During the 1939–40 season, Birmingham Football Club played three Second Division matches before the Football League season was abandoned because of the Second World War. The team had been relegated in 1938–39 after 18 consecutive seasons in the top tier. Regionally based competitions were organised so that football could continue while unnecessary travel was minimised. Birmingham played in the Midland Regional League, finishing fourth of eight teams, and in the Football League War Cup, in which they lost to eventual winners West Ham United in the quarter-final.

Background After 18 consecutive seasons in the First Division, Birmingham were relegated at the end of the 1938–39 Football League campaign. Manager George Liddell resigned, and returned to his former career as a schoolteacher. First-team coach Jack Bestall also left the club. No successors were appointed. Trainer Billy Gibson's duties were extended to include coaching, and Jack Foster, formerly chief scout at Portsmouth, was appointed to the corresponding role at Birmingham. The directors stated that they were "prepared to accept Mr Foster's advice in all matters relating to players", but confirmed that they would act promptly if it became necessary to appoint a manager.

During the previous season, 1500 new tip-up seats had been installed and the terracing in front of the grandstand completely renovated. Over the close season, the pitch was replanted and reseeded.

Player departures included goalkeeper Frank Clack and half-backs Wally Halsall, Bob Meacock and Dai Richards.

Football League Second Division

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 rounds of 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. With two wins and a draw, they stood second in the table, behind Luton Town on goal average.

+ Match resultsMatthews (1995), Complete Record, p. 236.DateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendance26 August 1939Tottenham HotspurAD1–1Brown28,36630 August 1939Leicester CityHW2–0Farrage, Sharman og13,8482 September 1939BurnleyHW2–0Dearson, Duckhouse15,900

League table (part)

+ Final Second Division table (part)PosClubPldWDLFAGAPts1stLuton Town3210717.0052ndBirmingham3210515.0053rdLeicester City3201522.5044thCoventry City3120861.3345thPlymouth Argyle3201431.334Key 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 = PointsSource

Midland Regional League

When war was declared in September 1939, the government banned public gatherings until safety implications could be assessed. Most football grounds reopened soon afterwards, even those in built-up or strategically significant areas, but Birmingham's Chief Constable ordered the continued closure of St Andrew's because of its proximity to likely air-raid targets such as the BSA munitions factories.Matthews (1995). Complete Record. pp. 21–22. Consequently, Birmingham were forced to play all their away fixtures first, and when this became impossible, to play home fixtures on a neutral groundthe Windmill Ground at Leamington hosted two "home" matches. The matter was first raised in Parliament in November 1939, but the Home Secretary was unwilling to intervene in what he perceived as a local issue outside his jurisdiction. By March 1940, when St Andrew's had for some time been the only football ground in England still closed, the Chief Constable bowed to public pressure, and a crowd of 13,241 witnessed Birmingham's first home game in more than six months, against Walsall in the Midland Regional League.

+ Match resultsDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorers21 October 1939Wolverhampton WanderersAW3–2Broome, Edwards, Dearson28 October 1939WalsallAW2–1Dennis Jennings, Dearson4 November 1939Luton TownAW2–1Duckhouse, Dearson11 November 1939Coventry CityAL1–3Brown18 November 1939West Bromwich AlbionAD2–2Brown 225 November 1939Leicester CityAW3–1Jones, Bye, Edwards2 December 1939Northampton TownAD1–1Jones9 December 1939Wolverhampton WanderersAL2–6Broome 216 December 1939WalsallAW2–1Edwards, Broome27 December 1939West Bromwich AlbionAL0–330 December 1939Coventry CityHL2–4Broome, Bodle13 January 1940Leicester CityHD3–3Guest 2, Duckhouse20 January 1940Northampton TownAL0–310 February 1940Luton TownAL2–4Harris, Roberts o.g.24 February 1940West Bromwich AlbionAL1–6Edwards2 March 1940Leicester CityAL1–2Jones9 March 1940Northampton TownAW3–1Turner pen., Brown, Bodle16 March 1940Wolverhampton WanderersAL1–3Bodle23 March 1940WalsallHW2–1Jones 225 March 1940West Bromwich AlbionAL1–4Duckhouse26 March 1940Luton TownHW5–4Bodle 2, Jones 2, A.E. Godden30 March 1940Luton TownHW4–1Jones, Trigg 2, Bodle6 April 1940Coventry CityHW2–1Trigg 210 April 1940Wolverhampton WanderersHL0–11 May 1940Northampton TownHW3–1Gardner, Bodle, Trigg20 May 1940Leicester CityHD0–05 June 1940Coventry CityHD0–08 June 1940WalsallHW8–1Bodle 2, Duckworth 2, Jones 2, Brown, Godfrey o.g.

League table

+ Final Midland Regional League tablePosClubPldWDLFAGAPts1stWolverhampton Wanderers28193676441.73412ndWest Bromwich Albion28184687511.71403rdCoventry City281331268571.19294thBirmingham281251156600.93295thLuton Town281041476880.86246thNorthampton Town28781348590.81227thLeicester City28761551710.72208thWalsall28751651830.6119Key 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 = PointsSourceRollin, Soccer at War, p. 238.

Football League War Cup

+ Match resultsRollin, Soccer at War, pp. 248–249.RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersFirst round first leg20 April 1940Newport CountyAD2–2Godden 2First round second leg27 April 1940Newport CountyHW5–2Trigg 2, Bodle 2, GoddenSecond round first leg4 May 1940ReadingHW2–0Trigg, JonesSecond round second leg11 May 1940ReadingAW2–0Godden, BodleThird round18 May 1940ArsenalAW2–1Godden, TurnerQuarter final25 May 1940West Ham UnitedAL2–4Trigg 2

Appearances and goals

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

Players marked with an asterisk * were guests, not registered Birmingham players.Rollin, Soccer at War, p. 276.

+ Players having played at least one first-team matchPos.Nat.NameFootball LeagueMidland Regional LeagueFootball League War CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKHarry Hibbs309000120GKGil Merrick00100010GKJack Wheeler0018060240FBSam Bellamy00400040FBGeorge Cummings *—400040FBBilly Hughes3017060260FBDennis Jennings00810081FBWally Quinton0018060240FBCyril Trigg3016566250HBJimmy Allen *—100010HBJames Bye3019140261HBFred Deakin00300030HBRay Devey00300030HBReg Foulkes00700070HBBob Iverson *—700070HBAlex Massie *—400040HBF.W. Moss00100010HBRay Shaw3010000130HBArthur Turner3017161262FWJ. Bate *—100010FWHarold Bodle00179632312FWFrank Broome *—750075FWE. Brown00100010FWJackie Brown3115550236FWCharlie Craven00900090FWDon Dearson3119350274FWTed Duckhouse31650096FWGeorge Edwards *—10400104FWTom Farrage31000031FWFred Gardner00210021FWA.E. Godden005164115FWBilly Guest *—620062FWFred Harris3019160281FWWilson Jones001710311711FWDudley Kernick *—100010FWJackie Martin *—200020FWSeymour Morris00100010FWFrank Moss *—200020FWD.W. Rowley00100010

References General

Source for kit:

Specific