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Birmingham City manager Chris Davies applauds the fans after the final whistle of the Championship soccer match between Sheffield United and Birmingham City in Sheffield, England, Saturday Aug. 15, 2026. (Gary Oakley\/PA via AP)<\/p>\n
Gary Oakley\/Gary Oakley\/PA via AP<\/p>\n
Birmingham City’s Paik Seung-Ho, left, heads the ball during the Championship soccer match between Sheffield United and Birmingham City in Sheffield, England, Saturday Aug. 15, 2026. (Gary Oakley\/PA via AP)<\/p>\n
Gary Oakley\/Gary Oakley\/PA via AP<\/p>\n
Sheffield United’s Sam McCallum, right, and Birmingham City’s Phil Neumann in action during the Championship soccer match between Sheffield United and Birmingham City in Sheffield, England, Saturday Aug. 15, 2026. (Gary Oakley\/PA via AP)<\/p>\n
Gary Oakley\/Gary Oakley\/PA via AP<\/p>\n
FILE – Former quarterback Tom Brady, left, talks to Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen before an NFL football game between the Buccaneers and the Philadelphia Eagles, Sept. 29, 2024, in Tampa, Fla.<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara\/AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara<\/p>\n
Sheffield United’s Joe Rothwell, left, and Birmingham City’s Jhon Solis in action the Championship soccer match between Sheffield United and Birmingham City in Sheffield, England, Saturday Aug. 15, 2026. (Gary Oakley\/PA via AP)<\/p>\n
Gary Oakley\/Gary Oakley\/PA via AP<\/p>\n
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) \u2014 Birmingham fan Paul Ellis wants the big games against the big teams.<\/p>\n
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Back in the Premier League.<\/p>\n
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“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,\u201d he said. \u201cThe expectation, really, is to get into the Premier League.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ahead of its home opener Saturday, second-division Birmingham understands the assignment. Promotion is the buzzword in Britain\u2019s \u201cSecond City.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know our owners are very ambitious. Everyone at the club is ambitious, our managers are ambitious, and the players who\u2019ve joined us have come here because they think this is the club where their ambitions can be realized,\u201d Birmingham chief executive Jeremy Dale said in a preseason club video<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cSo, we\u2019re all aligned on our goals, and there should be no confusion about that.\u201d<\/p>\n After spending heavily to get out of League One \u2014 Birmingham won the 2024-25 third-division title \u2014 the Blues eyed back-to-back promotions but came up short, as did Wrexham.<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 up from four.<\/p>\n Welcome to Birmingham<\/p>\n Like Wrexham some 70 miles away, Birmingham began attracting more eyeballs globally with a change of ownership plus some celebrity stardust.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n 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 \u201csports quarter\u201d district and stadium.<\/p>\n Along the way, they added NFL great Tom Brady as a Birmingham minority owner.<\/p>\n There were some growing pains, too. Wayne Rooney lasted less than three months as manager in the \u201823-24 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 \u201cvery unfair.\u201d<\/p>\n On the field<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Starting his third season as manager, Davies is avoiding predictions.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery single season in the Championship is hard,\u201d he said at a recent press conference. \u201cYou play 46 games … there\u2019s not a lot to separate the sides. It\u2019s really a relentless division.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Birmingham scored just 57 goals last season \u2014 while five of the top six teams tallied at least 70. In response, the club this summer hired a set-piece coach<\/a>, Scott Fry, calling him \u201cone of football\u2019s brightest emerging specialists in this area.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The investment paid a quick dividend as August Priske’s goal against Swansea came from a set piece.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have big ambitions,” right back and Nigeria international Bright Osayi-Samuel said afterward. \u201cWe believe that we can achieve what we want to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n Support for Tom Wagner<\/p>\n The team disclosed in February that Wagner had suffered a stroke<\/a> and would step back from day-to-day activity during a period of recovery<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Both Davies and Dale, the chief executive, have said they’ve been speaking to him regularly.<\/p>\n Fans have reached out to the American financier, as well.<\/p>\n