Birmingham City held their annual awards dinner at the ICC in Birmingham on Sunday evening, celebrating the club's 150th year. Christoph Klarer was the big winner, retaining both the Player of the Season awards voted by his peers and fans for the second consecutive year.
Women's Team Triumph
The women's team had greater cause for celebration after earning promotion to the Women's Super League with a final day victory over title rivals Charlton on Saturday. Manager Amy Merricks reflected on the turnaround from last year, when they missed out on promotion in a final day shoot-out. 'When I think back to this night last year, that was really challenging,' Merricks said. 'We made sure we made it count this season. After feeling such sorrow last year, it makes it feel even sweeter this year.'
Award Winners
Lily Crosthwaite was the big winner on the women's side, claiming all four awards. For the men, Jay Stansfield won Young Player of the Year for the third year running, and Alex Cochrane took the goal of the season award for his thunderous volley against Millwall.
No Tom Wagner Update
Chief executive Jeremy Dale addressed the absence of chairman Tom Wagner, who has been recovering from a stroke since February. 'I have been asked about 50,000 times to send best wishes to Tom, and I can assure you I have done that. He cannot wait to be back at St Andrew's with us,' Dale said. Andrew Shannahan represented Knighthead but left Dale to do the talking.
Revenue and Progress
Dale highlighted the club's progress, saying, 'We posted record revenues for 2024/25, and I can assure you this year we've grown more than we even dreamed of.' He also mentioned improvements at St Andrew's, noting that former player Jude Bellingham recently visited and 'loved seeing St Andrew's as it is now.'
Looking Ahead
Dale emphasized ambition for next season: 'We're excited for next year, and we know we will push on.' The goal is at least the play-offs, with Dale recently claiming that 'no football club in the world has greater ambitions.' The evening ended by 10:30 pm, with some players heading to Albert's Schloss to toast the season.
