[Amelia Chaffinch]

Following the international break, we face Birmingham City at home. Our lads will have returned from Dubai with their suntans or sunburns or new hairstyles. This is allegedly the best barber in Dubai...

So which of our lads will be sporting a new look? Yo.

This lot from Birmingham were formed in 1875, allegedly by cricketers from the Holy Trinity Church because they had nothing else to do in winter and were originally known as Small Heath Alliance. They dropped the Alliance in 1888, became Birmingham in 1905, and added the City in 1943. Claims to fame include being the first champions of the 2nd division in the 1892-93 season. They appeared in two Inter-Cities Fairies Fairs Cup finals against Barcelona and Roma in 1960 and 1961, respectively. They were FA Cup runners-up in 1931 and 1956, League Cup winners in 1963 and 2011. Trevor Francis was the first £1m transfer when he was signed by Brian Clough's Notts Forest for a fee of £1,150,000. Nicknamed the Blues, they have had their share of the blues, including having managers such as Harry Redknapp and Garry Monk. I mean, can anything be worse? 

League positions / top scorers / form

The Blues are 13th on 22 points, we are 19th on 16. 

The Blues' top scorer with 4 is former Town loanee and Southampton-born Lukas Jutkiewitz, who was no good for us and had a name we struggled with.

Kristian Pederson from Denmark has 3 and local lad Jude Bellingham (no relation to Lynda) has 2.

Whereas we have the electric Karlan Grant on 9.

Juninho Bacuna (sporting which colour hair on Saturday?) on 4.

Frazier Campbell, Trevoh Chalobah, Elias Kachunga, Lewis O'Brien and Christopher Schindler have 1 apiece.

Blues' form coming into this is:

Loss v Fulham at home

Loss v Cardiff away

Win v Luton at home

Win v Blackburn at home

Loss v Leeds away

Win v Boro at home

And ours:

Loss v PNE away

Win v Brentford away

Win v Barnsley at home

Draw v Boro at home

Draw v Blackburn away

Win v Hull at home

Head To Head

Evens in the League, then.

Our last time in the same league panned out:-

But we have played them since then in the FA Cup when we came out the victors; a 1-1 draw at home on 27/1/18, followed by a 4-1 win away on 6/2/18. On that occasion, our first goal came from an own goal by Roberts at 60 mins and then 3 more goals from Mounie, van la Parra and Ince all came in extra time.

I think that was at the Cup tie. How do they get in with flares when there's all that security these days?

Those type of flares are bad, too.

Played for both

    

Lee Novak and Ned Barkas

Frank Worthington

David Edgar was on loan from Brum in 2015

Joe Lolley had his youth career at Brum

Managed both

Steve Bruce (wearing Hull badge?) and Lee Clark

*** COMPETITION ***

What are those two laughing at / about / saying?

Team News

We know Tommy Elphick is out. Jaden Brown seems to be progressing after his injury.

Famous Fans

Colin Buchanan of DL and PE fame.

Adam Zindani of The Stereophonics.

Roy Wood of Wizzard.

Members of UB40 (all of them, apparently).

David Harewood of Homeland fame.

Mark Skinner of The Streets.

Jeff Lynne of ELO, who is now over 70, can you believe it?

Martin Saunders of The Twang. Who?

Last but not least Jasper Carrott. Talking of which, he gave the song Funky Moped to the world.

What's your favourite silly song?

Is it too early for that? 

All because the lady loves...

Returning to the opening image, Cadbury was founded in the Bourneville area of Birmingham. I have loved my chocolate since my childhood in the 60s. A particular favourite was Cadbury's right up until the Americans started messing with it. Back then I loved Cadbury's Buttons, Frys Chocolate Cream (the fruity one), Cadbury's Bar 6 at the swimming baths with my dad, Cadbury's Flat 20s (some people called them miniatures) at Christmas, Nestle (spoken nestles) Dairy Crunch, amongst many others. You don't get to be this size without liking chocolate. 

In fact, I could manage most of them! And, to the young 'uns out there ... Starbursts are Opal Fruits and Snickers are Marathons!

What about you? What were your favourite chocolate treats?

Coming up in A Tale of Two Cities Part II - Seven swans a swimming up the River Colne

Don't know where the rest of the team have got to...?

[Lord Snooty]

Caption comp.

Clark: This time next year we'll both be managing premier league teams.

Bruce: Aye bonny lad. Northern Premier League!

Clark: Lol

[Lord Snooty]

It's Frankie Worthington day on Saturday. It's his birthday this week and of course he's a legend at both Town and Birmingham. The club say his career will be commemorated.
Best get this done for him before his health deteriorates too far.

[theo_luddite]

Only the crumbliest, flakiest, Blues Fans
Look like Blues Fans never looked like before...



How did they get away with that?

So, it's Oh! Frankie, Frankie, Day, btw great thread AmChaff .

He didn't score this for either of us ... but it's always worth another look innit?



I still prefer Phil Collins when he had hair btw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHjieD6CTYs

Extended mix of course.

[jjamez]

I think they were talking about giving there wives a calendar of themselves for Christmas....

I'm partial to a kinder bueno and the new dark milk. Hate bounty amongst others

[Amelia Chaffinch]

Caretaker coach Pep Clotet which I think could be short for Pep Clotéte; Clothead?

---

Grabara prematch. Can't find a Cowley one.

[Lord Snooty]

Elphick out for the season. Simpson and Jaden Brown out of this match.

---

Anyway, on the chocolate theme. Let's hope we have eleven Heroes tomorrow and we're having Celebrations at full time.

[Amelia Chaffinch]

[Amelia Chaffinch]

Town’s team vs Birmingham City
1. Kamil Grabara
6. Jonathan Hogg
7. Juninho Bacuna
8. Trevoh Chalobah
9. Elias Kachunga
16. Karlan Grant
21. Alex Pritchard
22. Fraizer Campbell
26. Christopher Schindler ©
27. Jon Gorenc Stanković
39. Lewis O’Brien

Substitutes
Joel Coleman; Terence Kongolo, Adama Diakhaby, Josh Koroma, Steve Mounié, Florent Hadergjonaj, Matty Daly

[Lord Snooty]

Assuming Bacuna at right back. But who's playing left back?