History of Birmingham City F.C.

This article deals with the history of Birmingham City Football Club, an English professional football club based in the city of Birmingham. For a season-by-season breakdown of the club's performance, see Birmingham City F.C. seasons.

1875 – 1919

Birmingham City were founded as Small Heath Alliance in 1875, and from 1877 played their home games at Muntz Street. The club turned professional in 1885,] Sullivan installed the 23-year-old Karren Brady as managing director and allowed Cooper money for signings. On the last day of the season, the team avoided relegation back to the third tier. [Matthews, "Complete Record", pp. 48-52.]

1993 – 2002

A poor start to the 1993–94 season saw Cooper's resignation, to be replaced by Barry Fry. Birmingham were fined by the Football League and ordered to pay compensation to Southend United after being found guilty of poaching Fry and his staff, [cite news
url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:LTIB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0F9241CD9BA4040F&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815 |title=Club fined £55,000 for poaching Fry from Southend |author=Kempson, Russell |publisher=The Times |format=via Newsbank |date=1994-02-18 |accessdate=2007-10-11] though the change of manager did not prevent relegation. At the end of the season, the Kop and Tilton Road sections of St Andrew's were demolished, to be re-opened the next season as all-seater stands. [Matthews, "Encyclopedia", pp. 194-95.] The season ended with promotion back to the second tier and victory in the Auto Windscreens Shield at Wembley. Birmingham beat Carlisle United with a golden goal scored by Paul Tait, the first time this method had been used to settle a senior final in England. [cite web
url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/sport/clubs/carlisle/carlisle.shtml |title=The highs and lows of Carlisle United |publisher=BBC |accessdate=2007-10-11] After one more year, Fry was sacked to make way for the return of Trevor Francis.

Fry used no fewer than 47 players in his last season; [Matthews, "Encyclopedia", p. 88.] Francis set about introducing some stability. He mixed top-flight experience – Furlong, Ablett and Manchester United skipper Steve Bruce – with promising youth – Adebola, Ndlovu, Purse – and in his second season the club narrowly missed out on a play-off position. Off the field, the third side of the ground, the Railway End, was modernised. Then followed three years of play-off semifinal defeats, to Watford on penalties, Barnsley on aggregate, then Preston North End on penalties. [cite web
url=http://www.blues.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HistoryDetail/0,,10412,00.html |title=Club History |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |accessdate=2007-10-12]

They reached the 2001 League Cup final against Liverpool, the first major final played at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium during the construction of Wembley Stadium. Birmingham equalised Fowler's opening goal with a Darren Purse penalty in the last minute of normal time, then referee David Elleray failed to award another penalty during extra time when Andrew Johnson was tripped. The match went to a penalty shootout which Liverpool won. [cite news
url=http://www.sportinglife.com/football/premiership/birmingham/reports/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/01/02/25/SOCCER_Worthington.html&TEAMHD=birmingham&DIV=prem&TEAM=BIRMINGHAM--CITY&RH=Birmingham--City&PREV_SEASON=1999 |title=Birmingham 1 Liverpool 1 (4-5 on pens) |author=Curtis, John |publisher=PA Sport |date=2001-02-25 |accessdate=2007-10-12]

By October 2001, lack of progress had made Francis's position untenable. After a 6–0 League Cup defeat to Manchester City, he left by mutual consent. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/1586321.stm |title=Francis leaves Blues |publisher=BBC |date=2001-10-15 |accessdate=2007-10-12] Coaches Mick Mills and Jim Barron acted as caretaker managers while the battle to secure Steve Bruce's release from employers Crystal Palace reached the High Court. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/1704971.stm |title=Birmingham unveil Bruce |publisher=BBC |date=2001-12-12 |accessdate=2007-10-12] Bruce shook up a stale team, taking them from mid-table into the play-offs. This time they were successful, beating Millwall on aggregate in the semifinal and in the final, again at Cardiff, beating Norwich City on penalties to take the club back to the top flight after 16 years away. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/1983554.stm |title=Cool Carter in blue heaven |author=May, John |publisher=BBC |date=2002-05-12 |accessdate=2007-10-12]

2002 – present

Bruce strengthened the team significantly, adding Cunningham, Morrison, Senegal World Cup captain Aliou Cissé and the combative Robbie Savage. After starting the season well, they faded when the small squad was hit by injury and suspension. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/2345637.stm |title=Bruce seeks new players |publisher=BBC |date=2002-10-21 |accessdate=2007-10-12] Further reinforcement in the January transfer window, buying Upson, Clemence and Clapham and signing the inspirational Christophe Dugarry on loan, resulted in a comfortable finish in 13th place, above local rivals Aston Villa whom they had beaten home and away. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/2254800.stm |title=Blues humiliate Villa |publisher=BBC |date=2002-09-16 |accessdate=2007-10-12] [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/2790257.stm |title=Blues win fierce derby |publisher=BBC |date=2003-03-03 |accessdate=2007-10-12]

The start of the 2003–04 campaign saw Birmingham never out of the top six. Loan signing Mikael Forssell's 17 League goals helped them to a top half finish, but performances and results tailed off badly towards the end of the season. First-team coach Mark Bowen was sacked and replaced by former Coventry City manager Eric Black. [cite news
url=http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/eveningmail/sport/tm_method=full%26objectid=14359349%26siteid=50002-name_page.html |title=Bowen out in Blues shake up |author=Tattum, Colin |publisher=Evening Mail |date=2004-06-23 |accessdate=2007-10-12] International class players were signed – Grønkjær, Heskey, Melchiot – but an injury to Forssell left them struggling for goals. Aided by transfer window loan signings Pennant, Nafti and Pandiani, another mid-table finish ensued.

Before the 2005–06 season, chairman David Gold said it was time to "start talking about being as good as anyone outside the top three or four" with "the best squad of players for 25 years". [cite news
url=http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/birminghampost/sport/tm_method=full%26objectid=15710880%26siteid=50002-name_page.html |title=Golden time to talk up Blues |author=Scott, Ged |publisher=Birmingham Post |date=2005-07-07 |accessdate=2007-10-12] Forssell, Nafti, Pandiani and Pennant had signed permanently, Butt and Jarošík joined on loan, but the first seven home games produced one point. Injuries, lack of form, and a lack of investment during the transfer window saw them facing the second half of the season with a strike-force of Heskey, an injury-prone Chris Sutton and the lively but inexperienced DJ Campbell. They suffered a 0–7 defeat to Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final and by the last game of the season were already relegated. [cite news
url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20060501/ai_n16216406 |title='Shattered' Bruce to consider future at Birmingham |author=Shaw, Phil |publisher=The Independent |format=via findarticles.com |date=2006-05-01 |accessdate=2007-10-12]

Heskey and Pennant left for record fees, [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wigan_athletic/5158376.stm |title=Wigan seal £5.5m move for Heskey |publisher=BBC |date=2006-07-07 |accessdate=2007-10-12] many more were released, [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/4754683.stm |title=Birmingham release seven players |publisher=BBC |date=2006-05-09 |accessdate=2007-10-12] though Bruce was not. The board concluded that "Steve is the right man to achieve this ambition" of immediate promotion. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/4998002.stm |title=Bruce stays on as Birmingham boss |publisher=BBC |date=2006-05-19 |accessdate=2007-10-12] A new recruitment strategy was adopted, combining young "hungry" players – Jerome, McSheffrey – with loan signings – the Arsenal trio Bendtner, Muamba and Larsson – and free-transfer experience – Jaïdi, N'Gotty. An up-and-down season had calls for the manager's head in October, topping the table and beating Newcastle United 5–1 on their own ground in January, [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/6258857.stm |title=Newcastle 1-5 Birmingham |author=Bevan, Chris |publisher=BBC |date=2007-01-17 |accessdate=2007-10-12] no league games for a month due to freak postponements, culminating in automatic promotion. [cite news
url=http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/birminghampost/sport/tm_method=full%26objectid=19032985%26siteid=50002-name_page.html |title=Bruce and the art of living through a crisis |author=Jawad, Hyder |publisher=Birmingham Post |date=2007-05-02 |accessdate=2007-10-12]

In July 2007, Hong Kong-based businessman Carson Yeung bought 29.9% of shares in the club, making him the biggest single shareholder, with a view to taking full control in the future. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/6900404.stm |title=Yeung takes stake in Birmingham |publisher=BBC |date=2007-07-16 |accessdate=2007-07-23] On the field, the club prepared for the 2007–08 season by making eight permanent and four loan signings, most notably former French international Olivier Kapo, Dutch U-21 winger Daniël de Ridder, Aston Villa defender Liam Ridgewell, and Arsenal defender Johan Djourou on loan.

Bruce resigned in November 2007 to take up the post of manager of Wigan Athletic. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wigan_athletic/7100525.stm |title=Bruce leaves Birmingham for Wigan |publisher=BBC Sport |accessdate=2007-11-19 |date=2008-05-02] Alex McLeish stepped down as Scottish national coach to become his replacement. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/7115728.stm |title=Birmingham unveil McLeish as boss |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2007-11-28 |accessdate=2008-05-02]

References

*cite book
author=Lewis, Peter (ed.) |title=Keeping right on since 1875. The Official History of Birmingham City Football Club |year=2000 |publisher=Arrow |location=Lytham |isbn=1-900722-12-7
*cite book
author=Matthews, Tony |title=Birmingham City: A Complete Record |year=1995 |publisher=Breedon Books |location=Derby |isbn=1-85983-010-2
*cite book
author=Matthews, Tony |title=The Encyclopedia of Birmingham City Football Club 1875-2000 |publisher=Britespot |location=Cradley Heath |year=2000 |month=October |id=ISBN 0-9539288-0-2

Notes

External links

* [http://www.fchd.info/SMALLHEA.HTM Small Heath] , [http://www.fchd.info/BIRMINGH.HTM Birmingham] , and fchd|id=BIRMINGC|name=Birmingham City