It had been 48 years since Birmingham City’s last major trophy.
When 6,431 fans attended a rain-soaked St Andrew’s for their League Cup second round clash against Rochdale, very few had given thought to Alex McLeish’s men going far in the competition.
After all, Birmingham had only advanced beyond the fourth round once in the League Cup since their appearance in the final at the Millennium Stadium in 2001, where they fell agonisingly short against Liverpool.
The priority was the Premier League.
Off the back of a season where they recorded their highest-ever league finish by ending the 2009/10 campaign in 9th, the Blues were looking to consolidate their top-flight status and prove that the success of the previous term was no flash in the pan.
Birmingham had sought to strengthen their squad in the summer. Ben Foster was acquired from Manchester United to replace Joe Hart, Jean Beausejour was a left-field but striking capture from Mexico, while the club paid a then club-record fee to lure Nikola Zigic from Valencia as they looked to address a lack of goals up top.
Arguably the icing on the cake in the summer transfer window was the loan signing of Alex Hleb from Barcelona. There was a scent of Christophe Dugarry to the transfer of the Belarussian; a technically exquisite rose amongst a group of industrious and reliable thorns.
Having made a strong start to the campaign with four points from encounters against Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers, a much-changed Blues side were given a run for their money by League One Rochdale.
Goals from James McFadden, David Murphy and Matt Derbyshire saw the Blues come from behind to topple Keith Hill’s outfit. A debut for Nathan Redmond, who at 16 became the club’s second youngest ever player after Trevor Francis, was the highlight of an otherwise uninspiring evening in the Second City.
The visit of MK Dons in the third round proved a far easier assignment for the Blues and provided Hleb and Zigic with the opportunity to open their accounts for the club.
Birmingham’s favourable run did not end there. Another League One side, this time Brentford, were drawn to make the trip to B9.
The Bees had demonstrated their hand at giant killings in the previous round after toppling Everton on penalties and Sam Wood’s volley after 68 minutes had put Andy Scott’s men on the verge of another Premier League scalp.
But if there’s a man you need in the time of a crisis, it’s Kevin Phillips.
The veteran striker had performed countless rescue acts over the previous two seasons, most notably in the 2-1 win over local rivals Wolves where Phillips scored a brace shortly after being introduced as a substitute.
Phillips was on hand to net deep into stoppage time to restore parity and with nothing to split the sides after extra time, the Blues prevailed on penalties to set up a blockbuster quarter-final tie with Aston Villa.
The hatred between the two clubs is well-documented. It was the first Second City derby to be played of an evening in over seven years and a floodlit St Andrew’s only served to intensify a hostile atmosphere that was brimming with anticipation.
There were no thoughts of Wembley at this stage. The objective was clear: beat ‘them’.
Birmingham struck first in the contest after Lee Bowyer’s endeavouring run resulted in him being clipped by Richard Dunne and Sebastian Larsson dispatched the resulting spot-kick.
Aston Villa levelled before half-time through none other than Birmingham’s chief tormentor, Gabriel Agbonlahor. In a match where no quarter was given, it was going to take something of obscene quality or immense fortune to split the pair.
Fortunately for the hosts, luck was on their side. Cameron Jerome lurched forward onto a searching Larsson pass and pulled the ball back into a dangerous area where the gangly Zigic had arched his run.
Luke Young had done his utmost to prevent Zigic’s shot from heading towards goal but the ball deflected off him, looping over Brad Friedel’s outstretched hand and into the back of the net.
Prior to that point, Zigic had flattered to deceive. Birmingham fans were unconvinced that the Premier League’s tallest player would be able to effectively immerse himself in the pace of the English game. All of that had gone out of the window. Anyone who scores the winner against the Villa is immediately inducted into the hall of fame.
Zigic was hauled to the ground by Craig Gardner as the Tilton Road bounced in sheer jubilation. As far as all the Bluenoses were concerned, this cup run had reached its peak.
It was just old-school football, like it used to be. The atmosphere was out of this world. You could see what it meant to beat their rivals. It was huge.
- Stephen Carr to the Guardian
Another claret and blue outfit awaited them in the semi-finals in the shape of West Ham.
McLeish’s side endured a first-half onslaught at Upton Park and Mark Noble deservedly put the Hammers ahead. The visitors responded through a thumping Liam Ridgewell header in the second half and were in the ascendancy after Victor Obinna was dismissed until Foster blundered a tame Carlton Cole shot into his own net.
Returning to home comforts for the second leg, a raucous St Andrew’s crowd was silenced following an outrageous strike from West Ham forward Cole. Facing a two-goal deficit with 45 minutes of the tie remaining, McLeish was forced to roll the dice.
On came Zigic and the dynamic of the match dramatically altered. Birmingham went direct to the big man and West Ham were beginning to wilt under the pressure.
Once the Blues reduced the deficit courtesy of Lee Bowyer on the hour mark, the momentum swung. Birmingham still needed another to force extra time and they got it thanks to another corner, with Roger Johnson leaping forward to connect with Bowyer’s drilled cross.
“Though you’re tired and weary, still journey on,” are the lyrics of Birmingham’s famous anthem ‘Keep Right On’ and they couldn’t have been more fitting as the game opened up in extra time.
Stephen Carr, the captain, crucially seized possession in the middle of the pitch and scampered forward before finding Craig Gardner in acres of space.
The local lad and boyhood Bluenose got the ball out of his feet and tried his luck from distance, fizzing an effort at goal. It wasn’t the cleanest strike in Gardner’s impressive collection of long-range screamers, but it was enough to beat Rob Green and nestle into the far corner.
Birmingham City were on their way to Wembley.
Not many had given them a sniff of lifting the League Cup trophy. After all, it was Arsenal who were their opponents, a side that had convincingly swatted them aside in a 3-0 win at St Andrew’s six weeks prior.
For all the flamboyant brilliance of the Gunners, who were looking to end a six-year trophy drought of their own, there was a fragility to them. Only 11 days separated their magnificent 2-1 triumph over Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona and their surrendering of a four-goal lead at St James’ Park against Newcastle United.
There was encouragement for Birmingham in that Arsenal’s captain and chief orchestrator Cesc Fabregas was unavailable for the Wembley date through injury, however McLeish had concerns of his own to contend with.
Scott Dann, the ever-reliable central defender who had forged an impenetrable partnership with Roger Johnson, was unavailable, along with the creative talents of Hleb and David Bentley.
McLeish opted for a five-man midfield, with Zigic leading the line on his own and Bowyer supporting with enterprising runs from deep.
The tactical alteration nearly paid dividends early on. Bowyer latched on to a Zigic pass and was hauled down by Wojciech Szczesny, only for play to be called back for offside. If the same sequence was played out in an age of VAR, Birmingham would have had a penalty and Arsenal would have been down to 10 men.
Birmingham brushed off that injustice prior to the half-hour mark when Johnson headed Larsson’s corner back into a dangerous area and a stretching Zigic flicked the ball in.
A sea of blue at the opposite end of Wembley erupted.
Arsenal would inevitably respond, testing the character and resilience of McLeish’s side. With half-time looming, Jack Wilshere thundered an effort off the crossbar. With the frame of the goal still shaking, Andrey Arshavin collected the ball and recycled to where Robin van Persie was lurking.
The Dutchman acrobatically wrapped his right leg around Martin Jiranek and directed a volley into the bottom corner.
Birmingham’s resolve had been broken, but if there was anything positive to come out of Arsenal’s equalising goal, it was that Van Persie had injured himself in the process.
Remaining on the field, a stricken Van Persie remained a threat but whatever the Gunners conjured, Foster had the answer. The Leamington-born shot-stopper made 11 saves to keep Arsenal at bay and the longer the underdogs remained in the contest, the greater the threat they carried on the counter-attack.
Beausejour, who had come on for Gardner, hounded Johan Djourou out of possession and an opportunity opened up for Keith Fahey, whose instinctive strike ricocheted off the woodwork before being hooked away by Bacary Sagna.
It proved to be Fahey’s last significant contribution of the match. The Irishman was withdrawn. His replacement: Obafemi Martins.
Signed in the January transfer window on loan from Rubin Kazan, the former Newcastle United striker was expected to provide additional firepower to a Birmingham side that were still struggling to light up the goal charts.
Martins would only make six appearances for the Blues, of which his fourth was at Wembley. Introduced in the 85th minute, the Nigerian was presented with the easiest opportunity of his career just four minutes later.
A long, searching free-kick from Foster was flicked on by Zigic and seemingly heading into the clutches of Szczesny. Laurent Koscielny wasn’t aware of his goalkeeper’s presence and took an almighty swing to clear the danger. Neither Szczesny nor Koscielny were decisive, and the ball fumbled into the path of Martins.
Martins rolled the ball into an empty net. Pandemonium ensued, unbridled joy etched across the faces of all Birmingham supporters as Martins delivered his trademark acrobatic goal celebration.
It was the easiest goal of his life, but equally the most important.
David had conquered Goliath.
This wasn’t supposed to happen, not to little old Birmingham City on the grandest of stages.
Having retired from the game two years prior, Stephen Carr was now leading the team up the steps to collect the trophy. It was a day that would be etched in the memory of every Bluenose for eternity.
There was an expectation that this seismic result would mark the start of a special period in Birmingham’s history. There were 12 matches remaining in the Premier League season and an opportunity to kick on.
Advance 10 weeks from their date at Wembley, Birmingham were relegated.
Ironically before the final, many supporters outlined if they had the option of Premier League safety or winning the League Cup, they’d just choose the latter. Very few anticipated that such a choice would be a reality.
McLeish’s men were embroiled in a five-team scrap for survival on the final day of the season. A result against Tottenham at White Hart Lane was required to avert danger and despite other results initially going in their favour, Birmingham fell behind to a goal from a striker they’d attempted to sign in January, Roman Pavlyuchenko.
A stunning strike from Gardner gave Brum hope of escape but Wolves’ second goal against West Ham meant they had to go in search of a winner.
Committing men forward, their Premier League status was snatched away in the dying embers as Pavlyuchenko netted a sublime second. Wembley felt a lifetime ago.
Their tally of 39 points would have retained their Premier League status in every season since.
Birmingham came close to securing an immediate return to the top-flight under Chris Hughton, but were beaten by Blackpool in the play-off semi-finals.
The club then entered a period of irreversible decline, plagued by ownership crises, points deductions and consistently underwhelming seasons. Being a Birmingham fan over the next decade wasn't an enjoyable experience.
A takeover by Knighthead Capital Management has reinvigorated the club, although after years of neglect, the new regime were unable to halt Birmingham sliding into the third tier for the first time since 1995.
Relegation has enabled the Blues to hit the reset button. Supporters that have dreamt of that famous day under the Wembley arch in February 2011 are now believing that those days will return.
With the knowledge of the subsequent misery, would anybody associated with Birmingham City swap their Wembley triumph in favour of Premier League security? Not a chance.
Manager: Alex McLeish
Top goalscorer: Craig Gardner (8 league; 10 all competitions)
Player of the Year: Ben Foster
Achievements: League Cup winners