The Lord Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup, commonly referred to as the Birmingham Charity Cup, was a football competition for teams from Birmingham and the surrounding area. It was inaugurated in 1881 by the city's mayor, Richard Chamberlain, and Aston Villa were the first winners of the competition in the 1881–82 season, defeating Walsall Swifts 4–1. From 1910 onwards, the preliminary rounds were scrapped and the final became an invitation match. Other than during the First World War, the competition took place every year until 1939 with the exception of the 1925–26 season, when it was abandoned due to the General Strike. It fluctuated between being contested at the start and the end of the football season.