Birmingham owner says relegation would not prevent new 60,000-seater stadium

Birmingham chairman Tom Wagner says the club's potential relegation to League One would not halt their plans to build a new 60,000-seater stadium.

Knighthead, the owner of Birmingham, has bought a 48-acre former wheeled-sports site in Bordesley Park as they launch plans to build a new "world-class" stadium and training facilities for all of their teams.

However, the Blues are currently 22nd in the Championship - one point from safety - and have just five matches to save themselves from relegation.

Gary Rowett, the interim manager, leads his side into the first of those games on Wednesday at home to Cardiff, live on Sky Sports.

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Wagner - who is co-chief executive of Knighthead - expressed his hope that their first year of ownership does not end in relegation but explained why a drop into the third tier would not impact their investment in the club.

"It's important to us that we stay up because it matters - I care," Wagner said. "Like many of our supporters, when things go poorly, I don't sleep at night. I know that sounds crazy but that's part of falling in love with the club.

"But what happens in the next five games is going to have no impact on what we're pursuing and our vision for the next decade. You can't talk about making a multi-billion-pound investment and worry about the next two fixtures.

"We've got no choice but to say 'here's the objective' and then pursue it with rigour, vigour and in an unrelenting fashion. Nothing is going to stop us from doing this."

St Andrew's, Birmingham's home for over a century, holds just under 30,000 fans and has been around two-thirds full on average for Championship games this season.

But Wagner - who is overseeing the project alongside Garry