1980’s – Games, results and tables

Following on from a 10th place finish the previous season, improvements were expected in the 1980-81 season. Albion played some neat football but they still lacked that vital spark. Ron Atkinson was being closely watched by Manchester United as a replacement for Dave Sexton and as soon as the season ended he packed his bags and left The Hawthorns for Old Trafford.

The season started slowly with only two points being collected in the first three league games, but following a league cup win over Leicester at the Hawthorns Albion went to Brighton and collected their first away win of the season. After the previous seasons exploits it was expected that the Albion would carry on and build on the work carried out by Atkinson.

A league title attempt was on the cards a good cup run expected the league cup run came to a 5th rd ended at Manchester City and the Fa cup run stopped in the fourth by Middlesborough.

The league title attempt was as good as over when a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa and a 2-1 defeat at Manchester United ended any hope of title success. A respectable fourth spot finish at the end of the season saw Albion heading for Europe the following season. However that next season would see a change in personnel.

All games – 1980-81

1980-81 Division 1 – Final table

                              P   W  D  L   F   A   W  D  L   F   A  Pts
 1. ASTON VILLA              42  16  3  2  40  13  10  5  6  32  27   60
 2. Ipswich Town             42  15  4  2  45  14   8  6  7  32  29   56
 3. Arsenal                  42  13  8  0  36  17   6  7  8  25  28   53
 4. West Bromwich Albion     42  15  4  2  40  15   5  8  8  20  27   52
 5. Liverpool                42  13  5  3  38  15   4 12  5  24  27   51
 6. Southampton              42  15  4  2  47  22   5  6 10  29  34   50
 7. Nottingham Forest        42  15  3  3  44  20   4  9  8  18  24   50
 8. Manchester United        42   9 11  1  30  14   6  7  8  21  22   48
 9. Leeds United             42  10  5  6  19  19   7  5  9  20  28   44
10. Tottenham Hotspur        42   9  9  3  44  31   5  6 10  26  37   43
11. Stoke City               42   8  9  4  31  23   4  9  8  20  37   42
12. Manchester City          42  10  7  4  35  25   4  4 13  21  34   39
13. Birmingham City          42  11  5  5  32  23   2  7 12  18  38   38
14. Middlesbrough            42  14  4  3  38  16   2  1 18  15  45   37
15. Everton                  42   8  6  7  32  25   5  4 12  23  33   36
16. Coventry City            42   9  6  6  31  30   4  4 13  17  38   36
17. Sunderland               42  10  4  7  32  19   4  3 14  20  34   35
18. Wolverhampton Wanderers  42  11  2  8  26  20   2  7 12  17  35   35
19. Brighton & Hove Albion   42  10  3  8  30  26   4  4 13  24  41   35
20. NORWICH CITY             42   9  7  5  34  25   4  0 17  15  48   33
21. LEICESTER CITY           42   7  5  9  20  23   6  1 14  20  44   32
22. CRYSTAL PALACE           42   6  4 11  32  37   0  3 18  15  46   19

Source: rsssf.com