Design & Development

Birmingham City demolishes stands as stadium repair project begins

Featured image credit: Birmingham City FC

Birmingham City has started work on the repair of two of its stands after being forced to play at a reduced-capacity St Andrew’s for almost two years.

The second-tier English Football League Championship club has demolished areas of the Kop and Tilton Road stands that were shut for safety reasons in December 2020. The closure – which reduced the capacity at St Andrew’s by around a third to 20,000 – came about after problems with the steelworks in the two stands were identified.

In an update released to fans, the club said seats have started to be removed in recent weeks with the intention that preparatory work is done during the World Cup break, which lasts until late December.

Buckingham Group, which was appointed by the club to undertake the main body of the work, has employed sub-contractors EMDD Universal Diamond Drilling to complete the demolition phase of the repairs. This phase of work has involved the removal of all pre-cast concrete units from both the Lower Tilton and Lower Kop stands to expose the areas underneath.

The club said once these units have been removed, the exposed areas will be covered and secured. It is then the club’s aim to resume and complete the remaining repairs immediately after the final home fixture of the season, during the summer break of 2023.

“The club will continue to update supporters during the current phase of work as it progresses during the World Cup break,” the club said in a statement.

AFL Architects are working in collaboration with the club on the design aspect of the remedial works, whilst Ramboll will act as structural and geotechnical engineers.