Birmingham City Football Club have unveiled plans for the new stadium that could fulfil Tom Brady’s dream of bringing the Super Bowl to British shores.

The seven-time Lombardi winner is a minority investor in the club and, as such, is part of both its rise through the ranks and plans for the future. The former New England and Tampa Bay icon has already featured in an upcoming Amazon Prime Video documentary, Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues, as the club’s new American owners attempt to emulate what Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have done at Welsh club Wrexham — who have formed a friendly rivalry with Birmingham City since rising from the Football League’s third tier together a couple of seasons ago. Now in the top tier, both clubs have their sights set on graduating to the Premiership and the possibility of European football.

On the eve of the 2025 NFL preseason, Brady admitted that it would be ‘amazing’ to bring the Super Bowl to the Midlands, when rumours of an all-new stadium to replace the existing 29,000-capacity St Andrews facility first became reality.

“I don’t make all those decisions, [and] I’m not sure how much I can influence those decisions, but it would be amazing,” Brady told The Sports Agents podcast back in July, well aware that the biggest game in the sport is unlikely to leave the USA any time soon. “[However] I think that my partner, Tom Wagner, is an incredible man, incredible businessman. He has huge ambitions for the club, and I would never bet against anything that he tries to accomplish.”

Wagner, the cub chairman, was on hand to reveal a £3bn investment that would not only create a new 62,000-seater multi-purpose home for Birmingham City as well as new training facilities for the men’s, women’s and academy teams, but also the development of what is being called ‘The Sports Quarter’, with the intention of including offices, restaurants, community soccer pitches and other entertainment spaces on what was 48 acres of land formerly owned by the Birmingham Wheels project in Bordesley Green, to the east of the city centre. According to architects Heatherwick Studio, the ground’s steep stadium bowl is designed ‘to create the most intense matchday moments’ in a way similar to the layout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — except that the stands at each end of the ground will be steeper than either the London venue or Everton’s new home in Liverpool’s docklands.

“The design pulls the stands as close and as steep to the pitch as can be allowed to create a 360-degree wall of fans,” the practice explained to Architects Journal. “The stadium’s high-performing acoustics will amplify the sound of the crowd, creating an unforgettable atmosphere for home supporters.”

The scheme will also benefit from an estimated £300-400m of the £2.4bn granted by the government to build a new tram link between The Sports Quarter and the rest of the city.

Renders of the proposed new stadium are dominated by 12 chimney-like roof supports, which will tie the venue into its new surroundings, which were once famous for brickworks. The plans hopes to use reclaimed bricks for as much of the structures — which will make the stadium visible from 40 miles away — as possible. The chimneys will not only act as the most eye-catching part of the stadium’s design, but will also be a part of its passive ventilation strategy and a conduit to ‘channel sound from the bowl upward, while preventing noise pollution in the neighbourhood’. One of the chimneys will also house a lift up to the highest bar in Birmingham.

“It’s going to be iconic, it’s going to be bold, it’s going to reflect who we are and where we are going,” Wagner said at the unveiling. “We’re going to change this city forever!”

Club owners Knighthead have dubbed the development ‘The Birmingham City Powerhouse’ and confirmed that it will feature a retractable roof and moveable pitch, allowing it to be used for other sporting events, such as American football and concerts. They expect to create more than 3,000 local jobs as part of a wider regeneration plan for the East Birmingham area.

“The Birmingham City story dates back to 1875 when the Small Heath Alliance team was formed — a blue thread based on teamwork, entertainment and unbreakable community spirit was created,” Wagner espoused. “Knighthead’s plan is to build a world-class stadium, training facilities and fan entertainment zone. A stadium that is both a matchday destination and a community hub.

“We are committed to playing a central role in the regeneration of East Birmingham and to creating a positive legacy for everyone in the city. The new stadium and Sports Quarter will be a source of pride for the club and the city. It will be a destination that provides a world-class fan experience and that is embraced by the local community. It will be the beating heart of a new Birmingham.”

Whether that beating heart attracts any love from the National Football League remains to be seen, but Gridiron wouldn’t bet against it becoming the first stadium outside of London to stage an International Series game in the coming years. At least if Mr Brady has anything to do with it.