We have a series of three Birmingham City Vintage posts for you and this opener features old pictures featuring a number of the club’s star players during the 1950s and early 1960s.

These were good times for the Blues. Promoted back to Division One in 1955, within twelve months Birmingham had managed a best-ever sixth placed in Division One and reached the second FA Cup Final in their history. The St.Andrews club were European pioneers during these years too and under former long-serving player Gil Merrick (featured here) they reached, and lost, successive Fairs Cup Finals in 1960 and 1961.

The club’s first major trophy success followed in 1963 with a surprise League Cup win over local rivals Aston Villa.

Gil Merrick, Birmingham City 1951

Jeff Hall, Birmingham City 1959

Dick Neal, Birmingham City 1959

Eddy Brown, Birmingham City 1959

Bunny Larkin, Birmingham City 1959

Harry Hooper, Birmingham City 1959

Gil Merrick, Birmingham City 1959

John Watts, Birmingham City 1959

Bryan Orritt, Birmingham City 1959

Johnny Schofield, Birmingham City 1962

Bertie Auld, Birmingham City 1963

Smith and Schofield, Birmingham City 1963

Colin Withers, Birmingham City 1964

Birmingham City 1964