Birmingham City F.C.

2008–09 season
Chairman	David Gold
Manager	Alex McLeish
Ground	St Andrew's
Football League Championship	2nd (promoted toPremier League)
FA Cup	Third round (eliminated byWolverhampton Wanderers)
League Cup	Third round (eliminated bySouthampton)
Top goalscorer	Kevin Phillips (14)
Highest home attendance	25,935 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers, 6 April 2009[1]
Lowest home attendance	15,330 vsDerby County, 27 January 2009[1]
Average home league attendance	19,081[2]
Home colours Away colours
← 2007–08 2009–10 →

The2008–09 season wasBirmingham City Football Club's 106th in theEnglish football league system and their 47th in the second tier of English football. The team finished in second place in theFootball League Championship to win promotion to thePremier League for the2009–10 season.

The kits were again manufactured byUmbro and bore the name of sponsorsF&C Investments. The home shirt was royal blue with white sleeve trim, shorts were royal blue and socks were white. The away shirt was in a "penguin" style, white with a broad red central front panel, and was worn with white shorts and red socks.^[3] McLeish appointed formerCeltic head physiotherapist Tim Williamson,Norwich City physio Peter Shaw, andBritish Olympic Association sports scientist Ben Rosenblatt to his backroom staff.^[4] With club captainDamien Johnson awaiting surgery on a back problem expected to keep him out for at least two months,Lee Carsley, who joined Birmingham when his contract atEverton expired, was appointed team captain in his absence.^[5][6] The first team's relegation from the Premier League made the reserve team ineligible for thePremier Reserve League, and the club decided not to enter any other reserve league.^[7]

When the players returned for pre-season training,Franck Queudrue andOlivier Kapo failed to arrive. Queudrue claimed that he had mistaken the date, and Kapo was still in France receiving treatment on a hand injury.^[8] The club later announced that Queudrue could leave on a free transfer, and Kapo was fined. After a delay caused by Birmingham's insistence that he could only leave once the fine was paid, Kapo completed a move back to the Premier League withWigan Athletic, where he was reunited with former Birmingham managerSteve Bruce.^[9][10] Young goalkeeperArtur Krysiak joinedYork City on loan for a month.^[11]

On 9 July,Kevin Phillips signed a two-year contract with the club. Phillips had scored 24 goals forWest Bromwich Albion the previous season, helping his club to promotion to thePremier League, but turned down their offer of a one-year deal in favour of a two-year contract in the Championship.^[12] ForwardMarcus Bent joined fromCharlton Athletic for a fee reportedly in excess of £1 million; he was on the verge of signing forCardiff City, but changed his mind at the last minute.^[13] Birmingham also made twoloan signings.AZ Alkmaar'sNetherlands under-21 international midfielderKemy Agustien joined for the season, andGhana senior international and formerArsenal wingerQuincy Owusu-Abeyie signed fromSpartak Moscow, initially until January 2009. In each case there was a possibility of making the loan permanent.^[14][15] Attempts to sign Celtic defenderBobo Baldé fell through because of the player's wage demands,^[16] and afterDerby County midfielderStephen Pearson's medical revealed a groin problem, he refused Birmingham's offer of a loan deal instead.^[17]

On the field, a different eleven played each half of a 2–2 draw withHereford United in abehind-closed-doors training match,^[18] before Birmingham embarked on a three-match tour of Austria. They began with a 7–0 defeat of local team Kirchberg, with two goals each fromGary McSheffrey and Phillips and one fromLiam Ridgewell,Garry O'Connor, andDavid Murphy, who converted a corner taken by the 16-year-oldJordon Mutch.^[19] O'Connor, McSheffrey andMehdi Nafti scored as a Birmingham team including trialistsZola Matumona andYamoudou Camara beat Czech sideViktoria Plzeň 3–1 in the second tour match. The 16-year-oldJordon Mutch played the full 90 minutes and was involved in the build-up to the first two goals.^[20] O'Connor's goalscoring form continued, andJames McFadden's alert reaction to a goalkeeping error gave Birmingham a third win out of three againstNürnberg, newly relegated from theBundesliga.^[21]

Back in England, first-half goals fromCameron Jerome andMartin Taylor saw off the challenge of the lengthy trip toLeague Two sideGillingham with the aid ofMaik Taylor's goalkeeping, and the next day, yet another O'Connor goal gave the other half of Birmingham's squad a 1–0 win atForest Green Rovers of theConference.^[22][23] A late Kevin Phillips goal secured a 3–2 win atLeicester City,^[24] before the only pre-season game atSt Andrew's, againstFulham, was the only one that Birmingham failed to win. After the kickoff was delayed because of crowd congestion,Simon Davies gave the visitors a first-half lead, equalised bySebastian Larsson after 77 minutes.^[25] A hamstring injury sustained byRadhi Jaïdi proved less serious than first appeared.^[26]

The new season opened on a wet and windy 9 August with the visit ofSheffield United. The game was heading for a goalless draw when substitute Kevin Phillips controlled O'Connor's headed pass, turned and scored into the bottom corner of the net in the third minute ofstoppage time. It was Birmingham's first shot on target. Phillips repeated his late winner in less dramatic fashion away at former clubSouthampton. The home side took the lead just before the interval after defensive midfielder Nafti had gone off with a torn hamstring,^[27] but O'Connor equalised soon after the break, then, within a minute of coming off the bench, Phillips was first to react to Bent's header rebounding from the crossbar. O'Connor and Phillips – this time starting the game – gave Birmingham their third win in as many games, at home toBarnsley. The unbeaten start continued with a 1–1 draw atNorwich City. Larsson took the lead against the run of play – centre-half Martin Taylor was the pick of Birmingham's players in the first half – butDarel Russell equalised just after half-time, and both McSheffrey and Phillips missed late chances to steal all three points.

When the league resumed after the international break,Artur Krysiak was on the bench while regular reserve goalkeeperColin Doyle recovered from a knee operation.^[28] Nafti was sent off after 24 minutes for a two-footed lunge onJames Coppinger, and at half-time, McLeish replaced Phillips with Marcus Bent to play as a lone striker; 35 seconds later, Birmingham had the lead, after Liam Ridgewell's long free kick was headed on by Bent and Cameron Jerome volleyed past the goalkeeper. Maik Taylor produced a fine save near the end to turnDarren Byfield's powerful 30-yard (27 m) shot onto the post. At half-time, a clock was unveiled in memory of Birmingham andEngland full-backJeff Hall, who died ofpolio in 1959 aged just 29, and whose death helped to kick-start widespread public acceptance in Britain of the need forvaccination.^[29] Hall's teammatesGil Merrick andAlex Govan performed the unveiling.

ALouis Careyown goal and Jerome's second goal in four days gave Birmingham another three points atBristol City, but their unbeaten start to the Championship campaign finally ended on 20 September at home toBlackpool. AfterGary Taylor-Fletcher's goal, Birmingham threw everyone forward but without success. Normal service resumed atCardiff City, where first league goals of the season forJames McFadden andQuincy Owusu-Abeyie secured the win, and Quincy's second league goal was nearly enough atDerby County, butSteve Davies tied the scores in the 87th minute.

McLeish had said he hoped to bring in loan signings, but would not bring in players "just to make up the numbers".^[30] He was unwilling to take trialistNigel Quashie on loan until the player had proved his fitness,^[31] and although an agreement had been made withTottenham Hotspur to takeKevin-Prince Boateng on loan, McLeish was unable to meet the player face-to-face to assess his interest in joining the club.^[32]

In stoppage time of a first half described in theSunday People as "marginally more exciting than root-canal dental treatment", at home toQueens Park Rangers, Phillips tapped in an O'Connor cutback for a win that took Birmingham top of the table.^[33] Phillips made it clear afterwards that he wanted to be in the starting eleven: "I want to start games. I'm disappointed I haven't started as many as I wanted. All I can do is score and make it as hard as possible for him [McLeish] to leave me out."^[34] After the international break, Birmingham had much the worse of the visit toBurnley, but they managed to draw when McFadden's shot was parried to Jerome who scored from close range. Martin Taylor replaced Jaïdi at centre-back because of a thigh injury sustained on international duty, and Murphy injured a knee during the match, while bothDamien Johnson and Kelly returned to training,^[35] and Quashie joined on loan for a month.^[36]

Franck Queudrue made his first start of the season at home toCrystal Palace.^[37] After twice hitting the woodwork, O'Connor scored the game's only goal whenJulián Speroni parried Phillips' 94th-minute cross to his feet. In the midweek match, at home toSheffield Wednesday, O'Connor scored twice and Wednesday'sEtienne Esajas once in a four-minute spell before Phillips made the final score 3–1 from Queudrue's "inch-perfect" through ball. O'Connor was injured in the warm-up, andStuart Parnaby went off after 10 minutes of the match against Queens Park Rangers atLoftus Road, giving teenage right-backJared Wilson what would be his only competitive first-team appearance for Birmingham.^[38]Mikele Leigertwood was sent off in the first half, but despite the numerical disadvantage,Samuel Di Carmine's 25-yard (23 m) shot in the 54th minute decided the match in QPR's favour – Birmingham's first away defeat in the league – after Phillips' stoppage-time "equaliser" was disallowed for offside. By the end of the match, the rain had turned to heavy wet snow.

Former Birmingham record signingClinton Morrison^[39] gaveCoventry City a 1–0 win at St Andrew's. Again, a late equaliser was denied when the assistant referee ruled thatKeiren Westwood saved from Queudrue before the ball crossed the line.^[40] Martin Taylor replaced Queudrue in defence and loaneeNicky Hunt kept his place at right back as James McFadden's goal earned Birmingham a point atNottingham Forest. Queudrue returned from illness to score the winning goal at home toCharlton Athletic; Quashie was sent off for two yellow cards. Second-half substitute Phillips scored twice atSwansea City to give Birmingham consecutive 3–2 wins, and, restored to the starting eleven in place of Quincy, scored again as Birmingham beatIpswich Town.^[1] In an end-to-end match at league leadersWolverhampton Wanderers in foggy conditions, McFadden had a goal disallowed for offside, the ball deflected off Ridgewell's shoulder against the post with Taylor beaten, Bent's lob was cleared off the line, and the left-footed midfielder Mehdi Nafti replaced the injured Hunt at right back, all before half-time. In the second half, goals from Jerome – only three minutes after coming on – andSylvan Ebanks-Blake and some last-ditch defending meant the points were shared.^[1]

According to theGuardian's reporter, "the early defending was so slack as to suggest salaries should be chopped rather than capped",^[41] as Birmingham ledWatford 2–1 after 18 minutes. The visitors began the second half well—first Jaïdi headed clear from under the crossbar, thenLeigh Bromby struck the bar with Taylor beaten—and in the last few minutes of the match Jerome scored Birmingham's third,Ross Jenkins's first league goal made the score 2–3, and the three points were confirmed only when the referee signalled time moments before Jaïdi's apparent handball in the penalty area.^[1]Lee Carsley's first goal for the club secured a win underPlymouth Argyle's dim floodlights,^[42] before an attacking game atPreston North End remained goalless until stoppage time, when Ridgewell failed to deal with a cross andJon Parkin shot home.^[1]

Apart from "a moment of individual brilliance" as Phillips "nipped in to steal the loose ball and afternutmeggingIvar Ingimarsson advanced unchallenged to the edge of the area and lashed in a stinging low drive",^[43]Reading were in complete control as they replaced Birmingham in second place in the table with a 3–1 win at St Andrew's. AtIpswich Town on Boxing Day, McFadden converted Birmingham's first penalty of the season, awarded whenKemy Agustien's cross was handled, and Agustien himself came close to extending the lead with a powerful shot. In the last match of 2008,David Murphy was sent off for two yellow cards asSwansea City earned a goalless draw at St Andrew's.^[1]

6 April – The teams in the Championship had a 2-week break because of the World Cup Qualifiers that were to be played. On the return, Blues were to playWolverhampton Wanderers in a 1st v 2nd place top-of-the-table game. After havingLee Carsley sent off in the 37th minute for a late tackle onChris Iwelumo that saw him stretchered off, Blues went on to score throughCameron Jerome's third goal in as many games on the stroke of half time. StrikerGarry O'Connor came on to replace him and scored in the 69th minute to send Blues 2–0 up, and just two points behind Wolves in the Championship table and to distance themselves from 3rd place. It was the biggest attendance of the season at 25,935 and was also shown live on Sky Sports.

9 April – DefenderUlises de la Cruz leaves Birmingham City to return toEcuador after decided not to extend his contract. He made one appearance for Birmingham, coming off the bench againstDoncaster Rovers.

13 April – Birmingham were held 1–1 at home to Plymouth but were forced to play the majority of the game with ten men afterMaik Taylor was sent off. It kept them unbeaten in eight games, winning four of them. Manager Alex McLeish said he will be appealing to the FA about the red card as it was wrongly given.

14 April –Liam Ridgewell had an operation on his broken left leg that went successfully. He was injured in the first half in the home game against Plymouth and was stretchered off.

General sources (match reports):^[1] Match content not verifiable from these sources is referenced individually.

As do all Premier League teams, Birmingham entered theFA Cup at the third round, in which they were drawn at home toWolverhampton Wanderers. The tie was postponed from the scheduled date because of a frozen pitch, which provoked the club into a decision to install undersoil heating.^[47] Wolves took a deserved first-half lead, but their second, soon after the interval, was courtesy of refereeHoward Webb inadvertently diverted Jaïdi's pass to Wolves'Andy Keogh, who broke forward andSam Vokes scored. Webb refused a penalty appeal forRichard Stearman's apparent foul on Marcus Bent, and Jerome struck the crossbar with a powerful shot from distance.^[1]

Birmingham were drawn to playLeague Two clubWycombe Wanderers atAdams Park in the first round of theLeague Cup. They won comfortably, with goals from Mehdi Nafti – his first for the club – Sebastian Larsson, Cameron Jerome and debutantQuincy Owusu-Abeyie. They were eliminated by fellow Championship clubSouthampton atSt Mary's by two goals to nil. MidfielderJordon Mutch made his debut as a half-time replacement forGary McSheffrey to become, at 16 years 268 days, Birmingham's second-youngest debutant of all time, afterTrevor Francis.^[1]

† Brackets round club names denote the player's contract with that club expired before he joined Birmingham City.

† Brackets round club names denote the player joined that club after his Birmingham City contract expired.

Source:^[72][73]

Numbers in parentheses denote appearances made as asubstitute.

Players marked † left the club during the playing season.

Players with namesin italics and marked * were on loan from another club for the whole of their season with Birmingham.

Players listed with no appearances have been in the matchday squad but only as unused substitutes.

Key to positions: GK –Goalkeeper; DF –Defender; MF –Midfielder; FW –Forward

Players' appearances and goals by competition

No.	Pos.	Nat.	Name	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Total		Discipline
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1	GK	NIR	Maik Taylor	45	0	1	0	0	0	46	0	1	1
2	DF	IRE	Stephen Kelly	2 (3)	0	0 (1)	0	1	0	3 (4)	0	0	0
2	DF	IRE	Stephen Carr	13	0	0	0	0	0	13	0	2	0
3	DF	ENG	David Murphy	28 (2)	0	0	0	2	0	30 (2)	0	3	1
4	DF	ENG	Nicky Hunt * †	9 (2)	0	0	0	0	0	9 (2)	0	0	0
4	MF	ENG	Lee Bowyer *	17	1	0	0	0	0	17	1	6	1
5	DF	ENG	Martin Taylor	23 (1)	1	0	0	1	0	24 (1)	1	2	0
6	DF	ENG	Liam Ridgewell	36	1	1	0	2	0	39	1	8	0
7	MF	SWE	Sebastian Larsson[a]	35 (3)	1	0	0	1	1	36 (3)	2	5	0
8	FW	SCO	Garry O'Connor[a]	10 (6)	6	0	0	2	0	12 (6)	6	0	0
9	FW	ENG	Kevin Phillips	24 (12)	14	0	0	1 (1)	0	25 (13)	14	1	0
10	FW	ENG	Cameron Jerome	25 (18)	9	1	0	0 (1)	1	26 (19)	10	3	0
11	MF	ENG	Gary McSheffrey	3 (3)	0	0	0	2	0	5 (3)	0	0	0
12	MF	TUN	Mehdi Nafti	6 (5)	0	0	0	1	1	7 (5)	1	1	1
13	GK	IRE	Colin Doyle	1 (1)	0	0	0	2	0	3 (1)	0	0	0
14	MF	NED	Kemy Agustien *	13 (5)	0	1	0	1	0	15 (5)	0	2	0
15	DF	TUN	Radhi Jaïdi	30	0	1	0	0	0	31	0	6	0
16	FW	SCO	James McFadden	22 (8)	4	0	0	0	0	22 (8)	4	4	0
17	MF	ENG	Jordon Mutch	0	0	0	0	0 (1)	0	0 (1)	0	1	0
18	MF	SCO	Nigel Quashie * †	8 (2)	0	1	0	0	0	9 (2)	0	5	1
18	FW	HON	Carlos Costly *	3 (5)	0	0	0	0	0	3 (5)	0	0	0
19	MF	GHA	Quincy Owusu-Abeyie * †	12 (7)	2	0	0	1 (1)	1	13 (8)	3	0	0
19	MF	ENG	Scott Sinclair *	8 (6)	0	0	0	0	0	8 (6)	0	0	0
20	DF	FRA	Franck Queudrue	23 (2)	3	1	0	0 (1)	0	24 (3)	3	5	0
21	DF	ENG	Stuart Parnaby	19 (2)	0	1	0	2	0	22 (2)	0	4	0
22	MF	NIR	Damien Johnson	8 (1)	0	0 (1)	0	0	0	8 (2)	0	2	0
23	FW	ENG	Marcus Bent	16 (17)	3	1	0	1	0	18 (17)	3	1	0
24	MF	GER	Semih Aydilek	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
25	DF	ENG	Jared Wilson	0 (1)	0	0	0	0	0	0 (1)	0	1	0
26	MF	IRE	Lee Carsley	41	2	1	0	2	0	44	2	5	1
27	DF	ENG	Krystian Pearce	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
28	GK	POL	Artur Krysiak	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
29	MF	ENG	Ashley Sammons	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
30	MF	IRE	Keith Fahey	15 (4)	4	0	0	0	0	15 (4)	4	0	0
31	MF	ENG	Mitchell McPike	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
32	MF	NIR	Robin Shroot	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
33	MF	ALG	Hamer Bouazza *	9 (7)	1	0	0	0	0	9 (7)	1	1	0
34	DF	MLI	Djimi Traoré *	2 (1)	0	0	0	0	0	2 (1)	0	1	0
35	GK	ENG	Dean Lyness	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
36	DF	ECU	Ulises de la Cruz	0 (1)	0	0	0	0	0	0 (1)	0	0	0

Players not included in matchday squads

No.	Pos.	Nat.	Name
25	MF	ENG	Sone Aluko †

General

• Match details, both in prose and tables, are sourced to match reports on thesportinglife.com website and on Birmingham City F.C.'s website.^[1] Any match content not verifiable from those sources is referenced individually.

Specific

• Birmingham City F.C. seasons
• 2008–09 Football League Championship by team

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