Birmingham City takeover: Fans give their views on promises needed

Aug 24 2009 by Andy Richards, Birmingham Mail

WE HAVE been inundated with responses from Blues fans since we launched our Charter for the future of Blues on Friday. Fans have left both questions for would-be owner Carson Yeung and their thoughts on what he needs to do to prove that he is the man to own their club. Here is a selection of those we have received:

Find out about the Birmingham Mail's charter for Birmingham City and add your questions - click here

Mr Yeung: Mr Sullivan and the Gold brothers have been good for the Blues but if you are really interested about taking over our club then do you really have the spare cash to invest in our club? If you dont then you will very soon become a hated figure, and then thousands of fans will simply not bother coming to St Andrews. Its all or nothing. We were messed about the first time and we were relegated  this could easily get us relegated again. Please put your money where you mouth is.

Andy, B25

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Welcome to Birmingham Mr Yeung. I, like all Bluenoses, recognise that you are not interested in Blues for its history as a football club. However, the same can be said of many of the new owners of English football teams. Very few investors in our great sport actually can stand up and say that, come rain or shine, they will be stood singing their clubs anthem with hope and passion in their heart.

So with this in mind I would like to say thank you for investing in Blues.

May you invest well, put your trust in the professionals who know this game, and I hope you make millions from this great club of ours, because any money- maker knows that the product needs to be the best in its field to create the greatest revenue.

Blues will be your shop window in English and, who knows, one day even European football. Lets keep that window fresh and attractive to an ever-developing media market. KRO Mr Yeung. Yours from a very loyal and passionate season ticket holder

Naughton Dunn, Shropshire

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Mr Yeung, are you prepared to invest heavily in quality players that the manager  and not you  will choose and will you promise not to meddle in team affairs as you are said to have done with Hong Kong F.C.?

Raymond Pugh, Derby

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Mr Yeung, what plans do you have for either the development of St Andrews to increase capacity and improve facilities or a move to a new location? 

Jim Reeves, Walsall

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I think my question is an obvious one and one that most Blues fans would also be thinking: Are you here for the good of the club? All most of us want to know is that you are here to invest in the club and take us forward.

For far too long we have been a second-rate team, second to Aston Villa, and that is not good enough.

We believe that this club should be able to compete on every level and should, at the end of every season, be sitting no lower than tenth place.

These are high expectations and I know we are not currently able to do this. But we have been so close to making the next step forward that we feel like we are no longer progressing. Messers Gold & Sullivan have done a lot for the club since they took over but they now seem to have halted. They have invested a lot in backroom staff, who have never quite done the job (in all fairness Alex McLeish is doing a pretty good job so far, so fingers crossed there).

They started rebuilding the stadium, which is great except they stopped at the eyesore that is the main stand. And over the past eight or so seasons they have spent an enormous amount on players, most of which just arent good enough.

So I ask again . . . are you here for the good of the club, and are you going to take us forward to the point that every Bluenose believes we should be?

Steve, Kingshurst

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I would like to know, when Mr Yeung takes over, what the debt at Blues will be. At present we are run as a tight ship, with very few debts. Does he intend to finance Blues with major debts?

And will investment be made in new players this year? Gold and Sullivan are happy to see us yo-yo each season. Are the new owners intent to see us stay in the Premier League, and at what cost? How long does he intend to stay, is it a short- or long-term plan he has for Blues?

Blueandtrue, Bromsgrove

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Be cautious with my club! I want to be able to take my kids to St Andrew’s to watch a match in a few years and not just to show them where my team used to play.

All the best if your intentions are good and you plough money into the club in a wise way and not a lavish one.                

Andy Hadley, Tamworth

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