Exclusive: Blues Bail Out Grandtop!

By Andy Munro

“Buoyant Birmingham City, a club with no debts, have decided to help out ailing Chinese cartel Grandtop, described by some financial pundits as the first big financial concern in the Tiger economy to turn into a pussycat.”

Rewind a couple of years and that should have been the headlines as the money seems to have only really flowed one way. After a brief honeymoon period things have gone rapidly downhill, particularly following the Carling Cup triumph, in a way that only battered and bruised Bluenoses would have envisaged. Mind you, every time I pick up the Mail this seems to get even worse and it’s almost as if the reporters seem to delight in the club’s demise. Never has the phrase ‘things can only get better’ seemed more inappropriate.

However, on the basis that we know that it is almost certain that Foster, Dann, Jerome and possibly Ridgewell will join the rest of the St Andrews leaving party,the only further misfortunes that can befall us are administration and being docked both a zillion league points and being kicked out of Europe before we’ve begun. Pity we’re not Greek.

Meanwhile, Peter Pannu is threatening the axe but says supporters will ‘understand’. Well Peter, why are you threatening to sell just about anybody with a pedigree on the basis that Blues can’t afford to pay Premier League wages while in the Championship? Does that mean the Blues board were stupid enough to agree to contracts without a pay reduction clause if we were relegated? I don’t necessarily blame Peter ‘Crisis? What Crisis?’ Pannu but he is inexorably part of the Chinese cartel who are running the club and, quite frankly, who are rapidly becoming the Frank Spencer of the financial and football world.

Just to rub salt in the wounds, rumour has it that, despite the trading constraints put on Yeung, another two ‘Carsson Cutz’ hairdressing salons have opened in Hong Kong!