1980–81 Leeds United A.F.C. season

The 1980–81 season was Leeds United's 54th season in the Football League, and their seventeenth consecutive season in the Football League First Division, the top tier of English football, where they finished 9th. Alongside the First Division, the club competed in the FA Cup and the Football League Cup, being eliminated in the third round of the former and the second round of the latter.

Leeds United
1980–81 season
ChairmanManny Cussins
ManagerJimmy Adamson
(until 1 October)
Dave Merrington
(caretaker, until 1 Oct)
Allan Clarke
(from 1 October)
StadiumElland Road
First Division9th
FA CupThird round
League CupSecond round
Top goalscorerLeague:
Carl Harris (10)
All:
Carl Harris (10)
Highest home attendance39,206 vs Liverpool, First Division, 18 April 1981
Lowest home attendance14,333 vs Brighton & Hove Albion, First Division, 29 November 1980
Average home league attendance21,377[1]

Season summary

Leeds began the season in the same poor form that they ended the previous season in, leaving them in the relegation zone for the first few months of the season. Manager Jimmy Adamson resigned after a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Sunderland, the club he had walked out on to take charge of Leeds two years earlier, and with attendances at their lowest level since the club's last spell in the Second Division, the board tried to win back the supporters by appointing former hero Allan Clarke, who had just steered Barnsley to promotion from the Fourth Division.

Leeds's form picked up greatly after Clarke's appointment, albeit they were knocked out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle by Coventry City, having already been knocked out of the League Cup by eventual Division One champions Aston Villa while Adamson was still manager. The club eventually finished a solid ninth place, and while their having the lowest goalscoring record of any top-flight club that season was cause for concern, it was offset by having one of the best defences in the division; however, their inability to score would foreshadow much bigger, and ultimately terminal, problems they would face next season.

Competitions

Football League First Division
Main article: 1980–81 Football League § First Division

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
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[lower-alpha 1]
11 Stoke City 42 12 18 12 51 60 −9 42
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
Notes:
  1. Tottenham Hotspur qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup first round as the 1980–81 FA Cup winners.

Matches
Win Draw Loss
DateOpponentVenueResult[lower-alpha 1]ScorersAttendance
16 August 1980Aston VillaHome1–2Stevenson (pen.)23,401
19 August 1980MiddlesbroughAway0–3—19,470
23 August 1980Norwich CityAway3–2Hart, Graham, Connor17,890
30 August 1980Leicester CityHome1–2Hart18,530
6 September 1980Stoke CityAway0–3—12,729
13 September 1980Tottenham HotspurHome0–0—21,947
20 September 1980Manchester UnitedHome0–0—32,539
27 September 1980SunderlandAway1–4Parlane29,619
4 October 1980Ipswich TownAway1–1Sabella24,087
8 October 1980Manchester CityHome1–0Harris19,134
11 October 1980EvertonHome1–0Curtis25,601
18 October 1980Wolverhampton WanderersAway1–2Connor20,699
22 October 1980Nottingham ForestAway1–2Harris25,033
25 October 1980Crystal PalaceHome1–0Connor19,208
1 November 1980Coventry CityAway1–2Connor13,970
8 November 1980ArsenalHome0–5—20,855
12 November 1980MiddlesbroughHome2–1Hird (2, 1 pen.)17,382
15 November 1980Aston VillaAway1–1Sabella29,106
22 November 1980SouthamptonAway1–2Graham20,278
29 November 1980Brighton & Hove AlbionHome1–0Harris14,333
6 December 1980West Bromwich AlbionAway2–1Harris, Graham17,771
13 December 1980Nottingham ForestHome1–0Greenhoff21,882
20 December 1980Manchester CityAway0–1—31,866
26 December 1980Birmingham CityHome0–0—19,214
27 December 1980LiverpoolAway0–0—44,086
10 January 1981SouthamptonHome0–3—21,007
17 January 1981Leicester CityAway1–0Hart16,094
31 January 1981Norwich CityHome1–0Harris15,836
7 February 1981Tottenham HotspurAway1–1Harris32,372
14 February 1981Stoke CityHome1–3Flynn16,530
21 February 1981SunderlandHome1–0Harris23,236
28 February 1981Manchester UnitedAway1–0Flynn45,733
14 March 1981EvertonAway2–1Parlane, Harris23,014
21 March 1981Wolverhampton WanderersHome1–3Harris19,252
28 March 1981Crystal PalaceAway1–0Parlane15,053
31 March 1981Ipswich TownHome3–0Hird, Harris, Hart26,462
4 April 1981Coventry CityHome3–0Stevenson, Parlane, Flynn15,882
11 April 1981ArsenalAway0–0—29,339
18 April 1981LiverpoolHome0–0—39,206
21 April 1981Birmingham CityAway2–0Parlane, Hird (pen.)14,505
2 May 1981Brighton & Hove AlbionAway0–2—27,577
6 May 1981West Bromwich AlbionHome0–0—17,218

Source:[2][3]

FA Cup
Main article: 1980–81 FA Cup
Win Draw Loss
RoundDateOpponentVenueResult[lower-alpha 1]ScorersAttendance
Third round3 January 1981Coventry CityHome1–1Hird (pen.)24,523
Third round replay6 March 1981Coventry CityAway0–1—22,057

Source:[4][5]

Football League Cup
Main article: 1980–81 Football League Cup
Win Draw Loss
RoundDateOpponentVenueResult[lower-alpha 1]ScorersAttendance
Second round, first leg27 August 1980Aston VillaAway0–1—24,238
Second round, second leg3 September 1980Aston VillaHome1–3Graham12,236

Source:[6][7]

Notes
  1. Leeds United's score written first

References
  1. Rollin, Jack (1981). Rothmans Football Yearbook: 1981–82. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 428. ISBN 0-362-02046-9. OCLC 868301130.
  2. Jarred, Martin; MacDonald, Malcolm (1986). Leeds United: a complete record 1919–1986. Derby: Breedon Books Sport. pp. 132–133. ISBN 0-907969-17-8. OCLC 14977257.
  3. Rollin, Jack (1981). Rothmans Football Yearbook: 1981–82. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 194–195. ISBN 0-362-02046-9. OCLC 868301130.
  4. Jarred, Martin; MacDonald, Malcolm (1986). Leeds United: a complete record 1919–1986. Derby: Breedon Books Sport. p. 155. ISBN 0-907969-17-8. OCLC 14977257.
  5. Rollin, Jack (1981). Rothmans Football Yearbook: 1981–82. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 471. ISBN 0-362-02046-9. OCLC 868301130.
  6. Jarred, Martin; MacDonald, Malcolm (1986). Leeds United: a complete record 1919–1986. Derby: Breedon Books Sport. p. 160. ISBN 0-907969-17-8. OCLC 14977257.
  7. Rollin, Jack (1981). Rothmans Football Yearbook: 1981–82. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 434–437. ISBN 0-362-02046-9. OCLC 868301130.
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