SQUEAKY BRUM TIME FOR TOON

FOR the overwhelming majority of the last 15 years, Birmingham supporters have been treated about as well as a pack of stray dogs.

- NEIL MOXLEY

Ever since former owners David Sullivan and David Gold decided to cash in and hand over the running of the club to ex-Hong Kong hairdresser Carson Yeung, it has been one long, painful step on that journey towards the end of the road they sing about.

More faceless, absentee owners followed after Yeung was jailed for money laundering.

The new bosses at least propped up the Championship club financially, but, with each year, a drop into League One looked increasingly likely.

Tired, weary and thoroughly fed-up, points deductions, fan protests and outright civil war prevailed in a crumbling stadium.

Enter Knighthead Capital, a New York-based investment house.

Big plans, big dreams and big talk after their takeover 18 months ago.

Question was: Could they back it up? Could they breathe fresh life into this rotting corpse of a club?

After 18 months the answer was there for all to see at St Andrew's last night.

To coin a phrase from across the Pond: Hell yeah, they can.