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Sport
Matthew Holt

Birmingham City ask special permission for EFL clash against Wrexham to be played in the US

Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds.

Birmingham City's US-based owners have reportedly asked the EFL if their game against Wrexham could be played Stateside.

The Blues American bosses' hopes have quickly been dashed, however, with league officials stating how the proposal has already been swiftly rejected. Had they been successful, the switch would have seen a competitive English fixture taken outside of England or Wales for the first time.

Birmingham were taken over by a US ownership group named Shelby Companies Limited (SCL) last year and quickly appointed NFL legend Tom Brady as a minority investor a month later. Wayne Rooney was then appointed as manager before being sacked after just 83 days in charge.

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According to a report from Mail Sport, should the proposed switch have been given the green light from EFL chiefs, a stadium larger than St. Andrews was touted as a potential destination. It would also have provided content for both sides to build their global brands.

Football is seeing a massive surge in popularity in the US, and the idea of a Premier League match taking place there has long been discussed and frequently met with vehement opposition. Leading TV executives in the nation are still working to make that dream come to fruition.

Wrexham will face Birmingham after their promotion to the third tier of English football, completing back-to-back successes in the National League and League Two. Top scorer Paul Mullin mustered 24 goals, with fellow Wrexham star Elliott Lee also netting 16 throughout the 2023/24 season.

Birmingham will be looking to bounce back into the second tier when the new campaign gets underway, after it was confirmed they would play football in England's third tier for the first time since the early 1990s, following relegation from the Championship.

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