First impressions

They say first impressions count.

So by that assertion, it is fair to judge Tom Wagner could not have done much more much to win favour among Birmingham City supporters.

After the official announcement of Shelby Companies Limited purchase of 45.64 per cent stake in Blues and ownership of St. Andrew’s, an in-house video interview of the co-founder and co-CEO of backers Knighthead Capital was released.

Wagner looked at ease sitting in his New York office. And even if the questions were dubbed post-edit, it was all about the man himself and the substance of his words.

In a 12-and-a-half minute chat, Wagner was polished, plausible and above all uplifting.

There was no flannel. No outlandish promises. No taking to St. Andrew’s, Michael Knighton-style, to perform some keepy-uppys and slam a goal in at the Tilton Road End, let alone for scarf-above-the-head pictures.

Just a man with a plan, going through key details concisely, with conviction and confidence: this is us, this is what we will do, embrace and enjoy.

Key for me was that this takeover is clearly not a short-term fix, nor a vanity project by or for person(s) unknown.

There seems to be a long-term strategy and it is as much about tapping into Birmingham as a burgeoning city as the club; basically the two going hand-in-hand.

Sure, by nature of their business, Knighthead Capital will want value for their own investors eventually when the transformation as they see fit is complete. But we could be talking several years here, certainly not months.

There was no promise of Premier League football from Wagner, Champions League football (see later). No tub-thumping about making millions upon millions available to spend on marquee players.

Wagner made it clear that Shelby Companies Limited understood they had to stay within the confines of the financial playing field set out by the EFL.

And he admitted this was a departure from the normal type of challenge Knighthead would involve themselves in. So, as a result, they would recruit best in class who understood the football industry and what it takes – step forward new CEO Garry Cook.

Judging from the interview, we can expect Blues to be tapping new revenue streams to help growth. There might be some left-field thinking. Already on board are UNDEFEATED, who have just collaborated with the US Soccer Federation.

But Wagner made it clear there would be investment, across all facets of the club, in order to provide those at the sharp end, on and off the field, with better tools to realise loftier ambitions.

A central plank of the stated intentions was improving the fan experience and revamping St. Andrew’s to actually make you want to go and not feel as if it is a chore, or a take-it-or-leave-it toss up.

Of course, performance and winning on the pitch will always be the key driver on how much a supporter enjoys and wants to go to watch their team on home soil.

Eventually, I don’t doubt there will be a move to the Birmingham Wheels site, half-a-mile from the current ground.

Reaction to the interview, and subsequent comments made by Blues new chairman Wagner via industry platforms, has been overwhelmingly positive.

It’s hardly surprising. When soundbites chime like ‘ . . a forever process . . an ongoing process of continual improvement.’.

Wagner’s words and the happy glow caused has to be put into context of what has gone on previously when it has come to the stewards of the club. And not only recently. This just kinda hits different.

Let’s go back to March, 1993, in the D Club, what is now Bar 8, under the Main Stand.

David Sullivan was unveiled to the media and sitting alongside him was the club’s new managing director Karren Brady.

Sullivan’s Roldvale company had saved Blues in a £700,000 deal.

It was a surreal and entertaining press conference. We, the media, didn’t know what to make of the porn baron and the 23-year-old who became known as the ‘First Lady of Football’; they didn’t know what to make of us.

Midway through, I got to the burning question: ‘David, is that your Rolls Royce outside?’

He paused, smiled, and gently corrected: ‘It’s a Bentley, actually . . . ‘.

Brady, who had rocked up in her powder blue Porsche and was resplendent in a £1,000 Yves St Laurent suit and Cartier jewellery, was a source of fascination for one hack, from a tabloid newspaper.

Imagine this next question coming from Rob Dorsett, as Sky Sports News goes live to St. Andrew’s: ‘All right, Karren. So, what are your statistics?’. I kid you not.

Fast forward to July, 2007 after Carson Yeung bought a 29 per cent stake in the club and later came to St. Andrew’s for an introduction.

It was a strangely low key, almost apologetic, press conference. Yeung’s English was limited and one of his right-hand men, William Chan, did most of the talking.

Chan got into a bit of a muddle at one stage and there were confusing claims of ‘building 100 best Chinese restaurants’. It was all somewhat awkward and underwhelming.

After the takeover stalled, and plunged Blues into turmoil, it wasn’t until October, 2009 that Yeung raised the rest of the cash to complete a full £81.5 million takeover, through Grandtop International Holdings.

The atmosphere was much different this time for another unveiling. Yeung swept through the Kop reception like a Presidential candidate with his entourage. Club staff lined the stairs to applaud him in.

There was a sense of razzmatazz. A whiff of wealth in the air. Sharp suits, fur coats. Coiffured-hair (as you would expect, I suppose). We were told there would be between £20 million – £40 million made available for Alex McLeish in the forthcoming transfer window. Talk of playing in the Champions League. Blues becoming the biggest club in China.

‘We are family’ was the mantra, as the new board all stretched out their arms and placed hands on top of one another for a photo opportunity.

A couple of new guys were among the group, including Peter Pannu. Chan was to be the original chairman, but was nowhere to be seen.

‘Peter,’ I ventured, after the press conference, ‘where’s William?’.

‘We don’t talk about him’. And with that he walked on. That told me. And I never did find out what happened to William.

Initially it was so exciting: record signings, record top-flight unbeaten runs, a highest-placed finish in 51 years, the Carling Cup. Yet history showed that Yeung’s tenure was ultimately build on sand.

During the past decade plus people have tried, and failed, to take on Blues. Others have given the club a wide swerve.

It won’t be easy for Shelby Companies Limited to transform the nuts and bolts and the mindset overnight. But whilst Wagner acknowledged that the reality was ‘almost everything needs improvement’, out of a negative comes a positive.

‘When you need to change everything, it creates not only a huge challenge, but it also creates an enormous opportunity.’

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