EFL club extend astonishing 35-year winless record – the longest of any team in all four tiers

Birmingham City extended their woeful losing record on New Year’s Day to 35 years having been thrashed 3-0 by Watford.

The Blues were hoping to end their unwanted streak of starting the year without a win, but that wasn’t the case at Vicarage Road.

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A Thomas Ince hat-trick saw them fall to a 3-0 defeat and that furthered their extremely familiar suffering on January 1.

Birmingham haven’t won a single league game on New Year’s Day since a 2-1 victory in 1991 away at Mansfield Town.

They have now gone winless in 16 such matches since that date 35 years ago, drawing five and losing 11 of those outings.

No other team in England has currently gone longer without a New Year’s win.

The West Midlands outfit also have the longest ongoing winless streak on January 1 of any side in the top four tiers.

Watford, who sit fourth in the Championship, made sure to keep Birmingham’s astonishing trend going on Thursday.

And on top of that, Chris Davies’ side continued their horrid run of form in the league this season.

They have failed to win any of their last seven games, losing four and drawing three as they dropped down the division.

This is their joint-longest streak without three points since the start of 2024, leaving Davies under pressure in the hotseat.

The Blues are now 16th in the second tier, just seven points above the relegation zone and now nine away from the play-off places.

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Blues booed off

Birmingham supporters made their feelings known towards their team after their heavy defeat at Vicarage Road.

The Blues fans booed from the away end at full-time.

After Ince opened the scoring for Watford in the ninth minute, they took control and didn’t allow the visitors into the game.

That dominance increased after Ince grabbed his second of the game with seven minutes to go in the first half.

A short spell after the break saw Birmingham threaten to get a goal back, but a third goal ended any hopes of a result.

And in the end, despite striking the post in the final stages, Davies’ men were easily beaten on New Year’s Day.

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‘The right man for this job’

Birmingham boss Davies was not on the touchline for the game, as he was suspended following a red card.

Assistant Ben Petty took charge instead, and speaking before the defeat, he stuck up for his boss.

Petty said: “We all love the manager, he’s a brilliant coach, fantastic managerial skills, man-manager, and you can see he wears his heart on his sleeve – and that’s one of his strengths.

“I don’t think he’s going to change. That’s why I came to the club to work for him and as far as I’m concerned, he’s the right man for this job.

“I think the position that we’re in at this moment in time is a false one, we’re playing a lot better than probably results have led to.”