Birmingham Charity Cup

Birmingham Charity Cup
Founded 1881
Region West Midlands
Number of teams variable
Current champions n/a
Most successful club(s) Aston Villa

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup, commonly referred to as the Birmingham Charity Cup, was a football competition for teams from Birmingham and the surrounding area. It was inaugurated in 1881 by the city's mayor, Richard Chamberlain,[1] and Aston Villa were the first winners of the competition in the 188182 season, defeating Walsall Swifts 4–1.[2] From 1910 onwards, the preliminary rounds were scrapped and the final became an invitation match.[3] Other than during the First World War, the competition took place every year until 1939 with the exception of the 192526 season, when it was abandoned due to the General Strike.[1] It fluctuated between being contested at the start and the end of the football season.

The competition was discontinued after the Second World War, other than on two occasions in the 1960s when the youth teams of Aston Villa and Birmingham City competed for the trophy. After this, the competition was discontinued altogether and the trophy itself used for the Birmingham Senior Amateur Cup competition.[1]

Trophy

The trophy was made by Birmingham silversmith William Spurrer, and contained 14lbs of silver. It was surmounted by a figure of a footballer and bore shields engraved with the initials of Chamberlain and the members of the Birmingham County Football Association's committee at the time of the competition's inauguration, the city's coat of arms, and representations of its main industries.[1] The main bowl of the trophy featured two engraved drawings, one of an 1880s football match, complete with top-hatted umpire, and one of "the poor and sick succoured by the heavenly spirit".[1] The plinth had a number of shields engraved with the names of the winning teams, although for unknown reasons some were missing.[1]

Winners

Aston Villa were the most successful team in the competition's history, winning it on twenty-nine occasions outright and sharing the trophy five times. The club's youth team also jointly won the trophy twice when it was briefly revived in the 1960s as a youth competition.

Date Winner Score Runners–up Venue Attendance Refs
1882 Aston Villa 4–1 Walsall Swifts [2]
1883 Aston Villa 8–0 Walsall Swifts [1]
1884 Aston Villa 3–2 Wednesbury Old Athletic [1]
1885 Aston Villa unknown[nb 1] Walsall Swifts [1]
1886 Aston Villa 4-1 Wednesbury Old Athletic [1]
1887 Wolverhampton Wanderers n/a[nb 2] Aston Villa [1]
1888 Walsall Town unknown[nb 3] Aston Villa [1]
1889 Aston Villa 2–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers [1]
1890 Aston Villa 2–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers [1]
1891 Aston Villa 3–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers [1]
1892 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Small Heath [2]
1893 Aston Villa 3-2 Small Heath [2]
1894 Aston Villa 3-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers [1]
1895 Aston Villa 5–3 Small Heath [2]
1896 Walsall 1–0 Sheffield United [1]
1897 Walsall 2–1[nb 4] Aston Villa [1]
1898 Aston Villa 4-2 Walsall [1]
1899 Aston Villa 1-0 Walsall [1]
13 November 1899 West Bromwich Albion 1–0 Walsall Villa Park 8,250 [3]
19 November 1900 Aston Villa 1–1 West Bromwich Albion The Hawthorns 10,000 [3]
(R) 17 December 1900 Aston Villa 2–0 West Bromwich Albion Villa Park 12,652 [3]
18 November 1901 Aston Villa 1–0 West Bromwich Albion Villa Park 10,600 [3]
24 November 1902 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–2 West Bromwich Albion Villa Park 4,500 [3]
1903 Aston Villa 4–1 Small Heath [2]
1904 Aston Villa 1–0[nb 5] Small Heath [2]
20 November 1905 Aston Villa 4–3[nb 6] West Bromwich Albion Muntz Street 12,000 [3]
1906 Aston Villa 1–1[nb 7] Birmingham [2]
1907 Birmingham 4–0 Aston Villa [2]
1908 Birmingham 5–2 Aston Villa [2]
1910 Aston Villa 2–1 Birmingham [2]
19 September 1910 Aston Villa 2–1 West Bromwich Albion Villa Park 5,507 [3]
18 September 1911 Aston Villa 4–0 West Bromwich Albion Villa Park 6,503 [3]
2 October 1912 Aston Villa 5–1[nb 6] West Bromwich Albion The Hawthorns 8,077 [3]
22 October 1913 West Bromwich Albion 1–0 Aston Villa Villa Park 6,000 [3]
23 September 1914 West Bromwich Albion 3–2 Aston Villa Villa Park 5,017 [3]
1919 Birmingham 4–1 Aston Villa [2]
14 May 1921 Birmingham 2–2[nb 7] West Bromwich Albion Villa Park 8,067 [3]
13 May 1922 West Bromwich Albion 2–0 Birmingham Villa Park 7,500 [3]
2 May 1923 Aston Villa 2–0 West Bromwich Albion Villa Park 2,300 [3]
1924 Aston Villa 3–3[nb 7] Birmingham [2]
9 May 1925 West Bromwich Albion 3–1 Birmingham St Andrew's 10,000 [3]
1926 Not held due to the General Strike[1]
1927 Aston Villa 4-2 Birmingham [2]
1928 Aston Villa 3-2 Birmingham [2]
1929 Aston Villa 2-1 Birmingham [2]
1930 Aston Villa 5-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers [1]
9 May 1931 Aston Villa 3–2 West Bromwich Albion The Hawthorns 18,189 [3]
1932 Aston Villa 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers [1]
13 May 1933 Aston Villa 4–0 West Bromwich Albion The Hawthorns 8,500 [3]
1933 Birmingham 2–0 Aston Villa [2]
1934 Birmingham 2–1 Aston Villa [2]
1936 Birmingham 4–2 Aston Villa [2]
1937 Aston Villa 2–2[nb 7] Birmingham [2]
1938 Birmingham 1–1[nb 7] Coventry City [2]
1930 Aston Villa 1–0 Coventry City [1]
1962 Aston Villa youth team 4–4[nb 7] Birmingham City youth team [1]
1964 Aston Villa youth team 4–4[nb 7] Birmingham City youth team [1]

Notes

  1. After two drawn matches, for which scores are not recorded, the trophy was shared.
  2. Wolverhampton Wanderers were awarded the trophy when Aston Villa withdrew.
  3. After a drawn match, Aston Villa withdrew and Walsall Town were awarded the trophy.
  4. After an earlier drawn match for which the score is not recorded.
  5. The match was abandoned after 50 minutes, with Aston Villa leading 1–0; the trophy was shared.
  6. 1 2 Clives gives the score as 4-1.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The trophy was shared.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Clives, Stanley W. (1975). The Centenary Book of the Birmingham County Football Association 1875 1975. Birmingham County F.A. p. 97.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Matthews, Tony (October 2000). The Encyclopedia of Birmingham City Football Club 1875–2000. Cradley Heath: Britespot. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-9539288-0-4.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Matthews, Tony; Mackenzie, Colin (1987). Albion! A Complete Record of West Bromwich Albion 1879-1987. Breedon Books. pp. 207–08. ISBN 0-907969-23-2.
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