1979–80 Birmingham City F.C. season


The 1979–80 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 77th in the Football League and their 32nd in the Second Division, to which they were relegated in 1978–79. They finished in third position in the 22-team division, level on points with Chelsea but with a better goal difference, so were promoted to the First Division for 1980–81. They entered the 1979–80 FA Cup in the third round proper and lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the fifth, and were eliminated from the third round of the League Cup by Exeter City. They also entered the Anglo-Scottish Cup, but failed to progress past the group stage.
Twenty-one players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were eleven different goalscorers. Midfielder Alan Curbishley appeared in all 51 first-team games of the season – defender Joe Gallagher missed only one – and Keith Bertschin was the club's top scorer with 18 goals, of which 12 were scored in the league.

Football League Second Division

The league programme did not end on the same day for all clubs. Although Birmingham were in second place after their last match, on 3 May, the last Second Division fixture was played nine days later, they were overtaken by Sunderland, and finished third.
DateLeague
position		OpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
18 August 197915thFulhamHL3–4Evans, Dillon, Bertschin19,330
22 August 197922ndSunderlandAL0–225,877
25 August 197916thCardiff CityAW2–1Evans 211,465
1 September 197916thBristol RoversHD1–1Dillon15,320
8 September 197913thChelseaAW2–1Lynex, Curbishley17,711
15 September 19797thCharlton AthleticHW1–0Lynex16,155
22 September 19799thOrientAD2–2Lynex, Curbishley5,550
29 September 19799thNewcastle UnitedHD0–019,967
6 October 197911thPreston North EndAD0–010,772
9 October 19796thSunderlandHW1–0Lynex18,960
13 October 197911thWrexhamAL0–113,693
20 October 19797thSwansea CityHW2–0Lynex, Gemmill18,624
27 October 19795thShrewsbury TownHW1–0Ainscow17,869
3 November 19795thFulhamAW4–2Gemmill pen, Givens 2, Lock og8,338
10 November 19793rdCambridge UnitedHW1–0Lynex17,120
17 November 19796thWatfordAL0–114,378
24 November 19796thLuton TownAW3–2Bertschin 313,720
1 December 19796thLeicester CityHL1–2Gallagher25,748
8 December 19796thNotts CountyAD1–1Lynex11,383
15 December 19795thBurnleyHW2–0Worthington 213,997
21 December 19796thOldham AthleticAL0–16,728
29 December 19796thCardiff CityHW2–1Worthington, Bertschin16,682
1 January 19805thQueens Park RangersHW2–1Ainscow, Gemmill25,963
12 January 19806thBristol RoversAL0–19,351
2 February 19805thCharlton AthleticAW1–0Gemmill6,821
9 February 19805thOrientHW3–1Bertschin 317,474
20 February 19805thNewcastle UnitedAD0–027,069
23 February 19804thWrexhamHW2–0Dillon, Evans19,302
29 February 19801stSwansea CityAW1–0Lynex16,363
8 March 19804thShrewsbury TownAL0–114,801
11 March 19801stChelseaHW5–1Broadhurst, Borota og, Dillon, Ainscow 227,297
15 March 19802ndPreston North EndHD2–2Gemmill pen, Worthington19,548
22 March 19803rdCambridge UnitedAL1–2Smith og6,805
29 March 19802ndWatfordHW2–0Bertschin, Gemmill pen16,582
1 April 19802ndOldham AthleticHW2–0Gemmill, Ainscow17,118
5 April 19801stQueens Park RangersAD1–1Dillon16,609
7 April 19801stWest Ham UnitedHD0–028,377
12 April 19804thLeicester CityAL1–2Gemmill pen26,075
19 April 19804thLuton TownHW1–0Bertschin23,662
22 April 19801stWest Ham UnitedAW2–1Ainscow, Bertschin36,167
26 April 19802ndBurnleyAD0–010,388
3 May 19803rdNotts CountyHD3–3Bertschin, Curbishley, Dillon33,863

League table (part)

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
Third round5 January 1980SouthamptonHW2–1Bertschin, Gallagher24,548
Fourth round26 January 1980MiddlesbroughHW2–1Gemmill pen, Bertschin29,152
Fifth round16 February 1980Tottenham HotspurAL1–3Bertschin49,936

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
Second round 1st leg28 August 1979Preston North EndHW2–1Ainscow, Dillon13,660
Second round 2nd leg4 September 1979Preston North EndAW1–0Lynex11,043
Third round26 September 1979Exeter CityHL1–2Ainscow13,669

Anglo-Scottish Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
Group stage4 August 1979Bristol CityHL0–47,631
Group stage6 August 1979Plymouth ArgyleAD1–1Bertschin3,137
Group stage8 August 1979FulhamAW5–0Bertschin 2, Evans, Ainscow, Dillon2,899

Appearances and goals