MyBettingSites had an opportunity to speak with former Birmingham defender Nigel Winterburn, who shared his thoughts on club owners Tom Brady and Tom Wagner. Brady has been a minority owner and Chair of the Advisory Board at Birmingham City Football Club since August 2023 and has overseen the club’s relegation to League One. The club currently finds itself sitting second in the table, two points behind Wrexham, with aspirations of bouncing straight back up into the Championship.
In this article:
- Birmingham City Has Been a Mess
- Only Goals Will Justify Jay Stansfield’s Price Tag for Birmingham City
Birmingham City Has Been a Mess
Birmingham City was Nigel Winterburn’s first club as a footballer. Whilst at the club, Winterburn earned one England Youth Cap; however, he struggled to find his way into Birmingham’s first team. After a difficult and unsuccessful trial with Oxford United, the young defender signed with Wimbledon in 1983 on a free, where he made a name for himself before Arsenal acquired him for a fee of around £350,000.
Despite not forging much of a career with Birmingham, Winterburn has retained his affection for the club and describes the last year or so as “a bit of a mess.” Yet, Winterburn sees light at the end of the tunnel through the owners’ financial investment during their short time in charge and hopes it will lead to Birmingham becoming a force in both League One and the Championship.
“Birmingham was my first club as a 16 or 17-year-old, and it didn’t work out for me there. It’s been a bit of a mess,” is the best way to describe it. “Two owners who are worth nine billion pounds or so? I think Birmingham City needs owners who care and owners who will support the football club. It’s early in their reign, but they’ve spent big and are expecting to automatically go up. However, the lower leagues are brutal, with the number of games they play.
“They should have enough quality to go up, but when the pressure comes on because you’re expected to do something, it can drive you mad. Most importantly, though, the club needs stability, and it’s getting investment that will make it powerful in both League One and the Championship.”
Only Goals Will Justify Jay Stansfield’s Price Tag for Birmingham City
One of last summer’s most surprising transfers saw Jay Stansfield join Birmingham for a fee of more than £10 million on a seven-year deal from Fulham. Stansfield has scored 8 goals in 13 appearances across all competitions this season, and his goals could play a crucial role in helping lead his side back to the Championship, according to Winterburn.
“That’s a lot of money they’ve spent in League One. It’s incredible. But let’s flip that around—if they get automatic promotion to the Championship, that’s money well spent. Chris Davies is also willing to take him off, despite Stansfield being a record signing. That shows he’s ready to change things up for his team if needed. It’s a big price tag, but the best way to deal with that is to score goals.”
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