# 1976–77 Birmingham City F.C. season

The 1976–77 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 74th in the Football League and their 43rd in the First Division. They finished in 13th position in the 22-team division. They entered the 1976–77 FA Cup at the third round proper and lost in the fourth to Leeds United, and lost to Blackpool in their opening second-round match in the League Cup.
Twenty-one players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were thirteen different goalscorers. Midfielder Terry Hibbitt and forward Trevor Francis played in all 45 first-team matches over the season, and the leading goalscorer was Francis with 21 goals, all scored in the league. Kenny Burns scored 20, of which 19 came in league competition.

## Football League First Division

| Date | League position | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 21 August 1976 | 7th | Manchester United | A | D | 2–2 | Burns, Styles | 58,898 |
| 24 August 1976 | 8th | Leeds United | H | D | 0–0 | | 35,519 |
| 28 August 1976 | 6th | Liverpool | H | W | 2–1 | Francis, Gallagher | 33,228 |
| 4 September 1976 | 12th | Norwich City | A | L | 0–1 | | 18,506 |
| 11 September 1976 | 18th | West Bromwich Albion | H | L | 0–1 | | 39,450 |
| 18 September 1976 | 12th | Aston Villa | A | W | 2–1 | Burns, Connolly | 50,084 |
| 25 September 1976 | 15th | Coventry City | A | L | 1–2 | Burns | 26,371 |
| 2 October 1976 | 12th | Derby County | H | W | 5–1 | Burns 4, Connolly | 29,190 |
| 16 October 1976 | 12th | Middlesbrough | H | W | 3–1 | Gallagher, Burns, Francis pen | 27,740 |
| 20 October 1976 | 12th | Tottenham Hotspur | A | L | 0–1 | | 20,193 |
| 23 October 1976 | 15th | Newcastle United | A | L | 2–3 | Gallagher, Francis pen | 31,711 |
| 26 October 1976 | 9th | Bristol City | A | W | 1–0 | Burns | 21,474 |
| 30 October 1976 | 9th | Queens Park Rangers | H | W | 2–1 | Burns, Francis | 31,471 |
| 6 November 1976 | 11th | Arsenal | A | L | 0–4 | | 23,063 |
| 20 November 1976 | 14th | Stoke City | A | L | 0–1 | | 21,488 |
| 27 November 1976 | 13th | Manchester City | H | D | 0–0 | | 29,722 |
| 4 December 1976 | 8th | Leicester City | A | W | 6–2 | Emmanuel, Francis, Burns 3, Rofe og | 20,388 |
| 7 December 1976 | 9th | Ipswich Town | H | L | 2–4 | Connolly, Burns | 31,161 |
| 11 December 1976 | 7th | Sunderland | H | W | 2–0 | Jones, Francis | 24,597 |
| 18 December 1976 | 8th | Everton | A | D | 2–2 | Francis, Hibbitt | 32,532 |
| 27 December 1976 | 8th | West Ham United | H | D | 0–0 | | 39,978 |
| 18 January 1977 | 9th | Arsenal | H | D | 3–3 | Francis 3 | 23,247 |
| 22 January 1977 | 10th | Manchester United | H | L | 2–3 | Francis, Emmanuel | 35,316 |
| 2 February 1977 | 12th | Leeds United | A | L | 0–1 | | 22,805 |
| 5 February 1977 | 14th | Liverpool | A | L | 1–4 | Burns | 41,072 |
| 12 February 1977 | 11th | Norwich City | H | W | 3–2 | Burns 2, Broadhurst | 21,801 |
| 28 February 1977 | 13th | West Bromwich Albion | A | L | 1–3 | Francis | 28,639 |
| 5 March 1977 | 12th | Coventry City | H | W | 3–1 | Francis, Connolly, Emmanuel | 22,607 |
| 12 March 1977 | 13th | Derby County | A | D | 0–0 | | 25,256 |
| 19 March 1977 | 13th | Tottenham Hotspur | H | L | 1–2 | Connolly | 23,398 |
| 22 March 1977 | 11th | Middlesbrough | A | D | 2–2 | Francis 2 | 16,439 |
| 2 April 1977 | 13th | Newcastle United | H | L | 1–2 | Fox | 20,283 |
| 8 April 1977 | 13th | West Ham United | A | D | 2–2 | Gallagher, Francis | 28,167 |
| 9 April 1977 | 12th | Bristol City | H | W | 3–0 | Francis 3 (2 pens) | 19,626 |
| 11 April 1977 | 12th | Ipswich Town | A | L | 0–1 | | 29,026 |
| 16 April 1977 | 12th | Stoke City | H | W | 2–0 | Francis, Burns | 19,554 |
| 19 April 1977 | 12th | Manchester City | A | L | 1–2 | Burns | 36,203 |
| 30 April 1977 | 13th | Leicester City | H | D | 1–1 | Kendall | 20,836 |
| 7 May 1977 | 14th | Sunderland | A | L | 0–1 | | 34,189 |
| 10 May 1977 | 12th | Aston Villa | H | W | 2–1 | Hibbitt, Francis pen | 43,721 |
| 14 May 1977 | 12th | Everton | H | D | 1–1 | Kendall | 22,660 |
| 23 May 1977 | 13th | Queens Park Rangers | A | D | 2–2 | Kendall, McDonough | 14,976 |

### League table (part)

Final First Division table (part) :
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 11th | Leicester City | 42 | 12 | 18 | 12 | 47 | 60 | −3 | 42 |
| 12th | Middlesbrough | 42 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 40 | 45 | −5 | 41 |
| 13th | Birmingham City | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 63 | 61 | +2 | 38 |
| 14th | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 47 | 52 | −5 | 38 |
| 15th | Derby County | 42 | 9 | 19 | 14 | 50 | 55 | −5 | 37 |

## FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| Third round | 8 January 1977 | Portsmouth | H | W | 1–0 | Kendall | 31,598 |
| Fourth round | 29 January 1977 | Leeds United | H | L | 1–2 | Burns | 38,663 |

## League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| Second round | 31 August 1976 | Blackpool | A | L | 1–2 | Pendrey | 12,203 |

## 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 | ENG | Dave Latchford | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| GK | ENG | Jimmy Montgomery | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Joe Gallagher | 37 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 4 |
| DF | WAL | Malcolm Page | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Garry Pendrey | 24 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 25 (3) | 1 |
| DF | ENG | Mick Rathbone | 13 (3) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 (3) | 0 |
| DF | SCO | Ricky Sbragia | 8 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 (1) | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Archie Styles | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 |
| DF | ENG | Tony Want | 29 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 (1) | 0 |
| MF | ENG | Kevan Broadhurst | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| MF | SCO | Jimmy Calderwood | 22 (4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 (4) | 0 |
| MF | SCO | John Connolly | 37 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 5 |
| MF | WAL | Gary Emmanuel | 10 (6) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 (6) | 3 |
| MF | ENG | Steve Fox | 3 (1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (1) | 1 |
| MF | ENG | Terry Hibbitt | 42 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 2 |
| MF | ENG | Gary Jones | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 1 |
| MF | ENG | Howard Kendall | 25 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 3 |
| FW | SCO | Kenny Burns | 36 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 20 |
| FW | ENG | Trevor Francis | 42 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 21 |
| FW | ENG | Roy McDonough | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| FW | ENG | Peter Withe † | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |