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As Gary Rowett prepares to celebrate a year in charge of Birmingham City, Sky Sports get the inside track from Paul Caddis on what has been a remarkable turnaround at St Andrews… Birmingham City are living proof that a year in football is a long time.Rewind 12 months and the club looked in disarray. Having endured a dismal start to the season, the Blues were once again major contenders for the drop just months after saving themselves from the indignity of relegation to League One on the final day of the previous campaign. Lee Clark, the man that had inspired that final-day reprieve, paid the price for Birminghams dreadful start, dismissed with the club languishing in 21st spot and having won only two of their opening 12 matches. His immediate departure did not bring any respite for Birmingham from their poor form. A 1-0 away loss to Blackburn Rovers was followed by a humiliating 8-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, the clubs worst loss at St Andrews in their 139-year history. The situation looked desperate.Step forward Gary Rowett. He came on to the training field the first day and told us he wanted us to be organised and fit, recalls Birmingham defender Paul Caddis. The first day we did some running, which was pretty tough, but we knew from that day on that this manager wanted us to be fit. We started doing a lot more gym work as well. He wanted us stronger as well as fitter.He wanted us to play high tempo. He drilled that into us day by day, to be organised and work as a unit and the work we did then we still do to this day. Each player that goes on that pitch knows what the manager expects of him. Paul Caddis scored the goal that secured Birminghams survival on the final day of the 2013-14 season Rowett would surely have been forgiven if he had decided against taking up the post at his former club. The 41-year-old, who enjoyed two seasons at Birmingham between 1998 and 2000, was going well as manager of League Two Burton Albion and laid the groundwork for the clubs title-winning campaign, which was completed by his successor Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.But, the lure of reviving his old sides fortunes proved too much for Rowett. His Burton backroom staff of Kevin Summerfield, Kevin Poole and Mark Sale - all former Birmingham players - followed him in making the move.Appointed just days before a daunting trip to high-flying local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers, who then sat third in the Championship - level on points with leaders Derby County - Rowetts time to inspire an immediate change in fortunes was limited. But, against the odds, the side which had shipped eight goals the previous week produced a display of pure resilience, thwarting Wolves to claim a goalless draw at Molineux. The defeat to Bournemouth is by far the worst moment of my football career. It was not good enough by any means and it was clear to see we needed a manager at the side of the pitch. The boys, the fans and the club were all down in the dumps and it could not get much worse than that, Caddis said. When the manager did come in, he mentioned on his first day that he would never talk about the Bournemouth game. He said its all about from when he came in and what he expects from us, not what has happened in the past. There was a clean slate and that was very refreshing. Going from losing 8-0 at home to Bournemouth to getting a point at Wolves was very big for us at that point in time.The result did not lift Birmingham out of the relegation zone, but it did renew belief among the playing squad. A 2-1 victory over league leaders Watford followed, with Rowett going on to lead his new side to seven wins from his opening 11 matches as manager, losing just twice. That run even included a 6-1 thumping of Reading, Caddis notching the opening goal of that match. A remarkable turnaround given the situation Rowett had encountered on his arrival. We got the sense from the supporters at his first home game against Watford that he was one of their own. Instantly there was a buzz about the fans and we sensed that off them, Caddis added. Caddis has played his part in the revival under Rowett That new sense of optimism swept around the club and a late surge towards the play-off positions was even being whispered by some supporters. It would have been a truly unthinkable prospect a matter of months previous, but the Rowett effect was showing no signs of slowing down. In the end, the task proved a little too much, though Rowett and his Birmingham side have already shown this season that they will be serious contenders for promotion to the Premier League. He has brought so much happiness back to the football club. It is unbelievable what he has done, said Caddis. Seeing different people smiling every day at training, rather than being on edge and scared to talk about the weekend result if it was negative. Win, lose or draw, now theres a feel good factor back about the place.Victory at Bolton Wanderers, earlier this month, lifted Birmingham to the heady heights of second place and provided a reminder to the Championships promotion favourites of their intentions. A 2-0 defeat at Hull City in Rowetts 50th game in charge last weekend provided a slight dampener, but not enough to halt the growing belief in the squads ranks. Birmingham winger Demarai Gray has impressed recently Expectations rise in football when you are doing well, thats normal, said Caddis. At the same time, were not silly, we know this Championship is a very, very tough league and that weve had a good start. We know it can all change within three or four games, a few bad results and you can end up 12th or 13th in the table. The manager has always said do as well as you can and if you can do that, wherever we end up I am happy with that.Every team targets the play-offs though, but why just target for the play-offs, why not target coming in the top two or to win the league and see what happens from there? We saw it with Burnley a couple of seasons ago, nobody expected them to go up, but they were organised and had some good individual players. Rowett reflects on year in charge Given the financial constraints at the club, Rowett has also had to prove himself savvy in the transfer market and continue his fine work with the existing squad.Birmingham are currently owned by Birmingham International Holdings (BIH), an investment holding company originally set up by Carson Yeung. The Hong Kong businessman, who purchased the club from David Gold and David Sullivan in October 2009, was convicted of money laundering and sentenced to six years in prison in March 2014. Despite having previously lost an appeal in May to quash his conviction, Yeung was released from prison on bail in August and granted the right to challenge his conviction once again.Receivers, Ernst and Young, have been running BIH since February, leaving few funds available for Rowett, as they seek new owners for the club while Yeung battles to clear his name. Birmingham currently sit in sixth place, five points behind leaders Brighton Hove and Albion I imagine the budget he has got to work with is a lot less than some of the other clubs in the Championship, Caddis said. That has made what he has done an even better achievement. I have played in League One and League Two and there are a lot of players in the team that have worked their way up the leagues.But the best thing about us is that theres no one player that stands out more than another member of the squad. Obviously weve got a lot of good young talent, like Demarai Gray who is doing really well, but were a very tight knit group and weve all been down the leagues and worked our way up. Sometimes I think that can be better. It will be a sense of déjà vu for Rowett on Saturday as he celebrates a year in charge with a home match against his first opponents Wolves, live on Sky Sports 1HD from 12.00pm.Caddis added: Derbies are special games, they have always got that little bit of edge. When you play at home in derby games, the home section is that little bit busier and they are great games to be involved in, but even better when you win them.Its a fantastic feeling to hear the fans after the match. But, at this stage, its no more than three points so it doesnt matter if we are playing Wolves at home or Rotherham at home, its three points that we are looking to get. Get a Sky Sports Pass No subscription? No problem. Watch the Football League without a contract from ￡6.99 on NOW TV. 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Tim Robin Johnsgard had the lone goal for Norway (0-2). HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Jimmie Johnson had the commemorative helmet and a photographer chronicling his every move. He even ran a symbolic 7 miles the night before his shot at a seventh championship.He must have known something special was coming.Johnson was the dog of the championship contenders in a winner-take-all season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He needed only to beat three other drivers to tie Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt as drivers with seven titles, but he was the worst of the final four for all but one lap Sunday night.Johnson was practically gifted his seventh title when Carl Edwards aggressive attempt to win the championship ended in a wreck that opened the door. Johnson got the restart of his life in overtime, took the lead on the last lap of the race, won for the first time in his career at Homestead and grabbed that elusive seventh title.I had this crazy calmness over myself all day long leading into this, Johnson said. Even with us running fifth and the championship looking like its not going to be there, I just felt something.Most of the race was spent talking about backflips, repeats or a Penske sweep because Johnson just wasnt as good as contenders Edwards, reigning series champion Kyle Busch or Joey Logano.Then all that conversation took a backseat to a record-setting -- albeit improbable -- championship run. The win was the 15th for Hendrick Motorsports and seventh for crew chief Chad Knaus, who now trails only Dale Inmans record eight.Johnsons No. 48 Chevrolet was seized by NASCAR shortly before the race for a last-minute trip through inspection, setting Johnson up for a mind-boggling race in which he never seemed to be a legitimate contender. He had to start last because of the inspection issue and was the worst of the final four, and he had no shot until Edwards coughed away the title.Petty welcomed Johnson to the VIP section of NASCARs most exclusive club.They set a goal to get where they are, and circumstances and fate made it a reality, Petty said. Jimmie is a great champion and this is really good for our sport.He was also feted by Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., who represented his late father in Victory Lane.I told Jimmie I wish Dad was here to shake his hand, Earnhardt said. Dad would think hes such a badass. Hes such a great race car driver. How he won this thing tonight, I dont think a lot of people know, he can will himself to get [his all] out of a car when it matters. Theres a lot of circumstance that played into it, but he put himself in that position.Edwards was in position to win until a caution with 10 laps remaining set up a wild sequence that ruined his title hopes. Edwards tried to block Logano on the restart, wound up wrecked, and it was Johnson who drove through the carnage to take the championship lead.Johnson withstood two more restarts, and dedicated the final two attempts at the win to the late Ricky Hendrick, who was one of 10 friends and family members killed in a 2004 plane crash.My heart was full because I was thinking of some loved ones like Ricky Hendrick and his influence, he said. Something happened from above.Johnson drove the entire 10-race Chase with a tribute helmet to Earnhardt and Petty, the Hall of Fame drivers hes been chasing since he won his sixth ttitle in 2013.dddddddddddd Immediately after the race, he gifted the helmet to three-time champion Tony Stewart, who retired at the end of the race.Drivers have been giving Stewart special helmets the past month, but Johnson had earmarked this one for the driver forever known as Smoke.I promised him Id give him a helmet; I wanted to wait and see if I could give him this one, Johnson said. He doesnt really want it. He said if I want it back, I can have it back, but I promised Id give him a helmet.The title was there for the taking for Edwards until the fateful sequence that changed history.He was leading when Dylan Lupton brought out a caution with 15 laps remaining, and it forced Edwards to hold off the competition on a restart with 10 to go.Logano, so masterful on restarts for two years now, tried to dart around Edwards on the bottom. Edwards refused to yield and tried to fend off the move by blocking Logano low. Contact between the two sent Edwards hard into an interior wall, then all the way across the track for a second hit. He had been the most dominant driver of the Chase contenders but was left with a wrecked car.He came down right in front of me, Logano said on his radio.Edwards stood on the track and watched the replay of the accident, and appeared to mutter damn, hands on hips, before he began a long walk to pit road. Once there, he stopped at Loganos pit box before continuing a journey on foot through the infield to make the mandatory stop at the care center.He acknowledged he was aggressive protecting his position from Logano.I was racing for my life up to that point, he said. I just pushed the issue as hard as I could because I figured that was the race there. I had to push it -- I couldnt go to bed tonight and think that I gave him that lane.The beneficiary of Edwards error, though, was Johnson, who had darted through the wreck ahead of Busch and Logano. Knaus pumped his fists in joy, all too aware that they were suddenly in the game.Thats what makes a seven-time champion -- someone that fights and battles and digs and never gives up, said four-time champion Jeff Gordon, the teammate who discovered Johnson for Hendrick Motorsports. They keep themselves in position and allowed some of those unfortunate instances to work in their favor. You can say luck, whatever you want to say, but those guys battled. They battled hard.Logano wasnt giving up his effort, though, and headed to pit road to take on new tires for a final restart.This guy on a restart with five laps to go, Ill take him every day of the week, crew chief Todd Gordon said.Logano restarted eighth but was a bull as he pushed his way through traffic and into third place, behind Johnson, after a caution forced another restart.This time, Johnson got the start of his life and jumped into the lead. He didnt look back, only forward at his slice of NASCAR history.They were nowhere all day, and just kind of ran around, I dont know, probably, Id guess sixth, said Busch, who ended up sixth. Never really showed their hand at all and didnt really show any speed, never really led in the laps until the last one, and thats the only one that really matters. ' ' '