Before the criticism that will inevitably follow Panos Pavlakis after his resignation today, it`s worth noting that he has stood down from a football club that is undoubtedly in much better health than when he first joined.
Unarguably, Pavlakis saved Birmingham City from the brink of extinction. He pushed the boardroom politics to one side and cut through the hierarchy to pull out the weeds. As a club without the proverbial pot to pee in, Panos pulled it from rocky waters, safely to the shore.
He played a pivotal part in the takeover process, freeing the club from the disastrous Carson Yeung reign towards a bright future. He gave us hope.
That is his legacy and that`s what he should be remembered by.
Most supporters can only focus on the footballing side of things. Admittedly, sacking Gary Rowett to hire Gianfranco Zola was a massive error in judgement. The wrong decision made for the right reasons, you could say.
After Zola`s horrendous spell as manager, Pavlakis was left with egg on his face. But let`s cut him some slack. His relationship with Rowett had soured and in Zola he saw an authentic, appealing football man.
He got it wrong.
Yet prior to that decision, his time as a Director of Birmingham City Football Club was highly successful. After years of rotting under the ownership of a crook, Panos came in and acted as the middle man stuck between the fractious relationship between the fans and the board.
Almost single-handedly, he was the glue that stuck a troubled club together. Simply put, Birmingham City fans would not have a club to support but for Pavlakis` intervention.
So for that, I say thank you and best wishes, Panos.
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