The sound of silence at City is deafening..
NINE months ago, we described how Birmingham City would be in breach of Financial Fair Play regulations and that a transfer embargo was to follow.
That ban on signings did, indeed, take place as the ridiculous scale of the excess by owners, who remain anonymous to the rank and file, at St Andrew’s became apparent.
The club signed up to these new rules. They can hardly bellyache now that they are being used against them. However, the Football League have so far refused to levy any punishment upon the club. A points deduction has been mentioned.
Birmingham have taken incredibly expensive legal advice on the matter. The supporters, caught in the crossfire of all of this, deserve an explanation from the owners.
But they also deserve to have details released by the Football League of exactly why it is that it has taken nine months – and counting – to bring any punishment to bear. It is hugely unfair on fans to be kept in the dark by the authorities.
This should have been sorted out before the start of the campaign, then everyone would have known where they stood.
The owners deserve to be chastised for their wanton arrogance in pressing ahead with spending schemes that bordered on fantastical.
However, the Football League needs to look at itself. Both in terms of its systems for punishing this extravagance and the way it manages its news. Every request for information is met with blank airspace or platitudes.
The current feeling among the fanbase at Birmingham is that the EFL is to blame.
They are not, of course. They are the referees in this matter. But by keeping their mouths shut about this whole sorry episode they appear to be the villains.
And for that, I’m afraid, they only have themselves to blame.