In a new series on Birmingham City’s recent promotion-winning season, NFL great Tom Brady can be heard delivering an angry, potty-mouthed outburst amid a disagreement with aides at the English soccer club.
“That’s fucking stupid,” the seven-time Super Bowl winner snaps in episode two of the Amazon documentary, Built in Birmingham: Brady & The Blues.
The reason? He was unhappy that club staff were initially opposed to his plan to give a “hospitality bag” to retired soccer icon David Beckham, whom Brady had invited to a Birmingham City game as his guest.
Aides were apparently against the gesture as Beckham has no ties to the club: during his soccer career in England, the former L.A. Galaxy star played for 20-time domestic champions Manchester United.
Brady helps Birmingham back to Championship
Brady, a former Patriots and Buccaneers quarterback, who retired from the NFL in 2022, is a minority owner of Birmingham City.
The American joined Birmingham’s ownership group in August 2023, a month after the club was taken over by U.S. financier Tom Wagner’s investment firm Knighthead Capital Management.
According to a statement issued by Birmingham when Brady joined, the 47-year-old was brought in to “apply his extensive leadership experience and expertise across several components of the club, including working alongside the sports science department to advise on health, nutrition, wellness, and recovery systems and programs.”
Brady’s first season of involvement at Birmingham didn’t go well: in May 2024, the Midlands club was relegated from the Championship, the second tier of English men’s soccer, to League One. It was the first time in three decades that the Blues had dropped into the third tier.
But in Birmingham’s second season under American ownership, the club bounced back at the first attempt. Under head coach Chris Davies, who was appointed in June 2024, the team not only won the League One title, but topped the table with a division-record 111 points.
Birmingham won League One ahead of Wrexham - also a club with high-profile North American ownership, having risen from England’s fifth tier under the stewardship of actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
It was before Birmingham’s 3-1 home league win over Wrexham, in September 2024, that the Beckham gift-bag incident took place.
“It’s just sweet - it’s a nice thing”
As Brady and Wagner were driven to Birmingham’s home stadium, St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park, Built in Birmingham camera captured the former asking the latter: “Do we have any hospitality bags we can give [Beckham]? Like, a couple of sweaters…
“It’d be nice for them to leave with something. Just like, ‘Hey, we appreciate you coming,’ you know?”
Moments later, Wagner comes back with the response after a telephone conversation with a club employee: Brady is told it would be a “faux pas” as “David has no affiliation here”.
In response, Brady snaps: “I mean, it’s not. That’s fucking stupid. Give him fucking a gift bag. Let him take it home. It’s just sweet - it’s a nice thing.”
Wagner then goes back to the club employee to insist that Brady be able to give Beckham token of his appreciation, explaining: “There’s kind of a thing between the two of them.”
Brady then clarifies that he’s not asking for Beckham to be given a Birmingham City jersey with his name on the back of it: “Just like a sweater, a hoodie, a scarf, a hat…
“It just makes everyone feel so special that they’re cared for,” he adds. “And then they want to root for you, and then they have a little emotional interest in the club. And they’re always looking for, ‘Hey, how did Birmingham do?’ And then they’ll be texting you, and when you get better, it’s like, ‘Hey, we’ve kind of been on this journey with you.’”
‘Gift bag-gate’ is not the only point at which Built in Birmingham shows Brady resorting to some colorful language ahead of last year’s Wrexham game.
As the California native boars a flight to the U.K. to attend the matchup, he turns to the camera to delivers a clarion call that aims light-hearted jibes at Reynolds and McElhenney. “Let’s go get a fucking win against Wrexham,” Brady declares." Those little motherfuckers - we’re coming for your ass, Ryan Reynolds, ‘MacIlrey’, whatever the fuck your name is.”
When is Built in Birmingham: Brady & The Blues released?
The new, five-part docuseries is out on Amazon Prime Video today, Friday, August 1.
Built in Birmingham - watch the official trailer:
When is Birmingham’s Championship season opener?
Birmingham City begins its 2025/26 Championship campaign on Friday, August 8, with a home game against Ipswich Town. The Blues will be bidding to return to the Premier League, the top flight of English men’s soccer, for the first time since 2010/11.
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