1960–61 Birmingham City F.C. season


The 1960–61 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 58th in the Football League and their 34th in the First Division. They finished in 19th position in the 22-team division for the second consecutive season. They entered the 1960–61 FA Cup in the third round proper and lost to Leicester City in the fifth round after a replay, and entered the inaugural season of the Football League Cup in the second round, losing to Plymouth Argyle in the third, again after a replay. In the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Birmingham beat Inter Milan both at home and away in the semi-final to reach their second consecutive final, but the competition schedule meant that the match itself was played in September and October 1962, well into the 1961–62 playing season.
Manager Gil Merrick, appointed to succeed Pat Beasley at the end of the 1959–60 season, brought in former Spanish international winger Emilio Aldecoa – the first Spaniard to play in the Football League – as coach. Twenty-four players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were twelve different goalscorers. Full back Brian Farmer played in 54 of the 55 first-team matches over the season, and Jimmy Harris finished as leading goalscorer with 17 goals in all competitions; in the league, Harris and Mike Hellawell were joint top scorers, each with 10 goals.

Football League First Division

DateLeague
position		OpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
20 August 19608thBolton WanderersAD2–2Gordon, Hooper20,543
24 August 19607thWest Bromwich AlbionAW2–1Rudd, Hooper32,102
27 August 19609thSheffield WednesdayHD1–1Hooper27,197
31 August 19604thWest Bromwich AlbionHW3–1Gordon, Astall, Williams og37,811
3 September 19608thFulhamAL1–2Rudd19,292
6 September 196011thArsenalAL0–220,065
10 September 196014thPreston North EndHL1–3Gordon24,435
14 September 196010thArsenalHW2–0Stubbs 222,905
17 September 196011thBurnleyAL1–2Cummings og20,749
24 September 196010thNottingham ForestHW3–1Gordon, Singer, Astall26,659
1 October 196011thManchester CityAL1–2Singer27,665
8 October 196014thWest Ham UnitedAL3–4Rudd, Hellawell 215,954
15 October 196011thChelseaHW1–0Hellawell23,334
22 October 196013thAston VillaAL2–6Hellawell, Thomson og44,722
29 October 196014thWolverhampton WanderersHL1–2Showell og32,284
5 November 196015thBlackburn RoversAL0–213,463
12 November 196014thManchester UnitedHW3–1Gordon, Taylor, Neal31,564
19 November 196014thTottenham HotspurAL0–646,010
26 November 196016thLeicester CityHL0–225,828
3 December 196014thBlackpoolAW2–1Hellawell 211,720
10 December 196017thEvertonHL2–4Neal, Stubbs27,717
17 December 196017thBolton WanderersHD2–2Harris 219,051
24 December 196018thNewcastle UnitedAD2–2Hellawell, Neal20,354
26 December 196017thNewcastle UnitedHW2–1Bloomfield, Hellawell29,437
31 December 196017thSheffield WednesdayAL0–222,993
14 January 196114thFulhamHW1–0Singer23,265
21 January 196113thPreston North EndAW3–2Bloomfield, Hellawell, Singer7,667
11 February 196117thNottingham ForestAL0–123,541
25 February 196114thWest Ham UnitedHW4–2Harris 2, Bloomfield, Neal16,856
4 March 196117thChelseaAL2–3Gordon, Astall27,727
11 March 196117thAston VillaHD1–1Singer41,656
18 March 196118thWolverhampton WanderersAL1–5Singer23,835
22 March 196114thManchester CityHW3–2Harris pen, Bloomfield 218,092
25 March 196115thBlackburn RoversHD1–1Hellawell19,301
31 March 196113thCardiff CityAW2–0Harris pen, Orritt16,339
1 April 196116thEvertonAL0–131,872
3 April 196113thCardiff CityHW2–1Harris, Orritt20,065
8 April 196114thTottenham HotspurHL2–3Harris 2 40,961
15 April 196116thManchester UnitedAL1–4Foulkes og28,376
22 April 196118thBlackpoolHL0–217,834
27 April 196118thBurnleyHL0–115,015
29 April 196119thLeicester CityAL2–3Harris, Singer19,920

League table (part)

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
Third round7 January 1961Nottingham ForestAW2–0Singer 219,919
Fourth round28 January 1961Rotherham UnitedHW4–0Singer 2, Neal, Harris31,931
Fifth round18 February 1961Leicester CityHD1–1Harris pen53,589
Fifth round replay22 February 1961Leicester CityAL1–2Harris41,916

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
Second round31 October 1960Bradford Park AvenueAW1–0Hellawell4,736
Third round14 November 1960Plymouth ArgyleHD0–015,313
Third round replay16 November 1960Plymouth ArgyleAL1–3Wyatt og14,132

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

In the semi-final, Birmingham beat Inter Milan both at home and away; no other English club was to beat them in a competitive match in the San Siro until Arsenal did so in the Champions League more than 40 years later. Birmingham reached the final for the second consecutive season, having lost to Barcelona in 1960. The 1961 final was scheduled for late September and mid-October 1961, well into the 1961–62 playing season, by which time the first round of the 1961–62 competition would already be under way.
RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
First round 1st leg19 October 1960Újpesti DózsaHW3–2Gordon 2, Astall23,381
First round 2nd leg26 October 1960Újpesti DózsaAW2–1Rudd, Singer25,000
Second round 1st leg23 November 1960KB CopenhagenAD4–4Gordon 2, Singer 22,500
Second round 2nd leg7 December 1960KB CopenhagenHW5–0Stubbs 2, Harris, Bloomfield, Hellawell22,486
Semi-final 1st leg19 April 1961Inter MilanAW2–1Harris, Balleri og20,000
Semi-final 2nd leg3 May 1961Inter MilanHW2–1Harris 229,530

Appearances and goals