Open House, Transformation – part two

Aside from the keynote speeches and Garry Cook’s Q&A, the main thrust of Blues inaugural Open House event were the ‘breakout’ presentations.

Guests were split into groups of roughly 20 and were guided to various points around St. Andrew’s to hear just what’s being going on under the ownership of Knighthead/Shelby Companies Limited and what’s to come.

Each presentation was 15 minutes in duration and nobody in attendance knew what was coming, or what to expect, as we ventured from station to station, on this unique stadium tour.

Each group was assigned a guide/chaperone and our party were expertly corralled and informed by Jake Malbasa, Blues Engagement and Communications Manager, who has been doing some excellent work since, ominously, joining the club on the day the Kop and Tilton stands were condemned.

After a wander in the revamped tunnel area and refitted dressing rooms, our first point of call was the Legends Lounge to meet with the Academy.

Liam Daish, Academy Manager (Football), Louisa Collis, newly-appointed Academy Manager (Operations) and Paul Cowie, Professional Game Academy Manager, were there to greet us.

The club’s commitment to regaining Category 1 status on the men’s side for the 2025/26 season was confirmed and Collis spoke about how the day they were told of the owners intention – October 31 – was akin to a fresh start, a Ground Zero if you like, for the Academy to move forward.

Daish said that Tom Wagner et al were all very committed to the Academy, to assist them in continuing to bring through ‘one of our own’ as well as raise standards and ambition levels. Wayne Rooney was thoroughly on board, too.

Category 1 is important to help ensure players in the system don’t have their heads turned and go elsewhere, said Daish, as is the right environment and coaching to help youngsters develop their talent and into well-rounded young men.

Cowie told us that the Women Academy had already secured their equivalent Category 1 licence and similarly that the backing from the new owners would help have a major impact on continued success and development. It is already being felt: they used to have just two full-time members of staff, now it’s up to eight.

Two Academy graduates, locals-made-good Brandon Khela and Gemma Lawley, gave us a short insight into their experiences and journeys to becoming professionals at Blues.

For more about what the Academy is going through, you can read my earlier Keep Right On post here.

Next, it was off to the plush surroundings of the Alliance Suite, the club’s new VIP area, which is invite only on matchdays. Blues combined the space from the International Suite in the Kop stand and some of the best executive boxes to make this impressive room. It is here where they welcome the movers and shakers, dignitaries, personalities, special guests and potential investors.

We met with Nick Smith, a man Cook praised for his work in completely transforming the club’s infrastructure.

Smith has an impressive CV, having helped develop Manchester City’s Etihad Campus, Liverpool’s training base in Kirkby and also the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas – check out his company, Ardent Sports.

He is one of a number of top-in-their-field consultants Blues have engaged to join their management/leadership team – more on that later.

Smith’s brief is wide-ranging. From the stadium improvements internal and external, to Wast Hills, to the Elite Performance and Innovation Centre (EPIC) in Henley-in-Arden, Wasps Rugby’s old base where the men’s first team currently train.

More than £750,000 has been spent on Henley already as Blues are acutely aware that if you are to create an ambitious, winning and elite environment – and also want to attract the best talent – you need facilities of the highest spec.

Blues are in the process of ripping up the rugby-specific artificial surface at EPIC in order to lay down a second grass pitch, which is being grown off site, with undersoil heating.

Whilst this is happening, refurbishment of Wast Hills after the fire in March is nearing completion. This is just an initial phase of redevelopment of the training ground in West Heath. There are three phases planned to include new gyms, changing rooms and player lounges, recovery and medical areas, meeting and office space. It looked from the plans presented on a slide show that each football operation – men’s, women’s, Academy – will eventually have their own site within a site.

Interestingly, after he was asked if Blues had plans to buy either venues – both are leased – Smith said no. Whilst I have no insider knowledge, that suggests despite the significant financial investment in both EPIC and Wast Hills that is ongoing, Blues could be looking at eventually developing their own site elsewhere as part of a long-term plan, perhaps in the style of a Manchester City stadium campus.

The next ‘breakout’ presentation was all about the community, in the boardroom. There Antony Isherwood, the club’s Community Director, told us that the Community Trust was about to be rebranded and relaunched and admitted, frankly, that previously the backing they had was more or less ‘nothing’. Under Knighthead/Shelby Companies Limited, this was changing – and how.

Blues new regime are putting a huge importance on community work, and how they can help and assist local areas. A new support hub is to open, a safe space where local people can pop in at any time. King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy in Frankley is to become Blues first Academy School and its headteacher, Damian McGarvey, spoke enthusiastically about what the club already do there.

Isherwood talked about the areas in the city where there is abject poverty and how it was incumbent on Blues to address this and help dive awareness and change.

Jedi Campbell, the Community’s Sports Development Officer and Football and Education Programme Coach Assessor, expanded on what Blues currently deliver and how they help young people veer away from gang life towards a productive path.

It was a passionate, infectious and uplifting 15 minutes. Blues are aware of the ‘power of the badge’ and how they can influence the next generation of fans to support their local club by becoming an ingrained presence rooted in the community, a true club of the City.

Our next port of call, in the meeting room situated down the players’ tunnel, came as a major and pleasant surprise to the group.

There waiting were the head coaches/managers and technical directors of both the men’s and women’s teams.

Blues playing philosophy and identity was outlined by Hope Powell and Craig Gardner.

Darren Carter and Rooney expanded on the whys and wherefores, using video from matches and training to explain the style.

Rooney provided examples of the good and what needed to be improved upon, in and out of possession. Drone footage was shown of the players doing a drill in training working on moving the ball in tight, enclosed areas and then how this translated to the Sheffield Wednesday game, most notably the winning goal.

Tactical nuances of pressing, positioning, high lines, decision-making and how all of these things and more affected games was evidenced. Midway through, one particular player had been highlighted a couple of times, leading Rooney to quip ‘looks like I’m picking on him here, I’m not, honest!’.

Rooney was relaxed, smiling and his delivery and explanations were clear, concise and full of conviction.

Blues want to change to become a more possession-based, front-foot side that is high energy and able to press – both the men and women.

Statistics were revealed that showed these types of teams able to keep the ball and gain a higher number of entries into optimal attacking areas were more likely to gain promotion from the Championship.

Whilst it was acknowledged the division’s successful sides usually had the benefit of parachute payments and squads already in place boasting plenty of quality – two more challenges for Blues to negotiate over time through increased revenue, recruitment – it was clear all were steadfast in their dedication to the methodology.

I have been fortunate in my career to have been privy to such insights before from managers, coaches and analysis staff, so it was fascinating to see the affect it had on our group. I felt it was received as an enlightening and very worthwhile exercise and helped those of us present gain better understanding.

The fact the evening overran so much was because the various groups spent longer than they should have in this football presentation in order to get selfies with Rooney, who was happy to oblige. 

I have touched upon the have and have nots above. So it leads me nicely onto the presentation on revenue growth, which was next on our list.

Mark Smith, Blues Chief Financial Officer and Ian Dutton, the MD, were on the lectern to provide updates and information.

The Chairman, Wagner, and Cook, spoke often about revenue at the Open House and how Blues needed to bring more money in, if they were to compete at the top echelons of the game.

Smith talked about the disparity in wealth between teams enjoying parachute payments, others who have had success and the necessity to try and bridge the gap.

Blues ranked 14th for revenue generated last season, more than £54 million behind the top revenue generating club.

In regards the challenges posed by Profit and Sustainability regulations, Blues still have to be very mindful of where they are at. Encouragingly, Smith revealed that Blues have constant dialogue with the EFL about this and it seems the club are on much better terms with the organisation.

Dutton’s role seems to have veered towards a brief developing domestic and global deals and partnerships, as Cook looks after the other areas as CEO.

And it was interesting to note his demeanour. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve watched Ian delivering a presentation. He seemed relaxed, happier even. And you could sense an undercurrent of excitement bubbling under that he was keeping a serene lid on.

He admitted that having Knighthead/Shelby Companies Limited as owners was opening up a lot more doors for Blues – not least internationally – to access big brands, potential partners and sponsors. The UNDEFEATED involvement is a real game-changer, making people sit up and take notice. ‘You find that everyone now wants a piece of the pie’.

A new bespoke deal with Nike is in the offing, retail takings have doubled, going up by £1 million already, and he revealed that Paul Fox had recently joined Blues.

Described as a ‘retail guru’, Fox is a consultant with 25 years experience at JD Sports. And, for good measure, he’s a Blues fan and season ticket holder. Again, an example of Blues bringing in top professionals in their field to help.

There was a nod to Blues loyal, local businesses, partners and sponsors and there was a vow that the club would always look to utilise their services where possible.

I came away from the Blues Store down the slope to the Happy Abode for our final ‘breakout’ with a firm belief that Blues are going through change. Big change. To unchartered territory, perhaps. Transformation, indeed.

Jeremy Dale and Jessica Poulson, Blues Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, were there to reveal all about fan engagement.

Alongside the uplift in the club’s community strategy, this is clearly another core concern for Blues.

An official Blues Supporters Club is to be launched in January, with local and international branches all brought under one umbrella. There will be various benefits to membership and The Happy Abode will become their base.

Blues Matters is being set-up. Fans can join various working parties covering all sorts of aspects of the club’s operation – and they can even suggest where they might be needed. A club official will be assigned to each one.

This is designed with the intention for a ‘constructive communication between the club and fans’. There will be quarterly meetings.

Sharing of ideas and initiatives are at its heart and there will be review of key aspects of the fan experience.

Anyone can apply to be part of Blues Matters.

Dale doesn’t have a formal title at Blues, but he is man more or less responsible for all that we are seeing now.

He was part of a consortium who were buying Blues as Often Partisan Limited, and got Wagner and Knighthead to the table. As the phrase goes, Wagner was so impressed, he bought the company.

Cook joked about Dale before his Q&A that ‘he started this whole fiasco’.

Dale is primarily pulling together facets of the ‘alliance’ – the fans, community and former players.

He said to our group before we headed off to the Jasper Carrott Suite for the evening’s conclusion: ‘If, in three months, we are not doing what we said we would, then hold us to account’.

Flanking Cook at the Q&A were some familiar faces and some new ones.

Cook introduced them as his management/leadership team. They boast a considerable array of knowledge, expertise and proven competency amongst them.

Dale and Smith, who is also founder of market leading ProPitch, specialising in pitch construction, management, maintenance and Fox have already been mentioned here.

John Clarke has joined as communications consultant. He has formerly been Director of External Corporate Relations at Heineken, Vice President, International Communications at American Express and worked with Cook in esports.

Management consultant Grant Brokenshire is leading Blues strategy and development, Cook revealed as he went down the line.

He assisted the CEO at Manchester City during their transformational period and has also worked with Apple.

Human Resources is undergoing a revamp via Anthony Lawler, who has 22 years experience at Manchester United under his belt.

Rooney, Carter, Gardner and Powell also sat alongside the other members of Cook’s cohort who delivered the ‘breakout’ addresses.

About the ensemble, Cook commented: ‘I could not be more proud. I have worked for some big brands – Nike, UFC – this is my third one. I’m a proud Brummie, a proud fan. I want to thank every one of them because they are working their arses off.’

As starter, statement events go, Open House, Transformation was unparalleled, warmly received and rated a success by the attendees.

Blues were also cute enough to give the media access to Cook ahead of the evening, so they got something to get their teeth into.

The key now is continuation of this openness, fine-tuning and embracing a new set of guests whose interest will have been piqued.

Blues stated that they want direct fan involvement and to be held to account. There are now tangible ways of doing that.

 

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