Brum wins over sceptical bosses; CAMPAIGN: Villa and Blues managers will help boost city tourism.

Byline: By Emma Cullwick CHIEF REPORTER

ASTON Villa manager Martin O'Neill and Blues' boss Alex McLeish have admitted they once held dim views of Birmingham as they pledged to boost the city's image in a unique pounds 1.4 million sponsorship deal.

The joint deal, first revealed in yesterday's Birmingham Mail, is the only one of its kind in English football history and will see the two teams put rivalries to one side to spend the next three years promoting the city to attract more tourists and swell the local economy.

Mr O'Neill said: "I didn't realise Birmingham would be so nice until I got here. I think there's a perceived negative image about Birmingham, but there's a real culture to the place.

"Geographically it could not be better placed and it has so much to offer. There's the view that London is the best place in England, but this is the second city in terms of both population and the kinds of events it stages.

"There are things about this city I wasn't aware of and we believe it's time to not necessarily change Birmingham's image, but to put it back on the map."

He compared Birmingham to Glasgow, where he lived when he managed Celtic up until his move to Villa Park in 2006.

"Like Glasgow, there's a real heart to Birmingham," he added. "You have to go and visit Birmingham to appreciate it."

Mr McLeish added: "My perceptions of Birmingham weren't great if I'm to be honest.

"People would say to me 'why are you moving to Birmingham?'

"But when I got here and saw it for myself I was really surprised, and I thought it was obvious that the people who were questioning my choice of move had not been to Birmingham for a long time."

He said he was first impressed by Malmaison Hotel, in the city's Mailbox, where he stayed during talks to join the club.

"I also love all the canals and how the city's really made full use of them as an attraction," he added.

Mr McLeish said he also enjoys visiting Warwickshire Cricket Club in Edgbaston and regularly eats out in city centre restaurants.

The sponsorship deal, clinched by Marketing Birmingham and partly funded by Birmingham City council, will see website www.visitbirming-ham.com plastered across advertising hoardings around the pitches at both St Andrew's and Villa Park.

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ON SIDE... Birmingham City Council Leader Mike Whitby with Martin O'Neill and Alex McLeish. Picture by Iain Findlay Photo ref.: IF110808Mike03