Second City Derby

Lore & Background

The clubs first met on 27 September 1879, when Birmingham City were called Small Heath Alliance. The game finished 1–0 – recorded as 'one goal and a disputed goal to nil' – to the home side. Villa won the first competitive game between the clubs, in the Second Round of the FA Cup at Wellington Road in 1887, by four goals to nil. The first league encounter, in the First Division in the 1894–95 season, saw Villa win 2–1. The most significant clash was the final of the 1963 League Cup, which Blues won 3–1 on aggregate over the two-legged final to claim their first major domestic honour. In 1980–81 Villa did the double over Blues and went on to win the First Division title. Blues scored a memorable 3–0 victory at St Andrew's in the first meeting following Villa's European Cup triumph in 1982.

Reader's Guide

The origin of the Second City Derby lies in 1879 when both clubs first met. Unlike local derbies defined by immediate geography, this rivalry is forged through historical competition for city supremacy. Both Aston Villa and Birmingham City have been among England's most successful clubs, frequently meeting in league and cup competitions throughout history. The biggest clashes often occurred during the early 1900s when both teams were fighting for league positions, establishing a pattern of high-stakes encounters.

In the Premier League era, Blues' promotion in 2002 saw fans eagerly anticipating the first league derbies in 15 years. Blues won both derbies 3–0 and 2–0, respectively. Both matches saw goalkeeping errors by Villa goalkeeper Peter Enckelman, including a goal scored directly from an Olof Mellberg throw-in. On 17 June 2011, Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish swapped Blues for Villa in a move that shocked the football world.

Did You Know?

• The first meeting in 1879 was played on a pitch at Small Heath's Muntz Street ground described by the Villa players as 'only suitable for pot-holing'.
• Tom 'Pongo' Waring's first appearance for Aston Villa reserves against Birmingham City reserves drew a crowd of 23,000.
• In the 2002–03 season, Blues supporters sarcastically named Villa goalkeeper Peter Enckelman runner-up in their player of the year vote after his errors in the derbies.
• The 5–1 Villa win on 20 April 2008 was the biggest winning margin for either side in a league match for 40 years.