# 1929–30 Birmingham F.C. season

The 1929–30 Football League season was Birmingham Football Club's 34th in the Football League and their 17th in the First Division. They finished in 11th position in the 22-team division. They also competed in the 1929–30 FA Cup, entering at the third round proper and losing to Arsenal in the fourth after a replay.
Twenty-five players made at least one appearance in nationally organised competition, and there were thirteen different goalscorers. Forwards Johnny Crosbie and George Hicks played in 42 of the 45 matches over the season, and Joe Bradford was leading scorer for the ninth successive year, with 23 goals, all scored in the league.
Off the field, the Yorkshire Post reported that "The annual statement of accounts of the Birmingham F.C. shows a profit on last season's working of £1,412, a pleasant change from the previous season, when the club declared a loss of nearly £7,300. Gross receipts show a considerable increase, totalling nearly £40,000, the attendances being better throughout the season."

## Football League First Division

| Date | League position | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 31 August 1929 | 17th | Aston Villa | A | L | 1–2 | Bradford | 36,834 |
| 4 September 1929 | 9th | West Ham United | A | W | 4–2 | Bradford 3, Barkas | 13,301 |
| 7 September 1929 | 7th | Huddersfield Town | H | W | 4–1 | Bradford 2, Curtis, Liddell | 24,830 |
| 14 September 1929 | 12th | Sheffield United | A | L | 2–4 | Curtis, Barkas pen | 16,528 |
| 16 September 1929 | 5th | West Ham United | H | W | 1–0 | Bradford | 13,265 |
| 21 September 1929 | 4th | Newcastle United | H | W | 5–1 | Bradford 3, Curtis, Crosbie | 25,707 |
| 28 September 1929 | 9th | Blackburn Rovers | A | L | 5–7 | Bradford 3, Crosbie 2 | 18,942 |
| 5 October 1929 | 8th | Middlesbrough | H | D | 1–1 | Bradford | 23,140 |
| 12 October 1929 | 11th | Liverpool | A | D | 1–1 | Curtis | 35,859 |
| 17 October 1929 | 11th | Leicester City | A | L | 1–2 | Curtis | 13,352 |
| 19 October 1929 | 13th | Leeds United | A | L | 0–1 | | 20,067 |
| 26 October 1929 | 10th | Sheffield Wednesday | H | W | 1–0 | Hicks | 27,221 |
| 2 November 1929 | 12th | Burnley | A | L | 1–3 | Crosbie | 11,068 |
| 9 November 1929 | 16th | Arsenal | H | L | 2–3 | Bradford, Crosbie | 33,904 |
| 16 November 1929 | 15th | Bolton Wanderers | A | D | 0–0 | | 15,922 |
| 23 November 1929 | 15th | Everton | H | D | 0–0 | | 13,883 |
| 30 November 1929 | 17th | Derby County | A | L | 1–3 | Curtis | 13,516 |
| 7 December 1929 | 14th | Manchester City | H | W | 3–0 | Curtis, Haywood | 15,948 |
| 14 December 1929 | 17th | Portsmouth | A | L | 1–2 | Barkas pen | 17,978 |
| 21 December 1929 | 14th | Sunderland | H | W | 3–0 | Hicks, Haywood, Briggs | 16,327 |
| 25 December 1929 | 15th | Manchester United | A | D | 0–0 | | 18,626 |
| 26 December 1929 | 16th | Manchester United | H | L | 0–1 | | 35,682 |
| 28 December 1929 | 17th | Aston Villa | H | D | 1–1 | Crosbie | 33,228 |
| 4 January 1930 | 17th | Huddersfield Town | A | D | 1–1 | Hicks | 14,596 |
| 18 January 1930 | 14th | Sheffield United | H | W | 2–1 | Curtis, Bradford | 23,471 |
| 1 February 1930 | 17th | Blackburn Rovers | H | L | 1–2 | Bradford | 18,521 |
| 8 February 1930 | 18th | Middlesbrough | A | L | 1–5 | Haywood | 16,969 |
| 15 February 1930 | 18th | Liverpool | H | W | 1–0 | Haywood | 10,901 |
| 22 February 1930 | 17th | Leeds United | H | W | 1–0 | Haywood | 17,703 |
| 8 March 1930 | 15th | Burnley | H | W | 2–0 | Bradford, Cringan | 19,485 |
| 15 March 1930 | 18th | Arsenal | A | L | 0–1 | | 32,174 |
| 22 March 1930 | 14th | Bolton Wanderers | H | W | 3–1 | Blyth 2, Bradford | 18,262 |
| 29 March 1930 | 13th | Everton | A | W | 4–2 | Crosbie, Bradford, Blyth, Briggs | 28,549 |
| 2 April 1930 | 12th | Newcastle United | A | D | 1–1 | Morrall | 18,113 |
| 5 April 1930 | 13th | Derby County | H | L | 2–4 | Briggs, Robinson | 13,609 |
| 12 April 1930 | 13th | Manchester City | A | W | 4–1 | Fillingham, Hicks, Briggs | 25,737 |
| 18 April 1930 | 13th | Grimsby Town | A | L | 1–2 | Morrall | 19,884 |
| 19 April 1930 | 13th | Portsmouth | H | W | 1–0 | Fillingham | 11,967 |
| 22 April 1930 | 14th | Grimsby Town | H | L | 0–2 | | 18,482 |
| 26 April 1930 | 15th | Sunderland | A | L | 0–2 | | 15,486 |
| 28 April 1930 | 14th | Sheffield Wednesday | A | D | 1–1 | Blyth | 9,310 |
| 3 May 1930 | 11th | Leicester City | H | W | 3–0 | Bradford 3 | 12,795 |

### League table (part)

Final First Division table (part) :
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts |
| 9th | Sunderland | 42 | 18 | 7 | 17 | 78 | 87 | 0.95 | 43 |
| 10th | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 63 | 69 | 0.91 | 43 |
| 11th | Birmingham | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 67 | 62 | 1.08 | 41 |
| 12th | Liverpool | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 63 | 79 | 0.80 | 41 |
| 13th | Portsmouth | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 66 | 62 | 1.06 | 40 |
| 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 | 11 January 1930 | Bolton Wanderers | H | W | 1–0 | Morrall | 36,011 |
| Fourth round | 25 January 1930 | Arsenal | A | W | 2–2 | Briggs 2 | 43,274 |
| Fourth round replay | 29 January 1930 | Arsenal | H | L | 0–1 | | 47,521 |

## Appearances and goals

    This table includes appearances and goals in nationally organised competitive matches – the Football League and FA Cup – only.
    For a description of the playing positions, see Formation (association football)#2–3–5 (Pyramid).
    Players marked † left the club during the playing season.
Players' appearances and goals by competition :
| Name | Position | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | Total | Total |
| Name | Position | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Harry Hibbs | Goalkeeper | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| Ken Tewkesbury | Goalkeeper | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Dan Tremelling | Goalkeeper | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Ned Barkas | Full back | 38 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 3 |
| Harold Booton | Full back | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| George Liddell | Full back | 28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 1 |
| Jack Randle | Full back | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Billy Blyth | Half back | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 4 |
| Jack Coxford | Half back | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jimmy Cringan | Half back | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Jack Firth | Half back | 36 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| Alec Leslie | Half back | 18 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| George Morrall | Half back | 37 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 40 | 3 |
| Alfred Sabin | Half back | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Benny Bond | Forward | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Joe Bradford | Forward | 27 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 30 | 23 |
| George Briggs | Forward | 29 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 32 | 6 |
| Johnny Crosbie | Forward | 39 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 7 |
| Ernie Curtis | Forward | 25 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 28 | 8 |
| Tom Fillingham | Forward | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| George Haywood | Forward | 12 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 6 |
| George Hicks | Forward | 38 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 4 |
| Bill Horsman | Forward | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Paddy Mills † | Forward | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Tommy Robinson | Forward | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |