# 1964–65 Birmingham City F.C. season

The 1964–65 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 62nd in the Football League and their 38th in the First Division. Having replaced Gil Merrick as manager with coach Joe Mallett, newly arrived from Nottingham Forest, they finished bottom of the 22-team division so were relegated to the Second Division for the 1965–66 season. They lost their opening match in each of the cup competitions, to West Ham United in the third round proper of the 1964–65 FA Cup and to Chelsea in the second round of the League Cup.
Twenty-six players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were fifteen different goalscorers. Half back Winston Foster played in all 44 first-team matches over the season, and Stan Lynn and Geoff Vowden finished as joint leading goalscorers with only 10 goals each, all scored in league competition. Eight of Lynn's ten goals were scored from the penalty spot.

## Football League First Division

| Date | League position | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 22 August 1964 | 15th | Nottingham Forest | A | L | 3–4 | Harley, Hellawell, Lynn pen | 26,264 |
| 26 August 1964 | 14th | Fulham | H | D | 2–2 | Leek, Lynn pen | 20,719 |
| 29 August 1964 | 19th | Stoke City | H | L | 1–2 | Lynn pen | 20,667 |
| 2 September 1964 | 20th | Fulham | A | L | 1–3 | Beard | 13,100 |
| 5 September 1964 | 20th | Tottenham Hotspur | A | L | 1–4 | Thomson | 34,809 |
| 9 September 1964 | 20th | West Bromwich Albion | H | D | 1–1 | Thomson | 26,568 |
| 12 September 1964 | 19th | Burnley | H | W | 2–1 | Thomson, Lynn pen | 16,890 |
| 16 September 1964 | 17th | West Bromwich Albion | A | W | 2–0 | Auld, Williams og | 24,535 |
| 19 September 1964 | 17th | Sheffield United | A | L | 1–3 | Thomson | 16,390 |
| 26 September 1964 | 19th | Everton | H | L | 3–5 | Leek, Hellawell, Hennessey | 21,240 |
| 30 September 1964 | 17th | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | W | 2–0 | Leek, Lynn | 21,435 |
| 10 October 1964 | 19th | Liverpool | H | D | 0–0 | | 19,929 |
| 17 October 1964 | 17th | Sheffield Wednesday | A | L | 2–5 | Auld, Hennessey | 15,345 |
| 24 October 1964 | 18th | Blackpool | H | W | 3–0 | Vowden, Leek, Lynn pen | 15,916 |
| 31 October 1964 | 19th | Blackburn Rovers | A | L | 1–3 | Harley | 13,721 |
| 7 November 1964 | 19th | Arsenal | H | L | 2–3 | Vowden, Leek | 20,602 |
| 14 November 1964 | 19th | Leeds United | A | L | 1–4 | Thomson | 32,276 |
| 22 November 1964 | 19th | Chelsea | H | L | 1–6 | Jackson | 19,803 |
| 28 November 1964 | 19th | Leicester City | A | D | 4–4 | Thomson 2 (1 pen), Vowden, Thwaites | 15,848 |
| 5 December 1964 | 19th | Sunderland | H | W | 4–3 | Thomson, Sharples, Jackson, Thwaites | 13,564 |
| 12 December 1964 | 19th | Nottingham Forest | H | D | 1–1 | Thomson | 14,011 |
| 16 December 1964 | 19th | Manchester United | A | D | 1–1 | Thwaites | 25,938 |
| 26 December 1964 | 19th | West Ham United | H | W | 2–1 | Thwaites, Lynn | 23,324 |
| 28 December 1964 | 19th | West Ham United | A | L | 1–2 | Sharples | 23,855 |
| 2 January 1965 | 19th | Tottenham Hotspur | H | W | 1–0 | Beard | 33,833 |
| 16 January 1965 | 19th | Burnley | A | L | 0–2 | | 9,971 |
| 23 January 1965 | 19th | Sheffield United | H | D | 1–1 | Foster | 16,675 |
| 6 February 1965 | 19th | Everton | A | D | 1–1 | Fenton | 34,033 |
| 13 February 1965 | 19th | Aston Villa | H | L | 0–1 | | 32,491 |
| 24 February 1965 | 20th | Liverpool | A | L | 3–4 | Vowden, Fenton, Thwaites | 39,253 |
| 27 February 1965 | 20th | Sheffield Wednesday | H | D | 0–0 | | 12,138 |
| 6 March 1965 | 20th | Blackpool | A | L | 1–3 | Vowden | 11,464 |
| 13 March 1965 | 20th | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | L | 0–1 | | 18,740 |
| 17 March 1965 | 20th | Stoke City | A | L | 1–2 | Vowden | 12,923 |
| 3 April 1965 | 21st | Chelsea | A | L | 1–3 | Lynn pen | 28,975 |
| 6 April 1965 | 21st | Arsenal | A | L | 0–3 | | 16,048 |
| 10 April 1965 | 21st | Leicester City | H | W | 2–0 | Vowden, Jackson | 12,460 |
| 12 April 1965 | 21st | Aston Villa | A | L | 0–3 | | 36,871 |
| 17 April 1965 | 22nd | Sunderland | A | L | 1–2 | Lynn pen | 31,958 |
| 19 April 1965 | 22nd | Manchester United | H | L | 2–4 | Vowden, Thwaites | 28,914 |
| 24 April 1965 | 22nd | Blackburn Rovers | H | D | 5–5 | Vowden, Beard 3, Lynn pen | 8,877 |
| 26 April 1965 | 22nd | Leeds United | H | D | 3–3 | Vowden, Beard, Thwaites | 16,638 |

### League table (part)

Final First Division table (part) :
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts |
| 18th | Leicester City | 42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 69 | 85 | 0.81 | 39 |
| 19th | Sheffield United | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 50 | 64 | 0.78 | 45 |
| 20th | Fulham | 42 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 60 | 78 | 0.77 | 34 |
| 21st | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42 | 13 | 4 | 25 | 59 | 89 | 0.66 | 30 |
| 22nd | Birmingham City | 42 | 8 | 11 | 23 | 64 | 96 | 0.67 | 27 |
| 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 | 9 January 1965 | West Ham United | A | L | 2–4 | Jackson, Thwaites | 31,056 |

## League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| Second round | 23 September 1964 | Chelsea | A | L | 0–3 | | 15,255 |

## 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 | League Cup | League Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Nat. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | ENG | Len Beel | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| GK | ENG | Johnny Schofield | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| GK | ENG | Colin Withers † | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| FB | WAL | Colin Green | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| FB | ENG | Stan Lynn | 39 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 10 |
| FB | ENG | Ray Martin | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| HB | ENG | Malcolm Beard | 39 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 6 |
| HB | ENG | Winston Foster | 42 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 1 |
| HB | WAL | Terry Hennessey | 38 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 2 |
| HB | WAL | Malcolm Page | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| HB | ENG | Trevor Smith † | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| FW | SCO | Bertie Auld | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 2 |
| FW | ENG | Mickey Bullock | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Peter Bullock † | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Ron Fenton | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| FW | SCO | Cammie Fraser | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| FW | SCO | Alex Harley † | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| FW | ENG | Mike Hellawell † | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 2 |
| FW | ENG | Alec Jackson | 36 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 4 |
| FW | WAL | Ken Leek † | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 5 |
| FW | ENG | Brian Sharples | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 2 |
| FW | SCO | Bobby Thomson | 25 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 9 |
| FW | ENG | Denis Thwaites | 26 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 8 |
| FW | ENG | Johnny Vincent | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Geoff Vowden | 27 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 10 |