Championship

BIRMINGHAM have released incredible pictures of their new-look St. Andrew’s stadium as part of a £3BILLION investment to could raise capacity to 60,000.The club’s 118-year-old home looks unrecognisable in the images ahead of work on the 29,409-capacity venue.St. Andrew’s looks unrecognisable in new pictures from Birmingham’s planned renovationsCredit: X / @BCFCThe club are aiming to introduce two new fan parks ahead of next seasonCredit: X / @BCFCWork is set to commence in the coming weeks as the Blues look to introduce to two new fan parks ahead of next season.The plans show a new open plan seating area, bar, TV studio overlooking the pitch and outdoor areas for supporters.Birmingham’s most recent renovations to St. Andrew’s took place between 2020 and 2023.However, their latest plans come as they look to move away from their home since 1906.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe club’s American owners have purchased land less than a mile away where they plan to build a new stadium in time to move by August 2029.Blues’ parent company Knighthead wants to create a Sports Quarter on a former go-kart track around 500 metres from St Andrew’s as part of a proposed project costing an estimated £2-3billion.It will include a state-of-the-art 40,000-60,000 capacity venue and training facilities for all their teams.CEO Garry Cook believes the project will have a “seismic” impact on Birmingham’s global reputation.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSTom Brady’s effect on BirminghamA lot has changed at Birmingham since Tom Brady became an investor in August.

John Eustace sacked in October with club sixth in the Championship
Replacement Wayne Rooney sacked in January after winning two of 15 matches as club slip to 20th
Stadium renamed St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park as part of commercial agreement
Gary Rowett returns to club as interim boss in March after Tony Mowbray steps back for medical treatment
Land purchased for £2-3billion Sports Quarter project including new stadium
Plans revealed for new fan parks at St. Andrew’s for 2024/25 season

The blueprint even includes plans for the city to host NFL games in the future, with seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady now an investor in the club.Since Brady became a minority owner in August, the club have had six different managers, including two caretakers and current interim boss Gary Rowett.Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney, 38, lands new job as TNT Sports pundit… and he could be in line for Match of the DayThey also slipped from sixth to 22nd after John Eustace was replaced by Wayne Rooney in October.Birmingham have been outside the Premier League since relegation in 2011, spending 13 consecutive seasons in the Championship.They are at risk of dropping to League One this term, though, with the Blues currently third bottom of the second tier.Rowett’s side are one point from safety with five matches remaining, starting with Wednesday’s home clash against Cardiff.Work at the site is set to commence in the coming weeksCredit: X / @BCFCThe plans are part of a £3billion project which includes a new stadium for the BluesCredit: X / @BCFC More

PAUL HECKINGBOTTOM may only be able to bring in ONE member of backroom staff if he takes the Sunderland job.Hecky is favourite for the post — as we revealed last week — but the Black Cats want to keep some of their existing staff.Michael Heckingbottom can only choose one member of staff if he takes the Sunderland jobCredit: GettyAnd that would mean Heckingbottom, 46, having to choose between out-of-work Stuart McCall or Sheffield United coach Jack Lester.Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl is also a Mackems option but is probably too costly.Heckingbottom has been out of work since being axed by Sheffield United in December.He led the Blades back to the Premier League last summer but was replaced by Chris Wilder after winning just one of his 14 top-flight games.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHecky was previously linked with the Sunderland role just days after leaving Bramall Lane.However, the Championship side hired Michael Beale as Tony Mowbray’s replacement instead.He managed just 12 games at the Stadium of Light and was sacked in February after picking up only four wins.Michael Dodds has since been in charge as caretaker boss.Most read in ChampionshipBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERBut as well as Heckingbottom, Sunderland are also keeping an eye on Wednesday chief RohlHe took charge of the Owls in October and has them just one point off safety.Fans have incredible theory that sacked Sunderland boss Michael Beale of set up Twitter burner account to defend recordSunSport also revealed this week that Sunderland legend Jermain Defoe has thrown his hat into the ring for the top job.The 41-year-old, currently coaching at Tottenham, scored 37 goals in 100 games during two spells at the club.He said: “Even when I was a player at Sunderland, I always said I’d love to manage the club.“Everyone is going to want this job. If I got a phone call now asking if I want to be Sunderland manager? It would be a dream.”Paul Heckingbottom’s managerial statsThose numbers in full:

Barnsley, 2015-2018: P108 W39 D28 L41

Leeds, 2018: P16 W4 D4 L8

Hibernian, 2019: P32 W11 D12 L9

Sheffield Utd, 2021-2023: P98 W49 D18 L31 More

FABIO WARDLEY travelled to Norwich yesterday to back hometown club Ipswich.The heavyweight star, 29, was at Carrow Road less than a week on from his bloody battle with Frazer Clarke.Fabio Wardley swung his shirt around his head in the concourseCredit: XWardley, 29, was supporting his hometown team at Carrow RoadCredit: XThe British heavyweight champ taunted Norwich fansCredit: XStill sporting some of the bruises from his draw with Clarke, Wardley wore an Ipswich shirt for the Old Farm derby.He posted a picture of himself in their famous blue home shirt, while also wearing an Ipswich scarf and holding a flag.Wardley wrote: “Uppa Town.”The British champion later took his shirt off in the away end concourse, swinging it around his head.READ MORE IN SPORTHe took time out to pose for pictures with fellow Ipswich fans.And when he took to his seat, he couldn’t resist taunting the Norwich supporters.Wardley could be seen having a bit of fun while giving it to the Canaries’ faithful.Unfortunately for Wardley, his team went on to lose the crucial Championship clash 1-0.Most read in ChampionshipBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERMarcelino Nunez’s 39th minute free-kick was ultimately the difference between the two sides, as Norwich strengthened their grip on sixth.Ipswich, meanwhile, lost top spot – with Leicester going a point clear while also possessing a game in hand after beating strugglers Birmingham 2-1.Brave Fabio Wardley survives horror nose injury to DRAW with Frazer Clarke in fight of the year contenderWardley and Co would later feel better, however, when Leeds lost 2-1 at Coventry – keeping Daniel Farke’s side third, a point behind Ipswich.The boxing star was forced to receive medical attention following his gruesome war with Clarke at the 02 Arena last week.He suffered a broken nose during the bout, and was leaking heavily with his face a “mess”.Despite Wardley’s injuries, it was Clarke who looked the worse for wear upon the final bell.Marcelino Nunez celebrates Norwich’s winnerCredit: RexWardley drew with Frazer Clarke at the 02 last weekCredit: GettyWardley, who represented his beloved Ipswich with his shorts, was left severely bloodied during last week’s fightCredit: PA More

ANGUS GUNN knows more than anyone what can go wrong in the ‘Old Farm Derby’ for a keeper.For his dad — Norwich legend Bryan Gunn — once gifted Ipswich a late winner with his infamous air kick that is written into football folklore.Angus Gunn knows more than most what the derby means to NorwichCredit: GettyBryan Gunn, 60, is a Norwich legend but would probably prefer to forget about his performance in the 1996 derbyCredit: GettyBryan Gunn’s air-kick led to Ipswich taking the lead in the clashAngus’ dad could only watch in horror as the ball trickled into the netWith the scores 1-1 at Portman Road in 1996, Rob Ullathorne played a straight-forward back-pass to the Canaries keeper.But the ball bobbled as he prepared to launch it long, it ran under his foot and into the net.Gunn, 28, said: “I’ve seen it hundreds of times. He looks back at that as a low moment of his career but can laugh at it now.“Dad always turns around and blames the defender who passed it back to him — and it doesn’t stop there either.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL“He also blame Mike Milligan for passing it to Ullathorne in the first place!“I find it very funny too although you wouldn’t wish that upon anyone.“The pitches now are better so I should be alright to deal with a back-pass like that.”Gunn has not yet performed a clanger anywhere near to that magnitude although he accepts every keeper is going to look foolish a few times in their career.Most read in ChampionshipBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERBut he added: “When you do suffer something like that, it’s how you bounce back. You move on.“I’m always unhappy whenever I concede — even a 25 yard screamer which people say gave you no chance. I’m always thinking, ‘Could I have moved my feet earlier to push off the ground more.’ Luckily I’ve not had too many low moments.”Inside Grant Holt’s life after footballGunn has been consistent for Norwich and is rated as one of the Championship’s finest keepers.But he knows he and his team-mates are going to have to be at their best at Carrow Road to maintain their 13-match unbeaten derby record against the Tractor Boys, who go into the game top of the table.Ipswich have not registered a win against their foes since 2009 — a 3-2 thriller at Portman Road which a 13-year-old Gunn watched distraughtly from the stands.Bryan Gunn made 478 appearances for Norwich between 1986 and 1998 — and his son was naturally brought up as a Canaries supporter.He said: “I was so gutted, it was my lowest point as a Norwich fan. Thankfully the 13 games since have erased those memories somewhat.“But Ipswich have had an outstanding season. What the manager Kieran McKenna has done there has been incredible, bringing them up from League One and now top of the table. It’s impressive.“You look at Leicester and the quality they have on and off the pitch. “They had Jamie Vardy as a sub in both games against us — and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the first one. If you’ve got that calibre of player coming off the bench, you’ve a great chance of getting promoted.“But Ipswich, with the squad that they have coming up from League One, to maintain the performances and level that they have has been the most impressive in my view.”Norwich are currently sixth and in the final play-off spot with a four-point cushion over seventh-placed Coventry — while Ipswich only have a one-point lead over Leeds and two over third-placed Leicester, who have a game in hand.And Gunn believes the Canaries have as much chance of getting promoted than Ipswich — with there still being a huge chance of the East Anglian rivals clashing in the play-offs.They both met in the 2015 semi-final with Norwich prevailing 3-1 at Carrow Road after a 1-1 draw at Portman Road on their way to promotion.He said: “That would be cool to get into the play offs and get Ipswich in the semi or the final would be even bigger.“That’s something we’re not scared of. It’s something we’ll embrace and hopefully we can make it happen.“Whoever misses out on automatic promotion are going to be feeling pretty low — so hopefully that will work in our favour.“But we mustn’t get ahead of ourselves. We’ve got a huge derby game this weekend.“Ipswich were flying when we went into the last game at Portman Road but dealt with that well in terms of managing the atmosphere and the fact they were so desperate to beat us.“We drew 2-2 but easily could’ve won. I feel we’re better going into this one. Our performances have stepped forward and we’ve got so much confidence in each other with the way we play.“Hopefully we can show that this weekend.”Gunn will be playing in his fourth East Anglian derby and has one win and two draws so far to his name.His favourite was his first, a 1-0 win at Portman Road in 2017 while on loan from Manchester City, with James Maddison scoring the winner.But he added: “The return at Carrow Road was also great because Ipswich thought they had won with an 89th-minute winner only for Tim Klose to level six minutes into added time. We kept that unbeaten run going.”READ MORE SUN STORIESRivalries aside, though, Gunn would like to see BOTH teams go up to set up the first East Anglian derby in the Premier League since 1995 when the two clubs were relegated.He said: “We’ve not had many derbies with Ipswich in recent years because we’re usually playing in a higher division — so it’d be pretty nice to have this game in the Premier League.” More