1962–63 Birmingham City F.C. season
# 1962–63 Birmingham City F.C. season

The 1962–63 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 60th in the Football League and their 36th in the First Division. They finished in 20th position in the 22-team division, two points clear of the relegation places. They entered the 1962–63 FA Cup at the third round proper and lost in that round to Bury after a replay. They entered the League Cup at the second round and reached the final, in which they defeated local rivals Aston Villa 3–1 on aggregate score to win the first (and, until 2011, only) major trophy in their history.

Because of the severe winter weather – the so-called "Big Freeze of 1963" – Birmingham played no matches for ten weeks, between 22 December and 2 March. Their third-round FA Cup-tie was played in the first week of March, two months later than the usual date of the first weekend in January.

Twenty-three players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were eleven different goalscorers. Half back Terry Hennessey played in 52 of the 53 first-team matches over the season (forwards Ken Leek and Mike Hellawell missed only two), and Leek finished as leading goalscorer with 29 goals, of which 20 were scored in league competition.

## Football League First Division

| Date | League position | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 18 August 1962 | 22nd | Tottenham Hotspur | A | L | 0–3 | | 51,140 |
| 21 August 1962 | 22nd | Arsenal | A | L | 0–2 | | 34,004 |
| 25 August 1962 | 20th | Leyton Orient | H | D | 2–2 | Bullock, Hellawell | 23,411 |
| 29 August 1962 | 19th | Arsenal | H | D | 2–2 | Leek, Lynn pen | 27,038 |
| 1 September 1962 | 20th | Manchester United | A | L | 0–2 | | 40,618 |
| 8 September 1962 | 21st | Burnley | H | W | 5–1 | Hellawell 2, Leek, Bloomfield, Bullock | 24,463 |
| 12 September 1962 | 21st | West Bromwich Albion | A | L | 0–1 | | 25,560 |
| 15 September 1962 | 22nd | Sheffield Wednesday | A | L | 0–5 | | 22,255 |
| 19 September 1962 | 22nd | West Bromwich Albion | H | D | 0–0 | | 28,660 |
| 22 September 1962 | 18th | Fulham | H | W | 4–1 | Harris, Leek, Auld, Lynn pen | 20,439 |
| 29 September 1962 | 20th | Leicester City | A | L | 0–3 | | 22,210 |
| 6 October 1962 | 22nd | West Ham United | A | L | 0–5 | | 21,150 |
| 13 October 1962 | 22nd | Manchester City | H | D | 2–2 | Regan, Stubbs | 21,114 |
| 24 October 1962 | 19th | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | W | 2–0 | Leek 2 | 26,226 |
| 27 October 1962 | 17th | Aston Villa | H | W | 3–2 | Leek 2, Lynn pen | 42,228 |
| 3 November 1962 | 13th | Sheffield United | A | W | 2–0 | Stubbs, Hellawell | 19,186 |
| 10 November 1962 | 14th | Nottingham Forest | H | D | 2–2 | Harris, Leek | 22,024 |
| 17 November 1962 | 12th | Ipswich Town | A | W | 5–1 | Harris 2, Leek 2, Auld | 16,775 |
| 24 November 1962 | 15th | Liverpool | H | L | 0–2 | | 27,050 |
| 1 December 1962 | 14th | Blackpool | A | D | 1–1 | Leek | 12,955 |
| 8 December 1962 | 15th | Blackburn Rovers | H | D | 3–3 | Bloomfield, Leek 2 | 16,108 |
| 15 December 1962 | 16th | Tottenham Hotspur | H | L | 0–2 | | 36,623 |
| 22 December 1962 | 15th | Leyton Orient | A | D | 2–2 | Bloomfield 2 | 11,646 |
| 2 March 1963 | 18th | Manchester City | A | L | 1–2 | Harris | 28,798 |
| 9 March 1963 | 20th | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | L | 3–4 | Auld, Lynn 2 (1 pen) | 18,219 |
| 16 March 1963 | 20th | Aston Villa | A | L | 0–4 | | 40,400 |
| 23 March 1963 | 21st | Sheffield United | H | L | 0–1 | | 18,056 |
| 30 March 1963 | 20th | Sheffield Wednesday | H | D | 1–1 | Auld pen | 12,275 |
| 3 April 1963 | 19th | Bolton Wanderers | H | D | 2–2 | Leek 2 | 13,200 |
| 6 April 1963 | 20th | Ipswich Town | H | L | 0–1 | | 16,756 |
| 13 April 1963 | 21st | Nottingham Forest | A | W | 2–0 | Leek 2 | 15,556 |
| 15 April 1963 | 21st | Everton | A | D | 2–2 | Bloomfield, Leek | 50,122 |
| 16 April 1963 | 21st | Everton | H | L | 0–1 | | 29,719 |
| 20 April 1963 | 21st | Blackpool | H | L | 3–6 | Bloomfield, Leek, Auld | 15,396 |
| 24 April 1963 | 21st | Bolton Wanderers | A | D | 0–0 | | 12,949 |
| 27 April 1963 | 21st | Blackburn Rovers | A | L | 1–6 | Auld | 9,482 |
| 1 May 1963 | 20th | West Ham United | H | W | 3–2 | Harris, Auld, Hennessey | 14,410 |
| 4 May 1963 | 20th | Fulham | A | D | 3–3 | Harris, Hellawell, Auld | 20,179 |
| 8 May 1963 | 20th | Liverpool | A | L | 1–5 | Leek | 23,684 |
| 10 May 1963 | 20th | Manchester United | H | W | 2–1 | Bloomfield 2 | 21,855 |
| 14 May 1963 | 20th | Burnley | A | L | 1–3 | Bloomfield | 14,350 |
| 18 May 1963 | 20th | Leicester City | H | W | 3–2 | Harris, Auld, Lynn pen | 23,971 |

### League table (part)

Final First Division table (part) :

| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 18th | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 15 | 5 | 22 | 55 | 75 | 0.73 | 35 |
| 19th | Manchester United | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 67 | 81 | 0.83 | 34 |
| 20th | Birmingham City | 42 | 10 | 13 | 19 | 63 | 90 | 0.70 | 33 |
| 21st | Manchester City | 42 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 58 | 102 | 0.57 | 31 |
| 22nd | Leyton Orient | 42 | 6 | 9 | 27 | 37 | 81 | 0.46 | 21 |
| Key | Pos = League position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points | Pos = League position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points | Pos = League position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points | Pos = League position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points | Pos = League position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points | Pos = League position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points | Pos = League position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points | Pos = League position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points | Pos = League position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points |
| Source | | | | | | | | | |

## FA Cup

Because of the severe winter weather – the so-called "Big Freeze of 1963" – Birmingham played no matches for ten weeks, between 22 December and 2 March. Their opening third-round FA Cup-tie against Bury was postponed 14 times and abandoned once before finally being played two months after the originally scheduled date.

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Third round | 5 March 1963 | Bury | H | D | 3–3 | Leek, Harris, Lynn pen | 37,913 |
| Third round replay | 7 March 1963 | Bury | A | L | 0–2 | | 16,525 |

## League Cup

The first leg of the final, against Birmingham's near neighbours Aston Villa, was played on 23 May at St Andrew's. Birmingham took the lead when Jimmy Harris fed Bertie Auld who crossed for Ken Leek's powerful shot, but Aston Villa equalised via Bobby Thomson. Seven minutes into the second half, the same combination of players made it 2–1, and after 66 minutes Jimmy Bloomfield "ended an excellent run by scoring from a narrow angle, earning even the applause of Villa players" to give Birmingham a 3–1 lead. The second leg, four days later at Villa Park, was goalless. Former England centre half Trevor Smith marked Thomson out of the game, Birmingham's defensive tactics included repeatedly kicking the ball out for throw-ins, and Aston Villa were unable to break their opponents down.

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Second round | 26 September 1962 | Doncaster Rovers | H | W | 5–0 | Leek 2, Bloomfield, Harris, Auld | 11,384 |
| Third round | 15 October 1962 | Barrow | A | D | 1–1 | Wolstenholme | 6,289 |
| Third round replay | 29 October 1962 | Barrow | H | W | 5–1 | Harris, Stubbs, Leek, Arrowsmith og | 11,765 |
| Fourth round | 14 November 1962 | Notts County | H | W | 3–2 | Lynn pen, Harris, Auld | 13,187 |
| Fifth round | 11 December 1962 | Manchester City | H | W | 6–0 | Lynn 2 (1 pen), Leek, Auld, Leivers og, Sear og | 18,012 |
| Semi-final 1st leg | 27 March 1963 | Bury | H | W | 3–2 | Bullock, Leek, Auld | 11,293 |
| Semi-final 2nd leg | 8 April 1963 | Bury | A | D | 1–1 | Leek | 9,177 |
| Final 1st leg | 23 May 1963 | Aston Villa | H | W | 3–1 | Leek 2, Bloomfield | 31,902 |
| Final 2nd leg | 27 May 1963 | Aston Villa | A | D | 0–0 | | 37,949 |

## Appearances and goals

    Players with name struck through and marked † left the club during the playing season.

Players having played at least one first-team match :

| Pos. | Nat. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Total | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Pos. | Nat. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | ENG | Johnny Schofield | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| GK | ENG | Colin Withers | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| FB | WAL | Colin Green | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| FB | ENG | Stan Lynn | 33 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 42 | 10 |
| FB | ENG | Brian Rushton | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| FB | ENG | Brian Sharples | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| FB | ENG | Graham Sissons | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| HB | ENG | Malcolm Beard | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| HB | ENG | Winston Foster | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| HB | WAL | Terry Hennessey | 42 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 52 | 1 |
| HB | ENG | Trevor Smith | 37 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 46 | 0 |
| HB | ENG | Johnny Watts | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| FW | SCO | Bertie Auld | 36 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 47 | 13 |
| FW | ENG | Jimmy Bloomfield | 28 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 36 | 11 |
| FW | ENG | Peter Bullock | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 3 |
| FW | ENG | Greg Farrell | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Jimmy Harris | 29 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 37 | 13 |
| FW | ENG | Mike Hellawell | 40 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 51 | 5 |
| FW | WAL | Ken Leek | 41 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 51 | 29 |
| FW | ENG | John Regan | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| FW | ENG | Robin Stubbs | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 3 |
| FW | ENG | Denis Thwaites | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Trevor Wolstenholme | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
