Birmingham City: Ground renamed St Andrew's@Knighthead Park in multi-million pound deal
- Published
St Andrew's has been home to Birmingham City since 1906
Birmingham City have sold the naming rights for their ground in a "multi-million pound, multi-year" deal.
The Championship club's stadium will be renamed St Andrew's@Knighthead Park before the end of the season.
US-based Shelby Companies Limited (SCL), a subsidiary of Knighthead Capital Management, completed a takeover of Birmingham last July.
A statement said the agreement was the first step towards creating a sports quarter in the heart of the city.
"The value of the agreement is based on an annual sponsorship fee, a men's first team performance-related bonus and a club-wide social media performance-related bonus," the statement continued.
Birmingham are 20th in the Championship, eight points clear of the relegation places after a season which saw John Eustace take the team to sixth place, only to be replaced as head coach by former England captain Wayne Rooney.
Rooney only lasted until 2 January, when he was sacked after just two wins in 15 matches, and experienced Tony Mowbray appointed as his successor.
On the naming rights deal, chief executive Garry Cook said "new thinking" was required to enable clubs to grow and compete.
"A worldwide audience has tuned in to what is happening at Blues, they want to find out more, and we have only just scratched the surface of what is possible," he added.
"Knighthead has invested in Birmingham and is bringing a level of ambition that is going to improve the fortunes of both the club and the city itself.
"Our partnership is an example of this. We look at the football world differently and we know that creating broader awareness and engagement across social and other media platforms will increase our commercial growth opportunities.
"For Blues, this means the prospect of significant investment, both on and off the pitch."
Birmingham are away to Championship leaders Leicester City on Saturday in the FA Cup fourth round.