In the wake of Knighthead Capital’s takeover at St Andrew’s, Birmingham City experienced both turbulence and transformation. The turning point came with the arrival of Chris Davies. Tasked with leading the club back up, Davies delivered an extraordinary 2024–25 campaign, steering Birmingham to the League One title with a record-breaking 111 points and fending off the challenge of Wrexham.
00:00In the wake of Nighthead Capital's takeover at St. Andrews, Birmingham City experienced both turbulence and transformation.
00:09The surprise appointment of Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney as head coach in October 2023 only lasted 83 days, ending in January 2024.
00:21That failed experiment coincided with relegation from the Championship, leaving the club at a low point.
00:27Despite the optimism surrounding new ownership, the turning point came with the arrival of Chris Davis.
00:35Tasked with leading the club back up, Davis delivered an extraordinary 2024-25 campaign, steering Birmingham to the League One title with a record-breaking 111 points and fending off the challenges of Wrexham.
00:49His achievement was recognised with the League One Manager of the Season award, underlying his impact in his first full year as a No. 1.
00:59Off the pitch, Birmingham have worked to expand their profile.
01:03A new Amazon Prime video documentary captured the drama of Rooney and the reset under Davis.
01:10Talks persist that the owners may eventually look to recruit another household name in a high-profile role, but for now their faith is in Davis unquestioned.
01:21Former Blues striker Cameron Jerome believes lessons have been learned.
01:26Reflecting on Rooney's brief tenure, he said,
01:28When you are putting money in, you want full control of who you are bringing into the football club.
01:35Perhaps they realised this wasn't working and reset with a bright young manager, who went out and achieved promotion emphatically.
01:44Jerome also pointed to the comparisons with Wrexham, noting that while their story is a fairy tale,
01:50Birmingham's model is to build to kick on and improve with greater sustainability.
01:54Blues had an unbeaten start to the 2025-26 season, collecting seven points in three games and playing with the assurance of a team intent on pushing higher.
02:07Another October trip to Wrexham is set to reignite one of football's most intriguing new rivalries.
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