Spurs visit underlines Birmingham progress

January 30, 2010

Harry Redknapp underlined the remarkable job carried out by Alex McLeish this season when he observed recently that Birmingham could not be discounted in the race for a top four finish in the Premier League.

It was not something the Tottenham boss would have said when the two clubs met at White Hart Lane back in August, at which point McLeish’s squad were still seen as more likely candidates for relegation than European football.

McLeish would surely walk the manager of the year award if the season were to finish now and, although Chelsea ended Birmingham’s 15-match unbeaten run in midweek, Tottenham know they face a serious test when the two clubs resume hostilities at St Andrews on Saturday.

An added time winner from England winger Aaron Lennon secured the points for Spurs in the first meeting and their defender Sebastien Bassong admitted he had been surprised how well Birmingham have done since.

“I think a lot of people are very surprised about what they’ve done, but if they’re in this position after more than 20 games then maybe they deserve this position,” Bassong said. “They’re playing well and they’ve got no pressure, so it’s a good time for them.”

The defender added: “We saw how difficult they are to beat earlier in the season at White Hart Lane. Aaron scored the winning goal in the 95th minute or something, and I think it’s going to be the same type of game again. But we played well on Tuesday (in a 2-0 win over Fulham) and we will try to do the same on Saturday.”

Tottenham, who go into the match sitting in fourth place in the table, are hoping to have completed the loan signing of Eidur Gudjohnsen from Monaco by Saturday although it appeared unlikely the Icelandic forward would be involved at St Andrews.

McLeish is also battling to add a high-profile signing to his ranks before the transfer window slams shut, with Spurs misfit Roman Pavyluchenko and Lens striker Aruna Dindane among his potential targets.

He was promised up to 40 million pounds by Hong Kong tycoon Carson Yeung but has only recruited two midfielders – Craig Gardner and Miguel Marcos Michel – so far, to the tune of around five million.

It promises to be a interesting few days for the former Scotland coach, who has made no secret of his desire to bring in at least one forward.

“I’ve given the board a couple of names, and I’m hoping they will get something done for us,” he said. “The strikers need help. Kevin Phillips has a small injury and we need to add something to help the others because we’ll burn them out playing these guys every week of the season.

“I’m fearful they will lose a little edge if we do, so an extra striker would spice things up a wee bit.”

McLeish admitted that his side faces a test of character after the end of their unbeaten run. “It’s a new challenge for them because they have not been in this position for a long time,” he said.

“It’s now how they react.

“We knew that someday we would drop points and we have gone over old experiences.

“Manchester United have gone on unbeaten runs knowing that one day they would lose. It’s coping with that and not beating up ourselves over the Chelsea defeat.

“The good thing about the Chelsea game was that afterwards I could see in the dressing room that the players were really upset and cared. You can tell a player’s character when you get that sort of reaction.

“We haven’t achieved anything. They say pride comes before a fall so we do not want to be thumping the drums until we have done something.

“The Chelsea game was a little reminder that we still have some hard work ahead of us. I do not judge my team over a season on what happened at Stamford Bridge.”

BIRMINGHAM (AFP)

Tags: added time, alex mcleish, dindane, first meeting, good time, gudjohnsen, Harry Redknapp, high profile, hostilities, Monaco, premier league, relegation, remarkable job, spurs, st andrews, time winner, tycoon, white hart lane, winger

Michel joins Birmingham´s Yeung generation

January 12, 2010

Miguel Marcos Michel has become the first major signing of Carson Yeung’s reign as Birmingham City owner after the Blues announced Monday they’d signed him from Spanish side Sporting Gijon.

The 24-year-old has joined in a deal worth a reported three million pounds.

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish almost signed the midfielder in August but the clubs were unable to agree on the structure of payments for the player.

Hong Kong tycoon Yeung, who took over Birmingham in October, has promised to back McLeish in the transfer market.

“Michel is in a great age group and has got good legs and a lovely touch on the ball as you would imagine from a Spanish player performing at La Liga level,” McLeish told the club’s official website on Monday.

Michel scored seven goals in 138 appearances for Sporting Gijon since making his debut in the 2005/06 season and had been the club’s player of the season during each of the last two campaigns.

Former Scotland manager McLeish, who could have at least 20 million pounds to spend on new signings, said he was still “interested in one or two players”.

But he said each potential acquisition would be judged on its own merits.

“If there’s 20 million pounds to spend then I’m sure Carson means that but whether I spend that remains to be seen,” he said.

“I would probably need to bring four or five players in to get through that money. I’m certainly not going to spend it on one player because I don’t think we’re ready for that step.

“There are a few clubs that are desperate for cash and we’re aware of that as well,” McLeish added.

“So prices can be inflated at the beginning of the month and they start to see sense towards the end of January.”

Last weekend’s 1-1 draw with champions Manchester United saw Birmingham extend their club record of successive unbeaten top-flight games to 12 matches and left them an impressive eighth in the table.

BIRMINGHAM (AFP)

Tags: acquisition, age group, alex mcleish, Birmingham, birmingham city, campaigns, CARSON, carson yeung, debut, flight games, Hong Kong, legs, Manchester, manchester united, merits, Michel, midfielder, Miguel Marcos Michel, new signings, scotland, spanish side, sporting gijon, top flight, tycoon

Yeung’s Birmingham takeover confirmed

November 11, 2009

Hong Kong tycoon Carson Yeung’s takeover of Premier League club Birmingham has been rubber-stamped by the stock exchange.

Yeung took charge at St Andrews last month and Wednesday’s announcement that shares in the holding company have been taken off the stock market was a formality confirming Birmingham’s new status as a private business.

A statement from the City read: “In line with the notification of the company’s delisting that was made on 14 October 2009, the Company is delisted so that its shares are no longer admitted to trading on AIM.”

The statement also confirmed Yeung, Vico Hui and Michael Wiseman as the sole directors of the company and club boards.

Yeung has pledged to invest around 40 millon pounds to help boss Alex McLeish keep Birmingham, currently 15th in the table, in the English top-flight after last season’s promotion.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: AFP, aim, alex mcleish, Birmingham, boss, carson yeung, CITY, delisting, formality, holding company, Hong Kong, london, michael wiseman, millon, premier league, private business, s promotion, st andrews, stock exchange, stock market, takeover, top flight, tycoon

Yeung gains 86% of Birmingham City, takeover nears

September 29, 2009

Hong Kong tycoon Carson Yeung said Tuesday he had moved closer to gaining full control of English Premier League club Birmingham City, boosting his plans to develop football in China.

Yeung said he now held 86 percent of the club while his company, Hong Kong-listed Grandtop International Holdings, gained approval to raise the 57 million pounds (91 million US) needed to complete the transaction.

The tycoon, who bought 29.9 percent of Birmingham in 2007, is keen to use the purchase of the club to boost links between English and Chinese football and develop his other business interests in apparel and entertainment.

“We wanted to buy Birmingham because it was free of debt and it owns its own stadium so we can incorporate other commercial developments,” Yeung told reporters, declining to give further details.

Grandtop is particularly interested in plans by Birmingham council for a new 55,000-seat stadium as part of a city re-development, the company’s chief operation officer Sammy Yu said.

Yeung has previously said he would personally offer team manager Alex McLeish five million pounds to buy “better players.”

The tycoon said Tuesday that he would be committed to keeping McLeish on board as manager but declined to give more information on his projects for the team.

“We would like to keep the takeover smooth. We will keep the current manager and try to do our best for the club’s interest,” he said.

He also said he couldn’t reveal any more information on plans to tie in his other businesses with the club until they were finalised.

The deal is expected to be formally completed in early October with the major shareholders all having committed to selling to him.

His takeover will bring an end to co-owner David Sullivan’s official involvement with the club after 16 years, and also that of managing director Karren Brady.

Earlier this month Yeung told British reporters he wanted to recruit Chinese players with potential and promote English football in China.

Yeung’s first attempt to seize control of the club in 2007 fell through, triggering the departure of manager Steve Bruce mid-way through a season that ended in relegation.

They were promoted back to the top flight last season.

HONG KONG (AFP)

Tags: alex mcleish, Birmingham, birmingham city, Brady, business interests, carson yeung, chief operation officer, China, chinese football, chinese players, co owner, commercial developments, david sullivan, english football, English Premier League, Hong Kong, karren brady, managing director, sammy, Sammy Yu, seat stadium, shareholders, Steve Bruce, takeover, tycoon, U.S.

Storrie vows to stay at Pompey despite snub

August 27, 2009

Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie has told new Fratton Park owner Sulaiman Al Fahim that he is willing to stay with the Premier League team even though his consortium’s attempt to buy the club was snubbed.

Al Fahim’s protracted takeover was finally given the green light on Wednesday when owner Sacha Gaydamak agreed to sell to the Arab tycoon after several months of uncertainty.

Storrie had worked to bring in another possible purchaser from Saudi Arabia when it looked like Al Fahim’s bid may fail.

But although Storrie was upset that his efforts were unrewarded, he is still committed to the club.

“We were under the impression that on Wednesday morning we were going to sign and complete the takeover,” Storrie told Sky Sports News.

“Unbeknown to us, I now discover that Sulaiman got involved again on the Tuesday.

“Sacha told me that he had decided to sell the club to Sulaiman. It was a big shock and a big disappointment.

“I’m still chief executive of a football club and it’s a club I feel very passionate about.

“I still want very much to be a part of Portsmouth Football Club.”

PORTSMOUTH, England (AFP)

Tags: al fahim, chief executive, consortium, disappointment, England, Fratton Park, Peter Storrie, pompey, Portsmouth, portsmouth england, portsmouth football club, premier league, purchaser, saudi arabia, shock, Sky Sports, sky sports news, snub, sulaiman, takeover, tycoon, uncertainty, wednesday morning

Hong Kong tycoon makes Birmingham buyout bid

August 24, 2009

Hong Kong tycoon Carson Yeung said Monday he has offered 57.13 million pounds (94.7 million US) to buy English Premier League team Birmingham City, promising money to buy new players.

Yeung, whose Hong Kong-listed Grandtop International has a 29.9 percent stake in the club, said the firm would raise 785 million Hong Kong dollars (100.6 million US) through an open offer of shares for the acquisition.

The businessman’s latest attempt to seize control of the newly promoted side came after his first bid in 2007 failed to materialise.

But he said he was only waiting for the right moment for the takeover.

“The club was relegated (in the (2007/08) season. I bought it this year because it bounced back. It’s as simple as that,” he told a press conference in Hong Kong.

Yeung said Grandtop had placed a deposit of three million pounds for the offer, which he said was already accepted by shareholders representing approximately 50 percent of the existing issued share capital of the club.

The tycoon said he hoped to attract more talent to the club and encourage exchange between Chinese and overseas players.

He added there was a possibility that he would personally offer five million pounds for team manager Alex McLeish to buy “better players”.

He said the acquisition would open up numerous opportunities for his apparel and entertainment company to expand and diversify its business, especially in China.

If successful, the takeover would add to a growing list of foreign club-owners in the English Premier League, which include the American Glazer family at Manchester United and Russian Roman Abramovich at Chelsea.

Vico Hui, the Grandtop’s executive director, said he was confident Birmingham City would generate a profit next year.

HONG KONG(AFP) (AFP)

Tags: 6 million, AFP, alex mcleish, Birmingham, birmingham city, businessman, buyout bid, carson yeung, CHELSEA, China, English Premier League, entertainment company, executive director, glazer family, Hong Kong, hong kong dollars, Manchester, manchester united, percent stake, premier league, promising money, right moment, roman abramovich, share capital, shareholders, takeover, tycoon, U.S., Vico Hui

Birmingham confirm Yeung set to increase stake

August 12, 2009

Birmingham City confirmed on Wednesday that the Carson Yeung-backed Grandtop International group are set to increase their investment in the newly promoted Premier League club.

The Blues released a statement in response to a report in England that claimed Hong Kong-based tycoon Yeung was planning to make another attempt to takeover Birmingham after an aborted bid in 2007.

Yeung is Birmingham’s biggest shareholder with a 29.9 percent stake and is believed to be ready to buy the 23.22 percent stakes held by owner David Sullivan, chairman David Gold and his brother Ralph Gold.

“The board of Birmingham note the recent press speculation and confirm they have received an approach from Grandtop International Holdings Limited (‘Grandtop’) – which may or may not lead to an offer for the entire issued share capital of the Company,” a Birmingham statement read.

“Grandtop is currently a 29.9 percent shareholder, having acquired this holding in 2007.

“As shareholders will be aware, previous approaches did not proceed – and the issue of the funding of any possible offer will be a major factor in determining how the company responds to the approach.”

BIRMINGHAM, England (AFP)