Tears of fans as Birmingham City go down

May 12 2008 By Paul Suart

DESPITE the crushing disappointment of relegation, the mood among many Blues fans was one of defiance after watching their team demolish Blackburn Rovers 4-1 at a sunsoaked St Andrew's.

There were tears, anger, frustration with the board, the team and one other.

But many Bluenoses said they were optimistic the team would bounce back to the Premiership.

Alan Stanley, aged 44, a forklift driver from Bromsgrove, said: "We've got to look forward and hopefully bounce straight back like the Albion.

"If we can keep some of the players we can probably win that league but it is a tough league to win."

His son Laurence, aged eight, a pupil at The Meadows Primary School, in Bristol Road South, was equally positive.

He said: "I feel fine - I'm not too disappointed.

"They can come straight back." Jim Bradshaw, 34, a mortgage consultant from Bartley Green, went to the game with his 14-year-old son Sam who attends Bartley Green School in Adams Hill.

Jim said: "I'm obviously really disappointed and gutted to get relegated but we have seen the ups and downs before and I'm confident next year we can get straight back in to the Premier League."

Sam said: "I'm quite disappointed but at least we went down having fun."

While the atmosphere was generally optimistic, many fans attributed relegation to the board, who they accused of not spending enough cash. Dave Smith, 58, a teaching consultant from Stourbridge, said: "I blame the board, they should have invested more.

"I don't blame Steve Bruce or Alex McLeish.

"Last time we went down they should have invested in good players instead of paying Championship fees for Championship players.

"I don't want the board to go, they should stay and get us out of this mess."

Alex Williams, 17, from Moseley, was at the game with his father Len, 57, his 15 year-old brother Martin and sister Jo, 19.

The Solihull Sixth Form student, a regular at St Andrew's for 11 years, said: "It's the board - I don't blame the manager.

"They should have given us more money. We have got the quality to come back up if we can keep the same players.

"James McFadden said he would stay, so we should be alright."

But Geoff Cook, aged 48, who works at the Aston Martin plant, in Warwickshire, was not so enthusiastic about Blues' promotion prospects.

The Northfield father-of-two said: "We are going all the way down.

"We won't keep our best players - no-one will want to stay.

His wife Jane, a 41-year-old care worker, said: "The board has not spent the money.

"They've charged us a bundle and not spent it."

Dean Lester, from Walsall, said the relegation felt worse than when the Blues were demoted two years ago.

The 18-year-old student said: "I'm really disappointed.

"To be honest the board have promised things and not delivered.

"I hear David Sullivan is leaving which is the best result of the day, but we'll be back up."