Pannu predicts amicable reunion

Yeung: Finance concerns

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Birmingham's vice-chairman Peter Pannu insists it will be an amicable reunion when the Blues board renew acquaintances with previous owners David Gold and David Sullivan at West Ham.

City travel to Upton Park on Wednesday to face the Hammers for the first time since Gold and Sullivan completed their takeover of the London club.

Gold and Sullivan ended a 16-year reign at Birmingham earlier this season, selling to Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung in an £81.5million deal.

Yeung suggested there were "financial irregularities" under the former board, while Sullivan apologised for remarks about Yeung after a series of verbal exchanges between the Birmingham owners old and new.

But Pannu, Yeung's right-hand man and the Blues' finance chief, claims there will be no bad blood at Upton Park.

"The other party have taken over at West Ham and we wish them well," he told the Birmingham Mail.

"In fact, I did congratulate them myself. We are, after all, football people.

"But work is work and we have to delineate on that very clearly.

No problem

"I will shake hands in the boardroom. I have no problem with that and I have had a chance to have a conference with David Sullivan and David Gold.

"We had a very candid chat. David Sullivan appears to be a very straightforward man. He speaks his mind - just like me.

"I think people must understand we are all professionals so we know how to differentiate between right and wrong, work and personal.

"I respect David Sullivan, he has got his stance, we have got ours and we agree to disagree."

Since completing his protracted takeover in October, Yeung called in the West Midlands Police economic crime team over alleged "financial irregularities" at the club.

Any criminal investigation was ruled out, although Pannu has now outlined the new board's concerns.

Due diligence

"Carson Yeung has had to put in around £7.5m to cover backlogs and our due diligence team is still working away," he added.

"Carson remains concerned about the bills he picked up. We are looking at it and whether there was an element of fraudulent (behaviour).

"The rhetorical question is whether Carson would have paid a pound a share had he known the true state of the finances.

"There may or may not be certain authorities involved when we have concluded our investigation. I say no more than that."