Birmingham City F.C. league record by opponent

Birmingham City Football Club, an English association football club based in the city of Birmingham, was founded in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance. For their first thirteen years, there was no league football, so matches were arranged on an occasional basis, supplemented by cup competitions organised at both local and national level. In 1888, Small Heath joined the Combination, a league set up to provide organised football for those clubs not invited to join the Football League which was to start the same year. However, the Combination was not well organised, and folded in April 1889 with many fixtures still outstanding.[1] Small Heath were founder members of the Football Alliance in 1889, and three years later were elected to the newly formed Second Division of the Football League. They topped the table in their first season, though failed to win promotion via the test match system then in operation, but reached the top flight for the first time in 1894.[2] Since that time, they have not fallen below the third tier of the English football league system, and were promoted to the Premier League for the first time for the 2002–03 season.

A faded photograph of a posed group of men, outdoors. At the front are six men sitting on benches and two seated on the ground, each dressed in sports clothing, a light-coloured shirt with darker trim, white shorts, dark socks and boots. Standing at the back are eight men, some bearded, wearing hats and coats, and three men in sports clothing. In front of the men is a large trophy in the form of a shield.
Small Heath F.C. pictured in 1893 with the Football League Second Division trophy

Birmingham's first team have competed in a number of nationally contested leagues, and their record against each club faced in those competitions is summarised below. The opening match of the 1889–90 Football Alliance season pitted them against near neighbours Birmingham St George's,[3] their first Football League match was against Burslem Port Vale,[4] and they met their 109th and most recent different league opponent, Burton Albion, for the first time in the 2016–17 EFL Championship season. The team that Birmingham have played most in league competition is Manchester City, whom they first met as Ardwick in the 1891–92 Football Alliance season. Wolverhampton Wanderers have beaten Birmingham 62 times in the league, more than any other team: they overtook Manchester City's total of 60 victories in the 2017–18 EFL Championship season. Derby County have drawn 36 league encounters with Birmingham, one more than Everton and West Bromwich Albion. Birmingham have recorded more league victories against Leicester City than against any other club, having beaten them 50 times out of 126 attempts.

All statistics are correct up to and including the match played against Huddersfield Town on 27 April 2024.

Key

  • The table includes results of matches played by Birmingham City's first team (under that name and under its former names, Birmingham and Small Heath) in the Football Alliance, the Football League and the Premier League. Matches from uncompleted competitions – the abandoned 1939–40 Football League season and the unfinished 1888–89 season in the Combination – are excluded, as are test matches, Football League play-offs, and matches in the various wartime competitions.
  • The name used for each opponent is the name they had when Birmingham City most recently played a league match against them. Results against each opponent include results against that club under any former name. For example, results against Leyton Orient include matches played against Orient (1966–1987) and Clapton Orient (before 1945).
  • The columns headed "First" and "Last" contain the first and most recent seasons in which Birmingham City played league matches against each opponent.
  • P = matches played; W = matches won; D = matches drawn; L = matches lost; Win% = percentage of total matches won
  •    † Clubs with this background and symbol in the "Opponent" column are Birmingham City's divisional rivals in the current season, the 2023–24 EFL Championship.
  •    ‡ Clubs with this background and symbol in the "Opponent" column are defunct.

All-time league record

Birmingham City F.C. league record by opponent
OpponentPWDLPWDLPWDLWin%FirstLastNotes
HomeAwayTotal
AFC Bournemouth90369306183312016.671987–882021–22
Arsenal623015176241840124343357027.421893–942010–11[A]
Aston Villa5822162058141529116363149031.031894–952018–19
Barnsley40219104017101380381923047.501898–992021–22
Birmingham St George's311130036114016.671889–901891–92
Blackburn Rovers643717106481640128453350035.161894–952023–24
Blackpool45241011459112590332136036.671896–972022–23
Bolton Wanderers6433151664101935128433451033.591894–952018–19
Bootle431042118521062.501889–901892–93
Bradford City1174011443221183050.001921–222001–02
Bradford Park Avenue8413824216655037.501908–091947–48
Brentford21105621115542211011050.001935–362020–21
Brighton & Hove Albion1345413238266812023.081980–812016–17
Bristol City3518116351661370341719048.571902–032023–24
Bristol Rovers6330605112381025.001953–541994–95
Burnley47231014478122794312241032.981894–952022–23
Burton Albion201120024013000.002016–172017–18
Burton Swifts87018611161312081.251891–921900–01
Burton United110011002200100.001902–031902–03
Burton Wanderers110011002200100.001896–971896–97
Bury321651132104186426929040.631895–961998–99
Cambridge United411242028314037.501979–801994–95
Cardiff City4018148401152480291932036.251920–212023–24
Carlisle United9612922518837044.441965–661984–85
Charlton Athletic3215107325111664202123031.251936–372019–20
Chelsea41141215416122382202438024.391907–082010–11
Chester City431043018611075.001989–901994–95
Chesterfield7430724114671042.861899–19001950–51[B]
Colchester United110010102110050.002006–072006–07
Coventry City28139628891156211817037.501919–202023–24
Crewe Alexandra13100313733261736065.381889–902001–02
Crystal Palace2214352265114420816045.451965–662012–13
Darlington110010102110050.001991–921991–92
Darwen6501602412525041.671889–901898–99
Derby County5826151758102127116363644031.031894–952021–22
Doncaster Rovers1062210613201235060.001902–032013–14
Everton591818235961736118243559020.341894–952010–11
Exeter City211021014211050.001990–911991–92
Fulham431813124313131786312629036.051908–092021–22
Gainsborough Trinity1064010433201073050.001896–971911–12
Gillingham220021104310075.002000–012001–02
Glossop105321031620848040.001898–991914–15
Grimsby Town38209938892176281830036.841889–902001–02
Hartlepool United110010012101050.001991–921991–92
Huddersfield Town562891956112520112393439034.821910–112023–24
Hull City3616146361071972262125036.111908–092023–24
Ipswich Town381614838852576241933031.581954–552023–24
Leeds City7412702514437028.571908–091914–15
Leeds United5129121051111327102402537039.221920–212023–24
Leicester City6332112063181233126502353039.681896–972023–24[C]
Leyton Orient181062187743617136047.221908–091994–95[D]
Lincoln City18142218972362394063.891891–921954–55
Liverpool502114155071132100282547028.001893–942010–11
Long Eaton Rangers110011002200100.001889–901889–90
Loughborough440042118611075.001896–971899–1900
Luton Town301686301310760291813048.331897–982022–23
Manchester City674012156791345134492560036.571891–922010–11[E]
Manchester United50172013509932100262945026.001889–902010–11[F]
Mansfield Town211021014211050.001989–901990–91
Middlesbrough5828161458131728116413342035.341899–19002023–24
Middlesbrough Ironopolis110010102110050.001893–941893–94
Millwall25119525861150191516038.001946–472023–24
Milton Keynes Dons110011002200100.002015–162015–16[G]
New Brighton Tower330030216321050.001898–991900–01
Newcastle United48211215488142696292641030.211893–942016–17
Newport County101011002110050.001946–471946–47
Northampton Town220020114211050.001966–671989–90
Northwich Victoria220022004400100.001892–931893–94
Norwich City321589334111865191927029.231965–662023–24
Nottingham Forest5724132057151923114393243034.211889–902021–22
Notts County26156526581352201418038.461893–941993–94
Oldham Athletic124441243524879033.331908–091996–97
Oxford United1346313634261097038.461968–691998–99
Peterborough United7340722314563035.711991–922021–22
Plymouth Argyle1594215753301695053.331946–472023–24
Portsmouth4326984312141786382325044.191927–282011–12
Port Vale14111214626281738060.711892–931999–2000[H]
Preston North End49261112497142898332540033.671894–952023–24
Queens Park Rangers321976327111464261820040.631950–512023–24
Reading219482188542171213040.481986–872022–23
Rotherham Town110011002200100.001893–941893–94
Rotherham County211021104220050.001919–201920–21
Rotherham United181233186843618117050.001951–522023–24
Sheffield United5329101453121130106412144038.681892–932022–23
Sheffield Wednesday522618852121129104382937036.541889–902023–24
Shrewsbury Town9324913518459022.221979–801994–95
Southampton2197521531342141018033.331946–472023–24
Southend United6411611412525041.671990–912006–07
South Shields211020024112025.001919–201920–21
Stockport County1814221853103619512052.781900–012001–02
Stoke City5026121250101129100362341036.001890–912023–24[I]
Sunderland562713165611936112382252033.931894–952023–24
Sunderland Albion200220024004000.001889–901890–91
Swansea City201073208754018148045.001946–472023–24[J]
Swindon Town105321043320965045.001969–701999–2000
Torquay United110011002200100.001991–921991–92
Tottenham Hotspur4118101341862782261640031.711908–092010–11
Tranmere Rovers105411031620857040.001989–902000–01
Walsall14111214725281837064.291889–902001–02[K]
Watford2211472234154314821032.561969–702023–24
West Bromwich Albion6323162463151929126383553030.161894–952023–24
West Ham United432310104315111786382127044.191919–202011–12
Wigan Athletic13454132562661010023.081989–902022–23
Wimbledon310231026204033.331984–852001–02[G]
Wolverhampton Wanderers6523202265151040130383062029.231894–952017–18
Wrexham220020114211050.001979–801994–95
Wycombe Wanderers200221104112025.001994–952020–21
Yeovil Town100111002101050.002013–142013–14
York City110010012101050.001994–951994–95

Notes

Sources

  • Matthews, Tony (2010). Birmingham City: The Complete Record. Derby: DB Publishing. pp. 224–229, 460–465. ISBN 978-1-85983-853-2.
  • "Birmingham Head to Head". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  • "Birmingham Results 2023/24". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 April 2024.

References