1908–09 Birmingham F.C. season


The 1908–09 Football League season was Birmingham Football Club's 17th in the Football League and their 9th in the Second Division, to which they were relegated at the end of the 1907–08 season. They began the season well, not dropping out of the top two until December, but gradually fell away until finishing in 11th position in the 20-team division. They also took part in the 1909–10 FA Cup, entering at the first round proper and losing in that round to Portsmouth.
Alex Watson succeeded Alf Jones as secretary-manager at the start of the season. Jones began acting as unpaid secretary for Small Heath Alliance in 1885, the year the club turned professional, became their first paid secretary with responsibility for team matters in 1892, when the club first joined the Football League, and had held the post of secretary-manager ever since.
Twenty-nine players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were fifteen different goalscorers. Goalkeeper Jack Dorrington played in 35 of the 39 matches over the season; full-back Billy Beer played one fewer. Beer and Frederick Chapple were joint leading scorers with 8 goals; all of Beer's goals were scored in the league. In September, a 19-year-old called Frank Womack made his Football League debut. He went on to play 515 times for Birmingham in senior competition, 491 in the league, but never scored a goal.
In October, Walter Corbett, who had made his debut for the England senior team earlier in the year, was a member of the gold medal-winning Great Britain Olympic football team at the London Olympics.

Football League Second Division

Note that not all clubs finished their playing season on the same date. Birmingham were in 10th place in the division after their final game, on 24 April, but by the time the fixtures were all complete, on 30 April, they had been overtaken by Gainsborough Trinity and finished 11th.
DateLeague
position		OpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
2 September 19081stBolton WanderersHW2–0Eyre 28,000
5 September 19082ndGainsborough TrinityAW3–1Eyre 2, W.H. Jones5,000
7 September 19081stBradford Park AvenueHW3–1Smith, Fairman, W.H. Jones10,000
12 September 19081stGrimsby TownHW3–1Jones, Green pen, Smith15,000
19 September 19081stFulhamAD1–1Green38,000
26 September 19081stBurnleyHW2–0Fairman, W.H. Jones20,000
6 October 19081stBradford Park AvenueAW2–1Beer, Baddeley og8,000
10 October 19081stWolverhampton WanderersHD1–1Smith20,000
17 October 19081stOldham AthleticAL0–214,000
24 October 19081stClapton OrientHW1–0Williams10,000
31 October 19081stLeeds CityAL0–215,000
7 November 19082ndBarnsleyHW2–1Green, W.H. Jones10,000
14 November 19082ndTottenham HotspurAL0–420,000
21 November 19082ndHull CityHL1–2Beer5,000
28 November 19082ndDerby CountyAW2–1Moore, Mounteney10,000
5 December 19083rdBlackpoolHD2–2Chapple, Smith7,000
12 December 19085thChesterfield TownAL2–4Mounteney, Anderson5,000
19 December 19086thGlossopHL1–2Smith5,000
25 December 19084thStockport CountyHW4–2Chapple 410,000
26 December 19085thWest Bromwich AlbionAD1–1King38,049
28 December 19085thWest Bromwich AlbionHD0–030,035
1 January 19095thBolton WanderersAL1–2Beer23,000
2 January 19095thGainsborough TrinityHD2–2King, Beer10,000
9 January 19095thGrimsby TownAW3–0Williams, Chapple5,000
23 January 19095thFulhamHL1–3Beer9,000
30 January 19095thBurnleyAD1–1Beer7,000
13 February 19096thWolverhampton WanderersAL0–210,000
20 February 19095thOldham AthleticHW2–0Beer 212,000
27 February 19096thClapton OrientAL2–3King, Bumphrey7,000
13 March 19098thBarnsleyAL1–3King4,000
20 March 19097thTottenham HotspurHD3–3King, Mounteney, Daykin8,000
27 March 19097thHull CityAL1–4Bumphrey8,000
3 April 19098thDerby CountyHD1–1King4,000
9 April 19098thStockport CountyAL2–3Chapple, Lowe7,000
10 April 190910thBlackpoolAL0–23,000
12 April 19099thLeeds CityHW1–0Bumphrey3,000
17 April 19098thChesterfield TownHW3–0Mounteney 31,500
24 April 190910thGlossopAL1–2Mounteney500

League table (part)

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
First round16 January 1909PortsmouthHL2–5Chapple pen, King18,813

Appearances and goals