Birmingham derby
Encyclopedia
In English football
, the Second City derby is the local derby
between the two major clubs in the city of Birmingham
, England
– Aston Villa
and Birmingham City
.
The two clubs are generally regarded as each other's most fierce rivals, though this was perhaps less true between 1988 and 2002, when the two clubs were in different divisions and as a result did not play each other. During this time, Villa's biggest local rivalry was with Coventry City
, while Birmingham's key local rivals were Wolverhampton Wanderers
and West Bromwich Albion
.
ground described by the Villa players as "only suitable for pot-holing", finished 1–0 – recorded as "one goal and a disputed goal to nil" – to the home side. Villa won the first competitive game between the clubs, in the Second Round of the FA Cup
at Wellington Road in 1887, by four goals to nil, and their first league encounter, in the First Division
in the 1894–95 season, 2–1.
The two teams have engaged in several hotly contested matches. In the 1925 league game at Villa Park
, with the home side 3–0 ahead with eleven minutes to go, Birmingham scored three times in a dramatic final spell to draw the match. The following year, Aston Villa made headlines with the signing of Tom 'Pongo' Waring, and his first appearance was for the reserves against Birmingham City's reserves, which famously drew a crowd of 23,000. Waring scored three times in the match.
The most significant clash was the final of the 1963 League Cup
, which was staged not long after Aston Villa had beaten Birmingham City 4–0 in the league. Birmingham won 3–1 on aggregate over the two-legged final to claim their first major domestic honour.
During the late 1970s to early 1980s both Villa and Birmingham met regularly in the First Division and both teams had some memorable successes in the fixture. In 1980-81 Villa did the double over Birmingham and went on to win the First Division title. Birmingham scored a memorable 3-0 victory at St Andrew's in the first meeting following Villa's European Cup triumph in 1982. Both teams promptly went into decline. Birmingham racked up a 3-0 win in a relegation battle at Villa Park in March 1986 but were relegated at the end of that season. Villa would be demoted the following campaign. The next time Villa met Blues in a league fixture at Villa Park again was in the Second Division and saw a 2–1 Birmingham victory. The reverse fixture at St Andrew's was a 2-1 Villa victory with both goals coming from Garry Thompson
. The two sides would only meet again in the 1980s in cup competitions. Villa won 7-0 on aggregrate when they clashed twice in the 1988-89 League Cup. The same season Villa also won a Simod Cup clash 6-0.
. Villa won both matches 1-0. The game at St Andrew's was settled by a Kevin Richardson
goal after his keeper Mark Bosnich
had saved a penalty from John Frain
to keep the game at 0-0. The second leg at Villa Park was notable for a winning goal from Villa's Dean Saunders
and a red card for Birmingham's Paul Tait. Villa went on to win the trophy.
Birmingham's promotion to the Premier League in 2002 saw fans eagerly anticipating the first league derbies in 15 years. Birmingham won both derbies 3–0 and 2–0, respectively. Both matches saw goalkeeping errors by Villa goalkeeper Peter Enckelman
, including a goal scored directly from an Olof Mellberg
throw-in. Violence between both sets of fans occurred before both matches as evening kick-off times had allowed fans
to get drunk over the course of the day. In March 2003, during the game at Villa Park, two Villa players were sent off, Dion Dublin
for a head-butt on Birmingham's Robbie Savage
and Joey Guðjónsson
for a reckless two-footed tackle on Matthew Upson
. Trouble also took place following the game on Witton Lane outside Villa Park, where missiles were hurled at police who were attempting to keep both sets of fans apart.
The 2003–04 Premiership season saw games ending in 0–0 and 2–2 draws. The 2-2 draw saw Birmingham recover a two goal deficit thanks to a 90th minute equalizer from Stern John
. Both games were lunchtime kick-offs to avoid drunken behaviour, which was achieved although the games lost none of their passionate edge. The following season Birmingham got back to winning ways, with 2–1 victory at Villa Park just before Christmas and 2–0 at home in March, Villa keeper Thomas Sørensen
making mistakes in both matches, though it's debatable if his errors directly affected the respective results. In the 2005–06 Premiership Season, Aston Villa finally beat City in the Premiership, thanks to a Kevin Phillips
goal. This was followed up by another Villa victory on 16 April 2006, Easter Sunday, with Aston Villa winning 3-1 thanks to two goals from Milan Baros
and a bicycle kick from Gary Cahill
. Birmingham were relegated in 2006 but subsequently promoted in 2007. In November 2007, Villa won their third consecutive derby match with a 2–1 victory at St Andrew's. Former Villa defender Liam Ridgewell
scored an own goal to put Villa 1-0 up, Blues equalized through Mikael Forssell
only for Gabriel Agbonlahor
to clinch it with a late header for Villa, having cleared off his own line seconds before. Violent clashes took place outside the ground after the game in which over 20 police officers were hurt. The derby on 20 April 2008 between the two sides ended in a 5–1 win for Aston Villa at Villa Park, the biggest winning margin for either side in a league match for 40 years. Villa continued their winning ways in the derby, when they won both of the meetings between the clubs in the 2009–10 Premier League season. The first took place on 13 September 2009 at St Andrew's, and ended 1-0 to Aston Villa, with Agbonlahor scoring the winner in the 85th minute. Villa then went onto beat Birmingham 1-0 at Villa Park thanks to a penalty from James Milner
in the 82nd minute. This was the 3rd time in 4 derbies that Villa had scored the winning goal in the final 10 minutes of the game. Villa also possess the record of six straight wins from 1987–93, including five cup matches. This record was then achieved in the Premier League after Villa beat Brimigham 1-0 on 25 April 2010, setting a record of six straight league wins from 2005-10. Thie record was finally ended at the next derby match on 31 October 2010, which resulted in a 0-0 draw at Villa Park. The return match at St Andrew's also ended in a draw, with it finishing 1-1.
In those games in October and December 2010 where Aston Villa played Birmingham City, at Villa Park (Premier League, 31 October) and St Andrew's (League Cup, 1 December, which was the first mid-week game between the two sides since 2003) violence between the two sets of supporters and hooligan firms occurred, with many fans being arrested. In the first game, there were scenes of violence outside Villa Park and there were a small amount of arrests including a Birmingham City club chef. In the second of the two games (and larger scale violence) after Birmingham had beaten Villa 2-1, Birmingham supporters came onto the pitch and confronted the visiting Villa fans, this resulted in flares, ripped out seats and other missiles being hurled by Villa fans into the Birmingham supporters, there were also flash points before and after the game including the attack on a Birmingham supporters pub by Villa hooligans, the events were described as a "warzone" by a supporter who attended the game. Birmingham City were later fined £40,000 by the Football Association for failing to control their fans. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/9440105.stm
On 10 April 2011, an episode of Police Academy UK, a TV show aired on BBC Three
which documents overseas police officers' introduction to British crime and policing, was set in Birmingham and covered the violence that occurred at the game between Birmingham City and Aston Villa on 1 December 2010.
On 17 June 2011, Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish
swapped Birmingham City for Aston Villa in a move that shocked the football world. The reaction from both sets of supporters was one of anger, Birmingham City supporters were angry at McLeish, who guided them to only their second ever major trophy win in February 2011, for betraying them to join bitter rivals Villa and Villa fans were un-happy with the appointment of a former Birmingham manager. Several hundred Villa supporters protested at Villa Park when it emerged that Villa owner Randy Lerner
has begun talks with McLeish. McLeish received death threats from followers of both teams following his appointment as Aston Villa manager. This controversial move only increased tension and hostility between the players, supporters and owners of both clubs even more as Birmingham City directors threatened legal action against Villa for allegedly "tapping up" McLeish, who resigned as Birmingham City manager on 12 June 2011, while he was still under contract at Birmingham City.
McLeish's appointment marked the first time in history that a manager had moved directly from Birmingham City to Aston Villa.
, there have been 120 meetings in major competition between the two teams since the first FA Cup meeting in 1887, of which Aston Villa have won 51 and Birmingham 38. The most goals in one game were scored in a league game on 7 July 1895, in the First Division
, as Small Heath lost to Aston Villa 7–3. The biggest winning margin was 6–0 to Aston Villa on 9 November 1988, in a Simod Cup fixture. The last Birmingham league victory over Aston Villa was on 20 March 2005, when Birmingham won 2–0 at St Andrew's. Villa won six encounters in a row, most recently on 25 April 2010 (2005–2010). The two teams drew for the first time in over six years in the next match (the first of three in the 2010-11 season), with the match finishing 0-0 (the other Premier League match of the season also finished as a draw). The second match of the season resulted in the first Birmingham win since 2005, as they beat Villa 2-1 in the 2010-11 League Cup Quarter Final on 1 December 2010.
in 1984, though there had been loan signings and movement of youth players during this period. The most recent permanent transfer from Aston Villa to Birmingham City was that of Craig Gardner
during the 2009-10 season. The last player to move directly in the other direction was Chris Sutton
in 2006.
Notable players who have been transferred directly between the clubs are listed below.
, who managed Villa to League Cup
success in 1975 and again in 1977 before taking the club to its first Championship success for 70 years in 1981, also moved across to Birmingham City following his resignation in 1982.
Alex McLeish
's appointment as Aston Villa manager in June 2011 after resigning from Birmingham City five days before was the first time in history a manager has moved from Birmingham City to Aston Villa. The move shocked the football world and increased tension between the two clubs even more.
was a director of Birmingham City in the late 1960s before becoming part of a consortium which took over at Aston Villa in 1968.
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
, the Second City derby is the local derby
Local derby
In many countries the term local derby, or simply just derby means a sporting fixture between two, generally local, rivals, particularly in association football...
between the two major clubs in the city of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
– Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
and Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
.
The two clubs are generally regarded as each other's most fierce rivals, though this was perhaps less true between 1988 and 2002, when the two clubs were in different divisions and as a result did not play each other. During this time, Villa's biggest local rivalry was with Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, while Birmingham's key local rivals were Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
and West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
.
History
The clubs first met on 27 September 1879, when Birmingham City were called Small Heath Alliance. The game, on a pitch at Small Heath's Muntz StreetMuntz Street
Muntz Street is the popular name of a former association football stadium situated in the Small Heath district of Birmingham, England, taken from the street on which it stood. During its lifetime the ground was known as Coventry Road; the name "Muntz Street" is a more recent adoption. It was the...
ground described by the Villa players as "only suitable for pot-holing", finished 1–0 – recorded as "one goal and a disputed goal to nil" – to the home side. Villa won the first competitive game between the clubs, in the Second Round of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
at Wellington Road in 1887, by four goals to nil, and their first league encounter, in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in the 1894–95 season, 2–1.
The two teams have engaged in several hotly contested matches. In the 1925 league game at Villa Park
Villa Park
Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...
, with the home side 3–0 ahead with eleven minutes to go, Birmingham scored three times in a dramatic final spell to draw the match. The following year, Aston Villa made headlines with the signing of Tom 'Pongo' Waring, and his first appearance was for the reserves against Birmingham City's reserves, which famously drew a crowd of 23,000. Waring scored three times in the match.
The most significant clash was the final of the 1963 League Cup
1962–63 Football League Cup
The 1962–63 Football League Cup was the third season of the Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs. The competition began on 3 September 1962, and ended with the two-legged final on 23 May and 27 May 1963....
, which was staged not long after Aston Villa had beaten Birmingham City 4–0 in the league. Birmingham won 3–1 on aggregate over the two-legged final to claim their first major domestic honour.
During the late 1970s to early 1980s both Villa and Birmingham met regularly in the First Division and both teams had some memorable successes in the fixture. In 1980-81 Villa did the double over Birmingham and went on to win the First Division title. Birmingham scored a memorable 3-0 victory at St Andrew's in the first meeting following Villa's European Cup triumph in 1982. Both teams promptly went into decline. Birmingham racked up a 3-0 win in a relegation battle at Villa Park in March 1986 but were relegated at the end of that season. Villa would be demoted the following campaign. The next time Villa met Blues in a league fixture at Villa Park again was in the Second Division and saw a 2–1 Birmingham victory. The reverse fixture at St Andrew's was a 2-1 Villa victory with both goals coming from Garry Thompson
Garry Thompson (footballer born 1959)
Garry Thompson is a former professional footballer and football manager, who played as a striker. His younger brother, Keith Thompson, was also a professional footballer....
. The two sides would only meet again in the 1980s in cup competitions. Villa won 7-0 on aggregrate when they clashed twice in the 1988-89 League Cup. The same season Villa also won a Simod Cup clash 6-0.
The Premier League Era
Following the creation of the Premier League, Aston Villa and Birmingham met twice in the Second Round of the 1993-94 League CupLeague Cup
In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish...
. Villa won both matches 1-0. The game at St Andrew's was settled by a Kevin Richardson
Kevin Richardson (footballer)
Kevin Richardson is an English former footballer who made more than 500 appearances in the Football League and Premier League, playing for Everton, Watford, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Coventry City, Southampton, Barnsley and Blackpool, and also spent a season in La Liga with Real Sociedad. He was...
goal after his keeper Mark Bosnich
Mark Bosnich
Mark Bosnich is a retired Australian football player and football pundit. He represented Australia 17 times and played for English Premier League clubs Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea.-Manchester United :...
had saved a penalty from John Frain
John Frain
John William Frain is a former English professional footballer who played for Birmingham City and Northampton Town. He played in all four divisions of the Football League, making nearly 500 league appearances for his two clubs....
to keep the game at 0-0. The second leg at Villa Park was notable for a winning goal from Villa's Dean Saunders
Dean Saunders
Dean Nicholas Saunders is a former Wales international footballer who played as a striker in a professional career which lasted from 1982 until 2001. He is the manager of Doncaster Rovers....
and a red card for Birmingham's Paul Tait. Villa went on to win the trophy.
Birmingham's promotion to the Premier League in 2002 saw fans eagerly anticipating the first league derbies in 15 years. Birmingham won both derbies 3–0 and 2–0, respectively. Both matches saw goalkeeping errors by Villa goalkeeper Peter Enckelman
Peter Enckelman
Peter Enckelman is a Finnish football goalkeeper who currently plays for St. Johnstone in the Scottish Premier League.-Aston Villa:...
, including a goal scored directly from an Olof Mellberg
Olof Mellberg
Erik Olof Mellberg is a Swedish international footballer currently playing for Olympiacos in the Greek Superleague. He generally plays as a central defender or right-back.-Early years:...
throw-in. Violence between both sets of fans occurred before both matches as evening kick-off times had allowed fans
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
to get drunk over the course of the day. In March 2003, during the game at Villa Park, two Villa players were sent off, Dion Dublin
Dion Dublin
Dion Dublin , is a retired English footballer. He was capped four times for England. Dublin started his career as a centre back with Norwich City, but made his name at Cambridge United as a goal-scoring centre forward. However, in his later years he showed his versatility by becoming an...
for a head-butt on Birmingham's Robbie Savage
Robbie Savage
Robert William "Robbie" Savage is a football pundit and former Welsh professional footballer who played predominantly as a midfielder. During his career he captained Derby County, and also played for the Welsh national team. He now presents 606 on BBC Radio Five Live on Sunday evenings alongside...
and Joey Guðjónsson
Jóhannes Karl Guðjónsson
Jóhannes "Joey" Karl Guðjónsson commonly known as Joey Guðjónsson is an Icelandic professional footballer who currently plays for Huddersfield Town as a midfielder, and has 34 caps for the Iceland national team....
for a reckless two-footed tackle on Matthew Upson
Matthew Upson
Matthew James Upson is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City in the Premier League. He is a central defender and he has played for England at full international level including at the 2010 World Cup....
. Trouble also took place following the game on Witton Lane outside Villa Park, where missiles were hurled at police who were attempting to keep both sets of fans apart.
The 2003–04 Premiership season saw games ending in 0–0 and 2–2 draws. The 2-2 draw saw Birmingham recover a two goal deficit thanks to a 90th minute equalizer from Stern John
Stern John
Stern John is a Trinidadian football player currently playing for North East Stars in Trinidad. He played for a number of high profile English football clubs that included Nottingham Forest, Birmingham City and Coventry City.-Early Career in US:John moved to the United States to attend Mercer...
. Both games were lunchtime kick-offs to avoid drunken behaviour, which was achieved although the games lost none of their passionate edge. The following season Birmingham got back to winning ways, with 2–1 victory at Villa Park just before Christmas and 2–0 at home in March, Villa keeper Thomas Sørensen
Thomas Sørensen
Thomas Løvendahl Sørensen is a Danish professional football goalkeeper, who plays for Premier League club Stoke City. He has previously represented Premiership teams Sunderland and Aston Villa....
making mistakes in both matches, though it's debatable if his errors directly affected the respective results. In the 2005–06 Premiership Season, Aston Villa finally beat City in the Premiership, thanks to a Kevin Phillips
Kevin Phillips (footballer)
Kevin Mark Phillips is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Blackpool.Phillips was the Premier League top scorer in the 1999–2000 season with 30 goals for Sunderland, a tally which won him the European Golden Shoe. He remains the only Englishman to win the trophy...
goal. This was followed up by another Villa victory on 16 April 2006, Easter Sunday, with Aston Villa winning 3-1 thanks to two goals from Milan Baros
Milan Baroš
Milan Baroš is a Czech footballer who plays as a striker for Galatasaray and the Czech national football team.In the 2008–09 season, Baroš scored 20 goals in Turkish Süper Lig, the highest total in the league...
and a bicycle kick from Gary Cahill
Gary Cahill
Gary James Cahill is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Bolton Wanderers and the England national football team.-Club career:...
. Birmingham were relegated in 2006 but subsequently promoted in 2007. In November 2007, Villa won their third consecutive derby match with a 2–1 victory at St Andrew's. Former Villa defender Liam Ridgewell
Liam Ridgewell
Liam Matthew Ridgewell is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Birmingham City. He is primarily a centre half but can also play at left back. Previously a player for Birmingham's arch-rivals Aston Villa, Ridgewell also spent a spell on loan at A.F.C. Bournemouth in 2002.-Early...
scored an own goal to put Villa 1-0 up, Blues equalized through Mikael Forssell
Mikael Forssell
Mikael Kaj Forssell is a Finnish footballer who plays as a striker for Football League Championship team Leeds United and for the Finnish national team.-Club career:...
only for Gabriel Agbonlahor
Gabriel Agbonlahor
Gabriel Imuetinyan "Gabby" Agbonlahor is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Aston Villa. Agbonlahor is a product of Aston Villa's Academy and has earned three caps for the English national team. He is currently the longest-serving player at Villa Park, joining as a youth player in...
to clinch it with a late header for Villa, having cleared off his own line seconds before. Violent clashes took place outside the ground after the game in which over 20 police officers were hurt. The derby on 20 April 2008 between the two sides ended in a 5–1 win for Aston Villa at Villa Park, the biggest winning margin for either side in a league match for 40 years. Villa continued their winning ways in the derby, when they won both of the meetings between the clubs in the 2009–10 Premier League season. The first took place on 13 September 2009 at St Andrew's, and ended 1-0 to Aston Villa, with Agbonlahor scoring the winner in the 85th minute. Villa then went onto beat Birmingham 1-0 at Villa Park thanks to a penalty from James Milner
James Milner
Milner was described as a "first class" student at his school; he left with 11 GCSEs and an award for his performance in physical education. Milner also showed talent in cricket, sprinting and long-distance running...
in the 82nd minute. This was the 3rd time in 4 derbies that Villa had scored the winning goal in the final 10 minutes of the game. Villa also possess the record of six straight wins from 1987–93, including five cup matches. This record was then achieved in the Premier League after Villa beat Brimigham 1-0 on 25 April 2010, setting a record of six straight league wins from 2005-10. Thie record was finally ended at the next derby match on 31 October 2010, which resulted in a 0-0 draw at Villa Park. The return match at St Andrew's also ended in a draw, with it finishing 1-1.
In those games in October and December 2010 where Aston Villa played Birmingham City, at Villa Park (Premier League, 31 October) and St Andrew's (League Cup, 1 December, which was the first mid-week game between the two sides since 2003) violence between the two sets of supporters and hooligan firms occurred, with many fans being arrested. In the first game, there were scenes of violence outside Villa Park and there were a small amount of arrests including a Birmingham City club chef. In the second of the two games (and larger scale violence) after Birmingham had beaten Villa 2-1, Birmingham supporters came onto the pitch and confronted the visiting Villa fans, this resulted in flares, ripped out seats and other missiles being hurled by Villa fans into the Birmingham supporters, there were also flash points before and after the game including the attack on a Birmingham supporters pub by Villa hooligans, the events were described as a "warzone" by a supporter who attended the game. Birmingham City were later fined £40,000 by the Football Association for failing to control their fans. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/9440105.stm
On 10 April 2011, an episode of Police Academy UK, a TV show aired on BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
which documents overseas police officers' introduction to British crime and policing, was set in Birmingham and covered the violence that occurred at the game between Birmingham City and Aston Villa on 1 December 2010.
On 17 June 2011, Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
swapped Birmingham City for Aston Villa in a move that shocked the football world. The reaction from both sets of supporters was one of anger, Birmingham City supporters were angry at McLeish, who guided them to only their second ever major trophy win in February 2011, for betraying them to join bitter rivals Villa and Villa fans were un-happy with the appointment of a former Birmingham manager. Several hundred Villa supporters protested at Villa Park when it emerged that Villa owner Randy Lerner
Randy Lerner
Randolph D. Lerner is an American entrepreneur and sports team owner.Lerner has been the owner of the American football team, the Cleveland Browns, of the National Football League since October 2002, and the Chairman of Aston Villa Football Club of the English Premier League since 2006...
has begun talks with McLeish. McLeish received death threats from followers of both teams following his appointment as Aston Villa manager. This controversial move only increased tension and hostility between the players, supporters and owners of both clubs even more as Birmingham City directors threatened legal action against Villa for allegedly "tapping up" McLeish, who resigned as Birmingham City manager on 12 June 2011, while he was still under contract at Birmingham City.
McLeish's appointment marked the first time in history that a manager had moved directly from Birmingham City to Aston Villa.
Statistics and records
As of the end of the 2010–11 season2010–11 in English football
The 2010–11 season was the 131st season of competitive football in England.The season began on 6 August 2010 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier League and Football Conference both starting eight days later on 14 August 2010. The Championship, League One, and League Two ended on 7 May...
, there have been 120 meetings in major competition between the two teams since the first FA Cup meeting in 1887, of which Aston Villa have won 51 and Birmingham 38. The most goals in one game were scored in a league game on 7 July 1895, in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, as Small Heath lost to Aston Villa 7–3. The biggest winning margin was 6–0 to Aston Villa on 9 November 1988, in a Simod Cup fixture. The last Birmingham league victory over Aston Villa was on 20 March 2005, when Birmingham won 2–0 at St Andrew's. Villa won six encounters in a row, most recently on 25 April 2010 (2005–2010). The two teams drew for the first time in over six years in the next match (the first of three in the 2010-11 season), with the match finishing 0-0 (the other Premier League match of the season also finished as a draw). The second match of the season resulted in the first Birmingham win since 2005, as they beat Villa 2-1 in the 2010-11 League Cup Quarter Final on 1 December 2010.
Aston Villa in the league at home
| Date | Venue | Score | Competition | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 September 1894 | Wellington Road Perry Barr Perry Barr is an inner-city area in north Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Perry Barr ward and the wards of Handsworth Wood, Lozells and East Handsworth, and Oscott, which elect three councillors to... |
First Division | 20,000 | |
| 7 September 1895 | Wellington Road | First Division | 13,000 | |
| 26 December 1901 | Villa Park Villa Park Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County... |
First Division | ||
| 16 January 1904 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 29 October 1904 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 20 January 1906 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 15 September 1906 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 18 January 1908 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 11 March 1922 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 24 March 1923 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 1 September 1923 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 14 February 1925 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 17 October 1925 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 19 March 1927 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 17 March 1928 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 9 March 1928 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 31 August 1929 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 18 October 1930 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 21 November 1931 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 22 October 1932 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 14 April 1934 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 29 December 1934 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 28 March 1936 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 4 March 1939 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 4 December 1938 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 10 December 1949 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 5 September 1955 | Villa Park | First Division | 57,690 | |
| 27 October 1956 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 21 December 1957 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 23 August 1958 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 22 October 1960 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 28 October 1961 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 16 March 1963 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 13 February 1964 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 12 April 1965 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 7 October 1967 | Villa Park | Second Division | ||
| 12 April 1969 | Villa Park | Second Division | ||
| 18 October 1969 | Villa Park | Second Division | ||
| 27 September 1975 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 18 September 1976 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 1 October 1977 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 3 March 1979 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 13 December 1980 | Villa Park | First Division | 41,101 | |
| 26 September 1981 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 4 April 1983 | Villa Park | First Division | 45,371 | |
| 15 October 1983 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 22 March 1986 | Villa Park | First Division | ||
| 22 August 1987 | Villa Park | Second Division | ||
| 3 March 2003 | Villa Park | Premiership | 42,606 | |
| 22 February 2004 | Villa Park | Premiership | 40,061 | |
| 12 December 2004 | Villa Park | Premiership | 42,606 | |
| 16 April 2006 | Villa Park | Premiership | 40,158 | |
| 20 April 2008 | Villa Park | Premier League | 42,584 | |
| 25 April 2010 | Villa Park | Premier League | 42,584 | |
| 31 October 2010 | Villa Park | Premier League | 40,688 | |
Birmingham in the league at home
| Date | Venue | Score | Competition | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 October 1894 | Muntz Street Muntz Street Muntz Street is the popular name of a former association football stadium situated in the Small Heath district of Birmingham, England, taken from the street on which it stood. During its lifetime the ground was known as Coventry Road; the name "Muntz Street" is a more recent adoption. It was the... |
First Division | 14,000 | |
| 26 October 1895 | Muntz Street | First Division | 10,000 | |
| 12 October 1901 | Muntz Street | First Division | ||
| 19 September 1903 | Muntz Street | First Division | ||
| 25 February 1905 | Muntz Street | First Division | ||
| 16 September 1905 | Muntz Street | First Division | ||
| 19 January 1907 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 21 September 1907 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 15 March 1922 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 17 March 1923 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 15 August 1923 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 11 October 1924 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 27 February 1926 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 30 October 1926 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 5 November 1927 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 27 October 1928 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 28 December 1929 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 21 February 1931 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 2 April 1932 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 8 March 1933 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 2 December 1933 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 25 August 1934 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 23 November 1935 | St. Andrew's | First Division | 60,250 | |
| 29 October 1938 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 30 April 1949 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 29 April 1950 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 21 September 1955 | St. Andrew's | First Division | 32,642 | |
| 10 April 1957 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 24 August 1957 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 20 December 1958 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 11 March 1961 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 17 March 1962 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 27 October 1962 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 31 March 1964 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 13 February 1965 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 24 February 1968 | St. Andrew's | Second Division | ||
| 21 September 1968 | St. Andrew's | Second Division | ||
| 30 March 1970 | St. Andrew's | Second Division | ||
| 3 April 1976 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 10 May 1977 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 25 February 1978 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 3 March 1979 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 13 December 1980 | St. Andrew's | First Division | 33,879 | |
| 20 February 1982 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 27 December 1982 | St. Andrew's | First Division | 43,864 | |
| 31 March 1983 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 7 September 1985 | St. Andrew's | First Division | ||
| 12 December 1987 | St. Andrew's | Second Division | ||
| 16 September 2002 | St. Andrew's | Premiership | 29,505 | |
| 19 October 2003 | St. Andrew's | Premiership | 29,546 | |
| 20 March 2005 | St. Andrew's | Premiership | 29,382 | |
| 16 October 2005 | St. Andrew's | Premier League | 29,312 | |
| 11 November 2007 | St. Andrew's | Premier League | 26,539 | |
| 13 September 2009 | St. Andrew's | Premier League | 25,196 | |
| 16 January 2011 | St. Andrew's | Premier League | 22,287 | |
Cup Matches
| Date | Venue | Home team | Score | Competition | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 November 1887 | Wellington Road | Aston Villa | FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
2nd Round | ||
| 23 March 1901 | Muntz Street | Small Heath | FA Cup | Quarter Final | ||
| 27 March 1901 | Villa Park | Aston Villa | FA Cup | Quarter Final replay | ||
| 23 May 1963 | St. Andrew's | Birmingham City | League Cup League Cup In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish... |
Final 1st leg | 31,850 | |
| 27 May 1963 | Villa Park | Aston Villa | League Cup | Final 2nd leg | 37,921 | |
| 27 September 1988 | St. Andrew's | Birmingham City | League Cup | 2nd Round 1st leg | ||
| 12 October 1988 | Villa Park | Aston Villa | League Cup | 2nd Round 2nd leg | ||
| 12 October 1988 | Villa Park | Aston Villa | Simod Cup | 1st Round | 8,234 | |
| 21 September 1993 | St. Andrew's | Birmingham City | League Cup | 2nd Round 1st leg | 27,815 | |
| 6 October 1993 | Villa Park | Aston Villa | League Cup | 2nd Round 2nd leg | 35,856 | |
| 1 December 2010 | St. Andrew's | Birmingham City | League Cup | Quarter Final | 27,679 | |
Summary of results
Stats correct as of 16 January 2011.| Aston Villa at home | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVFC Wins | Draws | BCFC Wins | AVFC Goals | BCFC Goals | |
| League (1st Tier) | 25 | 13 | 12 | 91 | 62 |
| League (2nd Tier) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| League (Total) | 26 | 14 | 14 | 94 | 68 |
| FA Cup | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| League Cup | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Birmingham City at home | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BCFC Wins | Draws | AVFC Wins | BCFC Goals | AVFC Goals | |
| League (1st Tier) | 20 | 13 | 16 | 74 | 66 |
| League (2nd Tier) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 |
| League (Total) | 22 | 13 | 18 | 81 | 71 |
| FA Cup | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| League Cup | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVFC Wins | Draws | BCFC Wins | AVFC Goals | BCFC Goals | |
| League (1st Tier) | 42 | 26 | 32 | 158 | 136 |
| League (2nd Tier) | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 13 |
| League (Total) | 45 | 27 | 36 | 165 | 149 |
| FA Cup | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| League Cup | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 |
| All competitive games | 51 | 29 | 37 | 182 | 152 |
Firsts
- First competitive meeting: Aston Villa 4–0 Small Heath Alliance (FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
), 5 November 1887. - First league meeting: Aston Villa 2–1 Small Heath, 1 September 1894.
- First away victory for Aston Villa: Small Heath 1–4 Aston Villa, 26 October 1895.
- First away victory for Birmingham City: Aston Villa 1–3 Birmingham, 20 January 1906.
Results
- Highest scoring game: Aston Villa 7–3 Small Heath, 7 September 1895.
- Largest winning margin (Aston Villa): 6 goals - 6–0, 9 November 1988.
- Largest winning margin (Birmingham City): 4 goals - 4–0, 21 September 1968.
Trends
- Most games won in a row (Aston Villa): 6, 16 October 2005 to 25 April 2010.
- Most games won in a row (Birmingham City): 5, 3 April 1976 – 25 February 1978.
- Most games without defeat (Aston Villa): 13, 5 November 1887 – 25 February 1905.
- Most games without defeat (Birmingham City): 6, 8 March 1933 – 23 November 1935 and 16 September 2002 – 20 March 2005.
- Most drawn games in a row: 4, 10 December 1949 – 21 September 1955.
- Whenever the clubs have met in the Premier League the result has always been the same during that particular season: 2002/2003- 2 Birmingham wins, 2003/2004- 2 draws, 2004/2005- 2 Birmingham wins, 2005/2006- 2 Villa Wins, 2007/2008- 2 Villa wins, 2009/2010- 2 Villa wins, 2010/11- 2 draws.
Top scorers
The following is a list of the top goal scorers for each team in the fixture. Only players who have scored 4 or more goals feature.Aston Villa
| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
 Billy WalkerBilly Walker William Henry "Billy" Walker was a prominent English footballer of the 1920s and 1930s. He is considered by many to be the greatest footballer to ever play for Aston Villa Football Club-Biography:... |
11 |
| Tom Waring |
7 |
 John CampbellJohn Campbell (footballer born 1871) John James Campbell was a Scottish footballer who played for Celtic, Aston Villa, Third Lanark and the Scotland national team.-Career:... |
5 |
| John Devey John Devey John Henry George "Jack" Devey was a football player.-Football career:Devey was born in Birmingham and signed for Aston Villa in March 1891; he would go on to become one of Aston Villa's greatest captains... |
5 |
| Gabriel Agbonlahor Gabriel Agbonlahor Gabriel Imuetinyan "Gabby" Agbonlahor is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Aston Villa. Agbonlahor is a product of Aston Villa's Academy and has earned three caps for the English national team. He is currently the longest-serving player at Villa Park, joining as a youth player in... |
4 |
| Eric Houghton Eric Houghton William Eric Houghton , was an English footballer and manager.Eric Houghton was born in Billingborough, Lincolnshire and educated at Donington Grammar School. He signed for Aston Villa as a seventeen-year-old and played in the Villa side for two decades, scoring 170 goals in 392 games... |
4 |
| Gerry Hitchens Gerry Hitchens Gerald Archibald "Gerry" Hitchens was an English footballer, who played as a centre forward.Hitchens was born in the village of Rawnsley, Staffordshire, near Cannock, and began his career with non-league Kidderminster Harriers in 1953... |
4 |
| Andy Gray |
4 |
Birmingham City
| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
| Joe Bradford Joe Bradford Joseph "Joe" Bradford was an English professional footballer who played as a centre forward. Born in Peggs Green, near Coalville, Leicestershire, Bradford made nearly 450 appearances for Birmingham in all competitions, scoring 267 goals... |
8 |
| Johnny Crosbie Johnny Crosbie John Anderson "Johnny" Crosbie was a Scottish professional footballer who played in the Scottish Football League for Ayr United and made more than 400 appearances in the Football League for Birmingham. He was capped twice for the Scotland national football team. He played as an inside... |
5 |
 Ken LeekKen Leek Kenneth 'Ken' Leek was a Welsh footballer, who played as a centre forward or inside forward for several different clubs and for the Wales national side in a professional career which spanned from 1952 until 1968. He scored 145 goals in the Football League from 396 appearances with five clubs... |
5 |
| Barry Bridges Barry Bridges Barry John Bridges is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Chelsea, Birmingham City, Queens Park Rangers, Millwall and Brighton & Hove Albion and was capped four times for England.... |
4 |
| George Briggs George Briggs (footballer) George Richard Briggs was an English professional footballer, born in Wombwell, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, who played as a forward or outside right for Birmingham and Plymouth Argyle.... |
4 |
| Trevor Francis Trevor Francis Trevor John Francis , is a former footballer who won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest and played for England 52 times. He was England's first £1 million player... |
4 |
| Arthur Mounteney Arthur Mounteney Arthur Mounteney was an English professional footballer and cricketer.Arthur Mounteney was born in Loughborough, Leicestershire. He played as an inside forward for Leicester Fosse, Birmingham, Preston North End and Grimsby Town in the Football League... |
4 |
Players
Unlike, for example, the Old Firm derby, there is no shortage of players who have appeared for both clubs. Villa legend Harry Hampton transferred to Birmingham after the First World War and helped the club to the Second Division title. The last established first-team player to make this move was Des BremnerDes Bremner
Desmond George Bremner is a Scottish former professional football midfielder. He made more than 600 league appearances for clubs in both Scotland and England, was a member of Aston Villa's European Cup-winning team of 1982, and was capped for the Scotland national team.Born in Aberchirder,...
in 1984, though there had been loan signings and movement of youth players during this period. The most recent permanent transfer from Aston Villa to Birmingham City was that of Craig Gardner
Craig Gardner
Craig Gardner is an English footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Premier League club Sunderland. A versatile midfielder, Gardner can play in many different positions, although central midfield is his preferred position...
during the 2009-10 season. The last player to move directly in the other direction was Chris Sutton
Chris Sutton
Christopher Roy "Chris" Sutton is an English football manager and former player.In his career, Sutton played for Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Celtic, Birmingham City and Aston Villa. Sutton scored over 150 career goals in over 400 league appearances spanning 16 years in the English...
in 2006.
Notable players who have been transferred directly between the clubs are listed below.
Aston Villa to Birmingham City
| Name | Pos | Aston Villa | Birmingham City | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | Apps | Goals | Career | Apps | Goals | ||
| Harry Hampton | Forward | 1904–1920 | 341 | 215 | 1920–1922 | 57 | 31 |
| Stan Lynn Stan Lynn Stanley "Stan" Lynn was an English professional association footballer who played as a right back. He made nearly 450 appearances in the Football League for Accrington Stanley, Aston Villa and Birmingham City... |
Right Back | 1950–1961 | 281 | 36 | 1961–1966 | 131 | 26 |
| Bobby Thomson Bobby Thomson (footballer born 1937) Robert Gillies McKenzie "Bobby" Thomson is a Scottish former professional Association footballer who played as a forward. He played most of his professional career in the West Midlands, making over 300 appearances in total for the two Birmingham clubs, and is probably best known for his four years... |
Forward | 1959–1963 | 140 | 56 | 1963–1967 | 114 | 23 |
| Ron Wylie Ron Wylie Ronald M. Wylie is a Scottish former football player, coach and manager. He played as a right half or inside forward for Notts County, Aston Villa and Birmingham City, making more than 550 appearances in the Football League, and more than 700 in all competitions... |
Inside Forward | 1958–1965 | 196 | 16 | 1965–1970 | 128 | 2 |
| John Sleeuwenhoek John Sleeuwenhoek John Cornelius Sleeuwenhoek was an English professional footballer who played as a centre half.He made 226 appearances in the Football League for Aston Villa and was capped twice for England at under-23 level.... |
Centre Half | 1961–1967 | 226 | 1 | 1967–1971 | 30 | 0 |
| Noel Blake Noel Blake Noel Blake is a retired footballer and current head coach of the England national under-19 football team... |
Defender | 1979–1982 | 4 | 0 | 1982–1984 | 76 | 5 |
| Robert Hopkins | Winger | 1979–1983 | 3 | 1 | 1983–1986 | 123 | 20 |
| Des Bremner Des Bremner Desmond George Bremner is a Scottish former professional football midfielder. He made more than 600 league appearances for clubs in both Scotland and England, was a member of Aston Villa's European Cup-winning team of 1982, and was capped for the Scotland national team.Born in Aberchirder,... |
Midfielder | 1978–1984 | 174 | 9 | 1984–1989 | 168 | 5 |
| Liam Ridgewell Liam Ridgewell Liam Matthew Ridgewell is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Birmingham City. He is primarily a centre half but can also play at left back. Previously a player for Birmingham's arch-rivals Aston Villa, Ridgewell also spent a spell on loan at A.F.C. Bournemouth in 2002.-Early... |
Defender | 2001–2007 | 79 | 7 | 2007– | 139 | 9 |
| Craig Gardner Craig Gardner Craig Gardner is an English footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Premier League club Sunderland. A versatile midfielder, Gardner can play in many different positions, although central midfield is his preferred position... |
Midfielder | 2005–2010 | 80 | 6 | 2010–2011 | 42 | 9 |
| Curtis Davies Curtis Davies Curtis Eugene Davies is an English professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Birmingham City. Davies has previously played for Luton Town, where he began his career, West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa and Leicester City.... |
Defender | 2008–2011 | 37 | 2 | 2011– | 7 | 1 |
Birmingham City to Aston Villa
| Name | Pos | Birmingham City | Aston Villa | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | Apps | Goals | Career | Apps | Goals | ||
| Geoff Vowden Geoff Vowden Geoffrey Alan "Geoff" Vowden is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward in the Football League for Nottingham Forest, Birmingham City and Aston Villa, and in the North American Soccer League for the New York Cosmos.-Career:Vowden was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire and raised... |
Forward | 1964–1971 | 221 | 79 | 1971–1974 | 97 | 22 |
| Alan Curbishley Alan Curbishley Llewellyn Charles "Alan" Curbishley is an English football manager and former professional player.... |
Midfielder | 1979–1983 | 130 | 11 | 1983–1984 | 36 | 1 |
| Chris Sutton Chris Sutton Christopher Roy "Chris" Sutton is an English football manager and former player.In his career, Sutton played for Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Celtic, Birmingham City and Aston Villa. Sutton scored over 150 career goals in over 400 league appearances spanning 16 years in the English... * |
Striker | 2006 | 10 | 1 | 2006–2007 | 8 | 1 |
Managers
Former Aston Villa Manager Ron SaundersRon Saunders
Ron Saunders is a retired English football player and former successful manager. He remains the only manager to have taken charge of Aston Villa, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion, normally bitter rivals....
, who managed Villa to League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
success in 1975 and again in 1977 before taking the club to its first Championship success for 70 years in 1981, also moved across to Birmingham City following his resignation in 1982.
Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
's appointment as Aston Villa manager in June 2011 after resigning from Birmingham City five days before was the first time in history a manager has moved from Birmingham City to Aston Villa. The move shocked the football world and increased tension between the two clubs even more.
Aston Villa to Birmingham City
| Name | Aston Villa | Birmingham City | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | Honours | Career | Honours | |
 Ron SaundersRon Saunders Ron Saunders is a retired English football player and former successful manager. He remains the only manager to have taken charge of Aston Villa, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion, normally bitter rivals.... |
1974–1982 | 1974–75 League Cup 1976–77 League Cup 1980–81 First Division |
1982–1986 |
Birmingham City to Aston Villa
| Name | Birmingham City | Aston Villa | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | Honours | Career | Honours | |
 Alex McLeishAlex McLeish Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa... |
2007–2011 | 2010–11 League Cup 2010–11 Football League Cup The 2010–11 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, was the 51st season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs.... |
2011–present |
Chairmen
Doug EllisDoug Ellis
Herbert Douglas Ellis, OBE , is an entrepreneur, best known as the former chairman of Aston Villa Football Club.-Early life:...
was a director of Birmingham City in the late 1960s before becoming part of a consortium which took over at Aston Villa in 1968.
See also
- Aston Villa HardcoreAston Villa HardcoreAston Villa Hardcore is a football hooligan firm associated with the Premier League club Aston Villa, based in Birmingham, England.-Background:...
- Birmingham ZulusBirmingham ZulusThe Birmingham Zulus are a football hooligan firm associated with English football club, Birmingham City. The Zulus first appeared in the late 1970s to early 1980s and the name came from a chant of "Zulu, Zulu" which was aimed at Manchester City fans in 1982...
- List of Aston Villa F.C. seasons
- List of Birmingham City F.C. seasons
- List of Aston Villa F.C. records and statistics
- List of Birmingham City F.C. records and statistics