St Andrew’s repair costs revealed as Companies House confirm Tom Wagner takeover detail

The Companies House listing for Birmingham City’s stadium, St Andrew’s, has confirmed it will be transferred to Shelby Companies Limited once approval from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange arrives.

American investment firm Knighthead, via holding company SCH, will secure 100 percent of the rights to St Andrew’s once their purchase of 45.64 percent is given the green light. EFL approval arrived two weeks ago, meaning Blues are now just waiting for the HKSE Circular to be put before shareholders.

Birmingham City Stadium LTD has confirmed it will become Knighthead property in its latest accounts. The ‘events after reporting period’ of its latest accounts said: “On 7 May, 2023, Oriental Rainbow Investments Limited and Achiever Global Group Limited entered into a share purchase agreement for, among others, the disposal of 100% of share capital in Birmingham City Stadium Limited to Shelby Companies Limited, subject to approval from both the EFL and Hong Kong Stock Exchange.”

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St Andrew’s is currently undergoing repair work, meaning it has been operating at reduced capacity in the last two seasons. Parts of the Tilton and Kop stands have been closed after extensive asbestos damage was discovered beneath the stadium. Blues expect the Tilton, with new rail seating in the lower tier, to re-opened fully in September and the Kop is on course for completion in November.

The accounts confirm that £966,000 has been spent on repairing St Andrew’s since the report was filed on June 2. It is estimated that Blues have lost around £1m in each of the last two seasons due to the closures at St Andrew’s.

Getting St Andrew’s back to working order is one of prospective new owner Tom Wagner’s primary targets in the short term. In an open letter to Blues supporters, Wagner said: “The first step in the transition is to ensure St. Andrew’s is fit for purpose. The fans, players, and our partners, deserve an improved St. Andrews.