The 1990–91 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 88th in the Football League and their second in the Third Division. They finished in 12th position in the 24-team division, their lowest finish ever in the Football League. They entered the 1990–91 FA Cup in the first round proper and lost to Brentford in the second, and entered at and lost in the first round of the League Cup, beaten over two legs by AFC Bournemouth. They won the Associate Members' Cup, a cup competition open to clubs in the third and fourth tiers of the English football league system, defeating Tranmere Rovers 3–2 in the final at Wembley Stadium with goals from Simon Sturridge and two from John Gayle.
Off the field, Dave Mackay resigned as manager in January 1991, to be replaced by Lou Macari on a non-contract basis. With the club in financial difficulties, Macari and his staff walked out of the club in June to join Stoke City. Many of the playing staff were out of contract and reluctant to renew, and an action group was formed to try to remove the chairman.Matthews (1995), Complete Record, p. 48.
Football League Third Division
DateLeaguepositionOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendance25 August 19909thCambridge UnitedAW1–0Gleghorn6,3381 September 19903rdLeyton OrientHW3–1Bailey, Hopkins, Moran5,8478 September 19902ndStoke CityAW1–0Gleghorn16,13515 September 19902ndBuryHW1–0Peer7,34418 September 19903rdExeter CityHD1–1Bailey7,70322 September 19903rdWigan AthleticAD1–1Tait3,90429 September 19903rdPreston North EndHD1–1Bailey7,1542 October 19904thFulhamAD2–2Matthewson, Overson4,0116 October 19905thReadingAD2–2Matthewson, Sturridge5,69513 October 19905thSouthend UnitedHD1–1Sturridge9,33320 October 19904thGrimsby TownHD0–010,12323 October 19905thCrewe AlexandraAD1–1Gleghorn4,44927 October 19907thShrewsbury TownAL1–4Bailey6,1503 November 199011thHuddersfield TownHL1–2Tait7,41210 November 19908thChester CityAW1–0Hopkins2,27324 November 199010thAFC BournemouthHD0–07,4161 December 199014thSwansea CityAL0–24,89615 December 199011thRotherham UnitedHW2–1Tait, Overson4,73421 December 199012thTranmere RoversAL0–15,05426 December 199015thBrentfordHL0–26,61229 December 199016thBolton WanderersHL1–3Bailey7,3181 January 199015thMansfield TownAW2–1Gayle 23,6545 January 199114thBradford CityHD1–1Frain pen6,31512 January 199114thLeyton OrientAD1–1Sturridge4,70119 January 199115thCambridge UnitedHL0–35,85926 January 199114thBuryAW1–0Sturridge3,0092 February 199112thExeter CityAW2–0Gayle 25,1545 February 199111thWigan AthleticHD0–05,31913 February 199113thBradford CityAL0–24,77616 February 199110thAFC BournemouthAW2–1Sturridge, Mundee og6,33023 February 19918thChester CityHW1–0Dolan6,7022 March 19916thSwansea CityHW2–0Sturridge, Rodgerson6,9039 March 19918thRotherham UnitedAD1–1Frain pen5,02812 March 19917thFulhamHW2–0Peer, Gleghorn8,08316 March 199110thPreston North EndAL0–25,33418 March 199110thSouthend UnitedAL1–2Gleghorn6,32823 March 199111thReadingHD1–1Rodgerson6,79530 March 199112thBrentfordAD2–2Frain, Gleghorn6,7572 April 199110thTranmere RoversHW1–0Yates7,6757 April 199112thBolton WanderersAL1–3Gayle11,28013 April 199112thMansfield TownHD0–07,63516 April 199111thStoke CityHW2–1Matthewson, Hopkins6,72920 April 199111thGrimsby TownAD0–08,84227 April 199111thCrewe AlexandraHL0–26,4294 May 199113thShrewsbury TownHL0–16,25611 May 199112thHuddersfield TownAW1–0Gayle5,195
League table (part) +Final Third Division table (part)Team10thWigan Athletic46209177154+176911thHuddersfield Town461813155751+66712thBirmingham City461617134549−46513thLeyton Orient461810185558−36414thStoke City461612185559−460
Results summary
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceFirst round17 November 1990Cheltenham TownHW1–0Sturridge7,942Second round12 December 1990BrentfordHL1–3Aylott5,072
League Cup
RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceFirst round 1st leg28 August 1990AFC BournemouthHL0–15,110First round 2nd leg4 September 1990AFC BournemouthAD1–1Downs pen4,490
Associate Members' Cup
RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendancePreliminary round6 November 1990WalsallAW1–0Skipper og5,053Preliminary round27 November 1990Lincoln CityHW2–0Clarke og, Sturridge2,922First round18 February 1991Swansea CityHD0–04–2 pens3,555Southern area quarter-final26 February 1991Mansfield TownHW2–0Matthewson, Gayle5,358Southern area semi-final5 March 1991Cambridge UnitedHW3–1Peer, Gleghorn, Overson9,429Southern area final 1st leg26 March 1991BrentfordHW2–1Rodgerson, Gayle16,219Southern area final 2nd leg9 April 1991BrentfordAW1–0Sturridge8,745Final26 May 1991Tranmere RoversWembleyW3–2Sturridge, Gayle 258,756
Appearances and goals
Numbers in parentheses denote appearances made as a substitute. Players with name in italics and marked * were on loan from another club for the whole of their season with Birmingham. Players marked left the club during the playing season. Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward
+ Players' appearances and goals by competitionNameLeagueFA CupLeague CupAssociate Members' CupTotalGoalsGoalsGoalsGoalsGoalsGK Martin Thomas450102080560GK Dean Williams1010000020DF Kevin Ashley 3000200050DF Ian Clarkson34 (3)010007 (1)042 (4)0DF Greg Downs16 (1)020212022 (1)1DF Trevor Matthewson463202081584DF Gary O'Reilly *1000000010DF Vince Overson402201081513DF Ian Rodgerson252000041293MF Dougie Bell1000000010MF Eamonn Dolan5 (5)10000207 (5)1MF John Frain423202080543MF Matthew Fox9 (2)000100010 (2)0MF Andy Harris0000000 (1)00 (1)0MF Robert Hopkins18 (5)321201023 (5)4MF Dean Peer37 (3)220208149 (3)3MF Mark Rutherford1 (2)00000001 (2)0MF Paul Tait173102010213FW Trevor Aylott23 (2)00 (1)1004 (1)027 (4)1FW Dennis Bailey25 (7)520201 (3)030 (10)5FW Sean Francis0 (3)00000000 (3)0FW John Gayle20 (2)610005 (1)426 (3)10FW Nigel Gleghorn426202081547FW Colin Gordon3 (2)00 (1)000003 (3)0FW Richie Moran2 (6)1000 (1)0002 (7)1FW Phil Robinson *90100002 (1)011 (1)0FW Simon Sturridge33 (5)6210 (2)08343 (7)10FW Mark Yates8 (1)100003011 (1)1
See also Birmingham City F.C. seasons
Sources
For match dates, league positions and results: For lineups, appearances, goalscorers and attendances: Matthews (2010), Complete Record, pp. 416–17, 480.
References