Birmingham City

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

As Small Heath, they played in the Football Alliance before becoming founder members and first champions of the Football League Second Division. The most successful period in their history was in the 1950s and early 1960s. They achieved their highest finishing position of sixth in the First Division in the 1955–56 season and reached the 1956 FA Cup final. Birmingham played in two Inter-Cities Fairs Cup finals, in 1960, as the first English club side to reach a major European final, and again the following year. They won the League Cup in 1963 and again in 2011. Birmingham have played in the top tier of English football for around half of their history: the longest period spent outside the top division, between 1986 and 2002, included two brief spells in the third tier of English football, during which time they won the Football League Trophy twice.

In Their Own Story

The turning point of the modern era arrived on 4 April 2021, when Leicester City Women secured promotion to the FA Women's Super League with a decisive 2–0 victory over London City Lionesses. This triumph capped a successful Championship campaign and marked their return to the top flight for the first time in their history. The following season saw them make their WSL debut on 4 September 2021, suffering a narrow 2–1 loss to Aston Villa but eventually securing their first top-flight win just months later with a 2–0 home victory over Birmingham City on 19 December 2021, thanks to goals from Sophie Howard and Sam Tierney. The club's resilience was further tested in cup competitions, reaching the semi-finals of the FA Women's League Cup in 2020–21 before falling to Bristol City, and achieving a historic run to the FA Cup semi-finals in 2023–24 after defeating Liverpool.

Reader's Guide

St Andrew's, currently known as St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park since 2024 for sponsorship reasons, has been their home ground since 1906. They have a long-standing and fierce rivalry with Aston Villa, their nearest neighbours, with whom they play the Second City derby. The club's nickname is Blues, after the colour of their kit, and the fans are known as Bluenoses.

Did You Know?

• Birmingham City were founded as Small Heath Alliance in 1875.
• They became the first football club to become a limited company with a board of directors in 1888.
• They were the first English club side to reach a major European final, in the 1960 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
• Joe Bradford holds the club record for goals, with 267 in 445 games.
• Trevor Francis was the first player transferred for a fee of £1 million, sold to Nottingham Forest.

Rapid Early Ascension and Local Dominance

Founded in 2004, Leicester City Women achieved four successive promotions in their first four seasons, climbing from the Leicestershire County League to the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division by 2008. This ascent was accompanied by domestic cup dominance, winning seven consecutive Leicestershire & Rutland County FA Cups starting in 2006 and claiming League Cups in 2005, 2006, and 2007. They reached the Fifth Round of the 2007–08 Women's FA Cup, facing top-tier side Everton. Although an application to join the inaugural FA Women's Super League failed in March 2010, the club consolidated their position in the third tier with consistent finishes.

Turbulence and the Perfect Season Resurgence

The period from 2013 to 2018 saw the club navigate relegation and rebuilding. After finishing bottom of the Northern Division in May 2013, manager Jonathan Morgan took sole charge following a management trio experiment. The 2015–16 season became legendary as Leicester won all 22 league games in the Midland Division to secure promotion back to the Northern Division. The title was sealed on the final day with a 91st-minute winner from Helen Busby against Wolves. Under Morgan, they finished second in the 2017–18 Northern Division and reached the FA Women's Premier League Cup final.

Strategic Licensing and National Tier Return

In May 2018, Leicester were one of five teams awarded a license to join the inaugural FA Women's Championship, returning to the second tier after eight years. They opened the season with a 2–0 away win over Crystal Palace and finished seventh in their first campaign. The following season ended in sixth place due to a shortened schedule caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but they reached the quarter-finals of the Women's FA Cup for the first time. On 4 April 2021, a 2–0 win over London City Lionesses secured promotion to the FA Women's Super League.

Holistic Development and Corporate Integration

The club operates a Reserves team and an expanded Development Centre covering under-9s through to under-18s. On 22 August 2020, King Power acquired the club from independent ownership, making it fully professional. Since then, they have competed in the WSL, playing their first top-flight match on 4 September 2021 against Aston Villa. In October 2021, Emile Heskey was appointed Head of Women's Football Development, and Lydia Bedford took over as manager in November 2021.