Birmingham City v Port Vale preview – will it be a cup of cheers (or jeers) for Moore’s men?

Who starts in goal?

This Vale fan felt that this fixture would be a good opportunity to play Joe Gauci but instead he came in a game earlier – for Saturday’s home defeat. So, what does that mean for the goalkeeping choice? Does Moore go with Gauci again or rotate in Marko Marosi for this clash?

More rotating doors?

And speaking of rotation… after an eyebrow raising six changes at the weekend will Darren Moore continue to move players in and out. The indications are, that despite concerns such as those raised in our opinion piece, the team will be much changed from Saturday.

Pressure’s on

After such a poor start to the League campaign, Vale remain winless. So, it probably goes without saying that a cup upset and resulting cup run would be a welcome relief to under pressure Darren Moore.

Injuries

The Valiants continue to have limited options upfront. Ruari Paton is back training but may not feature. Fellow striker Jayden Stockley is now out for a “few weeks”. 

Possible Vale line-up (3-5-2)

Gauci – Debrah, Humphreys, Hall – Clark, Croasdale, Ojo, Shipley, Gordon – Waine, Faal

(but frankly your guess is as good as mine!)

Opinion: have Port Vale not learned from the lesson of last season?

Summer business

City are a club with huge ambitions having been taken over by a wealthy American consortium fronted by Tom Wagner. Transfer activity this summer has seen well-travelled striker Alfie May depart and in have come former Blues winger Demarai Gray and an eye catching £10m move for Kyogo Furuhashi. Birmingham also unveiled ambitious stadium plans under their new owners.

Meet the manager

Chris Davies was formerly assistant to Brendon Rodgers and was handed the Birmingham job in June 2024, his first managerial appointment. He has a record of 47 wins from 64 games in charge and guided the club to promotion last season.

Recent form

The Blues obtained a narrow 1-0 win over Oxford City at the weekend and sit in fifth place in the Championship.

Team news

Very difficult to predict but it’s highly likely we will see a much rotated Birmingham side for this fixture.

Cup form

Birmingham defeated Sheffield United 2-1 in the first round.

Brief History

Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance,  the club was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. They were founder members of the Football League Second Division. The most successful period in their history was in the 1950s and early 1960s. They won the League Cup in 1963 and again in 2011. Birmingham have played in the top tier of English football for around half of their history.

Stadia

The club played at three other grounds before settling on St Andrews. The opening ceremony was on Boxing Day 1906 and the club have played there ever since. It currently has a capacity of 29,409. The club recently announced plans for a proposed new stadium to replace St Andrews. It would have a 55,000 capacity.

Trivia

Although an urban myth persists that the St Andrews ground was cursed by gypsies after they were evicted, there’s no evidence gypsies camped on the site or were evicted by the club.

Watch: Birmingham City vs Port Vale 1997 (full 90 mins)

Fixture history

The two sides played a friendly in the summer which ended in a 2-0 loss for the Vale. Our last League meeting ended in a comprehensive 3-1 Championship win for the Valiants back in 2000. Tony Naylor gave Vale an early lead before late strikes from Tommy Widdrington and Tony Rougier made the game safe. It was played in front of a crowd of 7,702. The first meeting wasn’t so pleasant though – with Vale losing 5-1 back in 1892. The two sides have not met in the League Cup.

Classic clash

We’re going to go all the way back to 1893 for Vale’s highest win over Birmingham – a 5-0 victory. It came courtesy of a hat-trick from Vale striker Billy Beats who would finish with twenty goals at the end of the season. It was played in front of around 3,000 at the Cobridge stadium.

Player connections

There seems to be a well-worn path between two clubs, albeit less travelled in recent years. Some of the players to appear for both include veteran striker Geoff Horsfield and tricky winger Steve Fox. Others include Vale legend Phil Sproson, who finished his career at Birmingham; striker Alex Jones who enjoyed a successful loan spell with Vale and midfielder David Howland.

Vintage connection

Jon McCarthy was the club record sale by Port Vale when he moved for £1.5m in 1997. He is remembered fondly by Vale fans for a sparkling wing partnership with Steve Guppy in the mid-90s.

Discuss the game

Want to discuss things before, during and after the game? Our forum’s dedicated match thread is the place to be. Share your views with fellow fans –

Match thread for the game

Quiz

Have you been paying attention? Here’s our traditional preview quiz

Who is the current Birmingham City manager?
When were Birmingham City formed?
What was the score when the sides last met (competitively)?
Which Vale winger was sold to Birmingham for £1.5m?

(answers below – no cheating)

Quiz answers

Chris Davies
1875
Port Vale 3-1 Birmingham City
Jon McCarthy

Quiz ratings

Today’s theme (it’s a long one) is goalkeepers (permanent signings, not loanees) who played for Vale in the last ten years… How did you fare?

0/4 – Lucas Covolon
1/4 – Rob Lainton
2/4 – Connor Ripley
3/4 – Jak Alnwick
4/4 – Scott Brown