Welcome to BirminghamLive’s coverage of all things Birmingham City – let’s start with this free agent striker.
Don and dusted
Joe Pigott turned down a contract with AFC Wimbledon and instead chose to become a free agent this summer.
The 27-year-old, who scored 54 goals in 157 games for the Dons, is affiliated with Birmingham City and a number of other championship clubs.
The ties first emerged towards the end of last summer’s extended transfer window, with Blues, Bristol City, Huddersfield Town and Derby all having an interest.
However, he wasn’t seen as a target when Blues signed Sam Cosgrove and chased Kevin Nesbit in the January Window overseen by the late duo Aitor Karanka and Xuandong Ren.
Since then, Pigott has completed the 2020/2021 season with 22 goals in 52 games, which is enough to finish fourth in the race for League One top scorer and get one more offer at Wimbledon.
Instead, it looks like the former Charlton Athletic apprentice is testing the open market with the Dons after three years. He confirmed this with a message to the fans of the club on the official website.
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Wish list
The transfer rumor mill begins with the end of all English domestic football.
While the championship ended on May 8, the Premier League ended its program last weekend and attention quickly turned to the 2021/2022 campaign.
Blues secured their second division spot with two games after Lee Bowyer rejuvenated a team that won five to eight and looked far more competitive than their predecessor.
The Blues head coach was so impressed that he expressed his conviction that there was no need to overhaul his squad and told BirminghamLive: “I don’t think we need many.
“You think the three loan players didn’t really play during the time I was here. You take them out three and maybe you lose three more.
“We’ll need a bit of luck with injuries. The season won’t be crowded like last season so you won’t be playing Saturday-Tuesday, Saturday-Wednesday so players should take a little more breather to unwind.
“If you can add just a few, I think we’ll benefit.”
Bowyer will very much be the man who does the adding, with Craig Gardner by his side he will be the one making the decisions about who comes and who goes.
More here.
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Homecoming
Birmingham City have confirmed the return of training dates for Lee Bowyer’s squad and announced the first two warm-up games.
The players of the blues will be in a month, on 26./27. Return to Wast Hills on June 6th for pre-season testing before starting their conditioning work.
The first game on the schedule is a trip to Jonny Rocks Stadium on Saturday 17th July to play Cheltenham Town at 3pm.
The following weekend, Saturday July 24th, they visit the PTS Academy Stadium to face Northampton Town for another 3pm start.
The club confirmed the news with another announcement on its website.
It said: “After Lee Bowyer’s side have recorded five wins in eight games to secure the status of the Blues Sky Bet Championship, we know the tension will be high for the upcoming 2021/22 campaign.
“As a club, we look forward to sharing the emotions of this season together and welcoming you back to St. Andrew’s for the first time since March 2020. The season itself starts on the weekend of 7/8. August, subject to television picks.
“Of course, players will be returning well before these dates as they embark on a full preseason schedule, rigorous testing and a bespoke return calendar to prepare for friendly matches and our inaugural championship game.
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Big fans
Forest Green Rovers supporters have predicted a bright future for Birmingham City star Odin Bailey.
The talented attacker has loaned the 2020/2021 campaign on New Lawn, played 39 times and scored five goals.
He even had an assist that looked like it was going to send Rovers into the second division play-off finals just so Newport County could get a winner deep into stoppage time.
Even so, Bailey, who has been with the Blues for under 7, made an extremely positive impression on Forest Green fans and while the 21-year-old is returning to St. Andrew before next season he does so with good wishes and big predictions.
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Here is a selection of the messages he’s received on social media.
@ Jakey_Boyz: Thank you Odin. A talented player with a huge future ahead of him. I will watch your career closely and wish you all the best
@Lee_FGR: All the best Odin, hope the future brings you the success you deserve.
@ BRowlesy: Absolute baller! Good luck for the future!
@neilfgr: Good luck Odin and thank you for your quality and effort. I am sure all FGR fans will follow your career with interest.
@ Piffysmith16: All the best Odin, you are a very talented player with great technical skills. I hope your career gets stronger and stronger.
