1980–81 Football League Second Division
| Season | 1980–81 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Aston Villa |
|
← 1979–80
1981–82 →
|
|
| Season | 1980–81 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Aston Villa (7th English title) |
| Relegated |
Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Norwich City |
| European Cup 1981–82 |
Aston Villa, Liverpool |
|
FA Cup winners European Cup Winners' Cup 1981–82 |
Tottenham Hotspur (6th FA Cup title) |
| UEFA Cup 1981–82 |
Arsenal, Ipswich Town, Southampton, West Bromwich Albion |
| Matches played | 462 |
| Goals scored | 1,228 (2.66 per match) |
| Top goalscorer |
Peter Withe (Aston Villa), 20 Steve Archibald (Tottenham Hotspur), 20 |
| Biggest home win |
Middlesbrough –Norwich 6–1 (4 Oct 1980) Everton –Crystal Palace 5–0 (20 Sep 1980) Manchester United –Leicester 5–0 (13 Sep 1980) Nottingham Forest –Leicester 5–0 (20 Sep 1980) Nottingham Forest –Stoke 5–0 (30 Aug 1980) |
| Biggest away win |
Coventry –Everton 0–5 (27 Sep 1980) Leeds United –Arsenal 0–5 (8 Nov 1980) |
| Highest scoring |
Tottenham –Ipswich Town 5–3 (17 Dec 1980) Tottenham –Southampton 4–4 (26 Dec 1980) |
|
← 1979–80
1981–82 →
|
|
| Season | 1980–81 |
|---|---|
| Champions | West Ham United (2nd title) |
| Promoted |
Notts County, Swansea City |
| Relegated |
Bristol City, Bristol Rovers, Preston North End |
| Matches played | 462 |
| Goals scored | 1,073 (2.32 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | David Cross (West Ham United), 22 |
| Biggest home win | Chelsea –Newcastle 6–0 (25 Oct 1980) |
| Biggest away win |
Grimsby Town –West Ham 1–5 (11 Apr 1981) Wrexham –Chelsea 0–4 (15 Nov 1980) |
| Highest scoring | Bolton –Cambridge United 6–1 (1 Nov 1980) |
|
← 1979–80
1981–82 →
|
|
| 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 |
|
← 1979–80
1981–82 →
|
|
| 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 |
|
← 1979–80
1981–82 →
|
|
The 1980–1981 season was the 82nd completed season of The Football League.
Ron Saunders completed Aston Villa's revival, as they ended their 71-year wait for the league championship trophy. They competed in a two-horse race with Ipswich Town during the final stages of the season before pipping the Suffolk side at the post. Liverpool slipped into fifth place but compensated for this downfall by lifting the European Cup and their first-ever League Cup. But Manchester United failed to make the top five and this shortcoming cost Dave Sexton his manager's job. He was succeeded by Ron Atkinson, who had just finished fourth in the league and reached the UEFA Cup quarterfinals 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. They were joined in the Second Division by also-doomed Norwich City and Leicester City.
FA Cup holders West Ham United regained their First Division status by lifting the Second Division championship trophy. They were joined by Notts County and Swansea City, completing a meteoric rise under John Toshack, from the Fourth Division to the First in just four years.
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