Birmingham City Football Club, an English professional football club based in the city of Birmingham, was founded in 1875. When league football began, the first team – then playing under the name Small Heath – competed in the Football Alliance before being elected to the newly formed Second Division of the Football League in 1892.[1] At that point, club secretary Alf Jones – its first paid official – assumed some of what are now seen as managerial responsibilities.
There have been 44 full-time managers:[a] the most recent appointee, Chris Davies, joined in June 2024. Bob McRoberts was appointed in 1911 as Birmingham's first manager whose role did not include secretarial duties. George Liddell has had the longest tenure, of six years and two months (267 matches) in the 1930s, while Trevor Francis has managed the team for most matches: 290 over five years and five months between 1996 and 2001. All three formerly played for the club. Under Arthur Turner, Birmingham won the 1954–55 Second Division title, followed up with what remains the team's highest league finish, sixth place in the 1955–56 First Division, and reached the 1956 FA Cup Final. Gil Merrick in 1963 and Alex McLeish in 2011 oversaw League Cup wins and Barry Fry led his team to a "double" of third-tier title and Football League Trophy in 1994–95.
All managers who have taken charge of at least one competitive match are listed below. Each manager's entry includes his dates of tenure and the club's overall competitive record (in terms of matches won, drawn and lost), honours won and significant achievements while under his care. Caretaker managers are also included, where known, as well as those who have been in permanent charge.
- ^ Matthews (1995), pp. 8–9.
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