1945–46 Birmingham City F.C. season

The 1945–46 season was Birmingham City Football Club's first season played under that name in nationally-organised football. The club had been called Birmingham F.C. since 1905, and the City suffix was added in 1943. Although the Football League did not resume until the 1946–47 season, the FA Cup restarted in 1945. Birmingham reached the semi-final, in which they lost to Derby County after extra time in a replay, played at Maine Road, Manchester, in front of 80,407 spectators. In league competition, Birmingham were champions of the first and only edition of the Football League South, taking the title on goal average from local rivals Aston Villa.

Birmingham City F.C.
1945–46 season
ChairmanHarry Morris Jr
ManagerHarry Storer
GroundSt Andrew's
Football League South1st
FA CupSemi-final
(eliminated by Derby County)
Top goalscorerLeague: Charlie Wilson Jones (20)
All: Charlie Wilson Jones (25)
Highest home attendanceFA Cup: 49,858 vs Bradford Park Avenue, 9 March 1946
Lowest home attendanceFA Cup: 25,054 vs Watford, 29 March 1946

Twenty-four players made at least one Football League South appearance, though only twelve appeared regularly, the remaining twelve making just 36 appearances between them. Full-back Dennis Jennings missed only one of the 42 matches over the season. Charlie Wilson Jones was leading scorer with 20 goals in league competition. In the FA Cup, the same eleven players were selected for all the ties, apart from Sid King replacing Gil Merrick in goal for two of the ten matches.

Football League South

The Football League North and South were set up as a precursor to the resumption of the Football League proper the following season. They included those teams playing in the First and Second Divisions in the 1939–40 Football League season abandoned when war broke out, divided on a regional basis. Because registration rules had not been strictly observed during the war, and with many players still away on military service, teams were permitted to field guest players.

On the last day of the season, Aston Villa had already completed their fixtures. Both Birmingham and Charlton Athletic were two points behind them with a game to play and a superior goal average.[1] In the event, Birmingham won 3–0 away at Luton Town to finish level on points with Aston Villa with a better goal average.[2] Charlton were 1–0 ahead of Wolverhampton Wanderers when they heard that Birmingham had scored twice, so they needed another goal to overhaul them on goal average. They went on an all-out attack, but Wanderers' Dicky Dorsett broke away to score, thus confirming Charlton in third place.[3] The Birmingham Evening Despatch said:

The best tribute that can be paid to Birmingham City FC is that 12 players were mainly responsible for taking the club through to this much envied football distinction. ... A grandstand finish to an exciting football race as has ever taken place found City on top, worthy of the championship because of their consistency."[4]

DateOpponents VenueResultScore
F–A		Scorers
25 August 1945 West Ham UnitedH L0–1
1 September 1945 West Ham UnitedA L2–3Massart, Edwards
3 September 1945 Luton TownH W3–2Dougall, Bodle
8 September 1945 West Bromwich AlbionH W4–0Edwards, Mulraney, Duckhouse, Jones
15 September 1945 West Bromwich AlbionA D0–0
17 September 1945 Coventry CityA W3–2Bodle, Duckhouse, Mulraney
22 September 1945 Swansea TownA W4–2Mulraney, Dougall, Massart 2
29 September 1945 Swansea TownH W5–0Bodle 2, Duckhouse, Jones, Mulraney
6 October 1945 Tottenham HotspurH W8–0Duckhouse, Massart 2, Dougall, Bodle, Edwards, Mulraney 2
13 October 1945 Tottenham HotspurA W1–0Mulraney
20 October 1945 BrentfordA L1–2White
27 October 1945 BrentfordH W1–0Massart
3 November 1945 ChelseaH W5–2Bodle 2, Jones, Turner pen, Edwards
10 November 1945 ChelseaA W3–2Jones 2, Turner pen
17 November 1945 MillwallA L1–5Jones
24 November 1945 MillwallH W4–0Bodle, Jones, Edwards 2
1 December 1945 SouthamptonA D1–1Duckhouse
8 December 1945 SouthamptonH W4–0Bodle 2, Duckhouse, Edwards
15 December 1945 Derby CountyA W2–0Edwards, Jones
22 December 1945 Derby CountyH W1–0Bodle
25 December 1945 Leicester CityH W6–2Jones 2, Dougall, Bodle, Edwards, Mulraney
26 December 1945 Leicester CityA W1–0Mulraney
29 December 1945 Coventry CityH W2–0Edwards, Dougall
12 January 1946 Aston VillaA D2–2Dearson, Dougall
19 January 1946 Aston VillaH W3–1Jones 2, Mulraney
2 February 1946 ArsenalA W3–0Jones, Edwards 2
16 February 1946 Charlton AthleticH W1–0Jones
23 February 1946 FulhamH W2–0Laing, White
13 March 1946 ArsenalH L0–1
16 March 1946 Plymouth ArgyleH L0–1
30 March 1946 PortsmouthA W4–3Mulraney, Jones, Dougall, Bodle
1 April 1946 Plymouth ArgyleA W3–2Jones 3
6 April 1946 Nottingham ForestA L0–1
10 April 1946 PortsmouthH W1–0Jones
13 April 1946 Nottingham ForestH W3–1Bodle, Jones, Harris
15 April 1946 FulhamA L2–3Dougall 2
19 April 1946 Newport CountyH W3–2Mulraney, Massart 2
20 April 1946 Wolverhampton WanderersA D3–3Bodle, Edwards, Harris
22 April 1946 Newport CountyA W1–0Massart
27 April 1946 Wolverhampton WanderersH L0–1
29 April 1946 Charlton AthleticA D0–0
4 May 1946 Luton TownA W3–0Bodle, Mitchell pen, Mulraney

League table (part)
Main article: Football League North and South

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts
1 Birmingham City 42 28 5 9 96 45 2.133 61
2 Aston Villa 42 25 11 6 106 58 1.828 61
3 Charlton Athletic 42 25 10 7 92 45 2.044 60
4 Derby County 42 22 8 12 104 62 1.677 52
5 West Bromwich Albion 42 22 8 12 104 69 1.507 52
Source: rsssf.com and War Hammers II[5]

FA Cup

From the first round proper to the sixth round of the 1945–46 FA Cup, the first edition of the competition to be completed since war broke out, matches were played over two legs. Birmingham defeated Portsmouth, Watford, Sunderland and Bradford Park Avenue to reach the semi-final, in which they drew with Derby County at Hillsborough, Sheffield, in front of 65,000 spectators. In a match that "did not produce a great deal of high-class play [but] was very keenly contested",[6] Raich Carter opened the scoring from Derby's first attack,[7] Jock Mulraney "hit the angle of bar and post with a glorious shot from twenty yards",[8] and the same player equalised early in the second half "after one of the best movements of the game".[6]

The replay, at Maine Road, Manchester, attracted huge interest. The second half of the match was scheduled for live radio broadcast,[9] and the gates were closed on safety grounds about an hour before kickoff, with thousands locked out.[10] "Several thousands" of the official attendance of 80,407 "were allowed to sit on the ground almost up to the touch line".[11] The match went goalless to the last half-minute of normal time, when Harold Bodle was unmarked 20 yards (18 m) from goal. Derby goalkeeper Vic Woodley stayed on his line, and "Bodle took the ball to within eight yards of goal but hit the ball so near to Woodley that he was able to beat the ball away."[12] Six minutes into extra time,[11] defender Ted Duckhouse arrived just too late to stop Peter Doherty scoring Derby's first goal and sustained a broken leg in the collision with his opponent.[13] No substitutes were allowed, and Birmingham went on to lose 4–0.

Round OpponentsDateVenue ResultScore
F–A		Scorers Attendance
Third round Portsmouth 5 January 1946H W1–0Flewin og 33,845
9 January 1946A D0–0 23,716
aggregateW1–0
Fourth round Watford 26 January 1946H W5–0Mulraney 3, Jones, Bodle 25,054
30 January 1946A D1–1Jones 6,126
aggregateW6–1
Fifth round Sunderland 9 February 1946A L0–1 44,820
13 February 1946H W3–1Jones 2, Mulraney 39,880
aggregateW3–2
Sixth round Bradford Park Avenue 2 March 1946A D2–2Dougall, Jones 19,732
9 March 1946H W6–0Dougall 2, Bodle 2, Mulraney 2 49,858
aggregateW8–2
Semi-final Derby County23 March 1946Hillsborough, Sheffield D1–1Mulraney 65,013
Semi-final replay Derby County27 March 1946Maine Road, Manchester L0–4
aet		 80,407

Appearances and goals
  • Players marked * were guests, not registered Birmingham City players.[14]
Players having played at least one first-team match
Pos. Nat. Name League FA Cup Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GK ENG Ted Ditchburn * 100010
GK ENG Sid King 202040
GK ENG Gil Merrick 39080470
FB ENG Ted Duckhouse 266100366
FB WAL Billy Hughes 400040
FB— N. Jenks 200020
FB ENG Dennis Jennings 410100510
FB ENG Ray Shaw 200020
FB ENG Sid Stanton 100010
HB ENG Don Dearson 34100341
HB ENG Fred Harris 392100492
HB ENG Frank Mitchell 261100361
HB ENG Syd Owen 500050
HB ENG Arthur Turner 402100502
FW ENG Harold Bodle 40161035019
FW SCO Neil Dougall 38101034813
FW WAL George Edwards 38131004813
FW WAL Charlie Wilson Jones 27201053725
FW SCO Bobby Laing 210021
FW— I. McPherson * 100010
FW ENG Dave Massart 11900119
FW SCO Jock Mulraney 38131074820
FW ENG Cyril Trigg 100010
FW ENG Frank White * 420042

See also

References

General

  • Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
  • Matthews, Tony (2010). Birmingham City: The Complete Record. Derby: DB Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85983-853-2.
  • Rollin, Jack (2005). Soccer at War 1939–45. London: Headline. ISBN 978-0-7553-1431-7.
  • Source for match dates, results, lineups, appearances, and goalscorers: Matthews (1995), Complete Record, p. 240.
  • Source for attendances: Matthews (2010), Complete Record, pp. 482–83.
  • Source for kit: "Birmingham City". Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 22 May 2018.

Specific

  1. "Final League Matches". The Times. London. 4 May 1946. p. 8.
  2. "The End of the Season". The Times. London. 6 May 1946. p. 2.
  3. Bolton, J.T. (5 May 1946). "End-of-Season Soccer". The Observer. London. p. 8.
  4. Birmingham Evening Despatch, quoted in Rollin, Soccer at War, p. 109.
  5. Belton, Brian (2015). War Hammers II: The Story of West Ham United During the Second World War. The History Press. ISBN 075095602X.
  6. "Association Football. Charlton in the Final". The Times. London. 25 March 1946. p. 2.
  7. Bale, Chris (24 March 1946). "Charlton Cup Triumph". The Sunday Times. London. p. 8.
  8. "Derby may have missed a chance". The Manchester Guardian. 25 March 1946. p. 3.
  9. "Broadcasting. The Light Programme". The Times. London. 27 March 1946. p. 6.
  10. "Cup-tie crowd". The Manchester Guardian. 28 March 1946. p. 6.
  11. "Association Football. Derby County in the Cup Final". The Times. London. 28 March 1946. p. 2.
  12. Gil Merrick, quoted in Rollin, Soccer at War, p. 109.
  13. "Derby County win in extra time". The Manchester Guardian. 28 March 1946. p. 2.
  14. Rollin, Soccer at War, p. 276.
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