Birmingham City FC have vowed to do everything in its power to hang on to managing director Karren Brady amid rumours she may be quitting the club.
Reports have linked Ms Brady, the first woman to run a British football club, with the position of managing director of London's Capital Radio.
The move would follow her earlier forays into the broadcasting world, where she supported the licence application by Kerrang Radio in Birmingham.
Ms Brady was staying tight-lipped yesterday, while chairman David Gold yesterday said he was frantically trying to contact Ms Brady to find out if the reports were true.
But he said he would do everything in his power to keep her at the club she joined as managing director 14 years ago.
He said: "I do not know if it is true. I have placed a call with Karren to see if it is true or not.
"I have no idea whether it is valid or not. But asking whether I want her to leave is like asking if I want the stadium to be pulled down - of course not.
"She has been part and parcel of Birmingham City for the last 14 years. Karren is part of the fabric of the club. I really hope this is a rumour and is not true. Karren is Birmingham City through and through.
"She has been instrumental in the resurgence of the club and a power in the game as a whole. She has been a major contributor to the success of Birmingham City FC."
Asked whether he would block any move by Ms Brady, who has returned to work after having an operation on a brain aneurysm earlier this year, Mr Gold said he would be doing everything in his power to persuade her to stay.
He said: "It is a bit different from footballers wanting to move, but I am sure I am speaking for the entire board when I say we want her to remain. We would do everything we could to get her to stay.
"I am having a bad day. We have not won in five games and we got beat yesterday. I hear these rumours, and they are rumours at the moment, and it is not helping my day at all.
"I just hope this is an error or misinformation. Until I speak to here there is little I can do."
Ms Brady, who admitted to being 'more of a Neil Diamond fan' when she supported the Kerrang bid in 2004, has been in talks with Captial Radio owners Gcap Media for several weeks, it was claimed yesterday. They said the talks were at a highly sensitive stage with no contract signed.
It was reported that friends of Ms Brady, aged 37, said she is keen to return to London.
For Ralph Bernard, Gcap's chief executive, the move would represent something of a coup, while the appointment would send a strong signal to Capital's advertisers that the station is back in business.
Her arrival at the company would follow the appointment of Scott Mueller, who joined as Capital's programme director from Sydney radio station Nova 969 last month.
If Ms Brady takes the position, it is thought unlikely she would join the board. Her only other position with a quoted company is at Mothercare, where she is a non-executive director.
During her time in the Blues hotseat, she has over-seen the club's promotion to the Premiership and an appearance in the League Cup final against Liverpool.
While the club were relegated last season, they are currently lying in seventh place as they target a swift return to the Premiership.
During her time at Birmingham City, Ms Brady has also overseen a financial turnaround, with the club reporting a #1.2 million profit for the six months to February 28 this year.
At the time of the results being published in May, Ms Brady said she was confident the club would return to the top flight at the first attempt.
>> A woman of ambition - click here
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