Birmingham City’s ambitious project to revitalize the club extends to its women’s team, with owners Shelby Companies Limited completing a takeover of Birmingham City Women’s Football Club. The move, announced Tuesday, February 17, 2026, brings significant investment and high-profile names into the fold, signaling a clear intent to elevate the team’s profile and competitiveness. This investment in Birmingham City Women follows a similar move on the men’s side, with NFL star Tom Brady becoming a minority investor in 2023.
Shelby Companies Limited, a subsidiary of Knighthead Capital Management, will acquire a 97% stake in the women’s team, according to a club statement. The remaining 3% will be held by an investment group comprised of “several prominent female business leaders and global professional icons.” Among those joining the ownership group are former England international and Strictly Come Dancing champion Karen Carney, and three-time US Open tennis champion Kim Clijsters. The involvement of these figures underscores the growing interest and investment in women’s football.
A Lifelong Fan Returns to the Blues
For Karen Carney, the investment is particularly meaningful. A lifelong Birmingham City fan, Carney played for and captained the club between 2011 and 2015. She represented England 144 times during her illustrious career and recently achieved success off the pitch, winning the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2025. “The ambition is for the women’s team to compete at the highest levels and we will do all we can to help this club achieve that goal,” Carney wrote on Instagram, as reported by Yahoo Sports. “We all want to elevate women’s sport in Birmingham, inspiring the next generation and continuing to build on the legacy that has been created at BCWFC and we’re excited to see what we can achieve together.”
Knighthead’s Expanding Footprint
Knighthead Capital Management, co-founded by Birmingham City chairman Tom Wagner, initially took a controlling share in the men’s team in July 2023, increasing that to a full takeover last November, according to the BBC. The firm’s expansion into the women’s game mirrors a broader trend of increased investment in the Women’s Super League (WSL) and Championship. Brady’s earlier partnership with Knighthead Capital Management demonstrates a coordinated strategy to bolster both sides of the club. Notably, Brady and Clijsters previously collaborated as investors in 2022, acquiring a Major League Pickleball team.
What Which means for Birmingham City Women
Birmingham City Women currently sit second in WSL2, vying for promotion back to the top flight for the first time since their relegation in the 2021-22 season. The club won the Women’s FA Cup in 2012 and have been runners-up twice in the WSL, demonstrating a history of success. The takeover is expected to provide the resources and infrastructure needed to compete consistently at the highest level. Birmingham City chief executive Jeremy Dale called the deal “a pivotal moment” in the club’s history, highlighting the team’s strong heritage and the potential for growth with the new investment.
The club statement emphasized that there would be “no immediate changes to staffing or football operations” following the takeover, suggesting a focus on building upon the existing foundation. This approach aims to provide stability while implementing long-term strategies for improvement. The investment group’s commitment to elevating women’s sport in Birmingham is expected to extend beyond the pitch, with initiatives to inspire the next generation of female footballers.
The acquisition of Birmingham City Women by Shelby Companies Limited, coupled with the involvement of prominent figures like Karen Carney and Kim Clijsters, represents a significant step forward for the club and for women’s football in the region. The next step will be to see how this investment translates into on-field success as Birmingham City Women continue their push for promotion and strive to compete at the highest levels of the game.
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