This page shows the ELO score history of the selected club - mapping their best and worst sides of all time, and their most unlikely victories and defeats based on their ELO score.
Inspired by ClubELO.com, the ELO rating system is a method of calculating and comparing the relative strengths of teams in competition. For every match played, the ELO scores of the two teams are considered, and adjusted for other factors (such as home advantage), to calculate the likelihood of the match result. When the actual result of the game is known, the ELO score is adjusted accordingly, comparing the expected outcome of the game with the actual outcome - so a victory over Manchester United will be worth more points than one over Supermarine. The resulting ELO score can be used to compare the strengths of teams over time, and to project future results based on the current form of all teams.
Birmingham City
ELO Score History
A historical overview of Birmingham City's ELO scores.
Best Teams in History
A list of the top 15 Birmingham City sides in history, based on their ELO score.
| Year | Date Recorded | ELO Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Saturday September 8th, 1956 | 4,100.98 |
| 1905 | Saturday January 28th, 1905 | 4,092.91 |
| 1906 | Saturday February 17th, 1906 | 4,066.59 |
| 1904 | Saturday December 3rd, 1904 | 4,064.76 |
| 1957 | Tuesday January 1st, 1957 | 4,053.75 |
| 1959 | Wednesday April 29th, 1959 | 4,044.93 |
| 1948 | Saturday October 9th, 1948 | 4,025.61 |
| 1907 | Tuesday January 1st, 1907 | 4,023.42 |
| 2004 | Saturday March 6th, 2004 | 4,021.15 |
| 2011 | Sunday February 27th, 2011 | 4,018.49 |
| 2003 | Saturday October 25th, 2003 | 4,017.25 |
| 2010 | Sunday February 7th, 2010 | 4,013.10 |
| 1955 | Saturday December 3rd, 1955 | 4,011.43 |
| 2005 | Saturday January 1st, 2005 | 4,007.60 |
| 1960 | Wednesday August 31st, 1960 | 4,006.72 |
Worst Teams in History
A list of the worst 15 Birmingham City sides in history, based on their ELO score.
| Year | Date Recorded | ELO Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Saturday January 19th, 1991 | 3,584.11 |
| 1990 | Saturday December 29th, 1990 | 3,585.36 |
| 1910 | Saturday December 3rd, 1910 | 3,600.49 |
| 1989 | Saturday April 8th, 1989 | 3,610.14 |
| 1994 | Tuesday March 15th, 1994 | 3,624.10 |
Significant Victories
A list of the twenty most significant victories in Birmingham City history, based on the ELO points difference between the two teams.
| Match | Win % | Score | ELO +/- |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Birmingham City (3,830) vs. Liverpool (4,154) Wednesday April 22nd, 1964 |
21.94% | 3-1 | +23.4 |
|
Birmingham City (3,957) vs. Chelsea (4,279) Saturday November 20th, 2010 |
16.86% | 1-0 | +16.6 |
|
Birmingham City (3,972) vs. Arsenal (4,293) Sunday May 15th, 2005 |
18.25% | 2-1 | +16.4 |
|
Birmingham (3,665) vs. Chelsea (3,972) Saturday March 18th, 1911 |
25.95% | 2-1 | +14.8 |
|
Birmingham City (3,731) vs. Fulham (4,032) Sunday May 6th, 2018 |
18.07% | 3-1 | +24.6 |
|
Birmingham (3,625) vs. Derby County (3,926) Saturday February 18th, 1911 |
26.71% | 2-0 | +22.0 |
|
Birmingham (3,898) vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers (4,180) Saturday March 11th, 1939 |
29.50% | 3-2 | +14.1 |
|
Birmingham City (3,886) vs. Liverpool (4,141) Sunday February 23rd, 2003 |
25.09% | 2-1 | +15.0 |
|
Birmingham (3,920) vs. Arsenal (4,175) Saturday February 9th, 1935 |
32.98% | 3-0 | +23.5 |
|
Birmingham City (3,915) vs. Liverpool (4,168) Saturday August 28th, 1976 |
29.70% | 2-1 | +14.1 |
|
Birmingham City (3,841) vs. Arsenal (4,092) Saturday February 4th, 1950 |
28.79% | 2-1 | +14.2 |
|
Manchester United (4,109) vs. Birmingham City (3,862) Friday April 7th, 1950 |
12.30% | 0-2 | +26.3 |
|
Birmingham (3,651) vs. Leicester Fosse (3,897) Saturday March 19th, 1910 |
33.10% | 2-1 | +13.4 |
|
Birmingham (3,649) vs. Hull City (3,895) Tuesday December 26th, 1911 |
33.21% | 5-1 | +25.0 |
|
Wolverhampton Wanderers (4,130) vs. Birmingham City (3,884) Saturday January 9th, 1954 |
11.67% | 1-2 | +17.7 |
|
Derby County (3,896) vs. Birmingham (3,658) Wednesday February 21st, 1912 |
11.04% | 0-1 | +17.8 |
|
Birmingham City (3,611) vs. Blackburn Rovers (3,848) Saturday April 22nd, 1989 |
29.00% | 2-0 | +21.3 |
|
Birmingham City (3,905) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (4,141) Saturday March 1st, 2008 |
25.41% | 4-1 | +26.1 |
|
Chelsea (3,921) vs. Birmingham (3,687) Saturday March 16th, 1912 |
11.22% | 0-2 | +26.6 |
|
Birmingham City (3,731) vs. Brentford (3,966) Saturday September 12th, 2020 |
24.57% | 1-0 | +15.1 |
Significant Defeats
A list of the twenty most significant defeats in Birmingham City history, based on the ELO points difference between the two teams.
| Match | Win % | Score | ELO +/- |
|---|---|---|---|
|
South Shields AFC (3,171) vs. Birmingham (3,812) Monday September 1st, 1919 |
95.28% | 1-0 | -19.1 |
|
Crewe Alexandra (3,444) vs. Birmingham City (3,968) Wednesday September 11th, 1974 |
91.96% | 2-1 | -18.4 |
|
York City (3,541) vs. Birmingham City (3,963) Wednesday January 8th, 1958 |
85.99% | 3-0 | -30.1 |
|
Blackpool (3,602) vs. Birmingham City (4,009) Tuesday September 23rd, 2003 |
88.06% | 1-0 | -8.8 |
|
Small Heath (4,093) vs. Portsmouth (3,690) Saturday February 4th, 1905 |
95.63% | 0-2 | -28.7 |
|
Birmingham City (3,838) vs. Altrincham (3,447) Tuesday January 14th, 1986 |
94.12% | 1-2 | -18.8 |
|
Birmingham City (3,982) vs. Notts County (3,596) Saturday January 10th, 1948 |
94.60% | 0-2 | -28.4 |
|
Watford (3,565) vs. Birmingham City (3,947) Saturday January 9th, 1960 |
83.28% | 2-1 | -16.7 |
|
Gainsborough Trinity (3,614) vs. Small Heath (3,982) Saturday October 18th, 1902 |
79.05% | 1-0 | -15.8 |
|
Birmingham City (3,921) vs. Port Vale (3,576) Tuesday August 26th, 2025 |
90.05% | 0-1 | -9.0 |
|
Birmingham City (3,917) vs. Leyton Orient (3,582) Saturday February 2nd, 1952 |
92.24% | 0-1 | -18.4 |
|
Shrewsbury Town (3,495) vs. Birmingham City (3,817) Saturday November 23rd, 2024 |
83.64% | 3-2 | -16.7 |
|
South Shields AFC (3,561) vs. Birmingham (3,873) Saturday August 28th, 1920 |
75.47% | 3-0 | -26.4 |
|
Huddersfield Town (3,609) vs. Birmingham City (3,913) Saturday January 5th, 2008 |
81.23% | 2-1 | -8.1 |
|
Leicester City (3,587) vs. Birmingham (3,881) Thursday December 25th, 1919 |
73.27% | 1-0 | -14.7 |
|
Birmingham City (3,740) vs. Cambridge United (3,452) Saturday September 5th, 2020 |
86.84% | 0-1 | -8.7 |
|
Doncaster Rovers (3,706) vs. Small Heath (3,994) Saturday December 13th, 1902 |
70.37% | 1-0 | -14.1 |
|
Swansea Town (3,686) vs. Birmingham City (3,972) Thursday December 26th, 1946 |
71.75% | 1-0 | -14.3 |
|
Chesterfield Town (3,614) vs. Birmingham (3,898) Saturday December 12th, 1908 |
71.63% | 4-2 | -21.5 |
|
Birmingham City (3,946) vs. Oldham Athletic (3,663) Tuesday March 5th, 1985 |
89.74% | 0-1 | -17.9 |
Opponents
A complete listing of Birmingham City's fortunes against all opponents that they have played ten or more matches against - ranked from most to least successful, based on the average ELO points gained or lost in each match.
