1980–81 Football League
Season | 1980–81 |
---|---|
Champions | Aston Villa |
← 1979–80 1981–82 → |
The 1980–81 season was the 82nd completed season of The Football League. This was the final league season with two points for win.
Ron Saunders completed the revival of Birmingham club Aston Villa, as they won the First Division for the first time in 71 years. Villa competed in a two-horse race with Ipswich Town during the final stages of the season, eventually finishing four points ahead of the Suffolk side. Defending champions Liverpool slipped to fifth place, but compensated for this by winning the European Cup and their first League Cup. Manchester United failed to finish in the top five, a shortcoming that cost Dave Sexton his job as manager; he was succeeded by Ron Atkinson, who had finished fourth in the league and reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals with an impressive West Bromwich Albion side – who would suffer a rapid decline after Atkinson's departure.
Crystal Palace endured a dreadful season with just six wins, all at home. They were joined in relegation to the Second Division by Norwich City and Leicester City.
FA Cup holders West Ham United returned to the First Division by becoming Second Division champions. Also promoted were Notts County and Swansea City, the Welsh club completing a meteoric rise under John Toshack by going from the Fourth Division to the First in just four years. Both Bristol clubs were relegated, along with Preston North End.
In the Third Division, Rotherham United were champions, with Barnsley and Charlton Athletic also promoted. Hull City, Blackpool and Colchester United were relegated, as were Sheffield United, who just seven years earlier had finished sixth in the First Division.
The Fourth Division saw Southend United finish as champions, with Lincoln City, Doncaster Rovers and Wimbledon occupying the other promotion places. There were no movements between the Fourth Division and the Alliance Premier League as the re-election system went in favour of the league's bottom four clubs.
First Division
[edit]Season | 1980–81 |
---|---|
Champions | Aston Villa 7th English title |
Relegated | Norwich City Leicester City Crystal Palace |
European Cup | Aston Villa Liverpool (as defending champions) |
European Cup Winners' Cup | Tottenham Hotspur |
UEFA Cup | Ipswich Town Arsenal West Bromwich Albion Southampton |
Matches played | 462 |
Goals scored | 1,228 (2.66 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Peter Withe Steve Archibald (20 goals each)[1] |
Biggest home win | Nottingham Forest 5–0 Stoke City (30 August 1980) Manchester United 5–0 Leicester City (13 September 1980) Nottingham Forest 5–0 Leicester City (20 September 1980) Everton 5–0 Crystal Palace (20 September 1980) Middlesbrough 6–1 Norwich City (4 October 1980) |
Biggest away win | Coventry City 0–5 Everton (27 September 1980) Leeds United 0–5 Arsenal (8 November 1980) |
Highest scoring | Tottenham Hotspur 5–3 Ipswich Town (17 December 1980) Tottenham Hotspur 4–4 Southampton (26 December 1980) |
← 1979–80 1981–82 → |
Aston Villa came top of a hotly contested title race to clinch their first top division title since 1910, using only 14 players throughout the season, with only eight scorers. Runners-up Ipswich Town had compensation for their failed title challenge in the shape of a UEFA Cup triumph, and were also semi-finalists in the FA Cup, their relatively small squad struggling in the final weeks of the season as a challenge for three major trophies took its toll. Arsenal finished third, while West Bromwich Albion enjoyed another strong season and finished fourth. Liverpool finished fifth but won their third European Cup and their first League Cup.
Manchester United's failure to finish higher than eighth in the league cost manager Dave Sexton his job after four trophyless seasons in charge, and a lengthy search for a new manager saw West Bromwich Albion's Ron Atkinson named as his successor. Everton appointed their former player Howard Kendall as manager after a disappointing 15th-place finish. Tottenham, meanwhile, only finished 10th in the league but achieved a sixth triumph in the FA Cup at the expense of Manchester City, who climbed up to 12th place in the league after an upturn in fortunes brought about the October change of manager from Malcolm Allison to John Bond.
Bond's former club Norwich City went down to the Second Division along with Leicester City and Crystal Palace.
Final table
[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aston Villa (C) | 42 | 26 | 8 | 8 | 72 | 40 | +32 | 60 | Qualification for the European Cup first round |
2 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 23 | 10 | 9 | 77 | 43 | +34 | 56 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
3 | Arsenal | 42 | 19 | 15 | 8 | 61 | 45 | +16 | 53 | |
4 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 20 | 12 | 10 | 60 | 42 | +18 | 52 | |
5 | Liverpool | 42 | 17 | 17 | 8 | 62 | 42 | +20 | 51 | Qualification for the European Cup first round[a] |
6 | Southampton | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 76 | 56 | +20 | 50 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
7 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 62 | 44 | +18 | 50 | |
8 | Manchester United | 42 | 15 | 18 | 9 | 51 | 36 | +15 | 48 | |
9 | Leeds United | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 39 | 47 | −8 | 44 | |
10 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 70 | 68 | +2 | 43 | Qualification for the European Cup Winners' Cup first round[b] |
11 | Stoke City | 42 | 12 | 18 | 12 | 51 | 60 | −9 | 42 | |
12 | Manchester City | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 56 | 59 | −3 | 39 | |
13 | Birmingham City | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 50 | 61 | −11 | 38 | |
14 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 16 | 5 | 21 | 53 | 61 | −8 | 37 | |
15 | Everton | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 55 | 58 | −3 | 36 | |
16 | Coventry City | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 48 | 68 | −20 | 36 | |
17 | Sunderland | 42 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 52 | 53 | −1 | 35 | |
18 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 43 | 55 | −12 | 35 | |
19 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 42 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 54 | 67 | −13 | 35 | |
20 | Norwich City (R) | 42 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 49 | 73 | −24 | 33 | Relegation to the Second Division |
21 | Leicester City (R) | 42 | 13 | 6 | 23 | 40 | 67 | −27 | 32 | |
22 | Crystal Palace (R) | 42 | 6 | 7 | 29 | 47 | 83 | −36 | 19 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Liverpool qualified for the European Cup first round as the 1980–81 European Cup winners.
- ^ Tottenham Hotspur qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup first round as the 1980–81 FA Cup winners.
Results
[edit]Managerial changes
[edit]Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leeds United | Resigned | 7 September 1980 | 21st | 7 September 1980 | ||
Leeds United | End of caretaker spell | 16 September 1980 | 21st | 16 September 1980 | ||
Crystal Palace | Signed by Queens Park Rangers | 3 October 1980 | 22nd | 3 October 1980 | ||
Manchester City | Sacked | 8 October 1980 | 21st | 17 October 1980 | ||
Norwich City | Signed by Manchester City | 17 October 1980 | 20th | 17 October 1980 | ||
Crystal Palace | End of caretaker spell | 5 December 1980 | 21st | 5 December 1980 | ||
Crystal Palace | Sacked | 1 February 1981 | 22nd | 3 February 1981 | ||
Sunderland | 1 April 1981 | 15th | 1 April 1981 | |||
Manchester United | 30 April 1981 | 8th | 30 April 1981 |
Maps
[edit]Second Division
[edit]Season | 1980–81 |
---|---|
Champions | West Ham United |
Promoted | West Ham United Notts County Swansea City |
Relegated | Preston North End Bristol City Bristol Rovers |
Matches played | 462 |
Goals scored | 1,073 (2.32 per match) |
Top goalscorer | David Cross (22 goals)[1] |
Biggest home win | Chelsea 6–0 Newcastle United (25 October 1980) |
Biggest away win | Wrexham 0–4 Chelsea (15 November 1980) Grimsby Town 1–5 West Ham United (11 April 1981) |
Highest scoring | Bolton Wanderers 6–1 Cambridge United (1 November 1980) |
← 1979–80 1981–82 → |
A year after winning the FA Cup, West Ham ended their three-year exile from the First Division by clinching the Second Division title. Notts County, who finished second, went up after 55 years away from the First Division. Third placed Swansea City completed an unprecedented four-season climb from the Fourth Division to the First Division, where they had never previously played. Blackburn Rovers missed out on promotion on goal difference, and then lost their promising young player-manager Howard Kendall to Everton.
Both Bristol clubs went down along with Preston North End.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | West Ham United (C, P) | 42 | 28 | 10 | 4 | 79 | 29 | +50 | 66 | Promotion to the First Division |
2 | Notts County (P) | 42 | 18 | 17 | 7 | 49 | 38 | +11 | 53 | |
3 | Swansea City (P) | 42 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 64 | 44 | +20 | 50 | Cup Winners' Cup first round and promotion to the First Division |
4 | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 16 | 18 | 8 | 42 | 29 | +13 | 50 | |
5 | Luton Town | 42 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 61 | 46 | +15 | 48 | |
6 | Derby County | 42 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 57 | 52 | +5 | 45 | |
7 | Grimsby Town | 42 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 44 | 42 | +2 | 45 | |
8 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 56 | 46 | +10 | 43 | |
9 | Watford | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 50 | 45 | +5 | 43 | |
10 | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 53 | 51 | +2 | 42 | |
11 | Newcastle United | 42 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 30 | 45 | −15 | 42 | |
12 | Chelsea | 42 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 46 | 41 | +5 | 40 | |
13 | Cambridge United | 42 | 17 | 6 | 19 | 53 | 65 | −12 | 40 | |
14 | Shrewsbury Town | 42 | 11 | 17 | 14 | 46 | 47 | −1 | 39 | |
15 | Oldham Athletic | 42 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 39 | 48 | −9 | 39 | |
16 | Wrexham | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 43 | 45 | −2 | 38 | |
17 | Orient | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 52 | 56 | −4 | 38 | |
18 | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 61 | 66 | −5 | 38 | |
19 | Cardiff City | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 44 | 60 | −16 | 36 | |
20 | Preston North End (R) | 42 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 41 | 62 | −21 | 36 | Relegation to the Third Division |
21 | Bristol City (R) | 42 | 7 | 16 | 19 | 29 | 51 | −22 | 30 | |
22 | Bristol Rovers (R) | 42 | 5 | 13 | 24 | 34 | 65 | −31 | 23 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
[edit]Maps
[edit]Third Division
[edit]Season | 1980–81 |
---|---|
Champions | Rotherham United (1st title) |
Promoted | Barnsley, Charlton Athletic |
Relegated | Blackpool, Colchester United, Hull City, Sheffield United |
Matches played | 552 |
Goals scored | 1,337 (2.42 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Tony Kellow (Exeter City), 25 [1] |
← 1979–80 1981–82 → |
Pos | Team | Pld | HW | HD | HL | HGF | HGA | AW | AD | AL | AGF | AGA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rotherham United | 46 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 43 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 19 | 24 | +30 | 61 | Division Champions, promoted |
2 | Barnsley | 46 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 46 | 19 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 26 | 26 | +27 | 59 | Promoted |
3 | Charlton Athletic | 46 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 36 | 17 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 27 | 27 | +19 | 59 | |
4 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 40 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 31 | 29 | +31 | 56 | |
5 | Chesterfield | 46 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 42 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 30 | 32 | +24 | 56 | |
6 | Portsmouth | 46 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 35 | 19 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 20 | 28 | +8 | 53 | |
7 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 35 | 18 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 21 | 26 | +12 | 52 | |
8 | Burnley | 46 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 37 | 21 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 23 | 27 | +12 | 50 | |
9 | Brentford | 46 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 30 | 25 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 24 | +3 | 47 | |
10 | Reading | 46 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 39 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 23 | 40 | 0 | 46 | |
11 | Exeter City | 46 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 36 | 30 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 26 | 36 | −4 | 45 | |
12 | Newport County | 46 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 38 | 22 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 26 | 39 | +3 | 43 | |
13 | Fulham | 46 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 28 | 29 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 29 | 35 | −7 | 43 | |
14 | Oxford United | 46 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 20 | 24 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 23 | −8 | 43 | |
15 | Gillingham | 46 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 23 | 19 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 25 | 39 | −10 | 42 | |
16 | Millwall | 46 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 30 | 21 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 13 | 39 | −17 | 42 | |
17 | Swindon Town | 46 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 35 | 27 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 16 | 29 | −5 | 41 | |
18 | Chester | 46 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 25 | 17 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 13 | 31 | −10 | 41 | |
19 | Carlisle United | 46 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 32 | 29 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 24 | 41 | −14 | 41 | |
20 | Walsall | 46 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 43 | 43 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 16 | 31 | −15 | 41 | |
21 | Sheffield United | 46 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 38 | 20 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 27 | 43 | +2 | 40 | Relegated |
22 | Colchester United | 46 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 35 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 10 | 43 | −20 | 39 | |
23 | Blackpool | 46 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 19 | 28 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 26 | 47 | −30 | 32 | |
24 | Hull City | 46 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 23 | 22 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 17 | 49 | −31 | 32 |
Results
[edit]Maps
[edit]Fourth Division
[edit]Season | 1980–81 |
---|---|
Champions | Southend United (1st title) |
Promoted | Doncaster Rovers, Lincoln City, Wimbledon |
Failed re-election | None |
Matches played | 552 |
Goals scored | 1,364 (2.47 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Alan Cork (Wimbledon), 23 [1] |
← 1979–80 1981–82 → |
Pos | Team | Pld | HW | HD | HL | HGF | HGA | AW | AD | AL | AGF | AGA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Southend United | 46 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 47 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 32 | 25 | +48 | 67 | Division Champions, promoted |
2 | Lincoln City | 46 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 44 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 22 | 14 | +41 | 65 | Promoted |
3 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 20 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 23 | 29 | +10 | 56 | |
4 | Wimbledon | 46 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 42 | 17 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 22 | 29 | +18 | 55 | |
5 | Peterborough United | 46 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 37 | 21 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 31 | 33 | +14 | 52 | |
6 | Aldershot | 46 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 28 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 15 | 30 | +2 | 50 | |
7 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 36 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 22 | 29 | +14 | 49 | |
8 | Darlington | 46 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 43 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 22 | 36 | +6 | 49 | |
9 | Hartlepool United | 46 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 42 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 22 | 39 | +3 | 49 | |
10 | Northampton Town | 46 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 42 | 26 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 23 | 41 | −2 | 49 | |
11 | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 29 | 16 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 22 | 39 | −4 | 47 | |
12 | Bury | 46 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 38 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 32 | 41 | +8 | 45 | |
13 | Bournemouth | 46 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 30 | 21 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 17 | 27 | −1 | 45 | |
14 | Bradford City | 46 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 30 | 24 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 23 | 36 | −7 | 44 | |
15 | Rochdale | 46 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 33 | 25 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 27 | 45 | −10 | 43 | |
16 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 8 | 12 | 3 | 40 | 31 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 38 | −9 | 42 | |
17 | Torquay United | 46 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 38 | 26 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 17 | 37 | −8 | 41 | |
18 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 28 | 20 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 41 | −13 | 40 | |
19 | Port Vale | 46 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 40 | 23 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 17 | 47 | −13 | 39 | |
20 | Stockport County | 46 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 29 | 25 | 6 | 2 | 15 | 15 | 32 | −13 | 39 | |
21 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 41 | 24 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 18 | 49 | −14 | 36 | Re-elected |
22 | Hereford United | 46 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 29 | 20 | 3 | 5 | 15 | 9 | 42 | −24 | 35 | |
23 | Halifax Town | 46 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 28 | 32 | 2 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 39 | −27 | 34 | |
24 | York City | 46 | 10 | 2 | 11 | 31 | 23 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 16 | 43 | −19 | 33 |
Results
[edit]Maps
[edit]Election/Re-election to the Football League
[edit]Altrincham won the Alliance Premier League for the second season running and earned the right to apply for election to the Football League to replace one of the four bottom sides in the 1980–81 Football League Fourth Division. The vote went as follows:
Club | Final Position | Votes |
---|---|---|
Tranmere Rovers | 21st (Fourth Division) | 48 |
Hereford United | 22nd (Fourth Division) | 46 |
York City | 24th (Fourth Division) | 46 |
Halifax Town | 23rd (Fourth Division) | 41 |
Altrincham | 1st (Alliance Premier League) | 15 |
As a result of this, all four Football League teams were re-elected, and Altrincham were denied membership of the League.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane's, London & Sydney, 1980.