Birmingham City chairman Tom Wagner has unveiled ambitious plans for a new £1.2billion 62,000-capacity stadium, hailing it as a “great homecoming story” for soccer superstar Jude Bellingham.
The Real Madrid midfielder, who began his career at St Andrew’s, has been involved in promotional material for the impressive new ground, which is due to be completed by the 2030-31 season.
Wagner, the American businessman behind the club’s vision, spoke enthusiastically about Bellingham’s potential.
“I think Jude is the best player on the field today and I think his potential isn’t even close … we haven’t seen anywhere close to his potential, not just as a player on the field, but also what he can do for a community, what he can do as a leader,” he said.
“And so if we can provide a platform for him to reach his full potential, well then that’s a great story. It’s a great homecoming story, it’s a great Birmingham story. It’s a great England story. So…yeah.”
A proposed ‘Powerhouse Stadium’, which will also have naming rights, is planned for Bordsley Green.
It has a retractable roof and a convertible pitch, designed to host a variety of events, including NFL games and large concerts.
The surrounding development will include a new training center, a smaller stadium for the Blue Women’s team, affordable housing and a hotel.
Acknowledging the scale of the project for a Championship club, Wagner admitted: “To me, we look like simpletons sitting in the Championship and saying we’re going to do it.”
However, he defended the ambition, citing the club’s strong fan base, noting that 50,000 tickets were sold for last season’s Wembley Cup final, with a further 26,000 waiting to be bought.
Emphasizing the philosophy of building for the future, not the past, he added: “I think it shows that the fan base is big enough to fill the stadium.”
Wagner also highlighted the stadium’s environmental credentials, claiming it was “perhaps the healthiest stadium ever built.”
He emphasized its multipurpose nature, which can host “any event under the sun, from the biggest concert tours in the world to boxing matches to the NFL.”
The club aims to compete for the right to host NFL events and international football matches, putting the venue “right up there with modern stadiums in the UK and the world”.
