1990–91 Birmingham City F.C. season

The 1990–91 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 88th in the Football League and their second in the Third Division. They finished in 12th position in the 24-team division, their lowest finish ever in the Football League. They entered the 1990–91 FA Cup in the first round proper and lost to Brentford in the second, and entered at and lost in the first round of the League Cup, beaten over two legs by AFC Bournemouth. They won the Associate Members' Cup, a cup competition open to clubs in the third and fourth tiers of the English football league system, defeating Tranmere Rovers 3–2 in the final at Wembley Stadium with goals from Simon Sturridge and two from John Gayle.

Birmingham City F.C.
1990–91 season
ChairmanSamesh Kumar
ManagerDave Mackay until January 1991
Lou Macari until 19 June
GroundSt Andrew's
Football League Third Division12th
FA CupSecond round
(eliminated by Brentford)
League CupFirst round
(eliminated by AFC Bournemouth)
Associate Members' CupWinners
Top goalscorerLeague: John Gayle
Nigel Gleghorn
Simon Sturridge (6)
All: John Gayle
Simon Sturridge (10)
Highest home attendance16,219 vs Brentford, Associate Members' Cup Southern Final, 26 March 1991
Lowest home attendance2,922 vs Lincoln City, Associate Members' Cup prelim round, 27 November 1990
Average home league attendance7,030

Off the field, Dave Mackay resigned as manager in January 1991, to be replaced by Lou Macari on a non-contract basis. With the club in financial difficulties, Macari and his staff walked out of the club in June to join Stoke City.

When I took over the Birmingham job without any contract, things were so bad the chairman asked me to raise £250,000 by the end of the season. It looked impossible, but the revenue was delivered with the great run in the Leyland Daf. It's no secret that, if we hadn't got to Wembley, Birmingham would have been in financial trouble and might have gone under.[1]

Many of the playing staff were out of contract and reluctant to renew, and an action group was formed to try to remove the chairman.[2]

Football League Third Division
Main article: 1990–91 Football League
DateLeague
position		Opponents VenueResultScore
F–A		Scorers Attendance
25 August 1990 9thCambridge UnitedA W1–0Gleghorn 6,338
1 September 1990 3rdLeyton OrientH W3–1Bailey, Hopkins, Moran 5,847
8 September 1990 2ndStoke CityA W1–0Gleghorn 16,135
15 September 1990 2ndBuryH W1–0Peer 7,344
18 September 1990 3rdExeter CityH D1–1Bailey 7,703
22 September 1990 3rdWigan AthleticA D1–1Tait 3,904
29 September 1990 3rdPreston North EndH D1–1Bailey 7,154
2 October 1990 4thFulhamA D2–2Matthewson, Overson 4,011
6 October 1990 5thReadingA D2–2Matthewson, Sturridge 5,695
13 October 1990 5thSouthend UnitedH D1–1Sturridge 9,333
20 October 1990 4thGrimsby TownH D0–0 10,123
23 October 1990 5thCrewe AlexandraA D1–1Gleghorn 4,449
27 October 1990 7thShrewsbury TownA L1–4Bailey 6,150
3 November 1990 11thHuddersfield TownH L1–2Tait 7,412
10 November 1990 8thChester CityA W1–0Hopkins 2,273
24 November 1990 10thAFC BournemouthH D0–0 7,416
1 December 1990 14thSwansea CityA L0–2 4,896
15 December 1990 11thRotherham UnitedH W2–1Tait, Overson 4,734
21 December 1990 12thTranmere RoversA L0–1 5,054
26 December 1990 15thBrentfordH L0–2 6,612
29 December 1990 16thBolton WanderersH L1–3Bailey 7,318
1 January 1990 15thMansfield TownA W2–1Gayle 2 3,654
5 January 1991 14thBradford CityH D1–1Frain pen 6,315
12 January 1991 14thLeyton OrientA D1–1Sturridge 4,701
19 January 1991 15thCambridge UnitedH L0–3 5,859
26 January 1991 14thBuryA W1–0Sturridge 3,009
2 February 1991 12thExeter CityA W2–0Gayle 2 5,154
5 February 1991 11thWigan AthleticH D0–0 5,319
13 February 1991 13thBradford CityA L0–2 4,776
16 February 1991 10thAFC BournemouthA W2–1Sturridge, Mundee og 6,330
23 February 1991 8thChester CityH W1–0Dolan 6,702
2 March 1991 6thSwansea CityH W2–0Sturridge, Rodgerson 6,903
9 March 1991 8thRotherham UnitedA D1–1Frain pen 5,028
12 March 1991 7thFulhamH W2–0Peer, Gleghorn 8,083
16 March 1991 10thPreston North EndA L0–2 5,334
18 March 1991 10thSouthend UnitedA L1–2Gleghorn 6,328
23 March 1991 11thReadingH D1–1Rodgerson 6,795
30 March 1991 12thBrentfordA D2–2Frain, Gleghorn 6,757
2 April 1991 10thTranmere RoversH W1–0Yates 7,675
7 April 1991 12thBolton WanderersA L1–3Gayle 11,280
13 April 1991 12thMansfield TownH D0–0 7,635
16 April 1991 11thStoke CityH W2–1Matthewson, Hopkins 6,729
20 April 1991 11thGrimsby TownA D0–0 8,842
27 April 1991 11thCrewe AlexandraH L0–2 6,429
4 May 1991 13thShrewsbury TownH L0–1 6,256
11 May 1991 12thHuddersfield TownA W1–0Gayle 5,195

League table (part)
Final Third Division table (part)
Pos Club Pld W D L F A GD Pts
10th Wigan Athletic46209177154+1769
11th Huddersfield Town4618131557+65167
12th Birmingham City461617134549−465
13th Leyton Orient461810185558−364
14th Stoke City461612185559−460
Key Pos = League position; Pld = Matches played;
W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost;
F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
Source [3]

FA Cup
Main article: 1990–91 FA Cup
Round DateOpponentsVenue ResultScore
F–A		Scorers Attendance
First round 17 November 1990Cheltenham TownH W1–0Sturridge 7,942
Second round 12 December 1990BrentfordH L1–3Aylott 5,072

League Cup
Main article: 1990–91 Football League Cup
Round DateOpponentsVenue ResultScore
F–A		Scorers Attendance
First round 1st leg 28 August 1990AFC BournemouthH L0–1 5,110
First round 2nd leg 4 September 1990AFC BournemouthA D1–1Downs pen 4,490

Associate Members' Cup
Main articles: 1990–91 Associate Members' Cup and 1991 Associate Members' Cup Final
Round DateOpponentsVenue ResultScore
F–A		Scorers Attendance
Preliminary round 6 November 1990WalsallA W1–0Skipper og 5,053
Preliminary round 27 November 1990Lincoln CityH W2–0Clarke og, Sturridge 2,922
First round 18 February 1991Swansea CityH D0–0
4–2 pens		 3,555
Southern area quarter-final 26 February 1991Mansfield TownH W2–0Matthewson, Gayle 5,358
Southern area semi-final 5 March 1991Cambridge UnitedH W3–1Peer, Gleghorn, Overson 9,429
Southern area final 1st leg 26 March 1991BrentfordH W2–1Rodgerson, Gayle 16,219
Southern area final 2nd leg 9 April 1991BrentfordA W1–0Sturridge 8,745
Final 26 May 1991Tranmere RoversWembley W3–2Sturridge, Gayle 2 58,756

Appearances and goals
Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute.
Players with name struck through and marked † left the club during the playing season.
Players with names in italics and marked * were on loan from another club for the whole of their season with Birmingham.
Players having played at least one first-team match
Pos. Nat. Name League FA Cup League Cup AM Cup Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GK WAL Martin Thomas 450102080560
GK ENG Dean Williams 1010000020
DF ENG Kevin Ashley† 3000200050
DF ENG Ian Clarkson 34 (3)010007 (1)042 (4)0
DF ENG Greg Downs 16 (1)020212022 (1)1
DF ENG Trevor Matthewson 463202081584
DF ENG Gary O'Reilly* 1000000010
DF ENG Vince Overson 402201081513
DF ENG Ian Rodgerson 252000041293
MF SCO Dougie Bell 1000000010
MF IRL Eamonn Dolan 5 (5)10000207 (5)1
MF ENG John Frain 423202080543
MF ENG Matthew Fox 9 (2)000100010 (2)0
MF ENG Andy Harris 0000000 (1)00 (1)0
MF ENG Robert Hopkins 18 (5)321201023 (5)4
MF ENG Dean Peer 37 (3)220208149 (3)3
MF ENG Mark Rutherford 1 (2)00000001 (2)0
MF ENG Paul Tait 173102010213
FW ENG Trevor Aylott 23 (2)00 (1)1004 (1)027 (4)1
FW ENG Dennis Bailey 25 (7)520201 (3)030 (10)5
FW ENG Sean Francis 0 (3)00000000 (3)0
FW ENG John Gayle 20 (2)610005 (1)426 (3)10
FW ENG Nigel Gleghorn 426202081547
FW ENG Colin Gordon 3 (2)00 (1)000003 (3)0
FW ENG Richie Moran 2 (6)1000 (1)0002 (7)1
FW ENG Phil Robinson* 90100002 (1)011 (1)0
FW ENG Simon Sturridge 33 (5)6210 (2)08343 (7)10
FW ENG Mark Yates 8 (1)100003011 (1)1

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.
  • Source for match dates, league positions and results: "Birmingham City 1990–1991: Results". Statto Organisation. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  • Source for lineups, appearances, goalscorers and attendances: Matthews (2010), Complete Record, pp. 416–17, 480.

Specific

  1. "Ambitious Macari appointed by Stoke". The Times. 19 June 1991. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  2. Matthews (1995), Complete Record, p. 48.
  3. "English Division Three (old) 1990–1991 : Table". Statto Organisation. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
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