"Birmingham City F.C. league record by opponent Birmingham City Football Club, an English association football club based in the city of Birmingham, was founded in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance. For their first thirteen years, there was no league football, so matches were arranged on an occasional basis, supplemented by cup competitions organised at both local and national level. In 1888, Small Heath joined the Combination, a league set up to provide organised football for those clubs not invited to join the Football League which was to start the same year. However, the Combination was not well organised, and folded"
"in April 1889 with many fixtures still outstanding. Small Heath were founder members of the Football Alliance in 1889, and three years later were elected to the newly formed Second Division of the Football League. They topped the table in their first season, though failed to win promotion via the test match system then in operation, but reached the top flight for the first time in 1894. Since that time, they have not fallen below the third tier of the English football league system, and were promoted to the Premier League for the first time for the 2002–03 season. Birmingham's"
"the map, above the words ""Small Heath"", and bounded by Coventry Road, Cattell Road, Kelynge Street (now Tilton Road), Garrison Lane and the railway, is the site of the future St Andrew's stadium. Lower down, parallel and very close to the left edge of the map, is Arthur Street, where Small Heath Alliance first played their matches. B. ""The Times"" described a fifth-round FA Cup tie ""at the ground of the Small Heath Alliance in the Coventry-road, Birmingham"" in 1886. As late as 1905, the ""Birmingham Evening Despatch"" wrote of Small Heath ""only drawing"" their match with Woolwich at Plumstead,"
"were called Small Heath Alliance. The game, on a pitch at Small Heath's Muntz Street ground described by the Villa players as ""only suitable for pot-holing"", finished 1–0 – recorded as ""one goal and a disputed goal to nil"" – to the home side. Villa won the first competitive game between the clubs, in the Second Round of the FA Cup at Wellington Road in 1887, by four goals to nil, and their first league encounter, in the First Division in the 1894–95 season, 2–1. The two teams have engaged in several hotly contested matches. In the 1925 league game"
"Small Heath, Burnley and Leicester Fosse from the Football League Second Division, and Southern League Division One Southampton, Millwall Athletic and Tottenham Hotspur. They joined the ten teams who won in the intermediate round. The matches were played on Saturday 9 February 1901. Four matches were drawn, with the replays taking place in the following midweek. The eight Second Round matches were scheduled for Saturday 23 February 1901. There was one replay, between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, played in the following midweek. The four Third Round matches were scheduled for Saturday, 23 March 1901. Two replays were needed, played"
"a board of directors, under the name of Small Heath F.C. Ltd. From the 1889–90 season they played in the Football Alliance, which ran alongside the Football League. In 1892, Small Heath, along with the other Alliance teams, were invited to join the newly formed Football League Second Division. They finished as champions, but failed to win promotion via the test match system; the following season promotion to the First Division was secured after a second-place finish and test match victory over Darwen. The club adopted the name Birmingham Football Club in 1905, and moved into their new home, St"
"club's first five games in the new competition, and another two in the 1888–89 FA Cup, then left for fellow Football Alliance side Birmingham St George's. He died in Birmingham. Thomas Davenport (footballer) Thomas Davenport (1860 – after 1888) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football Alliance for Small Heath. He played as an inside forward. Davenport was born in the Kingstanding district of Birmingham. He began his football career with Hockley Belmont before joining Small Heath Alliance in August 1885. He scored six goals as the club progressed to the semi-final of the 1885–86 FA Cup,"
"Frederick Heath (footballer) Frederick Sidney Heath (1865 – after 1890) was an English professional footballer who made 23 appearances in the Football Alliance playing for Small Heath. He played in attack or as a half back. Heath was born in 1865 in Smethwick, which was then in Staffordshire. He began his football career with Bearwood White Star, Bearwood and Cookham before joining Small Heath in 1889 for a fee of £1. He made his debut on 7 September 1889, the opening day of the inaugural season of the Football Alliance, in a 3–2 home win against local rivals Birmingham St"
"of the same name remains. Small Heath Alliance Football Club, founded in 1875, played their first home games on waste ground off Arthur Street, in the Bordesley Green district of Birmingham, very near the site where the club's St Andrew's stadium would be built some thirty years later. In 1876, they made a temporary move to a fenced-off field in Ladypool Road, Sparkbrook, with a capacity estimated at 3,000; because the field was enclosed, admission could be charged. A year later they moved again, to a field in Small Heath, rented for an initial £5 a year from the family"
"History of Birmingham City F.C. (1875–1965) Birmingham City Football Club, an English association football club based in Birmingham, was founded as Small Heath Alliance in 1875, and from 1877 played home games at Muntz Street. It adopted professionalism in 1885, and three years later, as Small Heath F.C., became a limited company with a board of directors, the first football club so to do. The team played in the Football Alliance from the 1889–90 season, and in 1892, along with the other Alliance teams, were invited to join the newly formed Second Division of the Football League. Although they finished"
"Albion rather than allow them to take the gate receipts). Both clubs applied for membership to the Football League in 1889, but neither was accepted. Albion decided to become founder members of the Football Alliance instead. Blue House Field therefore hosted the first competitive league football in Sunderland, as Albion hosted 12 matches in the 1889-90 Football Alliance against teams including Nottingham Forest F.C. (won 4 - 0), Small Heath (later to become Birmingham City F.C.) (won 6 - 1), Newton Heath (later to become Manchester United F.C.) (won 4 - 0), and the eventual champions Sheffield Wednesday F.C. (lost"
"for Small Heath and Jack, Harry and Bob for Aston Villa. Another brother, Abel, was a cricketer with Staffordshire. Will Devey William Devey (12 April 1865 – 10 June 1935) was an English professional footballer who played as a centre forward for Small Heath (renamed from Small Heath Aliiance in 1888) in the Football Alliance and for a variety of Midlands clubs in the Football League and outside it. He was Small Heath Alliance's leading scorer for their first two seasons in the Football Alliance (1889–90 and 1890–91) before moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers where he became their leading scorer in"
"[who] centres while running at full speed"", who was viewed as the replacement for Ted Hill, fellow forward Billy Pratt, full-back Walter Gittins and backup goalkeeper Francis Banks. Devey was appointed captain, though the ""Post"" suggested his tendency to argue with teammates made him a less than ideal candidate for the role. The team played in black shirts with an amber collar, white knickerbockers and black stockings. Small Heath opened the Football Alliance campaign with a win. They took an early two-goal lead against Birmingham St George's at Coventry Road, and although Saints equalised before the interval and had the"
"to West Bromwich Albion. By the time Small Heath became involved in league football, in the Football Alliance in the 1889–90 season, injury problems meant he could play only rarely, though he soldiered on until 1892–93, the inaugural season of the Football League Second Division. He made his only appearance in the Football League on 7 January 1893, in a 4–3 win at Lincoln City, as a late replacement for Caesar Jenkyns who had missed his train. When he retired as a player Simms became the club's trainer, and when the new St Andrew's ground opened in 1906, he was"
"George's, playing at inside left. That season he played in all forward positions apart from inside right and at both left and right half, and the following year played a couple of games at centre half. He went on to play for Stourbridge and Hockley Rose. Frederick Heath (footballer) Frederick Sidney Heath (1865 – after 1890) was an English professional footballer who made 23 appearances in the Football Alliance playing for Small Heath. He played in attack or as a half back. Heath was born in 1865 in Smethwick, which was then in Staffordshire. He began his football career with"
"known as the Football Alliance, in which they finished eighth in the first season. After three further applications, the club joined the Football League when it merged with the Football Alliance in 1892 and Newton Heath was elected to the First Division. In their final season in the Football Alliance, the club finished second to Nottingham Forest, who joined them in the First Division. By this time, the club had severed its formal ties with the railway company and had dropped the ""LYR"" from their name, although most players were still employees of the railway company. The club had also"
"football matches at all levels below the senior national team, and for semifinal matches in the FA Cup and finals of lesser competitions. It has played host to events in other sports, including rugby union and professional boxing, and more recently has staged music concerts. Small Heath Alliance – the original name of Birmingham City Football Club – played their first home games on waste ground off Arthur Street, in the Bordesley Green district of Birmingham, very near the site where St Andrew's would be built. In 1876, they made a temporary move to a fenced-off field in Ladypool Road,"
"League, during which time they twice won the Football League Trophy. St Andrew's has been their home ground since 1906. They have a long-standing and fierce rivalry with Aston Villa, their nearest neighbours, with whom they play the Second City derby. The club's nickname is Blues, after the colour of their kit, and their fans are known as Bluenoses. Birmingham City were founded as Small Heath Alliance in 1875, and from 1877 played their home games at Muntz Street. The club turned professional in 1885, and three years later became the first football club to become a limited company with"
"fine little back [who] kicks and tackles splendidly"". Representing Warwickshire against the Manchester Association in February 1890, alongside Small Heath team-mates Chris Charsley, Harry Morris, Caesar Jenkyns and Will Devey, Speller sprained an ankle during the second half. The injury kept him out for Small Heath's next two games. The Combination folded, and Small Heath became founder members of the Football Alliance in 1890. In his second game in that league, he was noted as ""defend[ing] in fine style"" as Small Heath lost 3–0 at home to Sunderland Albion. According to the ""Birmingham Daily Post"", his defence was ""very safe"""
"before finishing the season with Unity Gas, full-back Tom Bayley from Walsall Town Swifts, and goalkeeper Charles Partridge from Wednesbury Old Athletic. The club decided to change to a new kit – a plain royal blue shirt and stockings with white knickerbockers – because the black kit had proved difficult to see for players and spectators alike. For consistency, attendances and goalscorers' names in the Football Alliance and FA Cup match details are sourced from Matthews (2010). Information in contemporary newspaper reports could, and often did, differ. Apart from those detailed below, Small Heath also played non-competitive fixtures against a"
"club briefly in 1977. General Specific Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943. The first team competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. As Small Heath, they played in the Football Alliance before becoming founder members and first ever champions of the Football League Second Division. The most successful period in their history was in the 1950s"
"Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943. The first team competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. As Small Heath, they played in the Football Alliance before becoming founder members and first ever champions of the Football League Second Division. The most successful period in their history was in the 1950s and early 1960s. They achieved their"
"Football Combination, a second league formed to provide organised football for such excluded clubs. This was not a success; poor organisation caused it to fold in April 1889 with many fixtures still outstanding. For 1889–90, Small Heath were accepted into the Football Alliance, a new second league whose committee adopted the more successful aspects of the Football League's organisation, including limiting team numbers to a manageable twelve, and arranging and publishing the fixture list before the season began. After two tenth-place finishes, and elimination from the 1890–91 FA Cup for fielding an ineligible player, they finished third in 1891–92, helped"
"Muntz Street Muntz Street is the popular name of a former association football stadium situated in the Small Heath district of Birmingham, England, taken from the street on which it stood. During its lifetime the ground was known as Coventry Road; the name ""Muntz Street"" is a more recent adoption. It was the ground at which the teams of Birmingham City F.C. – under the club's former names of Small Heath Alliance, Small Heath and Birmingham – played their home games for nearly 30 years. It also served as the headquarters of the Small Heath Athletic Club. The Muntz Street"
"final, local rivals Aston Villa, were pre-match favourites, but Birmingham raised their game and won 3–1 on aggregate to lift their first major trophy. By 1965, Merrick had been asked to resign, and after ten years in the top flight, Birmingham were back in the Second Division. In 1875, when members of the cricket team based at Holy Trinity Church, Bordesley, on the east side of Birmingham, decided they wanted something to do in the winter months, they formed a football team. Playing under the name of Small Heath Alliance, their early games took place on a piece of waste"
"Small Heath a two-goal lead in the first half. The home team pulled a goal back, but the Heathens held on for their expected victory. After only two appearances, Alec Wallace was transferred to Birmingham & District League club Hereford Town. The ""Dart"" thought Small Heath were unlucky to lose to West Bromwich Albion in the semi-final of the Staffordshire Cup, as ""they had much more of the actual play than their opponents"", and that if they played as well at home to Blackpool, they could expect to win. At half time, this expectation looked justified, as they led 2–1"
"the 29-match season. The top scorer was inside-forward Wheldon with 29 goals in all competitions, of which 21 were scored in the Alliance. Caesar Jenkyns became the first player to be capped for his country while a Small Heath player when he took the field for Wales against Ireland on 27 February 1892. At the Annual General Meeting of the Football Alliance, the bottom four teams, of which Small Heath was one, were all re-elected. The club were £234 in debt at the end of the season. The ""Birmingham Daily Post"" suggested that Players leaving included Will Devey, top scorer"
"one of the first to turn professional, but that was not until 1885. As a youth he played as a centre forward, but gradually moved into midfield, developing into an influential wing half and captain. Much of his playing career preceded the formation of the Football Alliance, of which Small Heath was a founding member, in 1889–90, so information is not readily available on how many games he played for the club, but he was a first-team regular by 1885, and played on long enough to make one appearance in the inaugural Football League Second Division in 1892-93. Over his"
"""Post"" attributed the lack of a detailed match report on the 3–3 friendly draw with West Bromwich Albion to its reporter's inability to find space in the press hut after it was invaded by spectators seeking shelter from the rain. The Football Alliance fined Small Heath and three other clubs £1 each for not notifying the secretary of their results, a minor failure in administrative competence compared with what was to follow. In the second qualifying round of the FA Cup, Small Heath had a harder time than perhaps they expected in beating Wednesbury Old Athletic by two goals. Credit"
"was converted for use by electric trams. Contemporary reports referred to the ground throughout its lifetime as Coventry Road. Writer and researcher Steve Beauchampé suggests that the Muntz Street name may have been adopted to distinguish it from St Andrew's, which was also built just off the Coventry Road. The first game at Muntz Street, a friendly match against Saltley College, was played on 11 September 1877. Small Heath Alliance won 5–0, in front of ""a handful"" of spectators who contributed gate receipts of 6s 8d. This marked the start of a run of 22 games unbeaten at the new"
"between 20 and 30 matches each season. They played Aston Villa, the team that would become their main local rivals, for the first time in 1879; Small Heath won by ""a goal and a disputed goal to nil"". They first entered the Birmingham Senior Cup in 1878–79, made their debut in the national cup competition, the FA Cup, in 1881–82 – Billy Slater scored their first goal in nationally organised football as Small Heath beat Derby Town 4–1 – and won their first trophy, the Walsall Cup, the following season. In 1885–86, Small Heath reached the semi-final of the FA"
"it. He supervised their entry into organised league football in the Football Alliance which started in 1889, and their subsequent invitation to join the newly formed Second Division of the Football League. It was at this point that Jones became the club's first paid secretary, and in addition took over responsibility for team affairs. In Jones's first season as secretary-manager Small Heath won the inaugural Second Division championship, though this did not bring automatic promotion; the club were unsuccessful in a test match against the bottom club in the First Division, Newton Heath. The following season the club were promoted"
"the club's top goalscorer during the 1893–94 season. Fred Allen (footballer) Frederick Allen (July 1860 – c. 1926) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football Alliance for Small Heath. Allen was born in the Hockley district of Birmingham and played football for Springhill Methodists before joining Small Heath in 1890. He played three times for them in the Football Alliance in the 1891–92 season when Jack Hallam was switched to a more central forward position. He died in Birmingham in about 1926. A forward called Fred Allen is recorded to have played for Luton Town in the"