Tumbling Down: How Birmingham City’s New Owner Failed to Save Them from Relegation

Birmingham City was relegated to England’s third tier on Saturday, a division they have not played in since 1995. The English soccer team, which NFL legend Tom Brady is part owner of, was one of three teams relegated from the Championship, England’s second division, on Saturday. Despite defeating Norwich 1-0 in their final match of the season, the Blues needed help from one of three games to stay up. However, Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday, and Blackburn winning their games sealed Birmingham City’s fate in England’s third tier for the first time in nearly three decades.

Rotherham and Huddersfield Town will also accompany Birmingham in League One next season. Saturday marked the end of a tumultuous first season for Birmingham’s American ownership. The team went through three head coaches during the 2023-24 season, including Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney. When they replaced John Eustace with Rooney in October, Birmingham was in sixth place out of 24 teams. Eustace moved on to Blackburn, who narrowly avoided relegation by defeating league champion Leicester City.

Tom Brady joined Birmingham City’s ownership group in August after partnering with the club’s holding company, Knighthead Capital Management. Brady’s involvement with Knighthead Capital in the past led chairman Tom Wagner to seek out the expertise of the seven-time Super Bowl champion as a way to bring a winning mentality to the club. Despite the relegation, Wagner remains confident in the direction of the club with Brady on board, calling it a statement of intent to set the bar at a world-class level.

Unfortunately for Brady, he was unable to attend Birmingham City’s final match at St. Andrew’s on Saturday as he was in Miami for the Miami Grand Prix and is set to head to Los Angeles for a Netflix special where he will be roasted by a celebrity lineup