The 2026-27 Championship season is underway, and Birmingham City are aiming for a return to the Premier League. Alongside the team's ambitions, BirminghamLive is launching a new era of Blues coverage, led by reporter Alex Dicken, with expanded Premium subscription benefits designed to bring fans closer to the action.
Blues' Away Form Was the Difference Last Season
Last season, Birmingham City's hopes of reaching the play-offs were derailed by a poor away record. Chris Davies' side managed just 20 points on the road, a tally that ultimately cost them a place in the end-of-season play-offs. Had that record been better, Blues would have been in contention.
Fans traveled in hope rather than expectation, enduring dire defeats to Coventry, Sheffield United, and Watford, while savoring rare victories at Blackburn, Preston, Sheffield Wednesday, Oxford, and Norwich. Through it all, BirminghamLive was there, asking the questions supporters wanted answered.
Premium Subscription: What's New This Season
This season, Alex Dicken is promising the most comprehensive coverage yet. By signing up to the Premium subscription, readers get breaking transfer news, exclusive interviews, analysis, opinion, video, and unique access to the people who make the club tick. Premium pieces this summer included a 2,000-word interview with Davies from Blues' Portuguese training camp, an interview with Dael Fry, and the inside track on new signings Kristoffer Lund and Max Bird.
Subscribers also benefit from unlimited access to the BirminghamLive site and app, and a cleaner, faster reading experience with fewer adverts. Membership starts at £4.99 a month, with the first month just £1, or £39.99 for the year.
What You Can Expect from Alex Dicken
As part of the Premium subscription, Dicken outlines several features: Q&A sessions where fans can send in questions about players, transfers, or tactics; deeper analysis that goes beyond the 90 minutes, breaking down tactics, key statistics, data, and decisions; more video content, including breaking news, post-match reaction, and transfer specials; and more podcasts, with the Keep Right On podcast returning for its fourth season, featuring Brian Dick and Dicken previewing and reviewing all matches, with guests throughout the season.
Dicken will also provide honest opinion without sitting on the fence, exclusive interviews from the Elite Performance and Innovation Centre with players and past heroes, and a new Premium newsletter bringing the best interviews, insight, analysis, and breaking news directly to subscribers' inboxes.
"Whether you are reading my player ratings (and disagreeing with them), watching videos from match days, engaging with me on social media, or sending in questions for me to answer, thank you for your incredible support," said Dicken. "I can't wait to get stuck into another Championship season following Blues."
The new season promises to be a challenging one for Birmingham City, with the aim of improving on last year's away form and pushing for promotion. With the enhanced coverage from BirminghamLive, fans will have more ways than ever to stay informed and engaged.
