# 1928–29 Birmingham F.C. season

The 1928–29 Football League season was Birmingham Football Club's 33rd in the Football League and their 16th in the First Division. They finished in 15th position in the 22-team division. They also competed in the 1928–29 FA Cup, entering at the third round proper and losing to Chelsea in the fourth. Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic manager Leslie Knighton succeeded Bill Harvey at the start of this season.
Twenty-five players made at least one appearance in nationally organised competition, and there were twelve different goalscorers. Full-back Jack Randle played in 43 of the 44 matches over the season, and Joe Bradford was leading scorer for the eighth successive year, with 24 goals, or which 22 came in the league.
Off the field, the Yorkshire Post reported that the club declared a loss of nearly £7,300.

## Football League First Division

| Date | League position | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 25 August 1928 | 5th | Manchester City | H | W | 4–1 | Bond, Bradford, Ellis, Briggs | 26,911 |
| 27 August 1928 | 11th | Leicester City | A | L | 3–5 | Briggs, Crosbie, Ellis | 22,589 |
| 1 September 1928 | 10th | Huddersfield Town | A | D | 0–0 | | 19,897 |
| 8 September 1928 | 15th | Everton | H | L | 1–3 | Briggs | 36,069 |
| 10 September 1928 | 10th | Leicester City | H | W | 1–0 | Briggs | 11,449 |
| 15 September 1928 | 12th | Arsenal | A | D | 0–0 | | 30,118 |
| 22 September 1928 | 7th | Blackburn Rovers | H | W | 4–0 | Bradford 2, Briggs 2 | 23,047 |
| 29 September 1928 | 4th | Sunderland | A | W | 4–3 | Bradford 3, Bond | 26,986 |
| 6 October 1928 | 8th | Derby County | H | L | 1–4 | Bond pen | 27,029 |
| 13 October 1928 | 12th | Sheffield Wednesday | A | L | 0–3 | | 21,677 |
| 20 October 1928 | 15th | Manchester United | A | L | 0–1 | | 17,552 |
| 27 October 1928 | 16th | Aston Villa | H | L | 2–4 | Cringan, Bradford | 36,261 |
| 3 November 1928 | 14th | Liverpool | A | W | 2–1 | Curtis, Bradford | 33,647 |
| 10 November 1928 | 15th | West Ham United | H | D | 2–2 | Bradford, Hicks | 17,323 |
| 17 November 1928 | 17th | Newcastle United | A | L | 0–1 | | 29,566 |
| 24 November 1928 | 18th | Burnley | H | L | 3–6 | Briggs, Bradford, Hicks | 13,071 |
| 1 December 1928 | 15th | Cardiff City | A | W | 4–1 | Hicks 2, Firth, Crosbie | 13,691 |
| 8 December 1928 | 15th | Sheffield United | H | D | 2–2 | Bradford 2 | 17,760 |
| 22 December 1928 | 14th | Leeds United | H | W | 5–1 | Bradford 3, Liddell, Hicks | 16,057 |
| 25 December 1928 | 15th | Bolton Wanderers | H | L | 0–2 | | 31,358 |
| 26 December 1928 | 18th | Bolton Wanderers | A | L | 2–6 | Pike, Bradford | 22,117 |
| 29 December 1928 | 15th | Manchester City | A | W | 3–2 | Pike 2, Bradford | 28,365 |
| 5 January 1929 | 17th | Huddersfield Town | H | L | 1–2 | Barkas pen | 20,042 |
| 19 January 1929 | 15th | Everton | A | W | 2–0 | Hicks 2 | 26,273 |
| 2 February 1929 | 18th | Blackburn Rovers | A | L | 1–4 | Ellis | 13,387 |
| 9 February 1929 | 18th | Sunderland | H | W | 1–0 | Pike | 17,022 |
| 16 February 1929 | 17th | Derby County | A | D | 2–2 | Bond, Mills | 12,522 |
| 23 February 1929 | 15th | Sheffield Wednesday | H | W | 4–1 | Bond, Mills, Hicks, Bradford | 28,599 |
| 2 March 1929 | 15th | Manchester United | H | D | 1–1 | Hicks | 16,738 |
| 9 March 1929 | 13th | Aston Villa | A | W | 2–1 | Mills, Crosbie | 56,528 |
| 13 March 1929 | 11th | Arsenal | H | D | 1–1 | Hicks | 11,001 |
| 16 March 1929 | 12th | Liverpool | H | D | 0–0 | | 20,612 |
| 20 March 1929 | 12th | Bury | A | L | 1–3 | Bradford | 7,296 |
| 23 March 1929 | 12th | West Ham United | A | L | 1–2 | Firth | 15,257 |
| 29 March 1929 | 15th | Portsmouth | A | L | 1–3 | Ellis | 25,136 |
| 30 March 1929 | 15th | Newcastle United | H | D | 0–0 | | 21,052 |
| 1 April 1929 | 13th | Portsmouth | H | W | 1–0 | Bradford | 16,266 |
| 6 April 1929 | 16th | Burnley | A | L | 0–4 | | 13,730 |
| 13 April 1929 | 14th | Cardiff City | H | D | 0–0 | | 12,997 |
| 20 April 1929 | 17th | Sheffield United | A | L | 2–3 | Hicks 2 | 14,382 |
| 27 April 1929 | 14th | Bury | H | W | 3–2 | Crosbie, Bradford 2 | 12,905 |
| 4 May 1929 | 15th | Leeds United | A | W | 1–0 | Briggs | 8,151 |

### League table (part)

Final First Division table (part) :
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts |
| 13th | Leeds United | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 71 | 84 | 0.84 | 41 |
| 14th | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 73 | 78 | 0.91 | 40 |
| 15th | Birmingham | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 68 | 77 | 0.88 | 40 |
| 16th | Huddersfield Town | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 70 | 61 | 1.15 | 39 |
| 17th | West Ham United | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 86 | 96 | 0.90 | 39 |
| 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 | 12 January 1929 | Manchester City | H | W | 3–1 | Briggs, Bradford 2 | 25,005 |
| Fourth round | 26 January 1929 | Chelsea | A | L | 0–1 | | 56,953 |

## 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 |
| Harry Hibbs | Goalkeeper | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Dan Tremelling | Goalkeeper | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Ned Barkas | Full back | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| Joe Birch | Full back | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jack Randle | Full back | 41 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| Joe Smith | Full back | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Percy Barton | Half back | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Jack Coxford | Half back | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Jimmy Cringan | Half back | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| Dickie Dale † | Half back | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Alec Leslie | Half back | 38 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| George Liddell | Half back | 40 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| George Morrall | Half back | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Benny Bond | Forward | 22 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 5 |
| Joe Bradford | Forward | 32 | 22 | 2 | 2 | 34 | 24 |
| George Briggs | Forward | 35 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 9 |
| Johnny Crosbie | Forward | 38 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 4 |
| Ernie Curtis | Forward | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| Billy Ellis | Forward | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 |
| Jack Firth | Forward | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 |
| George Hicks | Forward | 30 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 12 |
| Bill Horsman | Forward | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Paddy Mills | Forward | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 |
| Tot Pike | Forward | 12 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 4 |
| Harold Riley | Forward | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |