2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season
Encyclopedia
The 2011–12 season
is Birmingham City Football Clubs 110th season in the English football league system
. It runs from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012. After relegation from the Premier League in 2010–11
under previous manager Alex McLeish
, the team will play in the Football League Championship
under manager Chris Hughton
, appointed in June. They will also compete in the Europa League
, League Cup
and the FA Cup
.
and relegation from the Premier League in 2010–11
, Alex McLeish
unexpectedly resigned on 12 June, having already made two signings and with another two players close to an agreement with the club. He was immediately linked with the managerial vacancy at Aston Villa
. Acting chairman Peter Pannu threatened to report Villa to the League for making an illegal approach to McLeish, and insisted that they could speak to him only if they agreed to pay the £5.4 million compensation due under the terms of his contract. On 17 June, McLeish was appointed manager of Aston Villa. The matter was finally settled on 11 July, when the clubs issued a joint statement confirming that Villa would pay an undisclosed amount in compensation, all proposed legal action would cease, and coach Peter Grant
and medical officer Dr Ian McGuinness would be free to follow McLeish to his new club. Chris Hughton
, who had led Newcastle United
to the Championship title in 2010, was appointed manager on 21 June. He confirmed that promotion back to the Premier League, rather than progress in the Europa League, was his main objective for the season, and brought Paul Trollope
in to replace Andy Watson as first-team coach.
On 29 June, club president Carson Yeung
was arrested in Hong Kong
on charges of money laundering
, relating to a period before his involvement with the club. He was bailed to re-appear in August, his assets were frozen, and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
suspended trading of shares in the club's holding company, Birmingham International Holdings (BIHL), in which Yeung was the single largest shareholder with around 26%. BIHL appointed acting chairman Peter Pannu and Yeung's 18-year-old son Ryan to the board of the football club, and Michael Wiseman stepped down from the board, ending an 83-year formal association between the club and the Wiseman family. Although it appeared that HSBC
, the club's bankers, were unlikely to call in a loan secured on the St Andrew's site, as such a course of action would make it difficult for the club to continue, thus reducing the likelihood of HSBC recovering their money. Yeung's situation impeded the search for new investment. Such a combination of factors, added to the reduced income to be expected following relegation, left the club in financial difficulty and ready to off-load high-earning players, particularly in light of the Football League
's adoption of UEFA
's financial fair-play regulations relating to clubs not spending in excess of their revenue.
After the shirt sponsorship deal with F&C Investments
expired at the end of the 2010–11 season, no long-term sponsor met the value the club set on the brand, so they chose to sell advertising on the shirt on a match-by-match basis. This had the by-product of replica shirts being sold without advertising. However, a one-year shirt sponsorship deal was reached with foreign exchange
and money transfer
company RationalFX. It emerged that the club had taken legal action against kit manufacturers Xtep
for using a derivative version of the club's logo on their own leisurewear, thus infringing intellectual property rights and reducing royalties from sales of officially licensed clothing on the Chinese market.
The players reported back for pre-season training on 4 July ahead of a training camp in Ireland that included a friendly fixture with League of Ireland First Division side Cork City
. Without Cameron Jerome
and Nikola Žigić
, who did not travel due to injury, and Barry Ferguson
, who returned to England ahead of his transfer to Blackpool
, Hughton used 19 players in a game settled by a 30th-minute goal from new signing Adam Rooney
. In the next friendly, at League Two
club Hereford United
, Hughton made fewer changes but the game finished goalless as his team failed to convert several chances, a pattern continued at Oxford United
, also of League Two, where Curtis Davies
and Chris Burke
both hit the bar as Birmingham lost 2–0. A Birmingham side without Scott Dann
, Liam Ridgewell
, Jerome, Žigić and Marlon King
lost 2–1 to a strong Everton
eleven. Everton opened the scoring after an hour through a Leighton Baines
free kick, then after Louis Saha
was allowed too much time on the edge of the penalty area, his 20 yards (18.3 m) shot bounced over debutant Boaz Myhill
. Rooney pulled one back with a back-heel to turn Morgaro Gomis
' shot into the net.
, Steven Caldwell
, Chris Burke
, Morgaro Gomis
and Adam Rooney
, on the opening-day visit to Derby County. Curtis Davies
opened the scoring with a header from Jordon Mutch
's 19th-minute corner, but soon afterwards a Ben Davies
free kick was headed home by the unmarked Jason Shackell
. Just before half time, Steve Davies
was allowed time on the ball to set himself and beat Myhill with a swerving shot from 20 yards (18.3 m). In the second half, Stephen Carr
missed a fine chance to equalise when Burke's shot after a fine forward run rebounded into his path. At home to Coventry City, loanee Chris Wood
started as a lone striker. Birmingham were fortunate that Lukas Jutkiewicz
failed to convert a good chance after turning Caldwell, and Myhill came close to carrying the ball over his line when saving a misplaced cross. After 73 minutes, Rooney, who had replaced Wood five minutes before, headed against the post, was first to the rebound, turned the ball back into the path of the oncoming Keith Fahey
who shot home from 10 yards out.
Playing on the Sunday because of their Europa League play-off match on the Thursday, Rooney opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Burke was fouled, but Middlesbrough
went on to complete their third consecutive victory by three goals to one. Rooney again opened the scoring the following Sunday, at Watford
, with a first-half tap-in after David Murphy
headed on Jean Beausejour
's corner. Marvin Sordell
equalised from distance in the 80th minute, then Beausejour intercepted a pass and threaded the ball through to Chris Wood who finished neatly with two minutes of normal time remaining. However, in stoppage time, Myhill could only parry a Sordell shot up in the air, and former Birmingham defender Martin Taylor was first to the ball as it came down.
winners would normally enter the UEFA Europa League at the third qualifying round. However, because Manchester City both won the 2011 FA Cup
and qualified for the Champions League
via their Premier League finishing position, Birmingham entered the competition at the play-off round, one round before the group stages. They were drawn to play Nacional, who qualified as sixth-placed team in the Portuguese Primeira Liga and had beaten FH
of Iceland and Swedish club Häcken
to reach the play-off round.
Weakened by injuries for the away leg in Madeira
, Birmingham gave David Murphy
and Nathan Redmond
their first appearances of the season, defender Liam Ridgewell
played in central midfield alongside winger Jean Beausejour
and debutant Jonathan Spector
, and 19-year-old Chris Wood
played as a lone striker. Captain Stephen Carr
was making his 100th Birmingham appearance. Early in the game, Curtis Davies
made a well-timed tackle from behind to prevent Mateus
opening the scoring. Midway through the half, Steven Caldwell
's placed header from a corner struck the foot of the post. Just before half time, a loose ball fell to Wood on the edge of the penalty area and his powerful shot rebounded down off the crossbar and back into play. Just after the interval, a driven shot from outside the area from the 17-year-old Redmond, playing his first 90 minutes at senior level, was pushed aside by goalkeeper Elisson
and returned to Wood who headed against the post. The game finished goalless. For the home leg, Birmingham had to widen the pitch from its usual 66 metres (216.5 ft) to 68 m (223.1 ft) to comply with UEFA regulations. After an uncertain start, Birmingham took the lead when Murphy fed Redmond who scored with a low drive from 20 yards (18.3 m). Nine minutes later, Murphy's header from a Beausejour corner appeared to come off both Luis Alberto and the crossbar before crossing the line. After numerous chances to increase the lead, including a curled shot from Redmond that hit the inside of the post, Wood's 84th-minute tap-in secured a 3–0 win and qualification for the group stage
. With a couple of minutes left, Birmingham gave a debut to 18-year-old striker Akwasi Asante
and a first appearance of the season for fellow teenager Jake Jervis
.
Birmingham were drawn in Group H, alongside last season's finalists
S.C. Braga of Portugal, Slovenian champions NK Maribor
, who beat Rangers
of Scotland in the play-off round after losing in the third qualifying round
of the Champions League, and fourth-placed Belgian team Club Brugge
, who overcame Qarabağ of Azerbaijan and Georgian champions
Zestafoni to reach the group stage. Matchday one produced a defeat at home to Braga. Hélder Barbosa
opened the scoring after just six minutes with a volley from a Nuno Gomes
cross which Boaz Myhill
could only palm into the net, then Lima
doubled the deficit against the run of play. Hughton introduced Chris Burke
and Chris Wood, and Burke's pass led to Marlon King
's 71st-minute goal. Birmingham were caught on the break while going for the equaliser, Barbosa making the final score 3–1 to the visitors.
In the absence through injury of Stephen Carr for the visit to Maribor, Liam Ridgewell assumed the captaincy. Early in the game, Maribor had several shots off target, but they took a 29th-minute lead when Spector looped a casual back-pass which Colin Doyle missed entirely when attempting to clear. Dalibor Volaš
picked up the loose ball and tapped into an empty net. The manner of the goal had a dampening effect on both players and fans. In the second half, Nikola Žigić
and Wood were ready to come on as substitutes when Marlon King used his strength to hold up a ball in midfield and played it through to Burke, who rounded Martin Milec
and shot low past Jasmin Handanović
. Only Žigić came on, to replace King. Both he and Wade Elliott
missed chances, Žigić heading over the bar from close range and Elliott shooting straight at the goalkeeper when clean through. In the 79th minute, a long clearance was controlled by Morgaro Gomis
who touched the ball to Elliott, possibly via a defender's arm. Elliott scored what proved the winning goal, hitting a clean volley from outside the area which Handanović partly blocked but was unable to stop creeping underneath him.
Despite pre-match scare stories suggesting 5,600 hooligans were about to descend on the "Venice of the north
", Birmingham's visit passed off with only eight administrative arrests, and the Bruges police used their Twitter account to thank the visiting fans for their "friendly conduct". On the field, the defence made a shaky start as Brugge took an early lead through Joseph Akpala
. After 25 minutes, David Murphy ran into the penalty area apparently unnoticed to finish Elliott's cross. Rooney failed to convert Žigić's knockdown and Žigić put a free header wide before Hughton brought on King and Wood in their place. Near the end of normal time, a clash of heads with Akpala left Pablo Ibáñez
unconscious for some minutes before he was carried off on a spinal board, leaving teammate Guirane N'Daw
in tears. In the tenth minute of stoppage time, King crossed from the right and Wood shot into the roof of the net from six yards out, to make Birmingham the first English team to defeat Brugge in their own stadium, and put them top of Group H.
After three more defeats from winning positions, culminating in a 5–4 loss to Genk when 4–2 ahead with 20 minutes left, Brugge dismissed manager Adrie Koster. For Birmingham, Pablo made his first appearance since suffering concussion. The visitors took the lead with five minutes remaining in the first half. From a Víctor Vázquez
corner, Thomas Meunier
had time to take a touch before shooting past the player on the post from eight yards out. Soon afterwards, Beausejour gave away the ball in midfield and Vadis Odjidja crossed to Akpala who scored from a arguably offside position. Žigić's 55th-minute blocked shot rebounded to Beausejour who controlled well and lashed it back past the goalkeeper to reduce the deficit. After 66 minutes, Birmingham made a triple substitution, bringing on Burke, King and Wood for Elliott, Rooney and Žigić. The equaliser came eight minutes later; Ryan Donk
fouled Beausejour just inside the area and Marlon King converted the penalty. The ball struck the woodwork three times: midway through the first half from Murphy's free kick on the edge of the area; just after the third goal, from Odjidja's curling 25 yards (22.9 m) shot; and just before the equalising goal, Vladan Kujović
, given his debut in place of Colin Coosemans
, "sensationally tipping Guirane N'daw's thunderous volley against an upright".
Note that for tie-breaking purposes, points, goal difference, goals scored and away goals scored in matches between clubs level on total points count before the same criteria in all group matches.
in the third round, in which they were drawn away to Premier League club Manchester City. With top-scorer Chris Wood ineligible and Wade Elliott cup-tied
, Keith Fahey returned to the starting eleven after injury, Myhill, Caldwell and King were rested, Carr and Ridgewell injured, and Colin Doyle made his first appearance of the season. The match attracted attention for the return of England international Owen Hargreaves
after just six minutes of first-team football in the previous three years. Hargreaves and Mario Balotelli
scored first-half goals as City won 2–0. Curtis Davies's overhead kick was cleared off the line by Kolo Touré
, making his return to the City side after a six-month drugs ban, and Nikola Žigić
came on as substitute for his first Birmingham appearance in nearly six months.
, Kevin Phillips
, Martin Jiránek
, Lee Bowyer
, Maik Taylor
and Stuart Parnaby
, and fringe players Marcus Bent
, Jay O'Shea, Dan Preston
and Robin Shroot
. All the loanees returned to their owning clubs. The club attempted to agree a new contract with James McFadden
but failed to do so before his existing deal expired. Teenage midfielders Luke Hubbins
and Ashley Sammons
were given contract extensions, and Belgian midfielder Brice Ntambwe and American defender/midfielder Will Packwood, both internationals at under-17 level, signed their first professional contracts.
In early June, the club agreed the signings of Cardiff City
winger Chris Burke
, Coventry City
striker Marlon King
(who was accused by his former club of having reneged on a verbal agreement to remain with them), Dundee United
midfielder Morgaro Gomis
, and PSV Eindhoven forward Danny Koevermans
, all of whom were out of contract and thus available as free agents under the Bosman ruling
. When McLeish resigned on 12 June, Burke and King had already signed pre-contract agreements, but the moves for Gomis and Koevermans had not reached that stage. The Gomis deal was completed, but Koevermans pulled out, reluctant to join a club whose future manager might not want him. Hughton's first signing was Inverness Caledonian Thistle
striker Adam Rooney
, also a free transfer under the Bosman ruling, soon followed by Scotland international
defender Steven Caldwell
, recently released by Wigan Athletic
. United States international
defender Jonathan Spector
, who was released by West Ham United
after their relegation, joined four days before the league season opened, and West Bromwich Albion
's New Zealand international striker Chris Wood
arrived three days later on a month's loan, later extended for a further month.
The first departure of the summer transfer window was 2010–11 top scorer Craig Gardner
, who joined Sunderland
for an undisclosed fee, believed by BBC Sport
to be "about £6 million". Roger Johnson
, who had made it clear to the club that he wanted to remain in the Premier League, was next, joining Wolverhampton Wanderers
for an undisclosed fee, initially reported as £7m but later suggested by the Express & Star
to be "just over £4m", then Barry Ferguson
, who wanted to move closer to his family in Scotland, signed for Blackpool
for an undisclosed fee in the region of £700,000. Next to leave was player of the year Ben Foster
, who joined West Bromwich Albion
on loan for the season, while Albion goalkeeper Boaz Myhill
moved in the other direction, also on loan. It was reported that Albion were to pay the wages of both players.
After the playing season started, midfielder Míchel
returned to Spain to join Getafe
for an undisclosed fee. Senegal international
defensive midfielder Guirane N'Daw
signed on loan from Saint-Étienne
until January 2012. On the last day of the transfer window, Scott Dann
and Cameron Jerome
returned to the Premier League for undisclosed fees, Jerome signing for Stoke City
for a fee believed by Sky Sports
to be £4m, and Dann joining Blackburn Rovers
. Birmingham signed 18-year-old Jack Deaman, a centre-back formerly of Wrexham, and the experienced Burnley
winger Wade Elliott
and Spanish international
centre-back Pablo Ibáñez
from West Bromwich Albion, each for an undisclosed fee.
2011–12 in English football
The 2011–12 season is the 132nd season of competitive football in England.The season began on 5 August 2011 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier starting eight days later, League Football Conference Starting one day before Premier League starts.The Championship, League One, and League Two...
is Birmingham City Football Clubs 110th season in the English football league system
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
. It runs from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012. After relegation from the Premier League in 2010–11
2010–11 Birmingham City F.C. season
The 2010–11 season was Birmingham City Football Clubs seventh season in the Premier League and their 57th in the top tier of English football. It ran from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011. Led by Scotland national team manager Alex McLeish, the team finished in 18th place in the League, so were...
under previous manager Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
, the team will play in the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
under manager Chris Hughton
Chris Hughton
Christopher William Gerard "Chris" Hughton is a professional football manager and former player who is currently the manager of Birmingham City F.C....
, appointed in June. They will also compete in the Europa League
2011–12 UEFA Europa League
The 2011–12 UEFA Europa League is the third season of the competition since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup. It began on 30 June 2011 with the first legs of the first qualifying round, and will end on 9 May 2012 with the final to be held at Stadionul Național in Bucharest, Romania...
, League Cup
2011–12 Football League Cup
The 2011–12 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, is the 52nd season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs...
and the FA Cup
2011–12 FA Cup
The 2011–12 FA Cup will be the 131st season of the world's oldest association football knock-out competition. The closing date for applications was 1 April 2011, and saw 825 clubs apply to enter...
.
Background and pre-season
After leading the club to victory in the League CupFootball League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
and relegation from the Premier League in 2010–11
2010–11 Birmingham City F.C. season
The 2010–11 season was Birmingham City Football Clubs seventh season in the Premier League and their 57th in the top tier of English football. It ran from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011. Led by Scotland national team manager Alex McLeish, the team finished in 18th place in the League, so were...
, Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
unexpectedly resigned on 12 June, having already made two signings and with another two players close to an agreement with the club. He was immediately linked with the managerial vacancy at Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
. Acting chairman Peter Pannu threatened to report Villa to the League for making an illegal approach to McLeish, and insisted that they could speak to him only if they agreed to pay the £5.4 million compensation due under the terms of his contract. On 17 June, McLeish was appointed manager of Aston Villa. The matter was finally settled on 11 July, when the clubs issued a joint statement confirming that Villa would pay an undisclosed amount in compensation, all proposed legal action would cease, and coach Peter Grant
Peter Grant (footballer)
Peter Grant is a Scottish former footballer and was, until October 2007, manager of Norwich City. This was Grant's first role in management, but he had previously held coaching jobs at Bournemouth, West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion...
and medical officer Dr Ian McGuinness would be free to follow McLeish to his new club. Chris Hughton
Chris Hughton
Christopher William Gerard "Chris" Hughton is a professional football manager and former player who is currently the manager of Birmingham City F.C....
, who had led Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
to the Championship title in 2010, was appointed manager on 21 June. He confirmed that promotion back to the Premier League, rather than progress in the Europa League, was his main objective for the season, and brought Paul Trollope
Paul Trollope
Paul Jonathan Trollope is an English-born Welsh international football midfielder, now turned manager. He was manager of Bristol Rovers from 2005 to 2010. In July 2011, Paul was appointed first-team coach at Birmingham City....
in to replace Andy Watson as first-team coach.
On 29 June, club president Carson Yeung
Carson Yeung
Carson Yeung Ka Sing is a businessman from Hong Kong. He is the chairman and an executive director of Birmingham International Holdings , an investment, entertainment and sportswear firm registered in the Cayman Islands, through which he owns English football club Birmingham City F.C...
was arrested in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
on charges of money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
, relating to a period before his involvement with the club. He was bailed to re-appear in August, his assets were frozen, and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Hong Kong Stock Exchange
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in Hong Kong. It is Asia's third largest stock exchange in terms of market capitalization behind the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange and fifth largest in the world...
suspended trading of shares in the club's holding company, Birmingham International Holdings (BIHL), in which Yeung was the single largest shareholder with around 26%. BIHL appointed acting chairman Peter Pannu and Yeung's 18-year-old son Ryan to the board of the football club, and Michael Wiseman stepped down from the board, ending an 83-year formal association between the club and the Wiseman family. Although it appeared that HSBC
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
, the club's bankers, were unlikely to call in a loan secured on the St Andrew's site, as such a course of action would make it difficult for the club to continue, thus reducing the likelihood of HSBC recovering their money. Yeung's situation impeded the search for new investment. Such a combination of factors, added to the reduced income to be expected following relegation, left the club in financial difficulty and ready to off-load high-earning players, particularly in light of the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
's adoption of UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
's financial fair-play regulations relating to clubs not spending in excess of their revenue.
After the shirt sponsorship deal with F&C Investments
F&C Asset Management
F&C Asset Management Plc is a leading asset management company.Unlike many asset managers which are divisions of large financial firms such as banks, F&C Asset Management is a standalone publicly-listed asset manager. It is an active shareholder with a strong commitment to corporate social...
expired at the end of the 2010–11 season, no long-term sponsor met the value the club set on the brand, so they chose to sell advertising on the shirt on a match-by-match basis. This had the by-product of replica shirts being sold without advertising. However, a one-year shirt sponsorship deal was reached with foreign exchange
Foreign exchange market
The foreign exchange market is a global, worldwide decentralized financial market for trading currencies. Financial centers around the world function as anchors of trading between a wide range of different types of buyers and sellers around the clock, with the exception of weekends...
and money transfer
Wire transfer
Wire transfer or credit transfer is a method of electronic funds transfer from one person or institution to another. A wire transfer can be made from one bank account to another bank account or through a transfer of cash at a cash office...
company RationalFX. It emerged that the club had taken legal action against kit manufacturers Xtep
Xtep
Xtep International Holdings Limited is a publicly-traded sportswear company headquartered in Quanzhou, Fujian, China. It is engaged in the design, development, manufacture and sales of sportswear under the company-owned "Xtep" brand and "Koling" brand and the Disneyland Sports brand.It was listed...
for using a derivative version of the club's logo on their own leisurewear, thus infringing intellectual property rights and reducing royalties from sales of officially licensed clothing on the Chinese market.
The players reported back for pre-season training on 4 July ahead of a training camp in Ireland that included a friendly fixture with League of Ireland First Division side Cork City
Cork City F.C.
Cork City Football Club is an Irish football team that plays in the League of Ireland. Founded and elected to the league in 1984 to continue the long tradition of Association Football in Cork, City's traditional colours are green and white with red trim, and the crest is a variant of the Cork...
. Without Cameron Jerome
Cameron Jerome
Cameron Zishan Rana-Jerome is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City as a striker. He also played for Cardiff City in the Football League, and for Birmingham City in the Football League and Premier League, and at international level has several caps for the England under-21 team.-Early...
and Nikola Žigić
Nikola Žigic
Nikola Žigić is a Serbian footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City as a centre forward.At , Žigić is among the tallest professional players in the world...
, who did not travel due to injury, and Barry Ferguson
Barry Ferguson
Barry Ferguson MBE is a Scottish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Blackpool.Ferguson has made 82 appearances in European competitions, all for Rangers, which makes him the record European appearance holder at the club. He was also inducted into the Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame...
, who returned to England ahead of his transfer to Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
, Hughton used 19 players in a game settled by a 30th-minute goal from new signing Adam Rooney
Adam Rooney
Adam Rooney is an Irish footballer, who plays as a striker for Championship side Birmingham City. He previously played for Stoke City, spent spells on loan at Yeovil Town, Chesterfield and Bury, and was a regular first-team member for Inverness Caledonian Thistle.-Stoke City:Rooney signed for...
. In the next friendly, at League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
club Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
, Hughton made fewer changes but the game finished goalless as his team failed to convert several chances, a pattern continued at Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
, also of League Two, where Curtis Davies
Curtis Davies
Curtis Eugene Davies is an English professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Birmingham City. Davies has previously played for Luton Town, where he began his career, West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa and Leicester City....
and Chris Burke
Chris Burke (footballer)
Christopher Robert "Chris" Burke is a Scottish footballer who plays for Birmingham City.Burke began his career with Scottish Premier League club Rangers, playing in almost 100 league games, but without establishing himself as a regular first team player. He then played more than 100 matches over...
both hit the bar as Birmingham lost 2–0. A Birmingham side without Scott Dann
Scott Dann
Scott Dann is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Blackburn Rovers as a centre back. He began his Football League career with Walsall, before moving on to Coventry City and then to Birmingham City in 2009...
, Liam Ridgewell
Liam Ridgewell
Liam Matthew Ridgewell is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Birmingham City. He is primarily a centre half but can also play at left back. Previously a player for Birmingham's arch-rivals Aston Villa, Ridgewell also spent a spell on loan at A.F.C. Bournemouth in 2002.-Early...
, Jerome, Žigić and Marlon King
Marlon King
Marlon Francis King is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Birmingham City. After starting his career in non-League football with Dulwich Hamlet, he played for Barnet, Gillingham, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest before moving to Watford in 2005...
lost 2–1 to a strong Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
eleven. Everton opened the scoring after an hour through a Leighton Baines
Leighton Baines
Leighton John Baines is an English footballer who plays for Everton and the England national football team.He started his career with Wigan Athletic, with whom he won the Second Division in the 2002–03 season and was a runner-up in the 2004–05 Championship and the 2006 Football League Cup Final....
free kick, then after Louis Saha
Louis Saha
Louis Laurent Saha is a French footballer of Guadelupian origin who currently plays as a forward for Everton FC in the Premier League and the France national team. A former scholar at the Clairefontaine football academy, he started his career at Metz before playing on loan at Newcastle United...
was allowed too much time on the edge of the penalty area, his 20 yards (18.3 m) shot bounced over debutant Boaz Myhill
Boaz Myhill
Glyn Oliver Myhill , more commonly known as Boaz Myhill , is a footballer who plays for Birmingham City, on loan from West Bromwich Albion, and the Wales national team as a goalkeeper.-Early life:...
. Rooney pulled one back with a back-heel to turn Morgaro Gomis
Morgaro Gomis
Morgaro Gomis is a Senegal international footballer who plays for English Football League Championship club Birmingham City....
' shot into the net.
August
Birmingham fielded five new signings, Boaz MyhillBoaz Myhill
Glyn Oliver Myhill , more commonly known as Boaz Myhill , is a footballer who plays for Birmingham City, on loan from West Bromwich Albion, and the Wales national team as a goalkeeper.-Early life:...
, Steven Caldwell
Steven Caldwell
Steven Caldwell is a Scottish footballer who plays for Birmingham City as a defender. His younger brother Gary is also a defender and Scotland international.-Newcastle United:...
, Chris Burke
Chris Burke (footballer)
Christopher Robert "Chris" Burke is a Scottish footballer who plays for Birmingham City.Burke began his career with Scottish Premier League club Rangers, playing in almost 100 league games, but without establishing himself as a regular first team player. He then played more than 100 matches over...
, Morgaro Gomis
Morgaro Gomis
Morgaro Gomis is a Senegal international footballer who plays for English Football League Championship club Birmingham City....
and Adam Rooney
Adam Rooney
Adam Rooney is an Irish footballer, who plays as a striker for Championship side Birmingham City. He previously played for Stoke City, spent spells on loan at Yeovil Town, Chesterfield and Bury, and was a regular first-team member for Inverness Caledonian Thistle.-Stoke City:Rooney signed for...
, on the opening-day visit to Derby County. Curtis Davies
Curtis Davies
Curtis Eugene Davies is an English professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Birmingham City. Davies has previously played for Luton Town, where he began his career, West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa and Leicester City....
opened the scoring with a header from Jordon Mutch
Jordon Mutch
Jordon James Edward Sydney Mutch is an English footballer who plays for Birmingham City. He plays as a midfielder. Mutch made his first-team debut for Birmingham in the League Cup in August 2008, and made his debut in the Football League while on loan to Hereford United, spending subsequent loan...
's 19th-minute corner, but soon afterwards a Ben Davies
Ben Davies (footballer)
Benjamin James Davies is an English footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Derby County.-Early career:...
free kick was headed home by the unmarked Jason Shackell
Jason Shackell
Jason Philip Shackell is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Championship club Derby County.-Norwich City:...
. Just before half time, Steve Davies
Steve Davies (footballer)
Steven Gary "Steve" Davies is an English footballer who currently plays as a striker for Derby County.-Tranmere Rovers:...
was allowed time on the ball to set himself and beat Myhill with a swerving shot from 20 yards (18.3 m). In the second half, Stephen Carr
Stephen Carr
Stephen Carr is an Irish footballer who plays for and captains Birmingham City. He previously played for the Premier League teams Tottenham Hotspur and, for a shorter spell, Newcastle United. He is a former international player with the Republic of Ireland...
missed a fine chance to equalise when Burke's shot after a fine forward run rebounded into his path. At home to Coventry City, loanee Chris Wood
Chris Wood (footballer born 1991)
Christopher "Chris" Grant Wood is a New Zealand footballer who plays for Birmingham City on loan from West Bromwich Albion...
started as a lone striker. Birmingham were fortunate that Lukas Jutkiewicz
Lukas Jutkiewicz
Lukas Isaac Paul Jutkiewicz is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Championship club Coventry City.-Southampton:...
failed to convert a good chance after turning Caldwell, and Myhill came close to carrying the ball over his line when saving a misplaced cross. After 73 minutes, Rooney, who had replaced Wood five minutes before, headed against the post, was first to the rebound, turned the ball back into the path of the oncoming Keith Fahey
Keith Fahey
Keith Declan Fahey is an Republic of Ireland international footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City. With Ireland he was part of the team that secured qualification for UEFA Euro 2012....
who shot home from 10 yards out.
Playing on the Sunday because of their Europa League play-off match on the Thursday, Rooney opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Burke was fouled, but Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
went on to complete their third consecutive victory by three goals to one. Rooney again opened the scoring the following Sunday, at Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
, with a first-half tap-in after David Murphy
David Murphy (footballer)
David Paul Murphy is an English professional footballer who plays for Birmingham City. Murphy, born in Hartlepool, County Durham, is a defender who plays at left back.-Club career:...
headed on Jean Beausejour
Jean Beausejour
Jean André Emanuel Beausejour Coliqueo , nicknamed Palmatoria or Francés, is a Chilean footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City...
's corner. Marvin Sordell
Marvin Sordell
-External links:*...
equalised from distance in the 80th minute, then Beausejour intercepted a pass and threaded the ball through to Chris Wood who finished neatly with two minutes of normal time remaining. However, in stoppage time, Myhill could only parry a Sordell shot up in the air, and former Birmingham defender Martin Taylor was first to the ball as it came down.
September
October
November
League table (part)
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th | Blackpool Blackpool F.C. Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the... |
18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 30 | 23 | 27 | |
| 7th | Hull City Hull City A.F.C. Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football... |
17 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 27 |
| 8th | Birmingham City Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the... |
16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 23 | 18 | 26 | |
| 9th | Leicester City Leicester City F.C. Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester... |
18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 24 | 20 | 26 | |
| 10th | Crystal Palace Crystal Palace F.C. Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in... |
18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 18 | 17 | 26 | |
| 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 Goal difference In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points.... ; Pts = Points |
||||||||
| Source | |||||||||
Results summary
Results by round
Europa League
The League CupFootball League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
winners would normally enter the UEFA Europa League at the third qualifying round. However, because Manchester City both won the 2011 FA Cup
2011 FA Cup Final
The 2011 FA Cup Final was the 130th final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The match took place on 14 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London. The clubs contesting the 2011 final were Premier League clubs Manchester City and Stoke City, with the victors guaranteed...
and qualified for the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
via their Premier League finishing position, Birmingham entered the competition at the play-off round, one round before the group stages. They were drawn to play Nacional, who qualified as sixth-placed team in the Portuguese Primeira Liga and had beaten FH
Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar
Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar, commonly referred to as FH, is Icelandic football club based in Hafnarfjörður.- Overview :The team are perhaps best known outside Iceland for beating Scottish side Dunfermline in the qualifying rounds of the 2004/05 UEFA Cup 4–3 on aggregate...
of Iceland and Swedish club Häcken
BK Häcken
BK Häcken is a Swedish football club based in Gothenburg. The club, formed on 2 August 1940, is currently playing in the Swedish premier division, Allsvenskan after being promoted in 2008.- The beginning :...
to reach the play-off round.
Weakened by injuries for the away leg in Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
, Birmingham gave David Murphy
David Murphy (footballer)
David Paul Murphy is an English professional footballer who plays for Birmingham City. Murphy, born in Hartlepool, County Durham, is a defender who plays at left back.-Club career:...
and Nathan Redmond
Nathan Redmond
Nathan Daniel Jerome Redmond is an English professional footballer who plays for Birmingham City. He made his first-team debut for Birmingham in the Football League Cup second-round tie against Rochdale in August 2010, becoming the club's second-youngest player ever at the age of 16 years and 173...
their first appearances of the season, defender Liam Ridgewell
Liam Ridgewell
Liam Matthew Ridgewell is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Birmingham City. He is primarily a centre half but can also play at left back. Previously a player for Birmingham's arch-rivals Aston Villa, Ridgewell also spent a spell on loan at A.F.C. Bournemouth in 2002.-Early...
played in central midfield alongside winger Jean Beausejour
Jean Beausejour
Jean André Emanuel Beausejour Coliqueo , nicknamed Palmatoria or Francés, is a Chilean footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City...
and debutant Jonathan Spector
Jonathan Spector
Jonathan Michael Paul Spector is an American soccer player who plays as a defender for Birmingham City. He started his professional career in England when he was signed by Manchester United as a teenager, but rarely appeared for the club...
, and 19-year-old Chris Wood
Chris Wood (footballer born 1991)
Christopher "Chris" Grant Wood is a New Zealand footballer who plays for Birmingham City on loan from West Bromwich Albion...
played as a lone striker. Captain Stephen Carr
Stephen Carr
Stephen Carr is an Irish footballer who plays for and captains Birmingham City. He previously played for the Premier League teams Tottenham Hotspur and, for a shorter spell, Newcastle United. He is a former international player with the Republic of Ireland...
was making his 100th Birmingham appearance. Early in the game, Curtis Davies
Curtis Davies
Curtis Eugene Davies is an English professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Birmingham City. Davies has previously played for Luton Town, where he began his career, West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa and Leicester City....
made a well-timed tackle from behind to prevent Mateus
Mateus Galiano da Costa
Mateus Galiano da Costa , simply Mateus, is an Angolan footballer who plays for C.D. Nacional in the Portuguese first division, as a forward.-Club career:...
opening the scoring. Midway through the half, Steven Caldwell
Steven Caldwell
Steven Caldwell is a Scottish footballer who plays for Birmingham City as a defender. His younger brother Gary is also a defender and Scotland international.-Newcastle United:...
's placed header from a corner struck the foot of the post. Just before half time, a loose ball fell to Wood on the edge of the penalty area and his powerful shot rebounded down off the crossbar and back into play. Just after the interval, a driven shot from outside the area from the 17-year-old Redmond, playing his first 90 minutes at senior level, was pushed aside by goalkeeper Elisson
Elisson
Elisson Aparecido Rosa is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Nacional in the Portuguese Liga.-External links:...
and returned to Wood who headed against the post. The game finished goalless. For the home leg, Birmingham had to widen the pitch from its usual 66 metres (216.5 ft) to 68 m (223.1 ft) to comply with UEFA regulations. After an uncertain start, Birmingham took the lead when Murphy fed Redmond who scored with a low drive from 20 yards (18.3 m). Nine minutes later, Murphy's header from a Beausejour corner appeared to come off both Luis Alberto and the crossbar before crossing the line. After numerous chances to increase the lead, including a curled shot from Redmond that hit the inside of the post, Wood's 84th-minute tap-in secured a 3–0 win and qualification for the group stage
2011–12 UEFA Europa League group stage
This article details the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League group stage.The group stage will feature 48 teams: the 38 winners of the play-off round, and the 10 losing teams from the Champions League play-off round....
. With a couple of minutes left, Birmingham gave a debut to 18-year-old striker Akwasi Asante
Akwasi Asante
Akwasi Asante is a Dutch footballer who plays for Birmingham City as a striker. He made his first-team debut for Birmingham in the Europa League play-off round second leg against C.D. Nacional in August 2011.-Club career:...
and a first appearance of the season for fellow teenager Jake Jervis
Jake Jervis
Jake Mario Jervis is an English footballer who plays for Swindon Town on loan from Birmingham City. He plays as a striker...
.
Birmingham were drawn in Group H, alongside last season's finalists
2011 UEFA Europa League Final
The 2011 UEFA Europa League Final was a football match played on 18 May 2011 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, which decided the winner of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League...
S.C. Braga of Portugal, Slovenian champions NK Maribor
NK Maribor
Nogometni Klub Maribor , commonly referred to as NK Maribor or simply Maribor, is a professional association football club based in the city of Maribor, Slovenia. Founded on 12 December, 1960, Maribor is one of only three football clubs in the country who have never been relegated from...
, who beat Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
of Scotland in the play-off round after losing in the third qualifying round
2011–12 UEFA Champions League qualifying phase and play-off round
This article details the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League qualifying phase and play-off round.All times are CEST .-Round and draw dates:All draws held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.-Format:...
of the Champions League, and fourth-placed Belgian team Club Brugge
Club Brugge
Club Brugge Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging is a football club from Bruges in Belgium. It was founded in 1891 and is one of the top clubs in Belgium. Its home ground is the Jan Breydel Stadium, which has a capacity of 29,472....
, who overcame Qarabağ of Azerbaijan and Georgian champions
2010–11 Umaglesi Liga
The 2010–11 Umaglesi Liga is the 22nd season of top-tier football in Georgia. It began on 14 August 2010 and will end on 22 May 2011. Olimpi Rustavi are the defending champions, having won their second Georgian championship last season. FC Zestafoni claimed their first title.The league size will be...
Zestafoni to reach the group stage. Matchday one produced a defeat at home to Braga. Hélder Barbosa
Hélder Barbosa
Hélder Jorge Leal Rodrigues Barbosa is a Portuguese footballer who plays for S.C. Braga as a left winger.-Porto:A product of F.C...
opened the scoring after just six minutes with a volley from a Nuno Gomes
Nuno Gomes
Nuno Miguel Soares Pereira Ribeiro , commonly known as Nuno Gomes, is a Portuguese footballer who plays for S.C. Braga as a striker.He was given the nickname Gomes during childhood after F.C...
cross which Boaz Myhill
Boaz Myhill
Glyn Oliver Myhill , more commonly known as Boaz Myhill , is a footballer who plays for Birmingham City, on loan from West Bromwich Albion, and the Wales national team as a goalkeeper.-Early life:...
could only palm into the net, then Lima
Rodrigo José Lima dos Santos
Rodrigo José Lima dos Santos, known as Lima , is a Brazilian footballer who plays for S.C. Braga in Portugal, as a striker.-Football career:...
doubled the deficit against the run of play. Hughton introduced Chris Burke
Chris Burke (footballer)
Christopher Robert "Chris" Burke is a Scottish footballer who plays for Birmingham City.Burke began his career with Scottish Premier League club Rangers, playing in almost 100 league games, but without establishing himself as a regular first team player. He then played more than 100 matches over...
and Chris Wood, and Burke's pass led to Marlon King
Marlon King
Marlon Francis King is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Birmingham City. After starting his career in non-League football with Dulwich Hamlet, he played for Barnet, Gillingham, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest before moving to Watford in 2005...
's 71st-minute goal. Birmingham were caught on the break while going for the equaliser, Barbosa making the final score 3–1 to the visitors.
In the absence through injury of Stephen Carr for the visit to Maribor, Liam Ridgewell assumed the captaincy. Early in the game, Maribor had several shots off target, but they took a 29th-minute lead when Spector looped a casual back-pass which Colin Doyle missed entirely when attempting to clear. Dalibor Volaš
Dalibor Volaš
Dalibor Volaš is a Slovenian football player who currently plays for Maribor.-External links:* - PrvaLiga...
picked up the loose ball and tapped into an empty net. The manner of the goal had a dampening effect on both players and fans. In the second half, Nikola Žigić
Nikola Žigic
Nikola Žigić is a Serbian footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City as a centre forward.At , Žigić is among the tallest professional players in the world...
and Wood were ready to come on as substitutes when Marlon King used his strength to hold up a ball in midfield and played it through to Burke, who rounded Martin Milec
Martin Milec
Martin Milec is a Slovenian football midfielder, who currently plays for Slovenian 1.SNL club Maribor.- Club career :...
and shot low past Jasmin Handanović
Jasmin Handanovic
Jasmin Handanović is a Slovenian football goalkeeper who plays for Maribor in Slovenian PrvaLiga.-Career:...
. Only Žigić came on, to replace King. Both he and Wade Elliott
Wade Elliott
Wade Patrick Elliott is an English professional footballer who plays for Birmingham City. He plays mainly as a right midfielder but can play as a central midfielder. He began playing football as a youth player for Southampton before joining non-league Bashley. He began his professional career at...
missed chances, Žigić heading over the bar from close range and Elliott shooting straight at the goalkeeper when clean through. In the 79th minute, a long clearance was controlled by Morgaro Gomis
Morgaro Gomis
Morgaro Gomis is a Senegal international footballer who plays for English Football League Championship club Birmingham City....
who touched the ball to Elliott, possibly via a defender's arm. Elliott scored what proved the winning goal, hitting a clean volley from outside the area which Handanović partly blocked but was unable to stop creeping underneath him.
Despite pre-match scare stories suggesting 5,600 hooligans were about to descend on the "Venice of the north
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
", Birmingham's visit passed off with only eight administrative arrests, and the Bruges police used their Twitter account to thank the visiting fans for their "friendly conduct". On the field, the defence made a shaky start as Brugge took an early lead through Joseph Akpala
Joseph Akpala
Joseph Akpala is a Nigerian footballer. He currently plays for Club Brugge KV.- Career :Akpala is a product of the Pepsi Football Academy in Lagos...
. After 25 minutes, David Murphy ran into the penalty area apparently unnoticed to finish Elliott's cross. Rooney failed to convert Žigić's knockdown and Žigić put a free header wide before Hughton brought on King and Wood in their place. Near the end of normal time, a clash of heads with Akpala left Pablo Ibáñez
Pablo Ibáñez
Pablo Ibáñez Tébar , sometimes known as just Pablo, is a Spanish footballer who plays for English Football League Championship club Birmingham City as a central defender....
unconscious for some minutes before he was carried off on a spinal board, leaving teammate Guirane N'Daw
Guirane N'Daw
Guirane N'Daw is a Senegalese football midfielder who plays for English Championship club Birmingham City on loan from Saint-Étienne of the French Ligue 1.- Career :...
in tears. In the tenth minute of stoppage time, King crossed from the right and Wood shot into the roof of the net from six yards out, to make Birmingham the first English team to defeat Brugge in their own stadium, and put them top of Group H.
After three more defeats from winning positions, culminating in a 5–4 loss to Genk when 4–2 ahead with 20 minutes left, Brugge dismissed manager Adrie Koster. For Birmingham, Pablo made his first appearance since suffering concussion. The visitors took the lead with five minutes remaining in the first half. From a Víctor Vázquez
Victor Vázquez
Víctor Vázquez is a photographer and a contemporary conceptual artist born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Víctor Vázquez has been working as an artist for more than 20 years, creating photographs, three-dimensional objects, videos and installation works in which the human body figures both conceptually...
corner, Thomas Meunier
Thomas Meunier
Thomas Meunier is a Belgian footballer who plays as a forward for Belgian club Club Brugge.Meunier was signed by Club Brugge from Belgian Third Division team Virton in January 2011, with the actual transfer to be completed during the summer 2011 transfer period...
had time to take a touch before shooting past the player on the post from eight yards out. Soon afterwards, Beausejour gave away the ball in midfield and Vadis Odjidja crossed to Akpala who scored from a arguably offside position. Žigić's 55th-minute blocked shot rebounded to Beausejour who controlled well and lashed it back past the goalkeeper to reduce the deficit. After 66 minutes, Birmingham made a triple substitution, bringing on Burke, King and Wood for Elliott, Rooney and Žigić. The equaliser came eight minutes later; Ryan Donk
Ryan Donk
Ryan Donk is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Club Brugge.-Club career:Ryan Donk had an outstanding 2005–06 season at RKC Waalwijk, and with an expiring contract, he wanted to make a step up to a higher level. AZ first approached him, AFC Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and even Spanish giants FC...
fouled Beausejour just inside the area and Marlon King converted the penalty. The ball struck the woodwork three times: midway through the first half from Murphy's free kick on the edge of the area; just after the third goal, from Odjidja's curling 25 yards (22.9 m) shot; and just before the equalising goal, Vladan Kujović
Vladan Kujovic
Vladan Kujović is a Serbian footballer playing for Club Brugge. Kujović is a goalkeeper who made his debut in professional football as part of the Eendracht Aalst squad in the 1999-2000 season....
, given his debut in place of Colin Coosemans
Colin Coosemans
Colin Coosemans is a Belgian professional football player currently playing for Club Brugge K.V.He made his professional debut for Club Brugge K.V. on September 30, 2010 in an 2010–11 UEFA Europa League game against Villarreal CF. On October 3, 2010 he made his league debut against K.A.A...
, "sensationally tipping Guirane N'daw's thunderous volley against an upright".
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Club Brugge | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 7 | |
| 2 | Birmingham City | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | S.C. Braga | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 7 | |
| 4 | NK Maribor NK Maribor Nogometni Klub Maribor , commonly referred to as NK Maribor or simply Maribor, is a professional association football club based in the city of Maribor, Slovenia. Founded on 12 December, 1960, Maribor is one of only three football clubs in the country who have never been relegated from... |
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 10 | −7 | 1 |
| Key | Pos = Position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference Goal difference In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points.... ; Pts = Points |
||||||||
| Source | |||||||||
Note that for tie-breaking purposes, points, goal difference, goals scored and away goals scored in matches between clubs level on total points count before the same criteria in all group matches.
FA Cup
Clubs in the top two divisions enter the FA Cup in the third round (last 64).League Cup
Together with the other clubs playing in European competition, Birmingham entered the League Cup2011–12 Football League Cup
The 2011–12 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, is the 52nd season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs...
in the third round, in which they were drawn away to Premier League club Manchester City. With top-scorer Chris Wood ineligible and Wade Elliott cup-tied
Cup-tied
Cup-tied is an adjective, used primarily in association football, to describe a player who is ineligible to play in a knockout cup competition after transferring from another club during that competition.-Application:...
, Keith Fahey returned to the starting eleven after injury, Myhill, Caldwell and King were rested, Carr and Ridgewell injured, and Colin Doyle made his first appearance of the season. The match attracted attention for the return of England international Owen Hargreaves
Owen Hargreaves
Owen Lee Hargreaves is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for English Premier League club Manchester City and the English national football team....
after just six minutes of first-team football in the previous three years. Hargreaves and Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for English team Manchester City and the Italian national team.He started his professional football career at Lumezzane and only played for the first team twice before having an unsuccessful trial at FC Barcelona, and subsequently...
scored first-half goals as City won 2–0. Curtis Davies's overhead kick was cleared off the line by Kolo Touré
Kolo Touré
Kolo Habib Touré is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Manchester City and Ivory Coast. Touré is a central defender. He is the elder brother of Manchester City team-mate Yaya Touré and Makasa's Ibrahim Touré.-Arsenal:...
, making his return to the City side after a six-month drugs ban, and Nikola Žigić
Nikola Žigic
Nikola Žigić is a Serbian footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City as a centre forward.At , Žigić is among the tallest professional players in the world...
came on as substitute for his first Birmingham appearance in nearly six months.
Transfers
At the end of the 2010–11 season, Birmingham released first-team players Sebastian LarssonSebastian Larsson
Sebastian Bengt Ulf Larsson is a Swedish footballer who plays for Premier League club Sunderland and the Sweden national team. Larsson is renowned for being a set piece specialist.-Arsenal:...
, Kevin Phillips
Kevin Phillips (footballer)
Kevin Mark Phillips is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Blackpool.Phillips was the Premier League top scorer in the 1999–2000 season with 30 goals for Sunderland, a tally which won him the European Golden Shoe. He remains the only Englishman to win the trophy...
, Martin Jiránek
Martin Jiránek
Martin Jiránek is a Czech international footballer who plays for Russian Premier League club FC Terek Grozny. A defender, Jiránek has played in the top division of several countries.-Spartak Moscow:...
, Lee Bowyer
Lee Bowyer
Lee David Bowyer is an English professional footballer born in Canning Town, London, who plays as a midfielder for Ipswich Town of the Football League Championship....
, Maik Taylor
Maik Taylor
Maik Stefan Taylor is a professional footballer who plays for Leeds United and is a former Northern Ireland international....
and Stuart Parnaby
Stuart Parnaby
Stuart Parnaby is an English footballer who plays as a right back.Parnaby graduated from Middlesbrough F.C.'s Academy, which was run by his father, Dave. He went on to make more than 100 appearances for Middlesbrough's first team before joining Birmingham City in 2007...
, and fringe players Marcus Bent
Marcus Bent
Marcus Nathan Bent is an English football striker who plays for Indonesian club Mitra Kukar. A former England under-21 international, the journeyman striker has played for fourteen different clubs, playing over 570 games and scoring 110 goals in the process.A England under-21 international, he...
, Jay O'Shea, Dan Preston
Dan Preston
Daniel Sean "Dan" Preston is an English footballer who plays for AFC Telford United. A centre half, he made his debut for Birmingham City in the League Cup in September 2009, and his first appearance in the Football League while on loan to Hereford United in February 2010...
and Robin Shroot
Robin Shroot
Robin Alexander E. Shroot is an English-born footballer who plays for League One side Stevenage.Shroot started his career at Wimbledon as an eight-year-old, progressing through the club's youth system before being released at 16. He then spent time at Staines Town's academy, playing a peripheral...
. All the loanees returned to their owning clubs. The club attempted to agree a new contract with James McFadden
James McFadden
James McFadden is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Everton.McFadden started his career with Scottish Premier League club Motherwell. He came to prominence in the 2002–03 season by scoring 19 goals and winning the Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year award....
but failed to do so before his existing deal expired. Teenage midfielders Luke Hubbins
Luke Hubbins
Luke Anthony Hubbins is an English footballer who plays for Birmingham City. He made his professional debut in August 2010 in the Football League Cup while on loan to Notts County...
and Ashley Sammons
Ashley Sammons
Ashley George Sammons is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Birmingham City. He made his first-team debut in the League Cup in September 2009. He has represented his country at under-17 level.-Personal life:...
were given contract extensions, and Belgian midfielder Brice Ntambwe and American defender/midfielder Will Packwood, both internationals at under-17 level, signed their first professional contracts.
In early June, the club agreed the signings of Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
winger Chris Burke
Chris Burke (footballer)
Christopher Robert "Chris" Burke is a Scottish footballer who plays for Birmingham City.Burke began his career with Scottish Premier League club Rangers, playing in almost 100 league games, but without establishing himself as a regular first team player. He then played more than 100 matches over...
, Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
striker Marlon King
Marlon King
Marlon Francis King is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Birmingham City. After starting his career in non-League football with Dulwich Hamlet, he played for Barnet, Gillingham, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest before moving to Watford in 2005...
(who was accused by his former club of having reneged on a verbal agreement to remain with them), Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
midfielder Morgaro Gomis
Morgaro Gomis
Morgaro Gomis is a Senegal international footballer who plays for English Football League Championship club Birmingham City....
, and PSV Eindhoven forward Danny Koevermans
Danny Koevermans
Danny Koevermans is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a centre forward for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-Early career:...
, all of whom were out of contract and thus available as free agents under the Bosman ruling
Bosman ruling
Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of association, and direct effect of article 39 of the EC Treaty...
. When McLeish resigned on 12 June, Burke and King had already signed pre-contract agreements, but the moves for Gomis and Koevermans had not reached that stage. The Gomis deal was completed, but Koevermans pulled out, reluctant to join a club whose future manager might not want him. Hughton's first signing was Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas...
striker Adam Rooney
Adam Rooney
Adam Rooney is an Irish footballer, who plays as a striker for Championship side Birmingham City. He previously played for Stoke City, spent spells on loan at Yeovil Town, Chesterfield and Bury, and was a regular first-team member for Inverness Caledonian Thistle.-Stoke City:Rooney signed for...
, also a free transfer under the Bosman ruling, soon followed by Scotland international
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
defender Steven Caldwell
Steven Caldwell
Steven Caldwell is a Scottish footballer who plays for Birmingham City as a defender. His younger brother Gary is also a defender and Scotland international.-Newcastle United:...
, recently released by Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
. United States international
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
defender Jonathan Spector
Jonathan Spector
Jonathan Michael Paul Spector is an American soccer player who plays as a defender for Birmingham City. He started his professional career in England when he was signed by Manchester United as a teenager, but rarely appeared for the club...
, who was released by West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
after their relegation, joined four days before the league season opened, and West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
's New Zealand international striker Chris Wood
Chris Wood (footballer born 1991)
Christopher "Chris" Grant Wood is a New Zealand footballer who plays for Birmingham City on loan from West Bromwich Albion...
arrived three days later on a month's loan, later extended for a further month.
The first departure of the summer transfer window was 2010–11 top scorer Craig Gardner
Craig Gardner
Craig Gardner is an English footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Premier League club Sunderland. A versatile midfielder, Gardner can play in many different positions, although central midfield is his preferred position...
, who joined Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
for an undisclosed fee, believed by BBC Sport
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
to be "about £6 million". Roger Johnson
Roger Johnson (footballer)
Roger Johnson is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers....
, who had made it clear to the club that he wanted to remain in the Premier League, was next, joining Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
for an undisclosed fee, initially reported as £7m but later suggested by the Express & Star
Express & Star
The Express & Star is an evening newspaper based in Wolverhampton, England, published Monday to Saturday in nine different editions covering the Black Country, Birmingham and the wider West Midlands area from Tamworth to Kidderminster. It as widely perceived as being moderately right-wing...
to be "just over £4m", then Barry Ferguson
Barry Ferguson
Barry Ferguson MBE is a Scottish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Blackpool.Ferguson has made 82 appearances in European competitions, all for Rangers, which makes him the record European appearance holder at the club. He was also inducted into the Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame...
, who wanted to move closer to his family in Scotland, signed for Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
for an undisclosed fee in the region of £700,000. Next to leave was player of the year Ben Foster
Ben Foster (footballer)
Benjamin Anthony "Ben" Foster is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for West Bromwich Albion, on loan from Birmingham City, and internationally for the England national team.-Stoke City:...
, who joined West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
on loan for the season, while Albion goalkeeper Boaz Myhill
Boaz Myhill
Glyn Oliver Myhill , more commonly known as Boaz Myhill , is a footballer who plays for Birmingham City, on loan from West Bromwich Albion, and the Wales national team as a goalkeeper.-Early life:...
moved in the other direction, also on loan. It was reported that Albion were to pay the wages of both players.
After the playing season started, midfielder Míchel
Miguel Marcos Madera
Miguel Marcos Madera , known as Míchel, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Getafe as a central midfielder.Having been brought through the youth academy of Asturias side Real Oviedo, he played with the first team of rivals Sporting de Gijón in both the second and first divisions, before...
returned to Spain to join Getafe
Getafe CF
Getafe Club de Fútbol is a Spanish La Liga football club based in Getafe, a city in the Madrid metropolitan area, founded in 1946 and refounded in 1983.In the top level since 2004-05, it holds home games at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez....
for an undisclosed fee. Senegal international
Senegal national football team
The Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football...
defensive midfielder Guirane N'Daw
Guirane N'Daw
Guirane N'Daw is a Senegalese football midfielder who plays for English Championship club Birmingham City on loan from Saint-Étienne of the French Ligue 1.- Career :...
signed on loan from Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
until January 2012. On the last day of the transfer window, Scott Dann
Scott Dann
Scott Dann is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Blackburn Rovers as a centre back. He began his Football League career with Walsall, before moving on to Coventry City and then to Birmingham City in 2009...
and Cameron Jerome
Cameron Jerome
Cameron Zishan Rana-Jerome is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City as a striker. He also played for Cardiff City in the Football League, and for Birmingham City in the Football League and Premier League, and at international level has several caps for the England under-21 team.-Early...
returned to the Premier League for undisclosed fees, Jerome signing for Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
for a fee believed by Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
to be £4m, and Dann joining Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
. Birmingham signed 18-year-old Jack Deaman, a centre-back formerly of Wrexham, and the experienced Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
winger Wade Elliott
Wade Elliott
Wade Patrick Elliott is an English professional footballer who plays for Birmingham City. He plays mainly as a right midfielder but can play as a central midfielder. He began playing football as a youth player for Southampton before joining non-league Bashley. He began his professional career at...
and Spanish international
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
centre-back Pablo Ibáñez
Pablo Ibáñez
Pablo Ibáñez Tébar , sometimes known as just Pablo, is a Spanish footballer who plays for English Football League Championship club Birmingham City as a central defender....
from West Bromwich Albion, each for an undisclosed fee.
In
| Date | Player | Club | Fee | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2011 | Chris Burke Chris Burke (footballer) Christopher Robert "Chris" Burke is a Scottish footballer who plays for Birmingham City.Burke began his career with Scottish Premier League club Rangers, playing in almost 100 league games, but without establishing himself as a regular first team player. He then played more than 100 matches over... |
(Cardiff City Cardiff City F.C. Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for... ) |
Free | |
| 1 July 2011 | Marlon King Marlon King Marlon Francis King is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Birmingham City. After starting his career in non-League football with Dulwich Hamlet, he played for Barnet, Gillingham, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest before moving to Watford in 2005... |
(Coventry City Coventry City F.C. Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry... ) |
Free | |
| 1 July 2011 | Morgaro Gomis Morgaro Gomis Morgaro Gomis is a Senegal international footballer who plays for English Football League Championship club Birmingham City.... |
(Dundee United Dundee United F.C. Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923... ) |
Free | |
| 1 July 2011 | Adam Rooney Adam Rooney Adam Rooney is an Irish footballer, who plays as a striker for Championship side Birmingham City. He previously played for Stoke City, spent spells on loan at Yeovil Town, Chesterfield and Bury, and was a regular first-team member for Inverness Caledonian Thistle.-Stoke City:Rooney signed for... |
(Inverness Caledonian Thistle Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas... ) |
Free | |
| 7 July 2011 | Steven Caldwell Steven Caldwell Steven Caldwell is a Scottish footballer who plays for Birmingham City as a defender. His younger brother Gary is also a defender and Scotland international.-Newcastle United:... |
(Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic F.C. Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW... ) |
Free | |
| 2 August 2011 | Jonathan Spector Jonathan Spector Jonathan Michael Paul Spector is an American soccer player who plays as a defender for Birmingham City. He started his professional career in England when he was signed by Manchester United as a teenager, but rarely appeared for the club... |
(West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... ) |
Free | |
| 31 August 2011 | Jack Deaman | (Wrexham) | Free | |
| 31 August 2011 | Wade Elliott Wade Elliott Wade Patrick Elliott is an English professional footballer who plays for Birmingham City. He plays mainly as a right midfielder but can play as a central midfielder. He began playing football as a youth player for Southampton before joining non-league Bashley. He began his professional career at... |
Burnley Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888... |
Undisclosed | |
| 31 August 2011 | Pablo Ibáñez Pablo Ibáñez Pablo Ibáñez Tébar , sometimes known as just Pablo, is a Spanish footballer who plays for English Football League Championship club Birmingham City as a central defender.... |
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands... |
Undisclosed | |
- Brackets round club names indicate the player's contract with that club had expired before he joined Birmingham.
Out
| Date | Player | Fee | Joined | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 June 2011 | Craig Gardner Craig Gardner Craig Gardner is an English footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Premier League club Sunderland. A versatile midfielder, Gardner can play in many different positions, although central midfield is his preferred position... |
Undisclosed | Sunderland Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League... |
|
| 13 July 2011 | Roger Johnson Roger Johnson (footballer) Roger Johnson is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers.... |
Undisclosed | Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at... |
|
| 22 July 2011 | Barry Ferguson Barry Ferguson Barry Ferguson MBE is a Scottish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Blackpool.Ferguson has made 82 appearances in European competitions, all for Rangers, which makes him the record European appearance holder at the club. He was also inducted into the Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame... |
Undisclosed | Blackpool Blackpool F.C. Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the... |
|
| 8 August 2011 | Míchel Miguel Marcos Madera Miguel Marcos Madera , known as Míchel, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Getafe as a central midfielder.Having been brought through the youth academy of Asturias side Real Oviedo, he played with the first team of rivals Sporting de Gijón in both the second and first divisions, before... |
Undisclosed | Getafe Getafe CF Getafe Club de Fútbol is a Spanish La Liga football club based in Getafe, a city in the Madrid metropolitan area, founded in 1946 and refounded in 1983.In the top level since 2004-05, it holds home games at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.... |
|
| 31 August 2011 | Scott Dann Scott Dann Scott Dann is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Blackburn Rovers as a centre back. He began his Football League career with Walsall, before moving on to Coventry City and then to Birmingham City in 2009... |
Undisclosed | Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.... |
|
| 31 August 2011 | Cameron Jerome Cameron Jerome Cameron Zishan Rana-Jerome is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City as a striker. He also played for Cardiff City in the Football League, and for Birmingham City in the Football League and Premier League, and at international level has several caps for the England under-21 team.-Early... |
Undisclosed | Stoke City Stoke City F.C. Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts... |
Loan in
| Date | Player | Club | Return | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 July 2011 | Boaz Myhill Boaz Myhill Glyn Oliver Myhill , more commonly known as Boaz Myhill , is a footballer who plays for Birmingham City, on loan from West Bromwich Albion, and the Wales national team as a goalkeeper.-Early life:... |
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands... |
End of season | |
| 5 August 2011 | Chris Wood Chris Wood (footballer born 1991) Christopher "Chris" Grant Wood is a New Zealand footballer who plays for Birmingham City on loan from West Bromwich Albion... |
West Bromwich Albion | 5 January 2012 | |
| 23 August 2011 | Guirane N'Daw Guirane N'Daw Guirane N'Daw is a Senegalese football midfielder who plays for English Championship club Birmingham City on loan from Saint-Étienne of the French Ligue 1.- Career :... |
Saint-Étienne AS Saint-Étienne Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city... |
January 2012 |
Loan out
| Date | Player | Club | Return | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 July 2011 | Ben Foster Ben Foster (footballer) Benjamin Anthony "Ben" Foster is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for West Bromwich Albion, on loan from Birmingham City, and internationally for the England national team.-Stoke City:... |
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands... |
End of season | |
| 8 September 2011 | Jack Butland Jack Butland Jack Butland is an English footballer who plays for Cheltenham Town on loan from Birmingham City. A goalkeeper, Butland has represented England at all levels up to the under-21 team.-Club career:Butland was born in Bristol... |
Cheltenham Town Cheltenham Town F.C. Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more... |
11 December 2011 | |
| 29 September 2011 | Jake Jervis Jake Jervis Jake Mario Jervis is an English footballer who plays for Swindon Town on loan from Birmingham City. He plays as a striker... |
Swindon Town Swindon Town F.C. Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011... |
30 December 2011 | |
Appearances and goals
- Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute.
- Players with squad numbers struck through and marked left the club after the start of the playing season.
- Players with names in italics and marked * were on loan for the whole of their 2011–12 season with Birmingham.
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | League 2011–12 Football League The Football League 2011–12, called the Npower Football League, is the 112th season of the Football League. It began in August 2011 and will conclude in May 2012, with the promotion play-off finals.... |
FA Cup 2011–12 FA Cup The 2011–12 FA Cup will be the 131st season of the world's oldest association football knock-out competition. The closing date for applications was 1 April 2011, and saw 825 clubs apply to enter... |
League Cup 2011–12 Football League Cup The 2011–12 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, is the 52nd season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs... |
Europa League 2011–12 UEFA Europa League The 2011–12 UEFA Europa League is the third season of the competition since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup. It began on 30 June 2011 with the first legs of the first qualifying round, and will end on 9 May 2012 with the final to be held at Stadionul Național in Bucharest, Romania... |
Total | Discipline | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |  |  |
||||
| 1 | GK |  Wales |
Boaz Myhill Boaz Myhill Glyn Oliver Myhill , more commonly known as Boaz Myhill , is a footballer who plays for Birmingham City, on loan from West Bromwich Albion, and the Wales national team as a goalkeeper.-Early life:... * |
16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | Stephen Carr Stephen Carr Stephen Carr is an Irish footballer who plays for and captains Birmingham City. He previously played for the Premier League teams Tottenham Hotspur and, for a shorter spell, Newcastle United. He is a former international player with the Republic of Ireland... |
15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| 3 | DF |  England |
David Murphy David Murphy (footballer) David Paul Murphy is an English professional footballer who plays for Birmingham City. Murphy, born in Hartlepool, County Durham, is a defender who plays at left back.-Club career:... |
5 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 11 (3) | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 4 | DF |  Scotland |
Steven Caldwell Steven Caldwell Steven Caldwell is a Scottish footballer who plays for Birmingham City as a defender. His younger brother Gary is also a defender and Scotland international.-Newcastle United:... |
15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 5 | DF |  Spain |
Pablo Ibáñez Pablo Ibáñez Pablo Ibáñez Tébar , sometimes known as just Pablo, is a Spanish footballer who plays for English Football League Championship club Birmingham City as a central defender.... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | England |
Liam Ridgewell Liam Ridgewell Liam Matthew Ridgewell is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Birmingham City. He is primarily a centre half but can also play at left back. Previously a player for Birmingham's arch-rivals Aston Villa, Ridgewell also spent a spell on loan at A.F.C. Bournemouth in 2002.-Early... |
12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (1) | 0 | 15 (1) | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | Scotland |
Chris Burke Chris Burke (footballer) Christopher Robert "Chris" Burke is a Scottish footballer who plays for Birmingham City.Burke began his career with Scottish Premier League club Rangers, playing in almost 100 league games, but without establishing himself as a regular first team player. He then played more than 100 matches over... |
16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 (2) | 1 | 21 (2) | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 8 | MF |  Senegal |
Guirane N'Daw Guirane N'Daw Guirane N'Daw is a Senegalese football midfielder who plays for English Championship club Birmingham City on loan from Saint-Étienne of the French Ligue 1.- Career :... * |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 9 | FW |  Jamaica |
Marlon King Marlon King Marlon Francis King is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Birmingham City. After starting his career in non-League football with Dulwich Hamlet, he played for Barnet, Gillingham, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest before moving to Watford in 2005... |
10 (2) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 2 (2) | 2 | 12 (5) | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| FW | England |
Cameron Jerome Cameron Jerome Cameron Zishan Rana-Jerome is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City as a striker. He also played for Cardiff City in the Football League, and for Birmingham City in the Football League and Premier League, and at international level has several caps for the England under-21 team.-Early... |
0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | FW |  Chile |
Jean Beausejour Jean Beausejour Jean André Emanuel Beausejour Coliqueo , nicknamed Palmatoria or Francés, is a Chilean footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City... |
15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 20 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| 12 | MF | England |
Jordon Mutch Jordon Mutch Jordon James Edward Sydney Mutch is an English footballer who plays for Birmingham City. He plays as a midfielder. Mutch made his first-team debut for Birmingham in the League Cup in August 2008, and made his debut in the Football League while on loan to Hereford United, spending subsequent loan... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | GK | Colin Doyle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | MF | Senegal |
Morgaro Gomis Morgaro Gomis Morgaro Gomis is a Senegal international footballer who plays for English Football League Championship club Birmingham City.... |
7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | England |
Scott Dann Scott Dann Scott Dann is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Blackburn Rovers as a centre back. He began his Football League career with Walsall, before moving on to Coventry City and then to Birmingham City in 2009... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | MF | England |
Wade Elliott Wade Elliott Wade Patrick Elliott is an English professional footballer who plays for Birmingham City. He plays mainly as a right midfielder but can play as a central midfielder. He began playing football as a youth player for Southampton before joining non-league Bashley. He began his professional career at... |
3 (5) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 7 (5) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | FW | Adam Rooney Adam Rooney Adam Rooney is an Irish footballer, who plays as a striker for Championship side Birmingham City. He previously played for Stoke City, spent spells on loan at Yeovil Town, Chesterfield and Bury, and was a regular first-team member for Inverness Caledonian Thistle.-Stoke City:Rooney signed for... |
4 (3) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 (3) | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| 18 | MF | Keith Fahey Keith Fahey Keith Declan Fahey is an Republic of Ireland international footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City. With Ireland he was part of the team that secured qualification for UEFA Euro 2012.... |
12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 19 | FW |  Serbia |
Nikola Žigić Nikola Žigic Nikola Žigić is a Serbian footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City as a centre forward.At , Žigić is among the tallest professional players in the world... |
3 (7) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 2 (1) | 0 | 5 (9) | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | Spain |
Enric Vallès Enric Vallès Enric Vallès Prat is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City. He plays as a midfielder. He began his career in the youth system of FC Barcelona before playing in the Dutch Eredivisie for NAC Breda.... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| MF | Spain |
Míchel Miguel Marcos Madera Miguel Marcos Madera , known as Míchel, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Getafe as a central midfielder.Having been brought through the youth academy of Asturias side Real Oviedo, he played with the first team of rivals Sporting de Gijón in both the second and first divisions, before... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 22 | MF | England |
Nathan Redmond Nathan Redmond Nathan Daniel Jerome Redmond is an English professional footballer who plays for Birmingham City. He made his first-team debut for Birmingham in the Football League Cup second-round tie against Rochdale in August 2010, becoming the club's second-youngest player ever at the age of 16 years and 173... |
3 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 (2) | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | DF |  United States |
Jonathan Spector Jonathan Spector Jonathan Michael Paul Spector is an American soccer player who plays as a defender for Birmingham City. He started his professional career in England when he was signed by Manchester United as a teenager, but rarely appeared for the club... |
12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 24 | DF | England |
Curtis Davies Curtis Davies Curtis Eugene Davies is an English professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Birmingham City. Davies has previously played for Luton Town, where he began his career, West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa and Leicester City.... |
14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 25 | FW |  Netherlands |
Akwasi Asante Akwasi Asante Akwasi Asante is a Dutch footballer who plays for Birmingham City as a striker. He made his first-team debut for Birmingham in the Europa League play-off round second leg against C.D. Nacional in August 2011.-Club career:... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | GK | England |
Jack Butland Jack Butland Jack Butland is an English footballer who plays for Cheltenham Town on loan from Birmingham City. A goalkeeper, Butland has represented England at all levels up to the under-21 team.-Club career:Butland was born in Bristol... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | FW | England |
Jake Jervis Jake Jervis Jake Mario Jervis is an English footballer who plays for Swindon Town on loan from Birmingham City. He plays as a striker... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | MF | England |
Luke Hubbins Luke Hubbins Luke Anthony Hubbins is an English footballer who plays for Birmingham City. He made his professional debut in August 2010 in the Football League Cup while on loan to Notts County... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | DF | Scotland |
Fraser Kerr | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | FW |  New Zealand |
Chris Wood Chris Wood (footballer born 1991) Christopher "Chris" Grant Wood is a New Zealand footballer who plays for Birmingham City on loan from West Bromwich Albion... * |
10 (6) | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (3) | 2 | 12 (9) | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 43 | DF | England |
Mitch Hancox | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |