1973–74 Birmingham City F.C. season explained

Club:Birmingham City F.C.
Season:1973–74
Manager:Freddie Goodwin
Chairman:Clifford Coombs
Stdtitle:Ground
Stadium:St Andrew's
League:Football League First Division
League Result:19th
Cup1:FA Cup
Cup1 Result:Fourth round
(eliminated by Queens Park Rangers)
Cup2:League Cup
Cup2 Result:Fifth round
(eliminated by Plymouth Argyle)
Cup3:Texaco Cup
Cup3 Result:Second round
(eliminated by Newcastle United)
League Topscorer:Bob Hatton (14)
Season Topscorer:Bob Hatton (20)
Highest Attendance:50,451 vs Leeds United, 29 December 1973
Lowest Attendance:12,422 vs Newcastle United, Texaco Cup 2nd round, 22 October 1973
Average Attendance:33,048
Pattern B1:_bluesides
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Rightarm1:0000ff
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Socks1:0000ff
Prevseason:1972–73
Nextseason:1974–75

The 1973–74 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 71st in the Football League and their 40th in the First Division. After spending most of the season in the relegation positions, they finished in 19th place in the 22-team division, avoiding relegation by just one point. They entered the 1973–74 FA Cup at the third round proper and lost to Queens Park Rangers in the fourth, and were eliminated from the League Cup in the fifth round by Plymouth Argyle. They lost in the second round of the Texaco Cup on aggregate, after the first attempt to play the second leg of their match against Newcastle United had to be abandoned after 100 minutes when it became too dark to play.

Thirty players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were twelve different goalscorers. Forward Bob Hatton played in 51 of the 54 first-team matches over the season, and the leading goalscorer was Hatton with 20 goals, of which 14 came in league competition.

In February 1974, by which time he had already scored 18 goals for Birmingham, centre-forward Bob Latchford signed for Everton in part-exchange for Howard Kendall, Archie Styles, and £80,000. The whole package was valued at a British record transfer fee of £350,000.[1]

Football League First Division

See main article: 1973–74 Football League.

DateLeague
position		OpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
25 August 197315thManchester CityAstyle=background:#fccL1–3Hatton35,881
28 August 197317thTottenham HotspurHstyle=background:#fccL1–2Hatton37,754
1 September 197320thDerby CountyHstyle=background:#ffcD0–034,899
5 September 197322ndChelseaAstyle=background:#fccL1–3Page25,660
8 September 197322ndLeeds UnitedAstyle=background:#fccL0–339,746
11 September 197322ndChelseaHstyle=background:#fccL2–4Hatton, Taylor30,252
15 September 197322ndLiverpoolHstyle=background:#ffcD1–1R. Latchford35,719
22 September 197322ndQueens Park RangersAstyle=background:#ffcD2–2R. Latchford, Burns18,701
29 September 197322ndIpswich TownHstyle=background:#fccL0–326,919
6 October 197322ndArsenalAstyle=background:#fccL0–123,915
13 October 197321stWolverhampton WanderersHstyle=background:#cfcW2–1Francis pen, Burns34,977
20 October 197322ndManchester UnitedAstyle=background:#fccL0–148,937
27 October 197322ndEvertonHstyle=background:#fccL0–231,181
3 November 197322ndSheffield UnitedAstyle=background:#ffcD1–1Hynd19,339
10 November 197322ndSouthamptonHstyle=background:#ffcD1–1Hatton25,297
17 November 197322ndStoke CityAstyle=background:#fccL2–5Hynd, R. Latchford19,179
24 November 197322ndLeicester CityHstyle=background:#cfcW3–0R. Latchford 327,719
8 December 197321stNewcastle UnitedHstyle=background:#cfcW1–0Burns25,428
15 December 197320thWest Ham UnitedHstyle=background:#cfcW3–1Burns 2, Hatton23,767
22 December 197320thIpswich TownAstyle=background:#fccL0–315,457
26 December 197319thCoventry CityHstyle=background:#cfcW1–0R. Latchford33,423
29 December 197320thLeeds UnitedHstyle=background:#ffcD1–1R. Latchford50,451
1 January 197319thDerby CountyAstyle=background:#ffcD1–1Hatton31,189
12 January 197420thLiverpoolAstyle=background:#fccL2–3R. Latchford39,094
19 January 197420thManchester CityHstyle=background:#ffcD1–1R. Latchford31,401
2 February 197420thWest Ham UnitedAstyle=background:#ffcD0–027,948
6 February 197420thTottenham HotspurAstyle=background:#fccL2–4England og, Phillips14,345
16 February 197420thWolverhampton WanderersAstyle=background:#fccL0–133,821
23 February 197420thArsenalHstyle=background:#cfcW3–1Gallagher, Hatton, Francis29,828
2 March 197420thCoventry CityAstyle=background:#cfcW1–0Hatton27,863
9 March 197420thEvertonAstyle=background:#fccL1–4Hatton33,944
16 March 197420thManchester UnitedHstyle=background:#cfcW1–0Gallagher37,768
20 March 197420thNorwich CityAstyle=background:#fccL1–2Styles18,309
23 March 197420thSouthamptonAstyle=background:#cfcW2–0Burns, Francis23,349
30 March 197420thSheffield UnitedHstyle=background:#cfcW1–0Hatton27,877
6 April 197420thLeicester CityAstyle=background:#ffcD3–3Burns 328,486
12 April 197420thBurnleyAstyle=background:#fccL1–2Campbell17,038
13 April 197420thStoke CityHstyle=background:#ffcD0–029,467
16 April 197420thBurnleyHstyle=background:#ffcD2–2Hatton 236,548
20 April 197420thNewcastle UnitedAstyle=background:#ffcD1–1Francis34,066
23 April 197419thQueens Park RangersHstyle=background:#cfcW4–0Taylor, Francis 2, Kendall39,160
27 April 197419thNorwich CityHstyle=background:#cfcW2–1Hatton, Burns44,182

League table (part)

Pos!scope="col"
ClubPldWDLFAGAPts
17thChelsea4212131756600.9337
18thWest Ham United4211151655600.9237
19thBirmingham City4212131752640.8137
20thSouthampton4211141747680.6936
21stManchester United4210122038480.7932
KeyPos = League position; Pld = Matches played;
W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost;
F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points

FA Cup

See main article: 1973–74 FA Cup.

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
Third round5 January 1974Cardiff CityHstyle=background:#cfcW5–2Francis, R. Latchford 2, Hatton 222,435
Fourth round26 January 1974Queens Park RangersAstyle=background:#fccL0–223,367

League Cup

See main article: 1973–74 Football League Cup.

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
Second round9 October 1973BlackpoolAstyle=background:#ffcD1–1Burns7,943
Second round replay16 October 1973BlackpoolHstyle=background:#cfcW4–2Burns, Hatton 316,880
Third round30 October 1973Newcastle UnitedHstyle=background:#ffcD2–2R. Latchford 213,025
Third round replay7 November 1973Newcastle UnitedAstyle=background:#cfcW1–0
aet		Francis pen19,276
Fourth round21 November 1973Ipswich TownAstyle=background:#cfcW3–1R. Latchford 312,241
Fifth round19 December 1973Plymouth ArgyleHstyle=background:#fccL1–2Hatton15,273

Texaco Cup

See main article: 1973–74 Texaco Cup.

The home leg of the quarter-final match against Newcastle United finished as a 1–1 draw. Despite the ban on use of floodlights because of the fuel crisis, the League refused to allow an earlier kickoff time for the away leg on 28 November 1973. The match was abandoned at 1–1 after 10 minutes of extra time in almost total darkness.[2] Keith Bowker scored Birmingham's goal, in his only appearance of the season and last outing for the club; neither appearance nor goal count towards his statistics.[3] When the match was replayed, Birmingham lost 3–1 after Newcastle's Jimmy Smith was sent off in the first two minutes for a tackle that broke both bones in Tony Want's lower leg.[2]

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
First round 1st leg19 September 1973Stoke CityAstyle=background:#ffcD0–09,530
First round 2nd leg2 October 1973Stoke CityHstyle=background:#ffcD0–0
aet
3–1 pens		13,433
Second round 1st leg22 October 1973Newcastle UnitedHstyle=background:#ffcD1–1R. Latchford12,422
Second round 2nd leg5 December 1973Newcastle UnitedAstyle=background:#fccL1–3Francis9,762

Appearances and goals

Numbers in parentheses denote appearances made as a substitute.

Players marked left the club during the playing season.

Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward

Players' appearances and goals by competition
NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupTexaco CupTotal
GoalsGoalsGoalsGoalsGoals
GKRitchie Blackmore0000000 (1)00 (1)0
GKPaul Cooper2000001030
GKMike Kelly1000101 (1)03 (1)0
GKDave Latchford250001020280
GKGary Sprake140204000200
DFDennis Clarke11010301 (1)016 (1)0
DFJoe Gallagher21 (5)220404031 (5)2
DFRoger Hynd34 (2)210502042 (2)2
DFRay Martin290201000320
DFIan Osborne0000001010
DFGarry Pendrey38 (2)020602048 (2)0
DFJohn Roberts28 (2)010502036 (2)0
DFArchie Styles3 (2)10000003 (2)1
DFTony Want110005040200
DFAlan Whitehead0000001010
MFSteve Bryant0000001010
MFJimmy Calderwood7 (2)00000108 (2)0
MFAlan Campbell32 (3)120302035 (3)1
MFGary Emmanuel0000000 (2)00 (2)0
MFPaul Hendrie5000301090
MFLindley Jenkins2000001030
MFHoward Kendall151000000151
MFMalcolm Page7100000071
MFGordon Taylor33 (2)2204 (1)01040 (3)2
FWKenny Burns36 (1)1010623046 (1)12
FWTrevor Francis376215131479
FWBob Hatton39142264405120
FWBobby Hope6000001 (1)07 (1)0
FW25 (1)10224 (1)52133 (2)18
FWSteve Phillips1 (3)1000 (2)0203 (5)1

See also

References

General
Specific

Notes and References

  1. News: Bob Latchford . James . Corbett . Observer Sport Monthly . London . 5 March 2006 . 27 March 2012.
  2. Web site: Toonarama . Season 1973/74 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080325005009/http://www.toonarama.co.uk/seasons/1970s/season73-74.html . 25 March 2008.
  3. Matthews (1995), pp. 74, 209.

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