1980–81 in English football

The 1980–81 season was the 101st season of competitive football in England.

The 1980–81 season saw Ron Saunders complete 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 quarter finals with an impressive West Bromwich Albion side.

Crystal Palace endured a dreadful season with just six wins. They were joined in the Second Division by Norwich City and Leicester City. The Eagles' stay in the top flight had lasted just two years, while The Canaries' relegation brought to an end their six years in the limelight. The Foxes, however, were relegated after just a single season in the First Division.

FA Cup holders West Ham United regained their First Division status after only three years in the second tier by lifting the Second Division championship trophy. They were joined by Notts County, who, by contrast, returned to the First Division after an absence of 55 years, including two spells in the Fourth Division totalling 8 seasons, and Swansea City, completing a meteoric rise under John Toshack, from the Fourth Division to the First in just four years. The Jacks were to play in the top flight for the first time in their history.

...
Wikipedia