# 1968–69 Birmingham City F.C. season

The 1969–70 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 66th in the Football League and their 28th in the Second Division. They made a poor start, suffering seven defeats in the first nine matches, but an improved second half of the season led to a seventh-place finish in the 22-team division. They entered the 1969–70 FA Cup in the third round proper, reaching the fifth round in which they lost to Manchester United after a replay, and were beaten by Chelsea in their opening second-round match in the League Cup.
Twenty-three players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were twelve different goalscorers. Midfielder Johnny Vincent played in 46 of the 48 first-team matches over the season. Fred Pickering and Phil Summerill finished as joint leading goalscorers with 17 goals in all competitions; the best goal return in League competition was Summerill's 16.

## Football League Second Division

On 7 September 1968, the home match against Huddersfield Town saw Geoff Vowden become the first substitute to score a hat-trick in a Football League match.
* Note that Birmingham were in sixth place in the division after their last match of the season, played on 19 April, but not every team completed their fixtures on that date. By the time all matches had been played, on 30 April, they had dropped to seventh.
| Date | League position | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 10 August 1968 | 17th | Norwich City | H | L | 1–2 | Pickering | 27,715 |
| 27 August 1968 | 20th | Crystal Palace | A | L | 2–3 | Vowden, Vincent | 17,679 |
| 20 August 1968 | 22nd | Charlton Athletic | A | L | 1–3 | Vincent | 14,220 |
| 24 August 1968 | 17th | Portsmouth | H | W | 5–2 | Pickering 2, Vowden, Summerill, Tindall og | 23,915 |
| 28 August 1968 | 21st | Cardiff City | A | L | 0–4 | | 14,967 |
| 31 August 1968 | 22nd | Preston North End | A | L | 1–4 | Greenhoff | 13,112 |
| 7 September 1968 | 19th | Huddersfield Town | H | W | 5–1 | Greenhoff, Pickering, Vowden 3 | 25,001 |
| 14 September 1968 | 21st | Middlesbrough | A | L | 1–3 | Vincent | 17,398 |
| 17 September 1968 | 21st | Bury | H | L | 1–3 | Greenhoff | 24,178 |
| 21 September 1968 | 20th | Aston Villa | H | W | 4–0 | Vowden, Greenhoff, Vincent, Summerill | 40,527 |
| 28 September 1968 | 18th | Carlisle United | A | W | 3–2 | Greenhoff, Summerill, Green | 7,623 |
| 5 October 1968 | 17th | Fulham | H | W | 5–4 | Greenhoff 4, Vincent | 28,448 |
| 8 October 1968 | 15th | Cardiff City | H | W | 2–0 | Greenhoff, Vincent | 28,238 |
| 12 October 1968 | 15th | Bristol City | A | D | 0–0 | | 19,578 |
| 19 October 1968 | 15th | Millwall | H | L | 1–2 | Greenhoff pen | 29,770 |
| 26 October 1968 | 17th | Derby County | A | L | 0–1 | | 34,218 |
| 2 November 1968 | 18th | Oxford United | H | L | 0–1 | | 23,466 |
| 9 November 1968 | 19th | Blackburn Rovers | A | L | 2–3 | Pickering 2 | 11,721 |
| 16 November 1968 | 17th | Blackpool | H | W | 1–0 | Summerill | 22,206 |
| 23 November 1968 | 17th | Bolton Wanderers | A | D | 0–0 | | 7,175 |
| 30 November 1968 | 16th | Hull City | H | W | 5–2 | Pickering, Greenhoff, Summerill 3 | 21,352 |
| 7 December 1968 | 17th | Sheffield United | A | L | 0–2 | | 14,339 |
| 14 December 1968 | 17th | Bristol City | H | W | 2–0 | Pickering 2 | 18,958 |
| 21 December 1968 | 16th | Millwall | A | W | 3–1 | Pickering, Vincent, Darrell | 12,652 |
| 26 December 1968 | 17th | Fulham | A | L | 0–2 | | 13,192 |
| 11 January 1968 | 15th | Oxford United | A | W | 2–1 | Pickering, Summerill | 11,587 |
| 14 January 1969 | 14th | Derby County | H | D | 1–1 | Pickering | 39,977 |
| 18 January 1969 | 12th | Blackburn Rovers | H | W | 3–1 | Pickering, Robinson pen, Coddington og | 27,161 |
| 1 February 1969 | 14th | Blackpool | A | L | 1–2 | James og | 11,294 |
| 1 March 1969 | 17th | Norwich City | A | D | 1–1 | Vowden | 15,894 |
| 4 March 1969 | 16th | Sheffield United | H | D | 2–2 | Pickering, Beard | 25,123 |
| 8 March 1969 | 16th | Crystal Palace | H | L | 0–1 | | 25,298 |
| 15 March 1969 | 15th | Portsmouth | A | D | 0–0 | | 15,556 |
| 22 March 1969 | 13th | Preston North End | H | W | 3–1 | R. Latchford 2, Summerill | 22,020 |
| 25 March 1969 | 11th | Bolton Wanderers | H | W | 5–0 | Vincent, Summerill 3, Beard | 20,454 |
| 29 March 1969 | 11th | Huddersfield Town | A | D | 0–0 | | 8,105 |
| 5 April 1969 | 11th | Carlisle United | H | W | 3–0 | Greenhoff 2, Hockey | 22,397 |
| 7 April 1969 | 11th | Charlton Athletic | H | D | 0–0 | | 25,884 |
| 8 April 1969 | 9th | Bury | A | W | 2–1 | Summerill 2 | 5,819 |
| 12 April 1969 | 10th | Aston Villa | A | L | 0–1 | | 53,647 |
| 15 April 1969 | 8th | Hull City | A | W | 2–1 | Vincent, Hockey | 8,702 |
| 19 April 1969 | 6th | Middlesbrough | H | W | 3–1 | Summerill 2, G. Smith og | 25,899 |

### League table (part)

Final Second Division table (part) :
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts |
| 5th | Cardiff City | 42 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 67 | 54 | 1.24 | 47 |
| 6th | Huddersfield Town | 42 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 53 | 46 | 1.15 | 46 |
| 7th | Birmingham City | 42 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 73 | 59 | 1.24 | 44 |
| 8th | Blackpool | 42 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 51 | 41 | 1.24 | 43 |
| 9th | Sheffield United | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 61 | 50 | 1.22 | 43 |
| 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 |

## FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| Third round | 4 January 1969 | Lincoln City | H | W | 2–1 | Pickering, Robinson | 31,429 |
| Fourth round | 25 January 1969 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | D | 2–2 | Pickering, Thwaites | 52,062 |
| Fourth round replay | 28 January 1969 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | W | 2–1 | Pickering, Beard | 51,463 |
| Fifth round | 11 February 1969 | Manchester United | H | D | 2–2 | Beard, Robinson | 51,685 |
| Fifth round replay | 24 February 1969 | Manchester United | A | L | 2–6 | Greenhoff, Summerill | 61,934 |

## League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| Second round | 3 September 1968 | Chelsea | H | L | 0–1 | | 31,530 |

## Appearances and goals

    Numbers in parentheses denote appearances made as a substitute.
    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 competition :
| Pos. | Nat. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Nat. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | SCO | Jim Herriot | 38 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 0 |
| GK | ENG | Dave Latchford | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Winston Foster | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| DF | WAL | Colin Green | 28 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 1 |
| DF | ENG | Ray Martin | 31 (1) | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 36 (2) | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Bert Murray | 8 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 (2) | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Garry Pendrey | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Dave Robinson | 29 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 3 |
| DF | ENG | Brian Sharples | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | John Sleeuwenhoek | 7 (1) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 (2) | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Bobby Thomson | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| MF | ENG | Malcolm Beard | 32 | 2 | 3 (1) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 36 (1) | 4 |
| MF | WAL | Malcolm Page | 33 (1) | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 (1) | 0 |
| MF | SCO | Ron Wylie | 26 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Barry Bridges † | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Mick Darrell | 4 (1) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 (1) | 1 |
| FW | ENG | Jimmy Greenhoff | 31 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 15 |
| FW | WAL | Trevor Hockey | 37 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 2 |
| FW | ENG | Bob Latchford | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| FW | ENG | Fred Pickering | 32 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 17 |
| FW | ENG | Phil Summerill | 28 (2) | 16 | 1 (1) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 30 (3) | 17 |
| FW | ENG | Denis Thwaites | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| FW | ENG | Johnny Vincent | 40 (1) | 9 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 (1) | 9 |
| FW | ENG | Geoff Vowden | 22 (4) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 (4) | 7 |