The 1995–96 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 93rd in the English football league system. They finished in 15th place in the 24-team Football League First Division, to which they were promoted as Division Two champions in 1994–95. They entered the 1995–96 FA Cup at the third round, losing in that round to Wolverhampton Wanderers after a replay, and entered the League Cup in the first round and progressed to the semi-final, in which they lost on aggregate score to Leeds United. They also took part in the last season of the Anglo-Italian Cup, losing in the quarter-final after a penalty shootout.

At the end of the season, club owner David Sullivan dismissed Barry Fry as manager and replaced him with playing legend Trevor Francis.

The season covers the period from 1 July 1995 to 30 June 1996.

Football League First Division

DateLeaguepositionOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendance12 August 19954thIpswich TownHW3–1Tait, Otto, Bowen18,91019 August 19959thCharlton AthleticAL1–3Bowen9,71026 August 19954thNorwich CityHW3–1Hunt 3 (1 pen.)19,26730 August 19959thHuddersfield TownAL2–4Ward 212,3052 September 19956thBarnsleyAW5–0Hunt pen., Claridge, Forsyth, Doherty, Charlery11,1219 September 19955thCrystal PalaceHD0–019,40312 September 19956thStoke CityHD1–1Hunt19,00517 September 199511thWest Bromwich AlbionAL0–117,85423 September 199513thWatfordAD1–1Finnan9,42230 September 199512thOldham AthleticHD0–017,2898 October 19956thSouthend UnitedHW2–0Claridge 217,49114 October 19955thPortsmouthAW1–0Claridge10,00921 October 19953rdGrimsby TownHW3–1Claridge 2, Charlery16,44529 October 19952ndPort ValeAW2–1Claridge, Tait8,8754 November 19952ndMillwallHD2–2Castle, Charlery23,01611 November 19953rdReadingAW1–0Charlery10,20318 November 19953rdLuton TownAD0–07,92021 November 19953rdDerby CountyHL1–4Ward pen.19,41726 November 19955thLeicester CityHD2–2Hunt 2 (1 pen.)17,3502 December 19955thSouthend UnitedAL1–3Claridge7,7709 December 19954thWatfordHW1–0Francis16,79016 December 19958thOldham AthleticAL0–46,60223 December 19954thTranmere RoversHW1–0Hunt18,43926 December 19953rdSheffield UnitedAD1–1Francis17,66814 January 19967thCharlton AthleticHL3–4Edwards, Hunt pen., Forsyth18,53920 January 19969thIpswich TownAL0–212,3884 February 199611thNorwich CityAD1–1Otto12,61217 February 199613thStoke CityAL0–115,70920 February 199613thBarnsleyHD0–014,16827 February 199613thCrystal PalaceAL2–3Bowen 213,4152 March 199615thSheffield UnitedHL0–116,7995 March 199613thWolverhampton WanderersHW2–0Devlin 2 (1 pen.)22,0519 March 199612thTranmere RoversAD2–2Hunt, Legg8,69612 March 199611thHuddersfield TownHW2–0Devlin, P. Barnes15,29617 March 199611thSunderlandHL0–223,25120 March 199611thWest Bromwich AlbionHD1–1Hunt19,14723 March 199612thWolverhampton WanderersAL2–3Devlin 2 (1 pen.)26,25630 March 199613thGrimsby TownAL1–2P. Barnes5,7732 April 199613thPortsmouthHW2–0Devlin pen., P. Barnes14,8866 April 19969thPort ValeHW3–1Tait, P. Barnes, Peschisolido17,46910 April 199610thMillwallAL0–29,27113 April 19969thLuton TownHW4–0Francis, Devlin, P. Barnes 215,42616 April 19969thSunderlandAL0–319,83120 April 19969thDerby CountyAD1–1Breen16,75727 April 199612thLeicester CityAL0–319,7025 May 199615thReadingHL1–2P. Barnes16,223

League table (part) + Final First Division table (part)Team13thTranmere Rovers461417156460+45914thSouthend United461514175261-95915thBirmingham City461513186164-35816thNorwich City461415175955+45717thGrimsby Town461414185569-1456

Note that goals scored took precedence over goal difference as a tiebreaker in the Football League.

Results summary

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceThird round6 January 1996Wolverhampton WanderersHD1–1Poole21,349Third round replay17 January 1996Wolverhampton WanderersAL1–2Hunt28,088

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceFirst round 1st leg15 August 1995Plymouth ArgyleHW1–0Cooper7,964First round 2nd leg22 August 1995Plymouth ArgyleAW2–13–1 agg.Edwards, Hunt6,529Second round 1st leg20 September 1995Grimsby TownHW3–1Daish, Hunt, Claridge7,446Second round 2nd leg3 October 1995Grimsby TownAD1–14–2 agg.Bowen3,280Third round24 October 1995Tranmere RoversHD1–1McGreal o.g.13,752Third round replay8 November 1995Tranmere RoversAW3–1a.e.t.Charlery 2, Rushfeldt9,151Fourth round29 November 1995MiddlesbroughAD0–028,031Fourth round replay20 December 1995MiddlesbroughHW2–0Francis 219,878Fifth round10 January 1996Norwich CityAD1–1Francis13,028Fifth round replay24 January 1996Norwich CityHW2–1Daish, Bowen21,097Semi-final 1st leg11 February 1996Leeds UnitedHL1–2Francis24,781Semi-final 2nd leg25 February 1996Leeds UnitedAL0–31–5 agg.35,435

Anglo-Italian Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceGroup stage5 September 1995GenoaHL2–3Bowen 220,430Group stage11 October 1995PerugiaAW1–0Castle1,200Group stage15 November 1995AnconaAW2–1Edwards, Tentoni o.g.1,500Group stage12 December 1995CesenaHW3–1Hunt, Claridge, Donowa*7,813Quarter-final30 January 1996West Bromwich AlbionHD2–21–4 pens.Poole, Bull9,113

some sources give Tamburini o.g.Matthews (2010), pp. 477–78.

Transfers

In DatePlayerClubFeeRef July 1995 Ken Charlery Peterborough United £400,000 July 1995 Richard Forsyth Kidderminster Harriers £50,000 July 1995 Andy Edwards Southend United £450,000 July 1995 Jae Martin Southend United Free July 1995 Jason Bowen Swansea City £275,000 July 1995 Steve Castle Plymouth Argyle £225,000 August 1995 Ian Richardson Dagenham & Redbridge £60,000 September 1995 Michael Johnson Notts County £225,000 September 1995 Steve Barnes Welling United £30,000 October 1995 Bart Griemink WK Emmen Free December 1995 Gary Bull Nottingham Forest Free January 1996 Fred Barber Luton Town Free February 1996 Gary Breen Peterborough United £250,000 February 1996 Paul Devlin Notts County £250,000 February 1996 Andy Legg Notts County £250,000 March 1996 Paul Barnes York City £350,000 March 1996 Martin Grainger Brentford £400,000 May 1996 Steve Bruce Manchester United Free June 1996 Barry Horne Everton £250,000 June 1996 Gary Ablett Everton £390,000

Out DatePlayerFeeJoinedRef July 1995 Andy Saville £100,000 Preston North End September 1995 Ryan Price £20,000 Macclesfield Town January 1996 Ben Sedgemore Free Peterborough United December 1995 Kenny Lowe Free (Gateshead) February 1996 Ken Charlery * Peterborough United February 1996 Liam Daish £1.5m Coventry City March 1996 Steve Claridge £1.2m Leicester City March 1996 Gary Bull § York City March 1996 Chris Whyte Free One month March 1996 Ian Richardson £150,000 Notts County March 1996 Mark Ward Free Huddersfield Town March 1996 Scott Hiley £200,000 Manchester City June 1996 Peter Shearer Released (Peterborough United) June 1996 Gary Cooper Released June 1996 Neil Doherty Released (Kidderminster Harriers)

Brackets round a club denote the player joined that club after his Birmingham City contract expired. * Part of the deal in which Gary Breen joined Birmingham from Peterborough United for £250,000. § Part of the deal in which Paul Barnes joined Birmingham from York City for £350,000.

Loan in DatePlayerClubReturnRef October 1995 Sigurd Rushfeldt Tromsø IL Three months November 1995 Dan Sahlin Hammarby IF One month November 1995 Danny Hill Tottenham Hotspur One month November 1995 David Preece Derby County One month January 1996 Paul Sansome Southend United One month February 1996 Vinny Samways Everton End of season February 1996 John Sheridan Sheffield Wednesday One month

Loan out DatePlayerClubReturnRef September 1995 Ian Muir Darlington One month December 1995 Chris Whyte Coventry City One month January 1996 Ian Richardson Notts County Two months January 1996 Ken Charlery Southend United One month February 1996 Scott Hiley Manchester City One month February 1996 Neil Doherty Northampton Town End of season February 1996 Steve Castle Gillingham End of season March 1996 Steve Finnan Notts County End of season

Appearances and goals

Numbers in parentheses denote appearances made as a substitute. Players with name in italics and marked * were on loan from another club for the whole of their season with Birmingham. 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 competitionNameLeagueFA CupLeague CupAnglo-Italian CupTotalGoalsGoalsGoalsGoalsGoalsGK Fred Barber1000000010GK Ian Bennett240108040370GK Bart Griemink20010301 (1)025 (1)0GK Paul Sansome * 1000100020DF Jon Bass5000100060DF Gary Breen17 (1)100000017 (1)1DF Gary Cooper16 (2)0006 (1)12 (1)024 (4)1DF Liam Daish 16 (1)020721026 (1)2DF Andy Edwards36 (1)1201115154 (1)3DF John Frain22 (1)020601029 (1)0DF Martin Grainger8000000080DF Scott Hiley 5000101070DF Michael Johnson31 (2)010504041 (2)0DF Gary Poole27 (1)0211003142 (1)2DF Simon Rea0 (1)000001 (1)01 (2)0DF Chris Whyte 4000401090MF Steve Barnes0 (3)0000 (1)00 (1)00 (5)0MF Jason Bowen16 (7)40 (2)03 (5)22221 (14)8MF Steve Castle12 (3)110703123 (3)2MF John Cornforth8000000080MF Louie Donowa5 (8)0103 (5)01110 (14)0MF Steve Finnan6 (6)1002 (2)02 (1)010 (9)1MF Richard Forsyth12 (14)220723 (1)024 (15)4MF Danny Hill * 5000200070MF Jonathan Hunt43 (2)111 (1)18 (3)25152 (6)15MF Andy Legg9 (3)10000009 (3)1MF Kenny Lowe0 (2)00000000 (2)0MF Ricky Otto6 (12)2003 (3)03012 (15)2MF David Preece * 6000001070MF Ian Richardson 3 (4)0203 (1)01 (2)09 (7)0MF Dan Sahlin * 0 (1)00000000 (1)0MF Vinny Samways *120000000120MF John Sheridan * 1 (1)00020003 (1)0MF Paul Tait23 (4)3004 (1)02 (1)029 (6)3MF Mark Ward133003 (1)01017 (1)3FW Paul Barnes157000000157FW Gary Bull 3 (3)00 (2)00 (1)00 (1)03 (7)0FW Ken Charlery 8 (9)4003 (1)22 (1)013 (11)6FW Steve Claridge 2882011 (1)12 (1)143 (2)10FW Paul Devlin167000000167FW Neil Doherty0 (2)1001 (1)00 (1)01 (4)1FW Kevin Francis11 (8)320641020 (8)7FW Jae Martin1 (6)000000 (2)01 (8)0FW Ian Muir10000 (1)0001 (1)0FW Paul Peschisolido7 (2)10000007 (2)1FW Sigurd Rushfeldt * 3 (4)00011105 (4)1

+ Players not included in matchday squadsNameGK Ryan Price MFPeter Shearer

See also Birmingham City F.C. seasons

Sources

For match dates, league positions and results: For lineups, appearances, goalscorers and attendances: Matthews (2010), Complete Record, pp. 426–27, 477–78. For transfers:

References