The Inside Man

Birmingham City’s secret money-making kit plan

Welcome back to the new and improved Gaffer, loyal readers. There have been some changes around here lately, including a controversial decision to update the site more regularly which I can’t say I fully approve of, but one thing that won’t change is me bringing you exclusive football gossip. Here’s some juicy rumours doing the rounds at the moment, if anyone asks just tell them a little bird (Canary) [Norwich Player] {Mark Robins} told you.

  • According to my investigations Birmingham City are looking to change their shirt design, again. For the visit to Manchester City next weekend they will wear a shirt that is not even their traditional blue, but in fact, black. When asked about this move a Birmingham source said their blue shirt is too similar to Man City’s, though I can’t see how that affects sales.
  • A long covert investigation has revealed that UEFA’s freeze on transfers in and out of Stamford Bridge was secretly re-imposed on 1 February this year. Apparently the Blues will not be allowed to buy and sell until the summer.
  • Did the Scottish Football League know something we didn’t about last week’s unexpected snow? If not it is a mighty coincidence that there were no fixtures in Division Three when it was at its snowiest.
  • CORRECTION: Despite footballers’ love of nicknames, John Terry has been in touch to tell me that is his full name is not a shortening of Jonathan Terrance as I previously reported.

THIS WEEK’S UNDER-THE-COUNTER GOSSIP: Which former footballer (who didn’t deflect any attention from Andreas Bremer’s free kick in the 1990 World Cup semi-final, and could be called nosey [parker] wearing a furry hooded coat [parka]) was disappointed to receive a 12 month subscription to Empire magazine from his brother for his birthday after saying he “quite liked films” in a Shoot! Q and A from 1993?

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