Keith Wyness, former chief executive of Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen, has praised Birmingham City owner Tom Wagner’s desire to create a 62,000-capacity stadium by 2030.
However, on the Insider Track podcast, he questions “where that money and revenue is going to go,” after it was revealed that the stadium itself would cost £1.2 billion to build, in addition to the other costs set to make Birmingham’s new Sports Quarter one of the country’s largest community hubs.
The Blues have Premier League ambitions, and promotion to the top division could not come soon enough, as the team strives to become one of Europe’s most powerful clubs.
Wagner expects that their new ‘Powerhouse’ stadium will be ready for use in 2030, and the closer they are to European glory by the start of the 2030/31 season, the more probable Birmingham will be able to raise the funds required to play in such a large stadium.
However, with the Blues still in the Championship, Wyness believes that “the jury is still out” on the feasibility of such an approach.
Keith Wyness discusses Tom Wagner’s Birmingham City goals.
Speaking on the Insider Track podcast, Wyness, who previously served as CEO of Everton and Aston Villa in England, lauded Tom Wagner for having such big goals for both Birmingham as a football club and the city itself.
The 68-year-old understands how difficult it can be to bring these stadium plans to fruition, as he was a key figure in Everton’s ambitions to relocate to a 50,000-capacity stadium in Kirby in 2008, which finally failed.
“I’ve been in this phase of projects before, and it’s not that easy to then make this reality,” according to him.
“There will be a lot of arm-twisting and wrestling, late-night meetings, and most likely a lot more than they expect, as costs will rise as well.
“With HS2 stopping in Birmingham, it makes it very appealing, almost like a London club […] so there’s one benefit that has always been.
But, as I previously stated, there is a long way to go, but having goal is admirable, and I give them full marks for that. But, as I often say, it’s all in the eye of the beholder.
Wyness believes that if Wagner and his team had announced staggered completion deadlines for specific areas of the new stadium, Birmingham fans would not have objected. With a scheduled opening date, there is more pressure to meet the deadline.
The former Everton CEO praises the desire to do so, but realizes how difficult it may be to meet the 2030 target.
“I believe they have given themselves something to aim for, an image and a mood to strive for, and they deserve full marks for that. But, let’s see, the jury is still out on how to execute such a large undertaking,” he added.
“It may have been wiser to execute it in stages and complete distinct tasks by specific dates. I believe people would have accepted it, but they went for the complete package and wanted to deliver.
“[Tom Wagner] has that ambition, but there are a few questions yet to be answered about where that money and revenue is going to go.”
Tom Wagner and Birmingham City have set their sights on the Premier League.
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