Blues threaten to sue Palace chief

Birmingham co-owner David Sullivan has threatened to sue Crystal Palace counterpart Simon Jordan over an alleged verbal attack on the St Andrews club and chief executive Karren Brady.

Jordan is reported to have hit out at Brady over a bid for relegated Palace’s England striker Andrew Johnson, a former Birmingham player.

Sullivan, the Birmingham plc’s chairman, told The Sun: “We will be putting it in the hands of our solicitors and libel experts.

“I believe in free speech and this may just be one man’s opinion. But I don’t know why Simon Jordan wants to keep saying these things.

“He seems to have criticised almost everyone in football. It strikes me he has a serious problem and needs to see an anger-management expert.”

Birmingham co-owner David Gold said: “He’s carrying a bitter grudge and is acting like a man who’s had an argument with his wife and taking 10 years to get over it.”

Jordan fell out with current Birmingham manager Steve Bruce when he quit Selhurst Park to take over at St Andrews, later returning to his former club to sign Clinton Morrison in a deal which saw Johnson go in the other direction.