List of Birmingham City F.C. players (25–99 appearances)
Birmingham City Football Club, an English association football club based in the city of Birmingham, was founded in 1875 under the name of Small Heath Alliance. They first entered the FA Cup in the 1881–82 season. When nationally organised league football began in 1888, the club, by then called simply Small Heath F.C., were not invited to join the Football League. Instead, they became a founder member of the Football Alliance, which was formed a year later. In 1892, the Football League decided to expand, and invited the Alliance clubs to join; as one of the less successful members of the Alliance, Small Heath were placed in the newly formed Second Division. The club's first team have competed in numerous nationally and internationally organised competitions, and all players who have played between 25 and 99 such matches, either as a member of the starting eleven or as a substitute, are listed below.
Each player's details include the duration of his Birmingham career, his typical playing position while with the club, and the number of games played and goals scored in domestic league matches and in all senior competitive matches. Where applicable, the list also includes the national team for which the player was selected, and the number of senior international caps he won.
Introduction
As of the date specified below, more than 300 men had completed their Birmingham career after playing in at least 25 and fewer than 100 senior competitive matches. Several of these took an important role with the club after they retired as players. Harry Morris, who joined the club's board of directors in 1903, was instrumental in planning the St Andrew's stadium, which has been the club's home ground since 1906.[2] In his role as Birmingham's chief scout in the 1960s, Don Dorman was responsible for recruiting youngsters including Trevor Francis – the first player transferred between British clubs for a £1 million fee[3] – and future internationals Bob Latchford and Kenny Burns.[4]Bill Harvey, Arthur Turner, Steve Bruce and Lee Bowyer went on to manage the club.[5] Turner led the team to their highest league finish and to the FA Cup Final in 1956,[6] while Birmingham gained promotion to the Premier League twice under Bruce's managership.[7]
Walter Abbott set two goalscoring records in the 1898–99 season which, as of the date above, still stand: he scored 42 goals in all competitions, and 34 league goals in as many games in the Football League.[8]Chris Charsley, a serving police officer who played as an amateur, was the first man capped by England while with the club; in later life, he became chief constable of the Coventry police force.[9]
Statistics are correct up and including the match played on 3 November 2024. Where a player left the club permanently after this date, his statistics are updated to his date of leaving.
Player
Players marked * were registered for the club as at the date specified above.
Players with name in italics and marked † were on loan from another club for the duration of their Birmingham career. The loaning club is noted in the Notes column.
Players marked ‡ have been inducted into the Birmingham City F.C. Hall of Fame.[16]
Players marked $ have won the Birmingham City F.C. Player of the Year award.[17]
Playing positions are listed according to the tactical formations that were employed at the time. Thus the change in the names of defensive and midfield positions reflects the tactical evolution that occurred from the 1960s onwards.[A]
Club career
Club career is defined as the first and last calendar years in which the player appeared for the club in any of the competitions listed below.
Countries are listed only for players who have been selected for international football. Only the highest level of international competition is given, except where a player competed for more than one country, in which case the highest level reached for each country is shown.
The editor of Arsenal F.C.'s 1914–15 Handbook "firmly believe[d] that with a man like [Harry] King in the vanguard last season [they] would now be in Division I".[20]
After more than 700 senior appearances, including 96 for Birmingham, Noel Blake went on to spend five years as manager of the England under-19 team.[25]
Mark Cooper spent a season with Birmingham under the management of his father, Terry.[26]
French World Cup-winnerChristophe Dugarry is the only man with fewer than 100 club appearances to be inducted into the Birmingham City Hall of Fame.[16]
Fabrice Muamba, whose career was ended by a cardiac arrest suffered during a match in 2012, won Birmingham's Young Player of the Season award for 2006–07.[28]
^ abReliable sources differ widely on the scorers in Small Heath's 10–1 win at home to Blackpool on 2 March 1901.[72] This article uses the English National Football Archive (ENFA) version – McRoberts, Aston 2, Archer, McMillan 5, and Wharton – as likely the result of more recent research.[73]
^Some database sources, including worldfootball.net, credit Harding with Omar Bogle's substitute appearance against Brentford on 2 October 2018.[61]
^Matthews attributes Bernard Pumfrey's 30 December 1893 appearance against Lincoln City to Purves, who did not join Small Heath until March 1894.[83]
^Matthews omits Fenton's substitute appearance against Arsenal in the 1966–67 FA Cup.[96]
Player statistics include games played while on loan from clubs listed below. Unless individually sourced, loaning clubs come from the appearances source or from "Birmingham City: 1946/47–2013/14". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Players Database. Neil Brown. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
^Playing position sourced to Matthews (2010), pp. 120–199 until the 2009–10 season, and thereafter to "Birmingham City". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 26 May 2007. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
^ abAppearances and goals for players whose Birmingham careers ended before the 2010–11 season are sourced to Matthews (2010), pp. 234–455, 466–483; because of proofreading errors, appearances in the 1992–93 Anglo-Italian Cup are sourced to Matthews (1995), p. 244. Later players are sourced individually.
^ abUnless sourced individually, international selection and caps are sourced to Matthews (2010), pp. 498–503 or via the alphabetical list at worldfootball.net.[30] Number of senior caps excludes any won while out on loan from Birmingham.
Specific
^"Jack Butland". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 12 August 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
^"Gary Cooper". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
^"Archie Styles". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
^ abcdefgh"Match results The C Team". England Football Online. Chris Goodwin & Glen Isherwood. 6 January 2023. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
^"Jon Bass". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
^"Neil Etheridge". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
^"Gordon the 'guide' for Blues". Sunday Mercury. Birmingham. 19 September 1965. p. 36. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Gomis, Morgaro". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
^"Small Heath v. Lincoln City". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 1 January 1894. p. 6. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023 – via Newspapers.com. "Small Heath v. Nottm Forest". Birmingham Daily Post. 9 March 1894. p. 7. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Cammie Fraser". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
^"George Parris". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
^"John Trewick". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
^"Errors are punished". The Irish Times. 14 February 2003. p. 21.
^"Aliou Cissé". 11v11.com. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2020. Courtney, Barrie (2 February 2005). "2003 matches: Africa". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
Clubs are grouped by their division in the 2024–25 season. Includes the Welsh clubs where lists have been created. 'POTY' = 'Player of the Year / Season'.