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.

Birmingham F.C.
1907–08 season
ChairmanWalter W. Hart
Secretary-managerAlf Jones
GroundSt Andrew's
Football League First Division20th (relegated)
FA CupFirst round (eliminated by West Bromwich Albion)
Top goalscorerLeague: Benny Green, Edmund Eyre (8)
All: Edmund Eyre (9)
Highest home attendance45,000 vs Aston Villa, 21 September 1907
Lowest home attendance2,000 vs Nottingham Forest, 30 March 1908
Average home league attendance15,105
Team colours

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
Main article: 1907–08 Football League
DateLeague
position		Opponents VenueResultScore
F–A		Scorers Attendance
4 September 1907 16thMiddlesbroughA L0–1 16,000
7 September 1907 7thPreston North EndH W2–0Mounteney 10,000
14 September 1907 15thBuryA L0–1 14,000
16 September 1907 16thBuryH L0–1 12,000
21 September 1907 17thAston VillaH L2–3Eyre, Tickle 45,000
28 September 1907 16thLiverpoolA W4–3Green, Mounteney 2, Eyre 20,000
5 October 1907 16thMiddlesbroughH L1–4Green 16,000
12 October 1907 19thSheffield UnitedA L0–1 13,000
19 October 1907 19thChelseaH D1–1Green 20,000
26 October 1907 19thNottingham ForestA D1–1Green 12,000
2 November 1907 19thManchester UnitedH L3–4Jones, Eyre 2 20,000
9 November 1907 20thBlackburn RoversA L0–1 6,000
16 November 1907 19thBolton WanderersH W2–1Green, Eyre 15,000
23 November 1907 20thNewcastle UnitedA L0–8 20,000
7 December 1907 20thSunderlandH L0–2 10,000
14 December 1907 20thWoolwich ArsenalA D1–1Green 3,000
21 December 1907 20thSheffield WednesdayH W2–1Drake, Jones 12,000
25 December 1907 20thManchester CityH W2–1Eyre, Bluff 12,000
26 December 1907 20thNotts CountyH D0–0 20,000
27 December 1907 20thNotts CountyA D0–0 12,000
28 December 1907 19thBristol CityA D0–0 10,000
4 January 1908 20thPreston North EndA D1–1Jones 8,000
18 January 1908 19thAston VillaA W3–2Eyre, Green, Drake 39,500
25 January 1908 19thLiverpoolH D1–1Mounteney 18,000
8 February 1908 20thSheffield UnitedH D0–0 16,000
15 February 1908 19thChelseaA D2–2Jones, Eyre 17,000
29 February 1908 20thManchester UnitedA L0–1 10,000
7 March 1908 20thBlackburn RoversH D1–1Mounteney 5,000
14 March 1908 20thBolton WanderersA L0–1 13,047
18 March 1908 20thEvertonA L1–4Tickle 10,000
21 March 1908 20thNewcastle UnitedH D1–1Tickle 20,000
28 March 1908 19thEvertonH W2–1Jones, Beer 15,000
30 March 1908 20thNottingham ForestH W1–0Jones 2,000
4 April 1908 20thSunderlandA L0–1 16,000
11 April 1908 20thWoolwich ArsenalH L1–2Beer 15,000
17 April 1908 20thManchester CityA L1–2Mounteney 25,000
18 April 1908 20thSheffield WednesdayA W4–1Jones, Beer, Anderson, Green 8,000
25 April 1908 18thBristol CityH L0–4 4,000

League table (part)
Final First Division table (part)
Pos Club Pld W D L F A GA Pts
16th Sunderland381631978751.0435
17th Sheffield United3812111552580.9035
18th Notts County381381739510.7734
19th Bolton Wanderers381451952580.9033
20th Birmingham389121940600.6730
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
Main article: 1907–08 FA Cup
Round DateOpponentsVenue ResultScore
F–A		Scorers Attendance
First round 11 January 1907West Bromwich AlbionA L1–1Jones 36,727
First round replay 15 January 1907West Bromwich AlbionH L1–2Eyre 24,895

Appearances and goals
  • Players with name struck through and marked left the club during the playing season.
Players having played at least one first-team match
Name Position Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
League FA Cup Total
Jack Dorrington Goalkeeper24020240
Nat Robinson Goalkeeper14000140
Walter Corbett Full back11010120
Bob Fairman Full back300030
John Glover Full back13000130
John Kearns Full back23020250
Frank Stokes Full back28010290
Billy Beer Half back34320363
Frank Cornan Half back26020280
Jim Dougherty Half back600060
Tom Handley Half back100010
Ambrose Hartwell Half back100010
Walter Wigmore Half back35120371
George Anderson Forward810081
Edgar Bluff Forward910091
Alonzo Drake Forward11220132
Edmund Eyre Forward31821339
Percy Gooch Forward100010
Benny Green Forward36820388
John Higgins Forward100010
Ezra Holmes Forward200020
Billy Jones Forward23721258
Harry King Forward100010
George Moore Forward100010
Arthur Morris Forward100010
Arthur Mounteney Forward25600256
Billy Peplow Forward17000170
Charlie Tickle Forward31320333
George Travers Forward100010
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See also
  • Birmingham City F.C. seasons

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

  1. 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."
  2. "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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