Birmingham Charity Cup Explained

Founded:1881
Abolished:1964
Number Of Teams:variable
Region:West Midlands
Champion:Aston Villa Youths (49th title)
Most Successful Club:Aston Villa (49 titles)

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup, commonly referred to as the Birmingham Charity Cup, was a football competition for teams from Birmingham and the surrounding area. It was inaugurated in 1881 by the city's mayor, Richard Chamberlain, and Aston Villa were the first winners of the competition in the 1881 - 82 season, defeating Walsall Swifts 4–1.[1] From 1910 onwards, the preliminary rounds were scrapped and the final became an invitation match.[2] Other than during the First World War, the competition took place every year until 1939 with the exception of the 1925 - 26 season, when it was abandoned due to the General Strike. It fluctuated between being contested at the start and the end of the football season.

The competition was discontinued after the Second World War, other than on two occasions in the 1960s when the youth teams of Aston Villa and Birmingham City competed for the trophy. After this, the competition was discontinued altogether and the trophy itself used for the Birmingham Senior Amateur Cup competition.

Trophy

The trophy was made by Birmingham silversmith William Spurrer, and contained 14lbs of silver. It was surmounted by a figure of a footballer and bore shields engraved with the initials of Chamberlain and the members of the Birmingham County Football Association's committee at the time of the competition's inauguration, the city's coat of arms, and representations of its main industries. The main bowl of the trophy featured two engraved drawings, one of an 1880s football match, complete with top-hatted umpire, and one of "the poor and sick succoured by the heavenly spirit". The plinth had a number of shields engraved with the names of the winning teams, although for unknown reasons some were missing.

Winners

Aston Villa were the most successful team in the competition's history, winning it on thirty occasions outright and sharing the trophy five times. The club's youth team also jointly won the trophy twice when it was briefly revived in the 1960s as a youth competition.

DateWinnerScoreRunners–upVenueAttendanceRefs
6 May 1882Aston Villa4–1Walsall SwiftsAston Lower Grounds6,000
12 May 1883Aston Villa8–0Walsall SwiftsAston Lower Grounds5,000
26 April 1884Aston Villa3–2Wednesbury Old AthleticAston Lower Grounds10,000
2 May 1885Aston Villa1-1Walsall SwiftsTrinity Road, Aston Unity F.C.5,000
(R) 27 May 1885Aston Villa1-1Walsall SwiftsThe Chuckery5,000
17 May 1886Aston Villa4-1Wednesbury Old AthleticWellington Road2,000[3]
1887Wolverhampton Wanderersn/a[4] Aston Villa
14 April 1888Aston Villa6-2Mitchell's St. George'sAston Lower Grounds
6 April 1889Aston Villa3–0Wolverhampton WanderersWarwickshire County Cricket Ground5,000
3 May 1890Aston Villa2–1Wolverhampton WanderersStoney Lane6,000
9 May 1891Aston Villa3–0Wolverhampton WanderersStoney Lane6,500
7 May 1892Wolverhampton Wanderers2-1Small HeathAston Lower Grounds
29 April 1893Aston Villa3-2Small HeathAston Lower Grounds8,000
28 April 1894Aston Villa3-1Wolverhampton WanderersAston Lower Grounds6,000
27 April 1895Aston Villa5–3Small HeathAston Lower Grounds5,000
25 April 1896Walsall1–0Sheffield UnitedWellington Road3,000
24 April 1897Walsall1-1Aston VillaVilla Park8,000
(R) 30 April 1897Walsall1-1Aston VillaVilla Park1,000
4 October 1897 Aston Villa4-2WalsallVilla Park4,000
17 October 1899Aston Villa1-0WalsallVilla Park9,000
13 November 1899West Bromwich Albion1–0WalsallVilla Park8,250
19 November 1900Aston Villa1–1West Bromwich AlbionThe Hawthorns10,000
(R) 17 December 1900Aston Villa2–0West Bromwich AlbionVilla Park12,652
18 November 1901Aston Villa1–0West Bromwich AlbionVilla Park10,600
24 November 1902Wolverhampton Wanderers3–2West Bromwich AlbionVilla Park4,500
23 November 1903Aston Villa4–2Small HeathVilla Park6,000
21 November 1904Aston Villa1–0[5] Small HeathMuntz Street8,000
20 November 1905Aston Villa4–3[6] West Bromwich AlbionMuntz Street12,000
24 September 1906Aston Villa1–1[7] BirminghamMuntz Street7,000
14 October 1907Birmingham4–0Aston VillaVilla Park6,000
21 September 1908Birmingham5–2Aston VillaSt Andrew's8,000
20 September 1909Aston Villa2–BirminghamSt Andrew's5,000
19 September 1910Aston Villa2–1West Bromwich AlbionVilla Park5,507
18 September 1911Aston Villa4–0West Bromwich AlbionVilla Park6,503
2 October 1912Aston Villa5–1West Bromwich AlbionThe Hawthorns8,077
22 October 1913West Bromwich Albion1–0Aston VillaVilla Park6,000
23 September 1914West Bromwich Albion3–2Aston VillaVilla Park5,017
8 May 1920Birmingham4–1Aston VillaVilla Park20,000
14 May 1921Birmingham2–2West Bromwich AlbionVilla Park8,067
13 May 1922West Bromwich Albion2–0BirminghamVilla Park7,500
2 May 1923Aston Villa2–0West Bromwich AlbionVilla Park2,300
10 May 1924Aston Villa3–3Birmingham8,000
9 May 1925West Bromwich Albion3–1BirminghamSt Andrew's10,000
1926Not held due to the General Strike
14 May 1927Aston Villa4-2Birmingham
12 May 1928Aston Villa3-2Birmingham
11 May 1929Aston Villa2-1Birmingham10,000
10 May 1930Aston Villa5-1Wolverhampton Wanderers25,000
9 May 1931Aston Villa3–2West Bromwich AlbionThe Hawthorns18,189
14 May 1932Aston Villa2-1Wolverhampton Wanderers5,000
13 May 1933Aston Villa4–0West Bromwich AlbionThe Hawthorns8,500
12 May 1934Birmingham2–0Aston Villa7,000
6 May 1935Birmingham2–1Aston VillaSt Andrew's
9 May 1936Birmingham4–2Aston VillaVilla Park10,000
8 May 1937Aston Villa2–2Birmingham2,000
1938Birmingham1–1Coventry City
13 May 1939Aston Villa1–0Coventry City5,000
(1st Leg) 24 October 1961Aston Villa Youth3-1Birmingham City YouthSt Andrew's
(2nd Leg) 7 May 1962Birmingham City Youth3-1 (4-4 Aggregate)Aston Villa YouthVilla Park
(1st Leg) 15 April 1964Birmingham City Youth3-3Aston Villa YouthSt Andrew's
(2nd Leg) 20 April 1964Aston Villa Youth1-1 (4-4 Aggregate)Birmingham City YouthVilla Park

Notes and References

  1. Book: Matthews, Tony . The Encyclopedia of Birmingham City Football Club 1875–2000 . October 2000 . Britespot . Cradley Heath . 142 . 978-0-9539288-0-4.
  2. Book: Matthews . Tony . Mackenzie . Colin . Albion! A Complete Record of West Bromwich Albion 1879-1987 . Breedon Books . 1987 . 0-907969-23-2 . 207–08.
  3. Book: Clives, Stanley W. . The Centenary Book of the Birmingham County Football Association 1875  - 1975 . 1975 . Birmingham County F.A.. 97.
  4. Wolverhampton Wanderers were awarded the trophy when Aston Villa withdrew.
  5. The match was abandoned after 50 minutes, with Aston Villa leading 1–0; the trophy was shared.
  6. Clives gives the score as 4-1.
  7. The trophy was shared.

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