Disappointed Birmingham vow to catch pitch vandals

Published on Wednesday 14 May 2008 23:24

BIRMINGHAM City have condemned the damage caused to St Andrews by supporters following their relegation from the Barclays Premier League.

Fans invaded the pitch after Sunday’s 4-1 victory over Blackburn and the damage included a broken set of goalposts, which will be replaced at a cost of 3,000.

Co-owner David Sullivan has already revealed his intention to sell his share of the club after he was the target of abuse by fans, and City have now announced they have handed over CCTV footage to police.

The club said in a statement: “Birmingham City have received a high volume of letters and e-mails from genuine supporters ‘dismayed’ by the actions of many so-called ‘fans’ following our recent game against Blackburn Rovers.

“The club has a zero-tolerance stance on this type of behaviour and are working closely with West Midlands Police concerning this matter.

“CCTV footage has already been handed over to the Football Intelligence department in order to attempt to identify those individuals involved with a view to arrest and a recommendation to the courts that banning orders be implemented.

“The club will also instigate its own banning orders against anyone found guilty of this act.”

Head groundsman Martin Kelly has also hit out at the culprits and claims the vandalism left him feeling “totally numb”.

“I realise now that it wasn’t the club’s genuine fans that did this as our fans are great and wouldn’t do that to their own stadium,” he told www.blues.co.uk. “As I watched it happening, I couldn’t believe it and felt totally numb.

“Regardless of whatever those people were thinking at the time, to go onto their own club’s pitch and vandalise the goals as they did was completely wrong and three days after the event I still can’t take it in.”

Across the city, Aston Villa have opened discussions with Gareth Barry in the hope of persuading the England midfielder to stay at the club.

Villa manager Martin O’Neill has been involved in a war of words with Liverpool counterpart Rafael Benitez over Barry after the Anfield club submitted a 10million bid for the player.

Liverpool hope to tempt Barry to leave Villa Park with the offer of Champions League football but O’Neill is “hopeful” he and club owner Randy Lerner can impress him enough to make him stay.