CARSON YEUNG: We’ll make Brum 'Team China' bigger than Villa
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HUI 'N CRY ... new chairman Vico Hui (centre) leads in his team
CARSON YEUNG'S 'Team China' moved into St Andrew's yesterday with plans to make Birmingham City bigger than Aston Villa.
New chairman Vico Hui, and vice-chairmen Sammy Yu and Peter Pannu, emerged from their first day in charge "proud, happy and excited" to be taking over.
And just as Manchester City are emerging from years in the shadow of United under their new owners, there is a positive belief on the new Brum board that bitter rivals Villa have a fight on their hands to remain top dogs in England's second city.
New finance chief Pannu said: "The highest we can say at this stage is we will be bringing Birmingham City up.
"And Aston Villa will be a very positive rival for us as a path to surpass."
Just how they plan to achieve that will be revealed when Hong Kong tycoon Yeung makes his first public appearance as the new owner at St Andrew's on Thursday.
On the question of how much money will be available to strengthen the team in January, Pannu added: "We'll let the boss answer that!
"He has so many things in his mind to do something really good for the club and we are all very excited.
"I can tell our supporters we will not let them down.What we really want to do, is foster better relations with the supporters.
"There are quite a few fans in the past year or two that the club has lost, and we want to be extending our hearts and our hands to them, and to bring all those missing supporters back to us."
New chairman Hui, described by Yu as 'The Mastermind,' even went as far as insisting Blues are now part-publicly owned.
He said: "The club is not only owned by ourselves, it is owned by the people of Birmingham. So come on boys, let's all work together - and buy the tickets!"
The new Brum regime are at Arsenal on Saturday and Hui said: "Football is full of surprises!
"We will try our best to be a family and to get the best result. But the priority this season is to stay in the Premier League.
"That will give us the foundations to build for the future. But we will need time to do our foundations."
Yu will share the day-to-day running with Pannu and admits it is taking two men to do the job previously done by outgoing managing director Karren Brady.
He said: "We had a very good talk to Karren Brady this morning and we will try at every opportunity to co-operate with everyone. Our doors will always be open.
"I feel so proud and happy to be here. We are only looking forward. Everything 'no change'. Only important thing is a better tomorrow."
Yu also vowed boss Alex McLeish will get the new board's full backing.
He added: "I think Alex will work really well with us. We all want the same thing - to get some good results."
Yu also admitted top Chinese stars could be heading for St Andrew's 'in time'.
He said: "Of course there are many good players in China and we want to be an international club."
Former Everton secretary Michael Dunsford is set be confirmed as the new chief executive, with Michael Wiseman, a Blues director since 2005, also joining the new board.
~~will he be like Thaksin @ Man City?
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I think he will seriously become Thaksin, not of the selling of club to Arab people but giving not alot of money for the club to spend....but yet had big ambitions
IMO, Asian people usualy wouldn't splurge so much, seriously! -
under Fifa standings, i tink China is not in e top 75 position(cant rmb is it top 75)..
therefore i dun tink he can lure Chinese players there le..
cum tat 6+5 rule soon implement rite?
like tat is equal to impossible leh