Birmingham City were dealt a shock 2-0 defeat by Peterborough United in the Vertu Trophy final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, with NFL legend and minority owner of the club Tom Brady watching on.
Birmingham, having already clinched the League One title, were expected to wrap up a momentous double in the Vertu Trophy, a competition which is largely comprised by teams in English football’s third and fourth tiers.
However, they were brushed aside by the unfancied Peterborough, who are 16th in League One with 47 fewer points than Birmingham.
Harley Mills opened the scoring after 15 minutes with a sublime free-kick before another stunning strike — from captain Hector Kyprianou — doubled Peterborough’s advantage.
While Birmingham had 75% possession, they could not break down a stubborn defence and Peterborough became the first team in the competition’s history to lift the trophy in back-to-back years.
Brady, who entered a partnership with Birmingham owners Knighthead Capital Management in 2023, jetted in to watch the game in London and delivered a rallying cry to the team beforehand.
In a video on Instagram, the seven-time Super Bowl champion and three-time NFL MVP said: “There’s a moment in every player’s journey when everything, all the sacrifices, pain and endless hours come down to one, final opportunity.
“So Blues, this is your time. You’ve earned it, now go make it count.”
Having already been confirmed as League One champions after Wrexham, co-owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, dropped points on Saturday, Birmingham can set their sights on the Championship — one tier below the Premier League — next season.
Wrexham will hope to join them, with a one-point advantage over Wycombe Wanderers for the final automatic promotion place. Both teams have four games remaining.
