Alex McLeish seeks final home game celebration of all that's been good at Birmingham City

Apr 29 2010 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Post

Birmingham City bring the curtain down on their home campaign with the visit of Burnley on Saturday.

In October, Alex McLeish’s Blues lost 2-1 at Turf Moor giving perhaps their most insipid performance of the season.

Blues were 14th in the league, soon to drop to one place above the relegation zone.

On Saturday, Burnley will be playing their first match after their return to the Championship was confirmed.

Blues will be seeking to end on a high and keep intact an unbeaten record at St Andrew’s that stretches back to September.

The contrast in fortunes of two of last season’s clubs promoted from the Championship couldn’t be greater.

And McLeish is keen that Blues fans use the game as a celebration of what they have achieved this campaign, and what they still can achieve.

A ninth-placed finish – Blues current position – would represent their best since 1958-59.

“Recent results have not been the best,” said McLeish, “but neither have they really reflected our performance levels.

“I think going into this last home game, it is a time to consider what has been a superb season.

“We intend to thank our fans for their magnificent support – and I hope we get a resounding reception too.”

After that Burnley match, Carson Yeung completed the £81.5 million takeover of Blues.

They never looked back, embarking on a 15-match unblemished sequence in all competitions that catapulted them to mid-table security.

“Coming out of the Championship and being among the bookies favourites to go back down, I think we can feel proud of what we have achieved,” said McLeish.

“We have stood toe to toe with every team, there have only been one or two real disappointments in terms of performance.

“I don’t think we have looked at all out of place in the Premier League and that is a great credit to those guys in that dressing room, their character, their attitude, their mentality and also their quality.”

McLeish doesn’t want Blues fans dancing on the Clarets grave.

He is too understanding and decent for that.

He and the St Andrew’s faithful know only too well the pain of being bounced into the Championship.

In fact, this season is the first in three at Premier League level that hasn’t ended in the drop.

Admittedly, Blues results have tailed off since reaching the 40-point mark in February and then going out of the FA Cup in disappointing fashion in the quarter-finals to Portsmouth.