# 1927–28 Birmingham F.C. season

The 1927–28 Football League season was Birmingham Football Club's 32nd in the Football League and their 15th in the First Division. They finished in 11th position in the 22-team division. They also competed in the 1927–28 FA Cup, entering at the third round proper and losing to Manchester United in the fifth. Bill Harvey stood down as manager at the end of the season.
Twenty-seven players made at least one appearance in nationally organised competition, and there were eleven different goalscorers. Half-back Alec Leslie was ever-present over the 45-match season, and Joe Bradford was leading scorer for the seventh successive year, with 32 goals, of which 29 came in the league.
This season saw the last appearance by Frank Womack. He made his Birmingham debut in 1908, and went on to set club appearance records of 491 league games, a record which as of 2012 still stands, and 515 games in senior competition, since overtaken by Gil Merrick. He never scored a senior goal.

## Football League First Division

| Date | League position | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 27 August 1927 | 19th | Tottenham Hotspur | A | L | 0–1 | | 37,408 |
| 29 August 1927 | 9th | Huddersfield Town | H | W | 3–1 | Bradford 2, Harris | 16,432 |
| 3 September 1927 | 11th | Manchester United | H | D | 0–0 | | 25,863 |
| 7 September 1927 | 15th | Sunderland | A | L | 2–4 | Bond, Bradford | 23,007 |
| 10 September 1927 | 18th | Everton | A | L | 2–5 | Bradford, Briggs | 37,386 |
| 17 September 1927 | 21st | Cardiff City | H | L | 1–3 | Bond | 23,723 |
| 24 September 1927 | 22nd | Blackburn Rovers | A | D | 4–4 | Bradford 4 | 15,331 |
| 1 October 1927 | 21st | Bolton Wanderers | H | D | 1–1 | Harris | 15,998 |
| 8 October 1927 | 17th | Sheffield Wednesday | A | W | 3–2 | Briggs 2, Bradford | 19,974 |
| 15 October 1927 | 12th | Middlesbrough | H | W | 3–2 | Bradford, Bloxham, Briggs | 17,143 |
| 22 October 1927 | 14th | Bury | H | D | 2–2 | Harris, Bradford | 11,925 |
| 29 October 1927 | 19th | Sheffield United | A | L | 1–3 | Bond | 17,128 |
| 5 November 1927 | 17th | Aston Villa | H | D | 1–1 | Crosbie | 47,605 |
| 12 November 1927 | 18th | Burnley | A | L | 1–2 | Bradford | 14,648 |
| 19 November 1927 | 18th | Arsenal | H | D | 1–1 | Crosbie | 10,030 |
| 26 November 1927 | 18th | Portsmouth | A | D | 2–2 | Crosbie 2 | 18,549 |
| 3 December 1927 | 19th | Leicester City | H | L | 0–2 | | 24,272 |
| 10 December 1927 | 18th | Liverpool | A | W | 3–2 | Davies, Briggs 2 | 24,255 |
| 17 December 1927 | 19th | West Ham United | H | L | 1–2 | Bradford | 18,206 |
| 24 December 1927 | 21st | Derby County | A | L | 1–4 | Bradford | 8,535 |
| 26 December 1927 | 20th | Sunderland | H | D | 1–1 | Davies | 20,120 |
| 31 December 1927 | 20th | Tottenham Hotspur | H | W | 3–2 | Bradford 2, Briggs | 11,603 |
| 2 January 1928 | 20th | Newcastle United | A | D | 1–1 | Briggs | 34,434 |
| 7 January 1928 | 20th | Manchester United | A | D | 1–1 | Briggs | 16,853 |
| 21 January 1928 | 20th | Everton | H | D | 2–2 | Ellis, Briggs | 33,675 |
| 4 February 1928 | 20th | Blackburn Rovers | H | W | 2–1 | Bradford 2 | 21,425 |
| 11 February 1928 | 20th | Bolton Wanderers | A | L | 2–3 | Bradford, Crosbie | 11,747 |
| 22 February 1928 | 20th | Cardiff City | A | L | 1–2 | Briggs | 10,758 |
| 25 February 1928 | 20th | Middlesbrough | A | D | 1–1 | Firth | 18,329 |
| 3 March 1928 | 18th | Bury | A | W | 3–2 | Bradford 2, Briggs | 13,164 |
| 7 March 1928 | 17th | Sheffield Wednesday | H | W | 1–0 | Ellis | 12,076 |
| 10 March 1928 | 13th | Sheffield United | H | W | 4–1 | Briggs 3, Bond | 22,860 |
| 17 March 1928 | 15th | Aston Villa | A | D | 1–1 | Bradford | 59,367 |
| 24 March 1928 | 11th | Burnley | H | W | 4–0 | Bradford 3, Crosbie | 23,689 |
| 31 March 1928 | 13th | Arsenal | A | D | 2–2 | Crosbie, Ellis | 13,990 |
| 7 April 1928 | 10th | Portsmouth | H | W | 2–0 | Bond, Ellis | 32,996 |
| 9 April 1928 | 12th | Huddersfield Town | A | L | 0–2 | | 28,779 |
| 10 April 1928 | 13th | Newcastle United | H | L | 0–2 | | 23,436 |
| 14 April 1928 | 17th | Leicester City | A | L | 0–3 | | 17,558 |
| 21 April 1928 | 13th | Liverpool | H | W | 2–0 | Bradford 2 | 16,063 |
| 28 April 1928 | 14th | West Ham United | A | D | 3–3 | Bradford 2, Briggs | 17,917 |
| 5 May 1928 | 11th | Derby County | H | W | 2–1 | Curtis, Carr og | 16,430 |

### League table (part)

Final First Division table (part) :
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts |
| 9th | Newcastle United | 42 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 79 | 81 | 0.97 | 43 |
| 10th | Arsenal | 42 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 82 | 86 | 0.95 | 41 |
| 11th | Birmingham | 42 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 70 | 75 | 0.84 | 41 |
| 12th | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 66 | 78 | 0.85 | 41 |
| 13th | Sheffield United | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 79 | 86 | 0.92 | 40 |
| 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 | 14 January 1928 | Peterborough & Fletton United | H | W | 4–3 | Davies, Bradford 3 | 38,128 |
| Fourth round | 28 January 1928 | Wrexham | A | W | 3–1 | Randle pen, Davies 2 | 12,228 |
| Fifth round | 18 February 1928 | Manchester United | A | L | 0–1 | | 52,568 |

## 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 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Dan Tremelling | Goalkeeper | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| Harry Bruce † | Full back | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Jack Randle | Full back | 29 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 32 | 1 |
| Joe Smith | Full back | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Ron Stainton | Full back | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Frank Womack | Full back | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Percy Barton | Half back | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Jack Coxford | Half back | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Jimmy Cringan | Half back | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| Dickie Dale | Half back | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Alec Leslie | Half back | 42 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
| George Liddell | Half back | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| George Morrall | Half back | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Albert Bloxham † | Forward | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Benny Bond | Forward | 24 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 5 |
| Joe Bradford | Forward | 37 | 29 | 3 | 3 | 40 | 32 |
| George Briggs | Forward | 40 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 16 |
| Johnny Crosbie | Forward | 28 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 7 |
| Ernie Curtis | Forward | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| Stan Davies | Forward | 14 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 5 |
| Billy Ellis | Forward | 20 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 4 |
| Jack Firth | Forward | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Wally Harris | Forward | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 |
| Arthur Johnson | Forward | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Tot Pike | Forward | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Wilf Threlfall | Forward | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |