The 1898–99 Football League season was Small Heath's seventh in the Football League and their fifth in the Second Division. With four games of the seasons remaining, they were in fourth place, two points below the promotion positions, but a draw and three defeats in those last four games left them with an eight-place finish in the 18-team league. They also took part in the 1898–99 FA Cup, entering at the third qualifying round and progressing to the second round proper (round of 16), at which stage they were eliminated by Stoke after a replay. In local cup competitions, Small Heath reached the second round of the Birmingham Cup and Staffordshire Cup, and lost to West Bromwich Albion in the first round of the Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup.

Twenty-three players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were thirteen different goalscorers. Walter Abbott scored 42 goals, of which 34 were scored in the league, a season's best for the Second Division. Both totals remain club records. Abbott, half back Alex Leake and forward Sid Wharton each played in all 40 league and FA Cup matches over the season, and three other players missed only one such game.

Background

In the 1897–98 season, Small Heath finished sixth in the 16-team Second Division, nine points behind the promotion test match positions. After the test match series left two teams needing to play out a goalless draw in their final match for both to be promoted, which unsurprisingly is what happened, the Football League's Annual General Meeting agreed that the First Division be extended from 16 to 18 clubs and that the top two teams in the Second Division at the end of each season should automatically replace the bottom two teams in the First. A vote was taken on the teams to take the two additional places in the First Division; Small Heath came fourth in the vote, so remained in the Second Division for the 1898–99 season.Division 2 1897/98. Footballsite.co.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2020."The Football League". The Standard (London): p.2. 21 May 1898. They were again awarded exemption only for the first two rounds of the qualifying competition for the FA Cup."English Cup. Exempted Clubs". Leicester Chronicle: p.6. 6 August 1898.

A Football League committee ruled on irregularities in the transfer of Jimmy Inglis to Southern League club Swindon Town. The transfer took place on a Sunday, contrary to league rules, and the forms were falsified. The player was suspended for the first month of the coming season, two Swindon Town directors were suspended for three months, each club was fined £10, and each secretary was warned as to his future conduct."Football". The Dundee Courier & Argus: p.6. 13 July 1898. Apart from Jack Kirton, who also joined Swindon,"Athletics". The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post: p.3. 29 August 1898. and Charlie Hare, who left the club for Watford of the Southern League, having "secured a business engagement" in that town,'Spider' (26 August 1898). "Football Arrows". The Birmingham Pictorial and Dart: p.11. the remaining players signed on again for the new season. Great things were expected of Bob McRoberts, the pacy and skilful Gainsborough Trinity centre forward for whom Small Heath paid a £150 transfer fee."Prospects of the Football Season". The Birmingham Pictorial and Dart: p.5. 19 August 1898.Matthews (1995), Complete Record, p.109.

There were no changes to the team's kit of light blue shirts with navy collar trim, cuffs and pocket, white knickerbockers and navy socks.Birmingham City. Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 25 April 2012.

Review

September–October

Burton Swifts led Small Heath at half time in the first game of the league season. Early in the second half, debutant Bob McRoberts tapped in to equalise after Sid Wharton's fierce shot could only be parried, then Swifts regained the lead via a twice-taken penalty, but the game was one-sided thereafter, and the final score was 6–2 to the visitors."Small Heath v. Burton Swifts". Manchester Guardian: p.9. 5 September 1898. The Nottinghamshire Guardians correspondent thought Small Heath "appeared a well-balanced team all round.""Sports and Pastimes". Nottinghamshire Guardian: p.3. 10 September 1898. A comfortable victory followed at home to Lincoln City on the Tuesday. Billy Bennett opened the scoring, Alex Leake contributed a penalty, and Walter Abbott took his tally to four from two games."Small Heath v. Lincoln City". The Standard (London): p.6. 6 September 1898. In front of a large crowd at Coventry Road, Burslem Port Vale continued their winning opening to the season. The Dart was unimpressed by the home team's shooting – "fully half-a-dozen excellent chances were missed right in front of goal", including a Leake penalty.'Spider' (16 September 1898). "Football Arrows". The Birmingham Pictorial and Dart: p.11.

Small Heath took a three-goal lead in the first round of the Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup, but visitors West Bromwich Albion scored four times in the second half to progress to the semi-final. In the absence of Henry Clutterbuck, Ike Webb made his Football League debut in goal in a comfortable 3–1 win at home to Barnsley, newly elected to the Second Division."Small Heath v. Barnsley". The Standard (London): p.7. 19 September 1898. The Dart enthused about McRoberts, who "again gave a creditable display and scored one magnificent goal, after as pretty a run as I have witnessed in many a day", but was concerned about the quality of his teammates.'Spider' (23 September 1898). "Football Arrows". The Birmingham Pictorial and Dart: p.6. September ended with a trip to Loughborough which "on paper ... appeared a certainty for the Heathens, but in actual play Loughborough were the masters, and richly deserved two points instead of one.""Sports and Pastimes". Nottinghamshire Guardian: p.3. 1 October 1898. This was the first match of the season in which Abbott failed to score.

Grimsby Town achieved their first win of the season, by two goals to nil at home to Small Heath,"Grimsby Town v. Small Heath". The Standard (London): p.6. 10 October 1898. despite the visitors' insistence that the second should not have counted as the ball had entered the goal through the side netting. In the second half, McRoberts hit the post and Grimsby had a third "goal" disallowed for offside."Grimsby Town v. Small Heath". Manchester Guardian: p.3. 10 October 1898. The first-round Staffordshire Cup-tie at Wolverhampton Wanderers was drawn, the home goalkeeper saving a penalty. Playing with a vocal crowd of 5,000 spectators and a strong wind behind them, Small Heath's first two goals against Newton Heath were disallowed, both for offside, before they conceded against the run of play, but they then took advantage of the conditions to score three times before half-time, through Abbott, Walton and Robertson. Against the wind, they changed their style of play: "they no longer indulged in short passing, but in long kicking and rushing", the defence, particularly Billy Pratt stood firm, and Inglis made the final score 4–1."Small Heath v. Newton Heath". Manchester Guardian: p.7. 17 October 1898. The Dart picked out McRoberts, who "played a clever game in the centre", and Walton and Inglis as "a decided improvement" on Bennett and Good on the right wing.'Spider' (21 October 1898). "Football Arrows". The Birmingham Pictorial and Dart: p.6.

Away from home, results were different. New Brighton Tower had no difficulty in remaining unbeaten, overcoming Small Heath by four goals, all scored in the first half."New Brighton Tower v. Small Heath". The Standard (London): p.10. 24 October 1898. Back at Coventry Road, Small Heath knocked Wolverhampton Wanderers out of the Staffordshire Cup by six goals to four, and enjoyed a comfortable win in the third qualifying round of the FA Cup, defeating Chirk 8–0 with three goals from Walton, two each by Abbott and Inglis, and one from Leake.

November–December

In front of 7,000 spectators, Woolwich Arsenal outclassed Small Heath in a match where Clutterbuck played well to keep their score down to two."Woolwich Arsenal v. Small Heath". The Standard (London): p.8. 7 November 1898. According to the Penny Illustrated Paper, "the game was of lively character, but by no means high class from the football point of view. However, the Arsenal won, and the crowd were satisfied, their feeling of exultation being heightened by the fact that the visitors inclined to unfair tactics in the effort to alter the score.""League Matches". The Penny Illustrated Paper and Illustrated Times (London): p.314. 12 November 1898. In a match "hardly up to cup tie standard", Walsall eliminated Small Heath from the Staffordshire Cup.

New signing Arthur Gardner scored twice and William Robertson three times as Small Heath began a run of high-scoring games with a 9–0 win at home to Luton Town."Woolwich Arsenal v. Small Heath". Manchester Guardian: p.7. 14 November 1898. They went one better at home to Druids in the FA Cup, McRoberts contributing a hat-trick,"Small Heath v. Druids". The Standard (London): p.10. 21 November 1898. and in front of the lowest league crowd of the season, around 2,000, "completely outplayed" Darwen, Walter Abbott scoring five of his team's eight goals."Small Heath v. Darwen". The Standard (London): p.10. 28 November 1898.

Small Heath failed to continue their winning ways at Gainsborough Trinity, the home side equalising with a last-minute penalty."Gainsborough Trinity v. Small Heath". The Standard (London): p.8. 5 December 1898. The Dart predicted Burslem Port Vale might prove stiffer opposition in the FA Cup than did Chirk and Druids in the previous rounds,'Spider' (2 December 1898). "Football Arrows". The Birmingham Pictorial and Dart: p.6. but in a game "too one-sided to be really interesting", Small Heath progressed into the competition proper by seven goals to nil."Football Notes". The Standard (London): p.2. 12 December 1898. In a game "contested in spiritless fashion", Small Heath knocked Burton Wanderers out of the Birmingham Cup,"Birmingham Cup". The Standard (London): p.2. 13 December 1898. the 4–0 score completing a sequence of six home games in which they scored no fewer than 49 goals. The Owl acknowledged that if their away form were in any way comparable, promotion would be "a foregone conclusion", but "they have fared very badly away from home, and there will have to be a vast improvement in their form in "out" matches if they are to overtake Newton Heath and Manchester City" at the top of the division."No title". The Owl (Birmingham): p.4. 16 December 1898.

Sid Wharton starred in an expected win at Glossop North End,"Glossop North End v. Small Heath". The Standard (London): p.10. 19 December 1898. preceding a close game at home to Walsall in which "feeling ran high, and the whistle was going frequently for free kicks", settled by a McRoberts goal after an hour."Small Heath v. Walsall". Manchester Guardian: p.3. 26 December 1898. In pouring rain on Boxing Day, Small Heath beat Blackpool 5–0,"Small Heath v. Blackpool". The Standard (London): p.8. 27 December 1898. and the next day, in similar weather, a large crowd turned up to see Manchester City team lose 4–1. The Manchester Guardian gave credit where due: "The visitors, however, did not come quite up to expectation, though no liberties could be taken with them. The home side played exceedingly well"."Small Heath v. Manchester City". Manchester Guardian: p.2. 28 December 1898. The year finished with a fourth consecutive win, this time at home to Burton Swifts, who "made a better show than Manchester did on Tuesday" but still lost 4–1."Small Heath v. Burton Swifts". The Yorkshire Herald: p.2. 2 January 1899.

January–February