List of Birmingham City F.C. players

Birmingham City Football Club, then known as "Small Heath Alliance", first entered the FA Cup in the 1882–1883 season. When nationally-organised league football in England began, the club, by then called simply "Small Heath F.C.", was a founder member of the Football Alliance, formed the year after the Football League. In 1892, the Football League decided to form a Second Division, inviting the members of the Football Alliance to join; as one of the less successful members of the Football Alliance, Small Heath were placed in the Second Division. Since that time the club's first team has competed in numerous nationally- and internationally-organised competitions,ref label|totalcolumn|C|a and all players who have played in 100 or more such matches are listed below. Some players who have played fewer matches are also listed; these are players from the club's early days, when fewer matches were played in a season, and players who fell short of the 100 total but made a significant contribution to the club's history, for instance by setting a club record.

Frank Womack holds the record for Birmingham league appearances, having played 491 matches between 1908 and 1928, closely followed by Gil Merrick with 485 between 1946 and 1959. If all senior competitions are included, Merrick has 551, followed by Womack's 515 which is the record for an outfield player.Matthews, "Encyclopedia", 'Appearances', pp. 12–15.] As of 21 September 2008, the player who has won most international caps while at the club is Maik Taylor with 42 for Northern Ireland.ref label|maiktaylor|G|a

The goalscoring record is held by Joe Bradford, with 249 league goals, and 267 in total, scored between 1920 and 1935. No other player comes close; Trevor Francis is the nearest with 119 league goals, 133 in total, scored between 1970 and 1979. Walter Abbott holds the records for the most goals scored in a season, set in 1898–99, with 34 league goals in as many games in the Second Division and 42 goals in all competitions.Matthews, "Encyclopedia", 'Goalscoring', pp. 96–97.] Bradford holds the record for league goals scored in a top flight season with 29 in 1927–28.cite web |url=http://www.blues.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Records/0,,10412,00.html |title=Birmingham City Records |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |accessdate=2007-11-22]

As of 21 September 2008, 193 players have reached the milestone of 100 senior appearances for the club, of whom 161 have played 100 or more league matches. Three, Damien Johnson, Maik Taylor and Martin Taylor, still play for the club.

Players

Players are listed according to the year of their competitive first-team debut for the club. Appearances and goals are for first-team competitive matches only; wartime matches are excluded. Substitute appearances are included. Statistics are correct as of 21 September 2008.

Players with name in bold still play for the club.
Players with nationality in bold won full international caps for their country while with the club.

Notes

A. Full international caps won while with the club; if blank, then player was not capped by his country while at the club. Information sourced to Matthews, "Complete Record", unless otherwise noted.

B. League appearances and goals in the Football Alliance as well as the Football League and Premier League.

C. note label|totalcolumn|C|anote label|totalcolumn|C|b Total appearances and goals in the Football Alliance, Football League (including test matches and play-offs), Premier League, FA Cup, Football League Cup, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Associate Members' Cup/Football League Trophy and several now-defunct competitions including the Anglo-Italian Cup, Texaco Cup, Anglo-Scottish Cup and Full Members' Cup.

D. note label|manager|D|anote label|manager|D|bnote label|manager|D|cnote label|manager|D|dnote label|manager|D|enote label|manager|D|f Player who later managed the club. [Matthews, "Encyclopedia", 'Managers', p. 147.]

E. First player capped for his country while with the club. [Matthews, "Encyclopedia", 'Jenkyns, Caesar Augustus Llewellyn', p. 125.]

F. First player capped for England while with the club. [Matthews, "Encyclopedia", 'Charsley, Chris', p. 51.]

G. note label|maiktaylor|G|anote label|maiktaylor|G|b Player having won most full international caps for his country while with the club. Includes caps won while on loan from Fulham. [cite web |url=http://www.irishfa.com/squad-profiles/128/senior/maik-taylor-goalkeeper/ |title=Squad profiles Senior: Maik Taylor |publisher=Irish FA |accessdate=2008-08-03]

H. Player having won most caps for England while with the club. [Matthews, "Encyclopedia", 'International Blues', p. 119.]

I. Club record holder for league appearances, second for total appearances.

J. Club record holder for total appearances, second for league appearances.

K. Club record holder for total goals scored, league goals scored, and goals scored in a top-division season, third for total appearances and league appearances.

L. Second for total goals scored and league goals scored.

M. Third for total goals scored and league goals scored.

N. Holds club record for goals scored in a season, with 42 total and 34 league goals in 1898–99.

0. Stanley played for the club for ten years; he scored two goals in the final of the 1882–83 Walsall Cup, Small Heath Alliance's first ever trophy, scored their first hat-trick in the FA Cup, and retired after their first season in league football. [Matthews, "Complete Record", pp. 126, 231.] [Matthews, "Encyclopedia", 'Walsall Cup', p. 229.]

P. Later served on the club's board of directors. [Matthews, "Encyclopedia", 'Morris, Harry', p. 159.]

Q. Devey spent six years at the club; he was club captain and leading goalscorer in their first two seasons in the Football Alliance. [Matthews, "Complete Record", pp. 82, 140.]

R. Including games played before league football began in 1889, Speller made more than 100 first-team appearances for the club; he was ever-present from February 1890 until breaking his leg during a match in October 1892, an injury which effectively ended his career at the age of 28. [Matthews, "Complete Record", pp. 126, 140–41, 231.]

S. Includes caps won while on loan from Chelsea. [cite web |url=http://www.palloliitto.fi/maajoukkueet/miesten_a-maajoukkue/pelaajat/forssell_mikael/ |title=Forssell Mikael |publisher=Finnish FA |language=Finnish |accessdate=2008-05-31]

References

;General
*cite book
author=Matthews, Tony |title=Birmingham City: A Complete Record |year=1995 |publisher=Breedon Books |location=Derby |isbn=978-1-85983-010-9
*cite book
author=Matthews, Tony |title=The Encyclopedia of Birmingham City Football Club 1875-2000 |publisher=Britespot |location=Cradley Heath |year=2000 |month=October |isbn=978-0-9539288-0-4
*cite book
author=Sewell, Albert (ed) |title=News of the World Football Annual 1996-97 |year=1996 |publisher=Invincible Press |location=London |isbn=978-0-00-218737-4
* [http://www.soccerbase.com/teams2.sd?teamid=291 Birmingham City] at Soccerbase.
*fchd|id=BIRMINGC|name=Birmingham City.
* [http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/birmingham/birmingham.htm Birmingham City] at Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database.

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