Often Partisan

Broken Specs

Jonathan Spector has been ruled out for up to around six weeks after fracturing his cheekbone in freak circumstances in the final minutes of last week’s private friendly defeat against MK Dons. The American international took a tumble and slammed his face into an opponents knee.

It’s a blow (pardon the pun) for Spector, whose time at Birmingham City has been dogged by niggly injuries. I think it’s also a big blow for Clark as Spector is one of the more versatile players at Blues, capable of playing in midfield or defence and his inclusion in a squad allows Clark to be more flexible in his formation and systems. Whilst some Blues fans have been critical of the Illinois-born player, I think at times last season we missed his dynamism in the middle and that when he did play to the best of his ability he showed how much energy and drive he could give to the team.

I think it has been interesting that Spector has played in central defence mainly during pre-season. Clark has intimated that he can see the American international ending up in that position as his career progresses but I have to admit that I can’t see it at this moment in time. I don’t think that he has the strength needed to play ninety minutes a game defending – I think his injury record shows that he needs to be a bit bulkier and a bit more robust to play in that sort of role.

With Darren Ambrose (groin), Neal Eardley (foot), Matt Green (head injury) and Tom Adeyemi (hamstring) all carrying knocks Blues do have a few niggles in the squad and I’m sure Clark will want to try to get those ironed out somewhat prior to the start of the season. With Spector and Eardley both having knocks it might present an opportunity to Ryan Higgins to be given a go in the next pre-season friendly against Swindon Town on Wednesday in the right back/right wing-back slot. I hope that the young Liverpudlian is given a chance; for me he was one of the outstanding players in the development squad last season and I think that he is ready to make the step up as cover for the position.

In other news former target Steven Doris who was on trial with Blues at the tail end of last season has signed for Scottish Division One side Dundee after failing to impress at Blues whilst winger Courtney Cameron who spent some time on trial at the end of last season has signed for Torquay United.

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73 Responses to “Broken Specs”

  • Blueboy 88 says:

    Good Title….burning the midnight oil for that one..!!

    Almajir , Can you also explain this please –

    • almajir says:

      Explain what – someone made a video? And?

      • Alex T says:

        well, its a bit strange that this should come out in the current climate…. but someone has gone to alot of effort to make this (well, I assume so…. I’ve no idea how easy or difficult this kind of thing is to make)

        Now, this scenario would be WAY to good to be true, but just imagine that maybe…..

        Someones bid for the club has been accepted and the first thing they want to do is……. :-D

        oh, and Messi has caught a ride on his flying pig to come over and sign for us also! ;)

        • hongkong bluenose says:

          well to do a video like this would cost over a thousand pounds in an architectural firm so unless there is a bluenose who is an architectural 3d draftsman that’s got a lot of time on his hands and I mean a few weeks , this looks like a proposal. not sure if it was pre carson arrested time but it was released in june this year .

        • Dave says:

          Looks quite a nice ground if it wasn’t for the ‘Naming Rights’ and the fact they call it Saint Andrews! And what’s with the X-Factor stage??

        • steve-0 says:

          From my perspective this video coule mean 4 things:

          1. Somebody has spent a lot of time making St Andrew’s look the way he thinks it should in his bedroom / study using an easily attained software package (albeit costly).

          2. This is a genuine professional video paid for by the club as the possibilities of expanding St Andrew’s were considered some time in the past (any time since the Railway End was rebuilt.

          3. The club are currently looking at expanding the ground and this is a video of the proposed design (or one of them).

          4. A prospective buyer of Birmingham is getting ahead of himself (and careless with his data)

          Thinking of these options I would say we can all safely rule out 3 and 4 sounds very unlikely. My money is on number 2.

          • almajir says:

            Quick bit of research shows the video is two years old. http://www.ads-designs.com/blog/2011/03/birmingham-city-fc-st-andrews/

            So, yeah, nothing new.

          • DoctorD says:

            Interesting nugget in the link:

            wcec architects have been working up schemes for Carling Cup Champions Birmingham City Football Club, on their ambitious plans for a new stand which could be built in just two years’ time.

            Designs for the redevelopment of the Garrison Lane Stand were unveiled at the annual ball of parent firm Birmingham International Holdings in Hong Kong.

            The club have been in talks with Birmingham City Council since clothing tycoon Carson Yeung’s 2009 takeover about the a new stadium, but appear to be leaning towards an up-grade of the remaining “old” part of St Andrew’s.

            Bosses plan to add a hotel to the new stand, in a project expected to cost more than £20 million. The Blues are hoping to boost the capacity at St Andrew’s to around 40,000 seats.

            Board member Peter Pannu, stressed the designs were tentative. He said: “There is no time frame. It could be within the next two years, it could be well beyond that”.

            “Our designs are based around the football and business aspirations of Birmingham City Football Club, our proposals will create an iconic intervention which joins the other elements of the ground together, creating a platform for other clubs to aspire to and putting the stadium on the European and International map for both football and business”.

            Jason Ainsworth DIP ARCH RIBA wcec architects

      • tom says:

        Imagine if;

        Carson was innocent
        his assets werent frozen
        panu et al hadnt gained so much control and deals such as xtep hadnt occured
        football training camps were set up in asia
        carson had the finances and investors lined up for the stadium.

        so many ifs and buts; yet instead we see ourselves midtable in the championship. ahh what could have been….

    • Daddyblue says:

      I do agree with you blueboy , why and who has made this .It is clear to see that Almajir has no idea by the way of his dismissive reply. Does nobody have any ideas???????????????

  • Richard Granfield says:

    Considering the Spector incident happened last Wednesday, and being a facial injury quite obvious, why has it only come to light now?

  • Boozy Blue says:

    Spector spent time playing centre back for West Ham under Zola and was highly rated in that position. I’ve wondered why it has take so long for Clark to play him there.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/west-ham/6588068/West-Hams-Jonathan-Spector-giving-Gianfranco-Zola-fresh-hope-for-optimism.html

    If you read that article Spector used to be a CB at youth level and other clubs

  • utbb says:

    spector is always injured one way or another, jinxed for us

  • StaffsBlue says:

    As I said on the previous blog… the curse of the right back position continues. First Eardley, now Spector (who was playing right back v MKD.) FFS don’t play Packwood there when he comes back!

  • Bcfc1955 says:

    This is a blow
    I am a Spector fan and given the current squad strength he would be one of the first names on my team sheet

  • StaffsBlue says:

    I think this is why Clark has been trying different player in different positions in different formations… to cater for this kind of thing. He’s learned from the difficulties of last season through injuries.

    I’m pretty sure we can cover his absence if it’s only 4-6 weeks.

  • Daddyblue says:

    I believe that he will only be out for 6 weeks IF a operation is needed Kro4ever

  • dave mann says:

    spector is a blow and a great pro, but i personally wouldnt put him in my first 11 so i think
    we can cover that if we bring in another right wide back.
    that new main stand looks fantastic if omly it would come true, but were dream on that
    one fine day when it might just happen.
    is that the big anouncement someone said was going to happen on monday///////
    kro.

  • StaffsBlue says:

    Re: the video above…….. and what would you all like to call our home? The China Gardens maybe? The Piazza?

    You might laugh now, but….

  • dave mann says:

    the china syndrome would be an apt name for our new home, as this situation could
    go up in smoke at anytime!KRO.

  • Tony says:

    Is the video the much anticipated major anouncement?.

  • dave mann says:

    what else could it be, if there is one. a brand new main stand means new owners
    and plenty of money to spend obviously cause that stands gotta be at least 10 million
    at a guess, are happy days just round the corner?
    dave mann now calm down and stop letting your emotions run wild on you, it cant be
    true can it. naaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.KRO.

  • Tony says:

    In view of the current difficulties being faced by Carson it has to be called(The Laundry stadium

  • Alex T says:

    check out Als note above… video is 2 years old, so dont go getting your hopes up.

    In recent years we have been owned by;

    A scrap merchant,
    A market stall owner (MK1 was a market stall wasn’t it?)
    A Porn Mag owner
    A Gambling addict Hairdresser

    So if anyone does buy us out, I am expecting a Pig farmer from outer Mongolia who will knock down the old main stand and put up a massive pig sty (giving Villa fans a right hoot)………

    Just a nightmare I had the other night! ;)

  • Tony says:

    I have noticed there have been graphic designers posting on this site, a couple offering help to Dan in his book project its possible it is their work.
    It is however a serious piece of work requiring powerful software and no little skill seems an expensive way to idle away some time.

  • ken says:

    Any news of Carsons health??????

  • Oldbluenose says:

    Dan;, Relating to that mysterious appearance of the video !!.

    Do you know just WHO commisioned it ,??.

    • Dan H says:

      The visuals and fly-through would have been commissioned by the club to support an investment or funding proposal or even planning application.

      We commission CGI’s for construction projects and a single image is circa £1,200 so a video using flashplayer compatible software for that length of video could be up to £7-£8k depending on how accurate and detailed it is.

      I’d say it’s been commissioned by Carson / Pannu to generate interest from potential purchasers in HK. The way it is structured showing location and proximity to other UK Cities suggest it is for the use of overseas investors.

      • Oldbluenose says:

        Dan H;,

        We live in constant hope, Eh, !!. Thanks for the input, Mate.

      • Blueboy 88 says:

        Thanks Dan H for a reasoned, informative & knowledable reply.
        Ads design have now posted the following to the video now..to fill in the gaps..

        Hi, we were asked to visualise the scheme by our client WCEC Architects, its a good few years old now, see original news story at their website, I’ve put a link to it in the video description

  • JohnBond says:

    Who cares about the video it’s 2years old.. It’s aload of rubbish even if it did get built we would either be like Coventry have a half full stadium each weekend.. Or we would have to start handing out cheap tickets down the Cov road get the numbers up abit might smell abit once there all in but appy days

  • andy says:

    I remember Sammy Yu saying after the Carson takeover that if they couldn’t fill St Andrews, free tickets would be handed out to fill the gaps! You are not far off Mr Bond.

  • JohnBond says:

    The names John.. John bond

  • Bearwoodblue says:

    Re: the video. There were a number of videos and drawings published two years plus ago at the time Pannu and Young were exploring plans for expansion. There is another vid out there that shows a different tour, changing rooms, views from corporate boxes etc. I would imagine this vid is from that package of images. All plans that mean nothing now other than someone has found and posted an old link.

  • mark says:

    It unfortunate injury sustained by Jonathan he come back stronger imo

  • mark says:

    Regarding the video you got more chance of Elvis presley doing a tour come back……than that happening…….

  • StaffsBlue says:

    Well, it’s Monday….. it’s 4.15… and it’s CRACKERJACK!!

    Where’s the big announcement? :)

  • Tony says:

    Staffs who was in who said he had it on good authority a major anouncement was forthcoming?.

    • StaffsBlue says:

      Some comedian called Lee (no.. not Evans) lol

      • StaffsBlue says:

        “Lee says:
        July 13, 2013 at 11:09 am

        I’m hoping and praying that a) Tom Ross has heard or been told something ‘off the record’, I know there’s a few people out there that like to give him some stick but the bottom line is he’s been told something from a credible source and is passing on what bits of info he can, there’s absolutely no reason why a guy in his industry would bullshit so I’m prepared to believe something is going on, whether it happens is another story but Tom Ross has no reason and is not they type of person to make this up, and b) I have also heard a ‘rumour’ yesterday from a good source at the club that a major announcement is being made on Monday, again I don’t know what it is and can only hope it’s the news we all want to hear, the china man is on borrowed time and he knows it, this can only continue for so long, based on what I’ve read on here he doesn’t even have any credible defence and is basically playing the system.”

        There you go Tony!

  • Tony says:

    Well I can announce my wife has just returned with a pair of specs costing £300 I am not happy about this at all, not sure this would count as the major announcment.

  • mark says:

    Gosh I nearly stay in bloody hell pink elephant just this minute flown by………..its aannouncement its a fact carson got blues for another three months…….lol

  • StevieW says:

    No Big Bang Statement/announcement.

    Spector injured again!!

    A video at least 2 years old

    No Carson trial report.

    How the hell are we going to cope?

    I know Ill get a couple of tickets for the Hull game.

    • mark says:

      Now that sounds like a bloody good idea, with you on that matey….

      • StevieW says:

        Mark I did that and even the ticket master website was playing up, it wouldn’t allow me to print at home so had to pay 60p for the postman.

        Tickets bought though, thankful for small mercies. HOWEVER I tried to buy tickets for the Watford game and it just kept referring me to my completed transaction for the Hull game.

        and CY thinks he’s got problems!!!!!!

  • Tony says:

    Nope your right Dan but where did he get it from?. and why excite people

    • mark says:

      Dont worry our Tony there be other announcement you can get excited…..imo I wait to see s if bcfc makes anouncements before getting excited me old China…….lol

  • Marky mark says:

    Spector is a blow, hope this injuries don’t get any worse its just our luck..

    Why are people digging up 2 year old videos ?

    2 years ago we had hope and a future littered with more trophies, unfortunatelythe wheels came off and now we haven’t a pot to piss in, but roll on the new season Elsie boys are going to win the league

  • StaffsBlue says:

    Aye up everyone!!! I have an announcement to make.

    Birmingham City Developement XI beat Worcester City 4-0 with Lovenkrands and King playing 60 minutes. Goalscorers, Lovenkrands2, Higgins and Fry. We played 9 trialists during the game… their names were… A Trialist , B Trialist, C Trialist, D Trialist, E, F, G, H, & I…. big family those Trialists lol

  • Marky mark says:

    I bet King n Loverman were over the moon about that, mind you nice place for a beer on a summer night Worcester

  • Pete says:

    Does anyone know who some of these trialists were against the development squad and how any of them fared?

  • Andrew says:

    I know it’s not relevant to this post but has it been confirmed how many more witnesses are left in the Carson trial?

  • Tony says:

    Il get excited if Clark wins two on the trot lol

  • Tony says:

    This chap Lee must be an absoloute bounder

  • andy says:

    Elvis Presley still does world tours!


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