Furious Birmingham fans set off flares and storm stadium with banners to protest owners’ ‘mismanagement’ of the club

THOUSANDS of Birmingham City fans set off flares outside the stadium during a huge protest against the club's owners.

The Blues are entertaining fellow Championship strugglers Barnsley today, who have their own issues with how the club is being run.

And furious Birmingham fans gathered outside St Andrews to show their disgust for how they feel the club is being run.

Blue smoke poured into the Midlands air, while banners were held up against the board.

One huge one was emblazoned 'mis-management and no trust', while another read: "Our club has a history of generations.

"Mismanagement is unacceptable, the supporters won;t tolerate it any longer.

"BSHL it's time to sell. You've embarrassed the club enough."

After five years of stagnation, Blues' supporters' patience has finally snapped, with much of St Andrew's still in a state of disrepair and closed off to them, while Lee Bowyer's squad also continues to crumble.

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Wounds from a dismal FA Cup exit at the hands of Plymouth Argyle have yet to heal and Fulham rubbed salt in them as they dished out a 6-2 thrashing in City's last outing.

Venomous chants have been directed at the club’s owners recently and the hashtag #BSHLOUT has been flooded with new members railing against the club's despised parent company Birmingham Sports Holdings Ltd - a faceless entity based in Hong Kong.

Speaking ahead of the game, Blues boss Bowyer has pleaded with fans to remain supportive of his players.

He said: "All I ask of the fans is to get behind the players like they always do.

"It might make them rally together and make the place louder, which might actually help the players in a different way.

"But it's outwith my control and these things sometimes turn nasty so in an ideal world we give them a performance and send them home happy.

"I see and I feel their frustration because I feel frustrated. I don’t want to be fighting down the bottom, I want to be pushing for the top end of the table.

"I've said before it’s a club in transition and it’s going to take a little bit of time.

"Of course I feel their pain, but all I can do is control the football side and make sure the players give them good reason to continue supporting them by giving their all."

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