1945–46 Birmingham City F.C. season explained

Club:Birmingham City F.C.
Season:1945–46
Manager:Harry Storer
Chairman:Harry Morris Jr
Stdtitle:Ground
Stadium:St Andrew's
League:Football League South
League Result:1st
Cup1:FA Cup
Cup1 Result:Semi-final
(eliminated by Derby County)
Season Topscorer:Charlie Wilson Jones (25)
Highest Attendance:FA Cup: 9 March 1946
Lowest Attendance:FA Cup: 25,054 vs Watford, 29 March 1946
Pattern La1:_whiteborder
Pattern B1:_whitecollarplain
Pattern Ra1:_whiteborder
Pattern So1:_whitetop
Leftarm1:000099
Body1:000099
Rightarm1:000099
Shorts1:FFFFFF
Socks1:000099
Prevseason:1938–39
Nextseason:1946–47

The 1945–46 season was Birmingham City Football Club's first season played under that name in nationally-organised football. The club had been called Birmingham F.C. since 1905, and the City suffix was added in 1943. Although the Football League did not resume until the 1946–47 season, the FA Cup restarted in 1945. Birmingham reached the semi-final, in which they lost to Derby County after extra time in a replay, played at Maine Road, Manchester, in front of 80,407 spectators. In league competition, Birmingham were champions of the first and only edition of the Football League South, taking the title on goal average from local rivals Aston Villa.

Twenty-four players made at least one Football League South appearance, though only twelve appeared regularly, the remaining twelve making just 36 appearances between them. Full-back Dennis Jennings missed only one of the 42 matches over the season. Charlie Wilson Jones was leading scorer with 20 goals in league competition. In the FA Cup, the same eleven players were selected for all the ties, apart from Sid King replacing Gil Merrick in goal for two of the ten matches.

Football League South

The Football League North and South were set up as a precursor to the resumption of the Football League proper the following season. They included those teams playing in the First and Second Divisions in the 1939–40 Football League season abandoned when war broke out, divided on a regional basis. Because registration rules had not been strictly observed during the war, and with many players still away on military service, teams were permitted to field guest players.

On the last day of the season, Aston Villa had already completed their fixtures. Both Birmingham and Charlton Athletic were two points behind them with a game to play and a superior goal average.[1] In the event, Birmingham won 3–0 away at Luton Town to finish level on points with Aston Villa with a better goal average.[2] Charlton were 1–0 ahead of Wolverhampton Wanderers when they heard that Birmingham had scored twice, so they needed another goal to overhaul them on goal average. They went on an all-out attack, but Wanderers' Dicky Dorsett broke away to score, thus confirming Charlton in third place.[3] The Birmingham Evening Despatch said:

DateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		Scorers
25 August 1945West Ham UnitedHstyle=background:#fccL0–1
1 September 1945West Ham UnitedAstyle=background:#fccL2–3Massart, Edwards
3 September 1945Luton TownHstyle=background:#cfcW3–2Dougall, Bodle
8 September 1945West Bromwich AlbionHstyle=background:#cfcW4–0Edwards, Mulraney, Duckhouse, Jones
15 September 1945West Bromwich AlbionAstyle=background:#ffcD0–0
17 September 1945Coventry CityAstyle=background:#cfcW3–2Bodle, Duckhouse, Mulraney
22 September 1945Swansea TownAstyle=background:#cfcW4–2Mulraney, Dougall, Massart 2
29 September 1945Swansea TownHstyle=background:#cfcW5–0Bodle 2, Duckhouse, Jones, Mulraney
6 October 1945Tottenham HotspurHstyle=background:#cfcW8–0Duckhouse, Massart 2, Dougall, Bodle, Edwards, Mulraney 2
13 October 1945Tottenham HotspurAstyle=background:#cfcW1–0Mulraney
20 October 1945BrentfordAstyle=background:#fccL1–2White
27 October 1945BrentfordHstyle=background:#cfcW1–0Massart
3 November 1945ChelseaHstyle=background:#cfcW5–2Bodle 2, Jones, Turner pen, Edwards
10 November 1945ChelseaAstyle=background:#cfcW3–2Jones 2, Turner pen
17 November 1945MillwallAstyle=background:#fccL1–5Jones
24 November 1945MillwallHstyle=background:#cfcW4–0Bodle, Jones, Edwards 2
1 December 1945SouthamptonAstyle=background:#ffcD1–1Duckhouse
8 December 1945SouthamptonHstyle=background:#cfcW4–0Bodle 2, Duckhouse, Edwards
15 December 1945Derby CountyAstyle=background:#cfcW2–0Edwards, Jones
22 December 1945Derby CountyHstyle=background:#cfcW1–0Bodle
25 December 1945Leicester CityHstyle=background:#cfcW6–2Jones 2, Dougall, Bodle, Edwards, Mulraney
26 December 1945Leicester CityAstyle=background:#cfcW1–0Mulraney
29 December 1945Coventry CityHstyle=background:#cfcW2–0Edwards, Dougall
12 January 1946Aston VillaAstyle=background:#ffcD2–2Dearson, Dougall
19 January 1946Aston VillaHstyle=background:#cfcW3–1Jones 2, Mulraney
2 February 1946ArsenalAstyle=background:#cfcW3–0Jones, Edwards 2
16 February 1946Charlton AthleticHstyle=background:#cfcW1–0Jones
23 February 1946FulhamHstyle=background:#cfcW2–0Laing, White
13 March 1946ArsenalHstyle=background:#fccL0–1
16 March 1946Plymouth ArgyleHstyle=background:#fccL0–1
30 March 1946PortsmouthAstyle=background:#cfcW4–3Mulraney, Jones, Dougall, Bodle
1 April 1946Plymouth ArgyleAstyle=background:#cfcW3–2Jones 3
6 April 1946Nottingham ForestAstyle=background:#fccL0–1
10 April 1946PortsmouthHstyle=background:#cfcW1–0Jones
13 April 1946Nottingham ForestHstyle=background:#cfcW3–1Bodle, Jones, Harris
15 April 1946FulhamAstyle=background:#fccL2–3Dougall 2
19 April 1946Newport CountyHstyle=background:#cfcW3–2Mulraney, Massart 2
20 April 1946Wolverhampton WanderersAstyle=background:#ffcD3–3Bodle, Edwards, Harris
22 April 1946Newport CountyAstyle=background:#cfcW1–0Massart
27 April 1946Wolverhampton WanderersHstyle=background:#fccL0–1
29 April 1946Charlton AthleticAstyle=background:#ffcD0–0
4 May 1946Luton TownAstyle=background:#cfcW3–0Bodle, Mitchell pen, Mulraney

League table (part)

See main article: Football League North and South.

FA Cup

From the first round proper to the sixth round of the 1945–46 FA Cup, the first edition of the competition to be completed since war broke out, matches were played over two legs. Birmingham defeated Portsmouth, Watford, Sunderland and Bradford Park Avenue to reach the semi-final, in which they drew with Derby County at Hillsborough, Sheffield, in front of 65,000 spectators. In a match that "did not produce a great deal of high-class play [but] was very keenly contested",[4] Raich Carter opened the scoring from Derby's first attack,[5] Jock Mulraney "hit the angle of bar and post with a glorious shot from twenty yards",[6] and the same player equalised early in the second half "after one of the best movements of the game".[4]

The replay, at Maine Road, Manchester, attracted huge interest. The second half of the match was scheduled for live radio broadcast,[7] and the gates were closed on safety grounds about an hour before kickoff, with thousands locked out.[8] "Several thousands" of the official attendance of 80,407 "were allowed to sit on the ground almost up to the touch line".[9] The match went goalless to the last half-minute of normal time, when Harold Bodle was unmarked from goal. Derby goalkeeper Vic Woodley stayed on his line, and "Bodle took the ball to within eight yards of goal but hit the ball so near to Woodley that he was able to beat the ball away."[10] Six minutes into extra time,[9] defender Ted Duckhouse arrived just too late to stop Peter Doherty scoring Derby's first goal and sustained a broken leg in the collision with his opponent.[11] No substitutes were allowed, and Birmingham went on to lose 4–0.

RoundOpponentsDateVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
Third roundPortsmouth5 January 1946Hstyle=background:#cfcW1–0Flewin og33,845
9 January 1946Astyle=background:#ffcD0–023,716
aggregatestyle=background:#cfcW1–0
Fourth roundWatford26 January 1946Hstyle=background:#cfcW5–0Mulraney 3, Jones, Bodle25,054
30 January 1946Astyle=background:#ffcD1–1Jones6,126
aggregatestyle=background:#cfcW6–1
Fifth roundSunderland9 February 1946Astyle=background:#fccL0–144,820
13 February 1946Hstyle=background:#cfcW3–1Jones 2, Mulraney39,880
aggregatestyle=background:#cfcW3–2
Sixth roundBradford Park Avenue2 March 1946Astyle=background:#ffcD2–2Dougall, Jones19,732
9 March 1946Hstyle=background:#cfcW6–0Dougall 2, Bodle 2, Mulraney 249,858
aggregatestyle=background:#cfcW8–2
Semi-finalDerby County23 March 1946Hillsborough, Sheffieldstyle=background:#ffcD1–1Mulraney65,013
Semi-final replayDerby County27 March 1946Maine Road, Manchesterstyle=background:#fccL0–4
aet		80,407

Appearances and goals

Players having played at least one first-team match
Pos.Nat.NameLeagueFA CupTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GKTed Ditchburn *100010
GKSid King202040
GKGil Merrick39080470
FBTed Duckhouse266100366
FBBilly Hughes400040
FB - N. Jenks200020
FBDennis Jennings410100510
FBRay Shaw200020
FBSid Stanton100010
HBDon Dearson34100341
HBFred Harris392100492
HBFrank Mitchell261100361
HBSyd Owen500050
HBArthur Turner402100502
FWHarold Bodle40161035019
FWNeil Dougall38101034813
FWGeorge Edwards38131004813
FWCharlie Wilson Jones27201053725
FWBobby Laing210021
FW - I. McPherson *100010
FWDave Massart11900119
FWJock Mulraney38131074820
FWCyril Trigg100010
FWFrank White *420042

See also

References

General

Specific

Notes and References

  1. News: Final League Matches . The Times . London . 4 May 1946 . 8.
  2. News: The End of the Season . The Times . London . 6 May 1946 . 2.
  3. News: End-of-Season Soccer . J.T. . Bolton . The Observer . London . 5 May 1946 . 8.
  4. News: Association Football. Charlton in the Final . The Times . London . 25 March 1946 . 2.
  5. News: Charlton Cup Triumph . Chris . Bale . The Sunday Times . London . 24 March 1946 . 8.
  6. News: Derby may have missed a chance . The Manchester Guardian . 25 March 1946 . 3.
  7. News: Broadcasting. The Light Programme . The Times . London . 27 March 1946 . 6.
  8. News: Cup-tie crowd . The Manchester Guardian . 28 March 1946 . 6.
  9. News: Association Football. Derby County in the Cup Final . The Times . London . 28 March 1946 . 2.
  10. Gil Merrick, quoted in Rollin, Soccer at War, p. 109.
  11. News: Derby County win in extra time . The Manchester Guardian . 28 March 1946 . 2.
  12. Rollin, Soccer at War, p. 276.

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