birmingham city away travel

BIRMINGHAM CITY

St Andrew’s (capacity 30,016)

Birmingham City moved from their Muntz Street ground to St Andrew’s in 1906 after outgrowing their original home. The stadium originally consisted of one covered main stand and open terraces on the other sides, with an estimated capacity of 75,000 spectators.

The stadium was extensively damaged during the Second World War, which prompted the club to rebuild St Andrew’s, and further improvements were made throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s. The stadium then underwent major redevelopment in the 1990’s, with two all-seater stands replacing the old Kop and Tilton Road Terraces.

Away fans visiting St Andrew’s are located in the lower tier on one side of the Gil Merrick Stand, with an allocation of around 3,000 which can be increased to 4,500 depending on demand.

Founded:  1875 | Web: www.bcfc.com  | Phone: 0121 772 0101 |  Email:  [email protected]

Stadium Layout

Stadium prices.

Adults: £15 – £30

Directions by Car

For directions to Birmingham City’s St Andrews (B9 4RL for Sat Navs) from wherever your journey starts, just type in your postcode or starting location here:

There is a small car park directly outside the entrance to the away end, but the availability is dependent on how many away coaches there are. There are other options, including Birmingham Wheels Park, as well as some street parking around the stadium. Some local schools in the vicinity also offer parking for around £5.

We’ve compiled a list of car parks, below, near to St Andrew’s for hassle free parking while you’re at the match.

The closest railway station to St Andrew’s is Bordesley, which is around a ten minute walk from the stadium. However, this station is only served by Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill, whereas the majority of away fans will arrive into Birmingham New Street.

Birmingham New Street is over 2 miles away from St Andrew’s, so you may wish to take a taxi, which will cost you around £8. However, if you do wish to walk, then upon leaving the concourse you need to follow the signs for Moor Street and Bullring. When you exit the building, cross the road to where the large Debenhams store is and turn right. At the end of the block, you’ll come to a door with a sign pointing downwards towards Bull Ring Markets. Go down the stairs and turn left and go along that road with Debenhams now on your left. You’ll pass a church on your left and some markets on your right.

Take a right onto Moat Lane, and follow this until you reach the traffic lights where you should take a right on to Digbeth High Street. You’ll then pass Birmingham Coach Station on your right, then use the pedestrian crossing to cross the carriageway. Continue up the High Street until you reach a fork in the road where you should bear left underneath a railway bridge. Continue on this road, crossing a roundabout, and you’ll find the away section further up on your left.

Find train times and book your tickets for the best available prices by clicking through to the trainline website below:

There are a number of away friendly pubs near St Andrew’s, all of which cater to different needs. Please note, however, that some bars require club colours to be covered and some do not allow children.

However, rather than take our word for it, we want to give you the view from other away fans who have visited St Andrew’s.

Over the coming months we will be building up fans reviews of the best places to drink on an away trip to Birmingham City, and you’ll be able to find them here.

In the meantime, we’ve included a map below with all the best away pubs highlighted for you.

Hotels in Birmingham

Birmingham offers a variety of overnight accommodation to suit all budgets.

Use our Booking.com panel to get availability and to book at the best prices:

Upcoming Visitors to St Andrew's

See what other away fans think of Birmingham City’s St Andrews in our ‘Away Day Reviews’. 

If you’ve already been, then you can share your experience with us by writing your own review.

See how Birmingham City perform in our away day rankings, where away fans rate the pie, pint, cuppa and away day overall.

Check out our photo gallery where you can view other away fans’ photos. You can also share your own experience by uploading your own!

• Betting Offers
• Football betting tips
• Euro 2024 tickets
• Euro 2024 stadiums
• New Stadiums

Birmingham City

St andrew's @ knighthead park.

Capacity: 29,409 (all seated) Address: Cattell Road, St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, Birmingham, B9 4RL Telephone: 0121 772 0101 Fax: [email protected] Ticket Office: 0121 772 0101 option 2 Pitch Size: 100m x 66m Pitch Type: SISGrass Hybrid Club Nickname: The Blues Year Ground Opened: 1906 Undersoil Heating: Yes Shirt Sponsors: UNDEFEATED Kit Manufacturer: Nike Home Kit: Royal Blue and White Away Kit: Red and Black

What Is St Andrew's Like?

Apart from the Main Stand on one side, the rest of the ground is fairly modern. This Main Stand, which was opened in 1952, is two-tiered and runs along one side of the pitch and has a row of executive boxes running across its middle.

This stand is the smallest at the stadium and is looking particularly tired amongst its more modern neighbours. This stand also houses the press area, and television gantry and has the team dugouts located in front of it. The team dressing rooms are situated within the Gil Merrick Stand, which results in the teams entering the field of play from one corner of the stadium between this stand and the Main Stand. Also in this corner is a large video screen, above which is the Jeff Hall Memorial Clock.

This clock is in remembrance of a former player and England international who tragically lost his life at the age of 29 to Polio in 1959.

The rest of the ground is quite smart-looking. One large two-tiered stand, incorporating the Tilton Road End and Spion Kop, surrounds half the pitch and replaced a former huge terrace. The new Tilton Road End was opened for the start of the 1994-95 season, with the new Spion Kop following in 1995. At the back of the Spion Kop Stand, which runs along one side of the pitch, are a row of executive boxes, as well as a central seated executive area which also incorporates the Directors ‘box’. The other modern stand, the Gil Merrick Stand (previously known as the Railway End) was opened in February 1999. It is a large two-tiered stand and is unusual in having quite a small top tier, which overhangs the larger lower area. Again there is a row of executive boxes in this stand, housed at the back of the lower section.

Following the recent takeover of Birmingham City, the club’s stadium name was changed to St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park in January 2024.

What is it like for visiting supporters?

Away supporters are housed on one side of the Gil Merrick Stand, which is located at one end of the stadium in the lower tier. The normal allocation is 3,000 tickets, but this can be increased to around 4,500 for cup games (when the whole of the lower tier is allocated).

This stand is normally shared with home fans housed on the other side who are separated by plastic netting.

John a visiting Burnley informs me; ‘The beer inside the ground was drinkable and the Balti pies were delicious! On the downside, the seat I had been allocated was in Row 21 seat 002 which was right up against the wall. I’ve had more legroom on a package tour flight to the Canaries! What annoyed me was a small section of the City fans who spent the entire game screaming abuse and gesturing to the away fans. Jordan Cottrell a visiting Chelsea fan tells me; ‘Away fans were searched by the stewards before entering the ground. I also noticed that any plastic bottles were being confiscated.’ Alan Sexton a visiting West Ham supporter adds; ‘The ground itself is three-quarters of the way to being a top class stadium but desperately needs a new Main Stand. If this is built, joining with the Tilton Road and Railway Stands then St Andrews will be one of the best if not the best ground in the Midlands. Atmosphere wise it was the best ground I have visited all season for sheer volume before and during the game. As for the concourses, they left little to be desired and were extremely crowded, the scrum to try and get a pie was not for the faint-hearted.”

If arriving early and looking for food, then just down from the visitor’s entrance are several burger vans, dotted along the side of the road selling the usual fayre. Further on down towards the roundabout there is a McDonalds outlet. Also across the road from the away fans, gates is a small retail park that has a Morrisons Supermarket. This contains a cafe and also has a cash point.

It is worth bearing in mind though, that a certain section of Birmingham fans are particularly passionate about their club and this can make for an intimidating atmosphere for away supporters. I would advise as a precaution to keep your club colours covered around the ground or in the city centre.’

Pubs for away fans

There are not many pubs located near St Andrew’s and what ones there are quite intimidating for away supporters and are not recommended. One exception is the Cricketers Arms on Green Lane, as Simon a visiting Chelsea fan informs me; ‘On our last visit to St Andrew’s, we managed to find a friendly pub within proximity of the ground. The pub is called The Cricketers Arms and is about 10 10-minute walk, maybe less. To find the pub (with your back to the away section) walk along the road ahead of you going away from the ground (not the road going right up by the stadium, but the road going towards Morrisons). Walk through Morrisons car park heading towards the store then join the road next to it, which is called Green Lane. The pub is 30 seconds from there on the left. The pub itself is shared between home and away fans but all the Birmingham fans were very friendly. The pub is small but you can drink outside where there are beer tables’.

It is best to drink in the city centre and get a taxi to the ground (about £9). If you are walking to the ground from the city centre, then you may care to stop at the Anchor Pub on Bradford Street, renowned for its range of real ales on offer. Although several Blues fans frequent the pub they tend to be of the CAMRA bearded variety and therefore as long as you don’t turn up mobbed-handed, you should be okay. The pub is situated just behind Birmingham Coach Station. Going on further towards the ground then you are likely to pass the Old Crown, on Digbeth High Street, which apart from being Birmingham’s oldest building, is also a pub which normally allows in away fans. Also in the same area is the DigBrew Company who are based on River Street (B5 5SA) and is open on Saturdays from noon. This brewery which is located in an old industrial unit has a bar inside and is welcoming to visiting supporters. Although basic inside, the beer (both real ale and craft) is good and the brewery is around a 15-minute walk away from the visitor’s turnstiles (going in the general direction of the city centre)

If you coming by train, or decide to drink in the city centre beforehand, then if you like your real ale, you can’t do much better than visiting the Wellington Pub on Bennetts Hill. With 16 real ales on tap, including 12 guest ales, this is somewhat of a mecca for real ale drinkers. Also on Bennetts Hill, there is the ‘Sun On The Hill’ pub, which also shows televised sports and there is a Wetherspoons Pub called the Briar Rose, which normally admits visiting fans as long as no colours are shown. The Wellington does not provide food but has no objections to you bringing in your own. There are a couple of taxi ranks nearby that you can use if you wish to get to the St Andrews ground. You can get more info on the Wellington pub website , including a live ‘beer board’ showing which ales they are currently serving. Just outside the main entrance to Birmingham New Street Station, is the Shakespeare pub, which is also popular with visiting supporters (normally under the watchful eye of the local Constabulary). Frequented not only by those on their way to St Andrews but those on their way to the Hawthorns, as West Brom normally plays their Saturday home games on the same day as Birmingham City.

Alcohol is normally made available to away fans inside the ground in the form of John Smith’s Bitter or Fosters Lager (£3.80 per pint), as well as Bottles of Bulmers Cider (£3.60) and Wine (£3.90). However, for certain high-profile fixtures, the Club opts not to sell any to away fans.

Food and Drink

There are many options for food and drink at the stadium with the food being rather special and being priced well also.

Fancy a curry?

Chicken curry, masala chips and rice at Birmingham City ( @BCFC ) 💷 £9 pic.twitter.com/2KnsbDAoDz — Footy Scran (@FootyScran) May 9, 2023

Pulled Pork and Chips

Pulled pork cob with fries, apple sauce and gravy at Birmingham City ( @BCFC ) 💷 £8 pic.twitter.com/A5EGZgpQSq — Footy Scran (@FootyScran) April 25, 2023

Honey BBQ Chicken

Honey BBQ chicken strips with chips at Birmingham City FC ( @BCFC ) 💷 £8.50 pic.twitter.com/LDxnoTLOru — Footy Scran (@FootyScran) February 25, 2023

Future Developments

Birmingham’s St Andrew’s Stadium reopened its Upper Tilton Stand ahead of their clash with Derby County on 10th September 2021. The stand had been closed since before the start of the 2021/22 season, along with the Upper Kop Stand. Construction is ongoing at the Upper Kop Stand and the Blues hope to reopen it sometime during this campaign. Once completed, the Upper Kop Stand will seat nearly 3000 season ticket holders.

On top of that, the Club are still weighing up the options as to the possibility of a moving to new stadium or whether to further re-develop St Andrews. If the latter option was chosen then this would involve the re-building of the Main Stand. This would increase the overall capacity of St Andrews to around 36,500 at a cost of around £12m. Of course, the more works carried out on the existing ground, the less likely a move becomes.

Ground History

Birmingham initially played on waste grounds off Arthur Street at Bordesley Green. Back then, they were operating under the name of Small Heath Alliance FC. The Blues relocated to a small fenced off field in Sparkbrook where they played for a year, before moving to a field adjoining Muntz Street, which was known as Small Heath.

The Muntz Street ground, which had a 10,000 capacity, was upgraded to occupy 30,000 people. In February 1905, during a league match with Aston Villa, —who would go on to be their biggest rivals— thousands of fans climbed the walls in order to gain entry with the total attendance estimated to sit at around the 35k mark. This incident led to a search for a new home.

A year later, the Blues moved to the St Andrew’s Stadium. St Andrew’s Stadium has been Birmingham’s stadium for 115 years, with the stadium most recently being renovated in the 1990s.

Directions and Car Parking

Leave the M6 at Junction 6 and take the A38(M) (known locally as the Aston Expressway) for Birmingham City Centre. Continue past the first turn off (Aston, Waterlinks) and then take the next turn off, for the Inner Ring Road.

Turn left at the island at the top of the slip road and take the Ring Road East, signposted Coventry/Stratford. Continue along the ring road for two miles, crossing straight across three roundabouts. At the fourth roundabout (there is a large McDonalds on the far left-hand side) turn left into Coventry Road going towards Small Heath. Birmingham City’s ground is about a 1/4 of a mile up this road on your left. The ground is well signposted on the Inner Ring Road.

Car Parking

There is no parking available, except for coaches, for visiting supporters at the ground itself.  To further complicate things then the main Coventry Road leading up to the ground and the away entrance is closed one hour before kick off and then for an hour (starting 15 minutes before the end of the game) afterwards, so really is a case of trying to find some street parking. There is plenty of street parking off the left hand side of the ring road. Either around the small park at the third roundabout that you cross (by Big John’s) or along the road next to and behind the BP garage before the fourth roundabout. Bear in mind that if you arrive after 1.30pm these areas are likely to be already full. There are some local schools and firms that offer parking facilities for around £5. There is also the option of renting a private driveway near St Andrews via YourParkingSpace.co.uk .

Post Code for SAT NAV: B9 4RL

The nearest station is Bordesley , which is about a ten minute walk away from the ground. It is served by trains from Birmingham Snow Hill and Birmingham Moor Street. Normally most trains don’t stop at Bordesley but on Saturday matchdays there is a regular service (every 10 minutes) and the train ride from Birmingham Moor Street only takes two to three minutes. For evening matches after the game has ended they run back from Bordesley to Moor Street at 21:51, 22:16, 22:22, 22:43 and 22:54.

If you arrive at Birmingham New Street Station in the city centre, either walk to Moor Street station (ten minutes) or take a taxi (about £9) or embark on the 25-30 minute walk to the ground, some of which is uphill.

Birmingham New Street Station has recently undergone some major refurbishment, so if you have not been for a while it will seem quite different, but for the better! As you come up off the platforms onto the main concourse follow the overhead signs towards Moor Street and Bullring. After passing through some glass doors you will come out onto the street and you will see a large Debenhams Store in front of you. Cross over the street towards Debenhams and then turn right. Go down to the end of the block and on the left you will see a doorway with a sign pointing downwards towards Bull Ring Markets. Enter the doorway and go down the stairs. At the bottom, turn left and proceed along the street with Debenhams now on your left. Pass the markets on your right and then St Martins Church on your left.  As you pass the Church you will reach the end of the pedestrianised area where you turn right into Moat Lane. Go down Moat Lane following it around to the left, passing a Chinese supermarket on your right. At the next traffic lights turn right onto Digbeth High Street (busy dual carriageway). Passing Birmingham Coach Station on your right, use the pedestrian crossing to cross over to the other side of the carriageway. Continue up the High Street Passing the Old Crown pub on your left (Birminghams oldest building and normally okay for away fans in small numbers). You will then reach a fork in the road where you want to bear left passing underneath a railway bridge. Continue straight down this road, crossing a large roundabout (with a McDonalds over on one corner). The entrance to the away section is further up the road on your left.

Otherwise, you can take the number 60 bus from the city centre to the ground. The bus departs from bus stop MS4, which is located across the road from Moor Street Station (see  Network West Midlands Birmingham City Centre Bus Stop map). It is a regular service running every ten minutes and takes around 15 minutes to reach the ground. Alternatively, the number 60 can also be caught outside Birmingham Coach Station.

Birmingham Coach Station

Birmingham Coach Station is located just over a mile away from St Andrews and is about a 20 minute walk away. As you come out of the main entrance, turn right and proceed along Digbeth High Street. At the traffic lights cross over onto the other side and continue along Digbeth High Street. You will pass the Old Crown pub on your left and then the handily located Deritend Fish & Chip shop. At the top of the road, the road forks into two. Take the left hand fork onto Coventry Road. Pass underneath a railway bridge (where Bordesley Station is located) and past the Clements Arms (not recommended for away fans) on your left. Just continue straight down this road, crossing a large roundabout (with a McDonalds over on one corner). The entrance to the away section is further up the road on your left. Otherwise, you can catch Bus No 60 from across the road to the main Coach Station Entrance which will take you up to the ground.

Ticket Prices

Ticket prices for Birmingham City matches vary dependant on the stand/area you choose to sit in as well as the game you attend with Birmingham City splitting their fixtures in Category A, B and C matches.

Tilton Road

Adult – £35 (Cat A), £32.50 (Cat B), £27 (Cat C) Senior – £27.50 (Cat A), £25 (Cat B), £22.50 (Cat C) 16-22 – £25 (Cat A), £22.50 (Cat B), £20 (Cat A) U16 – £10

Kop/Kop Corner

Adult – £37.50-£40 (Cat A), £35-£37.50 (Cat B), £32.50-£35 (Cat C) Senior – £32.50 (Cat A), £30 (Cat B), £27.50 (Cat C) 16-22 – £27.50 (Cat A), £25 (Cat B), £22.50 (Cat C) U16 – £10

Arthur’s Area Upper and Lower

Adult – £32.50-£35 (Cat A), £27.50-£32.50 (Cat B), £22.50-£27.50 (Cat C) Senior – £25-£27.50 (Cat A), £22.50-£25 (Cat B), £17.50-£22.50 (Cat C) 16-22 – £22.50-25 (Cat A), £20-22.50 (Cat B), £17.50-£20 (Cat C) U16 – £5

Adult – £32.50-40 (Cat A), £27.50-£37.50 (Cat B), £22.50-£35 (Cat C) Senior – £25-£32.50 (Cat A), £22.50-£30 (Cat B), £17.50-£27.50 (Cat C) 16-22 – £22.50-£27.50 (Cat A), £20-£25 (Cat B), £17.50-£22.50 (Cat C) U16 – £5-£10

Programme Price

Official Programme £3 Made In Brum Fanzine £1.50

Biggest Rivals

Birmingham vs Aston Villa rivalry: With both teams based in the city of Birmingham, only 2.4 miles separate the two grounds and, as such, the affairs, which are dubbed as the Second City Derby, often bring about some serious spice.

Birmingham vs Wolverhampton Wanderers rivalry: Although this isn’t as fierce as the Second City Derby, Birmingham and Wolverhampton fans do not like each other. There are just 19 between the clubs and their matches are one of the biggest rivalries in the Midlands.

Birmingham vs West Brom rivalry: Unlike the above-mentioned rivalries, this is more of a friendly derby game. It exists as a derby because of the proximity of West Bromwich to Birmingham. Even so, the bragging rights that are on the line mean it’s more than points at stake when WBA come to Birmingham’s stadium.

Disabled Facilities

According to Birmingham City’s website, the club is fully committed to the needs of those with disabilities. There is a disabled car park located on Coventry Road for away supporters needing to park close to the stadium. Commentary headsets are available upon request and can be collected from the ticket office which is also where you can find more information on gaining access with guide dogs.

There are a total of 88 wheelchair spaces at St Andrew’s, 67 of those are for home fans with the remaining 21 being taken up by away supporters.

Record and Average Attendance

Record Attendance

66,844 v Everton FA Cup 5th Round, February 11th, 1939.

Modern All-Seated Attendance Record: 29,588 v Arsenal Premier League, November 22nd, 2003.

Average Attendance 2023-2024: 20,306 (Championship) 2022-2023: 16,749 (Championship) 2021-2022: 16,152 (Championship) 2019-2020: 20,412 (Championship) 2018-2019: 22,483 (Championship) 2017-2018: 21,042 (Championship)

Map showing the location of St Andrews, railway stations and listed pubs

Official Web Site: www.bcfc.com

Unofficial Web Sites: Singing The Blues (Footy Mad Network) Often Partisan Supporters Trust

Stadium Tours

Stadium tours can be booked by going to the ticket office at St Andrew’s or by ringing the ticket office on 0121 7720 101 (option 2).

For a stadium tour, £10 is the price for adults with £5 for those ages under 18 years old.

St Andrews Birmingham City Feedback

If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail me at [email protected] and we will update the guide.

Andrew van den Bent-Kelly (Peterborough United) 19th November 2011

Birmingham city v peterborough united championship league saturday november 19th, 2011, 3pm andrew van den bent-kelly (peterborough united fan).

I couldn’t turn down the chance to go to one of the biggest grounds in the division and with Birmingham City being a former Premier League team, it seemed likely that the match (and indeed the whole day out) would be a good one. 

As always, Peterborough had been entertaining crowds up and down the country and I was hopeful that they could maintain their top-half status with a good result against the Blues.

We decided to catch an early train, which took us straight to Birmingham New Street in about 1hr 45mins. We got a bit lost walking through the enormous Bullring Centre, but once out of that we had no problem finding the ground. The walk from the station to the ground took about 20 minutes.

Birmingham’s a very big city and, unsurprisingly, there's no shortage of pubs. As a group with plenty of Irish heritage, we were delighted to find that the main road leading to St Andrew’s had several Irish pubs. We popped into The Dubliner hoping for some lunch and discovered that a fried breakfast was available all day for just £2! There weren’t really any Birmingham fans in the pub, but it was fairly early in the day. The Irish Brummies were friendly, though we expected nothing less! After some drinks we made our way to the ground.

From the outside, the ground looks pretty impressive. It’s big, but the club make an effort to help away fans find their way in, so you don’t have to wander around the stadium looking for the correct stand. The concourse areas in the away end are fairly standard, perhaps a bit small but not a massive problem. 

Upon stepping out of the concourse into the actual stand, the view of the ground is really quite imposing. Though the stand to the left looks rather dated, the two other ends are large and modern. They’re joined at the corner too, which makes them look even more striking. The ground wasn’t anywhere near full capacity, but there was still a decent turnout of around 18,000. I was sitting in the second row, amongst roughly 1,600 other Posh fans. The seats have lots of leg room and you get a good view wherever you are in the away end. The stewards were fine and just told you to go to the back if you wanted to stand.

I have to say I was a bit disappointed with the Birmingham fans. With the exception of the corner right next to the away end, the ground was practically silent for the whole game. Our fans took a while to get going (understandably, given Posh’s first half performance!), but were certainly making the most noise in the stadium. As I’ve just hinted, Birmingham completely dominated the first half. We showed them far too much respect and it was no real surprise when Marlon King put the hosts ahead after 22 minutes. As the half-time whistle blew, we counted ourselves very lucky to be only a goal down. I decided not to buy anything at half time, just stayed in my seat and took some pictures.

Birmingham started the second half well, but after about 50 minutes we began to grow into the game. We had a good 10-minute spell in which the ball rarely left the Birmingham half and after an hour had passed, we won a free-kick just outside the area. At first I thought it was too far wide even for our captain and free-kick specialist Grant McCann, but fortunately he proved me wrong with a peach of a strike into the top-right corner. The away end went absolutely mental and the level of banter between us and the corner of Blues fans next to us rose dramatically! 

The game opened up a bit more during the closing 30 minutes, which made it all the more exciting. Birmingham almost snatched the win in injury time and when the final whistle blew there was an almighty cheer from the away fans. A few months before the game Birmingham had been in the Premier League and we had been in League One, so to come away from St Andrew’s with a point was a brilliant achievement for us.

We had no trouble getting out of the ground after the game had finished. We headed to the Birmingham Irish Centre and had some drinks in the Connaught Bar, which had a great feel about it. There were several Birmingham fans present, all of whom were very friendly and had the decency to congratulate us on the result. We returned to The Dubliner for some more drinks and then headed back to the station, where a quick Burger King was followed by a very rowdy train journey back to Peterborough.

All in all it was a great day out. There’s plenty to see and do in Birmingham before and after the game and the ground is a good one to visit. The result was excellent and provided Birmingham don’t get promoted (or dare I say it, we get relegated), I’m looking forward to visiting St Andrew’s again next season!

Michelle-Louise Burrows (Blackpool) 9th May 2012

Birmingham city v blackpool championship play off 2nd leg wednesday, may 9th, 2012, 7.45pm michelle-louise burrows (blackpool fan).

1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):   Play-Off Semi-Final second leg.  Wembley on the horizon.  Pool 1-0 up from the first leg…

2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

Took the supporter's coach from Bloomfield Road which went straight to St Andrew's without stopping.  Very easy but considering we ended up arriving in Birmingham two hours before kick-off, then we could have stopped off to a rest break.                                  3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?

Needed the toilet pretty badly so nipped into the Morrisons around the corner.  Got myself a burger from the stand opposite and chatted to a few home fans.  A pretty friendly bunch, it has to be said and interviews for local media in the West Midlands and the Granada region.                                  4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?

Impressed.  Seriously impressed.  It reminded me a bit of Goodison with the obstructed views.  The old Main Stand though could do with demolishing and linking to the rest of the ground so it could really be a stadium to behold.                                  5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

Stewarding and Police were very good.  Had a lovely chat with them before the match.  Not too impressed with the facilities though, too small for a club the size of Birmingham and there was a bit of grumbling from us in Tangerine when they ran out of beer.  The atmosphere itself was superb.  30,000 Zulu really make St Andrew's a sight to behold, especially when they get behind their team.  We managed to silence them however through Steven Dobbie (his goal had to be checked on the big screen to the left of us because we weren't sure if it had gone in. There was a seconds pause then an eruption from all those in tangerine) and Matty Phillips before Zigic, despite being a mile offside got Blues back into the game.  However, when Curtis Davies got the equaliser on the night, I swear to God you could have heard the noise back in Blackpool! However, Birmingham strangely didn't threaten much after that and we comfortably held on to go to Wembley again.  Cue party time in the Lower Gil Merrick Stand!                                  6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:

Very easy. Back to the supporters coach jubilant at booking another trip to Wembley.  Obligatory interview with TV and radio and back on the coach.  Back in Blackpool just after midnight.                                 7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:

What a fantastic evening! Pool through to Wembley yet again but what a superb ground and support Birmingham have. For me, they are a proper club with proper fans – the People's Club of the Second City. 

James Butler (Charlton Athletic) 18th August 2012

Birmingham city v charlton athletic championship league saturday august 18th, 2012, 3pm james butler (charlton athletic fan).

Having won league one last season at something of a canter I was looking forward to the new season back in the Championship with great anticipation. When the fixtures came out in June an opening day trip to Birmingham was too much to resist. I had never been to Birmingham, but Del Boy my companion had done the trip several times, although not since the dark days of the early eighties.

As usual we decided to go by coach, using excellent away day service organised by the club. Superb coaches which pick up at convenient points around the area from which Charlton draw their support. A 10am depart from Bexleyheath in South East London seemed very civilised. All went well until we reached the Newport Pagnell area of the M1. After crawling in a tail back caused by an accident for one hour, we stopped completely for another 30 minutes, were upon Addicks fans appeared from everywhere for an early season reunion on the M1 motorway. The traffic then crawled for another half an hour before we got going again, only for the coach driver to declare that he had to do his regulation 30min break at Watford Gap! As you can imagine this did not go down well. Still some light traffic on the M6 around Birmingham, a first, and some slick coach driving in town saw us arrived at St Andrews with 15 mins to spare.

Arriving so close to kick off we went straight in to ground without really taking in our surroundings or encountering any of the natives. The concourses behind the Gil Merrick stand, our position for the afternoon seemed very dark and cramped, but we were keen to get straight to our seats as the Charlton fans were already getting the atmosphere going.

The view from our seats was uninterrupted and from near the back of the stand more than adequate. I suspect that if we had intended to sit, which we did not, the leg room may have been little tight. The rest of the stadium was a pleasing mix of old and new. The home end and one side been of the new and rather identikit variety and the Main Stand a real throw back to days gone by. I would liked to have had a better view of the stand we were in as it seemed to be the most interesting.

The game itself was entertaining with both sides having their chances without overworking either keeper. Charlton certainly did not seem daunted by the step up in class and gave as good as they got against a team who reached the play offs last year and are tipped to do well this time around. However what surprised me the most was the almost library hush coming from the home end. Okay the Charlton faithful were right up for it, even more so than away contingents usually are the length and breadth of the country, but for most of the match and certainly the first half it was almost like a home game for the visitors. I had heard that the Blues home support was right up there with their normally fantastic away support, well those guys must still have been on their holidays. As the game wore on it looked as if  a 0-0 was on the cards, only for Leon Cort to score with eight minutes to go. This sent the away section in to understandable raptures. Very soon after Lee Clarke introduced Zigic for the last few moments. It seemed an obvious chuck the long ball to the big guy ploy. It worked, but not like that, he scored a well taken goal with his feet on 90mins +4. Gutting, but we would have taken 1-1 before the game so it was a case of “get over it” for the Charlton Fans.

The stewards were great before, during and after the game. One was shaking the hands of as many away fans as he could on entry, even sneaking a crafty kiss from one particularly attractive young lady. One sensible intervention was required to clear a block gang way. The only black note of the whole day occurred when Birmingham equalised. One throw back to the afore mentioned dark ages of the eighties decided he would celebrate by trying to spit across the gap between the two stands, a disgusting, if albeit futile gesture. Even given the goading the home fans had receive following the Charlton goal, did not justify this,  the rest of the home support just gave back what they had received, fair enough.

Clearly a hostile reception is a fairly regular thing at St Andrew judging by the excellent and well drilled police and Stewart operation after the game. The Charlton coaches and a number of cars were held for 20-30 mins in their own secure compound right outside the away turnstiles. I had read and heard that away coaches often  can get attacked, but this neither seemed likely or possible, indeed we received one or two friendly waves as we drove of out of town. I was back home in doors by 8.30 that evening 

Overall a great day out, I would defiantly go back, but would advise caution to any visiting fan. Not all the locals are as friendly in Birmingham as they are in London SE7.

Joe White (Bristol City) 6th November 2012

Birmingham city v bristol city championship league tuesday november 6th, 2012, 7.45pm joe white (bristol city fan).

1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):

First visit to St Andrews, and one of the relatively bigger grounds I would have gone to over the years so I was looking forward to it. I was hoping that there might have been some banter with home fans and that they would have good support; have heard differing views to this effect. 

We were 2nd from bottom at the time having lost our last 5 matches on the bounce and Birmingham were only a few places above us having not won at home in the last 5 attempts. Our terrible run had to end sometime and was hoping it would be tonight. Looking at pictures of the ground before the game I liked the look of the old Main Stand and the Gil Merrick Stand that we would be stood in, but the other two stands are rather like half of a bowl of a stadium (which I really don't like).

Only traffic encountered was coming out of Bristol at 5pm, found the ground fine thanks to the satnav. Did seem weird that there were no signs for the ground until the very last minute (when you could see the ground close by anyway) so good luck to anyone hoping to rock up by car in Birmingham and then relying on signs to direct you to the ground. We parked for free on a nearby residential street which was good. At Ashton Gate arriving at as close to kick off as we did we'd have to parked A LOT further away even with smaller attendances.

3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?

Didn't get to around the ground till about half 7 so only had time to park up and queue to pay at get in. We'd sold about 400 before the game but most seemed to be paying on the day and there was a large queue for this. Only two ticket booths were open and quite a few fans would have missed the start of the game. We got in right on kick off which is the time I like to get in to avoid having pop music blasted through the tannoys when trying to sing.

4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?

Away end was steep so had a good view of the game. As mentioned earlier half the ground is a bowl shape although I did quite like the home end. The Main Stand looked proper old school which I thought added character to the ground. I think we were in the most interesting stand however with a small top tier that overhangs a larger bottom tier.

5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

Less talked about the game the better. We lost 2-0 and never looked like scoring. They even had a penalty saved. I'd guess about half our support stood at the back and sung throughout the 90 mins. Birmingham seemed to have a group of 200 in their home end behind the goal who stood throughout and sung the odd song, think I only heard them once though. 

To our right there was a group of about 40 who started singing in the 2nd half once they were winning, couldn't hear them too well cause we were singing but could see they were making an effort. I did not see stewards making any attempt to get fans to sit down or stop doing this or that as they can do which is refreshing to see. There were quite a few police at the game, a couple stood next to the turnstiles on the way in, very friendly having a laugh and chat with queuing city fans (hopefully the West Midlands Police of old have finally changed for the better).

6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:

Did not come across any trouble when leaving the ground, didn't wear colours so nobody said anything. Hit a bit of traffic coming out of the ground but nothing like Ashton Gate.

7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:

Decent ground, terrible result, home fans were poor but stewards allowing fans to stand and get on with it made it as an enjoyable experience as it could have been.

Jack Stanley (Wolverhampton Wanderers) 1st April 2013

Birmingham city v wolverhampton wanderers championship league monday, april 1st, 2013, 3pm jack stanley (wolves fan).

It was a West Midlands derby, and we were on a decent run of form leading up to the game having won three out of the last four in what had been a disastrous season for the club.

I live in Worcester which is about a 30 minute drive from Birmingham, so I decided to drive rather than mess about with the trains for once. Of course the only negative of this being that I could only have one drink but that didn't matter too much. We left at about 1:15pm and got to our parking spot in an estate in Small Heath at around five to two. The estate was only a 10 min walk to the ground thankfully.

Well we arrived at the ground at about 2:15ish and went straight through the away gate and into the away stand. The Chelsea-Man Utd FA cup game was on the TV's inside the stand and while we were watching that, I grabbed a cheese burger which didn't cost too much along with a pint of Carling. I didn't witness any trouble before the game, although to be fair we were only given around 1,650 tickets for the game after the police reduced it. Also trains weren't running from Wolverhampton to Birmingham so most supporters would have drove or used the supporters' coaches.

I've been to St. Andrews before a few times and it's actually bigger than you think. It holds 30,009 and when looking at it on TV it looks smaller than that. Three of the stands are nice inside the ground, however the Main Stand on one side of the pitch is old and tatty, and looks quite small despite it being two tiered, they could do with redeveloping this. The away end is situated in the Gil Merrick stand (behind one of the goals) in the lower tier. We were given about half of the lower tier, and there were a few Blues fans on the other side of the divider, as well as a couple above us in the smaller upper tier.

It had been a disastrous season for us, and we were in real threat of a second successive relegation even though our form had lifted recently, winning three out of the last four games. Blues had also experienced a difficult campaign, although their form had risen miraculously since the end of February and they were no longer hovering dangerously above the relegation zone, instead that was now us. So therefore I was expecting a really tough game and if I'm being honest, I thought we'd lose. First 10 mins they were all over us and we looked nervy. But we managed to settle into the game, and unexpectedly stormed into a 0-3 lead at half-time. The funny thing about being a Wolves fan, is that even though we were 3-0 up at half time, the game still felt far from over. Blues were awarded a pen early in the second half and I was thinking 'here we go'. Blues did have a few good chances throughout the second half, but we looked to have weathered the storm and hold on for the win. But in the 95th minute, they were awarded another pen which they scored to make it 2-3. Just a minute later they were awarded a free-kick just outside the corner of the box in a very dangerous position, and I thought that they were going to score. Thankfully we managed to clear it and the whistle went. What a great win it was.

As always, the atmosphere from our fans was excellent even though there was only 1,623 of us. There wasn't a lot of noise coming from the home end surprise surprise, although they did sing a couple of songs after they made it 1-3 and lifted their noise.

We left the stand and walked out of the away gate onto Cattell Road, where hundreds of Blues fans were walking past. We managed to keep our heads down and walk through the crowd and back to the car. I'm surprised the police didn't keep us in the ground afterwards or blocked off the away gate outside the ground to stop us walking onto Cattell Road.

A very good day out and a very good result for us. Also love winning a local derby!  

Mark Lees (Ipswich Town) 31st August 2013

Birmingham city v ipswich town championship league saturday, august 31st, 2013, 3pm mark lees (ipswich town fan).

It was my first visit to St Andrews and i was meeting a friend of mine who lives in Worcester who went to the game with me. Plus a have a few Birmingham supporting work mates so it added extra spice to the occasion.

I went with the club run coaches from Portman Road which left about 10am. Stopped at Corley services for half an hour and got to St Andrews just before 2pm. Fairly easy journey and have to say that Birmingham is one of the easiest places to get in and out from. Away fans have their own separate parking near to where the away entrance is.

Met my friend who was waiting just by the gate to the away car park and went for a pint at the nearby Cricketers Arms which was about 5 minutes away from the ground which accepts away fans and the Birmingham fans that were there were quite friendly. It was a hot day and wasps were out in force so after dodging a few, we made our way to the ground.

St Andrews is very nicely presented from the outside. Had a nice diagonal view of the pitch as i was in Block 1, Row 32 of the Gill Merrick stand.  It is a very nice stadium but the old looking main stand to the left really lets it down a bit.

Ipswich were the better team by far in a game where both teams went into it with similar starts to the season. Christophe Berra put us ahead just past the half hour with a close header from an Aaron Cresswell cross and had plenty of other chances to go further ahead. Their keeper Darren Randolph was the only one who really kept them in the game but our inability to see off opponents when we have the chance cost us when they equalised with 15 minutes to go from a deflected shot by Chris Burke who has become a bit of a thorn in our side in recent games.

The atmosphere was mainly created from our brilliant away support with the only noise from the home end coming from a few lads at the back of the stand to the right of us. Had a bit of funny banter with them. Rest of the ground was very quiet until they scored. Facilities were very good and spacious.

Getting away from the ground was very easy and as i said above, Birmingham is quite easy to get away from compared to other places i have been to as it was when i went to Villa earlier in the year for the FA Cup. Got back to Portman Road about 8.15pm.

I had a great time and will definitely make it a yearly thing from now on because of my friend. 9/10!  

Alex Royal (Middlesbrough) 7th December 2013

Birmingham city v middlesbrough championship league saturday, december 7th, 2013, 3pm alex royal (middlesbrough fan).

It was my first visit to St. Andrews, and it is a ground that has always been of interest to me.

I went with the club coaches from The Riverside which left just after 10am and got to St Andrews just before 1.30pm . One of the easier grounds to get to, not far off the M6.

Upon arrival at the ground, I went to the club shop, to buy my beanie hat, which is my way of saying; 'I've been to that ground', Purchased the 'Made in Brum' Fanzine and an official matchday programme, priced at £1.50 and £3 respectively.

My first impressions of the ground was that it was a well maintained, friendly ground, although the old Main Stand somewhat drains the impression of a terrific stadium, the other three stands are relatively modern. The leg room and the view of the pitch in the Gil Merrick stand, where the away fans are housed, were excellent. 

In terms of positioning, Middlesbrough and Birmingham were 18th & 19th going in to this match, so it was, as one might say, an early season six-pointer. 

The stewards were helpful and amicable, and allowed us to sit where we wanted. The facilities on the concourse were good, and, unlike other away grounds I have been to, it was very spacious, with a good range of food and drink available, with a pint of beer costing £3.25 and chips costing £2. There wasn't much atmosphere from the home fans, apart from a group of lads in the Kop corner, with whom we exchanged banter.

Boro took the lead in the 24th minute after good work from Marvin Emnes down the left hand side, who teed up Muzzy Carayol to beat Darren Randolph. Half time Brummies 0-1 Boro. Shortly after half-time, Boro conceded a penalty, which Paul Caddis coverted. 1-1.

10 minutes to go, Daniel Ayala scored a somewhat scrappy goal after a Darren Randolph punch was headed back into the danger area by Lukas Jutkiewicz, 2-1 Boro.

Yet again,we conceded a late, late goal, but I felt Birmingham's overall second half performance merited an equaliser. 

Getting away from the ground was very easy, 20 minutes and you're back on the motorway.

One of the best away days I've done, would definitely return, although I would've liked to have seen more atmosphere from the home fans. 9/10

Lee Jones (West Bromwich Albion) 24th January 2015

Birmingham city v west bromwich albion fa cup 4th round saturday, january 24th, 2015, 3pm lee jones (west brom fan).

1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground?

A local derby in the FA Cup is always exciting but the general demand for tickets from Baggies fans for this cup tie, had been overwhelming. We sold our initial allocation in a few hours and were then given extra to take the total allocation up to 5,500. The extra tickets went in hours too. Those of us with tickets were certainly looking forward to the game.

2. How easy were your journey/ finding the ground/ car parking?

As it was a local game, the train was the obvious choice. It is about a 25 minute walk from the City centre to the stadium, so it’s quite important to allow enough time. It is easy to find the stadium, though I have been many times. Car parking is not easy to find but one of the lads did drive over and parked at the Ibis Hotel for about £7.

3. What you did before the game pub/ chippy… home fans friendly?

For us it was inevitable that we would have a pre-match beer or three in the City centre. Though Blues and Baggies had no great history of trouble we were obviously in their town and bore that in mind. We chose the Old Contemptibles near Snow Hill station. As it turned out, there were mainly Baggies in there but the Blues fans were more than happy to join in the singing about our friends from Aston. We had an enjoyable couple of hours in there before heading off and got on very well with all the Bluenoses.

St Andrews has improved over the years and is a pretty impressive stadium. It is at the top of a hill so you can see it above you as you walk up the road to it. The access is easy, through the away coach park, though as we had both sides of the Gil Merrick lower stand, some Baggies had to walk to the other side. The area below the stand is quite large but the pie and beer stands were very busy and the queues were too long to bother with. Getting to our seat, we were immediately hit by how large our following was, with the whole visible area being given over to us. The Blues fans had turned out too though and the ground looks great when it’s full like that. Even the old Main Stand which is much smaller than the others appeared packed to the rafters.

5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, toilets etc..

The atmosphere was really good. The Blues were in full voice and so were we. The stewards were drafted in from Albion and so we had no problem with them. Everyone stood as usual and settled down to a cracking cup tie. I must say here, that full respect must go to the Birmingham City fans and Club. We have a tradition this season of applauding for one minute at the 9th minute in honour of our “King”, Jeff Astle who died from a football related illness. At the ninth minute, Birmingham City put a picture of Jeff on their scoreboard and the Blues fans to a man/woman joined in our applause. It was a very moving gesture from the Club and does Birmingham City great credit.

The game itself was very good and was just about shaded in the first half by us. We took a 1-0 lead through Anichebe who repeated the deed a little later. Blues scored right on half time to deservedly get back in the game. That goal had the effect of making us all a little nervous.

At Half time we didn’t try the catering simply because of the amount of us there, it would have been a long battle to get a pie and pint. The lads next to us, got back to their seat 10 minutes into the second half!

Blues proceeded to throw everything at us in the second half and on another day, would have got a replay. Their keeper made and excellent save from Lescott early on in the second half and we hit the post from a tight angle. Blues had a couple of long range shots but never got the goal they needed.

Final whistle signalled celebrations (and Boinging). Through to the next round. I really expected a slip up, so was very pleased.

Birmingham has been a place where in the past, getting out of the ground was a bit unpleasant. This is not really the case these days, and the relationship between the fans is quite good. To be fair, I heard a few Baggies say, if there wasn’t an Albion, they would follow Birmingham! It was a very enjoyable trek back into town and as we were walking, there were no traffic delays. The best way if possible is to go on the train. We headed back for a post-match celebratory beer and found ourselves accompanied by mainly other celebrating Baggies. The few Blues drinking with us were in pretty good spirits and were happy they had played so well. Even the fans on the train wished me all the best for the rest of the season and hope we stay up, to play them again in the League next year.

It was a much anticipated day for all the Baggies going and very much lived up to the billing. Got there and away easily and had a great time drinking with other supporters in the City before and after the game. The other lads stayed out longer into the night than me and had a great time.

Love local derbies, even better when we win and not quite the problems we have with some other local sides. It’s just a major pity that we have to play Villa (boo!) on a Tuesday night because Birmingham is a great place to play Saturday afternoon football.

Aimee Henry (Wolverhampton Wanderers) 11th April 2015

Birmingham city v wolverhampton wanderers championship league saturday 11th april 2015, 3pm aimee henry (wolves fan).

1. Why you were looking forward to going to St Andrews? It would be my first trip to St. Andrews, it’s a ground with a reputation of being unwelcoming, shall we say, towards visiting fans. Especially, in our case, if you happen to be a rival of the Blues. My dad has some really horror stories about previous visits, including having a sink basin thrown at him. “They’d nicked the taps though”, he tells me. Aside from being a derby, Wolves had gatecrashed the top places in the League on Bank Holiday Monday with an extraordinary 4-3 win over Leeds at Molineux, and the game offered a chance to add weight to our claims of being a Play-Off candidate. 

2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking? Purely for safety reasons, we decided to use the club’s official travel. I’d suggest that’s the best way to get in and out of St. Andrews, as there is a coach park right outside the away end, so you shouldn’t really have to venture amongst the home fans. We had a police escort in, and aside from a few home fans making gestures (I think they were holding up fingers to indicate their IQ), it was a trouble free journey. 

3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly? We went straight into the ground, so didn’t really have any interaction with the Blues fans. They were serving fairly priced booze inside the ground, as well as some lovely Balti Pies! 

4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium? On the exterior, St Andrews looks good, all four stands are different. The away end is nice, and separate from the other stands. Our seats were right in the corner, which meant we were next to the tunnel where the Wolves players came in and out to warm up. 

5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.. Like many local derbies, there was real tension in the game, and that filtered down to the players. Both Blues and Wolves really struggled to get the ball down and play, the early stages were punctuated by weak long range efforts, mistimed passes and niggly fouls. Wolves did take the lead after about 20 minutes though. Nouha Dicko showed great persistence down the right, holding off at least three challenges, before sliding the ball across the penalty area. If you asked all of the 4,000 travelling fans who they’d want that ball to fall to, they’d all say Benik Afobe, the January signing who looks an asbolute steal at £2m. Indeed it was Afobe who latched onto Dicko’s pass, and calmly gave the away side the lead.

Sadly the lead didn’t last long. A Birmingham corner caused a scramble in the 6-yard box, and despite both Richard Stearman and Kev McDonald clearing efforts off the line, eventually Blues’ Rob Kiernan was able to bundle the ball over the line to equalise. The first half continued to be scrappy, James Henry’s long range effort the closest Wolves came to regaining the lead, whilst at the other end, Carl Ikeme twice had to get down well to make saves to deny David Cotterill.  Blues grabbed the lead not long into the second half. A Wolves corner was cleared to Demarai Gray, Blues’ tricky, pacy winger. He broke downfield, but seemed to lose the ball to Scott Golbourne. However, Golbourne inexplicably tried to play the ball back inside, and Gray took it off his toes, before racing through to beat Ikeme. It was a horrible goal to concede, not only because 30 seconds previous we had an attacking position of our own, but because Golbourne is such a reliable player. 

I was expecting an onslaught from Wolves, as a defeat would be really damaging to our Play-Off hopes. However, it never really came. Bakary Sako danced past Paul Caddis on several occasions, but his final ball was poor, and right at the death, McDonald’s effort was wayward, having been set up superbly by marauding full back Dominic Iorfa. The Final whistle sounded to cheers from the home stands, and a general groan of disappointment from the travelling Wolves fans. 

The atmosphere seemed a little flat to me. Despite it being a local derby, there were plenty of empty seats in all three Birmingham stands, and the expected animosity seemed half-hearted. The stewards did their job effectively, although they kept congregating at the front of the stand, as though something was about to happen. It didn’t look like it was to me. 

6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game: The concourse was pretty crowded, as everyone wanted to leave at the same time. It meant the inevitable shuffle to the exit, which meant there was time for someone from the staircase above to drop a pint of beer over me. For us it was a case of straight back onto the coach. We were kept in the coach park for a while, so many of the home supporters had left by the time we drove out into Birmingham. Sadly, for the fans who decided to walk back into the City centre, there are reports of trouble involving both sets of supporters. I’m not going to comment on what did/didn’t happen, as I wasn’t involved, but it’s sad to hear of violence at football. 

7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out: A disappointing defeat, coupled with a pretty poor performance. It undid a lot of the hard work of recent games, as we found out after the final whistle that we had inevitably dropped out of the top six. St. Andrews is a decent ground, but the problems the club has had recently seems to have crept into the stands, as the atmosphere didn’t quite live up to the reputation. Obviously the trouble which flared up after the game was unnecessary and a pretty poor show from both sides, but sadly it seemed inevitable, going on recent years.

Joe (Neutral) 1st August 2015

Birmingham city v leicester city pre-season friendly saturday 1st august 2015, 3pm joe (neutral supporter).

Why you were looking forward to going to St Andrews?

I was looking forward to going to St Andrews because I enjoy visiting different football stadiums. I knew St Andrews was a historical ground and had been reading about the history of it and therefore heard that in recent years the stadium had undergone some major redevelopment so I was interested in how St Andrews had been rebuilt. I had also heard that St Andrews is a good ground to go and watch a local derby, so therefore I was looking forward to see how Birmingham City fans were with the Leicester City fans. 

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?    

I got the train from Coventry Station to Birmingham New Street and this was quick and efficient for me. From New Street I spent around 25-30 minutes walking up to St Andrews. The stadium was well sign posted and was easy to find. 

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?    

There was a Morrisons Supermarket just outside of the stadium in a small retail park, so I went into Morrisons and purchased a drink and a snack. There was also a cash back option available when paying by debit card which was convenient as I did not have any cash on me to purchase my ticket and I was in desperate need of finding a cash point. I then walked to the ground and queued up to pay on the turnstile. The stewards were very friendly and welcomed us into the ground. They did search my bag however and then I made my way into the ground. I sat in the Kop Stand alongside the Birmingham City fans.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?    

Walking up to the stadium I was impressed with the size of each of the stands. There were catering facilities outside of the ground as well as inside and the food did look absolutely delicious. The first thing that I noticed however when walking up to the stadium was the large number of Leicester City fans who had made the trip to St Andrews. All of the stands were fairly full considering it was only a pre-season friendly and I was very happy with how close we were to the pitch. Being a Coventry City fan I am used to a large track around the outside of the pitch and therefore being further away from the action. However this was not a problem at St Andrews and I did rather enjoy the Stadium and the build up to the game.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..    

The game was fantastic. Both teams started brightly with some good football and lots of energy to both teams attacks. There was a lot of chanting between the two sets of fans which just made the atmosphere even better. Birmingham took the lead through a fantastic David Cotterill free kick which went in off the crossbar. Shortly after, young English winger Demarai Gray made a run down the left wing and then cut inside the box to curl the ball into the far top corner which was an a phenomenal goal. Birmingham lead 2-0 at half term however we knew this wouldn't be the end of it. Early in the second half German defender Robert Huth tapped in at the far post, to pull one back for Leicester. Shortly after a Mahrez free kick came off the post and the Foxes reacted first and midfielder Danny Drinkwater tapped in a rebound which goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak was unlucky not to save. Now Leicester seemed to have control over their Championship opposition. The visitors completed their second half turn around when Okazaki headed in unmarked at the near post. 3-2 to Leicester City. Criticisms I did have of the the ground was that the seat was fairly uncomfortable as the plastic was very thin and also there was very little leg room. However I am fairly tall.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:

I left the ground after the whistle and had no problems getting away. I got back to Birmingham New Street Station after around 20 minutes walking due to the fact I knew the route this time around.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:

Overall I did thoroughly enjoy the day at St Andrews and I will be returning in the near future once again and hopefully it will be a rivalry between Birmingham and Coventry this time! St Andrews is a fantastic venue for watching football and I would definitely recommend visiting the Stadium as it is one of my favourite stadiums now I have visited.

James Baxter (Neutral) 8th August 2015

Birmingham city v reading championship league saturday 8th august 2015, 3pm james baxter (neutral fan).

Why were you looking forward to visiting St Andrews?

I was looking forward to it because I only spend 3 or 4 weeks in England every year and these are in summer. If they overlap with the start of the football season, I’m delighted. Blues v Reading was perhaps one of the more low-key opening-day fixtures in the Championship League, but, with two new(ish) managers looking to improve their teams’ prospects, it didn’t lack interest. Also, there was a definite sense of Blues fans beginning to feel at one with their club again – a factor that can turn St Andrews into one of England’s most atmospheric grounds.

It was easy because we were staying in Shropshire, not far from Stafford. From Stafford Ralway Station there are frequent trains to Birmingham New Street, taking only 35 minutes or so. St Andrews is walkable from New Street (there’s a good view of it from the nearby Bull Ring, which gives an idea of the distance), but it’s a tedious, deceptively uphill slog through the unappealing districts of Digbeth and Bordesley. I’d recommend taking the bus there (58 and 60, among others, will get you there in less than 10 minutes) and walking back.

We went to the very gentile Edwardian tea-rooms in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. It’s a good option if you’re not intending to drink alcohol or are with the family. There were a few Blues fans in there as well. As for pubs, I’d stick with those in the centre. The ones on the way from the centre to the ground don’t look like viable options for away fans. The Royal George, near the Tilton Road End turnstiles, was packed with Blues fans, and might be fun for neutrals, but I don’t think I’d venture in there in away colours.

The Edwardian Tea Rooms

What you thought on seeing St Andrews, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?  

The approach to St Andrews from the city-centre is uphill – you’re still going up as you walk alongside the Kop Stand. This means that the far end – the Tilton Road End – is built into the hill, with its turnstiles almost at roof-level. Overall, the ground doesn’t overwhelm from outside, but there are nice touches, like the blue-painted fences and gateways around the Kop car-park. They’ve even planted a couple of hedges and shrubs – a rare rural touch in this most inner-city of places. Inside, the three modern stands offer first-rate facilities. The older Main Stand does look out of place, but I don’t mind one reminder of St Andrews as it was when I first starting watching football.

Spion Kop Car Park

It was an exciting game, with Reading dominating until the 40th minute and from the 55th. Crucially, Blues scored in the 41st and 47th minutes and, despite conceding in the 58th managed to hold Reading off. The visitors might have been awarded an equaliser following a shot that hit the underside of the bar and may well have bounced down over the line, and missed a penalty in the last seconds of injury-time. The atmosphere was decent. Blues fans have a couple of cracking anthems and didn’t resort to ‘S**t on the Villa’ as much as I’d feared. The stewards were very good – at least in the Kop Stand.

Tilton Road Stand

There was a discreet police escort for Reading fans walking back to the city-centre. The home-fans were in good humour following their team’s late let-off. The police are helpful on the walk back, as they stop traffic at crossing-points etc.

It was a fine day out. A city with plenty to do, ‘proper’ ground, ‘proper’ fans, and a good game too!

Joe Stanley (Wolverhampton Wanderers) 31st October 2015

Birmingham city v wolverhampton wanderers football league championship saturday 31st october 2015, 12:30pm joe stanley (wolverhampton wanderers fan).

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting St Andrews?

Having visited St Andrews numerous times before as an away supporter, I can safely say that Blues is always an enjoyable away day regardless of the result. Geographically, Blues were our only local rivalry during this league campaign, so effectively bragging rights were at stake! I wasn't feeling too confident however going into the game as Wolves had lost the previous three whilst Blues were on a decent run of form. Strangely enough, the fixture fell on Halloween, which marked the one year anniversary of Blues manager Gary Rowett, whose first game, in fact, was against Wolves twelve months earlier.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

I live in Worcester, so therefore my brother and I decided to hop on the train (with a crate of beers) from Worcester Foregate Street, taking the direct line straight into Bordesley, passing through Birmingham Snow Hill and Birmingham Moor Street on the way. This journey was extremely easy and efficient.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Our train arrived into Bordesley at approximately 11:30am, and because this fixture was a 12:30pm kick off (Thanks to Sky Sports), we didn't have much time beforehand to explore the pubs within Birmingham City Centre; so, therefore, we headed straight to the ground and had a few beers inside on the concourse. This fixture does have a history of crowd trouble, and although there was a large Police presence in and around the stadium, I never witnessed any bother.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of St Andrews?

As mentioned earlier in my review, I had visited St Andrews previously, so unless there was a stadium re-development that I was unaware of, then I had a good idea of what to expect. On the whole, the ground isn't too bad. They could do with possibly reconstructing the Main Stand, however, as this looked out of place in comparison to the other three stands. The view from the away end is great!

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.. 

A very 'professional' performance from Wolves saw them take all three points in the West Midlands derby. Goals from David Edwards and Sheyi Ojo were enough to earn Wolves the win. There wasn't a lot between both sides if I am honest; Kenny Jackett set up a side to sit back and counter Birmingham, utilising the pace of Nathan Byrne and Benik Afobe on the break which worked to great effect throughout the game. David Edwards' goal came just after 11 minutes when a mistake by Blues captain Paul Robinson lead to a scramble in the penalty box, in which the ball eventually fell to Edwards who with his weaker foot, side-footed it into the bottom right hand corner in front of the travelling army of 2,500 Wolves supporters, sending them into absolute raptures. Sheyi Ojo's goal came late on, when a short corner from James Henry was played to Ojo who cut in with his left foot and placed it superbly into the bottom left hand corner in front of the Tilton End to wrap the game up for Wolves with just five minutes remaining. Shortly after Ojo's goal, hundreds of Blues fans headed to the exits to the chant of 'is there a fire drill?' being sung by the Wolves fans.

No issues walking back to Bordesley train station, although I was surprised that the Police on duty allowed both sets of supporters to merge when walking through Coventry Road. I was half expecting the Wolves fans to be 'kettled' to allow the home supporters to disperse.

A memorable away day at St Andrews. Fantastic day, result and night!

David Drysdale (MK Dons) 28th December 2015

Birmingham city v mk dons football league championship     monday 28th december 2015, 3pm david drysdale (mk dons fan).

I'd previously been as a neutral to St Andrews many years ago but this was my first opportunity to visit as an away supporter.

No problems whatsoever. We decided to drive, and found a very convenient privately run car park (£5 charge) less than a few minutes walk from the stadium close to the away entrances. The ground is sign-posted on the major roads into Birmingham.

We had a couple of burgers from a van outside the stadium before heading in. Our only complaint – the service before and during the game inside the away end was AWFUL – the worst I've experienced as an away fan. Considering there were several hundred away supporters in the away end, there was only two tills open serving everyone. I queued for 40 minutes before the game just to buy a beer, and missed the start of the second half with the same problem. Ordered a hot chocolate which was just brown water with no flavour. Really, really poor. Birmingham City's customer service reps didn't seem too bothered.

St Andrews is a fairly imposing ground, decent enough for a good level of football. In the away end itself, we had no issues with and had a good view of the action. My only negative as mentioned previously was the extremely poor service in the bar/food area, with extremely long queues!

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

Despite holding our own for much of the game and soaking up much of the pressure, Birmingham finally made a breakthrough and won the game 1-0. Not the best game of football, but we struggled all season. Atmosphere was good, both sets of fans in good voice for much of the game, no issues with stewards. Again, service in the away end was atrocious and long, with sub-par food and drink for a football ground.

Very quick walk back to the car nearby, but a long-ish wait to get out with all of the traffic. Overall, no different to most other car parking arrangements at other football grounds. The car park was very convenient.

An enjoyable day out, spoilt slightly by the poor service for away fans. As a ground though, it's pretty standard fayre for the Championship League. No issues aside from those mentioned, would return in the future if we ever win promotion again.

James Wilkinson (Sheffield Wednesday) 6th February 2016

Birmingham city v sheffield wednesday football championship league saturday 6th february 2016, 3pm james wilkinson (sheffield wednesday fan), why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the st andrews ground    .

I had never visited St Andrews before, so I was excited to be visiting a new ground. Plus Wednesday were on a good run of form and were sitting in a play off place, with Birmingham just outside the play offs, so it was going to be an interesting game. 

We travelled by car from Sheffield. The journey took around two hours and the ground was easy to find, off the M6 then A38(M). Although at one point I misheard the SatNav and ended going in towards the city centre, but the SatNav quickly re-directed us back. Traffic was quite heavy going into Birmingham, but with Aston Villa also playing at home, that wouldn't have helped. There was an open air private car park right next to the entrance to the away end, on Coventry Road and we parked in there. It cost £5.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?     

After reading on this website, that there is little around the ground for away fans to get a drink, we decided instead to head for McDonalds, just down from the ground for something to eat. As you would expect on a matchday it was very busy. There were Birmingham and Wednesday fans in there, but there were no problems.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of St Andrews?  

St Andrews is a nice ground, plenty of room at the entrance for large crowds and equally on the concourses. Wednesday had a good following at this game and the facilities were ample. 

From a Wednesday fans point of view it was fantastic. After going a goal down just before half time and losing two players through injury, then to come back with two goals in three minutes to win the game, was brilliant. The atmosphere in the away end after our two goals was superb. The home crowd seemed rather subdued and I didn't find them as intimidating as I thought they might be. 

Both sets of fans mingled outside the away end entrance/exit, but there were plenty of Police on hand and there was no trouble. We had to wait in the car park for 10-15 minutes to allow the crowds to disperse and the away coaches to exit, before making our way back to the motorway. 

Very enjoyable first trip to Birmingham and a great result. I would visit again. 

Matt Sandford (Middlesbrough) 29th April 2016

Birmingham city v middlesbrough football championship league friday 29th april 2016, 7.45pm matt sandford (middlesbrough fan).

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the St Andrews Ground?

I was looking forward to the game as the Boro could have all but confirmed promotion with a win, added to the fact Birmingham had allocated almost 5,000 which of course we snapped up!

Got the train down with the lads, journey was long but we had a good sing song and more importantly a good drink! We got the number 17 bus which is about ten minutes walk from New Street Station and takes you right outside the away end. Birmingham is a huge busy vibrant city.

We went to a Wetherspoons pub called the Square Peg in the City Centre which welcome away fans and is five minutes from the Station, expensive but worth the money for the modern pub.

St Andrews looks nice from the outside. Entering through a gate surrounded by angry looking Brummies isn't great but nothing kicked off and they all turned out to be fine. I got the usual search and entered the turnstile, the concourse was dull but very spacious considering how many of us there were. The away end view is very good and the ground is pretty good, let down by a small Main Stand to the left of us but the other three stands worthy of a lower Premier League club.

The game itself was a cracker for the neutral, disappointing if you're a Boro fan like me. It ended 2-2 after a cracker by Brum and then a howler from their keeper to let us pull it back to 1-1, we went 2-1 up midway through the second half, they scored another cracker to make it 2-2 an we scored a perfectly good goal that was ruled out for offside but the less said about that the better. The atmosphere was pretty good. I'd heard about a new fan group starting for atmosphere by the Birmingham fans, I struggled to see where it was at first but I realised there was only one block standing opposite us and figured that was it. They were visually impressive, jumping and bouncing, unfortunately I couldn't hear them being so far away. Other than that the home fans were very average, a group of about 40 in the corner to our right hounded us the whole game, and we exchanged some funny banter with them (wasn't so funny when they scored and we had a goal ruled out for offside but hey that's football). Our away fans were very loud in patches, but being such an important game we were all engrossed in the footballing entertainment for large parts, but overall we outsang the home fans (as we always do). Stewards were friendly, pies were expensive but nice and the facilities were good (can't comment on leg room or seats as I never actually sat down).

I stayed in a hotel in Birmingham, which we caught the bus too, traffic was slow and we had a laugh with a few Birmingham fans on the way.

Great day and night out, would love to do it again but hopefully not for a while unless they get promoted, because we are Premier League!

Chris Carpenter (Oxford United) 9th August 2016

Birmingham city v oxford united football league cup first round tuesday 9th august 2016, 7.45pm chris carpenter (oxford united fan).

I was really looking forward to the game my first game of the season, a new ground and the league cup has been a good competition for Oxford over the years.

As it was a midweek game and everyone had work the easiest way for us to get there was driving. it's a easy ride from Oxford directly up the M40 and with the help of Google maps a traffic free route round the back streets of Brum right to the ground. We found a car park just up from the ground on Cattell Road at some random church, cost a fiver.

Thought we might struggle to find a local pub but we found a decent proper back street local, called the Cricketers. Said home fans only on the front door but there was a good mix of home and away fans and served a good pint with no trouble. From there was a easy walk across Morrison's car park to the ground.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the St Andrews Ground?

I was quite impressed with the ground looks modern but not really having the cheap warehouse look of a lot of newer grounds. The away end was easily found and with a proper search by the stewards we were in. Inside there was plenty of room with a big wide concourse.

Even though it was August it was a rather chilly evening. My shirt and shorts wasn't the best idea! From the beginning you could tell goals would hard to come by and it was going to go all the way. In the end Oxford scored the winner in the 120th minute. I enjoyed a chicken balti pie which was okay, quite hot with the pasty on the bottom bit soggy. Have to say they served a decent pint too.

As it wasn't the biggest crowd got away easy with very little traffic with a stop at MacDonald made it home in an hour and a bit still a late night.

It was another very enjoyable evening in the League Cup with a brilliant result at the end of it. I would definitely recommend a visit to St Andrews to anyone.

Matty Allen (Wolverhampton Wanderers) 20th August 2016

Birmingham city v wolverhampton wanderers championship league saturday 20th august 2016, 3pm matty allen (wolverhampton wanderers fan).

I always a love a trip to St Andrews as it's a local derby. Also, we had made a decent start to the season under our new boss Walter Zenga so I was looking forward to hopefully another victory!

I live in Penn, Wolverhampton, so got a taxi into Wolverhampton City Centre to meet some mates. We went for a few drinks and something to eat before bouncing on the train from Wolves to Birmingham New Street (it took 20 minutes or so), arriving in Brum at about 11.15ish.

As soon as we stepped off the train at New Street (along with around 30 other Wolves fans) there were quite a few coppers about, as this fixture has history of disorder at both St Andrews and Molineux. The Bull Ring Shopping Centre is situated above New Street station so there were plenty of shoppers and tourists walking about wondering what was going on. Despite being only 6 of us in our group, we received a Police escort from New Street Station to the nearby Trocadero pub, which is located just off New Street itself, which was full of Wolves fans. A few lads were kicked out and arrested, as police riot vans were outside the pub. We decided to leave the Trocadero and head for the Chinese Quarter on the other side of town, as many Wolves fans were gathering at the Dragon Inn, a Wetherspoons pub next door to the Arcadian Centre. We arrived there around 1:30pm, but the pub stopped serving beer around ten minutes after our arrival. There were Police vans sitting opposite the pub readying to give us an escort to the ground. There was around 200 Wolves in the Dragon Inn, and our Police Escort left the pub at 2pm. St Andrews is a 15-20 minute walk from the city centre, yet the Police only allowed us to move at snails pace through the back streets and old trading estates of Deritend. We were stopped and 'kettled' a couple of times too, as Police checked the route ahead was clear.

After what must be the longest Police escort through Deritend and Digbeth ever, we only first saw the ground at 3:05pm as we marched under the railway bridge and up Coventry Road. We got into St Andrews at 3:10pm. Many thanks to West Midlands Police force for their usual incompetence and making 200-300 Wolves fans miss the first 10-15 mins of the match!

Despite missing the first 10 mins of the game, the atmosphere inside the St Andrews ground was good. Our fans were loud as usual and even the Blues fans turned up and made a decent noise. Ten minuntes after getting to our seat, Blues debutante Che Adams scored to put them 1-0 up, and it was deserved as we looked half soaked. As the half wore on (or what was left of it), we grew into it and both Bodvarsson and Mason missed decent chances to pull us level. After half-time, Wolves came out the second half a totally different side, full of energy and enthusiasm. Just 90 seconds or so into the half, the usually flattering to deceive Joe Mason produced a moment of magic to bend in a screamer across Blues Goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak and level proceedings to send the away end wild. That goal had Blues on the ropes, and we should've been 2 or 3-1 up before we did actually score our second in the 61st minute. A corner into the box was headed goalwards by Bodvarsson, and after Kuszczak made a good reflex save, captain fantastic Bath was on hand to smash home from close range. Scenes! For the whole of the half we were totally dominant and should've been out of site, but that's Wolves for you. After a 10 minute long fire drill in the home end, a third finally came one minute from time when the 'Ice Man' Bodvarsson coolly finished across the keeper to wrap up a deserved three points for the Wanderers in the local derby.

The Wolves fans stayed behind for five minutes or so after the full time whistle to show their appreciation to the manager and team, by that time the home end was empty. There was no trouble as the Wolves fans headed out onto the Coventry Road. As we walked down the hill to Bordesley Railway Station, there was a bit of trouble under the railway tunnel, but we just ignored it and headed onto the platform and caught the next train back into the city centre (because we're lazy!). The train terminated at Moor Street Station (next to the Bull Ring and Selfridges), and we then walked down the big tunnel (St Martins Queensway) back to New Street Station. We didn't witness any trouble in the city centre, and there was a fairly big Police presence around. We got on the next train from New Street and arrived back in Wolverhampton around 6:30pm. We headed back to the Billy Wright pub to meet some other lads and enjoy a few beers!

Always love an away day at Blues, I was surprised that the Police allowed a 3pm kick off after problems at previous fixtures. But no complaints, great day out and roll on the rest of the season!

William Horwood (Norwich City) 27th August 2016

Birmingham city v norwich city football championship league saturday 27th august 2016, 3pm william horwood (norwich city fan).

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the St Andrews ground?

This was my third trip to St Andrews, but my first for ten years, so I was looking forward to going back. It was early in the season and we were unbeaten, so optimism was running high before the match.

I travelled by train from London with my brother. I had been before and used to live in Birmingham, so I knew my way to the ground. It is clearly visible from the centre of Birmingham and therefore quite easy to find.

We headed to the White Swan pub in Digbeth pre-match. This was mostly populated by home fans in colours, but there was no bother as neither of us were wearing colours (I'm not sure I'd go to this particular pub in away colours, but that' s based on the fact that it looked like a home pub rather than any "atmosphere" – the bar staff and punters were friendly enough).

The small old main stand along one side continues to survive (I understand that listed buildings behind it prevent it from being extended), but St Andrews on the whole is a good ground.

It's possible to generate a pretty good atmosphere from the away end. The stewarding was hands-off and they had no problem with us standing for the whole match. My only complaint is the fact that we had to queue for the whole of half-time to try and buy a pie and a pint, but even after 15 minutes we hadn't got to the front of the queue so we gave up. The game was awful from our perspective – we carried very little threat up front and Birmingham eased to a 3-0 win courtesy of some accommodating defending on our part.

No problem getting away, although our train home only had two carriages and so was jam-packed.

A good day out, shame about the performance and result.

Tom Bellamy (Barnsley) 3rd December 2016

Birmingham city v barnsley football championship league saturday 3rd december 2016, 3pm tom bellamy (barnsley fan).

This would be the first time I have visited St Andrews and so I was really looking forward to the match.

The journey took about two and a half hours by car mainly because of congestion on the Motorways and it being the build up to Christmas. I took the M1 South, then M42/M6 then the A38(M) into Birmingham. The directions to the ground were well signposted and therefore I didn't have any problems. I drove past St Andrews on my left and managed to park on the road by Morrison's supermarket, which was about a five minute walk to the ground. 

I just nipped into the Cricketers Arms pub which is next to Morrisons but it was full of Home fans and I was on my own so I didn't stay for a drink. Instead, I headed for the ground.

The Barnsley fans were given whole of the Gil Merrick Stand behind one of the goals, and with unreserved seating. I believe there were about 1,000 away fans so we were spread out in the Stand.

On approaching the turnstiles I was frisked by the Stewards who were friendly and sociable. The facilities inside the ground were very good and clean. I was very impressed with the stadium itself, and although the view was good I stood up for the whole of the game because the majority of our fans would not sit down, and the Stewards didn't intervene. However, it didn't stop me from enjoying the game. It was very entertaining from the kick off. Barnsley went 1-0 up midway through the first half even though Birmingham probably had the better chances. In the second half Barnsley continued to attack and added another two goals, probably due to the fact that Birmingham had a player sent off for a bad tackle. The game ended 3-0 to Barnsley. I did think the home fans were subdued right from the kick-off, but it did not prevent the Barnsley fans from creating their own atmosphere.

After the game I decided to head back to Morrisons and have a bite to eat. The liver with bacon, potatoes, onions and veg, followed by apple pie went down a treat. It gave me time to let all the traffic go and give me a better chance in getting away. I set off back home about 6pm and the journey back took about two hours.

I had a brilliant day out. It was trouble free. I would definitely go back to St Andrews.

Tom Lynch (Newcastle United) 7th January 2017

Birmingham city v newcastle united fa cup third round saturday 7th january 2017, 3pm tom lynch (newcastle united fan).

This was my first visit to St Andrews, so it was a case of chalking another away ground off the list!

I travelled down on a supporters' coach. It was fine. The away coaches park up right beside the away turnstiles.

I walked about 15 minutes to a pub called the Old Crown, which is towards, but not in the city centre. An old Tudor building, nice beers, and light meals. Toasted sandwiches, chips, soup. No problems getting in, and a mix of home and away fans as well as non match goers. I'd recommend it. There was no problem with the Birmingham fans we encountered.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the St Andrews Stadium?

St Andrews is fine. Aside from one old stand on one side, it is modern, but retains a traditional feel to it.

The game itself was a pretty dour 1-1. After getting an early lead, it became a frustrating affair and after Birmingham's equaliser, the game descended into a dull stalemate. The atmosphere was disappointing. The attendance was under 14,000. 4,600 of which were Newcastle fans. The old Main Stand was empty, apart from club officials and the remainder of the Birmingham fans were spread out sporadically and were very very quiet. I can't comment on the food, but the stewards and the Police at the ground were fine.

Our coaches were given a Police escort and treated us to a tour round half of Birmingham. Once we were in the motorway, we made good progress, and it was actually quicker coming back than going down. Being early January though, it was very dark coming back!

Not bad. I would visit St Andrews again. Although this was my first visit to the ground, I've been to Birmingham on numerous occasions. It's an ugly mess, but strangely enjoyable.

Bob Davis (Preston North End) 16th September 2017

Birmingham city v preston north end football championship league saturday 16th september 2017, 3pm bob davis ( preston north end fan), phillip bell (leeds united) 30th december 2017, birmingham city v leeds united championship league saturday 30th december 2017, 3pm phillip bell ( leeds united fan), brian moore (millwall) 17th february 2018, birmingham city v millwall championship league saturday 17th february 2018, 3pm brian moore ( millwall fan), richard symonds (doing the 92) 31st march 2018, birmingham city v ipswich town championship league saturday 31st march 2018, 3pm richard symonds ( doing the 92), lewis (swansea city) 17th august 2018, birmingham city v swansea city championship league friday 17th august 2018, 7:45pm lewis (swansea city).

It was my first away game of the season and it was a ground where I have never watched football at before, so that's always exciting,

We had a hotel in the city centre on moor street. and we got an uber taxi to the ground. They dropped us off at the Bordesley Circus roundabout and it was about a five minute walk to the away end up the road.

We went to a pub by the hotel called O'Neill's and there were a couple of Birmingham fans in there. They were very friendly and spoke to us and gave us advice for the best method of getting to the ground from where we were

As you come up the road we walked on to St Andrews, you can see the Railway End. You then get taken into an open area where the away coaches park and go through the turnstiles and then go down a little slope and then up some stairs to get into the concourse. My first impressions were that it was a nice stadium that looked relatively modern. The concourse was good as it was a very big area with plenty of room for people to move.

The game was awfully poor. We were rubbish and had limited chances whereas Birmingham had many chances only to be denied by our goalkeeper. The atmosphere in the concourse was bouncing. The Swansea fans were in fine voice singing songs. The queues for beer and food were a bit long and they seemed short staffed behind the counter. The stewards were quite strict. Whenever the Swansea fans were having a laugh they would try shut it down. There was a young boy on his fathers' shoulders and he was singing and enjoying but the stewards made him take him down. However, in the seats, they did not make a fuss about consistent standing like there has been at other grounds I have attended. I felt the atmosphere in the game was being created by the Swansea fans. the Birmingham fans rarely made much noise which I was surprised about.

We walked back to the city centre from the game, there were a lot of people trying to get out but once you made it away from the ground it was relatively quiet and a nice walk. Getting out of the ground itself was easy as there are many stairs that people can use so they are not congested which is good.

A very good day, the game was poor but I thought the St Andrews ground was very nice and would definitely go back there to watch Swansea again.

Adam Robinson (Bristol City) 8th December 2018

Birmingham city v bristol city championship league saturday 8th december 2018, 3pm adam robinson (bristol city), james (leeds united) 6th april 2019, birmingham city v leeds united championship league saturday 6th april 2019, 3pm james (leeds united), ian tandy (sheffield united) 10th april 2019, birmingham city v sheffield united championship league wednesday 10th april 2019, 7.45pm ian tandy (sheffield united), david crossfield (barnsley) 20th august 2019, birmingham city v barnsley championship tuesday 20th august 2019, 7.45pm david crossfield ( barnsley), mark wardell (millwall) 30th november 2019, birmingham city v millwall championship saturday 30th november 2019, 3pm mark wardell (millwall), gazman (neutral) 22nd february 2020, birmingham city v sheffield wednesday championship saturday 22nd february 2020, 3pm gazman (neutral), alex (reading) 7th march 2020, birmingham city v reading championship league saturday 7th march 2020, 3pm alex (reading).

Dylan Davies 28th December 2021

Game attended, competition, kick off time, team supported, why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself, what you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium, comment on getting away from the ground after the game, summary of overall thoughts of the day out.

Alf Cullen 10th January 2022

Justin Bentley 26th January 2022

Joseph Whitehead 28th February 2022

Ground layout.

Submit A Review

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

(can be 'Neutral' or 'Doing the 92')

(or not as the case may be!)

Please read our Terms and Conditions before submission. (opens in a new tab)

• I agree to the Terms and Conditions

RELATED POSTS

Betting offers.

• Best Football Betting Apps
• Best Football Prediction Sites
• William Hill Sign Up Offer
• Unibet Promo Code
• Bwin Sign up Offer
• SBK Sign Up Offer
• Grosvenor Sports Sign Up Offer
• Bet365 states USA

EPL Tickets

LATEST REVIEWS

Milton Keynes Dons

Stewart Howe2/5/24

AFC Wimbledon

Steve Andrews 'Doing the 92'17/4/24

Salford City

Carl Murray17/4/24

• PREMIER LEAGUE
• CHAMPIONSHIP
• INTERNATIONAL

Birmingham City FC - St Andrew's Stadium

Stadium info.

Since the latest re-development, the all-seated capacity of St Andrews is just over 30,000. Three of the stands were re-developed in a period from 1993-99 and the views inside from all areas are very impressive. It has function rooms suitable for business or social events and a large impressive club reception underneath the Spion Kop. A potential move to a multi-purpose City of Birmingham Stadium remains a real possibility with the sale of the current stadium going some way toward funding the new build.

Visiting supporters are seated in the Gil Merrick Stand, in the section closest to the Spion Kop. Approximately a quarter to a half of the Lower Tier is reserved for away fans although for games when the away allocation is increased to 10% of the total capacity, the section extends down towards all but the last section of the lower tier. You can expect a decent bit of banter with the home supporters. You'll come to the away turnstiles first when walking up from the city centre. The quality of the seating and views of the game from the Gil Merrick Stand are both excellent, though there can be a problem with legroom.

Stadium Layout

St Andrew's Stadium seating plan:

Where To Drink

There are a whole host of places to eat and drink in the city centre with all budgets catered for. Despite the fact that there are a few pubs in the area, they do fill up quickly and often it takes quite a while to be served. You will find that the majority of pubs in the vicinity of the ground are home supporters only and can be quite intimidating for away fans so the recommendation is to drink in the city centre.

Parking at the stadium itself is very limited, but a secure outdoor car park is available at Birmingham Wheels Park, less than 15 minutes walk away, and parking is also permitted in the streets surrounding the ground although you'll need to arrive 90 minutes or so before to guarantee a good spot.

Need cheap and convenient parking near the stadium? Rent a local resident's driveway and book St Andrew's Stadium parking with YourParkingSpace.Co.Uk

Get directions to the St Andrew's Stadium from your house by entering your post code or location below:

The nearest / closest train station to Birmingham City's St Andrews Stadium is Birmingham Moor Green. If you're coming into Birmingham by train, you will arrive at New Street Station, the city's main railway station, which is just over two and a half miles from the stadium. The city is fairly well served by rail from most British cities. Birmingham Moor Green station is 20 minutes walk away from the ground.

Most supporters will generally stop off for a beer in town before jumping on any of the buses, of which numbers 57, 57A, 58, 60, 900, 97, 97A all go up to St. Andrews. A taxi should only set you back around £6, but if it is close to kick off, journey time can be slow and you should allow 15 minutes or so.

The Games To See

Rivals - Aston Villa, West Brom, Wolves

FANS REVIEWS

Ian tandy, 10th april 2019 - birmingham city v sheffield united.

Travel: Having looked at this website it was easy. I parked near the Cricketers pub, less than ten minute walk away from St Andrews.

Refreshments: I went to the Cricketers pub. It was very friendly with a big away following inside and with some Birmingham fans who accepted us without issue.

Impressions: It was a great view from the away end. No alcohol on sale though and very limited hot food.

Atmosphere: An average game in which we didn’t play too well. There was a great atmosphere. Sadly they ran out of pies! The game ended 1-1.

Exit: Awful! It seemed like every road was shut off. I was sat for 30 minutes and nothing moved. Two ambulances couldn’t get through, absolutely ridiculous.

Enjoy: An enjoyable evenings football. Great pre-match beers. Come on the Blades!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES HERE:

• Stadium Information
• Stadium Seating Plan
• Fans Reviews

Ground Name: St Andrew's Stadium Capacity: 30,016 (all seated) Address: St Andrews Ground, Birmingham B9 4RL Main Tel No.: 0844 557 1875 Team Nickname: The Blues Year Ground Opened: 1906 Site: www.bcfc.com Online Shop: BCFC Photos

ONLINE STORE

• .cls-instagram {fill-rule: evenodd;} Instagram
• .cls-twitter {fill-rule: evenodd;} Twitter
• .cls-youtube {fill-rule: evenodd;} YouTube

Ticket information for Birmingham City away

Tickets are now on sale to away members for Albion’s Sky Bet Championship clash with Birmingham City at St. Andrew’s.

The Baggies visit the home of the Blues on Friday, October 6 (ko 8pm).

Albion have an allocation of 2,000 for the encounter. Tickets are priced £35 adults, £27.50 seniors (65+), £24.50 under-25s and £5.50 under-16s. Please note, under-16 tickets must be accompanied with an adult ticket.

Supporters can purchase their tickets  online , in person from the East Stand Ticket Office or by calling 0121 227 2227.

Full sales dates and a reminder of the price structure can be found in the tables below.

Coach Travel

Coach travel is available for £13, departing Kidderminster at 4pm, Stourbridge & Lye at 4.15pm and The Hawthorns at 5pm. 

Related Content

Away Days Info Guide | Birmingham City vs. Cardiff City

Ticket news.

Sales are currently at 780+.

Birmingham City will be offering sales on the day, from the away turnstiles. Cash only!

Collections & reprints will also be made available from the away turnstiles.

Click  here   for more information on ticket categories and prices, or email  [email protected]  for any enquiries.

Travel Tips

By Car:  Sat Nav postcode:  B9 4RL.  

From the  M6 : Exit the motorway at Junction 6, join the A38(M) Aston Expressway and then leave this at the 2nd exit signposted Ringroad. From here, follow signs to Birmingham City FC.

From  M42 : Exit the motorway at Junction 6 and follow the A45 into Small Heath. Birmingham City Football Club is located on the left hand side.

Unfortunately there is no designated away supporter parking available at the ground however; street parking is available in the vicinity of the ground.

By Train:  The nearest train station is  Bordesley , which operates only on home matchdays. Travel from  Birmingham Moor Street in the City Centre. The last train leaving Bordesley after full-time is at 10:55pm . We advise that you give yourself at least 15 minutes to walk from the stadium to the train station.

By Bus:  The ground is served by a number of bus routes. Buses which travel to the stadium are the number  17  &  60  buses. For more information and timetables, please  click here  to visit the Network West Midlands travel site.

With a capacity of 29,409, St. Andrew's Stadium   is the 8th-biggest ground in the Sky Bet Championship this season.

Away supporters will be situated in the  Gil Merrick Lower Stand , behind the goal. The Gil Merrick Stand houses a combination of home and away supporters.

If you experience or witness any form of discriminatory or offensive behaviour, please do not hesitate to anonymously text  07484 070422   with the row and seat number of the offender, followed by the nature of the problem.

Our  Supporter Liaison Officer , Paul Corkrey,   will be in attendance at the stadium on matchday. If you require any assistance, please contact him on  07484 070422 . Alternatively, follow  @CardiffCitySLO  on Twitter for further supporter updates.

Related News

Away guide | Birmingham City

Swansea City travel to St. Andrew’s on Saturday to face Birmingham City in the Championship (3pm kick-off).

Some 2,000 members of the Jack Army will be making the trip to the west Midlands to back the Swans in Luke Williams’ first league outing as head coach and the below information should help you plan your trip.

BIRMINGHAM CITY v SWANSEA CITY

Date:  Saturday, January 13 2024

Address:  St. Andrew’s Stadium, Birmingham, B9 4RL

Distance from the Swansea.com Stadium:  135mi

Our away allocation for this fixture is now sold out, thank you for your magnificent support, Jack Army.

Please do not travel for this fixture if you do not have a ticket.

POSTAGE/ DELIVERY

All tickets purchased before 5pm on Wednesday (January 10) have been posted out first class.

Any tickets purchased after this point will be available to collect from the Swansea.com Stadium ticket office between 9.30am and 5pm on Thursday (January 11) and until 5pm on Friday (January 12).

If your tickets have not arrived in the post by 2pm on Friday, January 12 please let the ticket office know by emailing  [email protected]  and include your customer number or booking reference. The club will then arrange duplicate tickets for you to collect at the host club.

SEAT ALLOCATION

The Swans were given an allocation of 1,998 for this match and away supporters are housed in the lower tier of the Gil Merrick Stand.

The Gil Merrick Stand is behind the goal, and away fans are positioned at one end of the stand. Usually, home fans are located at the opposite end of the stand.

This stand, along with two others, are fairly modern, while the main stand is a little older, opening in 1952, and is the smallest of the four stadium sides.

The facilities and view from the away end are fairly good and a wide range of food and drinks are served in the concourses.

ARTHUR MATCHDAY

Saturday's match will be Birmingham City's annual 'Arthur Matchday' in association with NSPCC.

The matchday is dedicated to Arthur Labinjo-Hughes who sadly passed away in 2020. Each year since Arthur’s passing, the club have held a matchday in his honour which coincides with Arthur’s birthday (January 4).

There will be a minute of applause for Arthur.

TRAVELLING BY CAR

Finding the stadium

St Andrew’s is just a mile-and-a-half from Birmingham city centre and is therefore well signposted and easily accessible from the city, as well as major road routes and motorways.

The postcode for the stadium is B9 4RL but Birmingham warn there is no parking at the stadium.

Street parking is available close by, off the left hand side of the ring road. Places near the BP garage are popular. Supporters should pay attention to signs and information displaying any parking restrictions.

Local schools and businesses offer parking facilities near the stadium, and these will usually display their prices clearly from the road. Most of these businesses charge around £5.

TRAVELLING BY TRAIN

Bordesley train station is just a 10-minute walk from St Andrew’s with a very limited service on matchday.

The nearest mainline stations are Birmingham New Street, Birmingham Snow Hill and Birmingham Moor Street which serve the city centre. The city centre is approximately two miles from the stadium or a 20-minute walk.

A taxi from the city centre to the stadium costs around £6 to £8.

Trains from Swansea to Birmingham New Street take around three hours, with services leaving every hour.

Supporters travelling by train are advised to plan journeys in advance and check train timetables and updates.

TRAVELLING BY BUS

A number of buses stop outside or near to the ground. For more information, or to plan your journey by bus, click  here .

SUPPORTER COACHES

Supporter travel for this match has now sold out. Coaches will depart the Swansea.com Stadium at 8:30am

NEARBY PUBS

There are very few pubs near the ground, and those that are in close proximity do not generally permit away fans.

Some away supporters recommend the Cricketers Arms – which allows home and away supporters in a friendly atmosphere – however, generally it is recommended that supporters head to the city centre before the game.

Taxis from the city centre are approximately £6 to £9. There are also regular busses. For more information, or to plan your journey by bus, click  here .

Information can be found on the Birmingham City website by clicking  here.

196+ REVIEWS

Follow us on twitter, join us on our trip to birmingham city, date: sat 02 mar 2024 /  kick-off: 15:00.

OUR coach TRIP INCLUDES:

• Coach return travel ticket
• Food & refreshment
• Some of our fleet have reclining seats and USB ports
• Note that we do NOT provide match tickets for the matches. Only coach travel is included in the price.

* We operate on a No Reservation Policy. NO PAY NO SEAT

* Southampton Away Travel does NOT provide match tickets for the matches. Only coach travel is included in the price.

* Tickets is for coach travel ONLY (unless otherwise stated)

* There is no allocated seating unless for exceptional circumstances. This has to be agreed at the time of the booking

* Children under 16 will not be allowed to travel unless accompanied by an adult/parent/carer. In exceptional circumstances, we may need to let the parent/carer/guardian to sign a waiver for us to allow the under 16 to travel on the coach (Download the waiver as a PDF here)

* Alcohol is NOT PERMITTED on board and by law, we operate a no smoking policy. We have the right to refuse travel for passengers who we feel may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs and NO refund will be given

* Any abusive behaviour will not be tolerated and if required will be reported to the police

* For customers bringing any electronic equipment or devices (such as phones, laptops, wheelchairs, etc), we will not be liable for any faults or damages that may occur for the whole duration of the trip.  For wheelchair users & any mobility aid/s, you have to be responsible for the handling of your wheelchair and mobility aid/s throughout the duration of the trip.  If for any reason our drivers or stewards will help you handle the equipment, they will only do it at your presence and instructions and will not be held responsible for any faults or damages to the equipment/s.

* If a game is cancelled prior to departure due to bad weather or any other reason, we will issue a credit note that can be used towards future travel with us

* If the game is called off whilst we are en-route to our designated venue, no refund will be given

* Cancellation within 24 hours from payment entitles the client a 100% refund. Any cancellations made after the booking and cancelled 7 days prior to the trip, will entitle the client a 50% refund. Cancellations thereafter or No-Shows are subject to a fee equal to a 100% of the total amount paid for the reservation.The Cancellation Policy ONLY applies to UK Trips. Trips outside the UK will have a separate Cancellation Policy.

* Should the circumstance arise where, due to insufficient bookings, we are forced to cancel any excursion, all monies paid by passengers for that particular excursion will be refunded in full and following that the company shall be exempt from any further liability

Cancellations 7 days before the trip will incur a 50% charge of the amount paid for the trip. Any cancellation thereafter or no-shows are subject to a fee equal to a 100% of the total amount paid for the reservation.

Price per seat:

£ 26.95.

Please insert full name of all passengers separated with a comma (,).

Please choose your preferred Pick-up Point. If you have multiple pick-up points, please indicate this under “Additional information”.

Please indicate if you have any special requests that we should know about.

Join us on the upcoming trips

Jump on our coach and enjoy the upcoming away trips..

Sky Bet Championship

12 MAY 2024

Join our group on facebook

Follow us on twitter, about southampton away travel.

Southampton Away Travel is a small business aiming to provide travel in comfort by coach and arrive in style from Southampton to your designated Football away match venue. We aim to give you the best, friendly service for supporters of Southampton FC in our executive coaches.

Quick navigation

Upcoming trips

Contact information

Anglesea Terrace Southampton SO14 5GP United Kingdom

[email protected]

07961 030 850

Southampton Away Travel © 2023

Privacy Policy – T&C

• watfordfc.com

• Disabled Supporters

Latest Offers

Recent news, previous game, middlesbrough, meet the players, get tickets, our partners.

Get Involved

Away tickets: birmingham city & preston north end information.

Tickets for Watford’s trips to Birmingham City (Tuesday August 16, 7.45pm KO) and Preston North End (Saturday August 20, 3pm KO) in the Sky Bet Championship will go on sale to supporters in Away Group A at 12noon on Monday (July 25).

Tickets are available from tickets.watfordfc.com , over the phone on 01923 223023 and in-person at the Supporter Services & Ticketing Office at Vicarage Road.

Read below for key information, including on-sale dates, ticket prices and more.

On-Sale Dates

• Away Group A 12noon, Monday July 25
• Away Group B 12noon, Tuesday July 26
• Away Group C 12noon, Wednesday July 27
• Away Group D 12noon, Thursday July 28
• Away Group E * 10am, Friday July 29
• General Sale 3pm, Friday July 29

* Away Group E sales (for Season Ticket holders wishing to purchase additional tickets for friends or family members who have not attended a game before) are NOT available online. Season Ticket holders wishing to take this opportunity during that sales window should contact us by phoning 01923 223023 or visiting the Supporter Services & Ticketing Office in-person.

Subject to availability, ticket sales for our away fixtures at Birmingham City and Preston North End will finish at 12noon on Tuesday August 16 and 4pm on Friday August 19 respectively. We are unable to amend any bookings after this time.

Ticket Prices

We’ve agreed a reciprocal pricing arrangement with both clubs, meaning supporters following the Golden Boys to St. Andrew's and Deepdale will pay the following:

• 65 & Over: £10
• 18 & Under: £5

Birmingham City - Coach Travel

Coaches for our trip to Birmingham City will depart from Occupation Road at 3pm. All coach travel this season is priced at £15, regardless of destination. As this journey is using the M1 northbound there will be an additional pick-up and drop-off at the Milton Keynes Coachway, close to M1 junction 14 MK16 0AA.

The pick-up time at the Milton Keynes Coachway will be approximately 3.45pm. Please note, the designated coach number booked during coach travel bookings is subject to alteration. When amending coach travel bookings, we will not split bookings that are made together, between coaches.

Birmingham City - Mascot Package

Members of our refreshed Junior Hornets offering have the opportunity to be selected as Watford mascot for our away trip to Birmingham City.

This will be decided by a draw of all Junior Hornets members, with a match ticket purchased by Friday July 29.

The Junior Hornets member, chosen at random, will have to provide their own full 2022/23 Watford kit. This does not necessarily have to be the away or third kit if they are being worn for this match.

Birmingham City - Replacement Tickets

Supporters who are without their tickets by Friday August 12, either having not received their tickets or mislaid them, should email [email protected] with their Fan ID number and details of their booking. We will arrange for replacement tickets to be available for collection from St Andrew's.

Preston North End - Coach Travel

Coaches for our trip to Preston North End will depart from Occupation Road at 7am. All coach travel this season is priced at £15, regardless of destination. As this journey is using the M1 northbound there will be an additional pick-up and drop-off at the Milton Keynes Coachway, close to M1 junction 14 MK16 0AA.

The pick-up time at the Milton Keynes Coachway will be approximately 7.45am. Please note, the designated coach number booked during coach travel bookings is subject to alteration. When amending coach travel bookings, we will not split bookings that are made together, between coaches.

Preston North End - Replacement Tickets

Supporters who are without their tickets by Thursday August 18, either having not received their tickets or mislaid them, should email [email protected] with their Fan ID number and details of their booking. We will arrange for replacement tickets to be available for collection from Deepdale.

Junior Hornets

We are reserving an area within our allocation specifically for Junior Hornets members and their families. This area will be available at all away games, not just those designated as Junior Hornets Away Days. There is no different pricing within this area for this match.

Supporters wishing to purchase tickets within the Junior Hornets members area should make their purchase by calling 01923 223023 when sales are available to their sales group.

Wheelchair & Ambulant Disabled

Wheelchair and ambulant disabled tickets are available, with a free personal assistant if required.

Our ticketing system allows supporters to purchase these at tickets.watfordfc.com , as well as over the phone on 01923 223023 and in-person at the Supporter Services & Ticketing Office.

If you believe you should be eligible for a wheelchair/ambulant disabled space but are not able to access these seats online, please email [email protected] .

For more information on claiming a free personal assistant ticket, please see our Access Statement .

Designated Seating Area

Supporters wishing to purchase tickets within the designated seating area, an area of seating for supporters who wish to remain seated during the game, should make their purchase by calling 01923 223023 when sales are available to their sales group.

Supporters aged under 14 cannot attend without an adult (over 18) accompanying them. Supporters aged under 18 but over 14 wishing to attend without an adult must complete a consent form HERE  and return it to the Supporter Services team at [email protected] .

Share this article

Match highlights.

• Work With Us

A weekend break in Birmingham | A 2-day itinerary

Diverse, with a rich heritage, a host of tourist attractions and renowned for its dining scene, Birmingham is a fantastic holiday destination in the UK.

Ad | Contains affiliate links

But that's not all. This industrial hub with a vibrant heart is all set to host the Commonwealth Games 2022 ! The games are set to begin on 28 July 2022 and continue through to 8 August 2022. Athletes from all over the Commonwealth will fight for the top spot in a variety of sports including athletics, cycling, swimming, netball, diving, cricket, boxing, basketball and more. The city is also currently hosting the Birmingham 2022 Festival with hundreds of amazing events across Birmingham and the West Midlands making it the perfect time to visit the city. Take a look at this weekend guide to Birmingham and start planning your own holiday to the city.

Day 1 in Birmingham

Birmingham library.

The Library of Birmingham is not just the largest public library in the UK but also a striking piece of modern architecture. Opened in 2013, the 31,000-square feet library is spread over ten levels and looks somewhat like a large, square-tiered cake with intricate decorations both inside and outside. It draws in thousands of visitors every day and is one of the most popular visitor attractions in Birmingham.

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, which first opened in 1885, is housed in a Grade II listed building and includes 40 different galleries covering fine art, archaeology, costume & jewellery, antique earthenware, social history and ethnography.

St Philip’s Cathedral

The Birmingham Cathedral was originally the St Philip's parish church. It was designed by Thomas Archer in the English Baroque style and was consecrated in 1715. Birmingham became a city in 1889 and subsequently, St Philip's Church became the Cathedral of Birmingham in 1905. It’s actually the third smallest cathedral in England!

Go Shopping

For those who enjoy shopping, Birmingham offers plenty of choices on where you can spend your money.

A testament to Victorian craftsmanship, the building with its lovely facade and elaborate structure within is home to an interesting mix of small shops and cafes. You will find a host of award-winning small retailers selling everything from the latest fashion & accessories to traditional sweets & candies. Great Western Arcade | Colmore Row, Birmingham B2 5HU

Day 2 in Birmingham

Jewellery quarter tour.

Dating back over 200 years and with more than 200 listed buildings, the Jewellery Quarter area in Birmingham is a must-visit. From the late 1700s onward, for more than 200 years, gold and silversmiths have operated in the Jewellery Quarter. It is interesting to note that the button, buckle and other small metal object industry gave rise to the knowledge that is now used in jewellery making. When the business peaked in the early 1900s, there were about 70,000 local workers working in the Jewellery Quarter. 

Below : The Welcome People team with the staff at Artfull Expressions.

Visit the Pen Museum

Located on Frederick Street in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter is the Pen Museum. Housed in a former Victorian pen factory, that was built in 1863; the museum tells the story of Birmingham’s pen trade with the help of interactive exhibits and knowledgeable staff members.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens

After the visit to the Jewellery Quarter and exploring other attractions in the city, if you are looking for a place where you can relax and connect with nature, then head to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Glasshouses. Set in a 15-acre area, the gardens contain more than 7,000 different varieties of plants from around the world.

There's also a Butterfly House where visitors can see colourful, tropical butterflies from Central America, parts of Africa and the Philippines. An aviary with some tropical birds seemed to be very popular with the younger visitors.

Other facilities on-site include a tea room, children’s playground and a gift shop that stocks a wide range of gardening gifts. For information on opening times, admission prices, parking etc. visit www.birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Glasshouses | Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3TR Phone | 0121 454 1860

Staying Longer?

Although a weekend stay in Birmingham gives you enough time to see all the main attractions, staying longer in the city would allow you to visit and explore some of the other popular attractions (as listed below).

National SEA LIFE Centre

Explore the world of penguins, sea otters, sharks, turtles and more at the National SEA LIFE Centre. Home to more than 2,000 creatures and boasting the UK’s only 360 ocean tunnel, the National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham is a fascinating experience, right in the city centre.

Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum

Thinktank is an award-winning science museum spread over 4 floors and with more than 200 hands-on displays related to technology and science. Highlights of the museum include MiniBrum (a child-sized world, aimed at the under 8s), the Planetarium, the Spitfire Gallery, the Marine Worlds Gallery, the Science Garden (an outdoor discovery space) and the Industrial Gallery featuring the Smethwick Engine (the oldest working steam engine). The museum also holds seasonal exhibitions, tours & talks and child-friendly activities throughout the year. Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum | Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham, B4 7XG Phone | 0121 348 8000

GoBoat Birmingham

If you want to enjoy Birmingham from a different prespective, give GoBoat a try. GoBoat offers self-drive electric boats on hire that allow you to explore the city's canal systems at your own pace.

Where to stay in Birmingham

Whatever your budget or taste, you will surely find accommodation in Birmingham to suit you. There are different types of accommodations to choose from - B&Bs, serviced apartments, hostels, self-catering properties and a range of hotels. If you are looking for something in the heart of the city, within walking distance of most of the popular attractions then Malmaison Birmingham is a great choice.

Malmaison Birmingham , located in the historic, former Royal Mail building, offers 193 beautifully designed rooms and suites with amenities and services that will make your stay comfortable and convenient. Our room at the Malmaison was modern, spacious, clean and quiet even though it overlooked a busy road. It had all the mod cons needed for a short stay.

Breakfast was good; there was a small selection of continental items and an à la carte, cooked menu. And the staff happily catered to our dietary requirements.

Where to eat and drink in Birmingham

Birmingham is foodie heaven! Whatever type of gastronomic experience you are after, the city will cater to your taste. From Michelin-starred restaurants to street food joints and from family-run cafés to cool & quirky bars, the city has a vibrant and happening food scene.

Albert’s Schloss

To enjoy Europe’s finest biers and a fantastic selection of cocktails make your way to Albert's Schloss on Chamberlain Square. Albert's Schloss' first branch was opened in Manchester followed by the one in Birmingham. Set across 2 floors, the Birmingham venue serves the best of Munich lagers like Paulaner, Augustiner and Lowenbrau, the Pilsner Urquell from the Czech Republic and much more. The wonderful cocktail list is also a treat.

Rudy’s Pizza

For the best pizza in Birmingham head to Rudy's Pizza on Bennett's Hill. With an open-plan, industrial type of decor, the place serves delicious Neapolitan pizzas. Rudy's make their dough on-site and with just 4 ingredients: flour, salt, yeast and water. They double ferment it for a minimum of 20 hours at room temperature which makes their pizzas light and soft. Their pizzas are 14", cooked for just 60 seconds and not crispy or deep pan. They currently have 14 different pizzas on their menu along with a small selection of starters & sharers and a good selection of drinks to enjoy with your pizza.

If you want to try out delicious, comfort food from Mumbai then Dishoom is where you need to visit. With interiors reminiscent of the old Irani cafés from erstwhile Bombay, Dishoom manages to capture the essence of Bombay's life, commerce and markets. There are loads of decor items that have a connection to the Indian city and will make you nostalgic especially if you have lived in Bombay. The menu is equally impressive with a selection of grills, small plates, biryanis, bread & rice, salads and side dishes. What immediately caught our attention though was the street food from Mumbai. We tried the Pav Bhaji, Vada Pav, Dishoom's House Chaat, Bhel and all the dishes had authentic flavours. It was excellent!

Another place to enjoy a lovely meal in Birmingham is Chapter. It is an independent kitchen and bar that is the brainchild of restaurateurs Ann Tonks, Irene Allan and Ben Ternent. Chapter prides itself on its nature-led menu that uses quality British produce. The menu list at Chapter is extensive. There is a Breakfast menu, a Lunch & Dinner menu, a Bar menu, a Tasting menu, a Children's menu and a Sunday Lunch menu. All the menus have been crafted with great thought and using local produce wherever possible. The vegetarian starters that we tried were Goats Cheese Mousse (beetroot panna cotta, walnut biscuit, herbs & local beetroot) and Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli. Both were beautifully presented and amazing in quality and flavours. Vegetable Garden (fried polenta with marinated tofu, black garlic and local vegetables) which was our main course was also great. The desserts were also lovely with a special mention for the Salted Caramel Tart. 

The Coconut Tree

To experience authentic Sri Lankan flavours and warm hospitality, head over to The Coconut Tree restaurant on Gas Street. The Coconut Tree has several branches in the southwest of the country (Cardiff, Cheltenham, Oxford, Bristol) and the Birmingham site is their first one in the Midlands. Founded by 5 Sri Lankan friends, the restaurant serves small, tapas-style Sri Lankan street food along with a selection of sweet and fiery 'Cocotails'.

Asha’s

Owned by Indian playback singer and entrepreneur Asha Bhosle, Asha's in Birmingham serves traditional North-Western Indian cuisine. The menu is inspired by the culinary traditions that Asha encountered on her travels through the various states of India over the years. The menu is extensive with a good choice for vegetarians as well. We tried their Vegetarian Kebab Platter which included Paneer Ka Soola (Indian cottage cheese with green peppers and pineapple), Palak Dal Tikki (spinach stuffed with cheese), Vegetable Seekh Kebab (minced vegetable kebab) and Papdi Chaat (Indian street food) served with chutneys. The starters were perfectly cooked with delicious flavours, and it was quite filling too.

The desserts selection included Gulab Jamun, Rasmalai, a trio of Kulfis, Brownie and Chocolate Fudge Cake. We opted for the Indian classic, Gajar ka Halwa which was absolutely delicious. We enjoyed our experience at Asha's and judging by the crowd at the restaurant when we visited; we can say that it is a popular destination for Indian cuisine. The restaurant can get very busy, especially over the weekends, so booking ahead is recommended. Visit www.ashasbirmingham.co.uk to book a table. Asha's | Edmund House, 12-22 Newhall Street, Birmingham B3 3LX Phone | 0121 200 2767

How to get to Birmingham

Birmingham has very good road, rail, coach and air links, making it one of the UK's easiest cities to get to. The city has 3 city-centre rail stations - Birmingham New Street Station, Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill - each one with fast and frequent connections to local and national destinations. The West Midlands Railway (WMR) operates more than 70 trains each day from London to Birmingham and their fastest journey to Birmingham takes 1 hour 59 minutes. WMR also operate trains from Worcester Shrub Hill, Kidderminster, Stourbridge, Hereford, Solihull, and Stratford-upon-Avon to Birmingham. Avanti West Coast (AWC) also has direct trains from London to Birmingham New Street with the fastest journey taking 1 hour 22 minutes. AWC also has trains to Birmingham from Coventry, Rugby, Crewe, Milton Keynes and Sandwell & Dudley.

How to get around in Birmingham

Most of the tourist attractions listed in this post are within easy walking distance of each other, so you could arrive in Birmingham by train/car and then explore the city on foot. If you prefer not to walk, then the easiest way to get around Birmingham is by public transport (buses, trams and trains).

Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held from 28 July until 8 August 2022 and will host 19 sports and 9 para-sports with 72 nations and territories participating in the games. More than 4,000 athletes will be taking part in the Games and it is going to be a very interesting time for the city with some top-class sporting action.

If you are planning to travel to Birmingham to enjoy the Games, visit www.birmingham2022.com The site has all the information you need (competition schedule, venue details, ticket information etc.) to plan your day at the Games.

Seasonal attractions in Birmingham

Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market with its wide range of stalls featuring traditional gifts, food & drinks is popular both with locals and visitors alike. It is the largest authentic German Christmas market outside of Germany or Austria, so if you are planning a visit to Birmingham during December, a visit to this market is recommended.

Whilst this guide/itinerary is by no means exhaustive, it will give you a good idea of what to see and do in Birmingham .

For more inspiration on what to see and do in Birmingham, check out www.visitbirmingham.com

Related Posts

Post a comment, no comments.

Birmingham City (A) Ticket Update

We have received a new batch of 800 tickets from Birmingham City for our forthcoming away game, and they will go on sale to season-ticket holders with 450+ Priority Points from 10am on Wednesday, 16 August. 

Season-ticket holders with 230+ Priority Points will be able to purchase from Thursday, 17 August, subject to availability. 

Should tickets remain, they will go on sale to Evergreen Level 2 members from 10am on Friday, 18 August, and Level 3 members from 10am on Saturday, 18 August. 

The game, which takes place on Saturday, 26 August, at 3pm, will be an all-ticket game. No tickets will be available on the day. 

The sales process, requested by the home side, began with an allocation of 1,200 tickets, which sold out to our first two priority phases very quickly. 

The full set of priority stages is outlined below. 

All priority stages will be subject to availability. 

Priority 1 - Season-ticket holders with 550+ Priority Points from 10am on Thursday, 10 August. One per member to relevant age of season-ticket holder to match ticket .

Priority 2  - Season-ticket holders  with 500+ Priority Points  from 10am on Friday, 11 August. One per member to relevant age of season-ticket holder to match ticket .

Priority 3 - Season-ticket holders with 450+ Priority Points from 10am on Wednesday, 16 August. One per member to relevant age of season-ticket holder to match ticket .

Priority 4 - Season-ticket holders with 230+ Priority Points from 10am on Thursday, 17 August. One per member to relevant age of season-ticket holder to match ticket .

Priority 5 - Evergreen Level 2 Members from 10am on Friday, 18 August. 

Priority 6  - Evergreen Level 3 Members from 10am on Saturday, 19 August. 

Should any tickets remain at this stage, they will go on general sale, again subject to availability. 

We encourage supporters to buy tickets online at  argyletickets.com  at any time.  

If you are unable to do so, you can visit the Home Park Ticket office during opening hours of 10am to 4pm on Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm on Saturdays, or 9am until kick-off on match-day Saturdays. You can also call 01752 907700 during opening hours. 

Prices - Gil Merrick Stand. Reserved seating behind the goal.  Adults - £24.50 Over-65s - £19 16-22 years - £19 Under-16s - £5.50 Personal assistant – Free

Supporters aged under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Prices - Gil Merrick Stand. Pitchside. This area is advised for those with a power chair. Please contact the Home Park Ticket Office directly if you need an accessible space for a power chair. Adults - £22.60 Over-65s - £17 16-22 years - £17 Under-16s - £4.50 Personal assistant – Free

Spaces for wheelchair users are with the away supporters.  Ambulant disabled supporters and those booking into the wheelchair spaces are eligible for a free PA as long as registered with us.

Please book pitchside if you have a power chair as the platform is not accessible.

The following booking and delivery fees will apply as below: In-person and over the phone - £1.50 per ticket Online - 75p per ticket Digital or print at home - no additional delivery fee Royal Mail postage - £1.50 per booking

Miles Away Coach Travel Departs from outside the Devonport End at 7.15am Miles Away Adult - £43 Miles Away Junior - £41 Non-Member - £48

Please  click here for an update about the Miles Away Travel Club to ensure you have all the up-to-date information.

You can sign up for Miles Away Travel, here . 

• Latest news
• Latest videos
• BluesTV Support
• Buy Tickets
• Season Tickets
• Hospitality
• Mascot Packages
• Stadium Tours
• Ticketing Guide
• Terms & Conditions
• Blues Store
• Blues Store Opening Times
• Official Supporters Club

Getting to St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park

10 November 2021

Transport Links To The ground

Birmingham Travel Guide

By: Author Tracy Collins

Posted on Last updated: August 31, 2023

Our  Birmingham Travel Guide  includes recommended places to visit and things to do, accommodation options, tips and more for this popular Midlands city. Everything you need to plan your visit and essential reading for any visitor to Birmingham!

Situated in the middle of England and in the county of the West Midlands , Birmingham is a major vibrant, multicultural city with a renowned art scene and a rich industrial heritage. 

The city and surrounding areas present a range of diverse attractions from famous, historical landmarks to its world-class and numerous shopping and trendy dining options. Birmingham presents itself as an equally popular destination for visitors from the UK and overseas.

When is the best time of year to visit Birmingham?

What is the best way to explore birmingham, how to travel to birmingham from london, attractions, activities and things to do in birmingham, where to eat and drink in birmingham, accommodation in birmingham, enjoy your visit to birmingham, birmingham travel guide – plan your visit: faqs.

Birmingham really is an all-year-round destination! Summer months, when the weather is generally warmest, is a great time to visit as there are many outdoor events and festivals from June to August.

Birmingham has a climate with cool winters and mild summers. The average daytime temperature in summer is around 21°C (70 F), while in winter it can drop to around 5°C (41 F).

• Festivals and events

Birmingham hosts a wide variety of popular events and festivals throughout the year including

• Birmingham International Jazz & Blues Festival >> 19th – 28th July 2024
• Birmingham Comedy Festival >> Friday 6 to Sunday 15 October 2023
• Birmingham German Christmas Market >> Thursday 2 nd  November to Sunday 24th December 2023
• Birmingham Pride Festival >> Saturday 25th May 2024
• Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival >> 12th – 14th July 2024
• High Vis Street Culture Festival (Street Art/workshops) >> 25th – 27th September 2023
• Fierce Festival (Live Art) >> 10th – 16th October 2023
• Birmingham Film Festival >> 17th – 26th November 2023
• Birmingham Festival (Celebration of the city’s creativity) >> 28th July – 6th August 2023

Birmingham has excellent transport links within and around the city and surrounding area with trains, trams and buses to support this bustling city.

• Local Trains

Local train lines exist forming cross-city routes to multiple locations from Birmingham New Street, Birmingham Moor and Birmingham Snow Hill stations.

• Trams (Light Rail tram line)

Operated by West Midlands Metro with services that connect Birmingham and Wolverhampton via West Bromwich and Wednesbury.

Operated by multiple operators across the West Midlands region, click here for journey planning and ticket options.

The principal train station is Birmingham New Street which is a major UK rail hub with services to London Euston (The fastest 1h 16 mins and the cheapest Advance Ticket is £14)

The alternative rail route is the Chiltern line between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street, 5 minute walk from Birmingham New Street station. (The fastest 1h 57 mins and the cheapest Advance Ticket is £20 )

• The city is easily accessible by car with motorways into the city from all directions and also has major road routes with a ring road around the city centre.
• Birmingham International Airport is a short distance away with excellent road and rail routes to Birmingham, London and other UK locations.
• Park and Ride options are available around the city.
• Visit the historic Baroque-style Birmingham Cathedral – the Cathedral Church of St Philip opened in 1725.
• Explore the city’s rich and proud industrial heritage at the Black Country Living Museum – An open-air museum 10 miles from Birmingham in Dudley.  Step back in time with this family fun experienc e.
• Take a stroll through the beautiful Birmingham Botanical Gardens – The green heart of Birmingham with a biodiverse natural environment.
• Visit the iconic Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery – Global collections of fine art, ceramics, jewellery, natural history, metalwork, local and industrial history. ( Note – Currently closed and expected to reopen in 2024)
• Take a Canal Boat Tour of the city’s waterways – A narrowboat tour around the outskirts of Birmingham, explore the locks and have a go yourself!
• Visit the famous Birmingham Bullring and Grand Central shopping centres – The landmark mall in the centre of Birmingham is termed the ‘ultimate shopping and dining experience!  
• Visit the MailBox Birmingham – The premium shopping location with fashionable shops and restaurants with a perfect canalside location.
• Explore the stunning Aston Hall , a Jacobean mansion – A Grade 1 listed Jacobean House in Aston, Birmingham, built between 1618 and 1635.
• Watch a show at the Birmingham Hippodrome – one of the UK’s premier theatres.
• Visit the Cadbury World chocolate factory for a delicious Chocolate Day trip experience!  –  One of the UK’s most popular family attractions.
• Take a stroll around the Bournville Model Village – Founded by the Quaker Cadbury family for employees at the Cadbury factory.
• Take a trip to the fascinating Thinktank Science Museum – The award-winning science museum at Millenium Point in the city centre is fun for the whole family.
• Birmingham Motorcycle Museum – In Solihull, near Birmingham Airport, over 850 British motorcycles are on display.  A must-see for fans of motorcycles.
• Drayton Manor Resort ( UK Theme Park ) – Family fun with rides and attractions, 17 miles from Birmingham and further afield, Alton Towers 52 miles away (1h20)
• Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market and Craft Market – The largest German Market outside Germany is set up around New Street, Victoria and Centenary Squares. Selling decorations, handcrafted jewellery, carved wooden toys, sausages, beer and pretzels…and much more!

There are a plethora of places to eat in Birmingham for all tastes and budgets – these are just a few of your favourites.

• 🥘 Dishoom Birmingham
• ⭐️ Purnell’s Restaurant – by Michelin star chef Glynn Purnell
• 🥩 Gauchos – Argentinian steak
• 🥢 Tattu Birmingham – Modern Chinese
• 🍲 The Ivy Temple Row
• 🍹 The Alchemist Colmore Row – Cocktails
• £££ – The Grand Hotel Birmingham
• £££ – Radisson Blu
• ££ – Clayton Hotel Birmingham
• ££ – Leonardo Royal Hotel Birmingham
• ££ – Holiday Inn Express Birmingham City Centre
• ££ – Ibis Styles Birmingham Centre

More special stays –  Accommodation Guide for England

Our Birmingham Travel Guide is just one of many excellent guides we have on this website – check out more below:

• Regional Guide to England
• Bath Travel Guide
• Bristol Travel Guide
• York Travel Guide
• Liverpool Travel Guide
• Manchester Travel Guide
• Salisbury Travel Guide

UK Edition Change

• UK Politics
• News Videos
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Rugby Union
• Sport Videos
• John Rentoul
• Mary Dejevsky
• Andrew Grice
• Sean O’Grady
• Photography
• Theatre & Dance
• Culture Videos
• Fitness & Wellbeing
• Food & Drink
• Health & Families
• Royal Family
• Electric Vehicles
• Car Insurance Deals
• Lifestyle Videos
• UK Hotel Reviews
• News & Advice
• Simon Calder
• Australia & New Zealand
• South America
• C. America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• Politics Explained
• News Analysis
• Today’s Edition
• Home & Garden
• Broadband deals
• Fashion & Beauty
• Travel & Outdoors
• Sports & Fitness
• Sustainable Living
• Climate Videos
• Solar Panels
• Behind The Headlines
• On The Ground
• Decomplicated
• You Ask The Questions
• Binge Watch
• Travel Smart
• Watch on your TV
• Crosswords & Puzzles
• Most Commented
• Newsletters
• Ask Me Anything
• Virtual Events
• Betting Sites
• Online Casinos
• Wine Offers

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in

The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission.

Birmingham city guide: Where to eat, drink, shop and stay in the UK’s thriving canal city

Forget everything you thought you knew about brum – explore this cool, contemporary city with our guide to its finest hangouts, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts

Get simon calder’s travel email, thanks for signing up to the simon calder’s travel email, why go now.

Hurtling along at top speed on a hamster wheel of regeneration, Birmingham is constantly pulling out new attractions that make it a worthy weekend destination. Long regarded as a drab place and teased relentlessly for its distinctive accent, today’s fast-evolving city will surprise you with its innovative, eye-popping modern architecture and new attractions.

This month it hosts the Commonwealth Games 2022 - just one sign of its emerging place on the world map. Plans for a Clean Air Zone and a whole calendar of festivals and events ‒ from art exhibitions to heritage walks and urban treasure hunts ‒ are leading it into the future. And you won’t go hungry, either: from diverse street food and proper curries to elegant Michelin-starred nosh, Brum’s gastronomic offerings are sure to give you eyes bigger than your stomach.

Get your bearings

Many of the top attractions, new developments and shopping hotspots in Birmingham are clustered within easy walking distance of each other and the central transport hub, New Street Station. The historic Jewellery Quarter in the northeast portion of the centre is replete with architectural gems (pun intended) from Birmingham’s industrial past ‒ this area is thought to produce 40 per cent of all British jewellery. To the west, canals find a sophisticated neighbour in the Brindleyplace development , with its glass-fronted cafes and summer deckchairs. For a more creative, arty vibe, head to Digbeth and its start-up magnet Custard Factory , where arts, street food and live music collide. South of the centre, you’ll find impressive green spaces to relax in like Cannon Hill Park and the Botanical Gardens .

Take a hike

To get a first taste of the city’s vibe and architecture, start at the ultra square, love-it-or-hate building: The Cube . Cross over the bridge to Gas Street Basin, and keep along the towpath to stroll past moored narrowboats. Nip under the arch of Broad Street Tunnel, and continue on to Birmingham City Centre Path. Turn left when you hit the Pitcher & Piano to explore the streets and squares of the masterfully redeveloped Brindleyplace, where relaxed eateries sit alongside the award-winning Ikon Gallery (currently collab-ing with Paris’s Palais de Tokyo on a major contemporary installation) and rows of blossom trees that shroud the Japanese-inspired Oozells Square in pink during springtime.

Return to the canal path, then cross the canal via the suspension bridge. Walk straight through the ICC conference complex into Centenary Square, where you’ll be confronted by the Library of Birmingham – a bold and blocky modern affair with yellow tiers and a lacy metal shell. Cross Paradise Circus Queensway via the walkway, bearing right and then left onto Fletchers Walk. Here you’ll spot the Neoclassical columns of Birmingham Town Hall ahead; wander behind it to enter Victoria Square, home to the grand Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery . Keep heading northeast onto Colmore Row, and eventually you’ll hit St Phillip’s Cathedral and square.

Lunch on the run

With its exposed brick walls and caged Edison bulbs, 200 Degrees on Colmore Row exemplifies Birmingham’s burgeoning indie coffee culture. They’re so serious about coffee that there’s even a barista school in the basement. Head in at lunchtime for expertly crafted brews and chunky gourmet sandwiches with inventive fillings like roasted broccoli, coffee-rubbed sweet potato, and Stilton with prosciutto.

Window shopping

You’ll find everything and the kitchen sink in the neighbouring Bullring, Mailbox and Grand Central shopping centres. These complexes cover all of the popular high street stores, and the Bullring also hosts Selfridges in a futuristic, disc-clad building. More independent boutiques line the charming Great Western Arcade nearby: be tempted by the cheerful, handcrafted macaroons from Miss Macaroon , and if cheese is your vice, have a good nosy at the well-stocked cabinets in Anderson & Hill .

An aperitif

For a sultry, loft vibe and Japanese-inspired creations, head for Bar Ikigai in the Jewellery Quarter. Exposed brick and whitewash rub up against jewel-coloured, velvet sofa nooks, where you can sip a mango-and-passionfruit-inflused Pixellated Punch or a Talisker whisky cocktail jazzed up with caramel, apple and nori (dried seaweed).

Dine with the locals

An offshoot of legendary local food venture Digbeth Dining Club, Hockley Social Club is Brum’s sensory-overloading answer to London’s street food scene. Open Thursday-Sunday evenings, its chefs serve up Asian rice bowls, pizzas, tacos and sweet waffles while live bands and local DJs generate a party atmosphere.

Out to brunch

Start the day with some canalside calm at Ju Ju’s Café , consistently rated as one of the best brunch spots in Brum. Nab a table out in the sun and choose from a menu packed with hearty brunch options done exceptionally well. From Lebanese flatbreads with avocado, feta and za’atar to paprika-dusted “eggs in purgatory”, Ju Ju’s serves brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-4pm.

Take a ride

Birmingham is well serviced by a bus network, and trips can be paid for on board with cash (exact change required) or by tapping your contactless card. It’s also worth noting that Birmingham pips Venice when it comes to the overall length of its canals, so you may wish to admire the historic sights by narrowboat. Hour-long City Heritage tours start at the International Convention Centre moorings. Canal Boat trips depart from the International Convention Centre Quayside daily from Easter to end of October (11.30am, 1pm, 2.30pm and 4pm). Weekends only throughout November, January, February and March.

Cultural afternoon

Birmingham’s industrial past is central to its character, and two museums in particular offer immersive glimpses into life during the city’s boom years. Book guided tours in advance to learn about Birmingham’s metalworking and jewellery heritage at Coffin Works , open Friday to Sunday 10.45am-4pm (£8.50), and the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter , which is currently only open for special events such as Kids’ jewellery workshops.

A walk in the park

Perhaps surprisingly, Birmingham is one of the greenest cities in the UK. Cannon Hill Park in south Birmingham boasts over 200 acres of green space, and it’s also home to the Midlands Arts Centre and Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Centre . In recent years, massive investment projects have transformed the park into a top leisure spot. A mini funfair operates at the weekend and you can also get active on a vast mini-golf course (£11.90 for 36 holes) or a giant swan pedalo.

The icing on the cake

After London, Birmingham has the second greatest number of Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK, with five total. Book well ahead of time for memorable tasting menus at fine establishments including Purnell’s , the eponymous restaurant headed up by Solihull local Glynn Purnell, Simpsons , a top chef training ground and star holder since 2000, and Carters of Moseley , with a menu focusing on unusual ingredients, wild game and foraged herbs.

Travel Essentials

Getting there.

Due to its position in the heart of England, the best way to get to Birmingham is by train. Fast and frequent services from all over the country arrive at three main stations: the recently refurbished New Street Station, with its divisive tinfoiled exterior, and the rather less shiny Moor Street and Snow Hill stations.

Staying there

Located in the Jewellery Quarter, a 15-minute walk from New Street Station, BLOC Hotel (0121 212 1233; blochotels.com) offers minimal but sleek rooms with monsoon showers and super-fast wifi. Doubles from £88 room only.

Check availability

The red-bricked Hotel du Vin (0121 794 3005, hotelduvin.com) is a Victorian beauty with a convenient central location, home-style French bistro and uniquely styled rooms. Doubles from £109, room only.

St Paul’s House (0121 272 0999, saintpaulshouse.com) in the Jewellery Quarter overlooks Birmingham’s last remaining Georgian square. Rooms are contemporary and casual with a free mini-bar, but there’s a public bar and a modern European restaurant on site should you wish to emerge at some point.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

New to The Independent?

Or if you would prefer:

Want an ad-free experience?

Hi {{indy.fullName}}

• My Independent Premium
• Account details
• Help centre

National Geographic content straight to your inbox—sign up for our popular newsletters here

A guide to Birmingham, the UK city break you'd never think of

Multicultural, industrious and in an ongoing battle for the title of England’s second city, the West Midlands’ capital flaunts its heritage with style.

Everything changed for Birmingham with the arrival of the Commonwealth Games in 2022, the biggest in the event’s history. With athletes and delegates from 72 nations descending on the region and more than 1.5 million tickets sold, it gave England ’s second city a chance to prove its mettle on the world stage. And so it did. The opening and closing ceremonies rolled out Birmingham’s multifaceted past, proudly celebrating the city’s long-standing multicultural residents — often referred to as ‘Brummies’ — and manufacturing heritage as reggae, rock and grime artists shared the stage.

It’s no surprise that this former industrial powerhouse chose to showcase its roots. From around the 16th century, the city became lauded for its metal-working industry, earning it the nickname of the ‘workshop of the world’ by the 18th century. It then became home to two of the UK’s biggest car manufacturers: Jaguar and MG Rover.

Today, the residents of Birmingham are down-to-earth and self-deprecating, but the city has had its fair share of fame. Novelist and lecturer JRR Tolkien spent formative years around King's Heath and Sarehole at the end of the 19th century and later cited the area as inspiration for his books. During the same period, the real-life Peaky Blinders criminal street gang rampaged around Birmingham; they would go on to be the inspiration for the blockbuster period television drama that now draws tourists to its city filming locations.

Birmingham’s industrial prowess lasted well into the 20th century, but eventually waned as British manufacturing was scaled back from the 1970s. However, its heritage is still on show in pockets of the city, namely along the snaking canal network, which was cut in the 18th and 19th centuries to transport heavy goods in and out of the region by narrowboat. Now, many of the waterways have become urban parks used by joggers, cyclists and kayakers.

In Digbeth, the former Bird’s Custard Factory is now a creative digital business complex home to independent bars, shops and a cinema. In the Jewellery Quarter, where 40% of the UK’s jewellery is still made today, former factories have been repurposed as hotels, trendsetting restaurants and social enterprise spaces. The regeneration of public squares in the city centre, meanwhile, has seen historic neoclassical architecture like Birmingham Town Hall blend in seamlessly in Paradise, a sleek development mixing business space and leisure facilities.

Steady gentrification has also seeped into the dining scene. While the city has long been lauded for its authentic South Asian cuisine, especially around the Balti Triangle, what’s less well known is that Birmingham has five Michelin stars, more than any other English city outside of London. It may not shout about its achievements, but Birmingham’s official motto is Forward — and that’s the way it looks.

What to see and do in Birmingham

1. Roundhouse Birmingham Kayak Tours Birmingham’s canal network was first engineered in the 1700s to transport heavy goods such as coal and iron. Today, the waterway’s distinctive 19th-century brick Roundhouse, originally used as stables and store houses, has been revamped in collaboration with the National Trust and Canals & Rivers Trust as a base for tours. Pop into the Grade II-listed building’s visitor centre in the heart of the city centre before joining one of its unique kayak trips, offering a duck’s-eye view of popular landmarks such as the historic Gas Street Basin, and areas that are inaccessible by foot.

2. Sarehole Mill & Moseley Bog It’s hard to believe that a young JRR Tolkien drew inspiration for The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings when living just five miles south of Birmingham city centre, but it’s true. Tolkien often visited the grounds surrounding Sarehole Mill, a 250-year-old working watermill in Hall Green, which he later said inspired Middle Earth. A five-minute walk away is Moseley Bog, an ancient forest with gnarled trees and walking trails, which was the inspiration for the Old Forest, on the edge of the Shire.

3. Positively Birmingham These fun walking tours, led by local authors and photographers, tap into topics ranging from the city’s Victorian heritage to its role as the backdrop for the hit TV series Peaky Blinders. Tours run Friday to Sunday and take in street art, filming locations and city landmarks, like the Library of Birmingham and Black Sabbath Bridge.

4. Aston Hall This Grade I-listed Jacobean red-brick mansion across the road from Villa Park, home of Aston Villa FC , remains one of the finest standing examples of 17th-century architecture in the city. It also claims to be one of the UK’s most haunted buildings. Combine a visit to its rooms with a tour of Villa Park.

5. Jewellery Quarter Birmingham’s 19th-century industrial prowess gave it the nickname the ‘workshop of the world’, so for a window into its heritage, visit the city centre’s Jewellery Quarter. Here you’ll find Europe’s largest concentration of jewellers in a district where the original FA Cup, the whistles used on RMS Titanic and, at one point, 75% of the world’s pen nibs were manufactured. Now, many of the Jewellery Quarter’s warehouses have been repurposed as bars, museums and restaurants, all sprawling out from its centrepiece, St Paul’s Square.

6. Cadbury World Britain’s favourite chocolate maker turns 200 this year, and what better way to celebrate than with a visit to its factory? Just 13 minutes from New Street Station by train, Cadbury World’s home is the historic Bournville model village, where cottages, schools and sports facilities were built in 1893 by the Cadbury family for its workers. Today, Bournville remains a blueprint for British model villages and its immersive factory tour tells the brand’s story through interactive displays, actor appearances and, of course, tastings.

7. Ikon Gallery This nationally important artist-led gallery has one goal: to make art accessible for the people of Birmingham, free of charge. Ikon turns 60 this year and has been in its current neo-gothic city centre building on Oozells Square — a spot famous for its cherry blossom display in spring — since 1997. Recent exhibitions have showcased the works of photographer Vanley Burke and painter Mali Morris, among others.

8. Parks & green spaces With more than 8,500 acres of parks and gardens to explore, Birmingham is a much greener city than its industrial past would lead you to believe. Locals’ favourite park is Cannon Hill , a 15-minute bus ride south of the centre, which is home to the Midlands Arts Centre , an outdoor amphitheatre, boating lake, tennis courts and mini golf.

Where to shop in Birmingham

1. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Following a lengthy refurbishment, BMAG’s main galleries are undergoing a phased reopening in time for this summer. Head to its shop for products by local creatives, such as Stacey Barnfield’s Birmingham Colour Palette prints, and Punks & Chancer’s t-shirts emblazoned with the Brummie endearment ‘bab’.

2. Swordfish Records Swordfish is a shop tucked away on the city centre’s northeastern edge, but is worth the effort — it’s been a city mainstay since 1979. Most genres are catered for here but there’s nothing more quintessentially Brummie than flicking through the crates and going home with a Black Sabbath record.

3. Moseley Farmers’ Market Birmingham is surrounded by working farms that supply a handful of regular farmers’ markets. Perhaps the most popular is this one, held on the final Saturday of each month in the village of Moseley to the south, where all the food and drink for sale is grown, reared or produced no more than a few miles away. Local craftspeople often sell products such as jewellery, ceramics and textiles here, too.

See the city like a local

1. St Martin’s Rag Market It’s a rite of passage for young Brummies to visit the Rag Market — usually taken by grandparents seeking a bargain — with everything from textiles and homewares to food and jewellery for sale across 350 stalls. Birmingham was first granted permission to hold a market on this very site in 1166, making it a piece of city history.

2. Edgbaston Reservoir Birmingham is about as far from the sea as you can get, so Edgbaston Reservoir is where locals retreat to when they want to be by the water. Come for sailing, rowing and standup paddleboarding — just a five-minute taxi ride, or a 30-minute walk, from the city centre. There’s also a 1.75-mile trail you can walk around the edge.

3. Bearwood While the likes of Moseley, Stirchley and Digbeth find themselves on neighbourhood cool lists, Bearwood has been quietly fizzing away. The suburb tips over Birmingham’s northwest border into Sandwell and has become known for a burgeoning Latino food scene. Try Brazilian butcher-cum-restaurant BrasilPortu and the family-owned A La Mexicana .

Where to eat in Birmingham

1. Shababs The balti was invented in the 1970s by a Pakistani-Brummie restaurateur whose speedy method of cooking and serving the dish in the same flat-bottomed wok-style steel bowl caught on. Birmingham’s famous Balti Triangle, a 10-minute taxi ride south of the city centre, is home to a large concentration of authentic balti houses. Shababs restaurant has been a local institution since 1987.

2. Cherry Reds

This kitsch cafe-bar over the road from New Street Station is a hit with locals for its classic brunch menu featuring full English breakfasts and American pancakes, paired with freshly ground coffee from local roastery, Quarter Horse. Vegans and vegetarians are especially well catered for here, as are craft beer drinkers. Visit on evenings for live music.

3. Simpsons Michelin-starred Simpsons moved into Edgbaston in 2004, taking over a sprawling Grade II-listed Georgian villa. Chef-patron Andreas Antona and head chef Luke Tipping’s contemporary British menu provides playful twists on classic fine-dining ingredients like lobster, which is barbecued and served with pilaf rice, coconut and pineapple.

Where to go after dinner

1. Fox and Chance Carefully crafted cocktails take centre stage at this unassuming central bar known for its service and locally inspired cocktail names. Deep chesterfield sofas and vintage artworks are nice touches, but it’s the bartenders’ expert drinks knowledge that sets the bar apart. Try the funky Cannonball rum cocktail, named after a former city jazz club.

2. Nortons This independent bar in the Irish quarter of Digbeth pours some of the best Guinness in the city, alongside a range of cask and keg beers. Drinkers can expect great craic with trad music sessions on weekends and a beer garden showing live sports. There’s even a ‘split the G’ leaderboard with free pints for those who can take a gulp and land the black line between the gap in the ‘G’ on their Guinness glass.

3. Hare & Hounds If you’ve heard of the Hare & Hounds it’s probably because you know someone that saw Ed Sheeran play in its tiny gig room above the pub in 2011. Or so they say. This stalwart venue has indeed brought some of music’s biggest names to the sprightly south Birmingham suburb of Kings Heath, including UB40 who, in 1979, played their first ever gig here.

Where to stay in Birmingham

1. bloc With 73 cabins inspired by modern, Japanese design and 35 aparthotel suites, Bloc offers great value in a superb location near St Paul’s Square. Its lowest rates are found in its compact ‘no frills, no window’ space-saving rooms that still have king-sized beds, super soft linen and excellent monsoon showers.

2. Staying Cool at Rotunda For a bird’s-eye perspective on Birmingham, stay at this hotel high up in the landmark Rotunda building. It’s as central as you can get, with apartment-style rooms featuring kitchens that include complimentary local delicacies such as Birmingham Brewing Co beers and snacks from local zero waste shop The Clean Kilo.

3. The Grand Hotel Birmingham’s landmark hotel was empty for almost 20 years before a £50m restoration brought it back to life in 2021. The likes of Winston Churchill and Charlie Chaplin stayed here in their day, and more recently it’s hosted film stars such as Tom Cruise and Johnny Depp. The rooms include family and accessible options, as well as penthouse suites with four-poster beds. There’s also an on-site NYC-inspired brasserie, Isaac’s.

Related Topics

• SHORT TRIPS
• FAMILY TRAVEL
• CULTURAL TOURISM
• PEOPLE AND CULTURE

You May Also Like

10 best things to do in Switzerland

The essential guide to Switzerland

For hungry minds.

Why visit Annecy, gateway to the shores and summits of the French Alps

Visiting Switzerland? Here’s what the locals love

How to plan a weekend in Le Mans, gateway to France's Loire Valley

Beach-hopping and Welsh shepherd's huts on a family break in the Llŷn Peninsula

Is Hebden Bridge Yorkshire's culinary capital?

• Environment
• Perpetual Planet

History & Culture

• History & Culture
• History Magazine
• Mind, Body, Wonder
• Paid Content
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Your US State Privacy Rights
• Children's Online Privacy Policy
• Interest-Based Ads
• About Nielsen Measurement
• Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
• Nat Geo Home
• Attend a Live Event
• Book a Trip
• Inspire Your Kids
• Shop Nat Geo
• Visit the D.C. Museum
• Learn About Our Impact
• Support Our Mission
• Advertise With Us
• Customer Service
• Renew Subscription
• Manage Your Subscription
• Work at Nat Geo
• Sign Up for Our Newsletters
• Contribute to Protect the Planet

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved