Birchfield in row with Birmingham City Council over use of Alexander Stadium

Derek Redmond says the cash-strapped authorities are trying to “kill” the Commonwealth Games legacy

After months of disgruntlement and behind-the-scenes legal battles, Birchfield Harriers has broken its silence over its struggle to access facilities at the Alexander Stadium.

Derek Redmond, the Birchfield vice-president and former UK 400m record-holder, told ITV News Central that Birmingham City Council is trying to “kill” the legacy of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The row centres on usage of the Alexander Stadium, with Birchfield claiming they are unable to enjoy the same access they had prior to the Commonwealth Games taking place 17 months ago.

The club points to a 125-year “ground agreement” that was signed in 1975 when they moved out of their old stadium in Perry Barr (which is now a greyhound stadium) and into the Alexander Stadium just over a mile away.

Birmingham City Council, however, argue the agreement is no longer applicable due to the stadium having changed so much during the redevelopment ahead of the Games.

Originally, Birchfield were pleased that the Commonwealth Games were coming to Birmingham. Negotiations with Birmingham City Council were also seen to be going well until the Covid pandemic struck in 2020.

Access to the stadium soon became difficult and Birmingham City Council began to question the club’s long-standing “ground agreement”.

During the redevelopment of Alexander Stadium the club had to train at Wyndley track in Sutton Coldfield, with competitions held at Wyndley and Nuneaton before eventually returning to use the main track in April 2023.

However, club officials are angry that they can only use the facilities, which include their club office, during certain hours on club nights.

The club has seen its membership decimated – although it is now recovering – with an estimated £100,000 lost in membership and training fees plus income from staging events.

Birmingham City Council has also spent £89,000 on legal fees relating to the row, with Birchfield claiming they have spent £100,000 so far. This comes at a time when the council has declared itself to be in “financial distress” this winter.

The club is three years away from its 150^th anniversary and its members include more than 100 Olympians. Related to this, Birchfield also claim council officials were disinterested in an idea to create an historical heritage area in the stadium.

Redmond told ITV: “They [Birmingham City Council] are actually driving athletes away because if this was me now and we was in this situation, I’d think twice, do I want to be at Birchfield?

“There is a legacy up to a point and all of a sudden now Birmingham City Council seem to want to kill that legacy. They want to seem to put a lid on it.

“You know, there are some things that I’ve been hearing that Birmingham City Council are fighting against Birchfield Harriers for the rights to be here and to use the facilities that are here.”

AW contacted Birchfield several times in 2023 about the issue but the club was reluctant to talk about the problems. For one, Birmingham City Council insisted on confidentiality during negotiations. Also, the club was keen for it not to escalate into a public row.

One club official from Birchfield told AW: “It should really be referred to as a scandal. Birchfield have been very careful so far. Perhaps too patient. We have been too occupied trying to keep the club going and trying to rebuild our numbers.”

A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: “The redevelopment of the Alexander Stadium into a state-of-the-art £72 million world-class venue means there has been a need to review the licence arrangements that were originally agreed with Birchfield Harriers in 1975, which applied to a completely different stadium.

“As a publicly funded body, the council has a duty to ensure value for money and that we maximise the use and community benefit of this new facility. As such we have been in discussions with the club about how we best accommodate their needs and others wishing to utilise the venue.

“These ongoing discussions are based on the existing peppercorn rent terms being maintained at the rates agreed back in 1975, so in reality the use of the new facilities will represent a better cost-benefit outcome for the club.

“We look forward to reaching an agreement that enables Birchfield Harriers to benefit from the new and enhanced facilities on offer within this context of achieving a wider community good.”

In recent weeks the likelihood of the 2026 European Athletics Championships being staged at Alexander Stadium has also been thrown into doubt although West Midlands Combined Authority has now committed extra funding to enable it to go ahead.

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Birchfield in row with Birmingham City Council over use of Alexander Stadium appeared first on AW.