Given to him by Birmingham-based cancer charity Help Harry Help Others, the bracelet went with the shirt, which was blue, and because the sky was following suit, it was a jackets-off kind of day for Birmingham City’s co-owner in Leeds as he lobbied for support.
The proposal has obstacles, which we’ll get onto, but Wagner’s vision for a 2029 opening remains steadfast. “It’s realistic for us,” he tells The i Paper, while sitting with Birmingham’s chief executive Jeremy Dale and head of infrastructure Nick Smith. “We’ll see if everybody else can do their part.”
Tom Wagner (right) with the Sky Bet League One trophy (Photo: PA)“Ideally, we’re highly competitive in Premier League football,” he adds. “When we look at our revenue and trajectory, we’re right there.
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“I have a high degree of confidence that as we move forward over the next few years, we’ll not only achieve promotion but we’ll continue to grow the revenue so we’re in the position to be competitive in the Prem, not simply a participant.”
“The philosophy, culture and energy that Pep [Guardiola] has brought to Man City is something we think is fantastic,” Wagner says.
He also names Wrexham, who will join Blues in the Championship next season after securing a third-straight promotion under owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Sam Smith and Ryan Reynolds celebrate Wrexham’s promotion to the Championship (Photo: Getty)“That is no mistake. It’s a true storytelling genius that Ryan and Rob have brought to that club, and I think it’s to be admired and certainly, to a degree, emulated.”
“When we look at clubs that have risen quickly over the number of years, as much as some won’t like me saying it,” Wagner says, “I think Villa has done an exceptional job of growing the club and the organisation and doing it in a way that should allow them to achieve long-term success, which ultimately is what we want, because we want a cross-town rival that’s good. Not a cross-town rival that performs poorly.”
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“It’s absolutely a top objective,” Wagner says. “It’s the right rivalry for Birmingham, the right derby for English football, and the right way for each club to achieve its highest potential is by rekindling a rivalry that’s been dormant for too long.
Dale agrees, and he is not only desperate to see this rivalry renewed but is confident the “winning mentality” this season has generated – relegation was good for them, he stresses – can carry them up the footballing ladder.
“London clubs have got multiple ones. This is Blues-Villa, this is Rangers-Celtic, this is that level of intensity, and we all remember the days like ‘The Enckelman’, when the stadium is bouncing, and we just want to be part of that. We can’t wait for the spirit to come back.”
“The philosophy is perfectly consistent,” Wagner says, and when asked about the input of Tom Brady – the NFL legend who has a minority stake in Birmingham – he leans back with a mischievous smile, “You see… we really never speak with Tom,” to which Dale adds, “Tom who?”
Tom Brady (c) owns a minority stake in Birmingham (Photo: Getty)
“His area of focus is sports performance, which includes nutrition, hydration, recovery, the mental philosophy behind success and a winning mentality, culture. Those are all things Tom participates in.
New stadium plans at ‘critical phase’
The walk from Ozzy the Bull inside New Street Station to the site of the Birmingham City’s proposed new stadium takes 38 minutes.
From there you arrive in Bordesley Green, statistically one of the most deprived areas in England, where Wagner wants to build Blues’ new stadium.
Birmingham don’t plan to move far away from St Andrew’s (Photo: Google Maps)He has acquired the land. His company are willing to invest £3bn, and what he needs is a “modest”, in his words, investment from the government to improve transport links between east Birmingham and the city centre.
And that is why Wagner has been busy lobbying. The project hinges on the government’s backing, and in his keynote speech at UKREiiF on Tuesday he notably addressed Angela Rayner directly, the Deputy Prime Minister who followed him on stage in Leeds.
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“From an economic point of view, it’s actually worse than that,” Wagner said. “It would be a crime against the UK, because the growth benefits of the project will be felt far beyond the region.”
Regenerating Bordesley Green ‘key’
He said boosting the local area – with Bordesley Green one of the most deprived areas in England – is a “key element” and promised jobs for the immediate community.
In his bid for funding, Wagner is part of a double act when it comes to championing the Sports Quarter, with Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker joining the Blues co-owner at 10 Downing Street in April.
Listening to Tom Wagner at @UKREiiF today, it’s clear: as Mayor, you don’t get many opportunities like this.
When someone’s ready to invest in something that will change thousands of lives, you break down the barriers. That’s the job. pic.twitter.com/KWzPBZhizQ
“We’re in this job to improve people’s lives and opportunities,” Parker tells The i Paper. “What Tom recognises is that he’s sitting in a community of some of the poorest wards in the country.
“The most important way is giving young people skills and being able to build careers. The opportunity that Tom’s brought to us, we can’t afford to let it slip through our grasp.
Parker said there is no direct competition with Manchester United’s own plans for a new stadium, and remains in contact with Wagner or his team every week at the least.
Parker notes this is a reverse of the norm, where the private funding is already in place and what is required is public money. Whether that comes to fruition, and whether Wagner can take a major step closer towards his vision, we should soon find out.
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