# 1948–49 Birmingham City F.C. season

The 1948–49 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 46th in the Football League and their 27th in the First Division, having been promoted as Second Division champions in 1947–48. They finished in 17th position in the 22-team division, having both scored fewer and conceded fewer goals than any other team in the division. They entered the 1948–49 FA Cup at the third round proper and lost to Leicester City in that round after two replays.
In November 1948, Harry Storer resigned as team manager. The club's chief scout, Walter Taylor, was appointed as assistant team manager shortly afterwards and acted as caretaker manager until Bob Brocklebank's appointment in January 1949.
Thirty-one players made at least one appearance in nationally organised competition, and there were twelve different goalscorers. Full-back Ken Green missed only one game of the 45-game season, and Jackie Stewart was leading goalscorer with eleven goals, all scored in the league.

## Football League First Division

| Date | League position | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 22 August 1948 | 7th | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | D | 2–2 | Bodle, Trigg | 54,361 |
| 25 August 1948 | 10th | Middlesbrough | H | D | 0–0 | | 37,864 |
| 28 August 1948 | 5th | Chelsea | H | W | 1–0 | Stewart | 48,264 |
| 1 September 1948 | 6th | Middlesbrough | A | D | 1–1 | Garrett | 34,016 |
| 4 September 1948 | 4th | Everton | A | W | 5–0 | Trigg 2, Stewart 2, Garrett | 49,199 |
| 8 September 1948 | 6th | Manchester City | A | L | 0–1 | | 29,956 |
| 11 September 1948 | 3rd | Preston North End | H | W | 1–0 | Garrett | 43,499 |
| 15 September 1948 | 3rd | Manchester City | H | W | 4–1 | Stewart 4 | 35,593 |
| 18 September 1948 | 3rd | Burnley | A | D | 2–2 | Trigg, Bodle | 34,081 |
| 25 September 1948 | 3rd | Stoke City | H | W | 2–1 | Harris, Dougall | 48,896 |
| 2 October 1948 | 3rd | Charlton Athletic | A | D | 1–1 | Garrett | 56,294 |
| 9 October 1948 | 3rd | Bolton Wanderers | A | D | 0–0 | | 45,494 |
| 16 October 1948 | 4th | Liverpool | H | L | 0–1 | | 42,331 |
| 23 October 1948 | 7th | Blackpool | A | L | 0–1 | | 25,126 |
| 30 October 1948 | 9th | Derby County | H | L | 0–1 | | 52,129 |
| 6 November 1948 | 12th | Arsenal | A | L | 0–2 | | 61,571 |
| 13 November 1948 | 9th | Huddersfield Town | H | W | 1–0 | Hepplewhite og | 35,207 |
| 20 November 1948 | 12th | Manchester United | A | L | 0–3 | | 48,325 |
| 27 November 1948 | 14th | Sheffield United | H | L | 1–2 | Hall | 32,857 |
| 4 December 1948 | 14th | Aston Villa | A | W | 3–0 | Stewart 2, Bodle | 62,424 |
| 11 December 1948 | 12th | Sunderland | H | D | 0–0 | | 28,249 |
| 18 December 1948 | 12th | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | L | 0–1 | | 39,657 |
| 25 December 1948 | 2nd | Newcastle United | H | W | 2–0 | Trigg, Roberts | 42,111 |
| 27 December 1948 | 12th | Newcastle United | A | L | 0–1 | | 49,457 |
| 1 January 1949 | 14th | Chelsea | A | L | 0–2 | | 28,850 |
| 22 January 1949 | 15th | Preston North End | A | D | 0–0 | | 31,894 |
| 5 February 1949 | 14th | Burnley | H | D | 0–0 | | 34,003 |
| 12 February 1949 | 14th | Everton | H | D | 0–0 | | 35,098 |
| 19 February 1949 | 15th | Stoke City | A | L | 1–2 | Harris | 25,975 |
| 26 February 1949 | 13th | Charlton Athletic | H | W | 1–0 | Stewart | 35,502 |
| 5 March 1949 | 11th | Bolton Wanderers | H | D | 0–0 | | 20,730 |
| 12 March 1949 | 13th | Liverpool | A | L | 0–1 | | 43,753 |
| 19 March 1949 | 12th | Manchester United | H | W | 1–0 | Boyd | 46,819 |
| 26 March 1949 | 14th | Sheffield United | A | L | 0–4 | | 25,761 |
| 2 April 1949 | 13th | Arsenal | H | D | 1–1 | Jordan | 38,868 |
| 9 April 1949 | 14th | Huddersfield Town | A | D | 0–0 | | 18,856 |
| 15 April 1949 | 14th | Portsmouth | A | L | 1–3 | Dorman | 38,456 |
| 16 April 1949 | 15th | Blackpool | H | D | 1–1 | Jordan | 34,726 |
| 18 April 1949 | 11th | Portsmouth | H | W | 3–0 | Badham, Stewart, Hindmarsh og | 29,983 |
| 23 April 1949 | 16th | Derby County | A | L | 0–1 | | 25,548 |
| 30 April 1949 | 16th | Aston Villa | H | L | 0–1 | | 45,120 |
| 7 May 1949 | 17th | Sunderland | A | D | 1–1 | Roberts | 28,007 |

### League table (part)

Final First Division table (part) :
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts |
| 15th | Burnley | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 43 | 50 | 0.86 | 38 |
| 16th | Blackpool | 42 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 54 | 67 | 0.81 | 38 |
| 17th | Birmingham City | 42 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 36 | 38 | 0.95 | 37 |
| 18th | Everton | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 41 | 63 | 0.65 | 37 |
| 19th | Middlesbrough | 42 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 46 | 57 | 0.81 | 34 |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | | | | | | | | | |

## FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| Third round | 8 January 1949 | Leicester City | H | D | 1–1 | Roberts | 41,292 |
| Third round replay | 15 January 1949 | Leicester City | A | D | 1–1 aet | Bodle | 35,367 |
| Third round 2nd replay | 17 January 1949 | Leicester City | H | L | 1–2 | Dorman | 31,609 |

## Appearances and goals

    Players marked † left the club during the playing season.
    Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; FB – Full back; HB – Half back; FW – Forward
Players' appearances and goals by competition :
| Pos. | Nat. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Nat. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | ENG | Gil Merrick | 41 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| GK | ENG | Bill Robertson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FB | ENG | Ken Green | 41 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 44 | 0 |
| FB | ENG | Dennis Jennings | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| FB | ENG | Wally Quinton † | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FB | ENG | Jack Southam | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| HB | ENG | Jack Badham | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
| HB | ENG | Len Boyd | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| HB | ENG | Ted Duckhouse | 39 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 0 |
| HB | NIR | Ray Ferris | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| HB | ENG | Fred Harris | 36 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 39 | 2 |
| HB | ENG | Martin McDonnell | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| HB | SCO | Frank McKee | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| HB | ENG | Frank Mitchell † | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Johnny Berry | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Harold Bodle † | 18 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 4 |
| FW | SCO | Jimmy Dailey | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Don Dorman | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 2 |
| FW | SCO | Neil Dougall † | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 5 |
| FW | WAL | George Edwards † | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| FW | WAL | Hugh Evans | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| FW | SCO | Archie Garrett † | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 4 |
| FW | ENG | Jackie Goodwin † | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Fred Hall | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| FW | ENG | John Hughes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Johnny Jordan | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| FW | SCO | Bobby Laing | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Harold Roberts | 17 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 3 |
| FW | ENG | Fred Slater | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| FW | SCO | Jackie Stewart | 37 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 11 |
| FW | ENG | Cyril Trigg | 23 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 5 |