# 1969–70 Birmingham City F.C. season

The 1969–70 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 67th in the Football League and their 29th in the Second Division. They finished in 18th position in the 22-team division. They entered the 1969–70 FA Cup in the third round proper and the League Cup in the second round; they lost their opening match in each competition, to Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively.
Stan Cullis resigned as manager and retired from football in March 1970, and chief scout Don Dorman and coach Bill Shorthouse finished the playing season as caretaker managers. After unsuccessful approaches were made to Don Revie, Brian Clough and Ronnie Allen, Brighton & Hove Albion manager Freddie Goodwin took on the job at the end of May.
Twenty players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were eleven different goalscorers. Defenders Ray Martin and Bobby Thomson played in all 44 first-team matches over the season. Phil Summerill finished as leading goalscorer for the second successive season, with 13 goals, all of which came in league competition.

## Football League Second Division

| Date | League position | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 9 August 1969 | 16th | Leicester City | A | L | 1–3 | Summerill | 35,168 |
| 16 August 1969 | 20th | Oxford United | H | L | 1–3 | Summerill | 27,067 |
| 19 August 1969 | 19th | Portsmouth | H | D | 1–1 | Summerill | 24,976 |
| 23 August 1969 | 21st | Blackpool | A | L | 0–2 | | 17,495 |
| 27 August 1969 | 19th | Hull City | A | D | 0–0 | | 12,242 |
| 30 August 1969 | 17th | Queens Park Rangers | H | W | 3–0 | Murray 3 | 32,660 |
| 6 September 1969 | 18th | Bolton Wanderers | A | L | 0–2 | | 11,303 |
| 13 September 1969 | 17th | Sheffield United | H | W | 2–1 | Vincent, Murray | 27,201 |
| 16 September 1969 | 14th | Norwich City | H | W | 3-1 | Murray, Summerill 2 | 26,408 |
| 20 September 1969 | 12th | Charlton Athletic | A | W | 1–0 | Hateley | 13,999 |
| 27 September 1969 | 11th | Carlisle United | H | D | 1–1 | Summerill | 28,781 |
| 4 October 1969 | 13th | Bristol City | A | L | 0–2 | | 18,694 |
| 8 October 1969 | 15th | Oxford United | A | L | 0–2 | | 12,621 |
| 11 October 1969 | 13th | Blackburn Rovers | H | W | 3–0 | Vowden 2, Summerill | 25,602 |
| 18 October 1969 | 12th | Aston Villa | A | D | 0–0 | | 54,405 |
| 25 October 1969 | 13th | Cardiff City | H | D | 1–1 | Hateley | 28,287 |
| 1 November 1969 | 11th | Watford | A | W | 3–2 | Vincent, Vowden, Murray | 17,436 |
| 8 November 1969 | 11th | Swindon Town | H | W | 2–0 | Vowden, Murray | 28,391 |
| 12 November 1969 | 8th | Portsmouth | A | D | 1–1 | Murray | 16,508 |
| 15 November 1969 | 12th | Preston North End | A | L | 1–4 | Hateley | 9,692 |
| 22 November 1969 | 10th | Millwall | H | W | 2–0 | Hateley, Vincent | 22,564 |
| 6 December 1969 | 11th | Huddersfield Town | H | D | 2–2 | Vowden, Murray | 24,956 |
| 13 December 1969 | 12th | Sheffield United | A | L | 0–6 | | 17,332 |
| 16 December 1969 | 12th | Middlesbrough | A | L | 2–4 | Hateley, Murray | 17,020 |
| 26 December 1969 | 12th | Blackpool | H | L | 2–3 | James og, Hateley | 29,548 |
| 27 December 1969 | 12th | Queens Park Rangers | A | L | 1–2 | Page | 15,688 |
| 10 January 1969 | 12th | Charlton Athletic | H | W | 3–0 | Vincent, Beard, Johnston | 18,031 |
| 17 January 1970 | 12th | Carlisle United | A | L | 3–4 | Summerill 3 | 7,912 |
| 31 January 1970 | 13th | Bristol City | H | D | 2–2 | Vincent, Summerill | 20,421 |
| 14 February 1969 | 16th | Leicester City | H | L | 0–1 | | 28,232 |
| 21 February 1970 | 18th | Cardiff City | A | L | 1–3 | Bell og | 21,887 |
| 24 February 1970 | 15th | Bolton Wanderers | H | W | 2–0 | Vincent, Summerill | 19,489 |
| 28 February 1970 | 15th | Watford | H | D | 0–0 | | 22,796 |
| 4 March 1970 | 15th | Blackburn Rovers | A | D | 1–1 | Mulvaney og | 8,639 |
| 11 March 1970 | 17th | Millwall | A | L | 2–6 | Hockey, Murray | 7,825 |
| 14 March 1970 | 15th | Middlesbrough | H | D | 0–0 | | 17,974 |
| 21 March 1970 | 17th | Huddersfield Town | A | L | 0–2 | | 18,502 |
| 28 March 1970 | 16th | Preston North End | H | W | 1–0 | Vowden | 16,469 |
| 30 March 1970 | 17th | Aston Villa | H | L | 0–2 | | 41,696 |
| 31 March 1970 | 17th | Swindon Town | A | L | 1–4 | Summerill | 21,098 |
| 4 April 1970 | 18th | Hull City | H | L | 2–4 | R. Latchford, Martin | 13,530 |
| 15 April 1970 | 18th | Norwich City | A | L | 0–6 | | 12,134 |

### League table (part)

Final Second Division table (part) :
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts |
| 16th | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 54 | 61 | 0.89 | 36 |
| 17th | Portsmouth | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 66 | 80 | 0.82 | 35 |
| 18th | Birmingham City | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 51 | 78 | 0.65 | 33 |
| 19th | Watford | 42 | 9 | 13 | 20 | 44 | 57 | 0.77 | 31 |
| 20th | Charlton Athletic | 42 | 7 | 17 | 18 | 35 | 76 | 0.46 | 31 |
| 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 | 3 January 1970 | Chelsea | A | L | 0–3 | | 45,088 |

## League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| Second round | 3 September 1969 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | L | 0–2 | | 24,232 |

## Appearances and goals

    Numbers in parentheses denote appearances made as a substitute.
    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 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| GK | ENG | Dave Latchford | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Ray Martin | 42 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 1 |
| DF | ENG | Garry Pendrey | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Dave Robinson | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | John Sleeuwenhoek | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Bobby Thomson | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 0 |
| MF | ENG | Malcolm Beard | 38 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 1 |
| MF | WAL | Trevor Hockey | 41 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 1 |
| MF | WAL | Malcolm Page | 17 (1) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 (1) | 1 |
| MF | ENG | Johnny Vincent | 36 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 6 |
| MF | ENG | Ron Wylie | 1 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (3) | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Mick Darrell | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Tony Hateley | 26 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 6 |
| FW | SCO | George Johnston | 6 (3) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 (3) | 1 |
| FW | ENG | Bob Latchford | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| FW | ENG | Bert Murray | 33 (1) | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 (1) | 11 |
| FW | ENG | Phil Summerill | 30 (4) | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 (4) | 13 |
| FW | ENG | Denis Thwaites | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Geoff Vowden | 29 (3) | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 (3) | 6 |