Birmingham CityIn 1960 Birmingham City FC became the first English club in history to reach the final of a major European competition, and it did so before many bigger rivals had found their own way on the continent. The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the forerunner of the UEFA Cup, did not yet have the prestige of the European Cup, but for a club from England's second-largest city it was a chance to write itself into history. In the 1960 final Birmingham lost to FC Barcelona 4–1 on aggregate, and a year later, under manager Gil Merrick, it reached the final again and lost to AS Roma 4–2. The road to the second final led through Inter Milan, who were beaten in both matches, and no other English club won a competitive game in Milan until Arsenal did so in 2003.
The club was founded in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, becoming Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905 and the present Birmingham City in 1943. From 1877 the team played at Muntz Street, and in 1892, along with other Football Alliance clubs, it was invited to join the newly formed Second Division of the Football League, of which it was a founder member. Small Heath won the first edition of that competition, though initially without promotion. In 1906 the club moved to St Andrew's, in the Bordesley district, close to Small Heath. The ground, partly demolished and rebuilt in the 1990s, remains the Blues' home to this day. One of its stands bears the name of Gil Merrick. The club's colour is royal blue, and its supporters are known as Bluenoses.
The golden era came in the 1950s and early 1960s. Under manager Arthur Turner, Birmingham won the Second Division in 1954–55, finished sixth in the top flight the next season, which remains their best league finish, and reached the FA Cup final in 1956. The club had earlier played in that final in 1931. The team of those years included the forward Bertie Auld, who would win the European Cup with Celtic in 1967, and in goal was Gil Merrick, one of the club's most distinguished goalkeepers, with more than 500 appearances. The manager at the time of the 1960 Fairs Cup final was Pat Beasley.
The first major domestic trophy came in 1963. Merrick, by then manager, led Birmingham to the League Cup with a 3–1 aggregate win over local rivals Aston Villa; after the home-leg win, the return at Villa Park ended 0–0. It was the beginning of a longer period in which the club fought against relegation, and after four years the manager was asked to resign. Birmingham have spent about half their history in the top flight, and the Second City derby against Aston Villa is one of the fiercest fixtures in English football.
Later trophies came rarely, but are always remembered. In 1994–95 Barry Fry led the team to a double of the third-tier title and the Football League Trophy. The most celebrated triumph of recent years, however, is the 2011 League Cup final, in which, under Alex McLeish, Birmingham beat Arsenal 2–1 at Wembley. After that success the club was relegated, and it played in the Europa League without the manager, who had been taken by Aston Villa.
Recent years have brought ups and downs. In 2024 Birmingham dropped to League One, but in 2024–25 it set a points record there and returned to the Championship. The club's tradition, built on the song 'Keep Right On', loyal supporters and the memory of two European finals and two League Cups, makes Birmingham one of the most distinctive clubs of the English Midlands. Its history shows that a club without a long list of trophies can still write itself into history through courage, local identity and a few unforgettable evenings.