1952–53 Birmingham City F.C. season
| 1952–53 season | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Harry Morris Jr | |
| Manager | Bob Brocklebank | |
| Ground | St Andrew's | |
| Football League Second Division | 6th | |
| FA Cup | Sixth round | |
| Top goalscorer | League: Peter Murphy (20) All: Peter Murphy (26) | |
| Highest home attendance | 52,348 vs Tottenham Hotspur, FA Cup 6th round, 28 February 1953 | |
| Lowest home attendance | 7,119 vs Swansea Town, 11 March 1953 | |
| Average home league attendance | 19,795 | |
|
| ||
The 1952–53 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 50th in the Football League and their 22nd in the Second Division. They finished in sixth position in the 22-team division. They entered the 1952–53 FA Cup at the third round proper and lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the sixth round (quarter-final) after two replays.
Twenty-seven players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were fifteen different goalscorers. Full-back Ken Green was ever-present through the 49-game season, and Peter Murphy was top scorer with 26 goals, of which 20 came in the league.
Football League Second Division
[edit]| Date | League position |
Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 August 1952 | 10th | Rotherham United | A | D | 1–1 | Purdon | 15,208 |
| 27 August 1952 | 7th | Luton Town | A | W | 1–0 | Briggs | 20,231 |
| 30 August 1952 | 13th | Fulham | H | L | 1–4 | Briggs | 29,577 |
| 3 September 1952 | 14th | Luton Town | H | D | 2–2 | Briggs, Murphy | 17,478 |
| 6 September 1952 | 9th | West Ham United | A | W | 2–1 | Higgins, Murphy | 23,903 |
| 10 September 1952 | 4th | Leeds United | A | W | 1–0 | Rowley | 14,133 |
| 13 September 1952 | 3rd | Leicester City | H | W | 3–1 | Briggs, Murphy, Rowley | 29,480 |
| 17 September 1952 | 3rd | Leeds United | H | D | 2–2 | Rowley 2 | 18,301 |
| 20 September 1952 | 5th | Notts County | A | L | 0–2 | 24,538 | |
| 27 September 1952 | 4th | Southampton | H | W | 2–0 | Rowley 2 | 21,818 |
| 4 October 1952 | 7th | Bury | A | L | 0–3 | 16,096 | |
| 11 October 1952 | 7th | Swansea Town | A | D | 1–1 | Purdon | 21,074 |
| 18 October 1952 | 9th | Huddersfield Town | H | L | 0–2 | 27,484 | |
| 25 October 1952 | 7th | Sheffield United | A | D | 2–2 | Murphy, Wardle | 28,345 |
| 1 November 1952 | 8th | Barnsley | H | W | 3–1 | Murphy, Rowley pen, Stewart | 19,927 |
| 8 November 1952 | 8th | Lincoln City | A | D | 1–1 | Trigg | 16,293 |
| 15 November 1952 | 8th | Hull City | H | W | 4–3 | Trigg pen, Murphy, Stewart, Cox | 17,529 |
| 22 November 1952 | 6th | Blackburn Rovers | A | W | 2–1 | Murphy 2 | 18,533 |
| 29 November 1952 | 7th | Nottingham Forest | H | L | 0–5 | 17,794 | |
| 6 December 1952 | 8th | Everton | A | D | 1–1 | Murphy | 23,858 |
| 13 December 1952 | 5th | Brentford | H | W | 3–1 | Trigg, Murphy 2 | 9,963 |
| 20 December 1952 | 4th | Rotherham United | H | W | 4–0 | Trigg pen, Purdon, Murphy, Wardle | 11,978 |
| 25 December 1952 | 3rd | Plymouth Argyle | H | W | 4–0 | Purdon, Murphy 2, Stewart | 31,660 |
| 27 December 1952 | 4th | Plymouth Argyle | A | L | 1–2 | Trigg pen | 25,266 |
| 3 January 1953 | 5th | Fulham | A | L | 1–3 | Purdon | 21,508 |
| 17 January 1953 | 5th | West Ham United | H | W | 2–0 | Trigg, Purdon | 21,733 |
| 24 January 1953 | 5th | Leicester City | A | W | 4–3 | Murphy 3, Trigg | 27,478 |
| 7 February 1953 | 4th | Notts County | H | W | 3–2 | Trigg 2 (2 pens), Murphy | 24,522 |
| 21 February 1953 | 5th | Bury | H | L | 0–2 | 26,051 | |
| 7 March 1953 | 7th | Huddersfield Town | A | D | 1–1 | Ferris | 28,636 |
| 11 March 1953 | 7th | Swansea Town | H | L | 1–4 | Purdon | 7,119 |
| 14 March 1953 | 9th | Sheffield United | H | L | 1–2 | Cox | 22,355 |
| 21 March 1953 | 6th | Barnsley | A | W | 3–1 | Badham, James 2 | 7,465 |
| 28 March 1953 | 8th | Lincoln City | H | D | 2–2 | Trigg pen, Stewart | 13,429 |
| 3 April 1953 | 8th | Doncaster Rovers | A | L | 0–1 | 18,056 | |
| 4 April 1953 | 8th | Hull City | A | L | 0–2 | 23,483 | |
| 6 April 1953 | 7th | Doncaster Rovers | H | W | 2–1 | Lane, Boyd | 12,065 |
| 11 April 1953 | 9th | Blackburn Rovers | H | L | 1–2 | Cox | 18,347 |
| 15 April 1953 | 9th | Southampton | A | D | 1–1 | Warhurst | 18,387 |
| 18 April 1953 | 8th | Nottingham Forest | A | W | 2–0 | Lane, Boyd | 16,353 |
| 25 April 1953 | 6th | Everton | H | W | 4–2 | Boyd 2, Murphy, Stewart | 17,083 |
| 1 May 1953 | 6th | Brentford | A | W | 2–1 | Lane, Murphy | 8,565 |
League table (part)
[edit]| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th | Plymouth Argyle | 42 | 20 | 9 | 13 | 65 | 60 | 1.08 | 49 |
| 5th | Leicester City | 42 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 89 | 74 | 1.20 | 48 |
| 6th | Birmingham City | 42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 71 | 66 | 1.08 | 48 |
| 7th | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 77 | 67 | 1.15 | 44 |
| 8th | Fulham | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 81 | 71 | 1.14 | 44 |
| Key | Pos = 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 | [1] | ||||||||
FA Cup
[edit]| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Third round | 14 January 1953 | Oldham Athletic | A | W | 3–1 | Murphy 3 | 26,580 |
| Fourth round | 31 January 1953 | Sheffield United | A | D | 1–1 | Purdon | 43,104 |
| Fourth round replay | 4 February 1953 | Sheffield United | H | W | 3–1 | Murphy 2, Wardle | 29,554 |
| Fifth round | 14 February 1953 | Chelsea | A | W | 4–0 | Purdon 2, Trigg, Murphy | 45,872 |
| Sixth round | 28 February 1953 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | D | 1–1 | Wardle | 52,348 |
| Sixth round replay | 4 March 1953 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | D | 2–2 aet |
Ferris, Boyd | 59,543 |
| Sixth round 2nd replay | 9 March 1953 | Tottenham Hotspur | Molineux, Wolverhampton | L | 0–1 | 50,801 |
Appearances and goals
[edit]- Players marked † left the club during the playing season.
- Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; FB – Full back; HB – Half back; FW – Forward
| Pos. | Nat. | Name | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| GK |  ENG
|
Gil Merrick | 35 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 42 | 0 |
| GK | ENG
|
Johnny Schofield | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| FB | ENG
|
Ken Green | 42 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 49 | 0 |
| FB | ENG
|
Jeff Hall | 16 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| FB |  SCO
|
Roy Martin | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| HB | ENG
|
Arthur Atkins | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| HB | ENG
|
Jack Badham | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| HB | ENG
|
Keith Bannister | 14 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| HB | ENG
|
Len Boyd | 40 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 47 | 5 |
| HB |  NIR
|
Ray Ferris | 23 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 30 | 2 |
| HB | ENG
|
Johnny Newman | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| HB | ENG
|
Roy Warhurst | 31 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 37 | 1 |
| HB | ENG
|
Johnny Watts | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| FW | ENG
|
Tommy Briggs † | 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 4 |
| FW | ENG
|
Jimmy Cochrane | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | ENG
|
Geoff Cox | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 3 |
| FW |  IRL
|
Jim Higgins | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| FW | ENG
|
John James | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| FW | ENG
|
Jackie Lane | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| FW | ENG
|
John Metcalfe | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | ENG
|
Peter Murphy | 34 | 20 | 4 | 6 | 38 | 26 |
| FW |  ZAF
|
Ted Purdon | 22 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 28 | 10 |
| FW | ENG
|
Ken Rowley | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 7 |
| FW | ENG
|
Bill Smith † | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | SCO
|
Jackie Stewart | 33 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 40 | 5 |
| FW | ENG
|
Cyril Trigg | 19 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 24 | 11 |
| FW | ENG
|
Billy Wardle | 25 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 31 | 4 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]General
- Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
- Matthews, Tony (2010). Birmingham City: The Complete Record. Derby: DB Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85983-853-2.
- Source for match dates and results: "Birmingham City 1952–1953: Results". Statto Organisation. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
- Source for lineups, appearances, goalscorers and attendances: Matthews (2010), Complete Record, pp. 340–41.
- Source for kit: "Birmingham City". Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
Specific
- ^ "Birmingham City 1952–1953: English Division Two (old) Table". Statto Organisation. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2012.