2016–17 Birmingham City F.C. season

Birmingham City F.C.

2016–17 season
Owner	from 1 July: Birmingham International Holdings (in receivership); from 17 October:[1] Trillion Trophy Asia
Manager	Gary Rowett
Stadium	St Andrew's
Football League Championship	4th (as of matches played 26 November)
FA Cup	Third round
EFL Cup	First round (eliminated by Oxford United)
Top goalscorer	League: Clayton Donaldson, Lukas Jutkiewicz (5) All: Clayton Donaldson, Lukas Jutkiewicz (5)
Highest home attendance	29,656[2] (vs Aston Villa, 30 October 2016)
Lowest home attendance	7,202[2] (vs Oxford United, EFL Cup 1st round, 9 August 2016)
Home colours Away colours
← 2015–16

The 2016–17 season is Birmingham City Football Club's 114th season in the English football league system and sixth consecutive season in the Football League Championship.^[3] As with all Football League clubs, the first team will also compete in the FA Cup and EFL Cup. It covers the period from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017.

Background and pre-season

Under the management of Gary Rowett, Birmingham City spent most of the 2015–16 Football League Championship season in or around the play-off positions, but they won just once in the last 12 matches of the campaign, and finished in the lowest position they had occupied all season: tenth. With 16 wins and 15 draws, their finishing position and record was identical to that of 2014–15, albeit with 15 fewer goals conceded.^[4][5]

First-team players released at the end of the 2015–16 season included Mark Duffy, Neal Eardley, David Edgar, Lee Novak, Wes Thomas.^[6] and the youth product Mitch Hancox, who had been with the club for fourteen years.^[7] Free-transfer signings for 2016–17 included previous loanee Robert Tesche from Nottingham Forest and young Liverpool defender Daniel Cleary.^[8][9] Undisclosed fees were paid for Dundee's attacking player Greg Stewart,^[10] young forward Che Adams from Sheffield United,^[11] and Derby County defender Ryan Shotton, who had been on loan at Birmingham in 2015–16.^[12] The terms of Huddersfield Town striker James Vaughan's loan agreement required its conversion to a permanent contract, but he had not established himself as a first-team player and was allowed to leave.^[13] Birmingham made two loan signings, both for the first half of the season: Burnley striker Lukas Jutkiewicz and Bournemouth left back Rhoys Wiggins.^[14][15] Attacking midfielder Andrew Shinnie and striker Nicolai Brock-Madsen left on season-long loans,^[16][17] and young midfielders Koby Arthur and Charlee Adams and striker Alex Jones went out on loan until January.^[18][19][20]

The home kit is all blue, apart from white trim on the sleeves and three white stripes down the sides and round the sock tops. The away kit is all red, apart from white trim at the neck and under the sleeve and three white stripes on the shoulders, shorts and sock tops.^[21] The kits, supplied by Adidas in the first season of a four-year deal, carry the logo of online bookmaker 888sport, the club's principal sponsor.^[22][23]

After a training camp in Spain,^[24] Birmingham City's pre-season programme continued with friendly matches away to Midlands teams Solihull Moors, Forest Green Rovers, Shrewsbury Town, Walsall, Port Vale and Kidderminster Harriers, and Scottish Cup-holders Hibernian. Their only home friendly was against Dutch Eredivisie club Roda JC.

Pre-season match details

Date	Opponents	Venue	Result	Score F–A	Scorers	Attendance	Refs
12 July 2016	Solihull Moors	A	W	3–1	Donaldson 17', 34', Fabbrini 28'		[25]
16 July 2016	Forest Green Rovers	A	W	3–0	Morrison 11', Storer 81', Fabbrini 89'	1,382	[26]
19 July 2016	Shrewsbury Town	A	L	0–1		1,020	[27]
19 July 2016	Walsall	A	D	1–1	Caddis 80'	3,301	[28]
24 July 2016	Hibernian	A	L	0–1		5,904	[29]
27 July 2016	Port Vale	A	W	2–0	Storer 73', Caddis 84' pen.	1,603	[30]
30 July 2016	Roda JC	H	D	0–0		4,218	[31]
2 August 2016	Kidderminster Harriers	A	W	4–0	Storer 3', 67', Shinnie 9', Vaughan 33'	1,137	[32]

Football League Championship

Match results

General source:^[33] Match content not verifiable from these sources is referenced individually.

Match results: Championship

Date	League position	Opponents	Venue	Result	Score F–A	Scorers	Attendance	Refs
8 August 2016	10th	Cardiff City	H	D	0–0		19,833	[34]
13 August 2016	7th	Leeds United	A	W	2–1	Maghoma 15', Morrison 55'	27,392	[35]
16 August 2016	9th	Wigan Athletic	A	D	1–1	Davis 44'	11,182	[36]
20 August 2016	13th	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	L	1–3	Che Adams 24'	18,569	[37]
27 August 2016	10th	Norwich City	H	W	3–0	Davis 22', Donaldson 68' pen., 83'	16,295	[38]
10 September 2016	4th	Fulham	A	W	1–0	Donaldson 49' pen.	17,603	[39]
13 September 2016	5th	Reading	A	D	0–0		14,602	[40]
17 September 2016	5th	Sheffield Wednesday	H	W	2–1	Donaldson 81' pen., Jutkiewicz 90+2'	16,786	[41]
24 September 2016	6th	Queens Park Rangers	A	D	1–1	Jutkiewicz 23'	13,693	[42]
27 September 2016	6th	Preston North End	H	D	2–2	Shotton 30', Che Adams 68'	15,779	[43]
1 October 2016	6th	Blackburn Rovers	H	W	1–0	Gleeson 64'	16,781	[44]
14 October 2016	6th	Nottingham Forest	A	L	1–3	Jutkiewicz 71'	19,208	[45]
18 October 2016	5th	Rotherham United	H	W	4–2	Morrison 15', Jutkiewicz 35', Maghoma 43', Cotterill 84' pen.	16,404	[46]
21 October 2016	5th	Burton Albion	A	L	0–2		5,818	[47]
30 October 2016	7th	Aston Villa	H	D	1–1	Davis 71'	29,656	[48]
5 November 2016	7th	Huddersfield Town	A	D	1–1	Jutkiewicz 73'	20,200	[49]
19 November 2016	5th	Bristol City	H	W	1–0	Che Adams 81'	18,586	[50]
26 November 2016	4th	Brentford	A	W	2–1	Donaldson 14' pen., Shotton 63'	10,925	[51]
3 December 2016	5th	Barnsley	H	L	0–3		17,072	[52]

Current league table (part)

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion, qualification or relegation
3	Reading	19	10	4	5	25	24	+1	34	Qualification for Championship play-offs[lower-alpha 1]
4	Leeds United	19	10	2	7	23	20	+3	32
5	Birmingham City	19	8	7	4	24	22	+2	31
6	Sheffield Wednesday	19	9	4	6	22	21	+1	31
7	Norwich City	19	9	3	7	34	30	+4	30

Updated to match(es) played on 3 December 2016. Source: English Football League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
Notes:

1. Four teams play for one spot and promotion to the Premier League.

Results summary

Overall								Home						Away
Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
19	8	7	4	24	22	+2	31	5	3	2	15	12	+3	3	4	2	9	10	−1

Source: ^[53]

FA Cup

EFL Cup

EFL Cup match details

Round	Date	Opponents	Venue	Result	Score F–A	Scorers	Attendance	Refs
First	9 August 2016	Oxford United	H	L	0–1 a.e.t.		7,202	[54]

Transfers

In

Date	Player	Club	Fee	Ref
30 June 2016	Ryan Shotton	Derby County	Undisclosed	[12]
1 July 2016	Robert Tesche	(Nottingham Forest)	Free	[8]
27 July 2016	Daniel Cleary	(Liverpool)	Free	[9]
8 August 2016	Che Adams	Sheffield United	Undisclosed	[11]
12 August 2016	Greg Stewart	Dundee	Undisclosed	[10]

Brackets around club names indicate the player's contract with that club had expired before he joined Birmingham.

Out

Date	Player	Club	Fee	Ref
24 August 2016	James Vaughan	(Bury)	Mutual consent	[55]

Brackets round a club denote the player joined that club after his Birmingham City contract expired.

Loan in

Date	Player	Club	Return	Ref
31 August 2016	Lukas Jutkiewicz	Burnley	2 January 2017	[14]
31 August 2016	Rhoys Wiggins	AFC Bournemouth	2 January 2017	[15]

Loan out

Date	Player	Club	Return	Ref
9 August 2016	Wes Harding	Alfreton Town	9 September 2016	[56]
12 August 2016	Alex Jones	Port Vale	2 January 2017	[20]
17 August 2016	Andrew Shinnie	Hibernian	End of season	[16]
19 August 2016	Koby Arthur	Cheltenham Town	2 January 2017	[18]
19 August 2016	Charlee Adams	Kilmarnock	5 January 2017	[19]
31 August 2016	Nicolai Brock-Madsen	PEC Zwolle	End of season	[17]

Appearances and goals

Sources:^[57][58][59]

Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute.

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

Players with names in italics and marked * were on loan from another club for the whole of their season with Birmingham.

Players listed with no appearances have been in the matchday squad but only as unused substitutes.

Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward

Players included in matchday squads

No.	Pos.	Nat.	Name	League		FA Cup		EFL Cup		Total		Discipline
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1	GK	ENG	Adam Legzdins	8	0	0	0	1	0	9	0	0	0
3	DF	ENG	Jonathan Grounds	17	0	0	0	1	0	18	0	5	0
4	DF	ENG	Paul Robinson	1 (6)	0	0	0	1	0	2 (6)	0	1	0
5	DF	ENG	Ryan Shotton	18	2	0	0	0	0	18	2	3	0
6	MF	NED	Maikel Kieftenbeld	14	0	0	0	1	0	15	0	2	0
7	MF	GER	Robert Tesche	4 (3)	0	0	0	1	0	5 (3)	0	0	0
8	MF	IRL	Stephen Gleeson	13	1	0	0	0 (1)	0	13 (1)	1	2	0
9	FW	JAM	Clayton Donaldson	12 (3)	5	0	0	0 (1)	0	12 (4)	5	2	0
10	MF	ITA	Diego Fabbrini	1 (4)	0	0	0	0	0	1 (4)	0	0	0
11	MF	WAL	David Cotterill	13 (3)	1	0	0	0	0	13 (3)	1	2	0
12	DF	WAL	Rhoys Wiggins	1 (1)	0	0	0	0	0	1 (1)	0	0	0
14	FW	ENG	Che Adams	9 (6)	3	0	0	0	0	9 (6)	3	0	0
15	FW	ENG	Lukas Jutkiewicz	10 (3)	5	0	0	0	0	10 (3)	5	0	0
17	MF	ENG	Viv Solomon-Otabor	0 (2)	0	0	0	1	0	1 (2)	0	0	0
18	MF	ENG	Reece Brown	1 (6)	0	0	0	0	0	1 (6)	0	0	0
19	MF	COD	Jacques Maghoma	14 (2)	2	0	0	0 (1)	0	14 (3)	2	3	0
20	FW	SCO	Greg Stewart	1 (8)	0	0	0	0	0	1 (8)	0	0	0
21	FW	ENG	James Vaughan	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0
22	MF	SCO	Andrew Shinnie	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
23	DF	USA	Jonathan Spector	16	0	0	0	0	0	16	0	1	1
25	DF	ENG	Josh Dacres-Cogley	1	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	0
26	MF	ENG	David Davis	16 (1)	3	0	0	0	0	16 (1)	3	7	0
27	GK	ENG	Connal Trueman	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
28	DF	ENG	Michael Morrison	18	2	0	0	1	0	18	2	3	0
29	GK	POL	Tomasz Kuszczak	10	0	0	0	0	0	10	0	0	0
31	DF	SCO	Paul Caddis	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0
38	FW	ENG	Jack Storer	0 (3)	0	0	0	1	0	1 (3)	0	1	1

Players not included in matchday squads

No.	Pos.	Nat.	Name
16	MF	ENG	Charlee Adams
24	MF	GHA	Koby Arthur
44	FW	DNK	Nicolai Brock-Madsen

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