Birmingham Charity Cup

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 1881–82 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 1925–26 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.

Birmingham Charity Cup
Founded1881
Abolished1964
RegionWest Midlands
Number of teamsvariable
Last championsAston Villa Youths (49th title)
Most successful club(s)Aston Villa (49 titles)

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 thirty 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
6 May 1882 Aston Villa 4–1 Walsall Swifts Aston Lower Grounds 6,000 [2]
12 May 1883 Aston Villa 8–0 Walsall Swifts Aston Lower Grounds 5,000 [1]
26 April 1884 Aston Villa 3–2 Wednesbury Old Athletic Aston Lower Grounds 10,000 [1]
2 May 1885 Aston Villa 1-1 Walsall Swifts Trinity Road, Aston Unity F.C. 5,000 [1]
(R) 27 May 1885 Aston Villa 1-1[nb 1] Walsall Swifts The Chuckery 5,000 [1]
17 May 1886 Aston Villa 4-1 Wednesbury Old Athletic Wellington Road 2,000 [1]
1887 Wolverhampton Wanderers n/a[nb 2] Aston Villa [1]
14 April 1888 Aston Villa 6-2 Mitchell's St. George's Aston Lower Grounds [1]
6 April 1889 Aston Villa 3–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers Warwickshire County Cricket Ground 5,000 [1]
3 May 1890 Aston Villa 2–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers Stoney Lane 6,000 [1]
9 May 1891 Aston Villa 3–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers Stoney Lane 6,500 [1]
7 May 1892 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Small Heath Aston Lower Grounds [2]
29 April 1893 Aston Villa 3-2 Small Heath Aston Lower Grounds 8,000 [2]
28 April 1894 Aston Villa 3-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers Aston Lower Grounds 6,000 [1]
27 April 1895 Aston Villa 5–3 Small Heath Aston Lower Grounds 5,000 [2]
25 April 1896 Walsall 1–0 Sheffield United Wellington Road 3,000 [1]
24 April 1897 Walsall 1-1 Aston Villa Villa Park 8,000 [1]
(R) 30 April 1897 Walsall 1-1 Aston Villa Villa Park 1,000 [1]
4 October 1897 Aston Villa 4-2 Walsall Villa Park 4,000 [1]
17 October 1899 Aston Villa 1-0 Walsall Villa Park 9,000 [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]
23 November 1903 Aston Villa 4–2 Small Heath Villa Park 6,000 [2]
21 November 1904 Aston Villa 1–0[nb 3] Small Heath Muntz Street 8,000 [2]
20 November 1905 Aston Villa 4–3[nb 4] West Bromwich Albion Muntz Street 12,000 [3]
24 September 1906 Aston Villa 1–1[nb 1] Birmingham Muntz Street 7,000 [2]
14 October 1907 Birmingham 4–0 Aston Villa Villa Park 6,000 [2]
21 September 1908 Birmingham 5–2 Aston Villa St Andrew's 8,000 [2]
20 September 1909 Aston Villa 2– Birmingham St Andrew's 5,000 [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 4] 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]
8 May 1920 Birmingham 4–1 Aston Villa Villa Park 20,000 [2]
14 May 1921 Birmingham 2–2[nb 1] 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]
10 May 1924 Aston Villa 3–3[nb 1] Birmingham Villa Park 8,000 [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]
14 May 1927 Aston Villa 4-2 Birmingham Villa Park [2]
12 May 1928 Aston Villa 3-2 Birmingham Villa Park [2]
11 May 1929 Aston Villa 2-1 Birmingham Villa Park 10,000 [2]
10 May 1930 Aston Villa 5-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers Villa Park 25,000 [1]
9 May 1931 Aston Villa 3–2 West Bromwich Albion The Hawthorns 18,189 [3]
14 May 1932 Aston Villa 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers Villa Park 5,000 [1]
13 May 1933 Aston Villa 4–0 West Bromwich Albion The Hawthorns 8,500 [3]
12 May 1934 Birmingham 2–0 Aston Villa St Andrew's 7,000 [2]
6 May 1935 Birmingham 2–1 Aston Villa St Andrew's [2]
9 May 1936 Birmingham 4–2 Aston Villa Villa Park 10,000 [2]
8 May 1937 Aston Villa 2–2[nb 1] Birmingham Villa Park 2,000 [2]
1938 Birmingham 1–1[nb 1] Coventry City [2]
13 May 1939 Aston Villa 1–0 Coventry City Villa Park 5,000 [1]
(1st Leg)24 October 1961 Aston Villa Youth 3-1 Birmingham City Youth St Andrew's [1]
(2nd Leg)7 May 1962 Birmingham City Youth 3-1 (4-4 Aggregate)[nb 1] Aston Villa Youth Villa Park [1]
(1st Leg)15 April 1964 Birmingham City Youth 3-3 Aston Villa Youth St Andrew's [1]
(2nd Leg)20 April 1964 Aston Villa Youth 1-1 (4-4 Aggregate)[nb 1] Birmingham City Youth Villa Park [1]

Notes
  1. The trophy was shared.
  2. Wolverhampton Wanderers were awarded the trophy when Aston Villa withdrew.
  3. The match was abandoned after 50 minutes, with Aston Villa leading 1–0; the trophy was shared.
  4. Clives gives the score as 4-1.

References
  1. Clives, Stanley W. (1975). The Centenary Book of the Birmingham County Football Association 1875 – 1975. Birmingham County F.A. p. 97.
  2. 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. 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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