Birmingham City Football Club are an English football club based in Birmingham, and currently play in the Football League Championship. Originally known as Small Heath Alliance, followed by Small Heath in 1888, they became Birmingham F.C. in 1905 and Birmingham City F.C. in 1945.
The club is nicknamed The Blues (from the colour of their kit) and the fans are known as Bluenoses.
They were F.A Cup losing finalists in 1956, as well as finishing runners-up in the European Fairs Cup during the early 1960s. They won their only silverware to date in 1963 when they lifted the League Cup. The club's darkest era came between 1986 and 2002, when they endured a long exile from the top flight and had two brief spells in the third tier of the English league.
When Blues changed its name from Small Heath Alliance to Birmingham and in 1905 the city's coat of arms also became the club's crest.
In 1971 the famous "penguin" kit was first worn. This featured a Glasgow Rangers style "BCFC" on the shirts.
In 1972 the current club badge (the globe and ball) was introduced, replacing the city's coat of arms. It was the winning entry of a competition organised in the Sports Argus newspaper and was designed by a local supporter. The BCFC was still worn on club shirts until 1975.
The Rangers style BCFC
In the early 1990s color was added for the first time to the globe and ball badge but it only lasted for a few seasons.
When Blues hero Trevor Francis returned as manager in 1996, the club reverted the Rangers style BCFC badge, but it only lasted for a season and Blues went back to the globe and ball badge -- which is still worn on the present day shirts.
Kits
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When Blues (as Small Heath Alliance) first started to play football the club colours were dark blue shirts with a white sash and white shorts.
In 1883-84 they changed to wearing plain blue shirts and white shorts and in 1889-90 turned out in black shirts with gold colour and cuffs and white shorts.
The very next season (1890-91) the Blues players donned light blue shirts with a dark blue trim and white shorts and this design was to stay until 1914-15 when royal blue shirts with a central white 'V replaced were introduced.
This held firm until 1927-28 when a plain royal blue shirt and white shorts came into being.
During the 1930s and '40s, Blues wore traditional white collared shirts with a button-up neckline, although before the War the colour blue was a fraction lighter than it was during the forties.
In the early to mid-1950s the club retained the blue shirt, white collar, white shorts design but in 1957-58 the 'V neck was introduced - and remained so until 1963 when the round neck took over (Blues still wearing white shorts).
In 1965 the large white band round the neckline disappeared, to be replaced soon afterwards by a much thinner one when Blues also donned matching blue shorts. But it was back to plain blue shirts in 1968-69 (with blue shorts) and this theme continued until 1971 when the first penguin strip was seen.
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In 1975 it was back to blue shirts with a white collar and white shorts.
The round neck was seen again in 1977 but in 1980 it was laced with a 'V.
A slight change in the overall design was effected during the early 80s (red socks were seen and there was a thin white strip visible on the shirt in 1984-85). A touch of red was forthcoming in the 1985-86 season (on the shoulder line) and in 1986-87 (for the very first time) Blues' shirts had a white band across the chest with white foldovers on the socks. Occasionally they also played in a lighter blue shirt with a dark blue band across the chest.
In 1989-90 (under Dave Mackay) and with Mark One flashing across the front, the shirts comprised two broad flashes on each shoulder but it was soon done away with and back to blue shirts, white collars and cuffs and white shorts as the 1990s arrived.
A patterned blue shirt was seen in 1992-93 and a distinctive design on the sleeves appeared the following season before it was back to a traditional blue shirt with a small tucked in white band under the chin for the Barry Fry era. Then, when Trevor Francis came back to St Andrew's, Blues switched to a similar penguin-design shirt (like Francis and his colleagues wore in the early '70s) with a white body, blue sleeves and neckline and white shorts.
However it was back to blue shirts with white trimmings in 97/98 thereafter it has been a more plainer design with a designer-strip down each arm.
Blues' change strips over the years, have varied considerably with players wearing matching white shirts and shorts to white shirts and black shorts, all red, black and red halved shirts, red and black stripes with black (and sometimes white) shorts, all yellow, yellow shirts with black shorts, blue and yellow shirts and yellow shorts and even a green and yellow combination.
The blue shirt though, always stands out and one suspects that it will be Birmingham City's main colour for the next 125 years!
taken from the encyclopedia of BCFC by Tony Matthews
Blues in the last 20 years
Birmingham City suffered relegation after relegation from the top division at the end of the 1985-86 season. Their two following seasons in the Second Division were unsuccessful and they were finally relegated to the Third Division for the first time ever at the end of the 1988-89 season. They won promotion as Third Division runners-up three years later, at the end of the 1991-92 season, so they would find themselves members of the new Division One for the 1992-93 season. However, they were relegated from Division One at the end of the 1993-94 season (losing on goal difference to neighbours West Bromwich Albion) despite a managerial change halfway through the season in which Terry Cooper was replaced with Barry Fry.
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Fry guided Birmingham to the Division Two championship and victory in the Auto Windscreens Trophy in 1994-95,but was sacked one year later after a promising 1995-96 campaign had faded away to a 15th place finish in Division One. His successor Trevor Francis remained in charge at Birmingham until October 2001, during which time Birmingham qualified for the playoffs in three consecutive seasons and were on the losing side to Liverpool in the League Cup final. Francis's successor, Steve Bruce, helped Birmingham qualify for the 2001-02 Division One promotion playoffs where they defeated Norwich City (thanks to a winning penalty by Darren Carter) to win promotion to the Premier League for the first time in two decades.
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After a 13th place finish in 2002-03, Birmingham City got off to a strong start in the 2003-04 season, staying in the top four for the first month and after six weeks had statistically the best defence in the division. Good form lasted until the last fourteen or so games, when the Blues stumbled and ended the season on a run of seven games without a win to finish in a dizzy place of 10th.
Unfortunately, key striker Forssell injured his knee in the early part of the 2004-05 season, and this left the Blues struggling for in-form strikers. Walter Pandiani was brought in during the January transfer window in the hope of keeping the Blues away from relegation after quite a disappointing season. The Blues ended up finishing in 12th place.
Birmingham City entered the 2005-06 season with high expectations after finally sealing permanent deals for Mikael Forssell, Jermaine Pennant, Mehdi Nafti and Walter Pandiani. Nicky Butt also joined on a year-long loan deal from Newcastle United and Jiri Jarosik also joined on a season long loan from Chelsea F.C.. However expectations have not been met as the find themselves in the bottom three entering May. Forssell has struggled, Nafti was lost to injury for the remainder of the season, and Pandiani after struggling to find the form of last season returned to Spain after being sold to RCD Espanyol. Birmingham's place in the Premiership and Steve Bruce's job as manager are both under more serious threat than ever before, especially after a devastating 7-0 defeat to Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals in March 2006.
Birmingham in the Premiership
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2002-03: Back at last
Birmingham City finally made it back to the top flight in 2002 after they won the Division One playoff final on penalties against Norwich City. The victory came seven months after Steve Bruce replaced Trevor Francis as manager.
The Blues had a slow start to their first Premiership campaign and looked as though they might go down again after just one season, but when the mid-season transfer window opened Steve Bruce made some new signings who helped the club climb away from the drop zone and finish a respectable 13th.
2003-04: Further progress
Birmingham were even more impressive in 2003-04. They spent most of the season in the top half of the table and there was talk of UEFA Cup or possibly even Champions League qualification. A 10th place finish wasn't enough for either of these, but it was their highest league finish since the 1970s.
2004-05: Another solid season
Steve Bruce was linked with the Newcastle manager's job just after the start of the 2004-05 season, but turned it down and remained loyal to the Blues. He further consolidated the club's fortunes and they finished 12th - slightly lower than in 2003-04 but more than enough to secure their Premiership status for a fourth consecutive season.
2005-06: Relegated
2005-06 was Birmingham's hardest season yet in the Premiership. They were never out of the bottom three between October and the beginning of April, but finally climbed out of the drop zone after a run of good results.
However, a resounding 3-1 defeat to local rivals Aston Villa, together with improved form from Portsmouth, resulted in Birmingham's relegation to the Championship. They were officially relegated on 29 April2006 after drawing 0-0 with Newcastle United, with Portsmouth having beaten Wigan Athletic 2-1. Birmingham did not waste any time cutting down the wage bill, releasing seven out-of-contract players, including Mario Melchiot, Nico Vaesen, Chris Sutton and club captain Kenny Cunningham. Nicky Butt and the club's joint top goalscorer, Jiri Jarosik, returned to Newcastle and Chelsea respectively.
There was controversy surrounding Birmingham's last game in the Premiership away to Bolton Wanderers, when it was reported that two players had refused to play in the 1-0 defeat. A club statement a few days later said that a player who refused to play was no longer at the club, and refuted claims that Olivier Tebily and Julian Gray were the players in question.
On 11 May 2006, released player and club captain Kenny Cunningham launched a scathing attack in the press on manager Steve Bruce and the board, blaming the club's relegation on a lack of preparation throughout the season and likening the club to a "stiff corpse" that has "no heartbeat and, more worringly, no soul".
The Blues in Europe
In 1956 Blues became the first English club side to compete in Europe as they took part in the 1955-58 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. They were not however the first English team in Europe – a representative London XI side had played their first group match in the same competition in June 1955, nearly a year before Birmingham's first group match in May 1956
Blues took part in the competition on four separate occasions between 1956 and 1962 [link]. Blues were unbeaten in the 12 home games. Of the 51 goals scored, Johnny Gordon netted 7, Jimmy Harris and Harry Hooper five apiece and Bunny Larkin and Bryan Orritt four each. The goals were divided among 19 players, including an Inter Milan defender Balleri.
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Trevor Smith appeared in the most European games for Blues - 18. Brian Farmer and Johnny Watts each played 17 matches.
The biggest crowd was that of 75,000 for the 2nd leg of the Final on the 4th of May 1960 at the Nou Camp against Barcelona. An audience of 60,000 witnessed the second leg of the semi final clash with the Catalan side in November 1957 and a similar crowd saw the clash between Barca's city neighbours RCD Espanyol in November of 1961. The biggest crowd seen at St Andrews was that of 40,524 for the first leg of the Blues-Barca final in March 1960.
In April 1961 Blues became the first English side to beat Internazionale (Inter Milan) at the San Siro by two goals to one, goals from Jimmy Harris and Inter defender Balleri, in the semi final first leg of that season competition. Blues also won the return leg at St Andrews 2-1 with goals from Jimmy Harris and Bertie Auld
Club Records
-->Pitch Measurements:
110yds x 74yds
Record Attendance:
66,844 v Everton, FA Cup 5th Round, 11th March 1939
Record Transfer Paid:
£6.25m from Liverpool for Emile Heskey, May 2004
Record Transfer Received:
£5.5m from Wigan Athletic for Emile Heskey, July 2006
League Scoring Record:
Joe Bradford, 29, Division 1, 1927-28
As of the 2004-05 season, Birmingham City have spent 53 seasons in the national top flight, finishing in these positions (followed by number of times):
6th: 1
7th: 2
8th: 1
9th: 3
10th: 2
11th: 5
12th: 4
13th: 5
14th: 2
15th: 2
16th: 1
17th: 7
18th: 2
19th: 6
20th: 5
21st: 3
22nd: 2
The Blues' «favourite» position in the table is No. 17 (7 seasons). Over the years, they have found themselves in every position in the top flight, except for the first five.
Since World War II, redevelopments at St Andrews had been very minimal, with the only big change being the rebuilding of the Railway End. Over the years, capacity at St.Andrews had gradually been reduced, from 68,000 before the war, down to 43,204 by 1963.
-->By 1988, the capacity had dropped further, down to little over 38,000. However, after the tragedies at Hillsborough and Valley Parade, and the subsequent issuing of the Taylor Report, the capacity at St Andrews dropped to 28,235. However, it became clear that it was time to completely renovate the stadium in order to bring it into the twenty-first century.
