Birmingham City Football Club

Birmingham City spent much of the 2000s oscillating between the Premier League and the Championship, but the period produced the most iconic moment in the club's modern history. Under Alex McLeish, the Blues won the 2011 League Cup with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Arsenal at Wembley, Obafemi Martins scoring the winner in the 89th minute. It was the club's first major trophy since winning the League Cup in 1963.

The triumph was bittersweet, however. Despite qualifying for the Europa League as a result, Birmingham were relegated from the Premier League in the same season, beginning a long absence from the top flight that continues to this day. The Europa League campaign itself provided memorable nights, including a group stage that took the club to places like Bruges and Maribor, before elimination by Club Brugge in the round of 16.

After relegation from the Premier League in 2011, Birmingham entered a prolonged period of decline. The club's Hong Kong-based parent company, Birmingham International Holdings, became embroiled in legal disputes, financial difficulties, and boardroom chaos. Multiple managers came and went, investment dried up, and the club became trapped in the lower reaches of the Championship.

The supporter base remained remarkably resilient through years of mismanagement, regularly filling St Andrew's despite the on-pitch struggles. But by 2022-23, the situation had become untenable, and the club finished 17th in the Championship. The 2023-24 season proved even worse, with Birmingham relegated to League One — dropping to the third tier for the first time since 1994-95 — a moment that crystallised just how far the club had fallen.