross lives on a totally different planet. If it wasn’t for you we would know next to nothing about our friends in Hong Kong. You’ve put the rest of them to shame.
Spot on. The BM is just a joke paper these days and I have stopped listening to TR on the way back from games as it was affecting my driving.
I agree. Come together we must.
I’ve supported the Blues for over 50 years and even now living 200+ miles away I still support the team that carries the name of the City of my birth but today we have dredged the depths of the deepest barrel of misery imaginable. I simply can’t bear to see the Blues disappear into the pit that is the lower leagues. I think the Club should be humanely destroyed like the sick animal it has become as a result of neglect served up by unmentionably callous individuals who care not a jot nor understand the affection true supporters feel for this unfashionable club. The previous regime should take some responsibility for this situation as should the football authorities who allowed this criminal gang from Hong Kong to become owners.
Sad to read it Dan but you are 100% right. Well articulated and must have been agony for you to write it. Our zombie club has no hope so long as we are owned and mismanaged by zombies in the Far East.
There must be a way of forcing these ashowls out??? It may be a major blow for a while but they MUST GO.
From the top of my head:
Immediate stand-down of all players and fielding the Blues Ladies team. Is there a rule against that?
All players, coaching staff fall on their swords and leave the club and we field academy players.
The ‘only can sell 24.5% of BCFC’ rule by the HKSE is what is stymieing any hope of a sale. No business group in their right minds would be a minority owner, for however short a period, with that lot. Could the FL put pressure on the HKSE “allow a full sale or you will be ejected from the football league?”
Last and a reflection of my own despondency: Put the club up for sale on eBay with a 1p starting bid.
KRO all the same.
I was in tears listening to Blues Player. What has our club come to. I watched the Leeds and S Wed games, when last in Brum and thought we would be in deep dodo at the seasons end. LC had to go but thought we did not have the dosh to do so! It can not be MP it must be GR in next. give a young mgr a go. He is already working with little/no finances. As for the owners just what can the supporters do, even as a group-im just not sure. It is easy for us expats to say but lads we MUST stick together. Can we really point a finger at anyone in St Andrews and say its your fault? I have noticed my good mates over here have not said a word to me about the result, ones a Portsmouth lad, so he knows how we feel ! To you all, keep the faith (its all we have) KRO.
They sack the manager and put people in charge who, it’s patently obvious, are not up to the job. We have literally doubled our goals against in just 2 games. That alone could be crucial at the end of the season.
Does anyone really have any confidence in Pavlakis and his ‘panel’ bringing in someone who is good enough to make a difference? I’m afraid I don’t.
Sorry, increased the goals against by 50% in just 2 games.
And Clark was up to it was he. Every single one of these players he brought in. He also played Caddis and Gleeson in central midfield and Robinson at centre back. Blaming Crosby and Beale for yesterday is just plain pathetic. We were 4-0 down to the same club at home last season after 20 minutes. The main cause is the scum in HK made worse by a clearly incompetent , clueless manager who we are well rid of. When are some of you lot going to get over this obsession with the worst manager this club has ever employed.
Just read my comment again and… nope, never mentioned LC. You seem far more obsessed with him than I ever was. Get over him, he’s gone.
which manager did they sack then ?
Ooo you nearly had me there… not. :-)
You are the one who brought the subject up of sacking the manager not me. Despite yesterday’s result I am absolutely thrilled he has gone because with him there we were nailed on to go down. Now we have a chance of getting someone in who can give this group of players some organisation, belief and confidence because he couldn’t.
Good for you. Enjoy!
Agree 100% with you Dan.
The saddest aspect in all of this is that there is no light at all at the end of the tunnel. Let’s hope Rowett doesn’t get cold feet. This squad has proved its capable of putting some half decent performances together, albeit rarely for more than 45 mins. Our best bet seems to be a new leader who might just about scrape together enough points to keep us up………(you can almost hear the straws being clutched, I know)
the fact the players aren’t good enough is true. And poor Reilly did not deserve that. however I witnessed David Cotterill an international pull out of numerous challenges, he did not cover an even worse waste in Paul Caddis. I watched a team that has been built by Clark and led down a dark path with no direction fall apart with no desire. I’m not on about running round and kicking lumps out of the opposition. I’m on about, covering your team mate. Working for one another. Having an idea of where they are going to be when you have the ball.
The majority of the team gave in. Hall, Caddis, Cotterill, Gleeson, Donaldson did not try. For the privilege of being a professional football player. Crosby is Part of the Clarks legacy and did not change the practice of playing a poor Caddis out of position.
I know I’m. all over the place here and that’s frustration coming out but it all came to a head today. A lack of direction from Clarks team to players who aren not only Not good enough but don’t care (maybe that’s part of the reason they are freebies and not wanted-lack of desire as well as Skill).
And yes this all come from the owners… We know that but no excuse is going to be good enough for what happened out there today .
Whilst I agree with the rest of your post, I don’t agree about Donaldson, I thought he kept going to the end – he even held the ball up quite well.
Utterly utterly fed up when i left the ground today. Your article says it all really, not just because we lost, but because the scoreline and the atmosphere showed how damaged the club has now become. Talk of gary rowett coming in, i genuinely pity the person who next takes the manager’s position at blues and i wonder if today has made a few people think twice about the post.
What can we say bringing all my sons up to support bcfc
Eldest now 33 years of age being there today was
Devasting SOS for spelling lost for words
These players who started the game should
Be stopped a months money. a week is not enough
As they earn to much for what they do I say no
More .
The appointment of a new manager will not solve the clubs problems. They will only be solved by investment and this is currently not happening and hasn’t been since Carsons arrest. Without new investment, whether that be from new owners or BIHL, the new manager will, I fear, only be able to delay the inevitable slide into League 1. For what it’s worth, I’ve also tweeted my thoughts to Panos tonight as there, in my eyes, two ways this will go. BIHL sell up asap and take a loss on their original investment or they hang on for the foreseeable future in the hope the next manager is a miracle worker who makes us competitive with minimal investment. McCarthy has done similar at Ipswich, but it’s very rare.
Keep right on.
And who “Scouted” these inept bunch of players and recommended them to our once proud club ?
Stand up and be counted Mr.Crosbie, take the majority of them with you when you leave.
Are you sure there is nothing else that can be done to remove these idiots. I found out something and was very alarmed because it affects the very long term of the club. I was talking to a group of lads aged between 16-19 and they were saying how fed up they were of the state of the club. They were all season ticket holders but had now lost interest in the whole sags. My fear is that if these fear like this then there must be others as ell. When things do get better then we have our work cut out to get these fans bak.
How much longer is this nightmare going to continue something has to be done by the fans there needs to be organised protests.As I’ve said before for all those who disagree with a full boycott there have to be other ways short sharp shocks if you will like a one game boycott or an organised protest before the next home game a sit in after the game something to draw attention to our plight rather than the villa fans that run central news and the evening mail taking the piss out off us for getting our asses kicked.
And yes dans right it’s not their fault circumstances in China dictate the quality of player we now employ and the simple fact is they are not good enough not only the championship but they certainly aren’t good enough for BCFC and no manager is good enough to do anything with that squad,you can put lipstick on a pig but it’s still a pig!
It’s now 12.50am and i am still shocked at today’s performance. Can’t sleep. When I do eventually nod off please tell me in the morning the last 3 years was just a bad dream!
To add to my woes fans from across the city are mocking me.
Can anyone help me and 20000 other Blues supporters enjoy our weekend again
I’m slipping off to sleep and I am watching Francis, latch ford and Hatton terrorising defences and we win 8-0. Oh for those times again
Unless we get someone in who’s a defensive genius, I can’t see a new manager making much of a difference. We need to start by getting clean sheets… and work from there. After today’s capitulation, a couple of 0-0s will build confidence and give us something to build on.
It’s hurt, It’s bloody hurt a lot. Is this a nightmare? Can’t sleep, it tells you what we Birmingham City supporters feel tonight. BCFC is a propper Club and with proud supporters, we can make a difference. In UNION WE STAND
The only way this situation will change is if we force the club into administration. Anything/playerof vue will be sold anyway come January, we are just prolonging the agony and pain, nothing will change unless we the supporters act and act now. A total boycott of the club, starve the club of cash and they will go under, then there will be light at the end of the tunnel.
100% agree.
Blues fans are great, we deserve so much better. 4-0 down, at home, being battered, Keep Right On belts out round the ground… its time we unite and show that fighting spirit, for a common cause, to try and put any sort of pressure on to sell us on before its too late.
Surely BIHL know once we go down, and lose more money, and become even less valuable, they’ll just be losing more and more money? Or are they THAT much of a bad businessman/men/company that they’ll just bury their head in the sand some more?
We need to do something, I dont know what, or when, or how but we need to send a message.
FINALLY today national media picked up on the plight of Birmingham City… its took 3 years, and an 8-0 hammering at home for people to actually look into “what has happened at Birmingham City?”… its time we capitalise with a campaign of some sort against this board, leading to protests, exposure in media throughout the country if possible and maybe even a boycott of a match altogether (extreme I know and unfair on the brilliant staff at the club who work their backsides off, and the new manager who will be in place) but it would send a message that we’re not just gonna turn up and be made fun of like we are anymore.
If we get some campaign going, we can do whatever, then have an interview in the press saying we support the players/management, and the boycott is nothing against them, but just the board etc, and try and send a blooming message. Will it work? God knows, probably not, but we’ve sat oun our backsides and lapped it up for far too long now.
Theres a hardcore group of Blues fans who go to every single home game regardless, and have had to sit through utter tripe for years now, and then when theres a brief glimmer, have it snatched away. Demarai Gray and Reece Brown are the two glimmers, and Koby Arthur… I bet they’ll be sold for peanuts soon… time to make a stand lads, or our club that we all love wont be around much longer as these clowns continue to kill us.
I have.been taking my grandson to st Andrews for 2 seasons now and he loves to go he his only 5 years of age and after that disgrace against Bournemouth he sat on the bus on the way home and said can we still go down the blues granpa we still will go down and support the team no matter what but like everyone else we won’t have as club to go to if major investment is not forthcoming we won’t get it from bih so where it comes from I don’t know I do have a suggestion however all blues supporters write a letter to bihl and post them not emails or facebook but post them to Hong Kong I’m sure Dan can get the address it might not work but 20 odd thousand letters turning up might make them realise what the club means to us delay no more bihl I want a club for my grandson to support as have all my life kro
Its the early hours and I have had to get up because I cannot sleep. At the end of the game, I usually make a dash for my car to beat the traffic, but today I stayed on because I prayed for a pitch invasion! Instead, there were a few unwelcome boos and then a few thousand Bluenoses with blank expressions made for the exits with a mass sigh of resignation. And I was one of them. Its no good Dan! Your rallying cries are falling on deaf ears. We have survived the last 3 years on false hope and now that hope has been extinguished by an awful dose of cruel reality. Thousands of miles away, a bunch of hapless chancers have conspired to embroil the club in a financial stalemate. There is no prospect of any further investment in the club so the nightmare will go on until there are no funds remaining to sustain the club. There will be no national or local media interest in our plight, no protest from the fans, nothing from the supporters groups or Trust and no intervention by some of our wealthier supporters. There will be no miraculous recovery by an inspirational manager. Administration is the inevitable consequence and let us all pray that we emerge from the other side as a going concern.
Danis so right, this situation is like a cancer that has been eating away at the fabric of the club ever since this inadequate bunch from Hong Kong darkened our door. In a strange way maybe this defeat, this 8.0 hammering will promote the clubs plight. Can the FL do nothing about the way the owners operate? from an investment point of view the playing stock is valued as low with the exception of our young talent, which will surely be asset stripped, so the only thing a potential investor can count on is us the fans, and that is why we must stay together as one, and do whatever we can to force BIHL to depart, lets encourage the media to dig deep, and like it or not vote for Dan to be our leader because he has the ear of all us Blue Noses,
We have to stick together or bihl will let us die just like their company is dying people won’t invest in bihl because it was run by a convicted crook who only ever considered himself important and probably still does but he’s not important to 20 thousand blues fans but our club his and I can only hope that the 8_0 thrashing by Bournemouth can wake the fans from the apathy that exists at st Andrews and we all pull together to rid the club of the disease that his bihl as I put in an earlier blog I want a club so my grandson can go to and every other bluenoses grandchildren so lets rise as one and show just exactly what bcfc means to us kro
We have to admit that it was only a matter of time before one of these thumpings came along. Will people now sit up and take notice? Probably not……..a new manager is never going to be the answer, the scary thing is in the fact that as supporters we have all seen this coming and not had any power to prevent it. The finger of blame points directly to the Far East so called investors……to them we are just a commodity to make a quick buck…….not that much is getting made out of us at the moment. Is our ground on prime real estate???…….Drastic as it sounds we could be looking at a new Tesco or Asda five years from now in he place of Stans.
We’ll end up looking at how the likes of Portsmouth dodged a bullet (for now) and wonder where it all went wrong.
Anybody still think winning the Carling Cup was worth this. I would like to shove it down Carson yeungs throat.
Had we not won the Cup we’d have spent more money the next season and Carson would have still have been arrested and the same outcome would have arisen
I was thinking the Tilton Road end Shirl.
Who’s going to turn up at the next match after this? Wolves will murder us. I’m going to write to the Football League. It will probobly fall on deaf ears but I can’t think of anything else to do! KRO in misery!
Wolves fan in peace. It’s shocking what’s happening to you. Like our bad years in the 80s. Just hang in there lads, hang in there. No matter how bad it gets YOU are the club.
As for next week- we have a sad trait of being charitable when we should tonk people. You might win 1-0.
Up the Midlands.
Thanks you Scott, nice one. And a good point in this dark hour, remember Wolves and Swansea and a few others have been down this dark path, we fans have to stick together. Be it via administration or BIHL being slung off the HKSE, we will eventually be rid of these clowns. Until then, nothing else to do but to turn up and support whoever is in the blue and white. That’s all we can do. That’s all we’ve ever done!
Thanks Scott. That’s decent of you, and it helps to know that someone understands our plight. And your own team have shown exactly how to bounce back given the right management and players who have a clear desire to play for each other and the club. I wish you all the best for the rest of the season, but I honestly can’t see your prediction happening. Thanks for the support though.
I can’t see any reason why BI HL should sell.
It is clear that Carson Young us still running the club from his prison cell. The only reason to hold onto BIHL is because the loss if they sell but more importantly because we are really owned by a Chinese Triad. They choose poorly performing companies on the stock market and use them for Money Laundering.
A very sad day after another poor performance and sending off
Great article Dan and I fully endorse your comments.
Doing nothing is no longer an option but it’s difficult to know what to do to get rid of this pathetic shower.
-boycotting the games- understandably some fans will but other wont.
– mass protests at the home games-could work but needs to be properly organised and sustained with strong and committed leadership.Getting the local media to support the campaign would be a must but can’t see them helping but the Bluestrust could help?
-mass protest to the FA-can’t see this having any effect- whatsoever.
-mass written protest to Bih in Hong Kong-think this will just fall on deaf ears.
-mass written protest to PP at the club could help and would certainly make the fans feel a little better-I’m sending mine as we speak but this has to done by thousands of fans not just a few.
There is no quick fix solution to this awful situation but you are 100% correct Dan-we have to stick together and the fans have to do something .
Just my views ?
Right, if people won’t boycot, then a peaceful on pitch protest during the game is surely the best option. Not only would this bring needed publicity to our cause but the following fine may even bring us a step nearer to admin.
Drastic I know, but I get the feeling only drastic actions will force bin out
I totally agree.
Peaceful pitch invasion, all sit together in the centre circle and hopefully all over the pitch. Embarrass the league who through there own inept policies have allowed criminals to invest and kill football clubs. Being divided as fans won’t work, chanting will not work, and clearly paying every week to be mocked by our owners, the evidence is there. We ALL must take ACTION, peacefully but stopping the games will bring this to a head. Although hurtful forcing the club into administration may be the only way to rid the cancer which exists at the top. It’s heading otherwise to years of misery and a more difficult path to return. Soon more glimmers of light will be gone, Gray etc and then what. We should all come together and stop the games, the league, sports minister and whoever else can be bothered then deal with this mess. It is not wrong to peacefully protest and take matters into our own hands when being treated like this. We have many games left to make our stance….. we have to do something, doing nothing is now not an option or saying I don’t know what to do… disruption is the only answer.
Maybe not the time for finger pointing but i’m going to anyway, i’d just like to congratulate all the Clark haters including YOU mr Ivery who i’m certain contributed to yesterdays disgrace. I hope you’re all proud of yourselves
Stop being ridiculous. These are Clark’s players ffs. Who was manager when we were 4-0 down to them last season after 20 minutes.
You mean the Claak haters that paid good money to see 0ne home win in 23 home games. stay off the sauce when your posting.
Chris G – do you honestly think the scoreline would have been any different yesterday with Clark in charge? A frankly pathetic post, how old are you, 13?
tbh we will never know hey RichardM
Richard or should I call you Dick, not that it’s any of your business but i’m 51 & i’ve been going down the blues since I was 10 you mouthy twat so i’m certainly entitled to my opinion & in my opinion I don’t think we would have been humiliated like that if LC was still in charge
You mean like we were when we were 4-0 down to them in 20 minutes last season and countless other games where we have already lost games by half time when Clark was in charge.
The national media, newspapers, Talksport, Radio 5, Sky, are not interested in the Midlands in general, never mind Blues. The Villa might get some recognition occasionally because of them being the biggest club in the area, but not a lot. Let’s be honest local media, the Mail, WM, Free Radio, have hardly kicked up a fuss about what BIHL & Clark have done to our club over the last 2 years or so. Imagine the fuss Tony Butler would have kicked up! I’m afraid the media is as apathetic as us fans.
Regarding yesterday could Crosbie have picked a softer team? The ladies team would have frightened them to death I think! In our situation you must pick players with the over my dead body attitude to conceding goals. How a man of his experience could pick such a team. The man many think is our best player jumps so high out of tackles he could represent GB in athletics.
Good article dan,but how do we change an ownership issue when they are only interested in keeping there “hkse listing” it’s a vicious circle that has no ending,they have us by the balls fella…cant put on here what I would love to do to pannu and yeung…panos start speaking is my advice before we turn on you as well.
don’t agree with boycott as that will affect peoples jobs at st Andrews but I can understand fans not wanting to pay good money to lose at home. there is no excuse for the players not trying as I remember Kenny burns giving it his all with one leg completely strapped up playing at burnley away because he actually cared for the club and still does, that’s the sort of never say die attitude the fans expect and deserve regardless of how good you are. lets get the dnm flags out again and protest against bihl. k.r.o. d.n.m.
Flags and protests are not going to make the slightest difference – they won’t be watching or caring over in HK. The key time is next summer. Assuming we are relegated the income into the club from broadcasting drops massively – currently it’s well over half of total income. Will people be prepared to not renew season tickets to starve them even more of cash and force administration or a sale – some won’t renew anyway. I take your point about jobs at the club but many will go anyway when we start dropping down the divisions if this situation continues.
I agree Shirley. It doesn’t matter who comes in to manage us. They may get more out of the players, but we are just not good enough with what we have, and I fear that relegation is inevitable. The home ‘hoodoo’ is a brick around every players neck, so much so that they are frightened coming out of the tunnel! The only thing I can think of that may be positive, is that relegation may force the hand of BIH in that they may just have to cut their losses and get out with something, and we can then have an almighty clear-out and start again from scratch. It’s risky I know, but the club will not be sold this year in my view.
They already have the ST money this season and will get any TV money coming in so their income stream this year is pretty much fixed already. Next summer is the key especially if we get relegated because the Sky money will drop massively. That is when a boycott can hurt them and make the club a real financial noose around their necks. i wouldn’t encourage anybody to go on the pitch protesting like others have on here because I don’t want to see fellow supporters getting arrested. It’s only football at the end of the day – it’s not worth a court appearance and a record.
So you think a boycott will put jobs at the club at risk it’s time for youto WAKEUP! the fact is something isn’t done soon not only will they not have jobs we won’t have a club!
The BIHL shareholders don’t care what happens to the club they only want to make money on the HKSE.Keep on going to games through blind loyalty stick your head in the sand with the BIHL crew who only see you as a mug but I guarantee this the only assets left Gray,Reilly and Arthur will be sold just to keep BIHL in business another 6 months.
Even if the 10-15 thousand fans who currently boycott had carried on going week in week out nothing would have changed except pannu and his BIHL mates would have taken more money than they have they’ve sold 50 million worth in players and not put a penny back in three years.
You can carry on doing nothing keep bank rolling BIHL like you have for the last 3 years and there will be nothing left to support!
short term pain for a long term gain that’s all we ask it’s got to be worth a try after all your way hasn’t worked has it?
If you look at the blues squad we probably have the worst or second worst squad in the Championship. Yesterday’s result was not a surprise to me although at 3-0 down when we won the penalty and I thought the ref was going to send their player off I briefly had hope of a comeback. Sadly this was not to be.
Although we did not play well I do not blame the players as they are clearly not good enough for this league. Also sacking Clark was pointless as nobody could do any better with our resources. The new manager will not be able to do much better as he will have no money to work with.
I think this result may turn out to be a good thing as it must be clear to all we are going to be relegated. The owners must realise that as an asset we are a rapidly decreasing commodity. If we get relegated we will sell off more players and then Div 2 beckons and then ??
This hopefully will spur the owners to take action to stop the rot.
Fully agree re sticking together. Not happy about abusing the players with songs about not being fit to wear the shirt. These so called fans are only making matters worse. Hope they don’t come back.
according to the BM if it is factually correct 90% wanted clark removal. and HK went and did what fans wanted……….you dis attached the head…….never wish what you wish for…..
i believe that result wouldn’t have happen under clark, united Daniel not a chance, and you know that will never be a fact…..
We were humbled in a game football by the cherries.. they deserved credit for their win……..move on , as most have moved on from the clark era……
You obviously haven’t moved on.
just waiting for the new manager to be installed, and will get my full backing how about you?
Same
90% is a big percentage Mark – even you can work that out. There is a reason it’s a big number and that because the great majoirity of decent, reasonably minded Blues fans were sick and tired of the utter cr*p served up especially at home for well over two years. We might not have lost 8-0 yesterday if Clark was still there but we would have lost.
if it was factually right??
To the end mark you continue to spout rubbish. Defending yeung from recall and now Clark to the death. Two years ago the two front runners for the job was Clark and mick McCarthy , do you really think even with all bihl have done that we would be bottom three with McCarthy in charge . From recall. Ipswich have spent no more than us and are now top 6. Clark without doubt has led us to this point and we may still go down but with him staying it would of been certain
factually incorrect simply because clark is no longer here to defend that record, and to say we would have been relegated this season under him is simply a slur.
We stayed up on 44pts last season , the lowest ever to stay up. With less than a point a game this season the luck we had last year was likely to run out , not slur but fact. Ipswich were bottom 3 when McCarthy took over , blues were top 4 when Clark took over , both teams have spent very little since then . You carry on defending Clark and yeung as it shows that on every debate on this site you have been ill informed and wrong
the luck we had last year was likely to run out all……….for you to be factual clark needed to stay the season to see if you would be correct…he gone so rip up your so call stats…….and put your efforts into welcoming the new manager……
Mark, LC has GONE howsabout we move on?! It is immaterial who the manager was, what players we brought in, who the next manager is. With the resources on offer, we can only tinker, but against impossible odds. There is only one way now to end this nightmare that is administration. The Eastern Clan will not relinquish control as they are hanging on to the precipice by their fingernails. We have to await the inevitable and then pray that those with the means are waiting in the sidelines and still have the passion to resurrect the club.
Never wish what you wish for ?
I know, the guy can’t even speak English properly so God knows why he bothers posting his drivel, or is that not “factually correct”?
Mark has a IQ off less than 70 by any definition that makes him a idiot, you cant argue with a closed mind.
You love calling people idiots Tony! IQ off 70? Who’s the real idiot! Closed mind?, wow pot kettle! As for taking the piss about his grammar RichardM, shame on you, just because his opinion isn’t the same as yours! All you anti Clark brigade, have got your wish! Working with one of the lowest budgets in the Championship, what do you really think we are going to get!
So after having mailed the chairman last week asking for Clark’s head your not happy now? Seriously all the Clark out fanatics should be well pleased today, you got what you wanted now lap it it up, your pathetic
why should he have kept his job ?
He kept us in that division last season after building at least two different sides with loan players, he attracted players to the club, all for free, (this is the level of conversation we have now at blues, because of it’s current state) who could have gone elsewhere for more money, he was ‘backed’ by the board and the fans with this side for 12 games, ridiculous, now everyone’s shouting for rowett, a villa fan who has had a couple of years in league one, at least Clark could attract players to the club, it doesn’t matter who manages this side, it’s rubbish, it was free, everyone bangs on about Ipswich spending 70k less than us but it’s a fact that their side was ten times better than ours so he hasn’t had to spend as much, look at the names we attract for the job, Robinson turned us down, sums up our club in a nutshell. Dan is just as guilty, you know they read this site to the point you’ve had legal threats, messaging the chairman asking for a change when there’s no one any good to replace him just proves the blindness of many blues fans, instead of turning the heat up on ourselves our frustrations should be being aimed towards those who created this situation, oh sorry, I forgot, dan doesn’t want to get involved in that, and he has a book to sell, well I hope your all happy now he’s gone, just what will it take for you to open your eyes and realise that even though Clark’s methods may not have seemed the best the work he has done to keep us up, bring through the youth and somehow talk players into coming to this mess, his loyalty and passion is going to be hard to find and until we have new owners nothing is going to change, he was sacked because it’s what the fans wanted, so be happy with your lot, the club is more unstable now than it has ever been
no fault with that conclusion mate :)
I could have sworn Dan went to Hong Kong at his own expense to try and confront BIHL and to date is the only person to have managed to speak to Lee Carson, CHRIST MATE YOU’RE RIGHT, Dan’s been hoodwinking us all this time, just using us to sell his book! and Lee Clark is the best manager we’ve ever had!
Can’t be bothered getting into slanging matches, why don’t you and Mark meet up in a pub and cheer yourselves up, better still, why don’t you both set up your own Blues forum, then we won’t have to bother reading your drivel.
It opinions mate like i suppose you have opinions Phelan try not to take things to heart…..
No one is forcing you to read others comments are they??
and i sure you proof read and skip…..as for my comments if you are easily offended dont read them simples……
Spot On Lee! Now he’s gone lets get behind his successor, but I really think whoever comes in has got no chance with a poor budget, and some piss poor so called supporters! No doubt Tony and other will be on his back before a ball is kicked, just like with some of the signings pre season!
Maybe if you went as often as others you’d see why many are anti Clark.
1 win in a year at home. I bet you stayed and clapped them off the pitch as well yesterday.
No wonder we are in the state we are in.
so he a less supporter for doing so……
Did I say that?
Big picture=we are still in the championship,, regardless of whatever stat you want to throw at it, I’ve seen some bad times down the blues but last season was an all time low, having to rebuild the side in January whith loan players to replace the loan players that went back, but if your not happy with us staying up under the current regime then I guess that’s your perogative, have yourself a flick through the Birmingham mail site and you’ll see an article pointing out that statistically Clark has done a better job at blues than lambert has done at villa, he’s won more points on average per game, lambert gets a four year deal, Clark gets the sack, with 90% of our fans, or the fans that took part in the survey agreeing, and you lot have the nerve to call them fickle……
or are you more in favour of dropping your trousers, and waving your arse at the dugout……how very poignant
It’s you who’s in favour of dropping his trousers and lettng them them roger you senseless again.
as a supporter of blues i take the good and bad days obviously as fickle as you you cannot take the heat………
Absolute balony.
The only person responsible for getting Clark the sack was Clark-perhaps the worst manager in the history of the club!
was removed due to fans ill feeling get your facts right….
He was removed because of the fans, which is understandable, things aren’t going well, but if Clark hadn’t signed those free players, which free players on the wage structure we have could he have signed? Like I say, frustrations of fans, as usual at blues have all turned within and the manager who held everything together through the last three years of no investment has gone, logic of a blues fan, sack the manager because he’s not getting the free players from league 1 and Scotland with the lowest wage bill in the division to play nice attacking football and replace him with a villa fan from lower league, which is incidentally the same league the manager you’ve just had fired came from
Don’t care whether he is a villa fan or not , can he pick a sensible team , have sound tactics , play people in the right position , have a plan b when things go wrong and communicate with clarity , that what matters and is all the things Clark could not do
lang, incidentally whats the next line, when all goes t*ts up, and the new manager possibly going the get a load stick when it eventually go drastic wrong well it clarks team……..humbug
You’re right that will be a factor until the new man gets his players in. However I judge managers on their merits , not just if they’re a good bloke who is passionate like you seem to do. Hughton was first class and MacLeish was not all bad either . It was clear from Barnsley onwards when he still had most of hughtons team we were only going one way , Clark was lucky yesterday’s result didn’t happen under his watch there were times it could easily happened last year ie 4-0 down to Blackburn in 25 mins
I could easily embarrass you Mark with loads of facts but I won’t because you’re embassibg yoursrelve with stupid remarks.
Lang , I don’t know anything about him other than he got burton to the league one play offs, maybe you can enlighten me with his tactics? Like I say, he’s coming from the same division as Clark so I’m expecting big things, particularly looking at his track record
Burton Albion England 10 May 2012 Present 142 63 34 45 44.37 gary rowetts record
sorry Art this for LEE
Are you sure that’s a fact Mark ? Do you know things we don’t ?
if you can find any better figures than that please forward them our steve……..
Mark,i,m talking about fans getting him sacked.you don’t think his abysmal record had anything to do with it ?
panos went with fans feeling….imo not the results….
Gary rowett and Kevin Poole have got the job
So it’s now gone from being a fact,to in your opinion ?
Dan, can you please run a program to detect and delete any post with CLARK in them??
Or any that have a standard of English grammar in them less than you would expect from a 5 yr old.
OOOPS guess that’s you Mark lol
Hmmm …. I have to say for some reason I felt worse at 0-3 than at the end strange I know but at 0-3 you just knew it was going to get worse..
I’ve never had so many texts off my friends not taking the **ss but genuinely worried for the plight of my club not theirs mine.
I didn’t agree with LC going as he did but realised he had to, I never believe anyone who “stands in” will do well as it played out yet again.
We won’t be rid of the owners in the short term so live with it….we won’t be rid of them long term either so live with it sad I know but that’s how it is.
I too slept terrible and will tonight once I’ve read all the negative media rubbish. It’s diffi to keep right on but sometimes we have no choice stand up all those who are going to change colours to support someone else … me either. So what next a new manager ? Let’s hope for better luck in the future personally I do believe relegation last year would have been better for us long term. KRO.
Daniel did you manage to have a drink after the game with cherry chimes?
Clark had to go, he seemed a genuine guy trying his best under difficult conditions, but he’d lost his way, playing players out of position, poor tactical awareness, and a boring tone to his voice during interviews. But we should not make him the total scapegoat for what is BIHL and Pannu’s doing, the new guy needs to react to the fans, and quickly.
Just watching ‘Match Of The Day’ and was admiring the way Southampton way of playing. It also made me remember that it wasn’t so long ago that they also were in dire straits and constantly being turned over with heavy defeats. They too were staring into the abyss but have turned things around. They had owners who were tearing the club apart and came close to going out of business. Now look at them and it gives me hope for us once we do finally get rid of the shite that is currently owning us. I do believe that we have to hang onto the youngsters if we are too move forward though.
Well, just finished sending my e-mail to the Football League, it was good to say what I wanted to say, even if they’re not going to take any notice. What worries me at the moment is what Rowett is going to think of this team he might inherit. I think he will think that he’s better to stay with the team his’s got. At least they dow win more matches than our lot do! KRO anyway!
like any manager looking in he will have the same tools which clark had, nothing less and nothing more.
If rowetts or Phelan have any character about them they want to stamp their own authority and work ethic on the players…..that’s all we can hope for, either one is wise in the loan market with very little money to buy………
The way I look at it Raymondo, is that at least with Rowett, he’s used to working with this level of player…. he does it every week. What’s not so certain, is whether he can get (mostly) League 1 players and kids playing Championship football good enough to get us out of that bottom 3 and keep us there. Just like the last manager, if we finish even 21st with absolutely no investment, he’ll have done his job. Time will tell.
Hmm… It can only be better now. In that sense, a new manager can have a fresh start.
There will be plenty of work to do for him, but having nothing to do is not funny either, is it? I think there ARE positives to be found: The YOUNG players.
Noticed that yesterday we put our experienced players on the field. And they failed.
They should be ones for our talented young players to lean upon, and they have failed in that respect all season.
I would go for the young, talented guys with the energy of youth, and then a paul Robinson or whoever would have to fight for their place in the team.
We have plenty of hope when we think about Arthur, Gray, Reece Brown, Hancox and it is time to give Will Packwood a run in the team, too
The young guns have NOT failed – the older ones have!
Maybe a protest outside the Chinese embassy might get Blues more national coverage. If BIHL’s masters got annoyed they might kick some ass.
Paulo – Hate to break it to you, Carson is from Hong Kong – which is run by a completely different government to China.
Dan – are you sure that the Chinese embassy in London doesn’t concern itself with affairs in Hong Kong?
http://www.chinese-embassy.org.uk/eng/zywl/t1203474.htm
The law in Hong Kong is very, very different to that of China mate. Hong Kong as it’s own judiciary and it’s own legislature – kinda like the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands in comparison to Britain.
But are they Dan? recent events would suggest otherwise.
Hong Kong’s foreign affairs are handled by Chinese embassies worldwide; so Tony’s suggested protest is in fact appropriate. So long as it is peaceful and respectful that is.
I’d respectfully suggest they have a bit more to worry about than some two-bit Championship club mate.
In fact, think about it.
A few thousand Hong Kong students have been camped on one of the main arterial routes in Hong Kong for about a month now for the right to elect their own leader and exactly how much notice has the Chinese government taken of that? If they’re going to ignore that on their doorstep why would they care about us? Seriously?
I agree with Dan 100%. The worst thing is the psychological damage a 8-0 drubbing will have on the players whenever they next play at StAns. The problem is more mental than physical, the confidence is at Rock bottom. The players seem petrified playing at home and I don’t know how they will overcome this.
Let us pray the new manager is a miracle worker.
If those players have even an ounce of pride in them, they’ll work twice as hard as normal in the next game to get a result. The match against Wolves will tell us more than yesterday’s disaster.
Moan about lack of investment all you like but the fact is most clubs in the football league have no or little investment.
In my opinion we are not as poor as that scorline suggests. Yes we deserved everything we got and more yesterday but this is a set of players who can perform relatively well away from home. For me it is down to the management. And that will change for the better in the next few days. His first job is to install some discipline, some belief, some fight and some pride back into the squad.
We are a quarter of the season in and will have a new manager soon. We won’t get too many of them freak results. Not even Christmas yet or cast adrift. We are not dead and buried yet. No point laying down and dying is there?…. KRO
It is about time that the football league and the government acted on our plight.
Who cares if the numbskulls in Hong Kong lose their stock exchange listing, it is their own fault
for having a criminal run their business.
The inept football league officials would only act if it happened to one of their ‘elite’ clubs.
Until their are new owners our situation I am afraid will only get worse, even with a new manager.
Fans run down LC and his backroom staff, but what other players could he have got in to our club,
that were out of contract or bosmans and would join for the salary offered.
OK he may have got his tactics wrong at times but what manager doesn’t.
I think he did a very good job with the resources at his disposal.
Unless the football league and or the government put their “power” in to force a sale I am afraid that
things will only get worse.
As fans of this wonderful football club, I doubt very much that any actions by us will have any affect.
The only action that may help is if we all send letters of complaint about our plight to our local MP’s.
If they receive enough post, they will have to raise this in the commons.
KRO forever
the FA should force BIH in Hong Kong to sell their shares in Birmingham city because they have the biggest shareholder in prison they can not sell the club due to suspect management the FA should do what they are paid for
Regretfully the FA cannot legally, practically or any other way force BIHL to sell their shares. Nether can the FL nor anyone else.
I supported Birmingham from when I was about 10 all the way down to the old 3rd division and back up again untill a couple of years ago, I have simply lost interest, and I like many others have found other things to do on a Saturday afternoon. The clubs dying a slow death and nothing will change until we get rid of the current owners and have some investment in the team. Today was pitiful, I feel sorry for the fans Birmingham still have.
Can I pick up Daniel’s point about sticking together? We have a ready made vehicle in the Blues Supporters Trust, who’s AGM is being held at the Fusion Centre, Digbeth at 11am on the day of the next home game against Cardiff. It seems to me that, rather than local protests, which will get us nowhere (Pavlakis did not even stay until the end of the match yesterday) we need to look to the footballing authorities and possibly even government to start sorting out the ownership of professional football clubs. The Labour party appear to have made at least a start. Can anybody tell me who actually owns BIHL? It seems to have become simply a speculative vehicle for Chinese stack market punters, a very dangerous situation, ripe for exploitation by money launderers etc.
Why do our players perform so well away from home. In my opinion there is less pressure on the players and the fans are united. In my opinion we have enough to stay up yesterday was a complete shambles not only from manager selection of players, players who could not give a ***** and officials who ruined the game. I think we still would of lost even with a full team on the pitch but it’s a total disgrace.
In regards to uniting the fans there is already an organisation set up called the blues trust all you to do is join it and use it as vehicle to voice our opions as one.
Ignoring yesterday’s result (hard I know), the fact remains that with Clark at the helm, Blues were nailed on for relegation. Yes, it’s BIHL (not Clark) who are the real villains, but I agree with Sir Harry, there have been times at Stans this season and away from home when this team has played some good football, and looked like they had enough to compete.
So I think it’s fair to say that Clark did as much as he humanly could, he did well this summer to get the players that he could. It’s not he’s fault he was forced to shop in the lower leagues and Bosman markets, but it was the right decision to get rid of him becuase he clearly didn’t have the management expertise to build a winning team / formula with what he had.
The only chance of survival this year is a a new manager. I agree with other commenters on here, the emphasis should know be on coaching defence, we need now a team that doesn’t concede rather than a team packed with goals. I think Robinson should be dropped with immediate effect and Packwood brought in to replace him. I’d also give Doyle a chance, yes he has his faults but Randolph for me, does not shout at defenders or command the area. We are crying out for a decent right-back, but given what we’ve got I think Caddis is the best of a bad bunch.
Which again leaves me favouring Rowett over Phelan, a defender by nature and used to dealing with players of limited ability.
Richard, I completely agree with your points on Clark?He had had long enough.It is also true that a new manager might fair no better,but we simply couldn’t have opted for the status quo as Mark suggests!
We are a great club with a proud heritage. Not always successful I agree but I have been privileged to watch great players over the years in Trevor Francis, Bob Latchford, Bob Hatton to name just a few and be present at Cup Finals at Wembley which have been days to cherish. The appointment of the next Manager is crucial. I do not accept that the players currently at the Club cannot be moulded into at least a team which is well-organised and hard to beat. The new Manager must be a good coach who will work hard on the training ground. He must change the playing philosophy to one where passing the ball is paramount. Too often now, it appears the long ball is the only tactic we have.We also have an Academy which is well regarded and continues to produce good young talent. This must be supported and allowed to continue to flourish. It may take time and involve relegation but we must remain positive. KRO. Keep the faith!
richardM it simply not true that if Clark had stayed on at the helm we were nailed on relegation……it in your opinion……
and yours that he would have kept us up…….
i wonder if the Birmingham mail would raise a petition for fans to complain to football league. Perhaps the football league would listen if they had a load of complaints
Peaceful pitch invasion, all sit together in the centre circle and hopefully all over the pitch. Embarrass the league who through their own inept policies have allowed criminals to invest and kill football clubs. Being divided as fans won’t work, chanting will not work, and clearly paying every week to be mocked by our owners, the evidence is there. We ALL must take ACTION, peacefully but stopping the games will bring this to a head. Although hurtful forcing the club into administration may be the only way to rid the cancer which exists at the top. It’s heading otherwise to years of misery and a more difficult path to return. Soon more glimmers of light will be gone, Gray etc and then what. We should all come together and stop the games, the league, sports minister and whoever else may then be bothered then deal with this mess. It is not wrong to peacefully protest and take matters into our own hands when others fail us and we are being treated like this. We have many games left to make our stance….. we have to do something, doing nothing is now not an option or saying I don’t know what to do… history has taught us many things, ignorance and denial, those you act make history and can successfully shape the future.
disruption is the only answer.
sorry foreverblue you get fined for going on the pitch?/
if helps join the blues trust, and gear them for doing peaceful demonstration at the ground when it not on a playing day…..
I wouldn’t envisage 3000 people being arrested, you’ll be amazed when we stand together. I am a businessman not a hooligan so my intentions are fair and just.
The only way things will change now is by 100% action, stopping a game will generate interest and publicity, at present very few know the extent of our problems.
Let’s take it to the masses.
I am happy to join the blues trust but I am genuine and right when I say the only things to now deal with this situation is ACTION.
It’s not about investment or lack of it’s about a cancer, a regime killing our club, id rather go into administration, be in the lower leagues with a management team building for the future pulling in the same direction.
We can’t even start to move forward until we get rid of the cancer.
We need to ALL get together in the local pubs, meetings to talk about this and agree as a collective, we have games left to make things happen, as I said before fortune favours the brave and we can and will make a difference.
I have the intelligence to understand the stock exchange etc but we are a million miles away and poor publicity, immoral actions, the fans saying enough is enough will change this situation.
We must act, we will regret otherwise.
Taking money off the fans by deception is also a criminal offence, if I joined my brothers on the pitch I would still hold my head up high and I believe others would respect the stance.
KRO!
Count me in !
Spread the word it might take a month to build the masses but it can be done, if people love the club they will join up and commit to the peaceful protest, the only arrests will be those with violent intentions of which I’m sure there will be some mindless idiots.
Agree, this is about peaceful protest but with action, violence will just detract and ultimately undermine the objective.
I do not think that the normal folk will look down on the masses peacefully protesting albeit in the pitch, we have no option.
It must remain peaceful to engage others and gain wider support.
We all must spread the intention and gain support over the coming months and also suggest a meet to discuss our plight at convenient home game.
Word of mouth is a very effective tool and we should start as we mean to go on.
If we ALL believe we can make a difference out actions will force public opinion and gain much needed PR.
It will work….. standing aside waiting for someone else doesn’t work and it’s our opportunity to make a different to OUR club and OUR city.
Let me know your thoughts.
Leaflets can be put together etc but a planned and focused approach needed.
KRO
Just received my 2nd box of after eights how these Vile w***kers must be enjoying the fact we are so shite, personally I can’t see what we can do to force the sale of the Club because i don’t think these people have a brain in their heads & they don’t give a shit about the supporters, we were led to believe the club was close to being sold before the start of the season but guess what we were conned by these crooks yet again. I doubt we will sell many season tickets next season if these twats are still hanging around bleeding the club dry. Does anyone have any idea how the consumers rights work i bought 4 season tickets to be entertained but come away from the ground feeling suicidal surely they should be done under the trade description act!! Our club has become an embarrassment & a laughing stock and these people need to be gone soon as possible.
At last the penny has dropped, some forcefull assertive demonstration and action are required and get this crass party to go, else this great club will vanish for ever. We are not saying we should dish out absolute civil unrest but something to embarrass the corrupt owners to take a hike. KRO
Agree, this is about peaceful protest but with action, violence will just detract and ultimately undermine the objective.
I do not think that the normal folk will look down on the masses peacefully protesting albeit in the pitch, we have no option.
It must remain peaceful to engage others and gain wider support.
We all must spread the intention and gain support over the coming months and also suggest a meet to discuss our plight at convenient home game.
Word of mouth is a very effective tool and we should start as we mean to go on.
If we ALL believe we can make a difference out actions will force public opinion and gain much needed PR.
It will work….. standing aside waiting for someone else doesn’t work and it’s our opportunity to make a different to OUR club and OUR city.
Let me know your thoughts.
Leaflets can be put together etc but a planned and focused approach needed.
KRO
I have slept on it; I have tortured myself to watch the replays hoping it was a bad dream and I am still in shock.
Mike Crosby and Richard Beale must not be allowed to pick another team; why so many changes and why play so many players out of position and why start with such a weak midfield?
For that performance, the players, especially the experienced players, need to take full responsibility.
There was no team spirit, no fight, no cohesion or leadership on the pitch. In 50 plus years, I do not think I have ever witnessed such a shambolic, inept display by a team wearing the Royal Blue.
The least supporters expect is 100%, defeat can be accepted but not without a fight.
We are all aware of the shenanigans of BIHL and we all know that because of their lack of investment has placed the club it its current dilemma. Nevertheless, that cannot be an excuse for the ineptitude displayed against Bournemouth FC.
During the close season, BIHL raised hopes by announcing discussions were in place with a consortium to invest in the club with this speculation, fans rushed to purchase season tickets thus ensuring BIHL had enough to fund the forthcoming season.
Now supporters are asking what they can do.
A complete boycott would never happen.
The FA or the Football league will only become involved if the club cannot meet their commitments for the season, which BIHL have assured they can, though the football league are monitoring the situation.
In my opinion and as I see it, the only people who can allow change to take place are HKSE; this asks the question why they are insisting on allowing only a 24% sale.
HKSE has to be pressurised and BIHL has to suffer the consequences of losing their HKSE listing.
KRO+DNM
I said the same about Crosby last night. Everyone looking at that team sheet knew it was a recipe for disaster.. except Crosby and, with all his years in the game, you have to ask “Why not?”
You’re right about the HKSE too. You have to ask why the f*ck are they messing about? Surely there’s someone within the HKSE with enough gumption to realise that BIHL are taking the proverbial and say enough is enough and take the listing off them.
As for the players, as I said earlier, we’ll find out more about them in the Wolves game than yesterday’s failure to turn up. We’ll see what they’re made of. The only players from yesterday that I feel deserve to play against Wolves, would be Grounds, Davis, Reilly and Thomas (he deserves a full game.) Randolph and Robinson have to be left out simply for the goals they’re costing us, Cotterill should be dropped for being a bottler. Not sure what’s happened to Edgar, he seems to have lost all his confidence (probably having to play next to Robbo.)
Couldn’t agree more, Crosby should be informed Monday morning that his services are no longer required, we need a completely new back-room staff, he will forever be associated with the Clark regime.
I have to agree with all that. As you know, I supported the previous manager until the day he left. But, if you’re going to get rid of the manager, everyone else associated has to go too. It needs a clean sweep, a totally fresh start. Crosby has to go… I’m not sure about Beale, whether he should go as a part of the old regime, or if he’s needed back in the academy. Anyone have any thoughts on that?
I would keep Beale and get rid of crosby!
I think he has done a good job with the academy.
Will the new manager wants to add that to his problems, I doubt it, so for me he has to go back working with the kids, after all we are going to need them.
KRO+DNM
I suppose there’s a vacancy now Thompson’s gone.
Absolutely agree 100% with foreverblue, it’s not like we have loads of options !! We have to get media coverage here and more importantly in HK a mass sit down protest in the centre circle somebody handcuffed to the goal posts this would be broadcast all over the world.
Now is.not a Time for words but action, a single voice will not be heard therefore the Blues trust need to man up and organise something meaningful because to date there softly softly nicely nicely approach is an utter waste of time !!!!!
We all want rid of the current owners if only to have a new owner with a plan and provide some direction. But there is no guarantee that a new owner would invest and I think that some fans don’t realise that. All clubs need to be pretty much self sufficient and I understand we are. We have cut our cloth accordingly. The selling off of Redmond Butland Mutch etc and the future selling of Gray, Arthur is how it is and how it will always be. Get used to it. What’s essential is a manager and structure to get the best out of whats available.
The only way the chinks will go is if it’s hitting them hard financially.
Boycott games, merchandise, everything blues related and force them out that way.
If it’s costing them personally they’ll soon want to sell up
JD – it’s not that they won’t sell up; it’s that they can’t sell up. The HKSE has ruled that BIHL can only sell just under 25% of BCFC because, if it sells more or all of it; it becomes a non-functioning listed company which you can’t have on any stock exchange; you have to be ‘carrying on a business’ and over 98% of BIHL’s business is in owning BCFC. This is why we are up the river Rea without a paddle. Only 3 things could change it:
1) HKSE reverses its decision and allows a full sale of BCFC
2) BIHL buys another business and starts running it to dilute its dependency on BCFC
3) BIHL (2309 on the HKSE) de-lists.
Actually there’s a 4th – administration and liquidation resulting in a receiver’s sale of BCFC.
Aussie, you do not need a paddle for the river Rea
True Tony, I’ll revert to ‘creek’ then.
I used to catch sticklebacks in the river Rea though!
I agree the heart of this deeply sick problem Blues have lies with this wretched bunch of owners. They need to be out of the club but using offensive and racist language to describe them is simply wrong.
Not too many of you will be aware of it but we once beat Liverpool 9-1
I was there – aged 12 – Saturday Decenber 11th 1954 at St Andrews. Shortly before Xmas – What a present! Kick of was 2.15 p.m. (no floodlights) crowd was 17,500 (Xmas Shopping). Just happen to remember.
Spot on Raymondo I was aged11
was Wembley, Maribor, Bruges just a dream……it’s been said but the hardest thing is that there is no one to vent our anger at. This club brought to it’s knees by faceless Chinese/hong kong gansters .No wonder the villa fans call us the club that keeps on giving, to be fair actually had a lot of support by genuine albion , villa fans who see the ‘wrongness’ of the whole situation.
Reality is it extremely difficult to unify the fans to carry out any visible protest as every one has their own limits ,levels of passion etc so a debate always creates more disagreement then agreement.
The trust need to think of something and announce it asap then it’s up to all to join in.
ohh well one positive is the bad times make you appreciate the good times, just hope there not too far away…KRO
I think the MEETING is this Tuesday at the GEORGE
Time to spread the Word all over UK, Facebook, Twitter etc
Enough is enough
That was a disgrace yesterday I left after the fourth goal
KRO + DNM
It will be interesting to see the opening “share price “in the morning!!
I think an AFC Wimbledon or Glasgow Rangers type solution will be the end-game here. My mate Kris was the founding chairman of AFC Wimbledon, I think I need to talk to him for ideas on what needs to be done.
I wonder if Birmingham city council will help us out with a compulsory purchase order on St. Andrews? After all they bailed out The Bears, I can’t see why they can’t do it with football too.
Not a chance mate. They wouldn’t do anything for us when we won the Carling Cup.
Does anyone remember the days when we criticised Cameron Jerome? When will those days return?
Boycott Chinese food
Don’t buy from takeaways or restaurants
Ask other teams supporters to back us by also back us and we will hit them where it hurts in their pocket
Boycott Chinese food? How old are you, Dave? 5?
And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is why Clark had to go!! Players moping about being “gutted” at the managers sacking. They haven’t got the psychological strength to lift themselves and actually try!! They were Clarks choice (albeit on a budget). They are simply not very good players, certainly not for this division. How dare they even accept a wage this week for that disgrace they call a performance. The new Manager, whoever he may be, will have to be able to coach, I think that will be key because there ain’t no cheque book. Whatever happens I think he’s up against it and he and the “Team” will need our support because he may only be able to lay foundations this season. That bodes ill for our team but if there’s actually a plan I’m on board and will still cheer them on even if we are relegated.
Dan thinking about things there is no end in sight in the foreseeable future. Apart from the fact that they do not care ,they can carry on like this indefently ,in January they will sell Grey and then in the summer will sell Koby,Blues in the mean time will drop down the leagues ,but then they will find a leval that they can compete in, this means the chinamen can keep the listing that they desire so much.Until they want to sell and the club stop producing sellable assets we are stuck with no hope
It can only get better after this lowest of lows
Agree, this is about peaceful protest but with action, violence will just detract and ultimately undermine the objective.
I do not think that the normal folk will look down on the masses peacefully protesting albeit in the pitch, we have no option.
It must remain peaceful to engage others and gain wider support.
We all must spread the intention and gain support over the coming months and also suggest a meet to discuss our plight at convenient home game.
Word of mouth is a very effective tool and we should start as we mean to go on.
If we ALL believe we can make a difference out actions will force public opinion and gain much needed PR.
It will work….. standing aside waiting for someone else doesn’t work and it’s our opportunity to make a different to OUR club and OUR city.
Let me know your thoughts.
Leaflets can be put together etc but a planned and focused approach needed.
KRO
Please be careful about suggesting should go on the pitch. Worst case scenario is that they end up in court and that means they get a record.
And it usually follows on with a lifetime ban from the ground.
KRO+DNM
I agree to a point I.e be careful but if the intention is right and it’s peaceful and on mass then it makes it difficult to press charges.
By way of background I have no criminal record.
I applauded those guys Saturday who ran on the pitch, they were demonstrating without violent intention although given only two then the authorities may well punish them.
We applauded yet go back to our homes and it’s easy.
We all have a responsibility and if we stand together we can make a difference.
I’m not a militant and have a background to be proud of, that said I no right from wrong and either we lay down and watch our club disintegrate or we do something.
We all ask ourselves, “what’s the worst that can happen to blues” … These are unprecedented times and a passive strategy doesn’t always work….
We all know our history and I’m not being over dramatic but if we ALL can’t see what is going on and think what we’ve done to date is going to solve it, then we are doomed.
We are owned by someone/some person no one knows, they do not come to the games, have no interest in England let alone B’ham and the league are happy under their ‘fit and proper’ strategy to sit back because it’s only an unfashionable club from small Heath.
I have pride in where I was born (I live in the north now but travel every weekend).
As I keep saying divide and concur is easy for them, they win, on mass we win and at the very least give them all something they have to deal with.
KRO and remember the future is what we make of it…. not always what we are given.
Like many others on here, I’m embarrassed and gutted at that abject, characterless and spineless display. I have two primary school aged sons and want them to have a club to be proud of. In the short term the new manager has got to go back to basics. Get the team solid defensively and play people in their correct positions. Dispense with people like Paul Robinson who are clearly past their best. Supplement what we’ve got with 2-3 sensible loan players. Develop a football philosophy and a consistent method of playing. There are more than 30 games left. We mustn’t give up. League 1 couldbe lliterally the death knell of this club. I’d at least like to hear what the Blues Trust have got to say. If anyone knows how I can get involved please let me know. Remember all, we’re Birmingham City we fight till the end!!!
To make a start on recovery we need to first face some unpleasant facts. We are the unfashionable club of an unfashionable city. Most media is based in London (and Manchester for the BBC) and internationally this city is pretty unremarkable. Therefore we are always struggling to make an impact living under the shadow of the vile as well as London. Owned by a shady and shadowy Chinese company compounds this.
We need an identity. Something that stands us out from the rest. And that’s just to get the world’s attention. We need to look beyond parochial interest to a slick campaign with a special angle. Once we’ve got national and perhaps international attention, we can then apply pressure to force a sale, for if we don’t force a sale this whole sorry saga will just run us down into oblivion.
We need a powerful Unique Selling Point to interest the media. Any suggestions?
My wife is from Wales, we have a holiday home there she has been onto me for years to move their permanently, it would not be too difficult to accommodate her wishes ,But I know if i did i would probably never come back.
Where we are there are lots of people from Manchester and Liverpool, and I get on fine with them, they cant understand my reluctance to move, but wherever I go in the world I cant wait to get back to Brum.its in my blood and its mainly because of Blues
Im from the back Streets of Sparkbrook and I guess you could say Iv done OK not brilliant but ok we have both worked hard for what we have.
We have decided to put the house on the market and take the plunge, that gives me about 3 months to see better things from the Blues, I do so hope that happens because I would go crazy if a performance like I saw yesterday was my abiding memory from the club I love, the club who turned me down when I was 16 what did I do? to my eternal shame i crossed over I had my trial the same day as Alan Deakin later to be Villa skipper I had more luck there but I couldnt do it, I just could not do it
When we played muchen whatever pronunciation, I was there, when Jeff Hall Died I was outside the hospital, i was there at every semi final defeat and Wembley in 56 shovelling snow from the terraces on countless occasions.
As you will gather Im no spring chicken, the years are advancing at a frightening speed thats why things need to happen fast for me regarding The Blues.
Good luck with the move, I hope all goes well. Just don’t ever lose the Brummie accent. :-)
Peter Pannu just re-tweeted two of my tweets.
I feel dirty.
I suspect it wasn’t THE Peter Pannu
‘Meet David Cotterill, Lee Novak and Jonathan Grounds at the Blues Store today from 3pm to 4pm.’
I wonder how many will turn up and what reception the players can expect. Bet the players are bricking it. I’m surprised the club haven’t cancelled it.
Wonder if we’ll have a new manager by then?
well we have Mr Rowetts who now our manager, gathered Blackpool are having a look at lee clark wont that be a turn up for the books…..would blackpool finish higher than ourselves???