David Gold: I'm glad I didn't walk away from Birmingham City

Jun 14 2009 by Robert Tanner, Sunday Mercury

“For a couple of days afterwards I thought that was the case with Blues. I felt the blame was focused on the Board and it felt very personal at the time.

“I want to fly around the world in my helicopter while I am still young enough to do it, and I could have done that instead, but I recovered from that and I am delighted all the fans can now hold their heads up high again.

“I also became a grandfather for the first time (daughter Jacqueline gave birth to Scarlett Rose in May), and I was also re-appointed as a member of the FA Council.

“I have taken time to reflect on what a year it has been and I have just been to the Football League Conference as a guest.

“It was great to see all my old friends. I was sat with Barry Fry of Peterborough and Paul Scally of Gillingham, who have both just been promoted.

All three of us were sat there like the Three Amigos, with a glass of wine toasting our promotions.

“It just goes to show you can be down in the dumps but if you can battle then 12 months later you can be successful again.

“You have to have the courage to say ‘we can do this’.

“It is fantastic to be back in the Premier League.

“People talk about the huge sums of money that are available in football but the strongest driving force in football is pride.

“All you have to do is look at or talk to a Blues fan and they will have their chests puffed out with pride. They know their club is back where we believe we should be. We have no divine right to be here but they live in the second city and follow a club with the iconic name ‘Blues’.

“They are going to work and mixing with their pals who follow Villa, Wolves and Albion, and while Villa fans were talking about games against Liverpool and United, they could only talk about games against Doncaster Rovers and Blackpool last season. They had lost their bragging rights, but they have their pride back now.”

Now Blues are back among the elite, Gold has promised they will do everything they can to avoid the mistakes that cost them so dearly two years ago and said they will give manager Alex McLeish every support to make sure there is no repeat of what happened on that fateful final day at St Andrew’s.

“We were partially responsible,” he said.

“The Chinese takeover deal collapsed and we should have taken steps to avoid that, although it was them who failed to complete the deal.

“We lost Steve Bruce during that period because of all the uncertainty.

“We were relegated because they did not fulfil their promise and Steve became disillusioned.

“Alex McLeish did not get us relegated. The damage had been done. We were relying on Alex to pull off a miracle and he very nearly did if it hadn’t been for Fulham. They were amazing in the final few weeks and we paid the price.

“We will do everything we can to stay in the Premier League. We will be stronger and who knows where that will take us?”

Gold certainly believes its up, up and away for his Blues.