After Birmingham City’s run of poor results, I had got to the point of expecting the worst when I went to games. Then we won three in a row and my hopes have been revived. I’m not expecting a win tomorrow but am hoping to see the players put in a decent performance. Continue reading
Category Archives: Birmingham City FC
On the same side
As usual, I am looking forward to Birmingham City’s game at Reading with a mixture of hope and trepidation. The rollercoaster mixture of joys and sorrows that my team deliver has made that a lifelong habit and it would take more than one win to change it. But the win against Leeds did boost the hope. Continue reading
Staggeringly incompetent
I just came across a cutting of an article in which Birmingham City were described as a “a graceless, over-physical and, in certain positions, staggeringly incompetent team”. It was describing a Blues team from the 1980’s. Continue reading
Norwich
A Tweet by Roy Smiljanic led me to an article about Canaries fans turning on Delia Smith. This reported that, towards the end of Norwich’s loss against Brentford on Friday, some fans were chanting, “We want Delia out.” Continue reading
Darkest day
The solstice, when the sun reaches its southern-most position, is at 4:28 pm. In the Northern Hemisphere, today will be the shortest and therefore the darkest day . From tomorrow, the days will start getting longer. Unfortunately, we don’t know if we have also reached Birmingham City’s darkest day and whether things will start to get a little bit brighter from now on. Continue reading
Made in Brum and Graham Potter
Big Dave Thomas produced the first copy of Made in Brum for the first leg of Birmingham City’s playoff semi-final against Barnsley in 2000. Amazingly, that game didn’t stop his production of the fanzine. (You may recall that game wasn’t Blues’ finest hour and the headlines said things like “Brilliant Barnsley crush Blues.”) Continue reading
Thoughts on consistency, Sheffield and finding your way out of the toilet
I’m trying to look at the positive side of Birmingham City’s inconsistency. There are two kinds of teams that get consistent results. The very good teams consistently win games and the very bad teams consistently lose. Blues were consistently losing away and they got a draw at Sheffield United so that means they are no longer consistent losers. Continue reading
Exhaustion and exhilaration
The game on Saturday reminded me of why I love football. When I watch a game like that, I forget about everything else for a couple of hours. That everything else includes more important concerns and it’s good to get a break from thinking about them. Over twenty years ago, I went through a very difficult period, when I had serious concerns about the health and well-being of the two people I loved most in the world. The only break I got from worrying about them was watching football; watching Birmingham City play took my complete capacity for worrying and I forgot about everything else. Continue reading
Why I stay to the end
I don’t stay to the end of games because I’m a better person than someone who chooses to leave early. I stay because I view fans as participants, not just spectators. Continue reading
Thoughts on Sunday and today’s game
It is a pity that Sunday’s game is probably going to be remembered for the clappers that were used as missiles rather than for anything that happened on the pitch. Clappers, inflatables, big flags and flames are not necessary to create an atmosphere at a Birmingham City versus Aston Villa game; you only need the fans. Continue reading
Managerial changes
I’m not going to write about the game on Sunday as I’m feeling a bit nervous about it. I’ll be there at St Andrew’s, hoping that my fears won’t be fulfilled but don’t want to spend time worrying beforehand. I won’t be writing about the Millwall game either. I was more upset by the policing of that than by Birmingham’s performance on the pitch but have already written about it on the Blues Trust website (click here to read what I wrote.) Continue reading
Hopes and expectations
There’s a difference between hopes and expectations. Unfulfilled hopes can leave us disappointed but unmet expectations can make us angry. Continue reading
Cardiff game
Birmingham City is not playing as I type this blog, so I am still reasonably rational. I know that football is a game and if we lose it won’t be the end of the world. I also know that when I’m at St Andrew’s this evening I’ll be in my game-watching mode, which isn’t at all rational. Continue reading
Non-league and academies
An international break seems like a good time to think of other things besides Birmingham City. Things such as going to a Non-League game. Today is Non-League Day, which is designed to encourage Premier League and Championship fans to support a local non-league side. Continue reading
Lee’s three
Lee Carsley had three games as caretaker manager and I attended all three. At Derby I was disappointed that Birmingham City conceded so soon after scoring but, on the plus side, we did score a goal and earned a point. A whole point! I was encouraged. Continue reading