Having lived in Brum since 1988, and with a lot of CAMRA involvement, some comments on pubs for Wednesday.

If you are travelling by train and alight at New Street, you have the London and Northwestern, a JD Wetherspoon's house in the adjacent Grand Central area. On New Street you have the Post Office Vaults, and off New Street you have the Wellington. The former has a few handpumps and a very good selection of real cider, and the latter has over a dozen handpumps. Both are in CAMRA's GBG (The Good Beer Guide). Stray off New Street again and you have Purity's Pure Bar, Fuller's Old Joint Stock and Thornbridge's Colmore.
Round the back of the station you have Cherry Reds, with its small but perfectly formed selection of cask and craft, plus the Victoria, with a similar offering.
If you want a pub nearer the ground you will probably find well-behaved BCFC fans in the Anchor (by Digbeth Coach station) and the Spotted Dog, a bit nearer the ground. If you're after good ale, these are your best two bets near St.Andrew's.
Feel free to give your comments after visiting any of these pubs.
PS Food-wise, the Spoons is an obvious choice, plus the Colmore (very good but not cheap pizzas).