LONDON - Birmingham City's attempts to sign controversial midfielder Lee Bowyer from Premier League rivals Newcastle United are being scuppered by fan protest.
Birmingham owner David Sullivan says "a small minority of the club's fans" have objected to Bowyer joining after branding him a troublemaker.
"Obviously the player does not want
to come where he is not welcome and he has indicated to his agent that it would be inappropriate as a result of the action of some of the Birmingham supporters," Sullivan told Sky Sports News on Thursday.
"At this moment in time it looks like he won't come to us. We would love him to come to Birmingham, we are doing all we can to bring him."
The 28-year-old Bowyer, capped once by England, was banned for seven matches for his on-field brawl with team mate Kieron Dyer during a Premier League match against Aston Villa on April 2.
The incident, which resulted in both players being sent off, was witnessed by millions of television viewers and heaped embarrassment on the club.
Bowyer, who admitted a Football Association charge of violent conduct and was fined £30,000 ($77,000) by the FA and a further six weeks' wages by Newcastle, is to appear in court over the brawl.
"They think that makes him a disruptive influence," said Sullivan. "In reality it was just a player trying to win too hard, that went a bit to far and has been punished with a suspension.
"We believe in the right of the fans to express their opinion and we do take account of those opinions.
"However, we have to do what is best for the club and we think Lee coming to us would be good for the club.
"We feel players deserve another chance and we think a fresh start at Birmingham would be good for the player, and we think 99.9 per cent of our supporters would give him a very warm welcome."
Bowyer, who joined Newcastle in 2003 from West Ham United, has a been involved in controversy both on and off the pitch throughout his career.
As a teenager with Charlton he failed a random FA drugs test after testing positive for marijuana. In 1996 he was caught on video throwing chairs around a McDonald's restaurant and admitted a charge of affray.
In another court case in 2001 while at Leeds United, he was cleared of all charges after being accused of involvement in an a assault on a student in Leeds city centre.
In January 2003, he was banned for six matches by Uefa for stamping on the head of a Malaga player in a Uefa Cup tie while playing for Leeds.
- REUTERS
