Romany Gypsy Walter Lovell joins Birmingham City manager Ron Saunders on the pitch in 1982 - many efforts have been made to lift a supposed "Gypsy curse" at St. Andrew's. (Image: Birmingham Post and Mail)
Birmingham's most unexplainable moments - raining frogs to 100-year Gypsy curse
It may sound unbelievable, but several witnesses reported a bizarre event in Sutton Park in 1954 when thousands of frogs rained down from the sky. Sylvia Mowday, who was with her young son and daughter when the sky suddenly turned dark, said at the time: "I thought it was hail, but my son suddenly said ’It isn’t hail, mum, they’re frogs, baby frogs’. There were literally thousands of them. When we looked up we could see them. They covered our shoulders and umbrellas. This went on for about five minutes, but afterwards we were afraid to move in case we trod on them." Mick Austen recalled being told off by his mum when he was late for tea because he didn't want to step on any of the frogs.1 of 8
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The Ward End vampire
Police were forced to release a statement back in 2005 after reports that a vampire was stalking the streets in Ward End. Stories had been circulating that an old man and his neighbours all died in an attack, and a woman had a 'chunk bitten out of her hand'. And fears started to spead around the city as attacks were reported in Saltley, Small Heath and Alum Rock. There were even rumours the 'vampire' could turn into a dog, make itself invisible, and had red eyes and possibly rabies. Stepping in to try and reassure the public, West Midlands Police said at the time that no victims had come forward, adding: "This appears to be an urban myth".2 of 8
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The Gypsy curse at St Andrews
That's right, the home of Birmingham City FC was apparently under a hex bestowed by travellers turfed off the site when work to create the new ground began in 1906. People at the club were so convinced of the curse on St Andrew's they took drastic action over the years. In the 1980s, then manager Ron Saunders ordered crucifixes to be placed on floodlights to banish the bad luck, and in the 1990s, Barry Fry urinated in all four corners of the pitch. The curse was said to have been lifted in 2016 when the seats at the ground were re-upholstered - and had holy water sprinkled on them. Businessman and diehard Bluenose John Baines was sent a thank you email from the club at the time, reading: “As well as the lift of the curse, the fact that our used substitutes, who had a major impact on the game, had a luxurious seat to warm their bottoms before coming on must have had a major impact on their performance.” (Image: Birmingham Post and Mail)3 of 8
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UFOs 'spotted' in Kings Heath
In 2021, the Birmingham Mail was bombarded with calls from people reorting mysterious lights above Kings Heath and Moseley. Scores of people said they had seen bright orange and red lights hovering inexplicably in the skies over south Birmingham on Friday, July 18, and then more flooded in after too. Coun Neville Summerfield, cabinet member for regeneration at the city council, was among the former non-believers forced to change their tune. He said: “I was walking along Kings Heath High Street and saw a raft of people looking up. I thought ‘what’s going on?’ I looked up and there was a brilliantly coloured orange and red object, then there was another one. “It was absolutely amazing. I’m not quite as sceptical as I was.”4 of 8