Birmingham: Strike 'instigator' has left club

Birmingham insists at least one of the two squad members who refused to play in the final game of the season is no longer with the club.

The relegated side rounded off a miserable Barclays Premiership campaign by losing 1-0 in their final game at Bolton.

Boss Steve Bruce refused to name the players afterwards but was left in a state of disbelief at what amounts to strike action.

Reports suggested Olivier Tebily and Julian Gray were the two players who did not want to figure at the Reebok Stadium.

But the club today refuted those claims, insisting the dissenters are no longer on the club’s payroll.

A statement released on the club’s website, www.bcfc.com, read: “Reports suggesting that Olivier Tebily and Julian Gray refused to take part in the club’s final Premiership game at Bolton are completely false and inaccurate.

“Without naming the individuals involved, the club can however confirm that the main instigator of any problems is no longer at Birmingham City Football Club.”

The club recently released Jamie Clapham, Mario Melchiot, Stan Lazaridis, Chris Sutton and Nico Vaesen, while Nicky Butt and Jiri Jarosik have returned to Newcastle and Chelsea respectively after their loan deals at St Andrews ended.