1938–39 Birmingham F.C. season explained

Club:Birmingham F.C.
Season:1938–39
Manager:George Liddell
Chairman:Harry Morris Jr
Stdtitle:Ground
Stadium:St Andrew's
League:Football League First Division
League Result:21st (relegated)
Cup1:FA Cup
Season Topscorer:Fred Harris (17)
Highest Attendance:67,341 vs Everton, 11 February 1939
Lowest Attendance: 29 March 1939
Average Attendance:25,228
Pattern B1:_whitecollarplain
Pattern So1:_whitestripe
Leftarm1:000099
Body1:000099
Rightarm1:000099
Shorts1:FFFFFF
Socks1:000099
Prevseason:1937–38
Nextseason:1939–40

The 1938–39 Football League season was Birmingham Football Club's 43rd in the Football League and their 26th in the First Division. They were in the relegation positions after the second game of the season, rarely rose above them, and finished in 21st place in the 22-team division, one point from safety, so dropped to the Second Division for the 1939–40 season. They entered the 1938–39 FA Cup at the third round proper and lost to Everton in the fifth round after a replay. The club's record attendance was set in the FA Cup-tie at home to Everton, variously recorded as 67,341 or 66,844.

Thirty-two players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were fifteen different goalscorers. Half-back Don Dearson played in 42 of the 46 matches over the season, and Fred Harris was the leading scorer with 17 goals, of which 14 were scored in the league. Harry Morris, son of the Harry Morris who played for the club in the 1880s and was a member of the board of directors for nearly 30 years, took over as chairman from Howard Cant.

When the Second World War began, the 1939–40 Football League season was abandoned after three Second Division matches had been played.[1] The first post-war Football League season was in 1946–47, though the FA Cup resumed a season earlier.

Football League First Division

DateLeague
position		OpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
27 August 193814thSunderlandHstyle=background:#fccL1–2Jennings pen32,117
31 August 193820thLeeds UnitedAstyle=background:#fccL0–213,578
3 September 193822ndManchester UnitedAstyle=background:#fccL1–4Harris22,228
7 September 193820thLeicester CityHstyle=background:#cfcW2–1Kelly, Jones14,092
10 September 193821stStoke CityHstyle=background:#fccL1–2Harris26,519
12 September 193821stLeicester CityAstyle=background:#fccL1–2Farrage10,778
17 September 193821stChelseaAstyle=background:#ffcD2–2Brown pen, Jones39,505
24 September 193822ndPreston North EndHstyle=background:#fccL1–3Farrage26,221
1 October 193822ndCharlton AthleticAstyle=background:#ffcD4–4Harris 2, Duckhouse, White20,039
8 October 193822ndBolton WanderersHstyle=background:#fccL0–221,855
15 October 193820thDerby CountyHstyle=background:#cfcW3–0White 2, Brown27,858
22 October 193822ndGrimsby TownAstyle=background:#fccL0–111,022
29 October 193821stAston VillaHstyle=background:#cfcW3–0Harris 2, Brown55,301
5 November 193822ndWolverhampton WanderersAstyle=background:#fccL1–2Phillips30,713
12 November 193821stEvertonHstyle=background:#cfcW1–0Phillips27,548
19 November 193821stHuddersfield TownAstyle=background:#fccL1–3Morris14,637
26 November 193820thPortsmouthHstyle=background:#cfcW2–0Jennings pen, Dearson20,317
3 December 193821stArsenalAstyle=background:#fccL1–3Jennings pen33,710
10 December 193819thBrentfordHstyle=background:#cfcW5–1White 4, Phillips23,333
17 December 193821stBlackpoolAstyle=background:#fccL1–2White11,855
24 December 193822ndSunderlandAstyle=background:#fccL0–114,555
26 December 193821stMiddlesbroughHstyle=background:#cfcW2–1Morris, Trigg17,953
27 December 193821stMiddlesbroughAstyle=background:#ffcD2–2Harris, Phillips33,534
31 December 193822ndManchester UnitedHstyle=background:#ffcD3–3Jennings, Phillips, Dearson20,787
14 January 193922ndStoke CityAstyle=background:#fccL3–6Jennings pen, Harris, Duckhouse14,417
28 January 193922ndPreston North EndAstyle=background:#fccL0–518,477
4 February 193922ndCharlton AthleticHstyle=background:#fccL3–4Harris 329,727
18 February 193922ndDerby CountyAstyle=background:#cfcW1–0Brown15,411
22 February 193922ndBolton WanderersAstyle=background:#fccL0–311,696
25 February 193922ndGrimsby TownHstyle=background:#ffcD1–1Craven23,231
4 March 193922ndAston VillaAstyle=background:#fccL1–5Dearson40,874
11 March 193922ndWolverhampton WanderersHstyle=background:#cfcW3–2Harris, Morris, Jones48,970
18 March 193922ndEvertonAstyle=background:#fccL2–4Harris, Jones29,867
29 March 193922ndHuddersfield TownHstyle=background:#ffcD1–1Jones8,970
1 April 193922ndPortsmouthAstyle=background:#fccL0–221,918
7 April 193922ndLiverpoolAstyle=background:#fccL0–431,741
8 April 193922ndArsenalHstyle=background:#fccL1–2Kendrick33,250
10 April 193922ndLiverpoolHstyle=background:#ffcD0–015,067
15 April 193922ndBrentfordAstyle=background:#cfcW1–0Jones15,298
22 April 193921stBlackpoolHstyle=background:#cfcW2–1Craven, Harris21,812
26 April 193921stChelseaHstyle=background:#ffcD1–1Brown28,637
29 April 193921stLeeds UnitedHstyle=background:#cfcW4–0Brown, Scaife og, Morris 212,522

League table (part)

Pos!scope="col"
ClubPldWDLFAGAPts
18thBrentford421482053740.7236
19thHuddersfield Town4212111958640.9135
20thChelsea421292164800.8033
21stBirmingham421282262840.7432
22ndLeicester City429112248820.5829
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
Source[2]

FA Cup

See main article: 1938–39 FA Cup.

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
Third round7 January 1939Halifax TownHstyle=background:#cfcW2–0Jennings, Phillips23,522
Fourth round21 January 1939Chelmsford CityHstyle=background:#cfcW6–0Harris, Brown, Jennings, Madden 244,494
Fifth round11 February 1939EvertonHstyle=background:#ffcD2–2Madden 267,341
Fifth round replay15 February 1939EvertonAstyle=background:#fccL1–2Harris64,796

Appearances and goals

This table includes appearances and goals in nationally organised competitive matchesthe Football League and FA Cuponly.

For a description of the playing positions, see Formation (association football)#2–3–5 (Pyramid).

Players marked left the club during the playing season.

Players' appearances and goals by competition
scope=col rowspan=2Namescope=col rowspan=2Positionscope=col colspan=2Leaguescope=col colspan=2FA Cupscope=col colspan=2Total
width=40 scope=col!width=40 scope=colGoalswidth=40 scope=col!width=40 scope=colGoalswidth=40 scope=col!width=40 scope=colGoals
data-sort-value="1"Goalkeeper24040280
data-sort-value="1"Goalkeeper13000130
data-sort-value="1"Goalkeeper500050
data-sort-value="2"Full back35040390
data-sort-value="2"Full back11000110
data-sort-value="2"Full back702090
data-sort-value="2"Full back30120321
data-sort-value="3"Half back700070
data-sort-value="3"Half back200020
data-sort-value="3"Half back101020
data-sort-value="3"Half back39330423
data-sort-value="3"Half back21020230
data-sort-value="3"Half back13020150
data-sort-value="3"Half back19030220
data-sort-value="3"Half back11000110
data-sort-value="3"Half back501060
data-sort-value="3"Half back12000120
data-sort-value="4"Forward100010
data-sort-value="4"Forward34641387
data-sort-value="4"Forward17240212
data-sort-value="4"Forward420042
data-sort-value="4"Forward720072
data-sort-value="4"Forward3714434117
data-sort-value="4"Forward29542337
data-sort-value="4"Forward21600216
data-sort-value="4"Forward410041
data-sort-value="4"Forward210021
data-sort-value="4"Forward503484
data-sort-value="4"Forward400040
data-sort-value="4"Forward14500145
data-sort-value="4"Forward15511166
data-sort-value="4"Forward13800138

Abandoned 1939–40 Football League season

See main article: 1939–40 Birmingham F.C. season. Birmingham began the 1939–40 Football League season in the Second Division, but the onset of the Second World War caused the League to be abandoned after three Second Division matches had been played. They fielded the same eleven for all three matches: Harry Hibbs, Cyril Trigg, Billy Hughes, James Bye, Arthur Turner, Ray Shaw, Jackie Brown, Don Dearson, Ted Duckhouse, Fred Harris and Tom Farrage. Farrage was killed in action in September 1944, serving as a private in the 10th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment during Operation Market Garden.[3]

Match results
DateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
26 August 1939Tottenham HotspurAstyle=background:#ffcD1–1Brown28,366
30 August 1939Leicester CityHstyle=background:#cfcW2–0Farrage, Sharman og13,848
2 September 1939BurnleyHstyle=background:#cfcW2–0Dearson, Duckhouse15,900

References

General

Specific

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Season 1939–40 (Abandoned) . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) . Paul . Felton . 13 May 2012.
  2. Web site: Birmingham City 1938–1939: English Division One (old) Table . Statto Organisation . 8 May 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064830/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/birmingham-city/1938-1939/table . 4 March 2016.
  3. Web site: Casualty details . Commonwealth War Graves Commission . 13 May 2012.

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