Birmingham City F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Birmingham City Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Blues | ||
| Founded | 1875 as Small Heath Alliance | ||
| Ground | St Andrew's | ||
| Capacity | 29,409 | ||
| Coordinates | 52°28′32″N 1°52′04″W / 52.47556°N 1.86778°W | ||
| Owner |
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| Chairman | Tom Wagner | ||
| Manager | Chris Davies | ||
| League | Championship | ||
| 2018–19 | Championship, 17th of 24 | ||
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Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football team from Birmingham, England. The club started in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance. Over the years, its name changed to Small Heath (1888), Birmingham (1905), and finally Birmingham City in 1943. The team currently plays in EFL League One, which is the third level of English football. They were moved to this league in 2024.
Birmingham City had a very successful time in the 1950s and early 1960s. They reached their highest league position of sixth place in the top division in the 1955–56 season. They also played in the 1956 FA Cup final. Birmingham was the first English club to reach a major European final, playing in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup finals in 1960 and 1961. They have won the League Cup twice, in 1963 and again in 2011.
Their home ground since 1906 has been St Andrew's, which was renamed St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park in 2024. Birmingham City has a strong rivalry with Aston Villa, their close neighbours. This match is known as the Second City derby. The club's nickname is the Blues, because of their blue uniform, and their fans are called Bluenoses.
Contents
History of Birmingham City Football Club
The Early Years: Founding and First Steps (1875–1943)
Birmingham City was founded as Small Heath Alliance in 1875. From 1877, they played their home games at Muntz Street. The club became professional in 1885. Three years later, they became the first football club to be a limited company, called Small Heath F.C. Ltd.
From the 1889–90 season, they played in the Football Alliance. In 1892, Small Heath joined the new Football League Second Division. They won the league that season. The next season, they were promoted to the First Division. In 1905, the club changed its name to Birmingham Football Club. They moved to their new stadium, St Andrew's Ground, in 1906.
The team was moved down to a lower league in 1908. They stayed in the Second Division until after the First World War. In 1920–21, Birmingham won their second Division Two title. This was thanks to their captain Frank Womack and Scottish player Johnny Crosbie. Womack played 515 games for the club, which is a record for an outfield player.
In 1920, Joe Bradford started playing for the team at 19 years old. He scored a club record 267 goals in 445 games. In 1931, manager Leslie Knighton led the club to their first FA Cup final. They lost 2–1 to West Bromwich Albion. Birmingham stayed in the top league for 18 seasons. They were moved down again in 1939, just before the Second World War stopped football.
Post-War Success: Becoming Birmingham City (1943–1965)
The club officially became Birmingham City F.C. in 1943. Under manager Harry Storer Jr., the team won the wartime league in 1945. They also reached the semi-final of the first FA Cup after the war. Two years later, they won their third Second Division title. They only let in 24 goals in 42 games that season.
Arthur Turner became manager in November 1954. He led them to win the championship in 1954–55. In their first season back in the top division, Birmingham finished in sixth place. They also reached the FA Cup final, but lost 3–1 to Manchester City. The next season, they lost in the FA Cup semi-final to Manchester United.
Birmingham was the first English club to play in a European competition. They played their first game in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup on May 15, 1956. They reached the semi-final of that tournament. They were also the first English club to reach a European final. They lost to Barcelona in the 1960 Fairs Cup final and to A.S. Roma in 1961.
In the 1963 League Cup final, Birmingham played their rivals Aston Villa. Birmingham won 3–1 to lift their first major trophy. In 1965, after ten years in the top league, they returned to the Second Division.
Changes and Challenges (1965–1993)
Businessman Clifford Coombs became chairman in 1965. He brought Stan Cullis out of retirement to manage the club. Cullis's team played exciting football. They reached the semi-finals of the League Cup in 1967 and the FA Cup in 1968.
Later, Freddie Goodwin helped the team get promoted and reach another FA Cup semi-final. In 1978, Jim Smith took over as manager. The club sold Trevor Francis to Nottingham Forest for £1 million. He was the first player to be transferred for such a high fee. Francis had scored 133 goals for Birmingham.
Smith helped Birmingham return to the First Division. However, the club faced difficulties both on and off the field. By 1989, Birmingham was in the Third Division for the first time. In April 1989, the Kumar brothers bought the club. The team won the Associate Members' Cup at Wembley. Terry Cooper helped them get promoted.
New Owners and Premier League Promotion (1992–2007)
In March 1993, Sport Newspapers owner David Sullivan bought the club. He appointed 23-year-old Karren Brady as managing director. The team avoided being moved down to the third tier. After a difficult start to the 1993–94 season, Barry Fry became manager.
Fry's first full season saw the team promoted back to the second tier as champions. They also won the Football League Trophy against Carlisle United. After one more year, Fry was replaced by Trevor Francis. Francis's team reached the play-off semi-finals three times. They also reached the 2001 League Cup final against Liverpool. Birmingham drew in the last minute, but lost in a penalty shoot-out.
In October 2001, Steve Bruce returned as manager. He led the team from mid-table to the play-offs. They beat Norwich City on penalties in the final to get promoted to the Premier League. This was their first time in the top league for 16 years.
Birmingham finished in mid-table in their first Premier League season. In 2003–04, Mikael Forssell scored 17 league goals, helping them finish in the top half. However, the team struggled with injuries and were moved down again in 2005. Bruce's new plan, using experienced players and young talent, helped them get promoted automatically at the end of the next season.
The Chinese Years and League Cup Win (2007–2023)
In July 2007, Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung bought a large share of the club. Manager Bruce left, and Alex McLeish took over. McLeish could not stop the team from being moved down, but he helped them get promoted back to the Premier League right away. Yeung's company took full control in 2009. The team finished ninth, their highest position in 51 years.
In 2011, Birmingham won their second League Cup. They beat favourites Arsenal 2–1 with goals from Nikola Žigić and Obafemi Martins. This win meant they could play in the Europa League. However, they were also moved down to the second tier that season. McLeish then left to join Aston Villa.
Under manager Lee Clark, Birmingham managed to stay in their division twice. In 2013–14, Paul Caddis scored a goal in the last minute of the final match to avoid being moved down. However, Clark was dismissed in October 2014 due to poor results. Gary Rowett helped the team become more stable. He led them to two tenth-place finishes.
New owners, Trillion Trophy Asia, replaced Rowett with Gianfranco Zola. Zola's time was difficult, with only two wins from 24 matches. Harry Redknapp then took over and helped the team avoid being moved down. Redknapp left a month later. After him, Steve Cotterill and Garry Monk also managed the team, with Monk again helping them avoid relegation.
Despite money problems and a nine-point penalty for breaking league rules, the team finished 17th in 2018–19. Monk was fired in June. His assistant, Pep Clotet, took over. In the 2019–20 season, the club avoided relegation again. Young player Jude Bellingham was sold to Borussia Dortmund for a club-record fee of up to £30 million. After this, Aitor Karanka and Lee Bowyer managed the team before John Eustace took over.
American Control: A New Era (2023–Present)
In July 2023, Shelby Companies Ltd, a company owned by Knighthead Capital Management from the US, bought a controlling share in the club. They also bought full ownership of the stadium. Tom Wagner, co-founder of Knighthead, became chairman. Garry Cook became CEO. The club also gained attention when American football player Tom Brady became a part-owner.
In October, manager Eustace was dismissed. Wayne Rooney took over, but after two wins from 15 matches, the team was in 20th place. Tony Mowbray was then appointed manager. Due to health reasons, Gary Rowett took over temporarily. His efforts were not enough to prevent the team from being moved down to League One after 29 years in higher divisions.
Team Colours and Badge
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| Small Heath Alliance original kit |
The first members of Small Heath Alliance decided their team colours would be blue. In the early days, they wore any blue shirt they had. Their first full uniform was a dark blue shirt with a white sash and white shorts. Many different blue designs were tried. The royal blue shirt with a white "V" became popular during the First World War and stayed until the late 1920s. Even though the design changed, royal blue remained the main colour.
In 1971, they used a "penguin" strip: royal blue with a wide white panel in the middle. This lasted for five years. Since then, they have usually worn plain royal blue shirts. The shorts have been either blue or white, and the socks usually blue, white, or a mix. For away games, white, yellow, red, and black have been the most common colours.
There have been some unusual kits. The 1992 kit looked like a shower curtain with multicoloured splashes. In 1999, the blue home shirt had narrow blue and white stripes, similar to a supermarket bag.
When the club changed its name to Birmingham in 1905, it used the city's coat of arms as its badge. This badge was not always on the shirts. In the 1970s, the "penguin" shirt had the letters "BCFC" on it. In 1972, a competition was held to design a new badge. The winning design, a globe and ball with the club's name and founding date, was adopted in 1975.
The club often changes its kit supplier. The first sponsor to have its name on the shirt was Ansells brewery in 1983. Other sponsors over the years have included Auto Windscreens, Phones 4u, Flybe, and BoyleSports. In June 2020, the club started a four-year partnership with Nike as their kit supplier. The 2024–25 home kit is royal blue with white trim and a white stripe across the front, featuring the logo of Undefeated, a streetwear company.
Home Stadiums
Small Heath Alliance first played their home games on open land in Bordesley Green. As more people came to watch, they moved to a fenced-off field in Ladypool Road. A year later, they moved to a field near Muntz Street in Small Heath. This ground could hold about 10,000 people. Its capacity was increased to around 30,000. However, it became too small for big matches.
A new site for a stadium was found in Bordesley Green. This land used to be a brickworks. The stadium, named St Andrew's, was built in less than a year. It opened on Boxing Day in 1906. Heavy snow almost stopped the opening match. Volunteers had to clear the pitch and stands.
St Andrew's was first said to hold 75,000 people. The record attendance was set on February 11, 1939, for an FA Cup game against Everton, with over 66,000 fans. During the Second World War, the stadium was badly damaged by bombs. The Main Stand burned down.
A new Main Stand was built with a modern roof design. Floodlights were installed in 1956. By the early 1960s, other stands were built or covered, and the stadium capacity was about 55,000.
Because of reports on stadium safety, St Andrew's capacity was set at 28,235. The stadium needed to be updated to have all seats. After the 1993–94 season, two large standing areas were taken down. They were replaced with new seated stands. The 8,000-seat Railway Stand was built in 1999. Ten years later, it was renamed the Gil Merrick Stand. In 2021, the stadium capacity was listed as 29,409.
In 2004, there was a plan to build a "sports village" with a new 55,000-seat stadium. This plan did not happen. In 2013, St Andrew's was listed as an Asset of Community Value. This means the local community has a say if the stadium is ever sold. In 2018, the stadium was renamed St Andrew's Trillion Trophy Stadium for sponsorship reasons.
In 2021, parts of the stadium were closed for repairs. They fully reopened in November 2023. In 2024, the stadium was renamed St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park. This is part of the owners' plan to create a "Sports Quarter" in Birmingham.
Supporters and Club Culture
Birmingham fans see Aston Villa as their main rivals. They are the closest neighbours, and their games are called the Second City derby. Other rivalries include Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion.
Birmingham supporters are often called "Bluenoses." This name comes from the club's blue colours. A public sculpture near the stadium, called Sleeping Iron Giant, often has its nose painted blue by fans. Between 1994 and 1997, the club mascot was a blue nose. Now, the mascot is a dog named Beau Brummie.
Many supporters' clubs are connected to the football club, both in England and other countries. Fans have sometimes protested against the club's board. However, when the club faced financial problems, supporters helped by donating money to buy players. A supporters' trust was formed in 2012 to give fans a voice.
There have been several fan magazines, called fanzines. Made in Brum is one that has been regularly sold since 2000. The Zulu fanzine ran for at least 16 seasons. The hooligan firm linked to the club, the Zulu Warriors, was known for having members from different backgrounds.
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The fans' special song is "Keep Right On To The End of the Road." It was adopted during the 1956 FA Cup campaign. Player Alex Govan helped make the song popular. He sang it on the team bus and said it was his favourite song in an interview.
Club Ownership
Small Heath F.C. became a limited company in 1888. Its first shares were worth £650. The club was owned by local business people until 1965, when Clifford Coombs bought it. By the mid-1980s, the club had money problems. Control passed to Ken Wheldon, who cut costs and sold club assets.
Wheldon then sold the club to the Kumar brothers. The club's debt kept growing. In March 1993, Sport Newspapers owner David Sullivan bought the club for £700,000. Birmingham City plc, which included the football club, was listed on the stock market in 1997. This raised £7.5 million for new investments.
In July 2007, Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung bought 29.9% of the club's shares. His company, Grandtop International Holdings Limited (GIH), took full control in October 2009 for £81.5 million. The company was renamed Birmingham International Holdings (BIH).
Trading in BIH shares was stopped in June 2011 after Yeung faced legal issues. The Football League also stopped the club from buying new players. After Yeung left his positions in 2014, efforts to sell the club increased.
In June 2015, a deal was made with Trillion Trophy Asia (TTA), owned by Paul Suen Cho Hung. This deal was completed in October 2016, with TTA owning 50.64% of BIH's shares. To help the club with money, the stadium was sold for £22.8 million to a new company owned by the club's parent company. The club then leased the stadium back.
In June 2022, an attempt to buy the club by Laurence Bassini did not happen. Another group led by Paul Richardson and Maxi López also tried to buy a stake but pulled out in December.
In April 2023, Birmingham Sports Holdings agreed to sell shares and the stadium to Shelby Companies Ltd. This company is a part of Knighthead Capital Management, led by Tom Wagner. The deal was approved by the English Football League (EFL) and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE). Even though Birmingham Sports Holdings still owns 51% of the shares, Tom Wagner confirmed that Shelby Companies Ltd is now in charge of running the club.
Club Honours
Birmingham City has won several important trophies:
League Titles
- Second Division / First Division / Championship (Level 2)
- Champions: 1892–93, 1920–21, 1947–48, 1954–55
- Runners-up: 1893–94, 1900–01, 1902–03, 1971–72, 1984–85, 2006–07, 2008–09
- Play-off winners: 2002
- Third Division / Second Division (Level 3)
- Champions: 1994–95
- Runners-up: 1991–92
Cup Wins
- FA Cup
- Runners-up: 1930–31, 1955–56
- Football League Cup
- Winners: 1962–63, 2010–11
- Runners-up: 2000–01
- Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
- Runners-up: 1958–60, 1960–61
- Associate Members' Cup / Football League Trophy
- Winners: 1990–91, 1994–95
- Birmingham Senior Cup
- Winners: 1905
Small Heath first played in the Birmingham Senior Cup in 1878–79. They won it for the first time in 1905. The importance of this cup decreased as League games became more frequent. From 1905–06, Birmingham used reserve players for this competition.
- Football League South (wartime)
- Champions: 1945–46
Before the Football League restarted in 1946–47, teams were divided into North and South leagues for the 1945–46 season. Birmingham won the Football League South title by a very small margin.
Club Records and Statistics
Birmingham's highest league finish was sixth place in the top division, in the 1955–56 season. Frank Womack holds the record for most league appearances, playing 491 matches between 1908 and 1928. Gil Merrick played 551 games in all senior competitions, which is the overall club record. The player who earned the most international caps while at the club is Maik Taylor with 58 caps for Northern Ireland.
The club's top goalscorer is Joe Bradford, with 249 league goals and 267 goals overall. He played from 1920 to 1935. Walter Abbott holds the record for most goals in a single season, with 34 league goals and 42 goals in total in 1898–99.
Birmingham's biggest win in the league was 12–0. They achieved this three times: once in the Football Alliance (1899) and twice in the Second Division (1892 and 1903). They have lost a league match by eight goals eight times. Their record FA Cup win was 10–0 against Druids in 1899. Their biggest FA Cup defeat was 7–0 at home to Liverpool in 2006.
The highest attendance at a Birmingham home game was for an FA Cup match against Everton on February 11, 1939. It was recorded as either 66,844 or 67,341 fans. The highest transfer fee received for a Birmingham player was for Jude Bellingham in July 2020. He was sold to Borussia Dortmund for a guaranteed £25 million, making him the most expensive 17-year-old in world football. The highest fee paid by Birmingham was for Jay Stansfield in August 2024, reported to be around £10-15 million.
Current Players
First-team Squad
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Players on Loan
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Retired Shirt Numbers
The club decided to retire the number 22 shirt in honour of Jude Bellingham. He was the club's youngest player to make his debut and score a goal. He played a full season before becoming Birmingham's record transfer. This decision was made to remember his contribution and inspire other young players.
Birmingham City Women's Team
Birmingham City Ladies Football Club started in 1968. They moved up through the leagues and joined the FA Women's Premier League in 2002. In 2005, the main club stopped financial support, but the women's team continued thanks to a personal donation. They rejoined Birmingham City in 2010 and were part of the first FA WSL league. They won the FA Women's Cup in 2012.
In 2013–14, they reached the semi-final of the Champions League. When Trillion Trophy Asia took over Birmingham City F.C. in 2016, the women's club became a full part of the organization. It was officially renamed Birmingham City Women in 2018.
Club Officials
Owners:
- Birmingham Sports Holdings 51.7%
- Shelby Companies Ltd 45.96%
Board:
- Chairman: Tom Wagner
- CEO: Garry Cook
- Directors: Matthew Alvarez • Andrew Shannahan • Kyle Kneisly • Wenqing Zhao • Gannan Zheng
Football Staff:
- Technical director: Craig Gardner
- Manager: Chris Davies
- Assistant manager: Ben Petty
- Coaching staff: Tom Huddlestone • Nathan Gardiner
- Goalkeeper coach: Maik Taylor
- Head of physical performance: Sean Rush
Club Managers
Gil Merrick was the first Birmingham manager to win a major trophy, the League Cup in 1963. Merrick also led the club to the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final in 1961. Pat Beasley had done the same in 1960. Leslie Knighton took the club to the FA Cup final in 1931. Arthur Turner also reached the FA Cup final in 1956. He also led the club to its highest league finish, sixth place in 1955–56.
Birmingham reached the 2001 Football League Cup Final under Trevor Francis. His successor, Steve Bruce, helped the team get promoted to the Premier League twice. Birmingham won the League Cup for the second time under Alex McLeish in 2011. The manager who won the 1966 World Cup, Sir Alf Ramsey, briefly managed the club in 1977.
See also
In Spanish: Birmingham City Football Club para niños
