Birmingham City

Born as Small Heath Alliance in 1875 and renamed Birmingham in 1905 and Birmingham City in 1943, the club was instrumental in founding the Football League Second Division in 1892. They have been based at St Andrews Park for over a century after moving there in 1906. 

Whilst not as successful as their city rivals Aston Villa, the club has enjoyed moderate success. Their highest ever finish was sixth in the top flight in the 1955-1956 season. They enjoyed their first domestic trophy win in 1963 when they won the League Cup, beating arch-rivals Aston Villa 3-1 on aggregate. They won their second League Cup title in 2011, when a late Obafemi Martins goal saw off Arsenal. The Blues were relegated in the same season. They have also won four Championship titles.

Gil Merrick is extremely popular with fans since he was their first manager to win a major competition, whilst World Cup-winning manager Alf Ramsay managed the club between 1977-1978. Alex McLeish won Birmingham's second League Cup but made himself very unpopular when he moved across the city to take the managerial reigns at rivals Aston Villa.

Trevor Francis remains a popular figure in the Second City. The striker scored 119 league goals in 280 games during his nine year spell in the seventies at the club, and he also led them to the 2001 League Cup final as manager. With 491 appearances, Frank Womack has played more times for City than any other player. Industrious striker Dele Adebola won the hearts of even the most ardent Blues fan with his hard work for the club; the striker played 128 times and scored 29 goals. World Cup winning striker Christophe Dugarry was at the club for two years (2002-2004) and made 30 appearances for the side. 

Birmingham contest the "Second City derby" against arch-rivals Aston Villa. The sides first clashed in the FA Cup in 1887 and have gone on to face each other 120 times, of which Villa have won 51 and Birmingham 38.  

The 2002 "Second City derby" saw Birmingham win 3-0, but it is remembered for a bizarre own goal. Villa defender Olaf Mellberg threw the ball back to his 'keeper Peter Enckelman, who tried to control the ball, but the ball scraped his studs and proceeded to roll into an empty net. To this day that goal is still disputed. Many Villa fans believe it didn't touch Enckelman and should not have stood, as you cannot score directly from a throw-in.

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