The 1993–94 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 91st in the Football League. They finished in 22nd position in the 24-team Division One, so were relegated to the third tier for 1994–95. They entered the 1993–94 FA Cup at the third-round stage, and lost their opening match to non-League club Kidderminster Harriers, and entered the League Cup in the first round, losing in the second to fellow Birmingham-based club Aston Villa. They were eliminated in the preliminary group of the Anglo-Italian Cup.Matthews (1995), Complete Record, p. 244.
After a poor start to the season, manager Terry Cooper resigned, believing that new owner David Sullivan wanted to bring in his own man. He was replaced by Southend United manager Barry Fry, at the cost of a record Football League fine of £130,000 after being found guilty of poaching Fry and his staff. At the end of the season, the Kop and Tilton Road terraces of the St Andrew's ground were demolished, to be re-opened the following season as all-seater stands.
The club's top scorer in league matches was Andy Saville with ten goals. Paul Peschisolido was joint top scorer for the club with 10 goals in all competitions alongside Saville.
Football League First Division
Match details DateLeaguepositionOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendance14 August 199323rdCharlton AthleticAL0–17,78822 August 199321stWolverhampton WanderersHD2–2Peschisolido, Saville15,11728 August 199313thBarnsleyAW3–2Smith 2, Shutt7,24131 August 199311thCrystal PalaceHL2–4Peschisolido 213,8564 September 19937thDerby CountyHW3–0Saville 2, Frain15,99212 September 19938thLeicester CityAD1–1Peschisolido10,36618 September 199311thGrimsby TownHD1–1Donowa12,10825 September 199312thLuton TownHD1–1Shutt11,8012 October 199311thMiddlesbroughAD2–2Peschisolido 213,8019 October 199315thSunderlandAL0–119,26516 October 199312thWatfordHW1–0Wallace12,82319 October 19938thBolton WanderersHW2–1Shutt, Phillips og12,07123 October 199310thPeterborough UnitedAL0–17,57531 October 19938thMillwallHW1–0Shutt9,3772 November 199310thBristol CityAL0–39,1926 November 199312thNottingham ForestHL0–316,99620 November 199316thPortsmouthHL0–111,89627 November 199318thTranmere RoversHL0–39,9154 December 199318thNottingham ForestAL0–122,06111 December 199320thCrystal PalaceAL1–2Saville11,93518 December 199317thCharlton AthleticHW1–0Lowe13,71426 December 199317thStoke CityAL1–2Peschisolido16,56328 December 199317thWest Bromwich AlbionHW2–0Saville pen, Peschisolido28,2281 January 199419thSouthend UnitedAL1–3Peschisolido10,7313 January 199417thOxford UnitedHD1–1Donowa15,14211 January 199417thNotts CountyAL1–2Cooper7,21215 January 199420thWatfordAL2–5Willis, McGavin7,63622 January 199420thSunderlandHD0–015,8845 February 199421stPeterborough UnitedHD0–015,14012 February 199422ndMillwallAL1–2Saville9,53819 February 199422ndNotts CountyHL2–3Frain pen., Saville12,91322 February 199422ndWolverhampton WanderersAL0–324,93125 February 199422ndDerby CountyAD1–1Claridge16,6245 March 199423rdBarnsleyHL0–215,38212 March 199423rdGrimsby TownAL0–15,40515 March 199424thLeicester CityHL0–314,68119 March 199424thLuton TownAD1–1Claridge7,69026 March 199424thMiddlesbroughHW1–0Saville12,40929 March 199424thOxford UnitedAL0–28,3932 April 199423rdStoke CityHW3–1Claridge, Ward, Willis13,5689 April 199423rdSouthend UnitedHW3–1Doherty, Saville, Willis14,30716 April 199423rdBristol CityHD2–2Claridge pen, Donowa20,31623 April 199422ndPortsmouthAW2–0Willis, Claridge pen.11,10127 April 199421stWest Bromwich AlbionAW4–2Claridge 2, Donowa, Saville20,31630 April 199422ndBolton WanderersAD1–1Willis13,6028 May 199422ndTranmere RoversAW2–1Donowa, Garnett o.g.15,210
League table (part) +Final Division One table (part)Team20thLuton Town461411215660−45321stWest Bromwich Albion461312216069−95122ndBirmingham City461312215269−175123rdOxford United461310235475−214924thPeterborough United46813254876−2837
Note that goals scored took precedence over goal difference as a tiebreaker in the Football League.
Results summary
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceThird round8 January 1994Kidderminster HarriersHL1–2Harding19,668
League Cup
RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceFirst round 1st leg17 August 1993Plymouth ArgyleHW3–0Parris, Frain, Peschisolido9,304First round 2nd leg24 August 1993Plymouth ArgyleAL0–23–2 agg.3,659Second round 1st leg21 September 1993Aston VillaHL0–127,815Second round 2nd leg6 October 1993Aston VillaAL0–10–2 agg.35,856
Anglo-Italian Cup
RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendancePreliminary round15 September 1993Stoke CityAL0–28,633Preliminary round29 September 1993Wolverhampton WanderersHD2–2Wratten 22,710
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 Ian Bennett220104000280GK Kevin Miller240004020300DF Dave Barnett8 (1)00000008 (1)0DF Ian Clarkson 0000001010DF Gary Cooper16 (2)110000017 (2)1DF Liam Daish190000000190DF Richard Dryden340104000390DF Paul Fenwick6 (3)0001 (1)0209 (4)0DF John Frain262004100303DF Martin Hicks 0000001010DF Scott Hiley280104000330DF Richard Huxford *5000000050DF George Parris22 (2)010210025 (2)1DF Graham Potter 7000002090DF Darren Rogers1000001020DF Richard Scott5 (1)0000 (1)0106 (2)0DF Chris Whyte330104010390DF Adam Wratten0000000 (1)20 (1)2MF Neil Doherty12 (1)100000012 (1)1MF José Dominguez3 (2)00000003 (2)0MF Louie Donowa14 (7)5102 (1)01018 (8)5MF Keith Downing1000100020MF Paul Harding14 (2)011000015 (2)1MF Lyndon Hooper1 (4)00010002 (4)0MF Leigh Jenkinson *2 (1)00000002 (1)0MF Kenny Lowe10 (2)110000011 (2)1MF Paul Mardon 5 (3)0002 (1)0209 (4)0MF Ted McMinn 19 (3)0101 (1)01022 (4)0MF Dean Peer 0000001010MF Steve Robinson0000000 (1)00 (1)0MF Peter Shearer2000000020MF Carl Shutt18 (8)400300021 (8)4MF Paul Tait9 (1)000102012 (1)0MF Danny Wallace8 (2)10000008 (2)1MF Mark Ward9100000091FW Simon Black2000001 (1)03 (1)0FW Steve Claridge17 (1)700000017 (1)7FW Miguel de Souza1 (6)00000001 (6)0FW Steve McGavin6 (2)10000006 (2)1FW Trevor Morgan 0 (1)00000101 (1)0FW Paul Moulden5 (2)00010107 (2)0FW Paul Peschisolido21 (3)900210023 (3)10FW Andy Saville38 (1)1010300042 (1)10FW David Smith 22 (3)20 (1)0401027 (4)2FW Roger Willis11 (5)50 (1)0000011 (6)5
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. 422–23, 477.
References