English Football League approve Tom Wagners takeover of Birmingham City

The English Football League (EFL) has approved American hedge fund manager Tom Wagner’s proposed takeover of Birmingham City.

The club confirmed last month that Shelby Companies Limited had agreed to buy 24 per cent of the club’s shares from Birmingham Sports Holdings Limited (BSHL) and a 21.64 per cent stake from Oriental Rainbow Investments Limited and Achiever Global Group Limited.

Advertisement

Shelby Companies, named after the family featured in Birmingham-based crime drama The Peaky Blinders, is a UK subsidiary of Knighthood Capital Management, an investment firm Wagner co-founded in New York in 2008.

As well as the shares in Birmingham City PLC, Shelby is also buying all of Birmingham City Stadium Limited, the company behind the club’s St Andrew’s home.

The deal is still subject to approval from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, where BSHL is listed.

A Birmingham statement on Monday read: “Birmingham City is pleased to share the following update regarding the club’s ownership.

“The English Football League (EFL) has today approved the acquisition of 45% in the club by Shelby Companies Limited and is now awaiting approval in accordance with the rules of Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

“This exciting announcement comes after the exchange of two signed Sale and Purchase Agreements (SPA) on Sunday, 7 May.”

Wagner and his team attended Birmingham’s final match of the Championship season against Sheffield United last month.

Birmingham is not Wagner’s first foray into sports team ownership. In October 2022, Knighthead partnered with NFL great Tom Brady and former tennis world number one Kim Clijsters to buy a Major League Pickleball expansion team.

Majority shareholders BSHL have held shares in Birmingham since 2007 and announced in April that they had entered a period of exclusive negotiations to sell the club, although Birmingham has been on the market for over a year. 

A takeover attempt led by local businessman Paul Richardson and former Barcelona striker Maxi Lopez collapsed in early December.

Birmingham finished 17th in the Championship, their highest league finish since the 2018-19 campaign.

(Photo: Lee Parker – CameraSport via Getty Images)

ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57k25va2pnbnxzfJFsZmluX2WCcK7Iq6Sippedrq55wqKrsmWklrimu9WeqWasn6J6uK3Gp5yrZw%3D%3D