Birmingham win at Peterborough to seal promotion

Birmingham City are back in the Championship after just one season

Runaway League One leaders Birmingham City sealed promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt with six games to spare thanks to victory at Peterborough.

Posh's Kwame Poku put the party on hold when he equalised three minutes after Alfie May had put the visitors ahead.

But Taylor Gardner-Hickman restored Blues' lead eight minutes before the interval with what turned out to be the winner.

Big-spending City, relegated last season, are 14 points clear of second-placed Wrexham and now cannot be caught by third-placed Wycombe, despite the Chairboys' win at Huddersfield.

They have led the table for most of the campaign - boss Chris Davies' first season in management - and have achieved their expected promotion at a canter.

With the travelling fans in celebratory mood, May opened the scoring by heading in Gardner-Hickman's excellent ball in from the left.

Poku then thumped Posh level from near the edge of the penalty area after Birmingham could only half-clear a corner.

But Gardner-Hickman sealed the win and promotion by firing under keeper Nicholas Bilokapic from the left side of the box after collecting Marc Leonard's pass.

Blues' spending pays off

Having presided over a relegation in a disastrous first season at the helm, Birmingham's American owners have got the immediate promotion back to the Championship they wanted.

Hopes were high among fans when Tom Wagner and Knighthead Capital acquired a substantial stake in the club in 2023, and when NFL legend Tom Brady also joined as a minority owner.

But a controversial decision to replace popular manager John Eustace with former England star Wayne Rooney backfired spectacularly.

Alfie May's opener at London Road was his 15th league goal of the season

Despite serious teething problems, they have remained ambitious, with a move to a new stadium at Bordesley planned.

In the short term, they spent big in their bid to secure promotion.

Around £25m was shelled out on players, including more than £10m on striker Jay Stansfield - a third-tier transfer record.

Seven-figure fees were also paid for Emil Hansson, Ayumu Yokoyama, Alex Cochrane and Scotland forward Lyndon Dykes.

And, in stark contrast to the Rooney appointment, they installed a comparative unknown in Davies, who lacked direct managerial experience but arrived as a highly-regarded coach.

Another double?

Birmingham have only spent five seasons in English football's third tier in their history.

Just as they did the last time they won promotion from that level, under Barry Fry 30 years ago, they have done it at the first time of asking.

It was somehow fitting that Fry, who turned 80 on Monday, was there to see them do it, as Peterborough's long-serving director of football.

Fry achieved a league and cup double in 1995. And Blues will start as favourites to emulate that feat on Sunday when they will face Posh again - this time at Wembley in the final of the EFL Trophy.

With their massive financial superiority over the rest of League One, this was a job that was very much expected of Birmingham.

They have got that job done efficiently, if not spectacularly, scoring the most goals in the division and conceding the fewest.

Stansfield is the division's joint top scorer, with 18 goals - half of them from the penalty spot - and May has weighed in with 15. But just as impressive have been keeper Ryan Allsop's 21 clean sheets in 37 league and cup games.

This season was only ever a stopover, in terms of their ambitious owners' ultimate plan.

But, as far as Birmingham fans are concerned, this American express will do nicely for now.

Chris Davies has delivered promotion in his first season

'It means the world' - Davies

Birmingham City manager Chris Davies to BBC Radio WM:

"A special night - obviously it means the world to see the fans celebrate, it really is something special.

"I have said previously how the club has suffered a lot, particularly in the last couple of years.

"It is about creating memories, bringing them some joy and making them proud of their club and I think we have done that this season, so for me it means the world.

"I thought we maintained a good level throughout the game, I thought the subs that came on kept us at that good level and I thought we finished it well.

"I have had a lot of ups and downs in football - to come to a club like this and do this is obviously the pinnacle of my career so far."