1971–72 Birmingham City F.C. season


The 1971–72 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 69th in the Football League and their 31st in the Second Division. They finished in second place in the 22-team division, so were promoted to the First Division for 1972–73, despite never having been in the promotion positions until after the final game of the season.
They entered the 1971–72 FA Cup in the third round proper and progressed to the semi-final, in which they lost to Leeds United. This was the third year of five in which the losing semifinalists were required to compete in a "Match for third place"; following a goalless 90 minutes, Birmingham beat Stoke City in a penalty shootout, the first time this method had been used to determine the result of an FA Cup match. They lost to Queens Park Rangers in their opening match in the second round of the League Cup, and finished fourth of the six English entrants in the third staging of the Anglo-Italian Cup, a tournament held after the end of the league season.
Twenty-five players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were ten different goalscorers. Defender Roger Hynd, midfielder Alan Campbell and centre-forward Bob Latchford played in all 53 first-team matches over the season. Latchford finished as leading goalscorer with 30 goals, of which 23 came in league competition. The average attendance in Second Division matches exceeded 32,000.

Football League Second Division

DateLeague
position		OpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
14 August 19718thSunderlandAD1–1Bowker9,749
21 August 19716thCarlisle UnitedHW3–2Summerill, Bowker, Campbell26,254
28 August 197112thPortsmouthAL0–114,729
1 September 197117thHull CityAL0–116,746
4 September 197110thCharlton AthleticHW4–1Francis, R. Latchford 325,231
11 September 197112thLuton TownAD0–014,678
18 September 19719thBristol CityHW1–0R. Latchford28,745
25 September 19719thBlackpoolAD1–1Francis22,610
28 September 19715thWatfordHW4–1R. Latchford 3, Francis28,095
2 October 19715thOxford UnitedHD0–031,759
9 October 19718thQueens Park RangersAL0–116,039
16 October 19718thSunderlandHD1–1R. Latchford27,341
19 October 19718thSwindon TownAD1–1R. Latchford14,269
23 October 19718thPreston North EndHD2–2R. Latchford, Francis28,956
30 October 19718thBurnleyAD1–1R. Latchford17,170
6 November 19717thOrientHW2–0Hatton, R. Latchford27,349
13 November 19716thNorwich CityAD2–2Campbell pen, R. Latchford24,094
20 November 19718thMillwallAL0–315,724
27 November 19717thFulhamHW3–1R. Latchford, Hatton 225,545
4 December 19716thMiddlesbroughAD0–015,761
11 December 19717thSheffield WednesdayHD0–029,272
18 December 19717thCharlton AthleticAD1–1Hatton8,313
27 December 19715thCardiff CityAW3–0Pendrey, Hatton, Francis40,793
1 January 19716thBristol CityAL0–117,457
8 January 19725thPortsmouthHW6–3Hatton 2, R. Latchford 2, Campbell pen, Francis22,410
22 January 19724thWatfordAW1–0Francis10,884
29 January 19724thSwindon TownHW4–1Francis, R. Latchford 2, Hatton27,824
12 February 19724thPreston North EndAD0–017,794
19 February 19724thBurnleyHW2–0Taylor, Hatton32,035
4 March 19724thNorwich CityHW4–0Hatton 2, R. Latchford, Hynd40,899
11 March 19724thQueens Park RangersHD0–035,557
21 March 19723rdCarlisle UnitedAD2–2Hatton, R. Latchford12,279
25 March 19723rdLuton TownHW1–0Hatton34,539
31 March 19723rdOxford UnitedAW1–0Hatton18,990
1 April 19723rdCardiff CityAD0–023,667
4 April 19723rdBlackpoolHW2–1R. Latchford, Francis45,181
8 April 19723rdMillwallHW1–0R. Latchford43,483
18 April 19723rdFulhamAD0–016,553
22 April 19723rdMiddlesbroughHD1–1Francis37,202
25 April 19723rdHull CityHW2–0Campbell pen, Francis40,749
29 April 19723rdSheffield WednesdayAW2–1Hatton, Francis27,991
2 May 19722ndOrientAW1–0R. Latchford33,383

League table (part)

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
Third round15 January 1972Port ValeHW3–0Hynd, Francis 232,937
Fourth round5 February 1972Ipswich TownHW1–0R. Latchford40,709
Fifth round26 February 1972PortsmouthHW3–1Hatton, R. Latchford 243,886
Sixth round18 March 1972Huddersfield TownHW3–1Page, R. Latchford, Hatton52,470
Semi-final15 April 1972Leeds UnitedHillsborough,
Sheffield		L0–354,723
3rd/4th place playoff5 August 1972Stoke CityHW0–0
4–3 pens		25,841

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
Second round7 September 1971Queens Park RangersAL0–115,032

Anglo-Italian Cup

DateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
1 June 1972Lanerossi VicenzaAW0–03,000
4 June 1972SampdoriaAL1–2Campbell pen15,000
7 June 1972Lanerossi VicenzaHW5–3R. Latchford 2, Francis, Hatton, Taylor23,642
10 June 1972SampdoriaHW2–0R. Latchford, Hatton19,510

Clubs were classified according to total points added to goals scored. The top club of each national section qualified for the final.

Appearances and goals