Birmingham City FC

Ipswich Town get the season off to a start tonight under the lights at Tom Brady's resurgent

BCFC. So let's do the historical scouting report on the boys from Birminim and #GetTheBadgeIn.

Birmingham City — a club forged in the fire and grit of Britain’s industrial heartland, and now stepping into the global spotlight with "Built in Birmingham", the new Amazon Prime documentary following the club’s journey under part-owner @TomBrady..

Founded in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, @BCFC are one of England’s oldest professional football clubs. Like many sides of the era, the club grew from factory workers and foundries. The name changed to Birmingham in 1905 and then to Birmingham City in 1943. St. Andrew’s, their home since 1906, still stands just a short walk from the old factories and workshops that once powered the British economy.

In the club’s very early years (when still known as Small Heath), they were sometimes called “The Small Heath Rifles” — not because of their playing style, but because they trained on a rifle range and had close ties to the local military unit.

The club’s current badge was created in 1972, the result of a fan competition won by supporter Michael Wood. His design replaced older versions that had featured monograms or the city’s coat of arms. The badge shows a globe above a ribbon bearing the club’s name and founding year. No lions, no crowns, no Latin mottoes, no fluff — just a loud proclamation that despite being in the middle of Britain - Birmingham was the centre of global trade.

Birmingham’s industrial heritage runs deep. This is the city that built Spitfires at Castle Bromwich, turned out Minis at Longbridge, supplied buttons, bolts, bombs, and bicycles to the Empire and beyond. Its canal network rivalled Venice in length, carrying goods to every corner of Britain. And it wasn’t just metal — Birmingham also gave us chocolate (Cadbury), pens (Bournville and the Jewellery Quarter), and one of the most diverse, inventive working populations in the country.

The club’s fans reflect that heritage. Birmingham is a city of migration and mixture — from Irish labourers to Caribbean bus drivers, South Asian shopkeepers to Eastern European engineers. The terraces at St. Andrew’s have long reflected that blend — full of character, humour, and loyalty.

Birmingham has had some notable success throughout the ages. In 1979, Birmingham City’s Trevor Francis became the first £1 million footballer in English football, when he was sold to Nottingham Forest. What’s often forgotten is that Blues manager Jim Smith was so angry about the sale (done behind his back by the board) that he very nearly walked out on the club the same day. Francis remains a Birmingham legend — born locally, he signed for Blues as a teenager and scored 119 goals in 280 appearances and later became their manager.

And while Brady’s arrival grabbed headlines, the real story is Birmingham itself. This is the “City of a Thousand Trades” — and the club wears that identity. It’s also the home of Peaky Blinders — the gritty TV drama that reimagined Birmingham’s gangland past and shone a light on the city’s working-class roots. The show’s moody visuals and tough characters captured something of the spirit that still lives on in the stands - and occasionally on the pitch.

So while the badge might not be steeped in ancient legend, it is shaped by a more modern - more remarkable past when Birmingham was the workshop of the world. Today that legacy may have faded - but the echo lives on in their badge.