Sky Blues On The Road - Birmingham City

The last game saw a 3-0 defeat for the Sky Blues in April 2007.
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THE MATCH OFFICIALS
The currently scheduled referee for this Championshp game is Anthony Bates.

Mr Bates is from Staffordshire and was in charge of City's 3-2 defeat in the League Cup against Newcastle United earlier this season. Last season, he awarded Burnley a goal against the Sky Blues despite a blatant handball by Kyle Lafferty at Turf Moor.

His last Birmingham game was a League Cup tie against Leyton Orient in October 2002.

In his fourteen games so this season, Mr Bates has shown 29 yellow cards and one red.

Assistants are D.Unsworth & M.Brown. The fourth official is K.G.Evans.
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TRAVEL
Club Coach
Departure Time: 5.30pm
Adult: £18 Adult Member/ST Holder: £12 Concessions: £15 Concessions Member/ST Holder: £10

A45 from Coventry, past Airport and Sheldon to Bordsley Green. At round about, take the fourth right onto the B4128 Cattell Road and the ground is on your left.

Leave the M6 at Junction 6 and take the A38(M) (known locally as the Aston Expressway) for Birmingham City Centre. Continue past the first turn off (Aston, Waterlinks) and then take the next turn off, for the Inner Ring Road. Turn left at the island at the top of the slip road and take the Ring Road East, sign posted Coventry/Stratford. Continue along the ring road for two miles, crossing straight across three islands. At the fourth island (there is a large McDonalds on the far left hand corner) turn left towards Small Heath. Birmingham City's ground is about a 1/4 of a mile up this road on your left. The ground is well sign posted on the Inner Ring Road.

By Train

Adderley Park station is a ten-fifteen minute walk away. Catch the 17,44 or 18.34 trains and change at Birmingham International. There is a train at 21.40 back but you'll need to run back to the station if you leave on the final whistle. If not there is one at 22.41.

From Birmingham New Street

As you come onto the concourse of New St station, bear to the left of the escalators and through the glass doors. Walk down towards to the end of the Station Service Road. Cross to the other side of the road at the bottom (where there is a new shopping centre) turn right and follow the purple pedestrian signs for Digbeth Coach Station. These will see you descending a flight of stairs at the side of the shopping centre on your left and then going down a road with the Markets on your right and a large church on your left. Follow this road around to the right and then take the next left to take you up to the main dual carriage way. Turn right along the dual carriageway, passing Digbeth Coach Station on your right and the impressive looking Crown Pub on your left. Cross over the dual carriageway to the Crown pub side of the road and continue walking away from the City Centre. You will come to a fork in the road where you want to bear left going underneath a railway bridge. Passing the Clements Arms on your left just continue straight down this road, crossing a large roundabout (with a McDonalds over on one corner). The entrance to the away section is further up the road on your left.

Otherwise you can take the following buses from the city centre; 57A, 58 & 60. These can be caught near to Moor Street Railway Station on Queensway.
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BETTING ODDS
The Sky Blues are 5/1 to win with Birmingham 8/13. You can get 13/5 on a draw.
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TEAM NEWS
Jay Tabb is again a doubt whilst, Chris Coleman has concerns over Beuzelin,Dann and Fox.

For Birmingham, former Sky Blue Lee Carsley should play but Gary McSheffrey who has a knee injury. Damien Johnson, Garry O'Connor and Stuart Parnaby are all out with injuries. Alex McLeish also has doubts about Sebastian Larsson, David Murphy and Stephen Kelly.
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