Birmingham owners call in the receivers amid internal dispute
BIRMINGHAM City chiefs have moved to appease fears for the future of the Championship club after their parent company Birmingham International Holdings Limited was placed into receivership yesterday.
The Blues said they wanted “to reassure supporters and staff most emphatically that no winding up petition has been filed against the company (BIHL) and that it is therefore not in liquidation”.
They added that BHIL had taken the “voluntary but unusual” step of handing control to receivers from EY “with no apparent resolution to the fractious and inharmonious relations within the management”.
Birmingham’s board is split between supporters and opponents of former owner Carson Yeung, who was jailed for six years 11 months ago for money laundering.
BHIL complained to police in Hong Kong, where it is listed, last month that it believed £2.5m had been “misappropriated” from the company. The Midlands club, who showed their apparent financial strength by rejecting a £3.5m bid from Bournemouth for youngster Demarai Gray, quoted EY as saying their appointment “has nothing to do with insolvency”.