'Disruption and disharmony' - How the national media reacted to Birmingham City relegation

Birmingham City were relegated to League One on Saturday lunchtime despite beating play-off bound Norwich City 1-0 at St Andrew's

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Sport

Jack Flintham

10:59, 5 MAY 2024

Alex Pritchard reacts as Birmingham City are relegated to League One — Birmingham City were relegated to League One on Saturday (Image: Cameron Smith/Getty Images)

Birmingham City will be adapting to life in the third tier of English football next season after being relegated from the Championship on Saturday afternoon.

Following last weekend's draw at Huddersfield Town, Blues knew they needed to beat Norwich City and hope for a favour from elsewhere to avoid the drop. Gary Rowett's side managed to do their bit on the afternoon as Paik Seung-ho's close-range finish won the game.

However, Birmingham knew they were relegated before the final whistle as wins for Plymouth Argyle, Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn Rovers over Hull City, Sunderland and Leicester City respectively condemned the club to their fate. BirminghamLive has taken a closer look at how the national media responded to the sad day.

The Athletic

Reflecting on how the club that faced a new dawn at the beginning of the season were relegated, Rob Tanner wrote: "It has been a tale of disruption and disharmony, with former England captain Wayne Rooney, tasked with bringing in a brand of ‘no fear’ football as [John] Eustace’s replacement, lasting just 15 games and a further four more coaches tasked with picking a starting line-up during a season of chaos.

"Despite the takeover last summer by new owner Tom Wagner and the investment of his company Knighthead Capital Management, and despite the figurehead stature of seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady as chairman of the advisory board, Birmingham’s 13-year spell in the Championship, English football’s second tier, is over. Instead of a planned step up to the Premier League, they will have to rebuild again in League One, a division they haven’t been part of for 30 years.

"Even the presence of serial winner Brady couldn’t stop the rot."

BBC Sport

Ged Scott added: "So it is a painful return to English football’s third tier for Blues - for only the third time in their history. A prospect that looked light years away back in September when, after an unexpectedly good start to the season under Eustace, global sporting superstar Tom Brady made his much-trumpeted entrance as Blues’ new co-owner.

"Rowett lost only three of his eight games in charge. But the postscript on this awful season is that five of the Blues’ 13 league wins this season came under Eustace. And the owners have already admitted that they got the timing of his departure all wrong."

Daily Mirror

Meanwhile, Scott Trotter concluded: "Boos reigned down at St Andrew's despite a final day 1-0 victory over Norwich City. It spells an end to a disastrous season for the Midlands side after John Eustace - who led Blackburn Rovers to safety on the final day - was sacked as head coach in October with the club sitting in sixth position.

"Relegation for Birmingham comes less than a year after Tom Wagner's company Shelby Companies Limited agreed to take control. Shelby Companies Limited is a hat tip to the Birmingham-based television show Peaky Blinders. But the new owners will now have to see their team play in the third tier of English football after a season of turmoil."