The Birmingham Derby in the 19th Century

Birmingham (City since 1943) have always , to my mind, occupied a strange position in English football. Bearing the name of the second city and being at the heart of one of the hotbeds of the Association game (the West Midlands), they have, however, always been a relatively minor club, perennially unsuccessful, never glamorous.
Their neighbours, Aston Villa, bearing the name of a crossroads in Handsworth, are aristocrats of the game; founders of the Football League, giants of the FA Cup, winners of the double, tenants of one of the first  great stadiums in the world game.
Let's take a look at how things were between these rivals in the 19th century.
Aston Villa was founded in 1874.
Birmingham started out in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance. They became Small Heath (Small Heath F.C. Ltd- the first limited company in football) in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905.
 From 1876–1897 Villa played at Wellington Road. Small Heath's ground was Muntz Street. The 2 were 8 km apart.

	27.09.79	Small Heath Alliance	0	1	Aston Villa
	08.12.83	Aston Villa	4	0	Small Heath Alliance
	31.01.85	Small Heath Alliance	3	4	Aston Villa
	27.03.86	Small Heath Alliance	1	8	Aston Villa
	??.05.86	Aston Villa	7	0	Small Heath Alliance
	25.10.86	Aston Villa	1	1	Small Heath Alliance
	31.01.87	Aston Villa	3	2	Small Heath Alliance
	23.03.87	Small Heath Alliance	0	7	Aston Villa
	16.06.87	Small Heath Alliance	4	3	Aston Villa
	22.08.87	Small Heath Alliance	0	3	Aston Villa
	17.10.87	Aston Villa	3	0	Small Heath Alliance
	05.11.87	Aston Villa	4	0	Small Heath Alliance	FA Cup
	14.05.88	Small Heath	1	4	Aston Villa
	05.05.90	Small Heath	0	4	Aston Villa	Benefit- Chris Charsley
	01.09.90	Aston Villa	0	4	Small Heath
	01.12.90	Small Heath	2	2	Aston Villa
	14.02.91	Aston Villa	3	0	Small Heath
	04.04.91	Small Heath	4	5	Aston Villa
	06.04.91	Small Heath	1	3	Aston Villa	Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup
	01.09.91	Aston Villa	5	1	Small Heath
	25.12.91	Small Heath	0	3	Aston Villa
	25.04.92	Small Heath	3	1	Aston Villa	Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup
	26.12.92	Aston Villa	3	2	Small Heath
	08.04.93	Aston Villa	5	0	Small Heath	Birmingham Senior Cup (SF)
	29.04.93	Aston Villa	3	2	Small Heath	Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup
	01.01.94	Aston Villa	4	3	Small Heath
	30.04.94	Small Heath	3	3	Aston Villa	Benefit Small Heath F.C.
	01.09.94	Aston Villa	2	1	Small Heath	League
	20.10.94	Small Heath	2	2	Aston Villa	League
	27.04.95	Aston Villa	5	3	Small Heath	Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup
	07.09.95	Aston Villa	7	3	Small Heath	League
	14.10.95	Small Heath	1	3	Aston Villa	Benefit Ted Devey
	26.10.95	Small Heath	1	4	Aston Villa	League
	15.02.96	Aston Villa	2	1	Small Heath
	01.09.96	Aston Villa	3	1	Small Heath	Benefit Fred Wheldon
	29.12.96	Aston Villa	1	1	Small Heath	Benefit match for James Elliot
	11.01.97	Small Heath	1	0	Aston Villa	Benefit Billy Walton
	01.01.98	Aston Villa	4	0	Small Heath	Abandoned (fog)
	19.03.98	Small Heath	0	3	Aston Villa
	16.01.99	Small Heath	2	2	Aston Villa	Birmingham Senior Cup
	30.01.99	Aston Villa	5	2	Small Heath	Birmingham Senior Cup
	26.12.99	Aston Villa	5	2	Small Heath