Birmingham City FC was started in 1875 and it currently plays in the English Championship. The club plays its home games at St Andrew's and its nickname is the ‘Blues’ after the colour of its home kit. One of the clubs main rivals is Aston Villa, with many fierce derby days taking place over the years.
History of Birmingham City FC
Birmingham City FC was founded in 1875 and was called the Small Heath Alliance. It was renamed to Birmingham in 1905 and officially became Birmingham City in 1943. It has been playing its home games at St Andrew's since 1906.
In its first few decades, it managed to win the Second Division title on a couple of occasions. It started to see further success after the end of the Second World War, winning its third Second Division title.
This was the first English club to ever take part in European competition, playing in the group stages of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1956. It also was the first English team to make it to a European Final, doing so in 1960 when it lost to Barcelona in the final of the Fairs Cup.
The club then went into a bit of a decline from the 1960s up until the 1990s. The club went into administration in the early 1990s and was bought by publisher David Sullivan for £700,000.
After having been relegated to the Third Division, the promotion was achieved back to the Second Division the following season after winning the league. The club then started to push for promotion to the premier division of football in England, losing out in the play-offs on a couple of occasions.
Birmingham City FC secured a place in the premier division after 16 years after winning the play-off on penalties in 2002. It finished mid-table in its first season in the Premier League. The club managed to win the League Cup in 2011 and qualified for the Europa League but still got relegated from the Premier League.
The club has since gone through a number of different managers and has struggled in its attempts to get back to the Premier League.
Home ground
Birmingham City lays its home games at St. Andrews, with the original capacity said to be around 75,000. These days, it holds just under 30,000 people. There were plans in the early 20th century to expand the stadium capacity and to also build a casino at the ground. However, the plan did not manage to receive the relevant license.
The main rival of Birmingham City is Aston Villa, with these matchups being called the Second City derby as the are the closest teams to one another. Supports of Birmingham City are often called “Bluenoses” and it is a passionate fan base.
Club honours
Birmingham City has managed to win some titles over the years, including winning the Second Division on four occasions and being runner-up seven times. It has also won the Third Division on a single occasion, doing so in 1994/1995. Birmingham City has never won the FA Cup, having finished runner-up twice. It has won the League Cup twice, last doing so in 2010/2011.
Notable players over the years
Some of the notable players who played for Birmingham City over the years include the likes of Trevor Francis, Gil Merrick and Harry Hibbs. Some of the more recent standout players for the club include Liam Ridgewell, Nikola Zigic, Keith Fahey and Mikael Forssell.
Betting on Birmingham City
Birmingham City FC games are always tense affairs with the fan base always making their presence felt. The club is pushing to try to reach its former glories in the Premier League. This means that there is always a lot on the line when you are watching a Birmingham City game.
All football betting sites will have plenty of different markets available for you when it comes to Birmingham City games. To find what is the best operator for your needs, you should check out the list of reviews at Roger.com. These are unbiased and allow you to quickly find a good fit for your needs.
