1980–81 West Ham United F.C. season
1980–81 season of West Ham United
West Ham United 1980–81 football season
In one of the most notable seasons in the club's history, West Ham United won the Second Division in the 1980–81 season to return to the top flight of English football after an absence of three years.
Season summary
West Ham lost just four League matches all season, were unbeaten in the League after Boxing Day, and finished 13 points clear of second-placed Notts County , accumulating a record points total for the Second Division.[ 1]
The Hammers also reached the League Cup final for the second time, after a run in which they knocked out First Division Tottenham Hotspur and Coventry City . In the final , they forced a replay against Liverpool after Ray Stewart scored an equalising penalty in the last minute of extra-time, but lost 2–1 at Villa Park .
West Ham failed to retain the FA Cup , which they had won the previous season , when they lost to Wrexham in a second replay in the third round. However, they reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup in a run that included a 5–1 victory over Real Madrid's reserve side Castilla played behind closed doors because of crowd trouble.[ 2] They were eliminated 4–2 on aggregate by the eventual winners, Dinamo Tbilisi .
League table
Source:
[citation needed ] Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions;
(P) Promoted
Results
West Ham United's score comes first
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Goalscorers
16 August 1980
Luton Town
H
1–2
27,933
Stewart (pen)
19 August 1980
Bristol City
A
1–1
13,554
Cross
23 August 1980
Preston North End
A
0–0
9,063
30 August 1980
Notts County
H
4–0
21,769
Cross , Goddard (2), Stewart (pen)
6 September 1980
Chelsea
A
1–0
32,669
Wilkins (o.g.)
13 September 1980
Shrewsbury Town
H
3–0
22,339
King (o.g.), Goddard , Cross
20 September 1980
Watford
H
3–2
24,288
Cross , Barnes , Brooking
27 September 1980
Cambridge United
A
2–1
8,591
Goddard , Cross
4 October 1980
Newcastle United
A
0–0
24,848
7 October 1980
Cardiff City
H
1–0
20,402
Neighbour
11 October 1980
Blackburn Rovers
H
2–0
32,402
Cross (2)
18 October 1980
Oldham Athletic
A
0–0
8,344
25 October 1980
Bolton Wanderers
H
2–1
25,257
Walsh (o.g.), Pike
1 November 1980
Bristol Rovers
A
1–0
6,328
Goddard
8 November 1980
Grimsby Town
H
2–1
25,468
Cross (2)
11 November 1980
Bristol City
H
5–0
25,210
Goddard (2), Martin , Brooking , Cross
15 November 1980
Luton Town
A
2–3
17,031
Brooking (2)
22 November 1980
Swansea City
H
2–0
25,210
Cross , Goddard
26 November 1980
Derby County
A
0–2
18,446
29 November 1980
Wrexham
A
2–2
8,941
Devonshire , Goddard
6 December 1980
Sheffield Wednesday
H
2–1
30,746
Brooking , Holland
13 December 1980
Blackburn Rovers
A
0–0
13,279
20 December 1980
Derby County
H
3–1
24,071
Cross , Goddard , Brooking
26 December 1980
Queens Park Rangers
A
0–3
23,811
27 December 1980
Orient
H
2–1
34,408
Holland , Allen
1 January 1981
Swansea City
A
3–1
34,408
Brooking , Pike , Cross
17 January 1981
Notts County
A
1–1
13,718
Holland
31 January 1981
Preston North End
H
5–0
26,413
Goddard , Pike , Lampard , Devonshire (2)
7 February 1981
Shrewsbury Town
A
2–0
9,201
Devonshire , Cross
14 February 1981
Chelsea
H
4–0
35,164
Brooking (2), Cross , Devonshire
21 February 1981
Cambridge United
H
4–2
36,002
Devonshire , Stewart (2; 1 pen), Goddard
28 February 1981
Watford
A
2–1
20,786
Cross (2)
7 March 1981
Newcastle United
H
1–0
26,274
Cross
21 March 1981
Oldham Athletic
H
1–1
24,394
Goddard
28 March 1981
Bolton Wanderers
A
1–1
13,271
Brooking
4 April 1981
Bristol Rovers
H
2–0
23,544
Pike , Goddard
11 April 1981
Grimsby Town
A
5–1
17,924
Cross (4), Pike
18 April 1981
Orient
A
2–0
14,592
Neighbour , Pike
21 April 1981
Queens Park Rangers
H
3–0
24,599
Goddard (3)
2 May 1981
Wrexham
H
1–0
30,515
Stewart (pen)
6 May 1981
Cardiff City
A
0–0
10,558
8 May 1981
Sheffield Wednesday
A
1–0
21,087
Morgan
FA Cup
Round
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Goalscorers
R3
3 January 1981
Wrexham
H
1–1
30,137
Stewart (pen)
R3 replay
6 January 1981
Wrexham
A
0–0 (aet)
13,643
R3 2nd replay
19 January 1981
Wrexham
A
0–1 (aet)
14,615
League Cup
Round
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Goalscorers
R2 1st leg
26 August 1980
Burnley
A
2–0
6,818
Goddard , Cross
R2 2nd leg
2 September 1980
Burnley
H
4–0 (6–0 on agg)
15,216
Stewart (pen), Goddard , Wood (o.g.), Pike
R3
23 September 1980
Charlton Athletic
A
2–1
17,884
Cross (2)
R4
28 October 1980
Barnsley
H
2–1
21,548
Martin , Cross
QF
2 December 1980
Tottenham Hotspur
H
1–0
26,003
Cross
SF 1st leg
27 January 1981
Coventry City
A
2–3
35,468
Bonds , Thompson (o.g.)
SF 2nd leg
10 February 1981
Coventry City
H
2–0 (4–3 on agg)
36,551
Goddard , Neighbour
F
14 March 1981
Liverpool
N
1–1 (aet)
100,000
Stewart (pen)
F replay
1 April 1981
Liverpool
N
1–2
26,693
Goddard
European Cup Winners' Cup
Round
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Goalscorers
R1 1st leg
17 September 1980
Castilla
A
1–3
40,000
Cross
R1 2nd leg
1 October 1980
Castilla
H
5–1 (aet; 6–4 on agg)
0
Pike , Cross (3), Goddard , Bernal
R2 1st leg
22 October 1980
Poli Timișoara
H
4–0
27,257
Bonds , Goddard , Stewart (pen), Cross
R2 2nd leg
5 November 1980
Poli Timișoara
A
0–1 (4–1 on agg)
25,000
Păltinișanu
R3 1st leg
4 March 1981
Dinamo Tbilisi
H
1–4
34,957
Cross
R3 2nd leg
18 March 1981
Dinamo Tbilisi
A
1–0 (2–4 on agg)
80,000
Pearson
Charity Shield
Date
Opponent
Result
Attendance
Goalscorers
9 August 1980
Liverpool
0–1
90,000
McDermott
Squad
See also
References
National teams
League competitions
Levels 1–4 Level 5 Levels 6–7 Levels 8–9
Cup competitions
FA cups Football League cups
European competitions