1961–62 Birmingham City F.C. season


The 1961–62 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 59th in the Football League and their 35th in the First Division. They finished in 17th position in the 22-team division. They entered the 1961–62 FA Cup in the third round proper and lost in that round to Tottenham Hotspur after a replay, and entered the League Cup at the first round, again losing their opening match after a replay, this time against Swindon Town. Birmingham lost in the final of the 1960–61 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in October 1961, and only a few weeks later, were eliminated from the 1961–62 competition in the second round by Espanyol. This was Birmingham's last appearance in major European competition for nearly 50 years.
Twenty-five players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were eleven different goalscorers. Forward Mike Hellawell played in all 50 first-team matches over the season, and Ken Leek and Jimmy Harris finished as joint leading goalscorers with 20 goals in all competitions; Leek was top scorer in league competition with 18 goals.

Football League First Division

DateLeague
position		OpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
19 August 19614thFulhamHW2–1Harris, Bloomfield25,387
22 August 19618thNottingham ForestAL1–2Harris19,486
26 August 196117thSheffield WednesdayAL1–5Bloomfield29,931
30 August 196119thNottingham ForestHD1–1Harris21,095
2 September 196121stLeicester CityHL1–5Bloomfield21,977
6 September 196120thWest Bromwich AlbionAD0–020,541
9 September 196121stIpswich TownAL1–4Singer20,017
16 September 196122ndBurnleyHL2–6Bloomfield, Hellawell18,764
20 September 196122ndWest Bromwich AlbionHL1–2Hellawell23,931
23 September 196122ndArsenalAD1–1Harris pen31,749
30 September 196122ndBolton WanderersHW2–1Bloomfield, Auld17,214
7 October 196122ndWolverhampton WanderersHL3–6Harris 2, Bloomfield29,159
14 October 196121stManchester UnitedAW2–0Orritt, Hellawell30,674
21 October 196121stChelseaHW3–2Harris, Bloomfield 220,095
28 October 196119thAston VillaAW3–1Harris 2, Orritt49,532
4 November 196117thBlackpoolHD1–1Orritt21,450
11 November 196121stBlackburn RoversAL0–212,083
18 November 196119thWest Ham UnitedHW4–0Harris pen, Bloomfield, Orritt, Auld20,682
25 November 196120thSheffield UnitedAL1–3Harris16,838
2 December 196115thCardiff CityHW3–0Leek 2, Hellawell20,959
9 December 196119thTottenham HotspurAL1–3Leek32,509
16 December 196116thFulhamAW1–0Leek12,730
23 December 196112thSheffield WednesdayHD1–1Leek19,109
26 December 196113thManchester CityHD1–1Leek21,926
13 January 196211thLeicester CityAW2–1Harris, Auld22,691
20 January 196210thIpswich TownHW3–1Leek 2, Baker og26,968
3 February 196211thBurnleyAL1–7Auld24,047
10 February 196210thArsenalHW1–0Harris27,797
17 February 196211thBolton WanderersAL2–3Leek, Auld13,308
24 February 196214thWolverhampton WanderersAL1–2Leek29,665
3 March 196213thManchester UnitedHD1–1Leek25,817
9 March 196213thChelseaAD1–1Leek23,959
17 March 196216thAston VillaHL0–243,489
24 March 196218thBlackpoolAL0–111,854
30 March 196216thBlackburn RoversHW2–1Leek, Hellawell17,431
6 April 196214thWest Ham UnitedAD2–2Bloomfield, Leek22,668
11 April 196214thManchester CityAW4–1Harris, Bloomfield, Leek, Hellawell21,941
14 April 196214thSheffield UnitedHW3–0Harris 2, Hellawell19,514
20 April 196214thEvertonAL1–4Leek47,506
21 April 196217thCardiff CityAL2–3Leek 28,608
24 April 196217thEvertonHD0–021,910
28 April 196217thTottenham HotspurHL2–3Leek, Beard29,614

League table (part)

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
Third round6 January 1962Tottenham HotspurHD3–3Harris 2, Leek46,096
Third round replay10 January 1962Tottenham HotspurAL2–4Harris, Leek62,917

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
First round13 September 1961Swindon TownHD1–1Neal11,596
First round replay25 September 1961Swindon TownAL0–213,063

1960–61 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

The final of the 1960–61 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup took place in late September and mid-October 1961, when the first round of the 1961–62 competition was already under way. In the semi-final, Birmingham had beaten Inter Milan home and away; no other English club beat them in a competitive match in the San Siro until Arsenal did so in the Champions League more than 40 years later. Birmingham played in the final for the second consecutive season, having lost to Barcelona in 1960. In the first leg, missed chances and poor defending allowed Roma to take a two-goal lead at St Andrew's, but second-half goals from Mike Hellawell and Bryan Orritt, whose late equaliser came after Jimmy Harris's shot rebounded from the crossbar, took Birmingham into the second leg on level terms. In front of a large crowd in the Stadio Olimpico, Roma won 2–0 to take the trophy 4–2 on aggregate.
RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
Final 1st leg27 September 1961AS RomaHD2–2Hellawell, Orritt21,005
Final 2nd leg11 October 1961AS RomaAL0–250,000

1961–62 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

As finalists in the previous season's competition, Birmingham were awarded a bye to the second round, in which they were drawn against Espanyol. They lost heavily in the first leg, in Barcelona, where Antonio Camps scored a hat-trick. They won the ill-tempered return leg 1–0 with a goal from Bertie Auld, but four players, including Birmingham's Jimmy Harris and Auld himself, were sent off.
RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A		ScorersAttendance
Second round 1st leg15 November 1961EspanyolAL2–5Bloomfield, Harris pen60,000
Second round 2nd leg7 December 1961EspanyolHW1–0Auld16,874

Appearances and goals