# 1920–21 Birmingham F.C. season

The 1920–21 Football League season was Birmingham Football Club's 25th in the Football League and their 17th in the Second Division. Needing to beat Port Vale away on the last day of the season to maintain their position ahead of Cardiff City and clinch the division title for the second time, they did so, thus earning promotion to the First Division for the 1921–22 season. They also took part in the FA Cup, entering at the first round proper and losing in that round to Luton Town.
Twenty-four players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were eleven different goalscorers. Forward Johnny Crosbie was ever-present over the 43-match season. Harry Hampton was leading scorer with 16 goals, all of which came in the league. A 19-year-old called Joe Bradford scored on his competitive debut on Christmas Day at West Ham United; he went on to set goalscoring records for the club of 467 goals, 414 in the league, was their leading scorer for twelve consecutive seasons from 1922 to 1933, and scored seven times in twelve appearances for England.
Off the field, the club bought the freehold of the St Andrew's Ground in 1921 for around £7,000.

## Football League Second Division

| Date | League position | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 28 August 1920 | 18th | South Shields | A | L | 0–3 | | 20,000 |
| 31 August 1920 | 11th | Hull City | H | W | 5–1 | Crosbie 2, Barton, Lane 2 | 25,000 |
| 4 September 1920 | 9th | South Shields | H | D | 1–1 | Whitehouse | 35,000 |
| 6 September 1920 | 13th | Hull City | A | L | 0–1 | | 13,000 |
| 11 September 1920 | 18th | Cardiff City | A | L | 1–2 | Crosbie | 30,000 |
| 18 September 1920 | 17th | Cardiff City | H | D | 1–1 | Whitehouse | 45,000 |
| 25 September 1920 | 19th | Leicester City | A | L | 0–3 | | 17,000 |
| 2 October 1920 | 17th | Leicester City | H | W | 5–0 | Lane 3, Hampton 2 | 12,000 |
| 9 October 1920 | 18th | Blackpool | A | L | 0–3 | | 10,000 |
| 16 October 1920 | 17th | Blackpool | H | W | 3–0 | Whitehouse 2 (1 pen), Lane | 50,000 |
| 23 October 1920 | 15th | Sheffield Wednesday | A | W | 4–1 | Whitehouse 2 | 25,000 |
| 30 October 1920 | 11th | Sheffield Wednesday | H | W | 4–0 | Crosbie, Whitehouse, Hampton, Lane | 30,000 |
| 6 November 1920 | 10th | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | W | 3–0 | Burkinshaw, Crosbie, McClure | 20,000 |
| 13 November 1920 | 7th | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | W | 4–1 | Hampton 2, Barton, Lane | 35,000 |
| 20 November 1920 | 4th | Stoke | A | W | 2–1 | Hampton 2 | 20,000 |
| 27 November 1920 | 5th | Stoke | H | W | 3–0 | Lane, Burkinshaw, Crosbie | 16,000 |
| 4 December 1920 | 5th | Coventry City | H | W | 3–2 | Whitehouse 2, Lawrence og | 25,000 |
| 11 December 1920 | 3rd | Coventry City | A | W | 4–0 | Burkinshaw, Lane, Hampton 2 | 22,000 |
| 18 December 1920 | 2nd | Leeds United | H | W | 1–0 | McClure | 25,000 |
| 25 December 1920 | 3rd | West Ham United | A | D | 1–1 | Bradford | 23,000 |
| 27 December 1920 | 3rd | West Ham United | H | W | 2–1 | Hampton 2 | 60,017 |
| 1 January 1921 | 3rd | Leeds United | A | L | 0–1 | | 22,000 |
| 15 January 1921 | 1st | Stockport County | A | W | 3–0 | Crosbie, Lane, Whitehouse | 12,000 |
| 22 January 1921 | 1st | Stockport County | H | W | 5–0 | Lane 2, Crosbie, Whitehouse, Linley | 35,000 |
| 5 February 1921 | 1st | Notts County | H | W | 2–1 | Burkinshaw 2 | 40,000 |
| 12 February 1921 | 1st | Clapton Orient | A | D | 1–1 | Burkinshaw | 18,000 |
| 16 February 1921 | 1st | Notts County | A | D | 0–0 | | 14,000 |
| 19 February 1921 | 1st | Clapton Orient | H | D | 0–0 | | 20,000 |
| 26 February 1921 | 1st | Bury | A | W | 1–0 | Hampton | 25,000 |
| 5 March 1921 | 1st | Bury | H | W | 4–0 | Crosbie 2, Linley, Barton | 40,000 |
| 12 March 1921 | 1st | Bristol City | A | W | 1–0 | Lane | 22,000 |
| 19 March 1921 | 1st | Bristol City | H | D | 0–0 | | 30,000 |
| 25 March 1921 | 1st | Fulham | A | L | 0–5 | | 40,000 |
| 26 March 1921 | 1st | Barnsley | H | L | 1–3 | Hampton | 40,000 |
| 29 March 1921 | 1st | Fulham | H | W | 1–0 | Booth | 30,000 |
| 2 April 1921 | 1st | Barnsley | A | D | 1–1 | Davies pen | 19,000 |
| 9 April 1921 | 1st | Nottingham Forest | H | W | 3–0 | Crosbie, Lane 2 | 30,000 |
| 16 April 1921 | 2nd | Nottingham Forest | A | D | 1–1 | Crosbie | 14,000 |
| 23 April 1921 | 2nd | Rotherham County | H | W | 3–2 | Crosbie 2, Davies | 35,127 |
| 30 April 1921 | 1st | Rotherham County | A | D | 1–1 | Barton | 17,000 |
| 2 May 1921 | 1st | Port Vale | H | W | 4–0 | Hampton, Davies 2 (1 pen), Barton | 25,000 |
| 7 May 1921 | 1st | Port Vale | A | W | 2–0 | Hampton, Davies | 10,000 |

### League table (part)

Final Second Division table (part) :
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts |
| 1st | Birmingham | 42 | 24 | 10 | 8 | 79 | 38 | 2.08 | 58 |
| 2nd | Cardiff City | 42 | 24 | 10 | 8 | 59 | 32 | 1.84 | 58 |
| 3rd | Bristol City | 42 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 49 | 29 | 1.69 | 51 |
| 4th | Blackpool | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 54 | 42 | 1.29 | 50 |
| 5th | West Ham United | 42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 51 | 30 | 1.70 | 48 |
| 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 |
| First round | 8 January 1921 | Luton Town | A | L | 1–2 | Barton | 12,700 |

## 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 |
| Stan Hauser | Goalkeeper | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Dan Tremelling | Goalkeeper | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| William Ball | Full back | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Jack Jones | Full back | 37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| Tom White † | Full back | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Frank Womack | Full back | 38 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| Percy Barton | Half back | 41 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 6 |
| Bobby Booth | Half back | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Jimmy Daws | Half back | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| George Liddell | Half back | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Alec McClure | Half back | 40 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 2 |
| Bert Millard † | Half back | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Joe Roulson | Half back | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Joe Bradford | Forward | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Laurie Burkinshaw | Forward | 35 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 6 |
| Johnny Crosbie | Forward | 42 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 14 |
| George Davies | Forward | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 5 |
| Jack Elkes | Forward | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Richard Gibson | Forward | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Harry Hampton | Forward | 29 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 16 |
| Joe Lane | Forward | 34 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 15 |
| Ted Linley | Forward | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 |
| Billy Morgan † | Forward | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Jackie Whitehouse | Forward | 33 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 11 |