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Birmingham City FC

Birmingham City FC Information

Address:		St. Andrews, BIRMINGHAM. B9 4NH
Telephone:		0709 111 25837
Fax:		(0121) 766 7866
Founded:		1875
Stadium:		St.Andrews Ground
Website:		www.bcfc.com

Birmingham City FC History

Birmingham City (BCFC) is one of Birmingham's two professional soccer teams (the other is Aston Villa F.C.). Originally known as The Small Heath Alliance, they became Birmingham F.C. in 1905 and Birmingham City F.C. in 1945.

After a number of years in the second flight league, Birmingham gained promotion to the FA Premier league for the 2002/3 season, under the guidance of Manager Steve Bruce in an playoff final win over Norwich City, Darren Carter became a hero for a few months after scoring the winning penalty.

In the 2003/2004 season Birmingham City got off to a brilliant start staying in the top 4 for the first month and after 6 weeks had statistically the best defence in the season after a very successful season till the last 14 or so games they stumbled and ended up on an set of 7 games without an win.

In the off-season between the end of the 03/04 season and the beginning of the 04/05 season they signed Muzzy Izzet, Jesper Grønkjær, Mario Melchiot, Emile Heskey, Darren Anderton, Julian Gray, and finally signed Dwight Yorke on the final day of the summer transfer window. Mikael Forssell also agreed to rejoin Birmingham on a year-long loan deal from Chelsea F.C..

Unfortuneately, Forsell broke his leg before the start of the new 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 poor season. Highlights of the season were the double over local rivals Aston Villa.

Birmingham City F.C suffered 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. But they were relegated from Division One at the end of the 1993-94 season (on goal difference from neighbours West Bromwich Albion) despite a managerial change halfway through the season which had been Terry Cooper make way for Barry Fry.

Fry guided Birmingham to the Division Two championship and victory in the Autoglass 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 twice 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 and they won promotion to the Premiership after two decades outside the top division.

Birmingham finished 13th in 2002-03 and 10th in 2003-04, with Steve Bruce firmly establishing Birmingham as a Premiership club and himself as a top Premiership manager.