Trigg Cyril Image 2 Birmingham City 1948

Description

Measham, Leicestershire born right back (before the Second World War) and centre forward (after the War) Cyril Trigg began his football career with Binley Welfare in 1933 and after an unsuccessful trial with Coventry City he played for Bedworth Town in 1934 before signing for First Division Birmingham in August 1935. He made his Football League debut in the Midlands derby at Aston Villa in March 1936, in a match Aston Villa won 2-1, playing 3 more times before the season was over. He then established himself at right back in 1936-37 missing only 4 games that season and remaining first choice until the abandonment of peacetime football due to the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, by when he had made 114 appearances for The Blues.

The Second World War started when he was 22 years old, so his career was severely disrupted by the conflict, in which he served with the Royal Air Force in India and Burma. He also appeared as a guest player for West Ham United during the War. On his return to St Andrews in 1946, he increasingly played at centre forward, and despite 11 matches at right back out of the total of 33 he played during the 1946-47 season, he was Birmingham’s leading goalscorer with 19 goals, including a hat-trick at Luton Town in a 3-1 win in December 1946. In 1947-48 he helped Birmingham to the Second Division Championship, although they were once again relegated in 1950. In 1950-51 he was again Birmingham’s leading goalscorer with 19 goals including a hat-trick against Swansea Town in December 1950, and although increasingly a fringe player after that season he was still a regular goalscorer when called upon, netting 11 times in 24 matches in 1952-53. He made his last appearance for Birmingham aged 37 in April 1954, and, having scored 72 goals in 294 appearances for The Blues, he joined non league Stourbridge in the summer of 1954, where he played until his retirement.