Get it down, you Zulu Warrior

In the short space of time he has been chairman of Blues, Vico Hui is fast making a name for himself.

Witness his latest exploits at the welcome party, thrown by BRMB, for the new Chinese owners at Chung Ying Garden, the excellent Cantonese restaurant in Birmingham.

Hui raised a chuckle with his 'buy tickets boys' bark when interviewed on Sky Sports, who stopped the new directors on their way out of St Andrew's on their first day for an impromptu couple of words.

Then he did the rounds at the Sunderland game, telling us 'I love you all!' in signing-off his address on the pitch before walking trackside to shake hands with anyone who cared to do the honours, of which there were plenty.

But the other night Hui surpassed himself, and he may have gone down in club folklore if not legend by showing he is a man of the people, if not the pub.

Hui, Peter Pannu and Sammy Yu absolutely enjoyed themselves chatting, gossiping and joking with 100 Blues fans invited by BRMB to share in the occasion.

They had time for everyone, they willingly got up from the top table to do the rounds of the room - in fact, they asked Tom Ross if they could - and nothing was too much trouble. It wasn't a front, it wasn't put on; these guys are made up to be in charge of Blues.

And as for Hui, well, he caught Sky Sports man in the Midlands Pete Colley on the hop after a conversation about how to say 'cheers' in various languages.

All of a sudden, he turned to Colley and announced 'bottoms up!' and proceded to down his pint in one. Colley was a little slow off the mark and realised he had been challenged to a drinking competition. Suffice to say, as a Villa supporter, his shandy-supping tendencies came to the fore and he was soundly beaten.

Later in the evening, Hui got up from his seat and then downed another pint without pause to amazement and cheers from the guests who were egging him on.

I don't think I've ever seen anything of its like before. Certainly I can't remember David Gold wolfing down the Stella at the player-of-the-season dinner.

I can just see Hui telling Randy Lerner in April in the V***a directors lounge to send forward his top man - the General - for a best-of-three Budweiser shoot-out. Red China v Uncle Sam with a twist, or what?

Before the chatter spreads that Blues have someone at the helm heading for the Betty Ford Clinic, or this was louche behaviour from a person in a senior position, Hui was letting his hair down and basically getting a buzz from the evening. He wasn't so steaming that he wouldn't have known a clothes line from a goal line, to borrow a phrase.

And apparently, according to those who know about these things, in Chinese culture it is acceptable to have a drink or two in certain circumstances.

Pannu looked at my glass of Coke at one point and admonished: 'What is a matter with you, why are you not drinking?' He hadn't been to the Blue Lagoon Bar in Ancona, or whatever it was called, that's what.

It's been pretty full-on for the Carson Yeung camp since completing the takeover and behind closed doors they have attended to some serious business.

Pannu particularly is like a dog with a bone in regard to the legal battle currently being waged over Karren Brady's pay-off and other liabilities.

Hui also gave a very sincere speech in responding to Ross's opening address and similarly so did Pannu and Yu.

Pannu said that Blues would look after season ticket holders after cutting matchday prices and revealed that Yeung often rang him from Hong Kong, which is eight hours ahead, and kept him chatting about the club well into the wee small hours of the morning, forgetting what time it was in the UK.

You will have probably read elsewhere on Internet message boards their replies to various other queries from supporters. They took the time to listen and, from my
experience, everything - whether it be complaints, praise or suggestions - will have been logged and then digested and addressed at a later date.

The feedback I got was that those in attendance were delighted that the board was so approachable, genuine and had no airs or graces.

The new owners seem to have triggered a feel good factor and their lively enthusiasm is rubbing off on many.

Take Chung Ying Garden manager James Wong for example: he couldn't help but reveal his identity as a Bluenose by belting out Keep Right On for all his worth when the directors were 'serenaded' in time-honoured fashion.

It was quite a night, certainly not one of your average stuffy and staid meet and greets. Credit to Ross and BRMB for the idea. And it may well have gone a long way to establishing Hui as a cult figure.