1907–08 Birmingham F.C. season
The 1907–08 Football League season was Birmingham Football Club's 16th in the Football League and their 8th in the First Division. They were in the relegation positions by mid-October, and only once, briefly, rose above them, finishing bottom of the 20-team league, four points adrift of safety, and were relegated to the Second Division for 1908–09. They also took part in the 1907–08 FA Cup, entering at the first round proper and losing in that round to West Bromwich Albion after a replay.
| 1907–08 season | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Walter W. Hart | |
| Secretary-manager | Alf Jones | |
| Ground | St Andrew's | |
| Football League First Division | 20th (relegated) | |
| FA Cup | First round (eliminated by West Bromwich Albion) | |
| Top goalscorer | League: Benny Green, Edmund Eyre (8) All: Edmund Eyre (9) | |
| Highest home attendance | 45,000 vs Aston Villa, 21 September 1907 | |
| Lowest home attendance | 2,000 vs Nottingham Forest, 30 March 1908 | |
| Average home league attendance | 15,105 | |
| ||
Alf Jones stepped down as secretary-manager at the end of the season. Jones began acting as unpaid secretary for Small Heath Alliance in 1885, the year the club turned professional, became their first paid secretary with responsibility for team matters in 1892, when the club first joined the Football League, and had held the post of secretary-manager ever since. He was succeeded by Alex Watson.
Twenty-eight players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were ten different goalscorers. Forward Benny Green played in 38 of the 40 matches over the season. Edmund Eyre was leading scorer with nine goals; in the league, Eyre and Green each scored eight.
Shortly before the match against Nottingham Forest in February was due to start, a severe gale blew sections of the corrugated-iron roof off the grandstand. Although the match went ahead, it was abandoned after 35 minutes because of the wind.[1]
Football League First Division
| Date | League position | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 September 1907 | 16th | Middlesbrough | A | L | 0–1 | 16,000 | |
| 7 September 1907 | 7th | Preston North End | H | W | 2–0 | Mounteney | 10,000 |
| 14 September 1907 | 15th | Bury | A | L | 0–1 | 14,000 | |
| 16 September 1907 | 16th | Bury | H | L | 0–1 | 12,000 | |
| 21 September 1907 | 17th | Aston Villa | H | L | 2–3 | Eyre, Tickle | 45,000 |
| 28 September 1907 | 16th | Liverpool | A | W | 4–3 | Green, Mounteney 2, Eyre | 20,000 |
| 5 October 1907 | 16th | Middlesbrough | H | L | 1–4 | Green | 16,000 |
| 12 October 1907 | 19th | Sheffield United | A | L | 0–1 | 13,000 | |
| 19 October 1907 | 19th | Chelsea | H | D | 1–1 | Green | 20,000 |
| 26 October 1907 | 19th | Nottingham Forest | A | D | 1–1 | Green | 12,000 |
| 2 November 1907 | 19th | Manchester United | H | L | 3–4 | Jones, Eyre 2 | 20,000 |
| 9 November 1907 | 20th | Blackburn Rovers | A | L | 0–1 | 6,000 | |
| 16 November 1907 | 19th | Bolton Wanderers | H | W | 2–1 | Green, Eyre | 15,000 |
| 23 November 1907 | 20th | Newcastle United | A | L | 0–8 | 20,000 | |
| 7 December 1907 | 20th | Sunderland | H | L | 0–2 | 10,000 | |
| 14 December 1907 | 20th | Woolwich Arsenal | A | D | 1–1 | Green | 3,000 |
| 21 December 1907 | 20th | Sheffield Wednesday | H | W | 2–1 | Drake, Jones | 12,000 |
| 25 December 1907 | 20th | Manchester City | H | W | 2–1 | Eyre, Bluff | 12,000 |
| 26 December 1907 | 20th | Notts County | H | D | 0–0 | 20,000 | |
| 27 December 1907 | 20th | Notts County | A | D | 0–0 | 12,000 | |
| 28 December 1907 | 19th | Bristol City | A | D | 0–0 | 10,000 | |
| 4 January 1908 | 20th | Preston North End | A | D | 1–1 | Jones | 8,000 |
| 18 January 1908 | 19th | Aston Villa | A | W | 3–2 | Eyre, Green, Drake | 39,500 |
| 25 January 1908 | 19th | Liverpool | H | D | 1–1 | Mounteney | 18,000 |
| 8 February 1908 | 20th | Sheffield United | H | D | 0–0 | 16,000 | |
| 15 February 1908 | 19th | Chelsea | A | D | 2–2 | Jones, Eyre | 17,000 |
| 29 February 1908 | 20th | Manchester United | A | L | 0–1 | 10,000 | |
| 7 March 1908 | 20th | Blackburn Rovers | H | D | 1–1 | Mounteney | 5,000 |
| 14 March 1908 | 20th | Bolton Wanderers | A | L | 0–1 | 13,047 | |
| 18 March 1908 | 20th | Everton | A | L | 1–4 | Tickle | 10,000 |
| 21 March 1908 | 20th | Newcastle United | H | D | 1–1 | Tickle | 20,000 |
| 28 March 1908 | 19th | Everton | H | W | 2–1 | Jones, Beer | 15,000 |
| 30 March 1908 | 20th | Nottingham Forest | H | W | 1–0 | Jones | 2,000 |
| 4 April 1908 | 20th | Sunderland | A | L | 0–1 | 16,000 | |
| 11 April 1908 | 20th | Woolwich Arsenal | H | L | 1–2 | Beer | 15,000 |
| 17 April 1908 | 20th | Manchester City | A | L | 1–2 | Mounteney | 25,000 |
| 18 April 1908 | 20th | Sheffield Wednesday | A | W | 4–1 | Jones, Beer, Anderson, Green | 8,000 |
| 25 April 1908 | 18th | Bristol City | H | L | 0–4 | 4,000 |
League table (part)
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16th | Sunderland | 38 | 16 | 3 | 19 | 78 | 75 | 1.04 | 35 |
| 17th | Sheffield United | 38 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 52 | 58 | 0.90 | 35 |
| 18th | Notts County | 38 | 13 | 8 | 17 | 39 | 51 | 0.77 | 34 |
| 19th | Bolton Wanderers | 38 | 14 | 5 | 19 | 52 | 58 | 0.90 | 33 |
| 20th | Birmingham | 38 | 9 | 12 | 19 | 40 | 60 | 0.67 | 30 |
| Key | Pos = League position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points | ||||||||
| Source | [2] | ||||||||
FA Cup
| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First round | 11 January 1907 | West Bromwich Albion | A | L | 1–1 | Jones | 36,727 |
| First round replay | 15 January 1907 | West Bromwich Albion | H | L | 1–2 | Eyre | 24,895 |
Appearances and goals
- Players with name struck through and marked
left the club during the playing season.
| Name | Position | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | FA Cup | Total | |||||
| Jack Dorrington | Goalkeeper | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Nat Robinson | Goalkeeper | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Walter Corbett | Full back | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Bob Fairman | Full back | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| John Glover | Full back | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| John Kearns | Full back | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Frank Stokes | Full back | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Billy Beer | Half back | 34 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 3 |
| Frank Cornan | Half back | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| Jim Dougherty | Half back | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Tom Handley | Half back | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ambrose Hartwell | Half back | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Walter Wigmore | Half back | 35 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 1 |
| George Anderson | Forward | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| Edgar Bluff | Forward | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Alonzo Drake | Forward | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 2 |
| Edmund Eyre | Forward | 31 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 33 | 9 |
| Percy Gooch | Forward | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Benny Green | Forward | 36 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 8 |
| John Higgins | Forward | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
|
Forward | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Billy Jones | Forward | 23 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 8 |
| Harry King | Forward | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| George Moore | Forward | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Arthur Morris | Forward | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Arthur Mounteney | Forward | 25 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 6 |
| Billy Peplow | Forward | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Charlie Tickle | Forward | 31 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 3 |
| George Travers | Forward | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
See also
References
General
- Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Breedon Books (Derby). ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
- Matthews, Tony (2010). Birmingham City: The Complete Record. DB Publishing (Derby). ISBN 978-1-85983-853-2.
- Source for match dates and results: "Birmingham City 1907–1908: Results". Statto Organisation. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
- Source for lineups, appearances, goalscorers and attendances: Matthews (2010), Complete Record, pp. 260–61. Note that attendance figures are estimated.
- Source for kit: "Birmingham City". Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
Specific
- Severe Gale. The Times (London). p. 10. 24 February 1908.
Great Storm. Football Stand Dangers. The Manchester Guardian. p. 7. 24 February 1908. "At Birmingham, as people were assembling for the match between Birmingham and Notts Forest, the wind carried off a large portion of the iron roofing sheets of the grand stand. About 20 feet of sheet-iron was lifted into the air, twisted round and round like so much paper, and finally deposited on a piece of waste ground about fifty yards away. There were not more than a thousand spectators present at the time, and a number of these immediately left the ground. The grand stand was cleared, as portions of the woodwork showed signs of giving way. An attempt was made to play the match, but before half-time the game was stopped." - "Birmingham City 1907–1908: English Division One (old) Table" Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
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