Birmingham City FC’s relegation to the third tier in 2024 had been looming for years after several seasons spent battling near the bottom of the Championship table. Aside from a play-off appearance in their first season back in the division and two 10th-place finishes, the club never managed to finish higher than 17th during their 13-year stay between 2011 and 2024.
However, Birmingham nearly dropped into League One much earlier. On the final day of the 2013/14 season, the Blues travelled to Bolton Wanderers needing at least a draw to survive, while also relying on Doncaster Rovers losing to Leicester City.
Things looked bleak at the Reebok Stadium as Birmingham trailed late in the match, but a dramatic comeback changed everything. A crucial equalising header from Paul Caddis sparked wild celebrations among the 3,500 travelling supporters and secured the club’s Championship status in unforgettable fashion.
That moment alone justified the modest £150,000 Birmingham paid to sign the former Celtic FC academy graduate from Swindon Town FC in 2013, but Caddis would go on to become one of the club’s most dependable and underrated figures.
After progressing through Celtic’s youth system, Caddis joined Swindon in 2010 following their League One play-off campaign. His first season proved difficult as the Robins suffered relegation to League Two, but he quickly bounced back by captaining the club to the League Two title and establishing himself as a strong EFL performer.
His time at Swindon eventually turned sour after a dispute with manager Paolo Di Canio led to him losing the captaincy and falling out of favour. Birmingham then offered him a fresh opportunity, initially signing him on loan for the 2012/13 season, where he impressed with 27 appearances in a solid mid-table campaign.
That successful spell convinced Birmingham to make the move permanent in September 2013. During the dramatic 2013/14 season under Lee Clark, Caddis etched his name into club folklore. With Birmingham staring relegation in the face after going two goals down at Bolton, a late goal from Nikola Žigić gave the team hope before Caddis struck the decisive equaliser — his fifth goal of the season — to complete one of the most dramatic survival escapes in Championship history.
