Takeover Looming for Birmingham City

Article by e-Birmingham City's Rob Wildey

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The day Birmingham City fans have longed for could be just around the corner as news broke in the early hours of yesterday morning that the clubs holding company BIHL have halted their trading shares.

A statement on the Honk Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE) read; "At the request of Birmingham International Holdings Limited (the “Company”), trading in its shares on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited has been halted with effect from 9:00 a.m.

on 26 May 2014 (Monday) pending the release of an announcement relating to price sensitive inside information of the Company".

The board of the club have been negotiating with several parties for months and recently confirmed they were set to chose their 'preferred bidder'. Things seemed to then stand still, much to the frustration of Birmingham City fans. But today, they hold promise as the current regime, who fans say have 'ruined their club', look set to agree a deal with an unnamed party.

It is understood that the club will be sold bit-by-bit, probably 25% at a time. This is because BIHL need the football club in order to re-list their company on the HKSE. Without the football club, the holding company would be defunct. However, whichever party they are close to agreeing a deal with will get sole control of the day-to-day running of the club. Fans remain hopeful that this will allow manager Lee Clark, assuming he is the man the new owners want in charge, to improve the squad with better standard of player than he has become used to.

Sources suggest that a deal for Federico Macheda, who was on loan at St. Andrew's last season, has been agreed in principle pending the likely takeover. It is unlikely that the club would be able to afford such a player if the takeover does not happen.