[4] The first-team squad had a week's training in Westendorf, Austria, ending with a friendly match on 21 July, before returning to England to face Shrewsbury Town three days later.

[14] With Curtis Davies, Žigić and Darren Ambrose added to the injury list, Birmingham went into the home match against pointless Peterborough United with five teenagers on the substitutes' bench.

[16] Loanee Leroy Lita opened the scoring on his home debut in Birmingham's second league win, against Bolton Wanderers, but only days after Stephen Carr was sidelined for six months by knee surgery, Caddis dislocated a shoulder, leaving the team without a recognised right back.

[17] The attendance, of 14,693, was their lowest home league crowd for 15 years; according to the Birmingham Mail, fans blamed high ticket prices and financial uncertainty surrounding the club's ownership.

[21] He made a strong debut as Birmingham successfully defended a 1–0 lead, via Chris Burke's first goal of the season, a 25-yard (23 m) volley, at league leaders Brighton & Hove Albion.

Lita neatly touched Elliott's free kick home, but Cardiff's goals came from defensive errors: Packwood played them onside for the first, and failure to deal with a corner allowed Mark Hudson to score the winner.

[22] Courtesy of half-price ticket offers,[23] more than 18,000 saw Birmingham lose 1–0 to Huddersfield Town; Žigić was sent off for a high tackle and Mitch Hancox made his competitive debut as substitute for the injured Davies.

"[24] Butland produced what he described as the best performance of his career and Ravel Morrison, selected for the first time since August after problems with his attitude to training led Clark to consider terminating his loan, was influential as Birmingham narrowly failed to beat league leaders Leicester City.

Davies opened the scoring with a header before Charlie Austin's headed equaliser was disallowed when the referee called play back for a foul on the player who had crossed the ball.

[34] Reilly's first senior goal gave Birmingham the lead as Clark returned to the club that sacked him less than a year earlier, but a 93rd-minute equaliser secured Huddersfield Town a share of the points.

Burke showed him what they were missing by scoring twice as Birmingham beat Forest 2–1, "a glorious left-foot effort off the underside of the bar from the edge of the area" and a second-half tap-in.

Žigić's response was clearly acceptable to Clark, for he returned to the starting lineup for a goalless draw at home to Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham's first clean sheet for three months, in which he failed to take several chances.

Žigić opened the scoring, Reilly hit the bar from distance, and a deflected Burke shot completed a 2–0 win,[39] although Butland made what Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson called an "unbelievable double save", no penalty was awarded when Hancox appeared to foul Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, and Reilly was fortunate to avoid a second yellow card for a "cynical trip" on Kane Ferdinand.

[42] Redmond's first goal of the season, and loanee Wes Thomas's first two, took Birmingham above opponents Derby County and seven points clear of the relegation zone,[43] and Žigić converted Shane Ferguson's cross at Middlesbrough to take them into the top half of the table for the first time since mid-September.

[12] In the last away match of the season, Ipswich Town scored three times and had two disallowed in the first hour, a flat, uncompetitive defeat summed up by Clark as "I'm three stone overweight and even I could have gone out and played at that tempo.

"[50] At home to Blackburn Rovers, they attacked from the start, but without reward until the 42nd minute, when Morrison received a pass from Gomis, slipped past two defenders, and shot from 20 yards (18 m) low into the corner of the net.

[62] Colin Doyle made his second appearance of the season in goal, and, with all senior strikers missing through injury or suspension, Ravel Morrison and Nathan Redmond played up front.

Morrison's running put pressure on the Leeds defence, who were punished when Wade Elliott ran from deep before unleashing a "stunning long-range shot" to take the lead.

[65] Butland was left out of the team for the replay, to avoiding his becoming cup-tied and jeopardising a potential sale,[66] and Becchio was absent ill. On a cold night, in front of only 7,400 home fans, Elliott gave Birmingham a first-half lead.

[12] At the end of the 2011–12 season, Birmingham released first-team players Caleb Folan, Luke Hubbins, Cian Hughton, Ashley Sammons and Enric Vallès.

[67] In late June, goalkeeper Ben Foster's loan at West Bromwich Albion was made permanent[68] and midfielder Jordon Mutch joined Cardiff City,[69] both for undisclosed fees.

Following publication of the 2011 accounts, and reflecting increased financial prudence and revenue raised from player sales, the Football League lifted the club's transfer embargo in early July.

Before the transfer window closed, they added two loan signings: attacking midfielder Ravel Morrison from West Ham United for the season,[75] and Chelsea left-back Ben Gordon until January.

[76] Despite rumours linking Žigić with Real Mallorca and Butland with Everton,[77] the only movement on deadline day was a loan swap bringing Swindon Town full-back Paul Caddis in for the season with Adam Rooney going the other way.

[79] At the end of September, with the club reduced to two fit senior defenders, experienced left-back Paul Robinson joined as a free agent on a one-month contract[21] and young West Bromwich Albion right-back James Hurst signed on a month's loan.

[89] After Rob Hall returned to West Ham for treatment to a groin injury at the end of February, Clark brought in Northern Ireland international winger Shane Ferguson on loan from Newcastle United.