After 18 consecutive seasons in the First Division, Birmingham were relegated at the end of the 1938–39 Football League campaign. Manager George Liddell resigned, and returned to his former career as a schoolteacher. First-team coach Jack Bestall also left the club. No successors were appointed. Trainer Billy Gibson's duties were extended to include coaching,[1] and Jack Foster, formerly chief scout at Portsmouth, was appointed to the corresponding role at Birmingham.[2] The directors stated that they were "prepared to accept Mr Foster's advice in all matters relating to players", but confirmed that they would act promptly if it became necessary to appoint a manager.[3]
During the previous season, 1500 new tip-up seats had been installed and the terracing in front of the grandstand completely renovated.[4] Over the close season, the pitch was replanted and reseeded.[3]
Pos = League position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points
When war was declared in September 1939, the government banned public gatherings until safety implications could be assessed.[8] Most football grounds reopened soon afterwards, even those in built-up or strategically significant areas, but Birmingham's Chief Constable ordered the continued closure of St Andrew's because of its proximity to likely air-raid targets such as the BSA munitions factories.[9] Consequently, Birmingham were forced to play all their away fixtures first, and when this became impossible, to play home fixtures on a neutral ground – the Windmill Ground at Leamington hosted two "home" matches.[6] The matter was first raised in Parliament in November 1939, but the Home Secretary was unwilling to intervene in what he perceived as a local issue outside his jurisdiction.[10] By March 1940, when St Andrew's had for some time been the only football ground in England still closed, the Chief Constable bowed to public pressure, and a crowd of 13,241 witnessed Birmingham's first home game in more than six months, against Walsall in the Midland Regional League.[9]
Pos = League position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points
^Jackson, Stuart. "Season 1939–40 (Abandoned)". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 19 February 2019.
^"Closing of places of entertainment. Preventing large assemblies". The Times. London. 4 September 1939. p. 10.
^ abMatthews (1995). Complete Record. pp. 21–22. Rippon, Anton (2005). Gas Masks for Goal Posts. Football in Britain during the Second World War. Stroud: Sutton. pp. 16–17. ISBN0-7509-4030-1.