SHA Small Heath Alliance

I'm pretty sure the latter two were just Blues.

Mr Driscoll

Sorry, to be clear, are you saying that the first 'Birmingham' team to contest the Fairs Cup included Villa and Baggies players? Is that right?

Yes that’s right.

Google tells me Birmingham City represented Birmingham in the 60's ties

Was this something that happened in the 55-58 Fairs Cup?

I wrote that piece on Millwall Online.

I am a History teacher & have written history articles for the Millwall match day programme.

It is my understanding that Birmingham City did enter as a club in the 1960 and 1961 additions. This seems to collaborated by several sources.

However, I would need more clarity over the 1956 entry, as it seems it was an invite to the city, rather than club. Are there team sheets etc that you can find for the matches, to check who played? The Rough Guide to Football has it that it was indeed Birmingham City playing the games, and they are pretty good. But I am always happy to right a wrong.

In the first few years of the competition, London did enter teams made up of a London XI. This is clearly stated. Whereas all sources point to Birmingham City FC representing the Birmingham entry.

If you can shed any further light on this, that would be appreciated & I will correct the piece accordingly, as it was written in good faith & using reliable sources.

Cheers.

👍

Okay, did any of us get the Meaning Vile souvenir edition of the 60th anniversary of ‘Blues European adventure??’

No? Nor me, because they didn’t print one!!

How many times have you seen souvenirs in the shop, items in the programme, all commemorating Blues being ‘European pioneers’ & such like?

Zero ……

I think in modern parlance it’s known as an’Urban myth’ 😉

I always thought Millwall's firm were overrated and I'd take them on any day, on any forum of their choosing.


Or Facebook.

So which non Birmingham City players represented Birmingham City in the 60's Fairs Cup Ties?

WorcsBlues

Okay, did any of us get the Meaning Vile souvenir edition of the 60th anniversary of ‘Blues European adventure??’

No? Nor me, because they didn’t print one!!

How many times have you seen souvenirs in the shop, items in the programme, all commemorating Blues being ‘European pioneers’ & such like?

Zero ……

I think in modern parlance it’s known as an’Urban myth’ 😉

A decent source on this sort of thing suggests it was Birmingham City FC that Birmingham sent as representatives. This seems beyond absolute doubt for 1960 and 1961.

I was under the impression you had evidence to the contrary re 1956. Eg team sheets etc. I cannot imagine Dan Goldstein (a brilliant football historian) getting this wrong. He has it as Birmingham City FC taking up the offer. But people do get things wrong.

Re the club not promoting it… isn’t that just how some football clubs are? And it wasn’t as if Birmingham City earned the place in the competition on the football pitch, so perhaps why it is overlooked?

WorcsBlues

Okay, did any of us get the Meaning Vile souvenir edition of the 60th anniversary of ‘Blues European adventure??’

No? Nor me, because they didn’t print one!!

How many times have you seen souvenirs in the shop, items in the programme, all commemorating Blues being ‘European pioneers’ & such like?

Zero ……

I think in modern parlance it’s known as an’Urban myth’ 😉

So why were programmes from the time referring to Birmingham City?

I think Worcs is pulling our plonker, decent WUM tbf

NouCamp

I think Worcs is pulling our plonker, decent WUM tbf

Ah I did wonder, when he mentioned the Villa view.

But wanted to check, as it was a competition that invited cities, rather than specific teams!

Thanks for posting Moody1980. You up on Tuesday?

LondonAndy

Thanks for posting Moody1980. You up on Tuesday?

Sadly not, as will be stuck at work til late.

It should be a good game though, as both teams doing well recently, with Birmingham City good at home & us good away. I would be very happy with a point.

Moody1980

However, I would need more clarity over the 1956 entry, as it seems it was an invite to the city, rather than club. Are there team sheets etc that you can find for the matches, to check who played? The Rough Guide to Football has it that it was indeed Birmingham City playing the games, and they are pretty good. But I am always happy to right a wrong.

I can confirm it was Blues only. Indeed I can even give you a source. Sports Argus (our Saturday pink), 3 September 1955:



First couple of games were the games at Inter and Zagreb in May 1956, and we took a travelling party of 15. Mostly the Cup final side plus Jackie Badham, plus reserves to replace Jeff Hall and Gordon Astall (on an FA tour) and Trevor Smith (doing his National Service). (The joke in the article about reaching the Cup final was probably meant to be sarcastic...)

One thing about the initial Football League and missing out on it - we didn't apply. Indeed we only did so in 1892 when the Football Alliance was being absorbed as Division 2. The team that missed out was Birmingham St George's, who were by then playing in Smethwick, who were 2 votes away from replacing Notts County in 1889. They had backing from the Mitchells & Butlers brewery, so had money, but low crowds.

👍 always sound very plausible of football history in my memory