Birmingham City’s Vertu Trophy campaign has taken them to Wembley, giving them a chance to lift silverware as they continue their impressive rise at the top of League One.
We spoke to Charlie Haffenden of BirminghamWorld about the significance of this final. While their league form has been excellent, this cup run provides an opportunity for even greater success.
We spoke to Charlie Haffenden of BirminghamWorld about the significance of this final. While their league form has been excellent, this cup run provides an opportunity for even greater success.
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00:00Now, Birmingham City's Virtu Trophy campaign has taken them all the way to Wembley, giving
00:09them a chance to lift silverware as they continue their impressive rise at the top of League
00:13One. With a trip to the National Stadium on the horizon, excitement is building among
00:19fans eager for a memorable day out. I spoke to Charlie Haffenden of Birmingham World about
00:24the significance of the final. While their league form has been excellent, this cup run
00:29provides an opportunity for even greater success. With silverware within reach, Birmingham
00:34fans will be hoping their team can rise to the occasion and bring home a trophy to remember.
00:44Charlie, looking at Birmingham City and the Virtu Trophy final. Now, obviously,
00:48we've mentioned before it's a final that Blues will want to be in now and probably never again
00:53in terms of the league position to be entering the League Cup instead, the Carabao Cup as it's
01:00known now. In terms of that, the day out at Wembley, we mentioned how great it is for confidence,
01:05how great it is for this new sort of era at Birmingham City as well. If they can go and win
01:10a bit of silverware there and brag that, that's fantastic for these owners and the new project and
01:16it could help attract players in as well. In terms of the final, 43,000 tickets sold just for
01:23Birmingham City fans. This shows how big they are and we discussed when they went first down to
01:28the Championship how big of a club that they are to fall. If you look at the table, there are so
01:33many in there that used to be in the Premier League not so long ago as well. They've done such
01:38a great job this season and this could be a bit of an icing on the cake job if they are to go to
01:43Wembley. What do you feel ahead of the Wembley trip? It's going to be a great day out for Blues fans.
01:49It absolutely is. It's just such a big boost for morale, isn't it? I know that they're obviously
01:53dominating League One, expected to win that title, but to win two pieces of silverware in the same
01:58season after so many years of struggles and pain under the old ownership, to have the new ownership
02:03coming in, not quite going to plan with the choice to appoint Wayne Rooney, getting relegated later in
02:08that season, but then to have the boost again of winning matches, to go up, to get another trophy
02:14and the trip to Wembley, that can make such a difference for supporters. Just having that day
02:19out, getting away from St Andrews is great to go to, but having something a bit different,
02:23having that day out at Wembley is so, so important. When your own club gets there,
02:27it's such a great thrill, isn't it, to be in and amongst the support.
02:31Birmingham City, 43,000 tickets, as you mentioned, selling out their entire allocation,
02:36fighting to try and get more and more. Unfortunately, that is it now. It has been
02:40capped at 43,000. Peterborough, for comparison, is around 20, 21, 22, and they've not sold out
02:46their allocation just yet. For comparison as well, last season's Virtue Trophy final,
02:52or Papa John's as it was known back then, 42,500 tickets sold overall. Birmingham sell 43,000.
03:00It's going to be an incredible day, an incredible atmosphere, and Chris Davies
03:03determined to get that trophy over the line. Just looking at their home form,
03:07they're unbeaten at home this season, 17 wins, three draws, zero losses. How important has that
03:14been in terms of their chase? Obviously, you want to make your home ground a fortress, but
03:19you may accept the odd loss there, but they've taken nothing there. Obviously, the FA Cup lost
03:25to Newcastle, but outside of that, in terms of the league, it's been absolutely flawless at home
03:30this season, and hopefully they can carry that into the Championship.
03:35Yeah, absolutely. They need to make it a fortress, and you'd expect them to do that with the amount
03:40of signings they made in the summer, the amount of money that was spent, but to actually go and do
03:43it is a different thing entirely. Having a club and the team gelling so many new players is important.
03:49A new manager, you've got to remember that Chris Davies had never been a proper manager before this.
03:54He'd only been an assistant coach. Some top clubs, admittedly, but he would only be an assistant.
03:59Now, stepping into his first role, I think he's proven he was ready for that, and just the
04:03leadership, the morale, the togetherness at the football club, it's so important to have that,
04:07and to go unbeaten at home, that would be an incredible achievement. Still a few matches to go,
04:12admittedly. They could still lose one, especially when the league is probably wrapped up before
04:16the end of the campaign, but it would be great for them to wrap that up. It'd be a great statistic,
04:20and one that they can bring with great confidence going up to the Championship.
04:24As I say, they could invest a little bit more into those maybe attacking positions. We've got
04:28Jay Stansfield there already at Birmingham, but Alfie May, he's done well at times. He had a big
04:33goal drought. Could they maybe try and sign another striker to support Jay Stansfield at that level?
04:37Potentially, but I suppose it's just a wait-and-see job. Probably not as much money spent,
04:42but still investment nonetheless.