1984–85 Birmingham City F.C. season explained

Club:Birmingham City F.C.
Season:1984–85
Manager:Ron Saunders
Chairman:Keith Coombs
Stdtitle:Ground
Stadium:St Andrew's
League:Football League Second Division
League Result:2nd (promoted)
Cup1:FA Cup
Cup1 Result:Third round
(eliminated by Norwich City)
Cup2:League Cup
Cup2 Result:Third round
(eliminated by West Bromwich Albion)
Season Topscorer:Wayne Clarke (19)
Highest Attendance:24,871 vs Leeds United, 11 May 1985
Lowest Attendance:7,964 vs Plymouth Argyle, League Cup 2nd round, 25 September 1984
Average Attendance:12,522
Pattern La1:_whiteborder
Pattern B1:_whitesleevelinesandsides
Pattern Ra1:_whiteborder
Pattern So1:_whitetop
Leftarm1:0000ff
Body1:0000ff
Rightarm1:0000ff
Socks1:ff0000
Prevseason:1983–84
Nextseason:1985–86

The 1984–85 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 82nd in the Football League and their 33rd in the Second Division, to which they were relegated in 1983–84. They finished in second position in the 22-team division, so were promoted back to the First Division after only one season. They entered the 1984–85 FA Cup in the third round proper, and lost to Norwich City in that round after three replays. They were eliminated from the League Cup by West Bromwich Albion in the third round after a replay.

Wayne Clarke was the club's top scorer, with 19 goals in all competitions, of which 17 were scored in the league.

The last home game of the season, a 1–0 win against Leeds United in front of a season-high crowd of nearly 25,000 that confirmed promotion back to the top flight, was marred by rioting in which 500 people were injured and a 15-year-old boy died when a wall collapsed. The match took place on the same day as the Bradford City stadium fire, and both formed part of the remit of Mr Justice Popplewell's inquiry into safety at sports grounds.[1] According to his report, the events at St Andrew's "more clearly resembled the Battle of Agincourt than a football match".[2]

Football League First Division

See main article: 1984–85 Football League.

DateLeague
position
OpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A
ScorersAttendance
25 August 19846thOldham AthleticAW1–0Clements og5,307
1 September 19844thWimbledonHW4–2Clarke 2, Ferguson, Hopkins10,445
4 September 19842ndFulhamAW1–0Clarke6,031
8 September 19842ndCrystal PalaceAW2–0Clarke, Hopkins6,523
15 September 19841stCarlisle UnitedHW2–0Clarke, Harford11,740
18 September 19841stPortsmouthHL0–118,046
22 September 19841stWolverhampton WanderersAW2–0Hopkins, Kuhl16,698
29 September 19841stHuddersfield TownHW1–0Hopkins11,480
6 October 19841stBrighton & Hove AlbionAL0–213,695
13 October 19844thBlackburn RoversHL0–212,758
20 October 19844thNotts CountyAW3–1Clarke 2, Harford5,788
27 October 19842ndOxford UnitedHD0–020,421
3 November 19843rdShrewsbury TownHD0–09,807
10 November 19844thManchester CityAL0–125,369
17 November 19846thCharlton AthleticAL1–2Morley4,850
24 November 19845thBarnsleyHD0–09,505
1 December 19845thCardiff CityAW2–1Morley 25,057
8 December 19845thMiddlesbroughHW3–2Saxby og, Rees, Wright pen8,004
15 December 19844thLeeds UnitedAW1–0Clarke15,859
22 December 19843rdWimbledonAW2–1Geddis 23,674
26 December 19842ndGrimsby TownHW2–1Geddis, Platnauer14,180
29 December 19843rdFulhamHD2–2Clarke, Hopkins11,833
1 January 19853rdSheffield UnitedAW4–3Hopkins, Geddis, Clarke, West og16,571
2 February 19854thHuddersfield TownAW1–0Geddis7,460
23 February 19854thShrewsbury TownAL0–17,177
2 March 19853rdOxford UnitedAW3–0Clarke 2, Geddis11,584
5 March 19853rdOldham AthleticHL0–110,489
9 March 19852ndNotts CountyHW2–1Clarke, Hopkins9,071
12 March 19852ndCarlisle UnitedAL1–2Clarke4,099
16 March 19855thBlackburn RoversAL1–2Rees10,595
19 March 19854thManchester CityHD0–018,004
23 March 19854thBrighton & Hove AlbionHD1–1Hopkins8,986
30 March 19853rdWolverhampton WanderersHW1–0Geddis10,236
5 April 19854thGrimsby TownAL0–16,939
8 April 19854thSheffield UnitedHW4–1Clarke 2, Daly, Kennedy10,235
13 April 19852ndPortsmouthAW3–1Geddis 323,983
16 April 19852ndCrystal PalaceHW3–0Clarke, Geddis, Kennedy10,727
20 April 19852ndCharlton AthleticHW2–1Kennedy, Wright pen10,697
27 April 19852ndBarnsleyAW1–0Geddis6,757
4 May 19852ndCardiff CityHW2–0Hopkins, Kennedy15,868
6 May 19852ndMiddlesbroughAD0–07,840
11 May 19852ndLeeds UnitedHW1–0Kuhl24,871

League table (part)

!scope="col"
Team
1stOxford United4225988436+4884
2ndBirmingham City42257105933+2682
3rdManchester City422111106640+2674
4thPortsmouth42201486950+1974
5thBlackburn Rovers422110116641+2573

Results summary

FA Cup

See main article: 1984–85 FA Cup.

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A
ScorersAttendance
Third round5 January 1985Norwich CityHD0–012,941
Third round replay23 January 1985Norwich CityAD1–1
aet
Wright11,883
Third round 2nd replay26 January 1985Norwich CityHD1–1
aet
Geddis11,755
Third round 3rd replay28 January 1985Norwich CityAL0–112,396

League Cup

See main article: 1985–86 Football League Cup.

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A
ScorersAttendance
Second round 1st leg25 September 1984Plymouth ArgyleHW4–1Clarke, Hopkins, Harford, Rees7,964
Second round 2nd leg9 October 1984Plymouth ArgyleAW1–0Clarke4,650
Third round30 October 1984West Bromwich AlbionHD0–017,616
Third round replay7 November 1984West Bromwich AlbionAL1–3Shearer16,717

Appearances and goals

Numbers in parentheses denote appearances made as a substitute.

Players with name in italics and marked * were on loan from another club for the whole of their season with Birmingham.

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 CupTotal
GoalsGoalsGoalsGoals
GKscope=row70000070
GK Irelandscope=rowJim McDonagh *10000010
GKscope=rowMark Prudhoe10004050
GKscope=rowDavid Seaman3304000370
DFscope=rowKen Armstrong3603040430
DFscope=rowJim Hagan21 (8)01 (2)04026 (10)0
DFscope=rowRay Ranson2804000320
DFscope=rowBrian Roberts4104040490
DFscope=row60000060
DFscope=rowBilly Wright4224140503
MFscope=rowDes Bremner3004030370
MF Irelandscope=rowGerry Daly29 (1)1402035 (1)1
MFscope=row60001070
MFscope=row2 (1)000204 (1)0
MFscope=rowRobert Hopkins39940214510
MFscope=rowMark Jones9 (1)0001 (1)010 (2)0
MFscope=rowMartin Kuhl25 (2)2004031 (2)2
MFscope=rowTony Morley *43000043
MFscope=rowNick Platnauer1114000151
MFscope=rowByron Stevenson60000060
MFscope=rowStuart Storer00001010
FWscope=rowIan Brown00000 (1)00 (1)0
FWscope=rowWayne Clarke401740324719
FWscope=row21000021
FWscope=rowDavid Geddis181200412213
FWscope=row1220031153
FWscope=rowAndy Kennedy4 (3)400004 (3)4
FWscope=rowJohn Linford *1 (1)000001 (1)0
FWscope=rowTony Rees5 (4)2001 (1)16 (5)3
FWscope=rowGuy Russell10000010
FWscope=rowPeter Shearer2 (2)000113 (2)1

See also

Sources

Notes and References

  1. News: Ban on visiting fans urged in judge's football safety report . Webster . Philip . The Times . 25 July 1985 . 9 February 2012.
  2. Book: Popplewell, Mr Justice . Committee of Inquiry into Crowd Safety and Control at Sports Grounds Interim Report (Cmnd. 9585) . HMSO . London . July 1985 . 4.38 . 18 May 2024.