1980-81 Football League
| 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 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-ever 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.
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