Birmingham City unveils plan for new stadium that Tom Brady says will be 'a blast'

BIRMINGHAM, England — Birmingham City unveiled plans Thursday to build a 62,000-seat stadium that the second-tier club envisions as its home for not only Premier League matches but also a destination for the biggest music stars and the NFL.

The English soccer team, which counts NFL great Tom Brady as a minority shareholder and U.S. financier Tom Wagner as chairman, said the venue would be the “beating heart” of Birmingham as the centerpiece of a project costing at least 2.5 billion pounds ($3.2 billion).

The proposed Birmingham City Powerhouse Stadium, featuring 12 chimney towers, would be built in Bordesley Park, East Birmingham, in time for the 2030-31 season.

“Together we are putting the city and the club on trajectory towards greatness,” Wagner said at the unveiling at Digbeth Loc Studios in Birmingham.

The stadium’s price tag would be 1.2 billion ($1.5 billion), Wagner said. Other costs are related to the wider project that aims to transform the area into a “vibrant sporting and cultural destination.”

“This is a huge milestone for Birmingham City Football Club, creating a home for the club that reflects our ambition to compete at the highest level," Wagner said.

A promotional video to unveil the plans included Brady and former Birmingham City player Jude Bellingham.

“Wow” was Real Madrid star Bellingham's response when shown images of the stadium.

Brady said fans are “in for a blast” and that the stadium would attract the “biggest music stars.”

There are also plans to stage top boxing matches and NFL games.

“Our ambition is to host any and all events at the stadium. We would love to compete for the right to host NFL events when that next opens up,” Wagner said.

Birmingham currently plays in English soccer's second division, but the stadium plans point to the owners' ambitions.

It was last in the Premier League in 2011, the same year it won the English League Cup — one of two major trophies the club has captured in its 150-year history.

Birmingham currently plays at St Andrew’s Stadium — its home since 1906 — which has a capacity of just under 30,000.

The proposed stadium was designed by Heatherwick Studio in collaboration with Manica Architecture.

Its proposed 62,000 capacity would make it the fourth-biggest club stadium in England, behind only Manchester United, West Ham and Tottenham. It will feature a retractable roof and moveable pitch.

“It’s the place where the world’s best will want to perform and experience-seekers from across the globe shall have at the top of their must-visit lists,” Wagner said. “A place where the local community will be proud to say it’s part of their home.”

Birmingham is owned through Knighthead Capital Management, which was co-founded Wagner.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson