Holidays in Edgbaston

In February 2014, the Birmingham Mail reported that a Warwickshire cricket club would definitely play in this season’s Twenty20 tournament as the “Birmingham Bears” after the city council confirmed it had no intention of withdrawing its request for them to do so.

But what has the name of a cricket team got to do with Birmingham city council?

[‘Brian Halford: The Birmingham Bears name disrespects the history of Warwickshire CCC’, Birmingham Mail, Nov 29, 2013]

Thanks to Birmingham City Council, Warwickshire have a renewed, well-equipped stadium enabling them to host international cricket for years to come, thus securing their future.

Now, the not-so-good news. Thanks to Birmingham City Council, Warwickshire must play some games next season under a silly name: Birmingham Bears.

[…]
When somebody lends you twenty million smackers at favourable terms there are strings attached.[…]

It’s good that the club owes the council, not a bank. The council have already permitted several repayment holidays and fair play to them for supporting one of the area’s great sporting institutions.

From the Birmingham Mail’s viewpoint, all the fuss is about the name of a cricket club. And not about why a ‘cash strapped’ local authority is acting as banker to a cricket club.