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Barry Fry still adores Birmingham City – but there was no room for sentiment when Blues enquired about signing some of his Peterborough United players during the summer transfer window.
Ex-Blues manager Fry, still Peterborough’s transfer chief at the age of 79, fielded several phone calls from technical director Craig Gardner in the summer. Sought after centre-back Ronnie Edwards and left-back Harrison Burrows were discussed, but even big-spending Blues baulked at Fry’s demands
Craig Gardner enquired about a lot of my players,” Fry told the Keep Right On Podcast on the eve of his return to St Andrew’s with the Posh. “Ronnie Edwards, the centre-half… he said I would never get the money I was asking for but he did go to Southampton for the money I wanted.
“He asked about Ephron Mason-Clark, he went to Coventry for more. Harrison Burrows, the left-back, was also on Birmingham’s radar but he didn’t like the price. He went to Sheffield United and I got the price I wanted.”
Fry added: “I’m sure Craig will come in for one other player I’ve got and he’ll perhaps come round to my way of thinking. He’s got to pay my money instead of his!”
The identity of the player wasn’t revealed but Fry didn’t shut down the suggestion that it could be Kwame Poku. The 23-year-old winger has already scored five goals to top the League One scoring charts after Posh turned down Luton Town’s bid to sign him in August.
Blues could be an even more attractive proposition for the likes of Poku next summer. After a brilliant start to the League One campaign, with five wins and one draw, Blues are on course to make an immediate return to the Championship – and Fry thinks they will do it in style.
“I think Birmingham will win the league by a country mile, I really do,” he said. “They have the best squad, the best players and the Bluenoses can only look forward to great entertainment throughout the season. You’ll get a shock now and again – hopefully you’ll get one Saturday!
“I honestly believe they could score 100 goals and get over 100 points. When I was there a long way before Christmas and I was having a chat with Craig, he was telling me the ambitions of the club and all that, I fell off my chair. ‘You’ll never spend that money, you’re joking mate!’
“But fair play, they have spent it and they have got quality. Bluenoses can look forward to a very entertaining and successful season. It will end in promotion and in my opinion they will go up as champions.”
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