Birmingham City F.C.

Birmingham City Football Club, founded in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, is a professional association football team based in Bordesley, Birmingham, England. The club underwent several name changes, becoming Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and finally Birmingham City in 1943. They currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football, and have played at St. Andrew's since 1906, known since 2024 as St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park for sponsorship reasons. Their nickname is the Blues, derived from their kit color, and their supporters are known as Bluenoses.

The club's golden era came in the 1950s and early 1960s. Their highest league finish was sixth in the First Division in the 1955–56 season, and they reached the FA Cup final that same year, losing 3–1 to Manchester City in front of 100,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium. Birmingham City made history as the first English club to reach a major European final, appearing in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final in 1960 (losing 4–1 on aggregate to Barcelona) and again in 1961 (losing 4–2 on aggregate to Roma). They have won the League Cup twice: first in 1963, beating Aston Villa 3–1 on aggregate, and again in 2011, defeating Arsenal 2–1 at Wembley. The club also won the Football League Trophy twice, in 1991 and 1995, during brief spells in the third tier. Over their history, the Blues have spent about half their seasons in the top flight, with their longest stretch outside the top division running from 1986 to 2002.

The current head coach is Chris Davies, appointed in June 2024 after previous managers including Garry Monk, Alex McLeish, Steve Bruce, Josep Clotet, Aitor Karanka, Lee Bowyer, John Eustace, Wayne Rooney, Tony Mowbray, and Gary Rowett. Under Rooney, the team struggled, winning only two of 15 league matches before his dismissal in January 2024. Tony Mowbray then took over but stepped down due to health issues in April 2024, with Gary Rowett serving as interim. Chris Davies, formerly an assistant at Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur, led the team to a strong start in the 2024–25 season, with the Blues fifth in the Championship by early December 2024. Key current players include captain Krystian Bielik, midfielders Tomoki Iwata and Paik Seung-ho, and forwards Jay Stansfield and Alfie May.[edit]

Birmingham City's roots trace back to 1875 when a group of cricketers at Small Heath's Holy Trinity Church formed Small Heath Alliance. The club turned professional in 1885 and joined the Football League in 1892. After moving to St. Andrew's in 1906, the club changed its name to Birmingham in 1905, then to Birmingham City in 1943. The 1950s marked the club's peak: under manager Arthur Turner, they finished sixth in the First Division in 1955–56 and reached the FA Cup final, losing to Manchester City. They also became the first English side to reach a European final, contesting the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup finals of 1960 and 1961.

The club's first major trophy came in 1963, winning the League Cup against Aston Villa. After decades of fluctuating fortunes, including relegation to the third tier in 1989, Birmingham returned to the Premier League in 2002. The 2011 League Cup triumph over Arsenal remains a modern highlight. However, relegation followed that same season, and the club has since yo-yoed between the Championship and League One. In 2023–24, they finished 22nd in the Championship and were relegated to League One, but were promoted back at the first attempt in 2024–25 under Chris Davies.[edit]