Birmingham City's Keith Fahey (right) celebrates scoring his
side's first goal against Reading with Kevin Phillips
Birmingham City won the dramatic three-way fight for
automatic promotion to the Barclays Premier League yesterday.
Twelve months after being relegated, they regained their place at
the top table and claimed the £60 million prize that goes with
it.
That is the figure that the Midlands club can expect to reap
next season from increased television payments of £35 million and
extra revenue from attendances, marketing and associated
spin-offs.
Birmingham went up courtesy of a 2-1 win against Reading at the
Madejski Stadium. With Sheffield United, the third party in with a
chance, held to a 0-0 draw by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, it
would have been Reading who went back to the Premier League — also
at the first time of asking — with victory.
Alex McLeish, the Birmingham manager, was drenched in champagne
as he entered the dressing-room after the final whistle. The former
Scotland and Rangers manager admitted that it had been one of the
most memorable moments of his career.
“It’s got be to be up there with all my various achievements,”
McLeish said. “I just know how much it means to people, to Blues
fans all over the world and here. Of course, there is the financial
side of things to it as well.
“The consequences of not going up? I just tried to get that out
of my head. There is a sense of relief in the dressing-room but it
is also euphoric. It has got to rank with the best feelings I’ve
ever had.”
Birmingham had appeared to be cruising at 2-0 with goals from
Keith Fahey and Kevin Phillips, but Reading replied through Marek
Matejovsky to set up a tense finish. “At 2-0 I thought we’d done
it,” McLeish said. “That last 20 minutes was a bit of an
ordeal.”
David Sullivan, the Birmingham co-owner, experienced similar
emotions to McLeish when Matejovsky scored, but his pre-season
prediction was realised. “It’s been a draining day,” Sullivan said.
“But I’m delighted for Alex, the players, everyone. I expected us
to do it. If you look at all my interviews from the start of the
season, I said that we would be promoted.”
Sullivan, David Gold, his fellow co-owner, and Karren Brady, the
managing director, will discuss the 2009-10 campaign — especially
the budget for new players — at a board meeting during the
summer.
McLeish fell out with Brady this season after she had made
disparaging comments about the unwieldy nature of his squad, but in
the post-match celebrations Brady was seen blowing a kiss in the
Scot’s direction. However, asked whether he would be manager next
season, McLeish said cryptically: “I don’t know. You’d better ask
the board. I’ll certainly be here for the next 24 hours.”
Reading and Sheffield United can still win a £60 million jackpot
of their own via the play-offs. Reading take on Burnley in the
semi-finals while Sheffield meet Preston North End. “We have a
second opportunity,” Steve Coppell, the Reading manager, said. “We
can’t afford to dwell too much on this game.”
Newcastle United could be heading in the opposite direction
after losing 3-0 to Liverpool at Anfield. Their increasingly
hopeless task was not helped by the sending-off of Joey Barton for
a foul on Xabi Alonso.
