Gil Merrick
Encyclopedia
Gilbert Harold "Gil" Merrick (26 January 1922 – 3 February 2010), was an English footballer and football manager. Considered one of the best goalkeepers in the UK during the mid-1950s, Merrick was one in a long line of great Birmingham City
keepers which included the likes of Johnny Schofield
and Harry Hibbs. Merrick spent his entire career at Birmingham City, playing more than 700 times between 1939 and 1960. He made 170 appearances during the Second World War and 485 in the Football League
following the end of the war. He won 23 caps
for the England national football team
, and played in the 1954 World Cup
. After retirement as a player, he managed the club for four years.
Birmingham City renamed the Railway Stand at their St Andrew's stadium the Gil Merrick Stand for the start of the 2009–10 season
. Merrick's death was announced on 4 February 2010.
, Birmingham
. He signed professional terms with Birmingham in August 1939, and would remain with the team until his retirement as a player in 1960. At first, Merrick was third choice keeper behind boyhood hero Harry Hibbs and Jack Wheeler. This meant that Merrick had to wait until 20 May 1940 to make his debut in the Birmingham first team, then playing in the Midland Regional League because of the Second World War. With the retirement of Hibbs, Merrick gained the chance to play more competitive football, and by the end of the war he had amassed 170 appearances for the "Blues", including an FA Cup
semi-final against Derby County
, which Derby won 4–0 after a replay.
When the Football League
re-started in 1946, Merrick found himself playing regularly for the recently renamed Birmingham City. In 1948, Merrick helped guide Birmingham City to the Division Two title, missing only six games along the way. He played regularly for the Blues up until the end of the 1954–55 season, when another Blues prodigy, Johnny Schofield
replaced him in goal because of injury. During this time, Merrick achieved 126 league games in a row, from 15 April 1949 to 5 April 1952. He also played in every FA Cup game during this time, another nine games, including an FA Cup semi-final appearance against Blackpool
, which the Blues lost 2–1.
By the 1955–56 season, Merrick had once again firmly established himself in the Birmingham City goal, as the Blues produced their best ever season, finishing sixth in Division One and reaching the 1956 FA Cup Final
, which they lost to Manchester City
. Merrick was also the keeper when Birmingham reached the FA Cup semi-final the following year, only to be knocked out by Manchester United
.
Merrick also played in the 1955–58 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, in which Birmingham were knocked out at the semi-final stage by Barcelona
, losing 2–1 in a replay at the St. Jakob Stadium
. He also played some part in the 1958–60 tournament, but had lost his place in the Birmingham team to Schofield when Birmingham lost to Barcelona in the final.
After only playing one game in the 1959–60 season, Merrick retired to become manager of the team he had served loyally for more than 20 years.
. He made his debut against Ireland
on 14 November 1951 at Wembley in the 1952 British Home Championship
. He was first-choice goalkeeper for England in the 1954 World Cup
, his last international appearance coming against Uruguay
on 26 June 1954, as England were eliminated at the quarter-final stage. All of Merrick's caps were gained when Birmingham City were a Second Division club. He is perhaps best known for being the last line of defence against the Hungary
side of Ferenc Puskás
and Nándor Hidegkuti
, the "Magnificent Magyars" who beat England 6–3 at Wembley
in 1953 and 7–1 at the Nepstadion in 1954.
The following is a complete list of Merrick's England appearances.
at the helm of Birmingham City in May 1960. Merrick's first competitive game in charge was a 2-2 draw away at Bolton Wanderers
on 20 August 1960, and his first home game against Sheffield Wednesday
where his side drew 1-1. His side would go on to finish 19th in Division One. The Blues had another good run in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, reaching the final where they lost to Roma
. The 1960-61 tournament did produce a win for Birmingham at the San Siro
against Internazionale
in the semi-final; they were the only English team to achieve this for around 40 years.
Although Merrick spent well in the transfer market, bringing in such players as Jimmy Harris
and Welshman Ken Leek
, Blues failed to make much impact on Division One, and finished 17th in the 1961-62 season. Blues once again entered the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, but disappointingly went out in the Second Round to Espanyol
By far the best achievement in Merrick's reign at the club came in the 1962-63 season, when he successfully led the Blues to the League Cup
title, beating Aston Villa
in the final
thanks to goals from Ken Leek (2) and Jimmy Bloomfield
. Birmingham finished a disappointing 20th in Division One.
Merrick's last season in charge in Birmingham City was another disappointing season, where the Blues once again failed to make much impact in Division One, and finished 20th again. This was the last time he would manage in the League, as he handed over to new manager Joe Mallett
.
Merrick would have two more spells in management, with non-league Bromsgrove Rovers
and Atherstone Town
.
As Birmingham City manager
Personal
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...
keepers which included the likes of Johnny Schofield
Johnny Schofield
John 'Johnny' Reginald Schofield was an English footballer, playing league football for Birmingham City and Wrexham....
and Harry Hibbs. Merrick spent his entire career at Birmingham City, playing more than 700 times between 1939 and 1960. He made 170 appearances during the Second World War and 485 in 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...
following the end of the war. He won 23 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for the England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, and played in the 1954 World Cup
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
. After retirement as a player, he managed the club for four years.
Birmingham City renamed the Railway Stand at their St Andrew's stadium the Gil Merrick Stand for the start of the 2009–10 season
2009–10 in English football
The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League...
. Merrick's death was announced on 4 February 2010.
Domestic career
Merrick was born in SparkhillSparkhill
Sparkhill is an inner-city area of Birmingham, England, situated between Springfield, Hall Green and Sparkbrook.-Etymology:Sparkhill takes its name from Spark Brook, a small stream that flows from Moseley to the River Cole in Small Heath. It was, as the name suggests, a hill that was situated...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. He signed professional terms with Birmingham in August 1939, and would remain with the team until his retirement as a player in 1960. At first, Merrick was third choice keeper behind boyhood hero Harry Hibbs and Jack Wheeler. This meant that Merrick had to wait until 20 May 1940 to make his debut in the Birmingham first team, then playing in the Midland Regional League because of the Second World War. With the retirement of Hibbs, Merrick gained the chance to play more competitive football, and by the end of the war he had amassed 170 appearances for the "Blues", including an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi-final against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, which Derby won 4–0 after a replay.
When 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...
re-started in 1946, Merrick found himself playing regularly for the recently renamed Birmingham City. In 1948, Merrick helped guide Birmingham City to the Division Two title, missing only six games along the way. He played regularly for the Blues up until the end of the 1954–55 season, when another Blues prodigy, Johnny Schofield
Johnny Schofield
John 'Johnny' Reginald Schofield was an English footballer, playing league football for Birmingham City and Wrexham....
replaced him in goal because of injury. During this time, Merrick achieved 126 league games in a row, from 15 April 1949 to 5 April 1952. He also played in every FA Cup game during this time, another nine games, including an FA Cup semi-final appearance against 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...
, which the Blues lost 2–1.
By the 1955–56 season, Merrick had once again firmly established himself in the Birmingham City goal, as the Blues produced their best ever season, finishing sixth in Division One and reaching the 1956 FA Cup Final
1956 FA Cup Final
The 1956 FA Cup Final was the final match of the 1955–56 staging of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, better known as the FA Cup. The showpiece event was contested between Manchester City and Birmingham City at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday...
, which they lost to Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
. Merrick was also the keeper when Birmingham reached the FA Cup semi-final the following year, only to be knocked out by Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
.
Merrick also played in the 1955–58 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, in which Birmingham were knocked out at the semi-final stage by Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, losing 2–1 in a replay at the St. Jakob Stadium
St. Jakob Stadium
The St. Jakob Stadium was a football stadium in Basel, Switzerland and the former home of Swiss club FC Basel. It was built in 1954, and as well as serving as a club stadium, it hosted several important matches, including a 1954 FIFA World Cup semi-final and four Cup Winners' Cup finals.Tickets and...
. He also played some part in the 1958–60 tournament, but had lost his place in the Birmingham team to Schofield when Birmingham lost to Barcelona in the final.
After only playing one game in the 1959–60 season, Merrick retired to become manager of the team he had served loyally for more than 20 years.
International career
Merrick was capped 23 times by EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. He made his debut against Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
on 14 November 1951 at Wembley in the 1952 British Home Championship
1952 British Home Championship
The 1952 British Home Championship was an international football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1951/52 season. In an unusual conclusion, Wales shared the championship with England, one of only four tournaments Wales would share victory in post-war...
. He was first-choice goalkeeper for England in the 1954 World Cup
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
, his last international appearance coming against Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
on 26 June 1954, as England were eliminated at the quarter-final stage. All of Merrick's caps were gained when Birmingham City were a Second Division club. He is perhaps best known for being the last line of defence against the Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
side of Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás was a Hungarian footballer and manager. He scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary, and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. He became Olympic champion in 1952 and was a World Cup finalist in 1954...
and Nándor Hidegkuti
Nándor Hidegkuti
Nándor Hidegkuti was a Hungarian football player and manager. He played as a forward or attacking midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career at MTK Hungária FC. During the 1950s he was also a member of the Hungarian National Team team known as the Golden Team...
, the "Magnificent Magyars" who beat England 6–3 at Wembley
England v Hungary (1953)
England v Hungary was an international football game played on November 25, 1953. The game was played between Hungary - then the world's number one ranked team, the Olympic champions and on a run of 24 unbeaten games - and England, then the world's number three ranked team, the inventors of the...
in 1953 and 7–1 at the Nepstadion in 1954.
The following is a complete list of Merrick's England appearances.
- England score given first.
| Cap | Date | Opponents | Score | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 November 1951 | 2–0 | 1952 Home Championship 1952 British Home Championship The 1952 British Home Championship was an international football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1951/52 season. In an unusual conclusion, Wales shared the championship with England, one of only four tournaments Wales would share victory in post-war... |
Villa Park, Birmingham Villa Park Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County... |
|
| 2 | 28 November 1951 | 2–2 | Friendly | Wembley, London | |
| 3 | 5 April 1952 | 2–1 | 1952 Home Championship | Hampden Park, Glasgow Hampden Park Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland... |
|
| 4 | 18 May 1952 | 1–1 | Friendly | Comunale, Florence | |
| 5 | 25 May 1952 | 3–2 | Friendly | Prater, Vienna | |
| 6 | 28 May 1952 | 3–0 | Friendly | Hardturm, Zurich Hardturm The Hardturm was a football stadium located in Zurich's Kreis 5. Opened in 1929, it was the home of the Grasshopper-Club Zürich. It was a host stadium for the 1954 FIFA World Cup.... |
|
| 7 | 4 October 1952 | 2–2 | 1953 Home Championship 1953 British Home Championship The 1953 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations throughout the 1952–53 football season. The tournament saw a last minute goal by Lawrie Reilly in the final game at Wembley which salvaged a draw and thus a share in the trophy for Scotland... |
Windsor Park, Belfast Windsor Park Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:... |
|
| 8 | 12 November 1952 | 5–2 | 1953 Home Championship | Wembley, London | |
| 9 | 26 November 1952 | 5–0 | Friendly | Wembley, London | |
| 10 | 18 April 1953 | 2–2 | 1953 Home Championship | Wembley, London | |
| 11 | 17 May 1953 | 0–0 | Friendly | Monumental, Buenos Aires Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, is a stadium in the Belgrano district of Buenos Aires, Argentina at the intersection of Figueroa Alcorta and Udaondo. It is the home venue of Club Atlético River Plate and is named after former club president Antonio Vespucio Liberti... |
|
| 12 | 24 May 1953 | 2–1 | Friendly | Nacional, Santiago Estadio Nacional de Chile The Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos is the national stadium of Chile, and is located in the Ñuñoa district of Santiago). It is the largest stadium in Chile with an official capacity of 47,000, and is part of a 62 ha sporting complex which also features tennis courts, an aquatics center, a... |
|
| 13 | 31 May 1953 | 1–2 | Friendly | Centenario, Montevideo Estadio Centenario Estadio Centenario is a stadium in Parque Batlle, Montevideo, Uruguay, used primarily for football. The stadium was built between 1929 and 1930 to host the 1930 FIFA World Cup, as well as to commemorate the centennial of Uruguay's first constitution... |
|
| 14 | 10 October 1953 | 4–1 | 1954 Home Championship 1954 British Home Championship The 1954 British Home Championship was an international football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1953–54 season which also provided the home nations qualifying tournament for the 1954 FIFA World Cup. Both England and Scotland qualified as first and second placed... |
Ninian Park, Cardiff Ninian Park Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship... |
|
| 15 | 21 October 1953 | FIFA FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth... XI |
4–4 | Friendly | Wembley, London |
| 16 | 11 November 1953 | 3–1 | 1954 Home Championship | Goodison Park, Liverpool Goodison Park Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds... |
|
| 17 | 25 November 1953 | 3–6 | Friendly | Wembley, London | |
| 18 | 3 April 1954 | 4–2 | 1954 Home Championship | Hampden Park, Glasgow | |
| 19 | 16 May 1954 | 0–1 | Friendly | JNA, Belgrade | |
| 20 | 23 May 1954 | 1–7 | Friendly | Nepstadion, Budapest | |
| 21 | 17 June 1954 | 4–4 | 1954 World Cup 1954 FIFA World Cup The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game... |
St Jakob, Basel St. Jakob Stadium The St. Jakob Stadium was a football stadium in Basel, Switzerland and the former home of Swiss club FC Basel. It was built in 1954, and as well as serving as a club stadium, it hosted several important matches, including a 1954 FIFA World Cup semi-final and four Cup Winners' Cup finals.Tickets and... |
|
| 22 | 20 June 1954 | 2–0 | 1954 World Cup | Wankdorf, Bern Wankdorf Stadium The Wankdorf Stadium was a football stadium in the Wankdorf quarter of Bern, Switzerland, and the former home of Swiss club BSC Young Boys. It was built in 1925, and as well as serving as a club stadium, it hosted several important matches, including the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final, the 1961... |
|
| 23 | 26 June 1954 | 2–4 | 1954 World Cup | St Jakob, Basel |
Managerial career
After his retirement, Merrick took over from Pat BeasleyPat Beasley
Albert "Pat" Beasley was a professional footballer and manager.-Football career:Born in Stourbridge, Worcestershire, Beasley began his career as a winger playing for local sides in Kidderminster, before joining Stourbridge. In 1931, while still only seventeen he was signed for £550 by Arsenal...
at the helm of Birmingham City in May 1960. Merrick's first competitive game in charge was a 2-2 draw away at Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
on 20 August 1960, and his first home game against Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
where his side drew 1-1. His side would go on to finish 19th in Division One. The Blues had another good run in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, reaching the final where they lost to Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
. The 1960-61 tournament did produce a win for Birmingham at the San Siro
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
against Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
in the semi-final; they were the only English team to achieve this for around 40 years.
Although Merrick spent well in the transfer market, bringing in such players as Jimmy Harris
Jimmy Harris (footballer)
James "Jimmy" Harris is a former English professional footballer who played as a forward for Everton and Birmingham City in the First Division...
and Welshman Ken Leek
Ken Leek
Kenneth 'Ken' Leek was a Welsh footballer, who played as a centre forward or inside forward for several different clubs and for the Wales national side in a professional career which spanned from 1952 until 1968. He scored 145 goals in the Football League from 396 appearances with five clubs...
, Blues failed to make much impact on Division One, and finished 17th in the 1961-62 season. Blues once again entered the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, but disappointingly went out in the Second Round to Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
By far the best achievement in Merrick's reign at the club came in the 1962-63 season, when he successfully led the Blues to the League Cup
Football 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...
title, beating 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...
in the final
1963 Football League Cup Final
The 1963 Football League Cup Final, the third to be staged since the competition's inception, was contested between local rivals Birmingham City and Aston Villa over two legs. Aston Villa had won the inaugural competition in 1960–61, and had beaten Birmingham 4–0 in their most recent...
thanks to goals from Ken Leek (2) and Jimmy Bloomfield
Jimmy Bloomfield
James Henry "Jimmy" Bloomfield was an English football player and manager.Born in Notting Hill, North Kensington, London, Bloomfield started his career at non-league Hayes before joining Second Division side Brentford in October 1952...
. Birmingham finished a disappointing 20th in Division One.
Merrick's last season in charge in Birmingham City was another disappointing season, where the Blues once again failed to make much impact in Division One, and finished 20th again. This was the last time he would manage in the League, as he handed over to new manager Joe Mallett
Joe Mallett
Joseph "Joe" Mallett was an English professional footballer who spent much of his early playing career at Queens Park Rangers and subsequently at Southampton...
.
Merrick would have two more spells in management, with non-league Bromsgrove Rovers
Bromsgrove Rovers F.C.
Bromsgrove Rovers F.C. were a non-League football club from the town of Bromsgrove in Worcestershire. The peak of the club's success was in 1993 when Rovers finished runner-up in the Football Conference...
and Atherstone Town
Atherstone Town F.C.
Atherstone Town Football Club is a football club based in Atherstone, Warwickshire, England.They were officially established in 2004 after a previous club bearing the same name folded in 1979...
.
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | D | Win % | |||
| 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... |
May 1960 | June 1964 | 202 | 64 | 46 | 92 | 31.7 |
| Bromsgrove Rovers Bromsgrove Rovers F.C. Bromsgrove Rovers F.C. were a non-League football club from the town of Bromsgrove in Worcestershire. The peak of the club's success was in 1993 when Rovers finished runner-up in the Football Conference... |
1967 | Unknown | |||||
| Atherstone Town Atherstone Town F.C. Atherstone Town Football Club is a football club based in Atherstone, Warwickshire, England.They were officially established in 2004 after a previous club bearing the same name folded in 1979... |
1970 | Unknown | |||||
Honours
As Birmingham City player- Football League SouthFootball League North and SouthThe Football League North and Football League South divisions of the Football League were created for the League to continue while limiting the amount of movement that was required by teams. The Leagues started in 1941; however, the leagues only had one full season, in 1945-46...
war league champions: 1945–46 - Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
champions: 1947–48, 1954–55 - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
runners-up: 19561956 FA Cup FinalThe 1956 FA Cup Final was the final match of the 1955–56 staging of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, better known as the FA Cup. The showpiece event was contested between Manchester City and Birmingham City at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday...
As Birmingham City manager
- Inter-Cities Fairs CupInter-Cities Fairs CupThe Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials...
runners-up: 1961 - League CupFootball League CupThe 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...
winner: 19631963 Football League Cup FinalThe 1963 Football League Cup Final, the third to be staged since the competition's inception, was contested between local rivals Birmingham City and Aston Villa over two legs. Aston Villa had won the inaugural competition in 1960–61, and had beaten Birmingham 4–0 in their most recent...
Personal
- In April 2009, Birmingham City F.C.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...
announced their intention of renaming one of the stands at their St Andrew's stadium in Merrick's honour. From the 2009–10 season2009–10 in English footballThe 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League...
, the Railway Stand would be known as the Gil Merrick Stand. - In August 2009, Merrick was chosen by public vote as Birmingham City's representative on the Birmingham Walk of StarsBirmingham Walk of StarsThe Broad Street Walk of Stars is an installation on the pedestrian pavement on Broad Street, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It is of a similar style to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California...
. - In October 2009, Merrick was the first inductee to the Birmingham City F.C. Hall of Fame.
External links
- Gil Merrick - Daily Telegraph obituary