31-03-2024, 11:26
Birmingham City v Preston North End
St Andrew's 1/4/2024 15.00 hrs
St Andrew's 1/4/2024 15.00 hrs
https://www.bcfc.com/
https://www.smallheathalliance.com/list....e_vignette
Manager (Temp)
Gary Rowett
Burton Albion
In May 2009, Rowett was named as assistant to newly appointed manager Paul Peschisolido at Burton Albion.[12] Rowett was put in temporary charge of Burton, assisted by Kevin Poole, following Peschisolido's sacking in March 2012.[11] On 10 May, Rowett was announced as the permanent manager of Burton Albion.[13] In his first season, he led Burton to fourth place in League Two, losing in the play-off semi-final to Bradford City,[14] and followed up with a sixth-place finish in 2013–14 and a 1–0 defeat to Fleetwood in the play-off final.[15]
Whilst in charge of Burton, Rowett oversaw their best ever League Cup performance, as they reached the third round in 2012–13 before being eliminated by Bradford City. They equaled this achievement two years later under his successor Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Unfortunately, he was also in charge for their two worst defeats in the Football League, both 7–1. The first was against Bristol Rovers in April 2012, while he was still temporary manager, and the second against Port Vale in April 2013.
In September 2014, with Burton near the top of League Two, Rowett rejected the opportunity to manage Championship strugglers Blackpool; he said he felt it was not the right job for him at the present time.[16]
Birmingham City
On 27 October 2014, Rowett was appointed the manager of his former club, Birmingham City – one place above Blackpool at the bottom of the Championship table. He was joined at Birmingham by Burton backroom staff members Kevin Summerfield as assistant manager, Mark Sale as first-team coach and Poole as goalkeeping coach. All three are also former Birmingham City players.[17] Rowett guided Birmingham from 21st in the Championship to 10th at the end of his first season, earning many plaudits for the remarkable turnaround in form.
Rowett was sacked by Birmingham on 14 December 2016 upon their change of ownership and boardroom team, despite leading the team to 7th in the Championship table and challenging for a play-off place.[18][19] The decision was met with surprise and criticism by Birmingham supporters, with the club appointing Gianfranco Zola as his replacement.[20][21] Zola resigned as Birmingham manager in April 2017, after a sequence of only two wins in 24 games throughout his tenure as manager left the club embroiled in a relegation battle.[22]
Derby County
Rowett was appointed as the new manager of Championship club Derby County, another of his former clubs as a player, on 14 March 2017, and signed a contract until the end of the 2018–19 season.[23] Rowett took over with Derby sat in tenth place, taking fifteen points from their final nine games to guide them to a ninth-placed finish.
Rowett signed five players ahead of the 2017–18 season largely focusing on adding experience to a Derby side which had gained a reputation for post-Christmas slumps in form[24] Players such as Tom Huddlestone (30) and Curtis Davies (32) raised the squad's average age to 28.2 years old, the second-highest in the division.[25] After a slow start of just 3 wins from the opening 10 games left them 15th in the table, 13 wins from the following 20 matches saw the team climb to 2nd place at the turn of the year, with Rowett winning Championship Manager of the Month for October and December 2017.[26][27] On 9 January 2018, Rowett was linked with the managerial vacancy at Premier League club Stoke City, but instead signed an improved contract, lasting until 2021.[28]
Despite Rowett adding further experience to the squad with the signing of 31-year old Cameron Jerome in the January transfer window, Derby again suffered a post-January slump, winning just 2 out of 13 league matches, a run that included heavy defeats to relegation candidates Sunderland and Burton Albion[29] to briefly fall out of the top 6, before a brief resurgence in their final three games saw them qualify for the playoffs on the final day of the season with a 6th-placed finish and 75 points.[30] The play-off campaign ended in defeat, Derby losing 2–1 on aggregate to Fulham, despite winning the first leg.[31][32] Soon after the end of the season, Rowett requested permission to talk to Stoke City about their vacant managerial position.[33]
Stoke City
Rowett was appointed Stoke City manager on 22 May 2018, signing a three-year contract, with Stoke paying Derby around £2m in compensation.[34] Stoke, having been relegated from the Premier League the previous season gave Rowett a large transfer budget. The players he brought in were goalkeeper Adam Federici, experienced centre back Ashley Williams, full-back Cuco Martina, midfielders Sam Clucas, Peter Etebo and Ryan Woods, wingers Tom Ince and James McClean and forward Benik Afobe.[35] The team made a poor start to the campaign winning only two of their opening ten matches.[36] Stoke won back-to-back games at the beginning of October against Bolton Wanderers and Norwich City before losing to Rowett's old club Birmingham.[37][38][39] City then went ten games unbeaten through November and December but made little progress up the table as Stoke drew six of them, conceding late equalisers on three occasions.[40][41][42] Stoke's run was ended by another defeat to Birmingham on Boxing Day.[43] After poor results against Bolton Wanderers and Bristol City supporters began to call for Rowett's departure.[44][45][46] Rowett's contract with Stoke was terminated by the club on 8 January 2019.[47][48]
Millwall
On 21 October 2019, Rowett was appointed as the new Millwall manager, succeeding Neil Harris, who left after more than four years in the post.[49] On his debut five days later, the team won 2–0 at home to his previous club Stoke.[50] After finishing 8th, 11th and 9th in his first three seasons, he signed a new contract of undisclosed length in July 2022.[51] In October 2023, Rowett left Millwall by mutual consent.[52]
Return to Birmingham
Rowett rejoined Birmingham City as interim manager on 19 March 2024 after incumbent Tony Mowbray took medical leave for the remainder of the season.[53]
To think if they hadn't sacked him years ago they wouldn't be in the mess they are in now, good news for Blues fans as a manager he has never lost against us
LAST TIME OUT
FORM GUIDE
CITY 2 PNE 14
With those figures should be an away win but with Rowett suspect they will be hard to beat. Only the Millers have had a lower rating than this.
IN FORM
BIRMINGHAM CULTURE
The Birmingham Botanical Gardens are a 15-acre (6-hectare) botanical garden situated in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England. The gardens are located 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) south-west of Birmingham city centre at grid reference SP049854. Designed in 1829, the gardens are Grade II* listed in Historic Englands's Register of Parks and Gardens,[1] and retain many original features and layout, which was designed by the landscape gardener and horticulturalist John Claudius Loudon. The site is notable for its range of glasshouses and gardens, which display a wide variety of plants and birds. Birmingham Botanical Gardens is managed by Birmingham Botanical and Horticultural Society, a registered charity. The gardens are open daily to the public with paid admission.
History
When Birmingham Botanical and Horticultural Society was formed in 1829, the intention was to develop a botanical garden. The chosen site for Birmingham Botanical Gardens was an 18-acre area of the Calthorpe estate, named Holly Bank Farm. The gardens were designed in 1829 by J. C. Loudon, a leading garden planner, horticultural journalist and publisher. The aim was to combine a scientific and ornamental garden and arboretum that would include a nursery and market garden for selling plants, fruits and vegetables to help with the gardens' maintenance costs. Loudon's design for the main conservatory was rejected as too expensive, so it was eventually designed by a local manufacturer. It took three years to plan and construct the site, before it was opened to members of the society on 11 June 1832. Further development and planting continued throughout the decade. Due to rising expenditure, the southern part of the gardens was given up in 1844 and would eventually be used as Westbourne Road Leisure Gardens. The layout of the Botanical Gardens has changed very little since Loudon first designed it.[1]
In 1852, the Tropical House was built, to house the tropical water lily, Victoria amazonica. This was followed by the construction of the Subtropical House in 1871. In 1884, the present-day Terrace glasshouses replaced the original conservatory and lean-to houses.[2]
Birmingham Botanical Gardens has played a significant role in the dissemination of Loudon's ideas in terms of planting and garden layout within the Birmingham area. Between 1833 and 1927, the gardens hosted annual exhibitions of exotic plants, fruits and flowers, which raised local horticultural expertise. In 1910 a zoological collection was introduced with the aim of increasing society membership and this included bears, monkeys, seals and alligators. Although the zoological collection was later abandoned, the gardens' collection of birds remained a feature.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s a £1.8 million refurbishment of the gardens took place, which involved the introduction of several new buildings and the restoration of the glasshouses. An aviary was constructed in 1995, housing a variety of birds in four different flights.[1]
Who’s Available?
After missing the Good Friday clash with Rotherham United, manager Ryan Lowe is hopeful of being able to call upon Liam Millar for this one.
Ryan Ledson, who was also absent a few days ago, won’t be back on Monday due to a calf issue, but he could return for the weekend’s trip to Vicarage Road.
Ben Whiteman, Brad Potts and Ched Evans all remain sidelined.
Opposition Focus
Birmingham City head into Easter Monday desperate to pick up points in the midst of a relegation battle at the bottom of the table.
Blues sit just a place above the bottom three and are under the guidance of former boss Gary Rowett until the end of the season, given that permanent manager Tony Mowbray has taken a formal medical leave of absence.
Rowett’s first game in charge on Friday ended in agonising defeat late on against relegation rivals Queens Park Rangers, and he’ll be hoping he can put an end to their seven-match winless run.
Match OfficiaL
Referee: Oliver Langford
Assistant Referees: Craig Taylor and Bhupinder Singh Gill
Fourth Official: Ed Duckworth
Oliver Langford will take charge of his third PNE fixture of the season on Monday, following the away matches against Norwich City and Sunderland.
So far this term, Langford has shown 89 yellow cards and six reds in the 28 matches he’s refereed.
Plenty on this game for both sides, Blues desperately trying to stay up, us trying to catch the play off group, not an easy game against a side who are now on their 30th manager of the season
Unfortunate that Mowbray is ill but the American owners shot at glory could be playing Northampton next season.
Used to be a reasonably priced ground £27.50 for us oldies, seriously !!!!!!!
Have you heard about the news on Mizar 5
People got to shout to stay alive
People got to shout to stay alive