News27th October 2025

Ark Victoria students welcome Birmingham City FC owner Tom Wagner

Students at Ark Victoria Academy in Small Heath enjoyed a visit from Birmingham City Football Club co-owner and chairman Tom Wagner.

Ark Victoria Academy

Tom Wagner – who bought the football club with the support of former American Football quarterback Tom Brady in 2023 – enjoyed a tour of the school, before meeting a group of Year 10 Business Studies students.

He spoke to the students about his career, as well as his plans for the Birmingham Sports Quarter and the opportunities and jobs the project will bring. The students then had the chance to quiz the Blues boss on both his business tips and the regeneration project.

Tom also observed a Birmingham City Foundation mentoring session with students, before taking part in a community Q and A session.

Birmingham City FC owner Tom Wagner said, “The Sports Quarter is going to be located less than two miles from Ark Victoria, and to meet the young people who can help shape this development is hugely important to me.

“We want to hear from people in East Birmingham how they think the Sports Quarter can deliver new opportunities for them, their families and friends. Consulting local communities is a big focus for us as we prepare to submit a planning application next year.”

Ark Victoria Principal Ela McSorley said, “It was a pleasure to welcome Tom Wagner to Ark Victoria today. The students enjoyed meeting him and hearing about his route into business – as well as his ambitious plans for the Birmingham Sports Quarter.

“The Sports Quarter will be a serious investment in our community, creating a huge range of jobs and opportunities for our young people. Our students were all very excited to have the chance to hear about the plans in person and share their thoughts and ideas on the project.”

The Birmingham Sports Quarter is a major regeneration project in East Birmingham, spearheaded by Tom Wagner and Birmingham City FC and supported by government investment. The development aims to transform the Birmingham Wheels site into a vibrant hub for the sports community, with a new 60,000-seat stadium for Birmingham City FC and improved transport infrastructure at its heart. It is expected to create 14,000 jobs once up and running – with 16,000 jobs during the construction phase – and inject £760m into the local economy annually.