Birmingham City announced Tom Brady's arrival on August 3, a day before the Championship season started. He invested in the club three weeks after American hedge fund Knighthead completed its takeover. As well as becoming a minority owner, Brady became chairman of the new advisory board.
In that capacity, he works directly with the leadership team. As the club explained at the time, it also involves working with the sports science department, as well as on commercial partnerships and global marketing. In the announcement, Brady said: “Birmingham City is an iconic club with so much history and passion and to be part of the Blues is a real honour for me.
"BCFC is built on teamwork and determination and I’m excited to work alongside the board, management and players to make our Second City club second to none. I’ve been part of some amazing teams in my day, and I’m looking forward to applying my perspective to create that same success here in Birmingham.”
However not everything has gone to plan, as a string of managerial appointments have failed to halt an alarming slide that has taken the team from the play-off places and dreams of the Premier League to relegation to League One - here's how it transpired.
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Blues appoint Rooney
Midway through the October international break, the club sacked head coach John Eustace and appointed the newly out-of-work Wayne Rooney as manager. The change came days after Rooney parted ways with MLS club DC United despite Blues occupying the Championship's final playoff place, sitting sixth in the table 11 games into the season.
Statements shared by the club made clear Rooney was tasked with bringing a 'no fear' playing style. Chief executive Garry Cook exuded confidence that the move would culminate in Blues becoming an "attack-minded team that will excite our fans."
Rooney also promised to "create a winning culture" and "an identity that gets Blues fans on their feet." But the unpopular departure of Solihull-born Eustace meant Rooney had work to do getting supporters on side in the first place.
Wayne Rooney lasted three months as Birmingham City manager (Michael Zemanek/REX/Shutterstock)Blues sack Wayne Rooney
Rooney's stint at St Andrew's lasted less than three months as the team lost nine of 15 games to leave them 20th in the table. Blues picked up just ten points during that time, scoring only 15 goals and conceding twice as many.
In parting ways with Rooney, the club made clear that results did not meet the expectations they outlined to him at the outset. Cook acknowledged that things "did not go as planned" and as such they "decided to move in a different direction."
More managerial chaos
Tony Mowbray replaced Rooney as manager and results improved, taking ten points from his first six matches. But after just over a month in charge, the 60-year-old required medical treatment that necessitated him stepping away from the team for several weeks.
His long-term assistant manager Mark Venus took over, but the team went winless through their next six matches, picking up just one point. Exactly one month after Mowbray would be stepping away, the club announced he was taking medical leave, with former Blues boss Gary Rowett returning in the interim.
Rowett previously spent two years at the club between 2014 and 2016 before being controversially sacked by the previous ownership in comparable circumstances to the departure of Eustace. In eight games, Blues improved, taking 11 points, but it was ultimately too little too late.
What next for Blues after relegation
The season ended with a victory, but every other team around Blues also won which meant they remained in the relegation zone on 50 points, one adrift of newly promoted Plymouth Argyle. In response to their season-ending, Brady shared a social media post following the full-time whistle.
Man Utd icon Rooney seen at Wigan vs Hull supporting ex-Derby assistant Rosenior
"Thank you for your support in a tough first year Bluenoses," it reads. "We have a long way to go but it’s because of all of you that we’ll achieve great things in the future."
The team will now play in the third tier for the first time in 29 years. Bookies have Blues as the early favourites for promotion back to the Championship, but such success is far from certain.
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