Steve Bruce aims another blow at Birmingham City board

Apr 7 2008 By Colin Tattum

Steve Bruce has taken another swipe at Blues directors.

After Saturday's 2-0 win over his old club, he insisted his motivation was to pay back Wigan Athletic owner Dave Whelan for the faith he had shown in him.

It followed on from Bruce's comments suggesting that Whelan had more ambition than David Sullivan, the Gold brothers and Karren Brady.

"I spent nearly eight years of my career at Birmingham, but it's gone, history," said Bruce.

"All I was concentrating on Saturday was repaying the faith of someone who wanted to bring me here that badly  and keep the chairman's club in the division.

"We've edged closer to that."

"Look at where Wigan were," Bruce said before the match, "and look at where they are now.

"It's a wonderful story and it's mainly down to the dream of owner Dave Whelan. Fabulous.

"Look at the ambition to put his team on the map. Is it really there at Birmingham?

"The club generate their own money but for the club to go further they need a benefactor - someone who is prepared to put their wealth into it.

"The owners have put their money in to finance loans."

Bruce, who  had grown frustrated at his Blues transfer budgets towards the end of his reign, continued: "If you look at the players Villa boss Martin O'Neill has bought, they are all £6 million, £7 million players. Look at Spurs. Look at Everton, they have a nucleus of those sort of players. Birmingham's team aren't full of them, are they?

"The club cannot generate enough money as it stands. Unless Mr Sullivan and the Gold brothers are going to dip into their own fortune, then it will be as it always has been, I'm afraid."