Birmingham City exploded onto the Barclaycard Premiership stage in 2002. Having suffered play-off heartbreak in the previous three seasons, they won the play-offs under former manager Steve Bruce and seemed determined to make up for lost time.In their first season, they finished a highly creditable 13th and did the double over arch rivals Aston Villa. Another mid-table finish in 2004/05 was followed by relegation a year later and a mass clear-out in an effort to reduce the wage bill.

But Birmingham bounced straight back up in the 2006/07 season, clinching automatic promotion as Championship runners-up. They became the first senior club in English history to postpone a match because their newly-laid pitch wasn't ready. The Blues have the dubious honour of playing on what was originally the spare pitch for the new Wembley.
After suffering the heartbreak of relegation on the last day on the 2007/08 season, Alex McLeish's side bounced back at the first time of asking, winning promotion back to the Barclays Premier League by finishing the 2008/09 season as Championship runners-up.An impressive first season back in the top flight in 2009/10 saw the Blues finish ninth, their best season in the Barclays Premier League.

Club Heritage

A band of cricketers from Holy Church in Bordesley Green founded the club under the name of Small Heath Alliance in 1875. The club turned professional 10 years later, agreeing to pay their players half the gate receipts. In 1879, the first match between the two sides was recorded as a victory to Small Heath by "one goal and a disputed goal to nil."

The Blues were founding members of the Football League Second Division in 1892 and were champions in their first season. They became Birmingham City FC in 1905 and moved into their permanent home of St Andrews Stadium a year later. To facilitate this move, a group of gypsies had to be evicted and it is rumoured they put a curse on the ground as they left. Fans still blame this curse during every bad run.

The club have spent most of their existence bouncing between the top two flights - their Second Division title in 1955 was notable in that they beat Luton Town on goal average by just 0.297 of a goal. Their only major cup victory - the 1963 League Cup - was made even sweeter in that it was over rivals Aston Villa.

The birth of the Premier League also heralded Blackburn Rovers' return to the top flight for the first time in 26 years. They underlined their ambition by breaking the English transfer record to sign a 22-year-old Alan Shearer for £3.2m. Other expensive signings ensured they finished an impressive fourth.

Owner Jack Walker continued to splash his cash and in their second season, his team were runners-up to arch North Western rivals Manchester United in 1993/94. The positions were reversed the following season as Rovers pipped United to the title on the last day of the season.

The team have failed to reach those heights since then and in 1999, Rovers became the first former Premier League champions to be relegated. The club bounced back in 2001 and progress under Graeme Souness and then Mark Hughes has seen them qualify for Europe four times in six years.

Hughes left the club for Manchester City in June 2008 after helping them to a seventh place finish. He was replaced by Paul Ince later that month. However Ince was sacked on 16th December 2008 after a poor start to the season which brought just three wins from 17 matches. Sam Allardyce took over as manager, charged with the task of hauling Rovers away from the drop zone. They finished 15th, seven points clear of relegation. That finish was significantly bettered in the 2009/10 season when the club secured 10th place.

Club Heritage

Blackburn Rovers were born at a hotel meeting on 5th November 1875, organised by Shrewsbury school old boys Arthur Constantine and John Lewis. The club's patronage by the wealthy middle classes helped it stay afloat and outlive many of the other clubs in the area.As one of the top clubs, they were approached in 1888 to become one of the 12 founding members of the Football League. They finished the inaugural season in fourth place and unbeaten at home.

Rovers moved into their permanent home at Ewood Park in September 1890 and marked their first season there with a fifth FA Cup win. But a downturn in fortunes saw them narrowly escape relegation on several occasions and the 1928 FA Cup victory was their last major trophy for 67 years.

Rovers were relegated from the top flight for the first time in 1936, signaling the start of their long struggle to regain their status as a top team. Relegation in 1966 saw the beginning of their 26-year exile from the top flight and it was not until Walker and his millions came on board in 1991 that Blackburn returned to their glory days.