Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady has called on the Birmingham City fanbase to throw their support behind the club’s women’s team ahead of Sunday’s promotion decider against Michele Kang’s London City Lionesses.
The grand finale clash in the Women’s Championship will determine which second-tier side earns promotion to the Women’s Super League (WSL). London City lead the title race with 42 points to Birmingham’s 40, but last weekend’s draw against Durham opened the door for Birmingham to leapfrog them on the final day of the campaign.
The game is also a battle of sorts between American ownership and its recent investment in and influence on football across Europe. London City Lionesses were acquired in December 2023 by businesswoman and investor Kang, who also owns European powerhouse Olympique Lyonnais in France and the DC-based Washington Spirit in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
Birmingham, meanwhile, welcomed retired quarterback Tom Brady to its ownership group in August 2023. The 47-year-old has no day-to-day involvement in the club and holds only a 3.3 per cent stake with no voting rights
“One game, one win, and they’re promoted to the Women’s Super League,” Brady said in a message posted from Birmingham’s X account. “They’ve worked so hard all year long for this moment, and now it’s time for us to show up.”
Last Sunday, a packed crowd at St Andrew’s saw the men’s side secure a 4-0 win over Mansfield Town. With 108 points, a record points tally in the English Football League (EFL), they had already earned promotion from League One into the Championship on April 8.
“Now let’s pack that place again and get behind our women,” Brady added. “Let’s help them lift that trophy and bring home some hardware of their own.”
If London City avoid defeat on Sunday and maintain their place at the top of the table, their promotion to the WSL will be their first ever into the top-tiered English women’s league.
If Birmingham win, their promotion will seal a return to the WSL for the first time since their relegation in 2022. Birmingham boast a proud history in the women’s game, winning the FA Cup in 2012 and reaching the Champions League semi-finals in 2014.
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