[12] Clark was able to attract several out-of-contract signings: Ireland international goalkeeper Darren Randolph from Motherwell, Scottish Player of the Year-shortlisted Andrew Shinnie, an attacking midfielder from Inverness Caledonian Thistle,[13] Blackpool right-back Neal Eardley,[14] young midfielder Tom Adeyemi from Norwich City,[9] forward Lee Novak, who had worked with Clark at Huddersfield Town,[15] and Conference top scorer Matt Green from Mansfield Town.

[20] The opening-day fixture, at home to last season's playoff finalists Watford, was preceded by a minute's silence in memory of Christian Benítez, who died at the age of 27 on 29 July in a Qatar hospital of cardiorespiratory failure caused by a degenerative defect in a coronary artery.

[30] For Birmingham's 2000th match in the second tier of English football, and Yeovil Town's first home game at that level, Hayden Mullins replaced Kyle Bartley in the starting eleven, playing at centre-half rather than his customary central midfield.

Randolph kept out a powerful shot from former Birmingham loanee Kemy Agustien, then the same player fed Andrew Crofts to score the only goal of the game; Clark was disappointed by his team's failure to close the move down.

[33] Peter Løvenkrands, who had also been made available on a free transfer and had played no previous part on a matchday, partnered Novak in attack as, for the first time this season, Clark set the team up in a 4–4–2 formation.

[37] David Murphy made his return from ten months out with a knee problem in the home match with fellow strugglers Sheffield Wednesday, for whom former Birmingham centre-half Roger Johnson was making his first appearance.

After Adeyemi chipped a parried shot back over the goalkeeper, Murphy came close to completing his hat-trick with another free kick before Lingard's late header made the final score 4–0.

The up-and-down nature of Birmingham's season continued at home to Bolton Wanderers, when Burn's failure to react to a clearance allowed Jermaine Beckford a clear run from the halfway line, and former Blues player Neil Danns took advantage of Randolph misjudging a cross.

[34] A header initially credited to Žigić was apparently touched over the line by Novak,[38] and a strong appeal for a penalty, when Reilly's shot struck Liam Feeney's raised hands, was turned down.

[34] At Derby County, a game of numerous chances saw Novak equalise with his first touch, watching a high cross from Caddis down to hit "a sweet sidefoot volley" past the goalkeeper.

Winger Demarai Gray made his first start, Burn's early goal was disallowed when the referee decided that Novak had fouled the goalkeeper, and Løvenkrands hit a late chance well over the bar, but Randolph's 57th-minute double save needed to be a triple, Charlton Athletic scored, and Birmingham dropped into the relegation zone.

[34] In the second half, Kyle Bartley, preferred to the previously ever-present Burn, scored twice with headed goals from set-pieces, briefly stepped over the advertising hoardings in celebration of the second, and was sent off for a second yellow card.

[42] Polish international Dariusz Dudka nearly marked his debut against Blackpool with a goal, and Burn risked injury blocking Tom Ince's shot against the goalpost, as Lingard was Birmingham's only scorer in a 1–1 draw despite late chances for Novak and Gray.

Andy Shinnie's first league goal, from Lee's precise cross, and Žigić's neat finish from Lingard's through ball gave Birmingham a 2–0 win, despite the home side's massive superiority of possession and shots.

In a rather less exciting goalless draw at Wigan Athletic, Lingard reacted to being refused a free kick with a wild tackle on Jordi Gómez for which he was sent off, which meant he would be suspended for the last two matches of his loan spell.

Birmingham took a 3–0 first-half lead at Blackburn Rovers, with two goals from Novak, the second a "piledriver" from upwards of 30 yards (27 m), and a clever shot by Burke from the edge of the penalty area, and held on to win 3–2 to finish 2013 on a nine-match unbeaten run.

[34] By the next match, ten days later, Birmingham had lost Dudka, who reportedly expressed surprise at the pace of the game in the Championship and whose contract had not been extended,[46] Lingard and Mclean, whose loans had expired, Bartley, who injured a hamstring against Barnsley, and Burn, recalled for assessment by new Fulham manager Rene Meulensteen.

Brown was man of the match and new signing Brian Howard made a promising debut in a 2–0 defeat, the first goal resulting from Mullins' attempt to head the ball back to Randolph succeeding only in finding James Hayter.

[34][49] Without Robinson, suspended for two matches after receiving his tenth yellow card, Hancox, who injured an ankle shortly before the game, and Žigić, dropped, Bartley returned from injury and Birmingham gave a debut to 19-year-old left back Amari'i Bell and first league starts of the season to Will Packwood and loanee Albert Rusnák for the visit of Leicester City.

Løvenkrands scored late on with a header from Burke's cross and Rusnák had a chance for an unlikely draw, but Leicester won their eighth successive game and Birmingham extended their winless run at home in the league to four months.

[50] Birmingham faced Derby County with three debutant loanees in the starting eleven: Tom Thorpe at centre-half sustained an ankle injury after only 11 minutes of his first senior match that was to force his return to owning club Manchester United[51] – he was replaced by new permanent signing Aaron Martin – Tyler Blackett at left back conceded a first-half penalty that Randolph saved, and Emyr Huws was involved in the last goal of a 3–3 draw.

Jack Robinson, Ibe's Liverpool clubmate, was sent off for bringing him down when his pacy direct run had taken him through on goal, Birmingham took advantage of their extra man and Novak headed the winner from Huws's precise cross.

[53] Ravel Morrison, on loan at Birmingham the previous season, returned with Queens Park Rangers to score twice and extend the non-winning streak to a club record twelve matches.

[54] In front of a midweek crowd of 16,695, boosted by cheap tickets in all parts of the ground,[55] Birmingham came from behind three times to draw 3–3 with second-placed Burnley, who first took the lead when Spector directed a headed clearance across rather than away from goal.

Huws lasted only half an hour before aggravating his injury, Reading scored on the break, and Caddis equalised from the penalty spot after Reilly, who had begun the match at left back rather than his usual central midfield, was fouled.

Although some stability was achieved when Žigić replaced Howard and the defensive players returned to their natural positions, Gestede completed a hat-trick of headers in first-half stoppage time.

[68] With Packwood injured, and Thorpe having suffered a recurrence of the ankle injury that ended his first loan spell, Hayden Mullins was recalled from Notts County to partner Spector at centre half in the last home match of the season, against Wigan Athletic.

Within a minute of Doncaster Rovers going a goal behind to Leicester City, which meant a draw would be enough for Birmingham to stay up, Lucas Jutkiewicz beat Randolph at his near post to put Bolton 2–0 up.

Because that match was once abandoned and once postponed because of Crawley's waterlogged pitch, the draw for the fourth round had already been made,[80] and Clark impressed on his players the financial necessity of progressing in the competition to meet Premier League club Swansea City at home.

chairman Jeremy Wray stated two days later that a company with which he was involved, Soccer Management Worldwide, was the preferred bidder and had three weeks exclusive access to conduct due diligence.