1985–86 Birmingham City F.C. season
1985–86 season | ||
---|---|---|
Chairman | Keith Coombs (until December 1985) Ken Wheldon thereafter | |
Manager | Ron Saunders (until 16 January 1986) Keith Leonard (caretaker) John Bond (from 23 January) | |
Ground | St Andrew's | |
Football League First Division | 21st (relegated) | |
FA Cup | Third round (eliminated by Altrincham) | |
League Cup | Third round (eliminated by Southampton) | |
Top goalscorer | League: Andy Kennedy (7) All: Andy Kennedy (9) | |
Highest home attendance | 24,971 vs Aston Villa, 7 September 1985 | |
Lowest home attendance | 3,686 vs Bristol Rovers, League Cup 2nd round, 7 October 1985 | |
Average home league attendance | 10,899 | |
| ||
The 1985–86 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 83rd in the Football League and their 50th in the First Division, to which they were promoted in 1984–85. They finished in 21st position in the 22-team division, so were relegated back to the Second Division after only one season. They entered the 1985–86 FA Cup in the third round proper and lost in that round, at home to non-league club Altrincham, a result that prompted the resignation of Ron Saunders as manager.[1] They were eliminated from the League Cup by Southampton in a third-round replay. John Bond succeeded Saunders as manager.
The top scorer was Andy Kennedy with just nine goals, of which seven were scored in league competition.
With the team already in the relegation positions, chairman Keith Coombs resigned in December 1985, selling his 70% shareholding to the former chairman of Walsall F.C., Ken Wheldon, who took over as chairman. The club's serious financial situation, not helped by low attendances, led to the departure of several senior administrative staff.[2][3]
Football League First Division
Date | League position |
Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A |
Scorers | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
17 August 1985 | 5th | West Ham United | H | W | 1–0 | Hopkins | 11,164 |
20 August 1985 | 11th | Watford | A | L | 0–3 | 14,278 | |
24 August 1985 | 17th | Chelsea | A | L | 0–2 | 16,534 | |
26 August 1985 | 9th | Oxford United | H | W | 3–1 | Kennedy, Briggs og, Hopkins | 10,568 |
31 August 1985 | 12th | Everton | A | L | 1–4 | Kennedy | 28,066 |
3 September 1985 | 10th | Manchester City | H | W | 1–0 | Geddis | 11,706 |
7 September 1985 | 11th | Aston Villa | H | D | 0–0 | 24,971 | |
14 September 1985 | 10th | Ipswich Town | A | W | 1–0 | Geddis | 11,616 |
21 September 1985 | 8th | Leicester City | H | W | 2–1 | Geddis 2 | 9,834 |
28 September 1985 | 10th | Queens Park Rangers | A | L | 1–3 | Armstrong | 10,911 |
5 October 1985 | 12th | Sheffield Wednesday | H | L | 0–2 | 11,708 | |
19 October 1985 | 14th | West Bromwich Albion | A | L | 1–2 | Kennedy | 14,576 |
26 October 1985 | 15th | Coventry City | H | L | 0–1 | 9,267 | |
2 November 1985 | 17th | Luton Town | A | L | 0–2 | 8,550 | |
9 November 1985 | 17th | Newcastle United | H | L | 0–1 | 8,162 | |
16 November 1985 | 17th | Southampton | A | L | 0–1 | 13,167 | |
23 November 1985 | 20th | Liverpool | H | L | 0–2 | 15,062 | |
30 November 1985 | 20th | Arsenal | A | D | 0–0 | 16,673 | |
7 December 1985 | 20th | Watford | H | L | 1–2 | Wright pen | 7,043 |
14 December 1985 | 20th | West Ham United | A | L | 0–2 | 17,481 | |
21 December 1985 | 20th | Chelsea | H | L | 1–2 | Platnauer | 10,594 |
26 December 1985 | 21st | Nottingham Forest | H | L | 0–1 | 10,378 | |
28 December 1985 | 21st | Manchester City | A | D | 1–1 | Geddis | 24,055 |
1 January 1986 | 21st | Manchester United | A | L | 0–1 | 43,095 | |
11 January 1986 | 21st | Ipswich Town | H | L | 0–1 | 6,856 | |
18 January 1986 | 21st | Everton | H | L | 0–2 | 10,502 | |
1 February 1986 | 21st | Oxford United | A | W | 1–0 | Clarke | 9,086 |
8 February 1986 | 21st | West Bromwich Albion | H | L | 0–1 | 11,514 | |
16 February 1986 | 21st | Coventry City | A | D | 4–4 | Kennedy 2, Whitton, Kuhl | 14,271 |
1 March 1986 | 21st | Queens Park Rangers | H | W | 2–0 | Clarke pen, Hopkins | 7,093 |
8 March 1986 | 21st | Sheffield Wednesday | A | L | 1–5 | Geddis | 17,491 |
12 March 1986 | 21st | Leicester City | A | L | 2–4 | Clarke, Kennedy | 8,458 |
15 March 1986 | 21st | Tottenham Hotspur | H | L | 1–2 | Kennedy | 9,394 |
22 March 1986 | 21st | Aston Villa | A | W | 3–0 | Clarke 2, Whitton | 26,294 |
29 March 1986 | 21st | Manchester United | H | D | 1–1 | Handysides | 22,551 |
31 March 1986 | 21st | Nottingham Forest | A | L | 0–3 | 13,134 | |
6 April 1986 | 21st | Luton Town | H | L | 0–2 | 8,836 | |
12 April 1986 | 21st | Newcastle United | A | L | 1–4 | Hopkins | 19,981 |
16 April 1986 | 21st | Tottenham Hotspur | A | L | 0–2 | 9,359 | |
19 April 1986 | 21st | Southampton | H | L | 0–2 | 5,833 | |
26 April 1986 | 21st | Liverpool | A | L | 0–5 | 42,021 | |
3 May 1986 | 21st | Arsenal | H | L | 0–1 | 6,234 |
League table (part)
Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
18th | Oxford United | 42 | 10 | 12 | 20 | 62 | 80 | −18 | 42 |
19th | Leicester City | 42 | 10 | 12 | 20 | 54 | 76 | −22 | 42 |
20th | Ipswich Town | 42 | 11 | 8 | 23 | 32 | 55 | −9 | 41 |
21st | Birmingham City | 42 | 8 | 5 | 29 | 30 | 73 | −43 | 29 |
22nd | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 4 | 12 | 26 | 35 | 89 | −54 | 24 |
Key | Pos = League position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points | ||||||||
Source | [4] |
FA Cup
Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A |
Scorers | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Third round | 14 January 1986 | Altrincham | H | L | 1–2 | Hopkins | 6,636 |
League Cup
Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A |
Scorers | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Second round 1st leg | 24 September 1985 | Bristol Rovers | A | W | 3–2 | Wright 2 (2 pens), Geddis | 4,332 |
Second round 2nd leg | 7 October 1985 | Bristol Rovers | H | W | 2–1 | Kennedy, Tanner og | 3,686 |
Third round | 29 October 1985 | Southampton | H | D | 1–1 | Kennedy | 4,832 |
Third round replay | 6 November 1985 | Southampton | A | L | 0–3 | 9,085 |
Appearances and goals
- Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute.
- Players with name struck through and marked † left the club during the playing season.
- Players with names in italics and marked * were on loan from another club for the whole of their season with Birmingham.
Pos. | Nat. | Name | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
GK | ![]() |
David Seaman | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 47 | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
Ken Armstrong | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 1 |
DF | ![]() |
Julian Dicks | 18 (5) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 20 (6) | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
Billy Garton* | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
Jim Hagan | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 (1) | 0 | 35 (1) | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
Mark Jones | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
Ray Ranson | 37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
Brian Roberts | 31 (2) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 36 (2) | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
Mark Smalley* | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
Billy Wright | 29 | 1 | 0 (1) | 0 | 3 (1) | 2 | 32 (2) | 3 |
MF | ![]() |
Des Bremner | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
MF | ![]() |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
John Frain | 1 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2) | 0 |
MF | ![]() |
Ian Handysides | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
MF | ![]() |
Robert Hopkins | 38 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 43 | 5 |
MF | ![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
MF | ![]() |
Martin Kuhl | 33 (4) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 37 (4) | 1 |
MF | ![]() |
Nick Platnauer | 12 (5) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 (5) | 1 |
MF | ![]() |
Billy Ronson* | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
MF | ![]() |
Stuart Storer | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
FW | ![]() |
Wayne Clarke | 28 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 5 |
FW | ![]() |
David Geddis | 25 (1) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 28 (1) | 6 |
FW | ![]() |
Andy Kennedy | 27 (5) | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 32 (5) | 9 |
FW | ![]() |
Tony Rees | 4 (4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 (4) | 0 |
FW | ![]() |
Guy Russell | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 |
FW | ![]() |
Steve Whitton | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
See also
References
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, league positions and results: "Birmingham City 1985–1986: Results". Statto Organisation. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
- Source for lineups, appearances, goalscorers and attendances: Matthews (2010), Complete Record, pp. 406–07.
Specific
- ^ Jones, Stuart (17 January 1986). "Bitter end for Saunders as he resigns from embattled Birmingham". The Times. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
- ^ "Eire move for Clough". The Times. 17 December 1985. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
- ^ Matthews (1995), Complete Record, p. 44.
- ^ "English Division One (old) 1985–1986 : Table". Statto Organisation. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.