Abbott, half back Alex Leake and forward Sid Wharton each played in all 40 league and FA Cup matches over the season, and three other players missed only one such game.

[4] Apart from Jack Kirton, who also joined Swindon,[5] and Charlie Hare, who left the club for Watford of the Southern League, having "secured a business engagement" in that town,[6] the remaining players signed on again for the new season.

Early in the second half, debutant Bob McRoberts tapped in to equalise after Sid Wharton's fierce shot could only be parried, then Swifts regained the lead via a twice-taken penalty, but the game was one-sided thereafter, and the final score was 6–2 to the visitors.

[12] Small Heath took a three-goal lead in the first round of the Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup, but visitors West Bromwich Albion scored four times in the second half to progress to the semi-final.

[13] In the absence of Henry Clutterbuck, Ike Webb made his Football League debut in goal in a comfortable 3–1 win at home to Barnsley, newly elected to the Second Division.

Against the wind, they changed their style of play: "they no longer indulged in short passing, but in long kicking and rushing", the defence, particularly Billy Pratt stood firm, and Inglis made the final score 4–1.

[27] They went one better at home to Druids in the FA Cup, McRoberts contributing a hat-trick,[28] and in front of the lowest league crowd of the season, around 2,000, "completely outplayed" Darwen, Walter Abbott scoring five of his team's eight goals.

[30] The Dart predicted Burslem Port Vale might prove stiffer opposition in the FA Cup than did Chirk and Druids in the previous rounds,[31] but in a game "too one-sided to be really interesting", Small Heath progressed into the competition proper by seven goals to nil.

[34] Sid Wharton starred in an expected win at Glossop North End,[35] preceding a close game at home to Walsall in which "feeling ran high, and the whistle was going frequently for free kicks", settled by a McRoberts goal after an hour.

[39] Going into the new year in fourth position in the table, three points behind the leaders with a game in hand, the club committee were reported to have offered the players "special inducements" to achieve promotion.

[42] In the second round of the Birmingham Cup, played "in terrible weather, and with the pitch in fearful condition", former Small Heath hero Fred Wheldon scored twice to secure a draw for Aston Villa.

[45] According to the Sheffield Independent, "probably the visitors, Manchester City, are the more skilful team, but Small Heath are gluttons for goals at Coventry road, and there is likely to be a very lively hour and half's play".

[48] Cab-drivers who regularly transported football followers from Aston Villa's ground back to the city centre were hopeful of taking advantage of the large attendance to do the same from Small Heath.

However, they had few takers, "quite half the brakes returned to the centre of the city empty", and the Owl wondered if one might infer that "those who go to Aston can afford to ride, whereas those who patronise Small Heath find it cheaper to walk".

[53] Missing Gardner and Robertson through suspension,[54] and also without full-back Archer, Small Heath nevertheless beat New Brighton Tower 3–2 in a "wonderfully fine game", Wilcox supplying the late winner.

[59] Using as an illustration the £10 apiece "besides special prizes from the committee and tradespeople" to be received by Small Heath's players should they achieve promotion, the Manchester Times reported with disapproval on the concept of success-related bonus payments.

[62] The visit to Darwen saw the unexpected return from injury of Bob McRoberts, who scored an equalising goal, but the draw, against a team with only six points at this late stage of the season, dropped Small Heath to sixth place in the table.

[63] Their poor results continued at Lincoln City, where they needed an apparently offside goal from Billy Bennett to come back from a two-goal deficit to earn a draw.

[64] Despite losing full-back Billy Pratt to a dislocated collarbone in the first half, Small Heath beat Gainsborough Trinity 6–1 to raise their goals tally to more than that of any team either division.

A one-nil friendly win against West Bromwich Albion[67] preceded the return fixture with Gainsborough, won by Small Heath by a single goal in a match where the visitors "rarely crossed the centre line" in the second half and the home side missed numerous chances.

[70] In a game "contested with warmth" in which "the referee's whistle was often heard", McRoberts gave the home team a short-lived lead against second-placed Glossop North End, but the match was drawn, leaving it extremely unlikely, albeit still mathematically possible, for Small Heath to be promoted.

[73] After being close to the second promotion place throughout the season, Small Heath eventually finished eighth, five points behind second-placed Glossop North End and a further six behind champions Manchester City.