# 1973–74 Birmingham City F.C. season

The 1973–74 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 71st in the Football League and their 40th in the First Division. After spending most of the season in the relegation positions, they finished in 19th place in the 22-team division, avoiding relegation by just one point. They entered the 1973–74 FA Cup at the third round proper and lost to Queens Park Rangers in the fourth, and were eliminated from the League Cup in the fifth round by Plymouth Argyle. They lost in the second round of the Texaco Cup on aggregate, after the first attempt to play the second leg of their match against Newcastle United had to be abandoned after 100 minutes when it became too dark to play.
Thirty players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were twelve different goalscorers. Forward Bob Hatton played in 51 of the 54 first-team matches over the season, and the leading goalscorer was Hatton with 20 goals, of which 14 came in league competition.
In February 1974, by which time he had already scored 18 goals for Birmingham, centre-forward Bob Latchford signed for Everton in part-exchange for Howard Kendall, Archie Styles, and £80,000. The whole package was valued at a British record transfer fee of £350,000.

## Football League First Division

| Date | League position | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 25 August 1973 | 15th | Manchester City | A | L | 1–3 | Hatton | 35,881 |
| 28 August 1973 | 17th | Tottenham Hotspur | H | L | 1–2 | Hatton | 37,754 |
| 1 September 1973 | 20th | Derby County | H | D | 0–0 | | 34,899 |
| 5 September 1973 | 22nd | Chelsea | A | L | 1–3 | Page | 25,660 |
| 8 September 1973 | 22nd | Leeds United | A | L | 0–3 | | 39,746 |
| 11 September 1973 | 22nd | Chelsea | H | L | 2–4 | Hatton, Taylor | 30,252 |
| 15 September 1973 | 22nd | Liverpool | H | D | 1–1 | R. Latchford | 35,719 |
| 22 September 1973 | 22nd | Queens Park Rangers | A | D | 2–2 | R. Latchford, Burns | 18,701 |
| 29 September 1973 | 22nd | Ipswich Town | H | L | 0–3 | | 26,919 |
| 6 October 1973 | 22nd | Arsenal | A | L | 0–1 | | 23,915 |
| 13 October 1973 | 21st | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | W | 2–1 | Francis pen, Burns | 34,977 |
| 20 October 1973 | 22nd | Manchester United | A | L | 0–1 | | 48,937 |
| 27 October 1973 | 22nd | Everton | H | L | 0–2 | | 31,181 |
| 3 November 1973 | 22nd | Sheffield United | A | D | 1–1 | Hynd | 19,339 |
| 10 November 1973 | 22nd | Southampton | H | D | 1–1 | Hatton | 25,297 |
| 17 November 1973 | 22nd | Stoke City | A | L | 2–5 | Hynd, R. Latchford | 19,179 |
| 24 November 1973 | 22nd | Leicester City | H | W | 3–0 | R. Latchford 3 | 27,719 |
| 8 December 1973 | 21st | Newcastle United | H | W | 1–0 | Burns | 25,428 |
| 15 December 1973 | 20th | West Ham United | H | W | 3–1 | Burns 2, Hatton | 23,767 |
| 22 December 1973 | 20th | Ipswich Town | A | L | 0–3 | | 15,457 |
| 26 December 1973 | 19th | Coventry City | H | W | 1–0 | R. Latchford | 33,423 |
| 29 December 1973 | 20th | Leeds United | H | D | 1–1 | R. Latchford | 50,451 |
| 1 January 1973 | 19th | Derby County | A | D | 1–1 | Hatton | 31,189 |
| 12 January 1974 | 20th | Liverpool | A | L | 2–3 | R. Latchford | 39,094 |
| 19 January 1974 | 20th | Manchester City | H | D | 1–1 | R. Latchford | 31,401 |
| 2 February 1974 | 20th | West Ham United | A | D | 0–0 | | 27,948 |
| 6 February 1974 | 20th | Tottenham Hotspur | A | L | 2–4 | England og, Phillips | 14,345 |
| 16 February 1974 | 20th | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | L | 0–1 | | 33,821 |
| 23 February 1974 | 20th | Arsenal | H | W | 3–1 | Gallagher, Hatton, Francis | 29,828 |
| 2 March 1974 | 20th | Coventry City | A | W | 1–0 | Hatton | 27,863 |
| 9 March 1974 | 20th | Everton | A | L | 1–4 | Hatton | 33,944 |
| 16 March 1974 | 20th | Manchester United | H | W | 1–0 | Gallagher | 37,768 |
| 20 March 1974 | 20th | Norwich City | A | L | 1–2 | Styles | 18,309 |
| 23 March 1974 | 20th | Southampton | A | W | 2–0 | Burns, Francis | 23,349 |
| 30 March 1974 | 20th | Sheffield United | H | W | 1–0 | Hatton | 27,877 |
| 6 April 1974 | 20th | Leicester City | A | D | 3–3 | Burns 3 | 28,486 |
| 12 April 1974 | 20th | Burnley | A | L | 1–2 | Campbell | 17,038 |
| 13 April 1974 | 20th | Stoke City | H | D | 0–0 | | 29,467 |
| 16 April 1974 | 20th | Burnley | H | D | 2–2 | Hatton 2 | 36,548 |
| 20 April 1974 | 20th | Newcastle United | A | D | 1–1 | Francis | 34,066 |
| 23 April 1974 | 19th | Queens Park Rangers | H | W | 4–0 | Taylor, Francis 2, Kendall | 39,160 |
| 27 April 1974 | 19th | Norwich City | H | W | 2–1 | Hatton, Burns | 44,182 |

### League table (part)

Final First Division table (part) :
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts |
| 17th | Chelsea | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 56 | 60 | 0.93 | 37 |
| 18th | West Ham United | 42 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 55 | 60 | 0.92 | 37 |
| 19th | Birmingham City | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 52 | 64 | 0.81 | 37 |
| 20th | Southampton | 42 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 47 | 68 | 0.69 | 36 |
| 21st | Manchester United | 42 | 10 | 12 | 20 | 38 | 48 | 0.79 | 32 |
| 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 | 5 January 1974 | Cardiff City | H | W | 5–2 | Francis, R. Latchford 2, Hatton 2 | 22,435 |
| Fourth round | 26 January 1974 | Queens Park Rangers | A | L | 0–2 | | 23,367 |

## League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| Second round | 9 October 1973 | Blackpool | A | D | 1–1 | Burns | 7,943 |
| Second round replay | 16 October 1973 | Blackpool | H | W | 4–2 | Burns, Hatton 3 | 16,880 |
| Third round | 30 October 1973 | Newcastle United | H | D | 2–2 | R. Latchford 2 | 13,025 |
| Third round replay | 7 November 1973 | Newcastle United | A | W | 1–0 aet | Francis pen | 19,276 |
| Fourth round | 21 November 1973 | Ipswich Town | A | W | 3–1 | R. Latchford 3 | 12,241 |
| Fifth round | 19 December 1973 | Plymouth Argyle | H | L | 1–2 | Hatton | 15,273 |

## Texaco Cup

The home leg of the quarter-final match against Newcastle United finished as a 1–1 draw. Despite the ban on use of floodlights because of the fuel crisis, the League refused to allow an earlier kickoff time for the away leg on 28 November 1973. The match was abandoned at 1–1 after 10 minutes of extra time in almost total darkness. Keith Bowker scored Birmingham's goal, in his only appearance of the season and last outing for the club; neither appearance nor goal count towards his statistics. When the match was replayed, Birmingham lost 3–1 after Newcastle's Jimmy Smith was sent off in the first two minutes for a tackle that broke both bones in Tony Want's lower leg.
| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round 1st leg | 19 September 1973 | Stoke City | A | D | 0–0 | | 9,530 |
| First round 2nd leg | 2 October 1973 | Stoke City | H | D | 0–0 aet 3–1 pens | | 13,433 |
| Second round 1st leg | 22 October 1973 | Newcastle United | H | D | 1–1 | R. Latchford | 12,422 |
| Second round 2nd leg | 5 December 1973 | Newcastle United | A | L | 1–3 | Francis | 9,762 |

## 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 | Texaco Cup | Texaco Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Nat. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | ENG | Ritchie Blackmore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 |
| GK | ENG | Paul Cooper | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| GK | ENG | Mike Kelly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 3 (1) | 0 |
| GK | ENG | Dave Latchford | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| GK | WAL | Gary Sprake | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Dennis Clarke | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 16 (1) | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Joe Gallagher | 21 (5) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 31 (5) | 2 |
| DF | SCO | Roger Hynd | 34 (2) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 42 (2) | 2 |
| DF | ENG | Ray Martin | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Ian Osborne | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Garry Pendrey | 38 (2) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 48 (2) | 0 |
| DF | WAL | John Roberts | 28 (2) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 (2) | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Archie Styles | 3 (2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (2) | 1 |
| DF | ENG | Tony Want | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Alan Whitehead | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | ENG | Steve Bryant | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | SCO | Jimmy Calderwood | 7 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 (2) | 0 |
| MF | SCO | Alan Campbell | 32 (3) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35 (3) | 1 |
| MF | WAL | Gary Emmanuel | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (2) | 0 | 0 (2) | 0 |
| MF | SCO | Paul Hendrie | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| MF | ENG | Lindley Jenkins | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| MF | ENG | Howard Kendall | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| MF | WAL | Malcolm Page | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| MF | ENG | Gordon Taylor | 33 (2) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 (3) | 2 |
| FW | SCO | Kenny Burns | 36 (1) | 10 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 46 (1) | 12 |
| FW | ENG | Trevor Francis | 37 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 47 | 9 |
| FW | ENG | Bob Hatton | 39 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 51 | 20 |
| FW | SCO | Bobby Hope | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 7 (1) | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Bob Latchford † | 25 (1) | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 (1) | 5 | 2 | 1 | 33 (2) | 18 |
| FW | ENG | Steve Phillips | 1 (3) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 (2) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 (5) | 1 |