BLUE MURDER; TAKEOVERS ALL CHANGE AT THE TOP FOR BIRMINGHAM CITY AND PORTSMOUTH.Byline: JAMES NURSEY BIRMINGHAM'S outgoing chief David Sullivan
David Sullivan reckons he has been driven away from St Andrews by ungrateful fans. And he warned incoming owner Carson Yeung that running the club should come with a health warning. Sullivan is due to collect around pounds 25million next week for selling his shares in Yeung's pounds 80m takeover. But it has come at a cost, as the tycoon reckons his stressful reign at City has made him ill on occasions. Sullivan, 60, feels taken for granted Adj. 1. taken for granted - evident without proof or argument; "an axiomatic truth"; "we hold these truths to be self-evident" axiomatic, self-evident obvious - easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind; "obvious errors" by Brum fans - despite leaving City in the Premier League after inheriting a team doomed to relegation to the third tier. And he insists he had no option but to eventually sell up to Yeung, who first tried to buy City in 2007. "I will leave heartbroken," the controversial Sullivan told Mirror Sport. "I have given 16-and-a-half years of blood, sweat and tears. I feel very sad because deep down I feel the supporters decided my time was up and they wanted a change. "They rioted 18 months ago when we were relegated at home to Blackburn - there's no other word to describe it. "I knew at that moment I had to go, it was just a matter of time. I didn't want to go in the Championship, I wanted to leave the club in the Premier League." Publishing magnate Sullivan, worth around pounds 500m, said his farewells to City staff after Saturday's defeat at Burnley. It marked the end of an era after Sullivan, the Gold brothers and Karren Brady Karren Brady (born April 1969) is a British broadcasting and sport business manager. She is best known for being the managing director of Birmingham City Football Club. rescued Birmingham from oblivion in 1993. But despite revamping the club on and off the pitch and masterminding promotion last term, Essex-based Sullivan is still unpopular with many fans. He added: "I don't think we have got any credit at all from the supporters. "I think they will look back in 10 years and think they got 16-and-a-half years of very good custodianship. "People say we don't spend enough money on players, but what people don't see is the money we spend on wages. We had the highest wage bill last season in the Championship. And when you get beaten by Blackpool home and away, and you have three players earning more than their entire squad, you do feel a bit ill. "They wiped the floor with us away and it makes you feel ill and physically sick. "People think you don't care but it breaks your heart when you have trekked all the way to Blackpool. We lost pounds 12m last year as a club to chase promotion but thankfully we got back up. "I am too honest. When we got a gate of 19,000 for the first game this season against Portsmouth, I said that is not good enough - and that is not what people want to hear. I am also not from Birmingham but no one from Birmingham ever wanted to buy the club, so it is not like I outbid local people. "Throughout our stay we have asked for local people to join us and invest in the club but no one ever has. The level of expectation is so high, yet whatever you deliver is not enough." Yeung paid an initial pounds 15m for a 29.9 per cent stake in the club in July 2007 but is now set to control St Andrews. Sullivan said: "He might do a wonderful job - he has promised us he is going to pump in a lot of money. I think the team is two players short of a good team. They need a tall goal-scoring striker and a midfielder." Sullivan is leaving feeling unloved, but there are plenty of fans at Upton Park Coordinates: This article is about the area in London. For the West Ham United football stadium, see Boleyn Ground. Upton Park is an area in the London Borough of Newham. who would be delighted if he bought West Ham Coordinates: West Ham is a district in the London Borough of Newham, in east London, England, located 6.1 miles (9.8 km) east of Charing Cross. From 1889 to 1965 it formed part of the County Borough of West Ham. . BIRMINGHAM: THE SULLIVAN YEARS David Sullivan's managers at Birmingham since he arrived at St Andrews in 1993: Terry Cooper Terence 'Terry' Cooper (born July 12 1944 in Knottingley, Yorkshire, England) was a classy and highly-rated full back in the great Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s. (09-08-1991 /29-11-1993) Sullivan says: "He was worn out and wanted to go." Barry Fry Barry Francis Fry (born April 7 1945 in Bedford, England) is an English football manager. A former Manchester United apprentice as a winger, his playing career involved brief spells with Bolton, Luton and Leyton Orient), before he retired prematurely due to injury. (10-12-1993 / 07-05-1996) Sullivan says: "The nicest manager we ever had, we should never have sacked him." Trevor Francis Trevor John Francis (born April 19, 1954 in Boxhill, Plymouth, England), was a noted footballer and England's first £1 million player. He has also been a football manager. Francis is now working as a pundit with Sky Sports. (10-05-1996/15-10-2001) Sullivan says: "An able manager but hard to communicate with." Steve Bruce (12-12-2001/19-11-2007) Sullivan says: "Probably a very good manager and possibly an outstanding manager." Alex McLeish ( 28-11-2007/present) Sullivan says: "Alex is a very defensive manager but he got us promoted at the first opportunity." CAPTION(S): BRADY BUNCH Birmingham chiefs David Gold, Karren Brady & Sullivan YEUNG BLOOD Carson Yeung is the new owner GLOVE AFFAIR But Sullivan admits his regime was unpopular with some fans |
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