Simon Jordan delivers 'Horlicks' verdict as Knighthead attract Hollywood to Birmingham City

Simon Jordan has discussed Aston Villa's vote against the spending cap on talkSPORT
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Simon Jordan believes there are still wrongs to be righted by Knighthead following Birmingham City's relegation to League One last spring - despite the staggering off-field strides which have been made and millions which have been invested in the playing squad. Blues are unbeaten after their five opening games of the season and moved second with a 3-1 win over Wrexham at St Andrew's on Monday evening.

Blues' home was packed to the rafters with just shy of 28,000 - as well as a host of A-List celebrities including David Beckham, Stephen Knight and Tom Brady - inside the ground to witness Jay Stansfield mark his permanent signing with a brace, goals complemented by one for another summer arrival in Tomoki Iwata. Blues are up to second have taken 13 of 15 available points.

Jordan, the former Crystal Palace owner who is better known these days in his capacity as a pundit for talkSPORT, noted the upturn in attendances and tickets sold despite the drop in division, but he had little time for the 'Hollywood' factor on Monday night.

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"It occupies no interest to me whatsoever," Jordan told talkSPORT. "The Birmingham fans seem to be drinking the Kool-Aid. They've gone from having attendances at a certain level, and season ticket sales. Someone on commentary said they have a 46% increase in season ticket sales. Clearly they're buying into the fact that their owners have made an unadulterated Horlicks of Birmingham City and got them relegated to League One.

"Let's not forget that, let's not forget that this was a Premier League football club when David Gold and David Sullivan were there. They've turned themselves into a League One club. I don't doubt they'll buy their way out of the division. If you're going to spend £24m on players in League One...

"Why I looked at it more than interest was because I'd flapped my gums that I thought Wrexham might overcome Birmingham. When the camera is panning to Beckham and Neville, I'm thinking 'I'm not interested in that'. I'm interested in the quality of football. It was a brilliant second goal from Birmingham."

Knighthead had, earlier in the day, confirmed that they'd struck a deal to partner Delta Airlines, the largest airline company on the planet. Coupled with the deal to get apparel brand UNDEFEATED on the club's shirts, Knighthead are raising Blues' revenue streams to unprecedented levels and taking the club's name across the Atlantic and around the world.

Jordan believes the criticism following relegation is fair but agrees that Knighthead's intentions cannot be questioned. He hopes that Blues, who he considers a big club and which simply shouldn't have found themselves in the third tier, feel the benefits in time of a substance over style approach from Knighthead, despite the Hollywood attention.

"They will find out how difficult it is, but they have every right to have ambition," Jordan continued. "Birmingham City is a big football club that has no business being in League One. My own default setting is that Birmingham shouldn't be in this division. We all make mistakes. Portable knowledge is very difficult to take from one industry to another. That you've put them in League One shouldn't excuse you from the consequences of people's judgement.

"I don't know whether Tom Brady and his guys will build Birmingham back into a Premier League club - I suspect, with enough money thrown at it, they probably will. Yesterday it looked liked a Premier League football stadium. It's a glowing endorsement of what English football is when you give people something to watch.

"They've bought a football club to be successful. I don't rate their intentions just because Tom Brady is involved - he's an NFL quarterback. They've talked about the stadium for some time and now they're delivering upon it. I don't doubt they see the commercial value.

"What does Hollywood represent? Style over substance. Birmingham need substance. Style will get you so far. Birmingham City have had lots of false dawns and now they have an opportunity with a bit of pizzazz and all that goes with it. It's not a bad thing that it draws attention on you but let's have some substance."

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