BCFC News Clipping

Premier League

Sunday 20 December 2009 15.00
Score line
Final score Everton 1 – 1 (HT 1 – 1) Birmingham City

1. Bilyaletdinov 5

1. Larsson 22

Bookings

1. Fellaini 84

1. Larsson 78
2. Hart 84
3. Jerome 87

Everton’s Percentage Birmingham City’s Percentage
Corners 7 63% 4 37%
Goal attempts 17 89% 2 11%
On target 3 75% 1 25%
Fouls 8 44% 10 56%
Offside 7 100% 0 0%
Everton

* Tim Howard,
* Tony Hibbert,
* Leighton Baines,
* Johnny Heitinga,
* Lucas Neill,
* Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Ayegbeni Yakubu, 71),
* Tim Cahill,
* Steven Pienaar,
* Leon Osman (James Vaughan, 90),
* Marouane Fellaini,
* Louis Saha

Birmingham City

* Joe Hart,
* Stephen Carr,
* Liam Ridgewell,
* Roger Johnson,
* Scott Dann,
* Lee Bowyer,
* Sebastian Larsson,
* Barry Ferguson,
* Cameron Jerome,
* Christian Benitez (Gregory Vignal, 83),
* James McFadden (Keith Fahey, 70)

Referee Attwell, S
Venue Goodison Park
Attendance 33,660

McLeish is making life easy for new Birmingham City owner Carson Yeung. But what the Scot has done so far this season has earned him the right to make it more difficult for Yeung in January, when the Hong Kong businessman should reward him by signing some large transfer cheques.

Yeung has also found a manager who relishes the prospect of regime change. McLeish has faced unsettled times at St Andrew’s, but his clear-headed and positive approach since the arrival of the new owners has made the transition a simple business.

Premier League

Tuesday 15 December 2009 20.00
Score line
Final score Birmingham City 2 – 1 (HT 1 – 0) Blackburn Rovers

1. Jerome 12
2. Jerome 48

1. Nelsen 69

Bookings

1. Jerome 49
2. Ferguson 90

1. N’Zonzi 45
2. Nelsen 58

Birmingham City’s Percentage Blackburn Rovers’s Percentage
Corners 6 46% 7 54%
On target 5 62% 3 38%
Fouls 10 37% 17 63%
Offside 4 66% 2 34%
Birmingham City

* Joe Hart,
* Stephen Carr,
* Liam Ridgewell,
* Roger Johnson,
* Scott Dann,
* Lee Bowyer,
* Sebastian Larsson,
* Barry Ferguson,
* Cameron Jerome,
* Christian Benitez,
* James McFadden (Keith Fahey, 83)

Blackburn Rovers

* Paul Robinson,
* Christopher Samba,
* Gael Givet,
* Ryan Nelsen,
* Brett Emerton (Keith Andrews, 23),
* Pascal Chimbonda,
* Morten Gamst Pedersen,
* Steven N’Zonzi,
* El Hadji Diouf (David Hoilett, 53),
* Jason Roberts (Benni McCarthy, 70),
* Nikola Kalinic

Referee Jones, M
Venue St Andrews Stadium
Attendance 23,187

Premier League

Saturday 12 December 2009 15.00
Score line
Final score Birmingham City 1 – 0 (HT 0 – 0) West Ham United

1. Bowyer 52

Bookings

1. Ferguson 16
2. Ridgewell 60
3. Johnson 78

1. Kovac 12
2. Diamanti 45
3. Collison 72
4. Noble 72

Sent off

1. Noble 78

Birmingham City’s Percentage West Ham United’s Percentage
Corners 11 61% 7 39%
Goal attempts 13 54% 11 46%
On target 9 75% 3 25%
Fouls 12 44% 15 56%
Offside 3 50% 3 50%
Birmingham City

* Joe Hart,
* Stephen Carr,
* Liam Ridgewell,
* Roger Johnson,
* Scott Dann,
* Lee Bowyer,
* Sebastian Larsson,
* Barry Ferguson,
* Cameron Jerome,
* Christian Benitez (Keith Fahey, 90),
* James McFadden (Kevin Phillips, 90)

West Ham United

* Robert Green,
* Danny Gabbidon,
* Herita Ilunga (Frank Nouble, 83),
* James Tomkins,
* Scott Parker,
* Radoslav Kovac (Kieron Dyer, 68),
* Mark Noble,
* Julien Faubert,
* Junior Stanislas (Jack Collison, 69),
* Luis Guillermo Franco,
* Alessandro Diamanti

Referee Mason, L
Venue St Andrews Stadium
Attendance 28,203

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has admitted he would consider letting Kevin Phillips and Lee Carsley leave the club in January.

The veteran pair have found themselves on the fringes this season and they could be tempted to move on in search of regular first-team football.

McLeish would like to keep the pair until the end of the season, but would understand if they wanted leave in the New Year.

Premier League

Saturday 5 December 2009 15.00
Score line
Final score Wigan Athletic 2 – 3 (HT 1 – 0) Birmingham City

1. N’Zogbia 33
2. Jordi Gomez 89

1. Larsson 61
2. Benitez 66
3. Larsson 72

Bookings

1. Rodallega 15
2. Thomas 75

Wigan Athletic’s Percentage Birmingham City’s Percentage
Corners 2 50% 2 50%
Goal attempts 15 68% 7 32%
On target 6 50% 6 50%
Fouls 14 56% 11 44%
Offside 1 20% 4 80%
Wigan Athletic

* Chris Kirkland (Mike Pollitt, 24),
* Paul Scharner,
* Emmerson Boyce (Garcia Jordi Gomez, 77),
* Titus Bramble,
* Mario Melchiot,
* Maynor Figueroa,
* Hendry Thomas,
* Charles N’Zogbia,
* Mohamed Diame (Scott Sinclair, 70),
* Jason Scotland,
* Hugo Rodallega

Birmingham City

* Joe Hart,
* Stephen Carr,
* Liam Ridgewell,
* Roger Johnson,
* Scott Dann,
* Lee Bowyer,
* Sebastian Larsson,
* Barry Ferguson,
* Cameron Jerome (Keith Fahey, 81),
* Christian Benitez,
* James McFadden

Referee Probert, L
Venue The JJB Stadium
Attendance 18,797

A CHEEKY footie fan got one over his arch rivals by paving his team’s nickname outside their stadium.

The Birmingham City supporter spelt “Blues” in dark-coloured bricks at Wolverhampton Wanderers’ ground.

A cheeky builder believed to support local rivals Birmingham City, created the message ‘BLUES’ in the brick paving outside the Billy Wright stand,

And the stunt went unnoticed for at least FOUR YEARS.

Olympique Marseille striker Mamadou Niang is in Birmingham City’s sights.

The People says Brum boss Alex McLeish, armed with a hefty transfer kitty, is believed to be ready to test Marseille’s resolve with a £5million bid for the 30-year-old Senegalese star.

Birmingham City have joined the battle for Manchester City defender Micah Richards.

The Daily Star Sunday says Brum are ready to go to war with Spurs and Aston Villa over Richards.

Micah Richards, 21 is fed up with being left out of the starting line-up at Eastlands.

And he fears he stands no chance of making England’s World Cup finals squad – unless he moves in January. Both Tottenham and Villa are long-term admirers of right-back Richards.

And the Premier League pair are expected to launch bids for the £8million-rated ace when the new year window opens.

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish wants to sign giant striker Nikola Zigic - and partner him with Serbian compatriot Milan Jovanovic in a £12million spree.

Mirror Sport revealed earlier in November that Premier League City have opened negotiations for Standard Liege forward Jovanovic.

McLeish has around £20m to spend on new players in January following Carson Yeung’s takeover.

Alex McLeish’s injury worries look set to mount as Birmingham duo Garry O’Connor and Teemu Tainio face surgery.

Scotland international O’Connor, who has been restricted to just six starts this term, has been struggling with a hip injury and now looks set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines should an operation be required.

With playmaker James McFadden now operating in a deeper role, O’Conner’s setback leaves McLeish with just Kevin Phillips as cover for first-choice pairing Cameron Jerome and Christian Benitez.

McLeish said: “We have received some disappointing news about Garry. He is likely to need an operation on his hip.

“It could keep him out for several months and leaves our striking options light.”

Finland midfielder Tainio’s troublesome knee is also a worry for McLeish, and he admits that the loan signing from Sunderland was a risk due to his history of injuries.

“Teemu is another player who may need surgery as his knee problem has flared up again,” said the Scot.

“We knew he had a bit of a problematic knee before he came here but we were hoping he would be able to stand up to it.

“He is going to be out for the immediate future.”

Premier League

Sunday 29 November 2009 12.00
Score line
Final score Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 – 1 (HT 0 – 1) Birmingham City

1. Bowyer 3

Bookings

1. Berra 58
2. Ebanks-Blake 90

1. Jerome 90

Wolverhampton Wanderers’s Percentage Birmingham City’s Percentage
Corners 6 54% 5 46%
On target 1 16% 5 84%
Fouls 16 61% 10 39%
Offside 1 11% 8 89%
Wolverhampton Wanderers

* Marcus Hahnemann,
* Richard Stearman,
* Jody Craddock,
* Christophe Berra,
* Michael Mancienne (Stephen Ward, S, 46),
* David Edwards,
* Karl Henry,
* Greg Halford (Michael Kightly, 32),
* Matt Jarvis,
* Sylvan Ebanks-Blake,
* Kevin Doyle

Birmingham City

* Joe Hart,
* Stephen Carr,
* Liam Ridgewell,
* Roger Johnson,
* Scott Dann,
* Lee Bowyer,
* Sebastian Larsson,
* Barry Ferguson,
* Cameron Jerome,
* Christian Benitez (Keith Fahey, 87),
* James McFadden

Referee Clattenburg, M
Venue Molineux Stadium
Attendance 26,668

Birmingham City’s highly-rated midfielder Jordan Mutch has joined Hereford United on loan until January.

The 17-year-old has made one substitute appearance for Birmingham and signed a professional contract until 2011 with the Premier League club earlier this year.

He has now been allowed out to gain first-team experience with Hereford and will stay at Edgar Street until 2nd January.

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has revealed that Garry O’Connor is set to be sidelined until March.

The Blues striker is facing another operation due to complications that have arisen from a groin injury.

He underwent surgery last season but has continued to struggle with his mobility and will now go back under the knife.

Premier League

Saturday 21 November 2009 15.00
Score line
Final score Birmingham City 1 – 0 (HT 1 – 0) Fulham

1. Bowyer 16

Bookings

1. Bowyer 67

Birmingham City’s Percentage Fulham’s Percentage
On target 2 50% 2 50%
Fouls 7 35% 13 65%
Offside 4 80% 1 20%
Birmingham City

* Joe Hart,
* Stephen Carr,
* Liam Ridgewell,
* Roger Johnson,
* Scott Dann,
* Lee Bowyer,
* Sebastian Larsson,
* Barry Ferguson,
* Cameron Jerome,
* Christian Benitez (Keith Fahey, 72),
* James McFadden

Fulham

* Mark Schwarzer,
* Stephen Kelly (Damien Duff, 75),
* Paul Konchesky,
* Brede Hangeland,
* Chris Baird (Dickson Etuhu, 81),
* Aaron Hughes,
* Zoltan Gera,
* Clint Dempsey,
* Jonathan Greening,
* Simon Davies,
* Bobby Zamora

Referee Foy, C
Venue St Andrews Stadium
Attendance 23,659