Birmingham City are set to become the first EFL side to venture into the brave new world of Metaverse.
The Metaverse is an online world which people use to socialise through gaming, communicate and work via the medium of a headset and hand controllers.
The move means the Blues ' St Andrew's stadium will be recreated within a virtual reality world.
It will give supporters, regardless of where they live, the opportunity to collect digital real estate as NFTs (Non-fungible token), as well as experience virtual stadium tours and watch virtual reality replays of Birmingham matches in a facility that mimics the 29,409-capacity ground.
They follow in the footsteps of Premier League champions Manchester City, who last month announced they were also building an e-version of their Etihad Stadium.
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A statement posted on Birmingham's website said: "Birmingham City will be the first Club from the EFL to enter the Metaverse, thanks to an innovative project led by esports partner, Ultimo GG.
"In December 2021, work began on scanning and mapping a digital recreation of St. Andrew’s Stadium. Once complete, Birmingham City’s very own digital metaverse will offer commercial opportunities for the Club, engagement and entertainment opportunities for Blues fans as well as fundraising opportunities for the BCFC Community Trust, Academy and other charitable causes.
"A thorough fan consultation process will begin shortly, allowing Blues fans to have their say on how the St. Andrew’s Metaverse Project can be used to benefit the club and its supporters. Both Birmingham City FC and Ultimo GG are committed to building a free-to-enter and inclusive enterprise, which will bring sustainable, long-term revenue streams to the Club and Birmingham City FC Community Trust."
Ultimo GG’s CEO and co-founder Tobias Gooden said: "We’re incredibly excited to be guiding Birmingham City Football Club into the Metaverse.
"Web3 will bring a number of innovative opportunities to football clubs, and we will be able to help Birmingham City become one of the first sports clubs in the world to benefit from this new technology."
The irony of the Championship club creating a new e-stadium will not be lost on Birmingham fans who have had to contend with partially shut stands at St Andrew's this year.
The Blues have been operating at a reduced capacity for the whole of the 2021/2022 campaign, with areas of the ground requiring expensive remedial works.
While two stands are fully open, the lower tier of the Kop and Tilton Road End have remained shut since the issue first arose in late 2020.
That has reduced capacity by around a third and been an important factor, among many others, in supporters’ frustrations with the club.
Birmingham managing director Ian Dutton recently said: "Repairing and reopening the lower tiers is a top priority for the club but we are also looking at additional ways to overhaul the entire match day experience for our supporters.
“We know, as a club, we have to improve our communication to supporters and work in that area has already begun."
