Football
Birmingham is home to two of the countries biggest football clubs which are Aston Villa and Birmingham City. Aston Villa was found in 1874 and Birmingham City was found in 1875. Aston Villa's ground is called Villa Park and Birmingham city's ground is called St Andrews.
Athletics
The Birmingham Athletics Club opened a Gymnasium in King Alfred's Place, in Aug 1865/6, and held their annual display and assault-at-arms in the Town Hall. The first festival of the Birmingham Athletic Club was held in 1868. On March 1, 1880, an association was organised of many of the bicycle clubs, cricket clubs, football clubs, and similar athletic bodies in the town and neighbourhood.
Cricket
The Birmingham cricket club, started in 1819, the members including the young elite of the town at Ladywood. The Birchfield cricket club was established in 1840.
In 1882, Bourneville cricket club was founded in Froggarts Farm on the corner of Bourneville Lane and Linden Road, which is now The Old Farm Hotel.
Rugby Union
Rugby Union is played in Birmingham by Mosley Rugby club. The club was founded in 1873 and reached three cup finals, playing for most of there history at 'The Redding’s'. However, in 2000 it moved to a temporary location to Birmingham University and now has a permanent ground at the Billesley Common.
Basketball.
Basketball was first introduced to Birmingham in 1911 when a YMCA instructor brought basketball to Birmingham YMCA, and a team was produced. The American Rules had been introduced, but the teams in Birmingham found them to be too complicated, and when forming a Local Basketball Association, they compiled a more practical set of rules for their own use.
Netball
Dozens of junior and senior Netball clubs exist in Birmingham such as the Birmingham city Netball club (founded in the 1970s) which coordinates junior and intermediate netball teams (under-18s).
The Birmingham (adult) Netball League plays from September to March (approximately) and has roughly 100 teams which are arranged in 13 divisions.
