At Chelsea, goals in the last 10 minutes from Didier Drogba and Michael Essien respectively gave the Blues 1-1 draws against Birmingham and Arsenal in 2005 and 2006.

BBC: Jose Mourinho's unbeaten home league run remembered

The Moody Blues, who got their start in Birmingham, England, turned out some of the first concept albums and were innovators in studio production techniques.

NPR: Moody Bluegrass: Rocking Through the Hills

Gold was told he was not welcome at St Andrew's for the Premier League match between Birmingham and West Ham in November following newspaper comments he made about acting Blues chairman Peter Pannu.

BBC: West Ham owners to miss League Cup semi at Birmingham

While the loss to Birmingham was hardly the performance of a team in crisis, and the Blues are now through to the last 16 of the Champions League, this indifferent sequence would have been worrying for manager Carlo Ancelotti, underlying as it did the lack of strength in depth in a squad that used to be renowned for it.

BBC: Alan Hansen on Chelsea's problems

Unfortunately for the Blues faithful he was being granted the freedom of the city down the Birmingham right and he twice tried his luck from distance, stinging the hands of goalkeeper Ben Foster with his second effort.

BBC: Birmingham 0-0 Wigan

Blues fan Andrew Williams said his coach took almost eight hours to make the trip back to Birmingham.

BBC: Police blame drivers for cup chaos