Wrexham not alone: Birmingham eyes Premier League push as promotion buzz builds in Second City

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Birmingham fan Paul Ellis wants the big games against the big teams.

Back in the Premier League .

"Last season was more of a building season to get regular players in and to establish a firm base so we could progress onto being in the Premiership,” he said. “The expectation, really, is to get into the Premier League.”

Ahead of its home opener Saturday, second-division Birmingham understands the assignment. Promotion is the buzzword in Britain’s “Second City.”

Even with Birmingham chairman Tom Wagner still on the mend from a stroke, the club is pushing ahead with plans for a new 62,000-seat stadium and setting on-field expectations after a 10th-place finish last season.

“We know our owners are very ambitious. Everyone at the club is ambitious, our managers are ambitious, and the players who’ve joined us have come here because they think this is the club where their ambitions can be realized,” Birmingham chief executive Jeremy Dale said in a preseason club video .

“So, we’re all aligned on our goals, and there should be no confusion about that.”

After spending heavily to get out of League One — Birmingham won the 2024-25 third-division title — the Blues eyed back-to-back promotions but came up short, as did Wrexham .

The top two finishers in the 24-team Championship get automatic promotion to the Premier League. The third and final promotion spot is determined via a multi-team playoffs. Starting this season, the playoffs expand to six teams — up from four.

Like Wrexham some 70 miles away, Birmingham began attracting more eyeballs globally with a change of ownership plus some celebrity stardust.

U.S.-based Knighthead Capital Management, co-founded by Wagner, bought into Birmingham in 2023 and two years later took full control, setting the stage for the unveiling of plans for a multi-billion-pound “sports quarter” district and stadium.

Along the way, they added NFL great Tom Brady as a Birmingham minority owner.

There were some growing pains, too. Wayne Rooney lasted less than three months as manager in the ‘23-24 season that ended in relegation to League One. In a docuseries, Brady questioned the England great's work ethic, and Rooney later called the criticism “very unfair.”

The Blues host Bristol on Saturday at St. Andrew's stadium following a season-opening 0-0 draw at Sheffield United last weekend. Birmingham beat Swansea 1-0 in the first round of the English League Cup on Aug. 8.

Starting his third season as manager, Davies is avoiding predictions.

“Every single season in the Championship is hard,” he said at a recent press conference. “You play 46 games ... there’s not a lot to separate the sides. It’s really a relentless division.”

Davies had worked as an assistant coach to Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, Celtic and Leicester. He then worked under Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham before joining Birmingham.

Birmingham scored just 57 goals last season — while five of the top six teams tallied at least 70. In response, the club this summer hired a set-piece coach , Scott Fry, calling him “one of football’s brightest emerging specialists in this area.”

The investment paid a quick dividend as August Priske's goal against Swansea came from a set piece.

“We have big ambitions," right back and Nigeria international Bright Osayi-Samuel said afterward. “We believe that we can achieve what we want to achieve.”

The team disclosed in February that Wagner had suffered a stroke and would step back from day-to-day activity during a period of recovery

Both Davies and Dale, the chief executive, have said they've been speaking to him regularly.

Fans have reached out to the American financier, as well.

“You really feel that Birmingham fans really care about him, actually care about his health,” co-host Gary O’Neill said on the BCFC Royal Blue podcast .

The club said ahead of the season that Wagner “continues to make strong progress in his recovery. He remains deeply grateful for the countless messages of support and well wishes he has received from Blues fans over recent months. Those messages have meant a great deal to him and certainly hardened his resolve to be back in top form as quickly as possible."

Birmingham last played in the Premier League in 2011 — the same year it won the English League Cup by beating Arsenal 2-1 at Wembley Stadium.

“That is my favorite part, going down to Wembley with my two boys and watching them lift the Cup,” said Ellis, the City fan who is curator at Birmingham city hall.

“As we are the Second City, that is the aim, that is the goal, to have both Birmingham City and Aston Villa in the premiership and playing in Europe,” he added. “It’s more of a promotion for the actual city.”

See AP’s full soccer coverage here