It was a season defined by resilience, recovery, and flashes of brilliance for Birmingham City as they battled through League One. We spoke to Charlie Haffenden of BirminghamWorld to look back at the standout moments that defined a season of fighting spirit and laid a platform for next year.
00:00It was the season defined by resilience, recovery and flashes of brilliance for Birmingham City as they battled through League One.
00:12Under Chris Davis, who succeeded Tony Mowbray after his health-related resignation, the Blues showed ideal form at St Andrews,
00:21delivering memorable late goals and home performances that reminded fans of better days.
00:27Despite off-field disruptions, the team managed to string together winning runs that created belief and momentum.
00:34Emerging talents played their part in the core of experienced professionals, held firm in tight contests, a real basis for future stability.
00:43We spoke to Charlie Halfenden of Birmingham World to look back at the standout moments that defined a season of fighting spirit and laid a platform for next year at St Andrews.
00:56Charlie, on to Birmingham City. Now, I mean, only positives really surrounding them this season, an incredible record-breaking League One campaign.
01:06And also, you know, you feel full-promoted outfits. You look at the likes of Leeds who have just gone to the Premier League.
01:12Wrexham, who are joining Birmingham City in the Championship. The home form is so important.
01:17You know, you can go on the road and maybe afford to lose some games if your home form is so good.
01:22Zero league losses for Blues at St Andrews. That must be an incredible feather in Chris Davis' side's cap to go into the Championship and really try and continue that.
01:32So, in terms of your viewing experience of Blues this season, very different to the last season or so.
01:38You know, so many positives surrounding the club at the moment, both on and off the pitch.
01:42Oh, absolutely. 111 points is a world record for a 46-game season, a professional league anyway.
01:50That's incredible in itself. And I can't ever see that record being beaten, to be honest with you.
01:55I know they spent a ridiculous amount of money in the summer transfer window. Utterly unprecedented.
02:00Splashing £13 million on one player in Jay Stansfield was about four or five times the amount of the previous League One record transfer fee.
02:08That's outrageous, I know. But they still had so many new players. I think it was 20 new signings in total that had to gel.
02:14So many departures. The football club, the morale around it was just on the floor.
02:18So it was a lot of challenges. And Chris Davies had never managed properly before.
02:22He'd been an assistant, the likes of Tottenham and Celtic. And he'd been in the Celtic setup as well.
02:28Leicester. And he had experience winning an FA Cup in that run with Leicester. But he hadn't managed himself.
02:34So all of those factors, it's not easy to go and win the title, let alone get a world record points total.
02:39So I think more credit is due than what they're getting. So many people just rise to that excuse of they've spent a lot.
02:45I know, of course, they have. You'd expect them to get promoted, but in the fashion they did was amazing.
02:50And I think that is to highlight the record points total. Being unbeaten at home in the league as well.
02:55So important. That's something you can boast heading into next season.
02:58And also just when you're presenting the project to players, trying to sign new ones this summer to be at the championship level.
03:04I think that's definitely quite alluring factors, to say the least.
03:09Yeah, rather than maybe looking at negatives for Blues, because it's going to be very hard to find any.
03:14Let's look ahead to the championship season. You know, they're going to be competing in the second tier again.
03:20But this time so much has changed. And, you know, you've got the Premier League teams coming down with some top quality players.
03:27But Blues are going to be competing financially with the likes of those as well.
03:31And, you know, it just seems like it all sort of is set for them to follow Ipswich Town and go back to back and end up with a Premier League outfit.
03:40You know, you could add another Premier League club to the ones you cover with Birmingham World.
03:45So, you know, just look ahead to Birmingham City. How do you feel they're going to get on?
03:49How important is having a good start and continuing this morale that they have around the entire club?
03:54It's so important. I can see them definitely carrying on the momentum because how could you not, really?
03:59The group of players are so tight knit. Chris Davies has created such a great atmosphere.
04:03And when you've got so much success, success I think breeds success.
04:06And I can see them being playoff contenders immediately.
04:09Maybe that's a bit too much pressure, but I think they'll be right up there.
04:13They'll be spending more this summer. They'll be addressing some areas in the squad.
04:17I think a lot of it is already good enough to compete at that level.
04:20And yeah, we could see an Ipswich Town. We absolutely could.
04:23But I think it's a story of Birmingham, not of Ipswich. It's their own story as well.
04:27The developments under the new ownership with Tom Wagner, Tom Brady getting involved as well.
04:32There's a worldwide appeal coming to Birmingham and when they've got the plans of a new stadium in the next 10 years or so,
04:38the new sports quarter in Birmingham. It's the whole project.
04:41It's not just the footballing side of it. I think it's very exciting for them.
