Birmingham City showing they can compete with the best

National World - LocalTV

A great showing against Premier League Newcastle bids well for the future.

Transcript

00:00Charlie, looking at Birmingham City and an incredible night at St Andrews at Nighthead

00:05Park, hosting big Premier League Newcastle, who've had a fantastic season, they've just

00:11reached the League Cup final as well, so they're in amazing form. It's a great draw for a league

00:17one side who've had this takeover, had this sort of project put in and I'm sure the owners

00:22would have been delighted with a Premier League club at home. It really was a huge chance

00:27to show the rest of the world, the rest of the English football league, just what's cooking

00:31at Birmingham City at the moment. They really delivered on the night, they were so unlucky

00:35you feel maybe the goal line technology situation could have changed the way the result went,

00:41but despite being out of the FA Cup, it's a huge step in the right direction and it

00:45just shows, as I say, the rest of the world, the rest of the footballing world, where Birmingham

00:50City are and long may that continue.

00:54Absolutely, the atmosphere was cracking at St Andrews and packed out to the rafters,

00:59it was sold out from the home fans as well, the away fans, I think they had about 5,000

01:04a tune, they made plenty of noise, a proper classic FA Cup tie feel from the very first

01:09whistle and beforehand, in fairness, the keep right on rendition, one of the loudest I've

01:14ever heard in that stadium, just simply incredible. The fireworks as well from the top of the

01:19stadium, I think that's a little bit of a Marmite situation, you either love it or you

01:22hate it, but I thought it was pretty cool having that as a one-off for such a big occasion.

01:28People said, listen, you're only playing Newcastle in the FA Cup fourth round, but as you mentioned,

01:32Charles, it's that feeling of where are they now? Can they prove that they are on that

01:36big stage already, despite being League One? And I think they did. I know we saw that Nottingham

01:42Forest went the distance against Exeter, kind of a similar situation, but that was a bit

01:46more back to the wall for Exeter and being dominated the whole match. Birmingham went

01:51for it against Newcastle. They really did. They scored in the first minute. They could

01:54have made it two or three before the break. It was so, so impressive. Obviously, Newcastle

01:59getting back into the game, two quick-fire goals midway through that first half, but

02:02just the belief around the stadium that, OK, we are here now, we're going to get to the

02:06championship. We are going to be competing. It's not just a one-off season of joy where

02:11we're doing well in League One, we're going to win the League of E's. Next year, they

02:14can also kick on. And I know one performance isn't going to prove that, but it gives a

02:19bit of a glimpse of what we can see. I think it's very exciting for the fans and the atmosphere

02:23matched that.

02:24Yeah, Tomoki Iwata came up with that incredible goal. I'm sure it will possibly make it an

02:30FA Cup goal of the week or goal-of-the-round situation. In terms of him and the other top

02:36players that they've invested in, it's so important that they also believe in this project

02:40going forward, isn't it?

02:42Absolutely. That goal made the night even more special. I was right behind that as he

02:47struck it. So much power, I couldn't believe it. And everyone in attendance was just stunned.

02:52But he is one of those players that I think is committed for many years to come. And lots

02:57of the other top tier players that have come into the football club previous January and

03:02summer transfer windows, you think they wouldn't come down here unless they're here for the

03:06long term. Otherwise, why would you join a League One club? They obviously have been

03:09sold by the project and I think they'll be here for many years to come, hopefully in

03:12the championship and then potentially up to the Premier League as well.

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