It’s full steam ahead for Birmingham City’s new 62,000-seater stadium after Tom Wagner secured infrastructure funding
12:16, 05 Jun 2025Updated 12:44, 05 Jun 2025
Birmingham City will be building a new 62,000-seater stadium, naming it will be a big task(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Image)
Birmingham City have been given the green-light to press ahead with their plans for a new stadium after the Government confirmed vital funding.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced on Wednesday morning the West Midlands will be given £2.4billion for various infrastructure projects, with £300-400million set aside for a tram-line from the city centre to the old Wheels site.
With guaranteed transport links Tom Wagner can now kick-on with the 62,000-seater, which he hopes to be open very early in the next decade.
With excitement high, we’ve looked at what the new ground might be called. Have your say in the comments section below.
The emotive
Blues are constructing a statue to Trevor Francis outside St Andrew’s, a tribute to the club’s greatest ever player and one of its best ever managers. What bigger tribute than to name the new stadium after Birmingham City’s favourite son? The Trevor Francis Stadium?
There are other contenders, although with a retired shirt number it feels far too early to commemorate Jude Bellingham in concrete, especially given the fact we all hope he’ll one day come back and add to his Blues story. No-one else, not even Christoph Dugarry really feels worthy, though could anyone really grumble if Tom Wagner does a Dave Whelan and comes up with the TW Stadium?
Sell-out to sell out
While some might bridle at St Andrew’s @Knighthead Park, most will recognise it for what it is, a tag-line that helps add to the club’s coffers. And let’s face it, we’re not talking the Trillion Trophy Stadium here.
So does that mean it’s a straight auction, bid the highest, name the ground? The Wotsits Bowl anyone? Delta Stadium or Knighthead Arena?
Or does it need to have at least one foot in tradition? The New St Andrew’s (@Knighthead Park), maybe just St Andrew’s @Knighthead Stadium. Surely it can’t be a straight ‘highest bidder’ situation, even an arrangement with the current kit partners could come unstitched with the first home loss at the Undefeated Stadium.
Do what is says on the tin
The City of Birmingham Stadium. Local power-brokers might love it, using the crown jewel in the Sports Quarter to help with the city’s branding.
Manchester City technically play in the City of Manchester Stadium, albeit the venue is routinely referred to as the Etihad after their main sponsors. It was originally built to stage the 2002 Commonwealth Games, though for Birmingham that shipped has sailed.
While naming it after the city appeals massively and is congruent with the club’s status as the one which bears the city’s name, inevitably corporate shorthand would kick in as it has for Man City or Brighton or Stoke City.
Our say
Alex Dicken: I’d call it the Birmingham City Stadium. My choice of name is quite simple and obvious but the key thing here is that the Sports Quarter has the potential to become the centrepiece of Birmingham city centre. You will see the 62,000-seater stadium from the motorway and instantly think of Birmingham.
Why mess around trying to find a name for it when the name of the club and the city leaps off the page? Realistically, there will probably be some kind of naming rights deal attached to it but I hope the name of the city is also in the wording.
Brian Dick: Instinctively I like the idea of paying tribute to Trevor Francis. However, I can’t escape the commercial reality and accept there is likely to be a corporate moniker.
Of the most obvious backers I don’t mind the Delta Stadium – as long as they pay up! Amazon and Undefeated don’t really light my fire. Let’s go down Man City’s route and start with the City of Birmingham Stadium and see where it goes from there.
What should the new ground be called? Have your say here