Birmingham City football team
Birmingham City (BCFC) is one of two professional football teams (the other is Aston Villa F.C.). Previously known as Small Heath Alliance, the team became Birmingham F.C. in 1905, and then Birmingham City F.C. in 1945.
History of Birmingham City F.C.
After many years spent in the Second Division, Birmingham made up for the FA Premier League in the season 2002/03 when in the final they beat Norwich City lead by the manager Steve Bruce, and Darren Carter became a hero for a number of months after he scored a winning penalty.
Birmingham City made a brilliant start in the season 2003/04, being in the top 4 during the first month, and 6 weeks later they had the best seasonal statistics for their defense. But 14 games before the end of the season they began to make mistakes and ended up the rest of 7 games without winning.
During the off-season between the end of 03/04 and beginning of 04/05, they signed contracts with Muzzy Izzet, Jesper Gronkjaer, Mario Melchot, Emile Heskey, Darren Anderton, Julian Gray and finally Dwigte Yorke on the last summer day of transfer window. Mikael Forcell from Chelsea F.C. also joined Birmingham on a one year lease contract.
Unfortunately, Forsell broke his leg just before the new season start and ”the Blues” were suffocating from the lack of forwarders. Walter Pandiani came in during the January transfer window with expectations for the Blues not to let go to the relegation after such a poor season. A bright flare of the season was a double over their local adversary Aston Villa.
At the end of the 1985-86 season, Birmingham City F.C. was relegated from the top flight. Two following seasons in the Second Division were unsuccessful, so finally they were brought down to the Third Division for the first time in the end of the season 1988-89.
Three years later they won the second place in the Third Division at the end of 1991-92 season, that’s why they appeared members of a new Division One in the season 1992-93. However, they were relegated from the Division One at the end of 1993-94 season (due to a one-goal difference with the neighboring West Bromwich Albion), regardless of management changes in the middle of the season, when Barry Fry substituted Terry Cooper.
Fry took Birmingham up to the Second Division championship and to the Windscreens Autoglass Trophy in 1994-95, but he was sacked a year later, after the so promising season 1995-96 finished in the 15th place in the Division One. His successor Trevor Francis remained in the lead of the team until October 2001 while Birmingham was twice qualified for the play-offs but lost to Liverpool in the League Cup final. Steve Bruce, who succeeded Francis, made Birmingham play qualification play-off from the Division One in 2001-02, and they won promotion to the Premier League after two decades outside.
Birmingham rose to the 13th place in 2002-03 and to the 10th in 2003-04, and Steve Bruce fixed Birmingham as a Premier League club and himself as the best manager of Premier League.
Colors and crest
The design and the colors of the club have changed with the course of time and now players wear dark blue T-shirts, a white sash and white shorts. The colors of Birmingham's strip have varied greatly; it has been white or yellow and red (white or black being the most widely used combinations).
In 1905 after changing the club’s name from Small Heath to Birmingham, the club adopted a new crest - the coat of arms of the City of Birmingham. At present the crest contains the following elements: the globe and ball in the line, with the ribbon with the club’s name and the date of foundation. The colors are blue and white.
Tittles
- Second Division (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: 2001–02)
- Third Division / Division Two (level 3) (Champions: 1994–95; Runners up: 1991–92)
- FA Cup (Runners up: 1931, 1956)
- League Cup (Winners: 1963; Runners up: 2001)
- Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (Runners up: 1960, 1961)
- Associate Members Cup / Football League Trophy (Winners: 1991, 1995)
- Birmingham Senior Cup (Winners: 1905)
Current squad
1. Ashley Sammons (midfielder)
2. Barry Ferguson (midfielder)
3. Cameron Jerome (forward)
4. Chucho Benítez (forward)
5. Colin Doyle (goal-keeper)
6. Damien Johnson (captain) (midfielder)
7. Dan Preston (defender)
8. David Murphy (defender)
9. Franck Queudrue (defender)
10. Garry O'Connor (forward)
11. Gary McSheffrey (forward)
12. Giovanny Espinoza (defender)
13. Grégory Vignal (defender)
14. James McFadden (forward)
15. Jay O'Shea (midfielder)
16. Joe Hart (goal-keeper)
17. Keith Fahey (midfielder)
18. Kevin Phillips (forward)
19. Lee Bowyer (midfielder)
20. Lee Carsley (team captain) (midfielder)
21. Liam Ridgewell (defender)
22. Maik Taylor (goal-keeper)
23. Marcus Bent (forward)
24. Martin Taylor (defender)
25. Roger Johnson (defender)
26. Scott Dann (defender)
27. Sebastian Larsson (midfielder)
28. Stephen Carr (defender)
29. Stuart Parnaby (defender)
30. Teemu Tainio (midfielder)
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