220:
193:, who received an England cap while registered with the club, and the Birmingham Daily Post reckoned the team as being "nearly the best in Birmingham". However, Tait died of typhoid in November 1882, and the club never recovered from his loss. Indeed, the club nearly wound up before the start of the 1883–84 season, but fresh organisation and the recruitment of new playing members, bolstered by a first entry into the
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had recently allowed professionalism. Over the previous seasons, Aston Villa in particular had found ways around the FA's stance, and, as was common with other clubs based in Aston and thereabouts, Excelsior found it difficult to retain its players, or attract attendances - the home FA Cup tie with
170:
The club emerged from an athletics club founded in 1869, which in turn was related to the
Excelsior Works in Birmingham town centre. The club continued to hold athletics meetings, and, in 1877, after a dispute over a three-mile run, a number of club members - including Excelsior player/secretary
274:, but had to replay the tie after a protest about the registration of one of the club's players; in the replay, the club won by a bigger margin (5–0). The club got a bye in the second round, meaning the club reached the third round for the only time in its history, where it lost to
281:
The club's last entry into the
Birmingham Senior Cup in 1888-89 (when it was described as a "ghost" of a club) saw it lose 7–0 at Oldbury Town in a qualifying round; the club also lost 6–0 in the first round of the Junior Cup to
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at the same stage. When professionalism was legalised, Villa had had a head start that was impossible for
Excelsior to close, and other players were recruited by the business-backed
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and entered the
Birmingham Senior Cup, the leading competition for Midlands clubs, for the first time in 1879–80, losing 8–1 to Aston Villa in the second round.
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in 1885. After
Excelsior's winding-up, the ground was used as a football and rugby ground until 1895, and by 1900 was under housing.
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1885-86 saw the club's best performance in the
Birmingham Senior Cup, reaching the fourth round (the last six) and only losing to
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197:, kept the club going. The club entered the competition every year until qualifying rounds were introduced in 1888–89.
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Excelsior played in yellow and maroon, originally in hoops but by the mid-1880s in stripes, with white shorts.
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in a second replay, having come from 3–0 down in the original tie. Two weeks later
Excelsior easily beat
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Match report for the 1884-85 Wednesbury
Charity Cup Final between Excelsior and St George's
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in the following
February at Fentham Road; it does not appear to have taken place.
286:. The club was even having difficulty in putting a side together (a 7–0 defeat at
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The last report for a club match was a 15–1 defeat in a friendly at
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in
December 1888, although one final match was scheduled against
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5–0 in the final, four of the goals coming in the first half;
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Which turned out to be due to a clerical error by the FA -
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attracted just 400 spectators, compared with over 6,000 at
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The club's only significant trophy success came in the
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Defunct football clubs in the West Midlands (county)
427:"International Association Match, England v Wales".
367:, leading scorer for Birmingham St George's in the
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50:
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34:
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442:"Small Heath Alliance 1-1 Birmingham Excelsior".
774:Association football clubs established in 1874
290:in November saw the club only field ten men).
262:The club's last entry into the FA Cup was in
162:club with a claimed foundation date of 1874.
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21:
809:Works association football teams in England
799:Football clubs in Birmingham, West Midlands
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351:, future League players for Aston Villa
804:Defunct football clubs in Warwickshire
417:Charles Alcock Football Annuals 1885-7
266:. In the first round, the club beat
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724:History of the Birmingham Senior Cup
590:"Excelsior 1-2 Great Bridge Unity".
208:6–1 in the semi-final and upsetting
182:Excelsior were early members of the
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682:"Eminent Victorians (The Midlands)"
789:Sport in Birmingham, West Midlands
317:Originally the club played at the
278:in front of a "small" attendance.
216:was one of the Excelsior scorers.
156:Birmingham Excelsior Football Club
30:Birmingham Excelsior Football Club
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779:Defunct football clubs in England
171:Thomas Pank, who would soon join
575:"Warwick County 0-5 Excelsior".
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532:"Excelsior 0-2 Derby Midland".
184:Birmingham Football Association
784:1874 establishments in England
204:in 1884–85, Excelsior beating
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752:"News of the Neighbourhood".
711:. John Griffiths Publishing.
547:"Walsall 0-5 Aston Villa".
517:"Aston Villa v Excelsior".
189:The club's best player was
825:
688:. Historical Football Kits
472:"Wednesbury Charity Cup".
457:"Wednesbury Charity Cup".
325:ground in Fentham Road in
259:and Mitchell St George's.
607:The Birmingham Daily Mail
357:, future Aston Villa and
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70:
66:
739:Birmingham Daily Gazette
321:and moved to the former
272:Edgbaston Cricket Ground
754:Midland Daily Telegraph
707:Bradbury, Mike (2013).
620:"Birmingham Cup ties".
502:"Birmingham Cup Ties".
341:, England international
229:Wolverhampton Wanderers
665:"Saturday's matches".
654:: 7. 31 December 1888.
639:: 7. 26 November 1888.
594:: 6. 28 November 1887.
491:: 7. 19 February 1886.
487:"Birmingham Cup Tie".
380:Wednesbury Charity Cup
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202:Wednesbury Charity Cup
741:: 3. 8 December 1895.
709:Birth of the Saddlers
669:: 3. 1 February 1889.
637:Birmingham Daily Post
624:: 6. 9 November 1888.
609:: 4. 17 October 1888.
592:Birmingham Daily Post
579:: 7. 24 October 1887.
577:Birmingham Daily Post
551:: 7. 24 October 1885.
536:: 7. 2 November 1885.
534:Birmingham Daily Post
519:Birmingham Daily Post
506:: 7. 22 January 1886.
474:Birmingham Daily Post
446:: 7. 24 October 1883.
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210:Mitchells St George's
722:Carr, Steve (2000).
686:historicalkits.co.uk
635:"Leek v Excelsior".
407:: 7. 6 January 1885.
257:West Bromwich Albion
240:Football Association
235:3–0 away from home.
22:Birmingham Excelsior
461:: 7. 13 April 1885.
319:Aston Lower Grounds
177:Birchfield Harriers
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756:: 2. 15 July 1892.
605:"Football Notes".
521:: 7. 1 March 1886.
431:: 3. 5 March 1881.
429:Blackburn Standard
276:Great Bridge Unity
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667:Leicester Mercury
652:Liverpool Mercury
622:Lichfield Mercury
565:, 26 October 1887
504:Lichfield Mercury
489:Lichfield Mercury
476:: 8. 18 May 1885.
403:"Midland notes".
369:Football Alliance
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179:athletic club.
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175:- founded the
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18:Football club
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737:"Football".
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690:. Retrieved
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680:Moor, Dave.
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299:Loughborough
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137:Home colours
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62:Fentham Road
15:
692:20 February
650:"Results".
345:Harry Devey
339:George Tait
323:St George's
233:Aston Villa
191:George Tait
173:Aston Villa
35:Nickname(s)
768:Categories
390:References
355:Alf Farman
214:Jack Devey
38:the Excels
288:Leek F.C.
284:Coleshill
51:Dissolved
27:Full name
160:football
375:Honours
313:Grounds
305:Colours
270:4–1 at
264:1887–88
253:Walsall
249:1885-86
166:History
43:Founded
361:player
295:Darwen
195:FA Cup
59:Ground
54:c.1889
327:Aston
694:2021
349:Jack
46:1874
247:in
770::
684:.
696:.
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