2008–09 Birmingham City F.C. season

The new season opened on a wet and windy 9 August with the visit of Sheffield United. The game was heading for a goalless draw when substitute Kevin Phillips controlled O'Connor's headed pass, turned and scored into the bottom corner of the net in the third minute of stoppage time. It was Birmingham's first shot on target. Phillips repeated his late winner in less dramatic fashion away at former club Southampton. The home side took the lead just before the interval after defensive midfielder Nafti had gone off with a torn hamstring,[27] but O'Connor equalised soon after the break, then, within a minute of coming off the bench, Phillips was first to react to Bent's header rebounding from the crossbar. O'Connor and Phillips – this time starting the game – gave Birmingham their third win in as many games, at home to Barnsley. The unbeaten start continued with a 1–1 draw at Norwich City. Larsson took the lead against the run of play – centre-half Martin Taylor was the pick of Birmingham's players in the first half – but Darel Russell equalised just after half-time, and both McSheffrey and Phillips missed late chances to steal all three points.

When the league resumed after the international break, Artur Krysiak was on the bench while regular reserve goalkeeper Colin Doyle recovered from a knee operation.[28] Nafti was sent off after 24 minutes for a two-footed lunge on James Coppinger, and at half-time, McLeish replaced Phillips with Marcus Bent to play as a lone striker; 35 seconds later, Birmingham had the lead, after Liam Ridgewell's long free kick was headed on by Bent and Cameron Jerome volleyed past the goalkeeper. Maik Taylor produced a fine save near the end to turn Darren Byfield's powerful 30-yard (27 m) shot onto the post. At half-time, a clock was unveiled in memory of Birmingham and England full-back Jeff Hall, who died of polio in 1959 aged just 29, and whose death helped to kick-start widespread public acceptance in Britain of the need for vaccination.[29] Hall's teammates Gil Merrick and Alex Govan performed the unveiling.

A Louis Carey own goal and Jerome's second goal in four days gave Birmingham another three points at Bristol City, but their unbeaten start to the Championship campaign finally ended on 20 September at home to Blackpool. After Gary Taylor-Fletcher's goal, Birmingham threw everyone forward but without success. Normal service resumed at Cardiff City, where first league goals of the season for James McFadden and Quincy Owusu-Abeyie secured the win, and Quincy's second league goal was nearly enough at Derby County, but Steve Davies tied the scores in the 87th minute.

McLeish had said he hoped to bring in loan signings, but would not bring in players "just to make up the numbers".[30] He was unwilling to take trialist Nigel Quashie on loan until the player had proved his fitness,[31] and although an agreement had been made with Tottenham Hotspur to take Kevin-Prince Boateng on loan, McLeish was unable to meet the player face-to-face to assess his interest in joining the club.[32]

In stoppage time of a first half described in the Sunday People as "marginally more exciting than root-canal dental treatment", at home to Queens Park Rangers, Phillips tapped in an O'Connor cutback for a win that took Birmingham top of the table.[33] Phillips made it clear afterwards that he wanted to be in the starting eleven: "I want to start games. I'm disappointed I haven't started as many as I wanted. All I can do is score and make it as hard as possible for him [McLeish] to leave me out."[34] After the international break, Birmingham had much the worse of the visit to Burnley, but they managed to draw when McFadden's shot was parried to Jerome who scored from close range. Martin Taylor replaced Jaïdi at centre-back because of a thigh injury sustained on international duty, and Murphy injured a knee during the match, while both Damien Johnson and Kelly returned to training,[35] and Quashie joined on loan for a month.[36]

Franck Queudrue made his first start of the season at home to Crystal Palace.[37] After twice hitting the woodwork, O'Connor scored the game's only goal when Julián Speroni parried Phillips' 94th-minute cross to his feet. In the midweek match, at home to Sheffield Wednesday, O'Connor scored twice and Wednesday's Etienne Esajas once in a four-minute spell before Phillips made the final score 3–1 from Queudrue's "inch-perfect" through ball. O'Connor was injured in the warm-up, and Stuart Parnaby went off after 10 minutes of the match against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road, giving teenage right-back Jared Wilson what would be his only competitive first-team appearance for Birmingham.[38] Mikele Leigertwood was sent off in the first half, but despite the numerical disadvantage, Samuel Di Carmine's 25-yard (23 m) shot in the 54th minute decided the match in QPR's favour – Birmingham's first away defeat in the league – after Phillips' stoppage-time "equaliser" was disallowed for offside. By the end of the match, the rain had turned to heavy wet snow.

Former Birmingham record signing Clinton Morrison[39] gave Coventry City a 1–0 win at St Andrew's. Again, a late equaliser was denied when the assistant referee ruled that Keiren Westwood saved from Queudrue before the ball crossed the line.[40] Martin Taylor replaced Queudrue in defence and loanee Nicky Hunt kept his place at right back as James McFadden's goal earned Birmingham a point at Nottingham Forest. Queudrue returned from illness to score the winning goal at home to Charlton Athletic; Quashie was sent off for two yellow cards. Second-half substitute Phillips scored twice at Swansea City to give Birmingham consecutive 3–2 wins, and, restored to the starting eleven in place of Quincy, scored again as Birmingham beat Ipswich Town.[1] In an end-to-end match at league leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers in foggy conditions, McFadden had a goal disallowed for offside, the ball deflected off Ridgewell's shoulder against the post with Taylor beaten, Bent's lob was cleared off the line, and the left-footed midfielder Mehdi Nafti replaced the injured Hunt at right back, all before half-time. In the second half, goals from Jerome – only three minutes after coming on – and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and some last-ditch defending meant the points were shared.[1]

According to the Guardian's reporter, "the early defending was so slack as to suggest salaries should be chopped rather than capped",[41] as Birmingham led Watford 2–1 after 18 minutes. The visitors began the second half well—first Jaïdi headed clear from under the crossbar, then Leigh Bromby struck the bar with Taylor beaten—and in the last few minutes of the match Jerome scored Birmingham's third, Ross Jenkins's first league goal made the score 2–3, and the three points were confirmed only when the referee signalled time moments before Jaïdi's apparent handball in the penalty area.[1] Lee Carsley's first goal for the club secured a win under Plymouth Argyle's dim floodlights,[42] before an attacking game at Preston North End remained goalless until stoppage time, when Ridgewell failed to deal with a cross and Jon Parkin shot home.[1]

Apart from "a moment of individual brilliance" as Phillips "nipped in to steal the loose ball and after nutmegging Ivar Ingimarsson advanced unchallenged to the edge of the area and lashed in a stinging low drive",[43] Reading were in complete control as they replaced Birmingham in second place in the table with a 3–1 win at St Andrew's. At Ipswich Town on Boxing Day, McFadden converted Birmingham's first penalty of the season, awarded when Kemy Agustien's cross was handled, and Agustien himself came close to extending the lead with a powerful shot. In the last match of 2008, David Murphy was sent off for two yellow cards as Swansea City earned a goalless draw at St Andrew's.[1]

6 April – The teams in the Championship had a 2-week break because of the World Cup Qualifiers that were to be played. On the return, Blues were to play Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 1st v 2nd place top-of-the-table game. After having Lee Carsley sent off in the 37th minute for a late tackle on Chris Iwelumo that saw him stretchered off, Blues went on to score through Cameron Jerome's third goal in as many games on the stroke of half time. Striker Garry O'Connor came on to replace him and scored in the 69th minute to send Blues 2–0 up, and just two points behind Wolves in the Championship table and to distance themselves from 3rd place. It was the biggest attendance of the season at 25,935 and was also shown live on Sky Sports.

9 April – Defender Ulises de la Cruz leaves Birmingham City to return to Ecuador after decided not to extend his contract. He made one appearance for Birmingham, coming off the bench against Doncaster Rovers.

13 April – Birmingham were held 1–1 at home to Plymouth but were forced to play the majority of the game with ten men after Maik Taylor was sent off. It kept them unbeaten in eight games, winning four of them. Manager Alex McLeish said he will be appealing to the FA about the red card as it was wrongly given.

14 April – Liam Ridgewell had an operation on his broken left leg that went successfully. He was injured in the first half in the home game against Plymouth and was stretchered off.

General sources (match reports):[1] Match content not verifiable from these sources is referenced individually.

† Brackets round club names denote the player's contract with that club expired before he joined Birmingham City.

† Brackets round club names denote the player joined that club after his Birmingham City contract expired.