REFLECTIONS

Birmingham City win the Carling Cup

Happy Obafemi Martins Day! 

February 27, 2011, Birmingham City 2 Arsenal 1.

The greatest afternoon in Blues' history, the occasion when all the keeping right on finally led to the end of the road. Glorious.

Of course, being Birmingham City, there must always be a but and in this instance relegation from the Premier League a few months later was a kick in the butt from which the club is arguably yet to recover.

That’s not what Obafemi Martins Day is about, though. It’s about living for the now, it’s about revelling in the moment while it lasts, draining it of every last droplet – not fretting what’s further down the line. 

It is the essence of being a football fan, long-term realism subjugated by short-term triumphalism, after all if we can’t celebrate when our team wins a cup at Wembley, then when can we?

What’s the point of turning up at Portman Road on a Tuesday night or traipsing up to Blyth or down to Yeovil, if you’re not going to start singin’ the Blues from the top of Wembley’s Arch when the opportunity presents itself.

Particularly when your club has waited 136 years for such moments, when you yourself haven’t been to the national stadium for a major final since 1956, when you haven’t see your team lift a major trophy for 48 years. Talk about cathartic.

Even more so when the opposition are pampered Premier League aristocrats with delusions of grandeur and a superiority complex so rapacious they can't see the evidence before their own eyes.

"We got what we expected from Birmingham. They are a team who fight very hard and cause a lot of problems from long balls," said Mr Wenger. 'Fight very hard’ – imagine that, Arsene.

Spare a thought, though, for the Scrabble-tastic goalkeeping and central defensive combo Wojciech Szczesny and Laurent Koscielny, whose collision presented Martins with the chance to write his name into Birmingham folklore.

Martins’ loan spell from Rubin Kazan wasn’t even the most auspicious of St Andrew’s careers, he managed just one other goal, but it’s about quality as much as quantity.

When he rolled the ball into Szczesny’s unguarded goal, with only five minutes of injury time to negotiate, 30,000 Bluenose Christmases had all come at once.

No, not Christmas, that arrives every year. Comet sighting? Total eclipse? More fittingly, a Blue Moon. Happy Obafemi Martins Day.

"To come to England and, at my first trophy attempt, for a small club like Birmingham to beat the might of Arsenal is a dream come true."

Jubilant Alex McLeish looked back at his greatest achievement as a manager and admitted: "This is a dream come true."

The delighted boss insisted that the 2-1 victory over Arsenal was even better than the many trophies he won during his five-year spell with Rangers.

McLeish paid tribute to his heroic players.

“Everyone of our players played an amazing cup final and can be proud of their performances. 

“It was probably the best ever for me. Relatively speaking it is.

“At Glasgow Rangers I was expected to win trophies, albeit against big rivals Celtic.

“To come to England and, at my first trophy attempt, for a small club like Birmingham to beat the might of Arsenal is a dream come true.

“I'm so happy for everybody connected with Birmingham City, especially the supporters. They’ve had a long wait, the long-suffering Blues fans.

“It’s probably the best achievement ever, certainly as a manager – probably more so because it’s in the present.

“It was an honour to manage Rangers and win the trophies we did there against a very strong Celtic team.

“But against Arsenal nobody gave us a prayer.

“We were massive underdogs and sometimes bookies don’t get it wrong.

“We proved them all wrong with phenomenal courage, phenomenal belief and some good football.

“You do need some luck. I would have expected that.

“We had a game plan that was executed brilliantly.

“We said that we had to stay in the game until the final moments – if it was extra time to win it then so be it."

"Us Bluenoses sang our hearts out for the lads, 
they did us proud."

It was a day of course that Birmingham City fans will never forget.

Here's a few memories...

Jim Snipe - Flying from Australia for the Semi final second leg. Thinking it was all over when Cole scored. Telling my Son I would be back for the final. A five day round trip from Oz for the final. The build up at Wembley, the singing...the lost voice. 

Carl Lloyd - Flew over from Toronto for the weekend, went to the game with my Dad, what memories! Ok we got relegated but those memories will live as long I do, you can't take them away. Villa fans may mock, I really don't care. I have experienced something they have never and may never experience.


AJ Green - Relegated but still won a trophy this century.

Eric Bullock - In my lifetime I've seen blues win a major trophy, play in Europe which a hell of a lot of supporters of other teams won't - ok times are hard but those cherished memories with always be with me #who-put-the-ball-in-the-arsenal-net

Craig Bannister - I fell over outside of the green man pub and got covered in mud!

Elgin Farmmanager Sparrowhawk - I remember that day well, where did all those Noses come from? they certainly have not been seen since.

Terry Quinn - We watched on TV as I'm an Albion fan, and the missus likes the Blues, but doesn't go to the matches! Thoroughly enjoyed watching them win! A great day for Birmingham City FC its supporters and other fans in the area!


Scott Beech - Brilliant day! One day I will never forget. Me and my daughter in a private limo all the way to Wembley with the champagne flowing

Vicky Gibbs - only bluenose in a pub full of arsenal fans final whistle i fell to my knees in tears but the hangover next morning was well worth it kro

Russell Sutheran - I've been a Blues fan since I saw my first match at the age of four, and in all the time of watching Blues I never thought I'd ever see them win a cup, me and my youngest son travelled down to Wembley that day and the feeling I felt watching that amazing Blues team lift the cup, was probably the finest moment in my life so far.

Kevin James Byrne - my mates stag do, he was in full royal blue suit, on the way home in the evening he decided to fly down the middle of the escalators at Marylebone station flew off the end hit the deck broke his leg ended up hobbling up the aisle in Las Vegas 2 weeks later leg strapped up in one of them boots, plus he had to get a mobility scooter in Vegas so he could get around hahahahahaha

Wayne A Layton - A superb day and us Bluenoses sang our hearts out for the lads, they did us proud.

Alf Tupper - the only Midland club to win trophy this century

Malcolm Wilkinson-Jones - Our turn with the history for a change.... KRO

Peter Davies - Happy Oberfemi day everyone. Great weekend KRO

Lorraine Harvey - Oh what a day.........it was just a dream, Birmingham beating Arsenal at Wembley.........well so us fans thought!!!! One of the best days of my life kro

Jansch Aza Greatrix - Travelled down with long term friends and family on a coach and was very excited about the day out, after getting to the ground and havin a few pics outside we entered the ground to see the sea of blue and white, when Zigic scored the crowd went mental this was arsenal we were playin and nobody even gave us a chance, then that moment came when Martins scores and I've never seen anything like it so many emotions grown men crying their eyes out that this was it we were goin to win!! I've never cried so much with happiness apart from when my 2 children were born. A day I will treasure the rest of my life..... Thankyou BCFC for the memories.

WATCH: A happy journey home

Andrea Green - I was listening on the radio driving to digbeth coach station to pick my son up. I don't follow football really so when the commentators said someone had scored I didnt know which team it was! Drove to coach station screaming 'Who!!' at the radio. Fabulous, fabulous moment

Leonard Calcutt - Like most Bluenoses it will be a day I'll treasure for the rest of my life time. Memories of travelling down to London and many more travelling back. Just wish those set of players were still loyal to the fans who still have to go through the hard times at the club. True Blue KRO

Hayley Peachey - I remember watching this at home, with my mum, dad, Paul, niece and the pets, when Blues scored, I cheered, as did niece, Arsenal scored, I swore, while niece cheered, then when blues scored again, I went freaking crazy, what next door must've thought, I'd never know, and when that final whistle went, I cried (I don't care if that sounds sad), I remember the day as if it was yesterday, setting up the table, for food, making blue and white pom-poms.....

Nigel Green - The whole thing was spoilt by relegation. Staying in the premier was more important than that cup. To me anyway.

Scott Sheridan - Just thinking about when Martins scored sends shivers down my spine

Jenny Littlehales - Watched it on the tv still got the paper cuttings the best day ever x

Anna Newbold - Up there in my top 5 moments of life.

Andi Baker - proud to have been there, thought my fella was gonna break my back he lifted me so high and squeezed.

Dean Carsley - Without a doubt taking my son 2 his 1st blues game & watching them lift the trophy with him will always be 4ever etched in our memory..

Ann Louise - I was in Germany for the weekend, when I checked in at Dortmund Airport early the following day, the checkin staff cheered. I felt like a celebrity.

Lee Hudson - Best day of my life apart from the birth of my kids very close. Happy Obifami martins day

WATCH: Before and after the game we caught up with Blues fans at the stadium

WATCH: The Carling Cup Final through the eyes of three generations of a Blues supporting family

It was a day that created wonderful memories for Bluenoses throughout the world.

None more so than the Harvey family who recorded a diary of their day out which captured all of the emotions of their wonderful day out.

Enjoy the video below of three generations of the family enjoying a day out they will never forget

Dean Harvey said about the day: "The amount of people coming up to tell my lad to remember the day forever.

"Long it will live in the memory....."

WATCH: A heroes welcome

How we reported it...

Former Birmingham Mail Blues writer Colin Tattum thought he had seen it all in his years covering the club for the paper. Nothing had prepared him for the drama of the Carling Cup Final. Here is Colin's report of the game

It may not have been the most difficult goal to score in Blues' history, but there is no doubt it was the most significant - and celebrated.

When Obafemi Martins took advantage of a combined calamity by Wojciech Szczesny and Laurent Koscielny to sidefoot an 89thminute winner in the simplest of fashion, it was the blue-heaven moment that has taken 136 years to arrive.

For the 30,000-plus supporters who made the trek to Wembley to see Blues in their first major final at the stadium since 1956, who have been used to nothing but misery and near-misses and ridicule, it was the blue-heaven moment to never, ever forget.

Blues won this competition when it was in its infancy in 1963.

But yesterday it was the mature modern version, one that mattered, one that opened the gateway to European competition for Blues.

And let no-one suggest they got lucky, judging by the manner of Martins' trophy-clinching goal.

Blues' triumph was deserved and not just the dogged will and cussed resolve we have become accustomed to, but also for their tactical acumen and some passages of good, coherent football.

Much of the pre-Wembley talk was of Arsenal's six-year trophy drought and how victory could be the start of something big for them. The quadruple this season, even.

Well, try 48 years - that's a real drought.

Blues were highly motivated to cause a shock. They wanted it to be known that this final wasn't all about Arsenal.

They backed themselves. They backed their approach, their propensity for hard work and the quality of deed and mind.

And with such a passionate and emotional support with them every kick of the way this was, indeed, Blues' time.

Alex McLeish decided on Nikola Zigic up front on his own to start, with Keith Fahey and Sebastian Larsson out wide.

It's a line-up he had used against Arsenal before. Had Blues sat too deep, then the formation would have simply invited far too much pressure.

But they pressed high up the pitch, there was a clear determination not to be mere passengers, and Arsenal were very uneasy in and around their last third.

Just before Robin van Persie equalised Zigic's opening goal, Blues had Arsenal absolutely rattled and it seemed that things were going to go according to the McLeish masterplan.

They would have had a greater chance of that happening without the dramatic finale had the linesman not flagged Bowyer offside as he hared through to a Zigic pass in only the second minute.

He veered to the left of Szczesny, who stuck out his leg and brought him down - penalty, and a sending-off. At least it should have been had the flag not gone up incorrectly.

It was a lucky escape for Arsenal and they never got the measure of Blues in the first half.

In the 28th minute the moment came when dreamy dreams hardened.

From Blues' first corner, Roger Johnson turned Larsson's raking delivery back into the six-yard box and Zigic, coming off from the line, glanced it over his shoulder and beyond the flailing attempts of Szczesny to parry.

The West End of Wembley erupted. The noise was piercing as Blues' fans celebrated like never before. Well, not until a little while later.

Arsenal's usual slickness of style spluttered as Blues maintained a firm hold on proceedings.

But then another moment that swung the match the opposite way, following a crude lunge by Koscielny on Bowyer, for which he was booked.

Blues made a hash of working an angle from the free-kick and, with Bowyer off the pitch and not allowed back on, Arsenal broke with Jack Wilshere.

He took a return pass and let fly from 25 yards and his shot thudded back off the crossbar. In haste Barry Ferguson headed the rebound out but square, and it dropped kindly to the feet of Andrei Arshavin.

He tricked and teased enough room for a cross and van Persie brilliantly hooked it in.

It was a real kick in the teeth for all that Blues had done to that point.

Arsenal began the second period menacingly, Tomas Rosicky shooting inches wide on the full from Bacary Sagna's pull-back.

Craig Gardner was substituted in the 50th minute because of a dead leg, Jean Beausejour coming on.

Blues readjusted by bringing Fahey over to the right in the mid-field three and Beausejour went out wide to the left.

And it was the combination of the pair that came so close to restoring Blues' lead in the 58th minute.

Beausejour caught Johan Djourou dallying and the ball moved to Fahey 25 yards out. His first attempt on goal went straight into Zigic and came back and, instantly, he tried again, this time connecting sweetly. But agonisingly for Blues the ball skidded along the turf and smacked into the base of Szczesny's right-hand post.

The incident galvanised McLeish's side and the final continued to absorb.

Arsenal came on strong at Blues again in the last 15 minutes, when man-of-the-match Ben Foster came into his own, denying Samir Nasri twice and Nicklas Bendtner as Blues desperately tried to get some respite.

Blues brought on Martins with seven minutes left and switched to 4-4-2 as they needed the ball to stick, and some more invention at the other end.

The final seemed set for extra time. But there was a twist - and what a twist.

Martins was trampled all over and won Blues a free-kick inside their own half, to the right.

McLeish held back from sending on substitute Cameron Jerome, who was stripped and ready, as there would be one last ball into the Arsenal area towards Zigic.

Foster delivered a deep kick and Zigic got a glancing touch which should have been dealt with.

But Koscielny tried to hack it clear right in front of Szczesny, they got caught in each other's way and it bobbled out to Martins who had the straightforward task of thumping it firmly into the unguarded goal - incredible.

The Blues fans at that West End of the stadium couldn't believe their eyes. It was a gift, but none of them cared - why should they, after everything they have endured over those 136 years? Referee Mike Dean put everyone through the wringer by playing more than five minutes of stoppage time, but there was no way Blues were going to throw it away. No way.

Arsenal had been flattened by the Martins goal and it was truly the blue-heaven moment.

Mail comment: Until the end of the road

The odds were stacked against Birmingham City. But odds mean nothing when you display the sort of commitment shown at Wembley by Alex McLeish's heroes.

From the moment referee Mike Dean blew the whistle to start the game, Blues were in Arsenal's faces.

They closed down opponents, tackled like demons, blocked shots and engineered plenty of goal opportunities of their own. For make no mistake, this was a game enlivened as much by Blues' endeavour and attacking intent as by Arsenal's silky skills.

The Gunners, their fans and a good many so-called experts were of the opinion that the London aristocrats somehow deserved to lift the Carling Cup after six years without a trophy.

The difference was that Blues realised that you have to earn silverware. It is not a God-given right. And even the most grudging spectator would struggle to construct an argument that, over the 90 minutes, Blues were not worthy victors.

They shed blood, sweat and tears as they faced down their rivals.

After such a history of underachievement, who could begrudge Birmingham City this famous success, especially in a region which has had so little to boast about over recent decades?

We in the West Midlands have long had to endure the jibes and snobbery of those in areas better blessed by soccer silverware. The game put paid to the notion that the West Midlands was a footballing backwater.

It was a day that belonged to Alex McLeish and his resolute, disciplined, talented army. That mythical end of the road had finally been reached.

Sunday, February 27, 2011 will go down in history as something special. What a day.

THAT goal....

Birmingham City hero Obafemi Martins has revealed how the 2011 Carling Cup win was the best day of his career - even if it has taken him a while to realise it!

The Nigerian striker scored the winning goal as Alex McLeish's men beat Arsenal 2-1 on the most famous day in Blues recent history.

Martins instantly earned legendary status as he etched his name in the club’s folklore with his golden strike.

"At the time I didn't understand how special my goal was going to be," he told the Birmingham Mail.

“When we won I didn’t really get that excited.

“But as the years have gone by and I realise how much that day meant to the Birmingham fans, it has become such a special day to me, too.

“When I hear what the fans say about me it’s very emotional. It makes me feel so happy.

“Every year they keep tweeting and reminding themselves about the final. It’s amazing.

“I’m going to say that it was the goal that means the most to me, ever."

Words: Birmingham Mail Football Desk

Story editor: Steve Wollaston

Videos: Birmingham City Football Club, Birmingham Mail, You Tube