Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
The five best Birmingham City kits of the 2010s - from a pinstripe classic to the forgotten ‘German flag’ look...
Birmingham City had a memorable decade between 2010 and 2019, with many highs and lows including a famous League Cup triumph, a crushing relegation and the breakthrough of one of modern football’s global superstars.
Ending a half-century wait for a major trophy was certainly a highlight but the years following certainly weren’t short of trials and tribulations. Blues didn’t suffer another relegation down to League One, at least, but none of the seven permanent managers to follow Alex McLeish were capable of guiding the second-city club back to the Premier League.
Hide Ad
Then there was the emergence of Jude Bellingham - bringing back some positivity and hope at St Andrew’s - as the teenage sensation enjoyed a remarkable 2019/20 season before signing for Borussia Dortmund in a record £25 million deal. It may have felt like an insignificant middle to the decade but Bellingham ended the 2010s in style.
Along with every iconic era comes iconic kits, with many of these memories led by the jerseys Birmingham’s players donned at the time. So, to reminisce, we’ve ranked our five favourite Blues shirts from a significant decade in the club’s history.
5. 2011/12 Home
Simplicity is sometimes the best approach and this shirt was a great reminder of that, with the royal blue prioritised along with a sleek collar. Birmingham weren’t happy to be back in the Championship following their relegation from the Premier League but it was a significant season as Blues competed in the Europa League.
A fourth-placed finish secured play-off football at the first time of asking and, despite the pictured Curtis Davies scoring one of two Birmingham goals in the second leg, Blackpool progressed to the final with a 3-2 semi-final aggregate win. It was a decent season, all things considered, with this shirt witnessing all the peaks and troughs throughout it.
Hide Ad
4. 2019/20 Home
Jude Bellingham made his historic Birmingham City breakthrough during the 2019/20 season.Jude Bellingham made his historic Birmingham City breakthrough during the 2019/20 season.
Jude Bellingham made his historic Birmingham City breakthrough during the 2019/20 season. | Getty Images
Now, this wasn’t exactly the most ground-breaking design, but Bellingham made his breakthrough in the final home shirt of the 2010s, therefore making it rather memorable. The boyhood Bluenose donned this very kit when he scored his first-ever senior club goal, against Stoke City on August 31, 2019.
The shirt itself is a decent design, perhaps ruined a little by the sponsor. Adding darker sleeves was a nice touch from Adidas in their final year as Blues’ kit supplier, while there was a nice return to pure blue after white dominated the shoulders on the 2018/19 home shirt.
3. 2011/12 Away
Iconic for its use in Blues’ Europa League venture following the 2011 League Cup triumph, this yellow and blue pinstripes number went down an absolute treat. It was a rare case of a Championship club venturing into Europe as Chris Hughton, taking over from the sacked McLeish, was handed the reins in the second tier.
Yellow can often split opinions when used for away shirts but there’s no doubt this kit made its mark. Chris Wood’s dramatic winner deep in stoppage time away at Club Brugge springs to mind, the New Zealander sealing a huge 2-1 turnaround victory in this very strip.
Hide Ad
Blues attempted a throwback to this kit for the 2021/22 campaign in what was Nike’s second year as the manufacturer. Although it looked good, it certainly didn’t hit the spot in the same way as the original.
2. 2015/16 Away
Birmingham City's 2015/16 away kit was certainly eye-catching as Blues paid tribute to their 1970 second strip.Birmingham City's 2015/16 away kit was certainly eye-catching as Blues paid tribute to their 1970 second strip.
Birmingham City's 2015/16 away kit was certainly eye-catching as Blues paid tribute to their 1970 second strip. | Birmingham City Football Club (BCFC)
One of the most striking kits in the club’s history and also one of the most controversial, the 2015/16 away shirt paid tribute to the 1970s second strip, also black, red and yellow. Yes, it did rather resemble a sideways-on German flag, but there’s no denying this was incredibly iconic.
Central badges don’t please everybody but the throwback logo and alignment with the sponsor, EzeGroup, and manufacturer, Carbrini, was at least satisfying. Putting this at number two contradicts our claim that simplicity is the best approach, but sometimes going completely the other way isn’t a bad thing.
This eye-catching kit was, in our opinion at least, a great way to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the club’s foundation.
Hide Ad
1. 2010/11 Home
What an incredible season this was. The definition of an emotional rollercoaster. Birmingham were on cloud nine as they lifted the 2011 Carling Cup trophy with a famous 2-1 over Arsenal, courtesy of goals from Nikola Jigic and Obafemi Martins either side of Robin van Persie’s first-half strike for the Gunners. But then there was total heartbreak as Blues were relegated to the Championship.
As Birmingham’s trophy drought of over 50 years finally came to an end in 2011, this kit is one of the most memorable in the club’s entire history. It’s also a stunner, with Xtep smashing it out of the park with a wide white stripe across the chest, providing the perfect blend with the royal blue. It was also brilliantly made by the supplier, with shirts of premium quality.
What do you make of this list, Bluenoses? Use the comments section below to share your thoughts.