The 2009–10 season was Birmingham City Football Club's sixth season in the Premier League and their 56th in the first tier of English football. The side was managed by former Scotland manager Alex McLeish, who successfully guided the side to promotion from the Championship the previous season.
Review
Carson Yeung takeover Following his unsuccessful attempt to purchase the club during the 2007–08 season, Carson Yeung returned to complete a deal to purchase Birmingham City.
On 20 August, Carson Yeung's Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed Grandtop International placed a deposit of £3 million ahead of a new proposed takeover bid. This was quickly followed by Yeung's decision to donate £5 million to the club for the purchase of Middlesbrough's Tuncay, but such a gift would have broken HKSE rules, and the player signed for Stoke City instead.
The takeover date was put back from October to mid-November, because of a delay to the EGM required to approve the issue of an additional 50% shares, following his capture of a £57m bridging loan to cover the purchase of the club.
Formal documents outlining Yeung's £1-per-share offer were sent out to club shareholders in mid-September. By 24 September, he had acceptances on 81.7% of the shares, including the holdings of former owners David Sullivan, David Gold and Ralph Gold, and by the closing date of 6 October, the takeover was complete, with acceptances in respect of 94% of the shares, a level allowing a compulsory purchase of the remainder.
At a press conference on 15 October, the board and executive was named as: Yeung himself, president; Michael Wiseman, vice-president; Vico Hui, chairman; Peter Pannu and Sammy Yu, vice chairmen; and Michael Dunford, chief executive. The name of the holding company was changed from Grandtop International to Birmingham International Holdings.
Chronological list of events The following is a list of all significant events to occur during the 2009–10 season. This list does not include transfers, which are listed in the transfer section, or results, which are listed in the matches section.
7 July: The club broke its transfer record by signing Christian Benítez from Mexican side Santos Laguna for a fee that will rise to $12.5 million (around £7.75m). 7 August: Co-owner David Sullivan and managing director Karren Brady were told that no further action would be taken against them after a two-year investigation into corruption in football. 14 August: Vice-chairman Jack Wiseman died at the age of 92. 17 November: Former Aberdeen player Malky Thomson is appointed as reserve team manager. 8 January: Alex McLeish was awarded the manager of the month award for December. 3 February: Former Birmingham goalkeeper and manager Gil Merrick died at the age of 88.
Pre-season +Pre-season friendly match detailsDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceReport21 July 2009VfB StuttgartNL0–287623 July 2009FC AugsburgNL0–226 July 2009Al-HilalNL0–329 July 2009Dagenham & RedbridgeAW1–0Bent 77'1,0221 August 2009Nottingham ForestAL1–2Carsley 79'6,7354 August 2009Crewe AlexandraAL1–4McFadden 18'1,8278 August 2009Sporting de GijónHD0–010,360
Premier League
Match details General sources (match reports): Individual match reports are linked from this page. Match content not verifiable from these sources is referenced individually.
DateLeaguepositionOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceRefs16 August 200913thManchester UnitedAL0–175,06219 August 20099thPortsmouthHW1–0McFadden 90+2' pen.19,92222 August 20097thStoke CityHD0–021,69429 August 200911thTottenham HotspurAL1–2Bowyer 75'35,31813 September 200915thAston VillaHL0–125,19619 September 200911thHull CityAW1–0O'Connor 75'23,75926 September 200914thBolton WanderersHL1–2Phillips 84'28,6713 October 200915thBurnleyAL1–2Larsson 90+5'20,10217 October 200916thArsenalAL1–3Bowyer 38'60,02824 October 200914thSunderlandHW2–1Ridgewell 37', McFadden 48'21,7231 November 200914thManchester CityHD0–021,4629 November 200915thLiverpoolAD2–2Benítez 26', Jerome 45+3'42,56021 November 200912thFulhamHW1–0Bowyer 16'23,65929 November 200911thWolverhampton WanderersAW1–0Bowyer 3'26,6685 December 20098thWigan AthleticAW3–2Larsson (2) 61', 72', Benítez 66'18,79712 December 20098thWest Ham UnitedHW1–0Bowyer 52'28,20315 December 20096thBlackburn RoversHW2–1Jerome (2) 12', 48'23,18720 December 20097thEvertonAD1–1Larsson 22'33,66026 December 20098thChelseaHD0–028,95828 December 20097thStoke CityAW1–0Jerome 50'27,2119 January 20108thManchester UnitedHD1–1Jerome 39'28,90727 January 20108thChelseaAL0–341,29330 January 20108thTottenham HotspurHD1–1Ridgewell 90+1'27,2387 February 20108thWolverhampton WanderersHW2–1Phillips (2) 80', 85'24,16510 February 20108thWest Ham UnitedAL0–234,45821 February 201010thFulhamAL1–2Baird 3' o.g.21,75827 February 20108thWigan AthleticHW1–0McFadden 45+2' pen.25,9219 March 20108thPortsmouthAW2–1Jerome (2) 16', 42'18,46513 March 20108thEvertonHD2–2Jerome 26', Gardner 52'24,57920 March 20109thSunderlandAL1–3Jerome 60'37,96224 March 20109thBlackburn RoversAL1–2McFadden 55'23,85627 March 20109thArsenalHD1–1Phillips 90+2'27,0394 April 20109thLiverpoolHD1–1Ridgewell 56'27,90911 April 20109thManchester CityAL1–5Jerome 42'45,20917 April 20109thHull CityHD0–026,66925 April 20109thAston VillaAL0–142,7881 May 20109thBurnleyHW2–1Jerome 29', Benítez 41'24,578 Birmingham's first goal, originally awarded as a Brian Jensen own goal, was credited to Jerome by the Dubious Goals Panel.9 May 20109thBolton WanderersAL1–2McFadden 77'22,863
League table
Results summary
FA Cup
+FA Cup match detailsRoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceReportThird round2 January 2010Nottingham ForestAD0–020,975Third round replay12 January 2010Nottingham ForestHW1–0Ferguson 62'9,399Fourth round23 January 2010EvertonAW2–1Benítez 7', Ferguson 40'30,875Fifth round13 February 2010Derby CountyAW2–1Dann 73', Ridgewell 90+3'21,043Sixth round6 March 2010PortsmouthAL0–220,456
League Cup
Birmingham entered the 2009–10 League Cup in the second round. The draw saw them travel down to the south coast to play League One team Southampton for the second time in consecutive seasons. Goals from midfielders Lee Carsley and Lee Bowyer cancelled out Adam Lallana's strike to see Birmingham progress to the next round 2–1. In the third round, Birmingham visited fellow Premier League side Sunderland. An early goal from Jordan Henderson and a strike by Fraizer Campbell midway through the first half was enough to see Birmingham knocked out of the cup 2–0.
+League Cup match detailsRoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceReportSecond round25 August 2009SouthamptonAW2–1Bowyer 77', Carsley 80'11,753Third round22 September 2009SunderlandAL0–220,576
Appearances and goals Source:
Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute. Players with squad numbers 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.
+ Players included in matchday squadsNo.PosNatNameLeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalDisciplineAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1GK Maik Taylor20002040002DF Stephen Carr35040103901003DF David Murphy00000000004MF Lee Bowyer34 (1)54 (1)01 (1)139 (3)6905DF Martin Taylor00000000006DF Liam Ridgewell30 (1)3511036 (1)4407MF Sebastian Larsson26 (7)4401032 (7)4308FW Garry O'Connor5 (5)1001 (1)06 (6)1209FW Kevin Phillips2 (17)41 (3)0104 (20)40010FW Cameron Jerome3211a400036115011FW Christian Benítez21 (9)33 (2)11025 (11)41012MF Barry Ferguson37052104329113GK Colin Doyle000000000014DW Roger Johnson38050004308015DW Scott Dann30041103514016FW James McFadden32 (4)5400 (1)036 (5)56017DF Giovanny Espinoza000020202017MF Míchel3 (6)000003 (6)01018MF Keith Fahey18 (16)03 (2)00 (1)021 (19)02019MF Gary McSheffrey1 (4)00 (2)0203 (6)01020DF Franck Queudrue600010700021DF Stuart Parnaby6 (2)010209 (2)02022MF Damien Johnson0 (1)01 (1)0001 (2)00023FW Marcus Bent000000000024MF Jay O'Shea0 (1)000202 (1)00025GK Joe Hart*36050004104026MF Lee Carsley3 (4)010115 (4)11027DF Grégory Vignal6 (2)010007 (2)03028MF Teemu Tainio*5 (1)000005 (1)00029MF Ashley Sammons000010100030DF Dan Preston00000 (1)00 (1)01031MF Jordon Mutch000000000032MF Jake Jervis000 (1)0000 (1)00033MF Craig Gardner10 (3)10 (2)00010 (5)14034MF Nathan Redmond0000000000
a. Soccerbase's stats exclude Birmingham's opening goal against Burnley on 1 May, originally credited as a Brian Jensen own goal but awarded to Jerome by the Dubious Goals Panel.
Transfers
Before the start of the season, Stephen Carr was given a new two-year contract and Cameron Jerome signed a five-year deal. Youngsters Jacob Rowe and Shaun Timmins were given their first professional one-year contracts and Jared Wilson received a one-year extension.
In
DatePlayerClubFeeRef 12 June 2009 Scott Dann Coventry City Undisclosed 24 June 2009 Giovanny Espinoza Barcelona SC Undisclosed 25 June 2009 Roger Johnson Cardiff City £5m 7 July 2009 Christian Benítez Santos Laguna Undisclosed 8 July 2009 Lee Bowyer (West Ham United) Free 13 July 2009 Artur Krysiak (Birmingham City) Free 17 July 2009 Barry Ferguson Rangers £1.2m 10 August 2009 Jay O'Shea Galway United Undisclosed 13 August 2009 Grégory Vignal RC Lens Undisclosed 11 January 2010 Michel Sporting de Gijón £3m 26 January 2010 Craig Gardner Aston Villa £3m
Brackets round club names indicate the player's contract with that club had expired before he joined Birmingham.
Out
DatePlayerFeeJoinedRef 12 January 2010 Giovanny Espinoza Released (Unión Española) 19 January 2010 Krystian Pearce Free Huddersfield Town 29 January 2010 Martin Taylor Free Watford 1 February 2010 Damien Johnson Free Plymouth Argyle 30 June 2010 Lee Carsley Released (Coventry City) 30 June 2010 Artur Krysiak Released (Exeter City) 30 June 2010 Gary McSheffrey Released (Coventry City) 30 June 2010 Franck Queudrue Released (RC Lens) 30 June 2010 Jacob Rowe Released 30 June 2010 Shaun Timmins Released 30 June 2010 Grégory Vignal Released (Atromitos) 30 June 2010 Jared Wilson Released
Brackets round club names denote the player joined that club after his Birmingham City contract expired.
Loan in DatePlayerClubReturnRef 24 June 2009 Joe Hart Manchester City End of season 1 September 2009 Teemu Tainio Sunderland End of season
Loan out DatePlayerClubReturnRef 1 July 2009 Robin Shroot Burton Albion January 2010 20 July 2009 Krystian Pearce Peterborough United 11 January 2010 10 August 2009 Artur Krysiak Burton Albion End of season 30 October 2009 Marcus Bent Middlesbrough 16 January 2011 26 November 2009 Jordon Mutch Hereford United 2 January 2011 23 December 2009 Jacob Rowe Redditch United One month 26 January 2010 Jordon Mutch Doncaster Rovers One month 29 January 2010 Gary McSheffrey Leeds United End of season 1 February 2010 Marcus Bent Queens Park Rangers End of season
Transfer notes It is believed that the fee paid for Scott Dann is in the region of £3.5 million. Birmingham City did not mention an official cost for Giovanny Espinoza. Newspaper reports suggest that the fee was lower than €600,000 (£375,000). A fee and personal terms for Benítez were agreed on 3 June 2009, but were later renegotiated after a problem with Benítez's knee was discovered during his medical. Benítez officially joined the club on 7 July 2009. The fee for Benítez is thought to be $2 million (about £1.2 million) rising to $12.5 million (about £7.75 million) with add-ons, and also includes a 'get out' clause that will see him return to Mexico at the end of the season if his knee problem becomes serious. It was announced on 15 May 2009 that Artur Krysiak would be released from the club when his contract expired on 30 June 2009. It was later announced that the side had re-signed the Polish goalkeeper.