Birmingham City: Formal handover of power from Karren Brady to Carson Yeung takes place

Oct 12 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

THE first steps of the Carson Yeung era were being taken today as the Hong Kong tycoon’s group moved in at St Andrew’s.

Sammy Yu, Peter Pannu and Vico Hui arranged a meeting with Karren Brady to receive the keys to the club in a formal hand-over of power.

And Alex McLeish was due for a face-to-face gathering with Yeung’s key men at the ground after Blues’ training had been concluded at Wast Hills.

Yeung, mastermind of an £81.5 million takeover of Blues through investment firm Grandtop International Holdings, has pencilled in Thursday for a media conference to outline his plans and launch the new era in earnest.

The structure of the board has already started to take shape, and the appointment of a new CEO was also being finalised today.

Yeung is set to become Blues’ president with Hui, Grandtop’s CEO, taking over as chairman from David Gold.

Yu is the vice-chairman football and chief operations officer, while Pannu’s brief is financial and executive matters as another vice-chairman.

Michael Wiseman, a Blues director since 2005, is set to take on increased responsibilities and join the new board as well.

Former England star Steve McManaman is unlikely to be one of the main movers and shakers in Yeung’s Blues.

An executive director of Grandtop, the Hong Kong-based clothing firm, he is likely to be handed an ambassador role, with a requirement to help international player development.