1957–58 Birmingham City F.C. season

Birmingham City F.C.
1957–58 season
Chairman Harry Morris Jr
Manager Arthur Turner until February 1958
Turner and Pat Beasley (joint appointment) thereafter
Ground St Andrew's
Football League First Division 13th
FA Cup Third round
(eliminated by York City)
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Semi-final
(eliminated by Barcelona)
Top goalscorer League: Peter Murphy (20)
All: Peter Murphy (23)
Highest home attendance 50,780 vs Aston Villa, 24 August 1957
Lowest home attendance 15,937 vs Sheffield Wednesday, 12 March 1958
Average home league attendance 29,553
← 1956–57 1958–59 →

The 1957–58 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 55th in the Football League and their 31st in the First Division. They finished in 13th position in the 22-team division. They entered the 1957–58 FA Cup at the third round proper and lost in that round to York City. In the inaugural edition of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Birmingham lost in the semi-final in a play-off, having drawn on aggregate score with Barcelona.

In February 1958, Pat Beasley joined the club. Beasley had believed he was coming as assistant to manager Arthur Turner, but chairman Harry Morris announced to the press that he was to be appointed joint manager. Turner, who found about this arrangement not from the club but from the press, threatened to resign. He was persuaded to stay "for the time being", but finally left early in the 1958–59 season.[1]

Twenty-four players made at least one appearance in nationally or internationally organised first-team competition, and there were twelve different goalscorers. Half back Dick Neal played in 44 of the 46 first-team matches over the season, and Peter Murphy finished as leading goalscorer with 23 goals in all competitions, of which 20 were scored in the league.

Football League First Division

DateLeague
position		Opponents VenueResultScore
F–A		Scorers Attendance
24 August 1957 6thAston VillaH W3–1Brown, Kinsey, Murphy 50,780
28 August 1957 5thNottingham ForestA D1–1Brown 29,705
31 August 1957 11thChelseaA L1–5Brown 43,806
4 September 1957 15thNottingham ForestH L0–2 26,852
7 September 1957 18thNewcastle UnitedH L1–4Hellawell 29,784
11 September 1957 19thTottenham HotspurH D0–0 26,485
14 September 1957 21stBurnleyA L1–3Neal 20,522
18 September 1957 22ndTottenham HotspurA L1–7Brown 35,292
21 September 1957 20thPreston North EndH W3–1Neale, Murphy, Govan pen 24,894
28 September 1957 21stSheffield WednesdayA L3–5Orritt 2, Murphy 20,129
1 October 1957 21stWest Bromwich AlbionA D0–0 39,738
5 October 1957 15thManchester CityH W4–0Murphy 3, Brown 28,059
12 October 1957 17thWolverhampton WanderersH L1–5Astall 43,005
19 October 1957 15thArsenalA W3–1Orritt, Neal 2 39,031
26 October 1957 14thBolton WanderersH W5–1Brown 2, Orritt, Murphy, Watts 26,225
2 November 1957 15thLuton TownA L0–3 17,316
9 November 1957 16thSunderlandH L2–3Murphy, Govan 25,315
16 November 1957 15thEvertonA W2–0Murphy 2 34,875
23 November 1957 15thBlackpoolH D0–0 32,178
30 November 1957 15thLeeds UnitedA D1–1Orritt 21,358
7 December 1957 15thManchester UnitedH D3–3Kinsey, Murphy, Astall 35,191
14 December 1957 15thLeicester CityA D2–2Kinsey, Astall 28,680
21 December 1957 15thAston VillaA W2–0Brown, Kinsey 41,118
26 December 1957 15thWest Bromwich AlbionH L3–5Brown, Hooper pen, Neal 48,396
28 December 1957 15thChelseaH D3–3Brown, Murphy 2 37,436
11 January 1958 15thNewcastle UnitedA W2–1Brown, Kinsey 34,825
18 January 1958 15thBurnleyH L2–3Murphy, Hooper 22,281
1 February 1958 15thPreston North EndA L0–8 21,511
22 February 1958 17thWolverhampton WanderersA L1–5Murphy 36,941
1 March 1958 15thArsenalH W4–1Brown 2, Murphy, Hooper 26,834
5 March 1958 15thManchester CityA D1–1Murphy 30,655
8 March 1958 16thBolton WanderersA L0–1 18,309
12 March 1958 15thSheffield WednesdayH W1–0Orritt 15,937
15 March 1958 15thLuton TownH D1–1Orritt 25,225
22 March 1958 15thBlackpoolA L2–4Astall, Hooper pen 11,549
29 March 1958 15thEvertonH W2–1Hooper 2 21,628
4 April 1958 15thPortsmouthA L2–3Murphy, Hooper 33,075
5 April 1958 14thSunderlandA W6–1Murphy, Astall, Brown, Hooper, Orritt 2 34,194
7 April 1958 12thPortsmouthH W4–1Brown, Orritt, Murphy, Hooper 23,380
12 April 1958 13thLeeds UnitedH D1–1Orritt 23,112
19 April 1958 12thManchester UnitedA W2–0Hooper, Green 39,215
26 April 1958 13thLeicester CityH L0–1 27,607

League table (part)

Final First Division table (part)
Pos Club Pld W D L F A GA Pts
11th Chelsea4215121582791.0542
12th Arsenal421671973850.8639
13th Birmingham City4214111776890.8539
14th Aston Villa421671973860.8539
15th Bolton Wanderers4214101865870.7538
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 [2]

FA Cup

Main article: 1957–58 FA Cup
Round DateOpponentsVenue ResultScore
F–A		Scorers Attendance
Third round 8 January 1958York CityA L0–3 19,750

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

The group stage of the inaugural edition of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was completed during the 1956–57 playing season. The score at half time in the first leg of the semi-final, at St Andrew's, was 3–3, and Peter Murphy scored the winner after an hour. In the away leg, in the recently opened Camp Nou, El Mundo Deportivo expected a comfortable victory for the hosts,[3] but the result was rather less clear-cut. The only goal of the game was scored after 82 minutes by Kubala, who saw Gil Merrick off his line and neatly lobbed him.[4] With no away goals rule, the game went into 30 minutes of extra time, which remained goalless, so a replay was to be played on a neutral ground. Controversy arose when Birmingham were prevented from substituting the injured Bunny Larkin, contrary to what they believed had been agreed before the match; Barcelona manager Domènec Balmanya claimed the agreement allowed for two substitutes, but outfield players could only be replaced in the first half.[5][6] Asked what he thought of Barcelona, Birmingham trainer Dave Fairhurst said he thought they played better in the first leg, where they concentrated on playing; here, they spent too much time complaining. Balmanya's opinion of Birmingham had not changed since the first leg: he saw them as a physical team with crude technique, too concerned with the opponent to think much about the ball.[6]

El Mundo Deportivo was more complimentary about Birmingham's style of play in the replay. While they had come to Barcelona to avoid losing, and nearly succeeded, they went to St. Jakob-Park, in Basel, Switzerland, to win, and to be worthy of the victory. It also suggested that the playing surface – rough, and covered with long wet grass – was better suited to an open, long-ball game than to precise passing and close marking.[7] Barcelona scored first through Evaristo, Murphy equalised early in the second half, then with seven minutes left, Suárez picked up the ball in midfield and passed to Kubala who drew Merrick out of his goal and gave him no chance with his shot.[5][7]

Round DateOpponentsVenue ResultScore
F–A		Scorers Attendance
Semi-final 1st leg 23 October 1957BarcelonaH W4–3Murphy 2, Brown, Orritt 30,791
Semi-final 2nd leg 13 November 1957BarcelonaA L0–1
aet		 60,000
Semi-final playoff 26 November 1957BarcelonaSt. Jakob-Park, Basel L1–2Murphy 20,000

Appearances and goals

Players having played at least one first-team match
Pos. Nat. Name League FA Cup Fairs Cup Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GK ENG Gil Merrick 2801030320
GK ENG Johnny Schofield 1400000140
FB ENG George Allen 40002060
FB ENG Brian Farmer 1301020160
FB ENG Ken Green 3110000311
FB ENG Jeff Hall 3701020400
HB ENG Bunny Larkin 2200020240
HB ENG Joe Mullett 30000030
HB ENG Dick Neal 4041030444
HB ENG Johnny NewmanLeft club during playing season 60000060
HB ENG Graham Sissons 20000020
HB ENG Trevor Smith 3701030410
HB ENG Johnny Watts 2211020251
FW ENG Gordon Astall 3751030415
FW ENG Eddy Brown 371510314116
FW SCO Alex GovanLeft club during playing season 2020020222
FW ENG Mike Hellawell 11000011
FW ENG Harry Hooper 221010002310
FW ENG David Jones 50000050
FW ENG Bud Houghton 20000020
FW WAL Noel KinseyLeft club during playing season 1551010175
FW ENG Peter Murphy 362010334023
FW ENG Keith NealeLeft club during playing season 31000031
FW WAL Bryan Orritt 251100212712

See also

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ Matthews, Complete Record, p. 62.
  2. ↑ "Birmingham City 1957–1958: English Division One (old) Table". Statto Organisation. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  3. ↑ "Anoche en Birmingham" [Last night in Birmingham]. El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Barcelona. 24 October 1957. Retrieved 2 May 2012. el resultado último de la semifinal ... que verá – o mucho nos equivocamos – un triunfo claro del equipo azulgrana.
  4. ↑ Pardo, Carlos (14 November 1957). "Barcelona 1, – Birmingham 0". El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Barcelona. p. 3. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  5. 1 2 "Blues in Europe – Part One 1956–1958". Birmingham City F.C. Archived from the original on 7 April 2011.
  6. 1 2 "Hablan los entrenadores" [What the coaches say]. El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Barcelona. 14 November 1957. p. 3. Retrieved 2 May 2012. Buena, aunque creo que jugaron mejor en Birmingham; allí se dedicaron más a jugar... aquí protestaron demasiado. ... Lo mismo que opiné después del partido jugado en Inglaterra, que se trata de un conjunto durísimo, de técnica un tanto rudimentaria, que se preocupan demasiado del contrario, olvidándose con frecuencia del balón.
  7. 1 2 "Barcelona 2, – Birmingham 1". El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Barcelona. 27 November 1957. p. 3. Retrieved 2 May 2012. Vino al estadio barcelonista, no a ganar un partido. Vino a no perderlo. Y a punto de ello estuvo. Hoy en cambio, venía a hacerse merecedor del triunfo y, además, alcanzarlo. ... El terreno, accidentado, de hierba larga, tierra húmeda y muy resbaladiza, se prestaba muchísimo más al juego abierto y de largos desplazamientos del balón y de aperturas fáciles, que no al estilo de juego de pase concreto, tiro colocado y marcaje próximo.
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