It is at half an hour on foot from Birmingham New Street Station to St Andrew's and that is enough known to the city to understand the depth of its non -compliance.
From the site of the abandoned Festival of the Smithfield to the Sea of Graffiti and garbage sacks that are shed in Digbeth, the views speak of a place whose advice is in bankruptcy, shouting for the investment. It is the type of scene of the city center that Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool throws themselves years ago.
That is why Knighthead Capital, the group owned by the city of Birmingham led by Tom Wagner, with Tom Brady as a small minority investor, brings Hope transcending football, despite the first half of his team against Newcastle That does not arrive at all on Saturday night.
Its plan is a “sports neighborhood” that includes a new Blues stadium and a training field in the city's green area of the city. “The gentlemen are pushing an open door,” says a city source. 'They are the ones who have vision here. It is as much as the Council can do to boost budget cuts and balance your books. We need to give Wagner the means to fulfill the plans.
There is great potential for a transformation with football in its nucleus. The population of the second city of Great Britain is 1.14 million and HS2 will put it within 49 minutes in London in eight years, if the schedule is completed. That seems like a severe internal investment.
The question is whether Knighthead will be patient to wait for your football club to become profitable, continuing to lose millions during a big climb that will be complex, with many other candidates for Premier League clubs for the competition. On Saturday night it was a reminder that Brum will not be built in one day. Blowing the third level transfer record with £ 15 million for Jay Stansfield, he had nothing when a golden opportunity arrived. It was lost.
The new group owned by Birmingham City, led by Tom Wagner (in the photo), has brought hope to the city
Tom Brady and Wagner were in 'Hollywood Derby' by Birmingham with Wrexham in September
The Blues Chief, Chris Davies, was encouraged by the performance of his team in his 3-2 defeat on Saturday
Some of the proposals and figures of the knights are disconcerting. The cost of the new stadium complex is '£ 2 billion to £ 3 billion' and Wagner has spoken that the club moves there by 2029.
The entire sum of the investment under its administration is £ 9 billion, so that will need other investors.
The deadline is also extremely ambitious, and formal planning requests have not yet been submitted and the project depends on local authorities that agree to establish new transport links, so they have done for years.
There were reports that went to the Saturday's Wagner game that wanted to place a tunnel from New Street to the new stadium at a cost of £ 20 million. A development like that, which does not seem necessary, would cost much more than that.
Garry Cook's departure as executive director of the city, announced three weeks ago, was not encouraging. Cook, who left for 'personal reasons', is a serious operator, who persuaded the Abu Dhabis to buy Manchester City and had recruited some of his former executive team of the Etihad stadium here. His departure, wrapped in mystery, is a loss.
But none of that darkens the transformation of ST Andrew. The old place bounced on Saturday and looked like light years of rank incompetence and the abject decision -making of the previous Chinese owners, Birmingham Sports Holdings.
Wagner's optimism about Birmingham's long -term perspectives, with his “dynamic and very educated, diverse economy.” His pleas for a less obstructive planning system, to awaken the “animal spirits” of the city, the bells with the current government of the government. And unlike Wrexham, American property, City does not depend on the potential of documents to maintain the presence of its owners.
For 45 minutes, City dedicated himself to the feet with Newcastle. “We want to make a trip and get out of the League one,” said Manager Chris Davies after 3-2 defeat.
Knighthead capital has proposed a new stadium complex, which costs up to £ 3 billion, which will be completed in four years
The League team one performed an energetic performance against the Uracas in form on Saturday night
St Andrew's bounced when local fans saw their players contribute to an exciting crash of the FA Cup
“If we continue playing with this spirit, we will go somewhere.” The spirit will not be enough, of course. Newcastle, with the two goals of Joe Willock and Danish Under-21 International Will Osula, Osula's threat, the standard presented.
On the site of the old custard factory of the city, along the way to the stadium, is the John F Kennedy Memorial Mosaic, the most visible American bond in Birmingham. “A man can die, nations can get up and fall, but an idea lives,” he says. If Wagner and CO's idea have fruit and both the club and the city are restored together, they will also be immortalized here.