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Birmingham City Football Club was founded as Small Heath Alliance in 1875 by a group of cricketers looking for a winter activity.

The club turned professional in 1885 and three years later became the first football club to become a limited company. They also dropped "Alliance" from their name.

Small Heath Elected to Division Two

The Blues were founder members of Division Two in 1892 and won the championship that season but missed promotion by losing to Newton Heath in the test matches. A year later, Small Heath were promoted after finishing second. However, they made little impression on the top flight and were relegated in 1896.

Name Changes

In 1905 the club changed its name to Birmingham FC and a year later moved to St Andrews. The club reached the FA Cup Final in 1931, but were relegated again in 1939.

In 1944 "City" was added to the club's name. In 1956 - their most successful season to date - they finished sixth in Division One and were beaten FA Cup finalists.

League Cup triumph...and Relegation

In 1963 City won their only major trophy, the League Cup - a victory made sweeter due to the fact it was against their arch rivals Aston Villa.

Two years later, City were relegated to Division Two. They returned to the top flight in 1972, only to be relegated again in 1979. Another promotion followed but City were perennial relegation strugglers and in the late Eighties they slipped all the way down to Division Three.

Ups & Downs

The Nineties brought a return to the second level and although they were regularly in contention they suffered play-offs defeats in 1999, 2000 and 2001, before securing promotion, again via the play-offs, in 2002.

Two seasons later they were relegated again but bounced straight back, as runners-up in 2006/07.

True to form, City were relegated again at the end of the 2007/08 season, and in 2008/2009 returned to the Premier League as Championship runners-up.

League Cup triumph...and Relegation (again!)

In 2010/11 Birmingham City won only the second trophy in their history after defeating Arsenal 2-1 in the League Cup. The celebrations were short lived though, as City were relegated to the Championship.

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