The Pursuit of 111

Many of the matters across the EFL have been settled with baring miracles in League Two, only relegation from the Championship an open question on the final day.

In the second division of the EFL there is at least something for the Blues to play for on their final day trip down to The Abbey Stadium, the pursuit of 111.

Birmingham City head to already relegated Cambridge United with the chance to become the first team in EFL history to top 110 points in a single season, having already smashed the all-time points record for a season with a 2-0 win at Bloomfield Road yesterday.

That win in Blackpool saw them overtake Reading’s 106 point haul from the 2005/06 championship season, despite losing more games than the Royals did in that record-breaking season that saw them promoted to the Premier League for the first time in their history.

When Birmingham City return to the Championship next season it will be off the back of a season that has seen them go unbeaten at St. Andrews, only dropping 8 points in their fortress all season.

To be fair to the rest of the league it should’ve been easy to see that coming as The Blues have only spent 3 seasons as low as this in the league system in their 150 years in existence, with an 18-year streak in the top division during the 1920’s and 30’s.

They were always likely to destroy the rest of the League and so it proved as they rushed into a lead at the top, following up an opening day draw with an 8-game win streak before The Addicks ended their ‘Invincibles’ hopes with a 1-0 win at The Valley.

After that loss on October 3rd they would not be beaten again until a trip to the meadows of Shropshire on November 23rd as the League Champs elect came unstuck against the Salop Shrews, now doomed to finish bottom of the League. Bottom beat top 3-2 in November though, the big blot on their otherwise flawless season.

That humiliating loss spurred the Midlanders on to new heights and they wouldn’t lose again till March 4th away in Horwich as Bolton Wanderers came from 1-0 down to pull off a spectacular 3-1 comeback victory, on their way to a top 10 finish, narrowly missing out on the playoffs themselves.

Never again would they be beaten in a season during which only a Leeds United team on their way to 100 points in the Championship have a better attack and only the West Yorkshire side and Burnley, securing automatic promotion with them have stingier defences.

Only 5 of their wins have come by more than 2-goals, their first such win being a 3-0 win at the Brick Community Stadium against the Latics being their only such win on the road.

Whilst that may not fill Blues’ fans with joy as the head to the Abbey Stadium chasing 111 points on Saturday they can draw hope for a big victory from the fact that they smashed their hosts 4-0 at St. Andrews in the reverse fixture.

City have had at least one huge win every month in 2025, a 4-1 revenge demolition of the Shrews filling their March quota.

Their final home win of the season saw them score 4 again to condemn Mansfield Town fans to a depressing trip home last Sunday, but that was only the after show to their incredible 6-2 victory against a 10-man Tykes team at the beginning of April.

Those were the greatest wins in this incredible season for the St. Andrews’ faithful, in a season of insane results that will almost certainly be a on-off and could be topped off with the successful pursuit of 111 being completed this weekend.

Even in the vanishingly unlikely event that The Blues fall short of their 111, there is no way anyone could call their season a disappointment. Any team securing 3-figures has to be considered a historic achievement and the players that achieved it will go down in the hall of fame.

Enjoy the celebrations on Sunday Blues’ fans and then it’s down to business again to fight for promotion to the top-table next season. The pursuit of 111 is almost complete, now for the true test of this incredible team, back-to-back promotions back to Birmingham City’s natural home, The Premier League.

CONGRATULATIONS BIRMINGHAM CITY!!!