"To be brutally honest" - Claim made on Birmingham City's US owners | OneFootball

FLW's Blues fan pundit has issued his verdict on Knighthead's connection with supporters in B9

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Birmingham City may reside in League One at this moment in time, but the club's long-term ambitions under the ownership group of Knighthead have been well-documented.

After years of uncertainty with the likes of Carson Yeung and Trillion Trophy Asia in control of the boardroom in B9, the group fronted by American businessman Tom Wagner, alongside former Manchester City, Nike and UFC CEO Garry Cook, purchased a 45.64% stake in the club and full control of the stadium, which has since been renamed St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park.

Despite only taking over 15 months ago, it has been an extremely eventful period in Birmingham's rich history, for both good and bad reasons.

Regardless of suffering a painful relegation from the Championship in May, the club's current standpoint at the top of League One after a summer of heavy investment into the playing squad and infrastructure of the club, only reflects the current mood of excitement and optimism that surrounds the Bluenoses.

Birmingham City owners praised for their transparency and supporter connections

One of those is Football League World's Birmingham City fan pundit, Mike Gibbs, who has sung the praises of Wagner, Brady and Cook for their transparency and the connections they've established with the supporters since becoming the latest custodians of the club.

"I think the owners have got a fantastic relationship and connection with the fans," Gibbs told FLW.

"More so than any owner of the club I've ever seen, and more so than most other club owners, to be honest.

"Very transparent, very open, lots of regular communication - even to the point where they admit they've made mistakes at times.

"I think it's been great so far. I think they understand what it is that the supporters want. They're very open to feedback and doing things within the community.

"I can't fault them to be brutally honest."

Birmingham City's lofty short-term ambitions are clear for everyone to see

After relegation was confirmed, the ownership group stated that Chris Davies would mould a "Championship-ready squad" able to compete once promotion is achieved as soon as possible, which they are currently on track to do after starting the season with seven wins and a draw.

Of course, the record-breaking deal which saw Jay Stansfield return from Fulham further signalled the club's intentions, with the ambition that the former Exeter City man can realise his potential with the Second City outfit after netting 12 Championship goals last term and starting his permanent Blues career in fine form.

Despite numerous renovations being made to St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park in such a short period of time, recent revelations from the Sun show that the American owners hope to grow the club's supporter-base even further in the years to come, stating that a new 62,000 stadium and sports quarter on the former Birmingham Wheels site could cost in between 2-3 billion pounds.

The aim is for the club to leave their current ground - which has been their home since 1905 - by the summer of 2029, although community has very much remained at the forefront of Wagner's minds amid talk of a new stadium.

“We want something that fits in the community and critically it’s important that this doesn’t look like a blight on the skyline of Birmingham and that it fits within the context of the city and more importantly, the neighbourhood," he said back in April.

“There’s a lot to be done here but all of this is in keeping with our broader objectives.”