Countdown and conundrum
Sunday is supposedly the day of rest, right?
Day of agony or ecstasy more like. But let's not go there, much has been said and written about Blues destiny, can they do it and if they don't, what the hell has gone wrong?
We will deal with all that next week. For now, some light relief.
As you will have possibly read in my colleagues blogs, the Midlands football writers gathered for a very social lunch the other day in Dorridge.
Alex McLeish and Andy Watson sat next to Trevor Francis and swapped much chit-chat re Blues. Terry Westley was a couple of seats down, too.
All it needed was for Steve Bruce to pop in from his pad around the corner and there could have been quite some pow-wow.
McLeish was among the last to leave and created a very good impression with the writers, many of whom still aren't quite sure how he ticks.
In turn, I think he has been quite wary about the hacks having landed on a new patch somewhat less frenzied than Glasgow.
McLeish held sway with Ron Atkinson for a while, and was stumped by his quiz question: who marked TF on his football debut?
I did, of course, said Big Ron, for Oxford United (although I'm not 100 per cent sure that indeed was the case).
I got Big Ron thinking about the only Birmingham City player to appear in a World Cup finals? And by that I mean a player who was contracted by the club at the time.
So it wasn't Alberto Tarantini. Big Ron, who loves his football minutiae, got it in the end.
On the subject of Argentinians, Mauro Zarate will be sporting a new look on Sunday.
He's only gone and had his hair completely shaved off.
He no longer looks like a swarthy Latino, but a Bulldog Brit.
On the subject of Bulldog Brits (sort of), had a chat with Geoff Horsfield for his thoughts on Blues and their chances of another Great Escape. Remember him and Albion?
The Horse, who had some interesting things to say about the Villa derby, is seeking pastures new.
He will be released by Sheffield United at the end of his contract next month and has already had inquiries from clubs at home and abroad.
I told him that now he's knocking on a bit, 46 or whatever it is, he might struggle to get fixed up.
"Now, lad," he said, "don't be cheeky - that's the age of me liver and kidneys, not me!".
Also in tomorrow's Birmingham Mail, we will be giving away a free poster for fans to show at St Andrew's in support of Blues.
A prayer mat might have been more appropriate, I guess, but as McLeish has been imploring, and as The Horse recounts tomorrow, you've got to believe.
PS: further to the last blog, Georgie Thompson seems to be getting the popular vote.
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Colin Tattum
Mail man Colin Tattum’s view of what’s going on at Birmingham City FC.
Was Medhi Nafti the only Blues player to appear at a World Cup while contracted?
Was Medhi Nafti the only Blues player to appear at a World Cup while contracted?
Dear Birmingham City Fc ,
Firstly I would like to apologise to David Gold and David Sullivan ( and their children ) for the abuse they received yesterday from what I believe to be a minority of the fans . These gentlemen put their money into the club when no one else wanted to know and I believe all Blues fans are grateful for this.
Unfortunately Mr Sullivan appears to have for some time not wanted to be at the club ( especially with his arduous 200 mile round trip – which many of us do also ) and with his many outbursts of his willingness to sell and his little or no understanding of the mentality of Birmingham fans I do believe it is time he leaves and I hope and pray that he will sell his shares on to David Gold who I believe to be an honourable man who deeply cares about the club and it’s future.
Kind regards and Keep right on
Yes, it was Mehdi Nafti.
Wahey - I'll spend my prize money on some shares in the club!!
Had it not been for David and Ralph Gold, David Sullivan and Karen Brady, Blues would have been languishing in the Championship League or worse for years on end.
We would never have experienced the taste of Premiership Football without their investment.
As is the case with all of us Blue Noses we want to see a greater investment and commitment to team development and ground improvements.
Despite the debacle with the Carson Yeung takeover, the board should not have been subjected to that kind of abuse from a small section of the St. Andrew's faithful, disgusting behaviour.
Whatever you may think of the board, they deserve a lot of credit for turning the Blues into a club that can at least fight for a place in the Premier League, they put their money and effort in when other's turned their backs. If David Sullivan does step down it will come as no surprise to many of us as he has been threatening to resign for years for one reason or another, but despite his reasons I will alway's be thankful to him for saving us from the farce that were the Kumar's.
I read in today's Birmingham Mail that a peeved Mr Sullivan is asking who would want to buy the club.
It strikes me that he's always claimed that he runs BCFC as a business - thus the lack of investment.
If no-one wants to buy that business from him, does that not suggest he has created a very unsucessful business?
In which case he has failed miserably.