The1981–82 season was the 102nd season of competitivefootball in England.It was also the first season that thethree-points-for-a-win system was introduced.
13 July 1981:Everton sign 22-year-old goalkeeperNeville Southall fromBury for £150,000.
19 August 1981:Brighton & Hove Albion signLiverpool midfielderJimmy Case for £350,000.
22 August 1981: Aston Villa & Tottenham Hotspur draw 2–2 in the FA Charity Shield at Wembley.
29 August 1981: The firstFootball League games of the season are played.Swansea City begin life as a First Division side on a high note by beatingLeeds United 5–1.[1] PromotedNotts County win 1–0 atVilla Park against defending championsAston Villa.Howard Kendall begins his career asEverton manager by guiding them to a 3–1 win overBirmingham City. Liverpool lose 1–0 toWolverhampton Wanderers.[2]
9 September 1981:England suffer a shock 2–1 defeat away toNorway in a qualifier for theWorld Cup.[3]
19 September 1981:Alan Brazil scores twice asIpswich Town beat Notts County for 4–1 atMeadow Lane, while Liverpool and Aston Villa draw 0–0.[4]
29 September 1981: Legendary former Liverpool managerBill Shankly, 68, dies from a heart attack three days after being admitted to hospital.
30 September 1981: The month ends with Ipswich Town leading the First Division. Newly promotedWest Ham United and Swansea City are their nearest challengers, withNottingham Forest completing the top four, but champions Aston Villa are struggling with just one win from seven games. Leeds United are already adrift at the bottom of the table following a horrific start to the season, with Sunderland and, surprisingly, West Bromwich Albion also in the bottom three.[2] The race for a place in next season's First Division is headed bySheffield Wednesday,Luton Town andNorwich City.[5] In theUEFA Cup, Liverpool beatFinnish league championsOulun Palloseura 7–0 atAnfield to complete an 8–0 aggregate first leg triumph, with 19-year-old strikerIan Rush scoring his first senior goal for the club.[6]
1 October 1981: Manchester United pay a national record fee of £1.5 million forWest Bromwich Albion midfielderBryan Robson.
7 October 1981: Ian Rush scores his first domestic goals for Liverpool, finding the net twice in their second round first legLeague Cup 5–0 win overExeter City atAnfield.
27 October 1981: First Division clubs Notts County and Swansea City are eliminated from the League Cup by lower league opposition: Division Three'sLincoln City despatch theNottingham club while the Welsh were beaten byBarnsley of the Second Division.[7]
31 October 1981: Manchester United finish October as First Division leaders, although Ipswich Town are level on points with them, and have two games in hand.Tottenham Hotspur, Swansea City, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United are also amongst the front-runners.Sunderland, Wolverhampton Wanderers andMiddlesbrough occupy the relegation places.[2] Luton Town's recent excellent form has taken them to the top of the Second Division, heading a promotion race in which Watford stand second and Sheffield Wednesday are third.[8]
4 November 1981: Fourth Division side York City sack managerBarry Lyons, following a poor start to the season on top of last year's bottom-place finish, and replace him withKevin Randall.
18 November 1981: England seal qualification for the World Cup with a 1–0 win overHungary atWembley in their final qualifying game.[3]
30 November 1981: November draws to a close with Manchester United still top of the First Division, though Swansea City are two points behind them with a game in hand. Ipswich Town and Tottenham Hotspur are still pushing them hard, as areSouthampton, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United. Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Birmingham City occupy the relegation places, while defending champions Aston Villa are 13th in the league and Liverpool are 10th.[2] Luton Town continue to head the Second Division promotion race, with Watford and Queens Park Rangers completing the top three.[9]
15 December 1981: Swansea City go top of the First Division after beating Aston Villa 2–1.[2]
16 December 1981:The Football Association bansChelsea supporters from visiting away grounds for the remainder of the season in response to an incident by travelling Chelsea fans atDerby County.[10]
31 December 1981: The year draws to a close withManchester City top of the First Division. However, just two points separate the top five places, with Southampton, Swansea City, Manchester United and Ipswich Town in close pursuit.[2] Luton Town remain the runaway leaders of the Second Division, while Oldham Athletic have muscled into second place, with Watford third.[11]
2 January 1982: Holders Tottenham Hotspur beat Arsenal 1–0 in theNorth London derby in theFA Cup third round. Liverpool beat Swansea City 4–0, while Manchester United are beaten 1–0 by Second Division Watford.[12]
8 January 1982:John Barnwell resigns as manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers, whose fortunes have declined sharply in the two years since he took them to sixth place in the First Division and a League Cup victory.
23 January 1982: Third DivisionOxford United cause the shock of the FA Cup fourth round with a 3–0 win away to Brighton & Hove Albion. Watford claim another First Division victim, beating West Ham United 2–0.[12]
31 January 1982: January ends with Southampton top of the First Division. Manchester United are a point behind, while Ipswich Town are two points off the top but still have three games in hand. Manchester City occupy fourth place, two points behind the leaders. Liverpool's resurgence has seen them climb into fifth place. Brighton & Hove Albion, in only their third season as a top flight club, are in seventh position. Defending champions Aston Villa, meanwhile, are struggling in 17th place. Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers occupy the relegation places.[2] Luton Town, Oldham Athletic and Watford head the Second Division promotion race, followed closely behind byBlackburn Rovers,Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers.[13]
2 February 1982: Wolverhampton Wanderers appoint Oxford United'sIan Greaves as their new manager.
9 February 1982:Ron Saunders announces his resignation as manager of defending league champions Aston Villa.[14] He is succeeded by assistantTony Barton.
13 February 1982: Chelsea shock Liverpool 2–0 atStamford Bridge in the FA Cup fifth round.Shrewsbury Town surprisingly beat Ipswich Town 2–1, Watford's run ends with a 2–0 defeat toLeicester City, and Tottenham Hotspur beat troubled Aston Villa 1–0.[12]
15 February 1982: Birmingham City sack managerJim Smith, following a run of just one win since the beginning of October, which has left the club only a single place outside the relegation zone.
18 February 1982: Nine days after walking out on Aston Villa, Ron Saunders makes a surprise return to management with their local rivals Birmingham City.
28 February 1982: February ends with Southampton still top of the First Division, with Swansea City's challenge back on track as they occupy second place. Manchester United are six points off the top with two games in hand, and Liverpool now stand fourth, eight points off top place with three games in hand. Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers remain in the bottom three.[2] Luton Town, Watford and Oldham Athletic continue to head the Second Division promotion race, with their nearest challenge now coming fromRotherham United, who have yet to play top division football.[15]
1 March 1982: Jim Smith makes a swift return to management at Oxford United, who had been managerless since the departure of Ian Greaves the previous month.
6 March 1982: Shrewsbury Town's impressive FA Cup run comes to an end when they lose 5–2 to Second Division rivals Leicester City atFilbert Street in the sixth round. In two London derbies, Tottenham Hotspur beat Chelsea 3–2 andQueens Park Rangers win 1–0 at home toCrystal Palace.West Bromwich Albion take the remaining semi-final place with a 2–0 win over Coventry City.[12]
13 March 1982: Liverpool retain theFootball League Cup with a 3–1 win overTottenham Hotspur in the Wembleyfinal.[16]
16 March 1982: York City, who have been bottom of the Fourth Division for much of the last few months, sack Kevin Randall. Former captainBarry Swallow is appointed as the third manager of the season at the club, who are considered highly likely to be voted out of the Football League if they finish bottom for a consecutive season.
31 March 1982: Southampton remain the leaders of the First Division, but Liverpool and Ipswich Town are closing in, a point behind with three games in hand. Swansea City and Manchester United complete the top five. The bottom three of Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers remains unchanged.[17] Watford have overhauled Luton Town as Second Division leaders, withSheffield Wednesday now completing the top three. Rotherham United, Blackburn Rovers andNewcastle United are close behind in the promotion race.[18]Fulham defenderDave Clement, who was capped five times by England and spent the first 14 years of his career at Queens Park Rangers, commits suicide.[19]
3 April 1982: FA Cup holders Tottenham Hotspur reach the final for the second reason running with a 2–0 semi-final win over surprise contestants Leicester City at Villa Park, while Second Division Queens Park Rangers overcome West Bromwich Albion 1–0 atHighbury to reach the final for the first time in their history.[12] Tottenham's victory is marred by Leicester fans booing Argentine midfielderOssie Ardiles amid hostility over theFalklands War.[20]
7 April 1982: Liverpool achieve a vital 1–0 win over Manchester United atOld Trafford to move two points ahead of Ipswich Town at the top of the First Division.[2]
21 April 1982: Tottenham Hotspur lose theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup semi-final 2–1 on aggregate toBarcelona.[21]
30 April 1982: Liverpool are now clear at the top of the First Division, four points ahead of Ipswich Town with a game in hand. Swansea City are third. Manchester City, who led the league four months ago, are now 10th. Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers remain in the relegation zone, but Sunderland have climbed out of the bottom three at the expense of West Bromwich Albion.[2] Luton Town's promotion is now almost certain, while Watford are also looking likely to reach the First Division for the first time in their history. Sheffield Wednesday currently occupy the final promotion place, but Leicester City, Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers remain in contention.[22]
4 May 1982: Southampton and Coventry City draw 5–5 in the highest-scoring match of the First Division season.[2] A brace fromRoss Jenkins in Watford's Second Division win overWrexham seals their promotion into the First Division for the first time in their history; Jenkins himself was playing for theHertfordshire club in Division Four five years previously.[23]
15 May 1982: Liverpool win the Football League championship for the 13th time after they beat Tottenham Hotspur 3–1 and Ipswich Town lose 3–1 at home to Nottingham Forest. Wolverhampton Wanderers are relegated despite beating West Ham United 2–1 in their last match of the season. The other two relegation places are still to be decided, with Middlesbrough, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United all still in danger.[2]
18 May 1982: Middlesbrough draw 0–0 with Liverpool and are relegated to the Second Division, finishing bottom of the First Division table. West Bromwich Albion guarantee safety by beating Leeds United 2–0.[2]
20 May 1982: Stoke City beat West Bromwich Albion 3–0 to survive at the expense of Leeds United, who are relegated after 18 successive seasons in the First Division.[2]
22 May 1982: TheFA Cup final between Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers ends in a 1–1 draw after extra time.[12] Tottenham's line-up does not include ArgentiniansRicardo Villa and Ossie Ardiles, who have withdrawn from first-team action owing to the Falklands War.
26 May 1982: Aston Villa lift theEuropean Cup when aPeter Withe goal gives them victory overBayern Munich inRotterdam.
27 May 1982: Tottenham Hotspur retain the FA Cup thanks to a penalty fromGlenn Hoddle in the replay against Queens Park Rangers.[12]
29 May 1982: England beatScotland 1–0 in the 100th international between the countries to win theHome Championship with a 100% record.[3]
16 June 1982: England open their World Cup campaign with a 3–1 win overFrance.[3]
20 June 1982: England seal qualification to the next stage of the World Cup by defeatingCzechoslovakia 2–0.[3]
25 June 1982: England complete the first stage of the World Cup with a 1–0 win overKuwait.[3]
29 June 1982: England draw 0–0 withWest Germany in the first game of the second round of the World Cup.[3]
5 July 1982: England are eliminated from the World Cup after only managing a goalless draw with host nationSpain in a match they needed to win.[3]Ron Greenwood retires as national team manager, and is succeeded by Ipswich'sBobby Robson.
![]() | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(January 2018) |
Ron Greenwood, 61, retired as England manager after the 1982 World Cup. He was succeeded by the Ipswich managerBobby Robson.
![]() | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(January 2018) |
Aston Villa beatBayern Munich 1–0 in the1982 European Cup Final.Arsenal were knocked out in the 3rd round of the UEFA Cup by semi-professional Belgian sideKFC Winterslag[24]
Tottenham Hotspur retained the trophy, drawing 1–1 withQueens Park Rangers, managed by former Tottenham playerTerry Venables, in thefinal before winning the replay 1–0. Venables would however eventually win the trophy himself with Tottenham in 1991.
Liverpool won the League Cup with a 3–1 victory overTottenham Hotspur in thefinal.
The First Division title race brought many different challengers. But in the end, however, Liverpool overcame a dismal first half of the season which saw them climb from mid-table at Christmas to clinching the title on the final day of the season, having lifted theFootball League Cup weeks earlier for the second successive season. Ipswich (runners-up), Manchester United (third), Swansea (sixth) and Southampton (seventh) all managed good finishes in the league despite being unable to win the title, but Manchester City finished a disappointing 10th after briefly taking the lead of the First Division just after Christmas. Liverpool's season of triumph was overshadowed, however, by the death of former managerBill Shankly in late September following a heart attack.
Tottenham retained the FA Cup to match Aston Villa's record of seven wins in the competition.
By contrast, Villa had a disappointing defence of the league title and could only finish 11th, with managerRon Saunders stepping down in February and being replaced by his assistantTony Barton, who enjoyed instant success in his first managerial job by guiding Villa to glory in theEuropean Cup, while Saunders made a quick return to management at local rivals Birmingham City, achieving First Division survival by a comfortable margin.
Middlesbrough finished bottom of the First Division and went down after eight years among the elite. Wolves, faced with huge debts and the possibility of bankruptcy, went down too. Leeds United, who had rarely challenged for honours sinceDon Revie left for the England job in 1974, ended their 18-year stay in the First Division with relegation.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Liverpool(C) | 42 | 26 | 9 | 7 | 80 | 32 | +48 | 87 | Qualification for theEuropean Cup first round |
2 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 26 | 5 | 11 | 75 | 53 | +22 | 83 | Qualification for theUEFA Cup first round |
3 | Manchester United | 42 | 22 | 12 | 8 | 59 | 29 | +30 | 78 | |
4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 67 | 48 | +19 | 71 | Qualification for theCup Winners' Cup first round[a] |
5 | Arsenal | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 48 | 37 | +11 | 71 | Qualification for theUEFA Cup first round |
6 | Swansea City | 42 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 58 | 51 | +7 | 69 | Qualification for theCup Winners' Cup preliminary round[b] |
7 | Southampton | 42 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 72 | 67 | +5 | 66 | Qualification for theUEFA Cup first round |
8 | Everton | 42 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 56 | 50 | +6 | 64 | |
9 | West Ham United | 42 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 66 | 57 | +9 | 58 | |
10 | Manchester City | 42 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 49 | 50 | −1 | 58 | |
11 | Aston Villa | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 55 | 53 | +2 | 57 | Qualification for theEuropean Cup first round[c] |
12 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 42 | 48 | −6 | 57 | |
13 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 43 | 52 | −9 | 52 | |
14 | Coventry City | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 56 | 62 | −6 | 50 | |
15 | Notts County | 42 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 61 | 69 | −8 | 47 | |
16 | Birmingham City | 42 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 53 | 61 | −8 | 44 | |
17 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 46 | 57 | −11 | 44 | |
18 | Stoke City | 42 | 12 | 8 | 22 | 44 | 63 | −19 | 44 | |
19 | Sunderland | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 38 | 58 | −20 | 44 | |
20 | Leeds United(R) | 42 | 10 | 12 | 20 | 39 | 61 | −22 | 42 | Relegation to theSecond Division |
21 | Wolverhampton Wanderers(R) | 42 | 10 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 63 | −31 | 40 | |
22 | Middlesbrough(R) | 42 | 8 | 15 | 19 | 34 | 52 | −18 | 39 |
Luton Town clinched the Second Division title and a place in the top flight in their fourth season under the management ofDavid Pleat, while their local rivals Watford reached the First Division for the first time in their history by finishing runners-up. The final promotion place went to Norwich City, who went from mid table to third place in the final quarter of the season with a storming run of form. Sheffield Wednesday missed out on promotion by a single point, while FA Cup finalists QPR were just two points short of promotion. Barnsley's success underNorman Hunter continued when they finished sixth, the closest they had come in decades to winning the First Division place that had eluded them since their formation in 1896.Emlyn Hughes, the former England captain, enjoyed a promising start to his managerial career as his Rotherham United side emerged as unlikely contenders for a First Division place, before they finished seventh.
Orient, Wrexham and Cardiff City were relegated to the Third Division.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Luton Town(C, P) | 42 | 25 | 13 | 4 | 86 | 46 | +40 | 88 | Promotion to theFirst Division |
2 | Watford(P) | 42 | 23 | 11 | 8 | 76 | 42 | +34 | 80 | |
3 | Norwich City(P) | 42 | 22 | 5 | 15 | 64 | 50 | +14 | 71 | |
4 | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 55 | 51 | +4 | 70 | |
5 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 65 | 43 | +22 | 69 | |
6 | Barnsley | 42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 59 | 41 | +18 | 67 | |
7 | Rotherham United | 42 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 66 | 54 | +12 | 67 | |
8 | Leicester City | 42 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 56 | 48 | +8 | 66 | |
9 | Newcastle United | 42 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 52 | 50 | +2 | 62 | |
10 | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 47 | 43 | +4 | 59 | |
11 | Oldham Athletic | 42 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 50 | 51 | −1 | 59 | |
12 | Chelsea | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 60 | 60 | 0 | 57 | |
13 | Charlton Athletic | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 50 | 65 | −15 | 51 | |
14 | Cambridge United | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 48 | 53 | −5 | 48 | |
15 | Crystal Palace | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 34 | 45 | −11 | 48 | |
16 | Derby County | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 53 | 68 | −15 | 48 | |
17 | Grimsby Town | 42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 53 | 65 | −12 | 46 | |
18 | Shrewsbury Town | 42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 37 | 57 | −20 | 46 | |
19 | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 39 | 61 | −22 | 46 | |
20 | Cardiff City(R) | 42 | 12 | 8 | 22 | 45 | 61 | −16 | 44 | Relegation to theThird Division |
21 | Wrexham(R) | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 40 | 56 | −16 | 44 | |
22 | Orient(R) | 42 | 10 | 9 | 23 | 36 | 61 | −25 | 39 |
Burnley clinched the Third Division title on goal difference ahead of Carlisle United in a tight promotion race, with the final promotion place going to Fulham. Lincoln City missed out on a Second Division place by a single point, while Oxford United's turnaround under new ownerRobert Maxwell and new managerJim Smith was not quite enough for promotion as they had to settle for fifth place in the final table.
Bristol City, faced with closure as a result of huge debts, became the first English league club to suffer three successive relegations. Chester's seven-year stay in the Third Division came to an end as they finished bottom of the table and 21 points adrift of safety. Also relegated were Swindon Town and Wimbledon.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Burnley | 46 | 21 | 17 | 8 | 66 | 45 | +21 | 80 | Division Champions, promoted |
2 | Carlisle United | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 65 | 50 | +15 | 80 | Promoted |
3 | Fulham | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 77 | 51 | +26 | 78 | |
4 | Lincoln City | 46 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 66 | 40 | +26 | 77 | |
5 | Oxford United | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 63 | 49 | +14 | 71 | |
6 | Gillingham | 46 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 64 | 56 | +8 | 71 | |
7 | Southend United | 46 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 63 | 51 | +12 | 69 | |
8 | Brentford | 46 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 56 | 47 | +9 | 68 | |
9 | Millwall | 46 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 62 | 62 | 0 | 67 | |
10 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 64 | 56 | +8 | 65 | |
11 | Chesterfield | 46 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 57 | 58 | −1 | 64 | |
12 | Reading | 46 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 67 | 75 | −8 | 62 | |
13 | Portsmouth | 46 | 14 | 19 | 13 | 56 | 51 | +5 | 61 | |
14 | Preston North End | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 50 | 56 | −6 | 61 | |
15 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 18 | 9 | 19 | 58 | 65 | −7 | 61[a] | |
16 | Newport County | 46 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 54 | 54 | 0 | 58 | |
17 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 64 | 59 | +5 | 57 | |
18 | Exeter City | 46 | 16 | 9 | 21 | 71 | 84 | −13 | 57 | |
19 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 55 | 68 | −13 | 56 | |
20 | Walsall | 46 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 51 | 55 | −4 | 53 | |
21 | Wimbledon | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 61 | 75 | −14 | 53 | Relegated |
22 | Swindon Town | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 55 | 71 | −16 | 52 | |
23 | Bristol City | 46 | 11 | 13 | 22 | 40 | 65 | −25 | 46 | |
24 | Chester | 46 | 7 | 11 | 28 | 36 | 78 | −42 | 32 |
Sheffield United's ambitious revival under new managerIan Porterfield began with the Fourth Division title. They went up with Bradford City, Wigan Athletic andAFC Bournemouth.
There was no movement between the Football League and the Alliance Premier League this season.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sheffield United | 46 | 27 | 15 | 4 | 94 | 41 | +53 | 96 | Division Champions, promoted |
2 | Bradford City | 46 | 26 | 13 | 7 | 88 | 45 | +43 | 91 | Promoted |
3 | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 26 | 13 | 7 | 80 | 46 | +34 | 91 | |
4 | Bournemouth | 46 | 23 | 19 | 4 | 62 | 30 | +32 | 88 | |
5 | Peterborough United | 46 | 24 | 10 | 12 | 71 | 57 | +14 | 82 | |
6 | Colchester United | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 82 | 57 | +25 | 72 | |
7 | Port Vale | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 56 | 49 | +7 | 70 | |
8 | Hull City | 46 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 70 | 61 | +9 | 69 | |
9 | Bury | 46 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 80 | 59 | +21 | 68 | |
10 | Hereford United | 46 | 16 | 19 | 11 | 64 | 58 | +6 | 67 | |
11 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 14 | 18 | 14 | 51 | 56 | −5 | 60 | |
12 | Blackpool | 46 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 66 | 60 | +6 | 58 | |
13 | Darlington | 46 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 61 | 62 | −1 | 58 | |
14 | Hartlepool United | 46 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 73 | 84 | −11 | 55 | |
15 | Torquay United | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 47 | 59 | −12 | 55 | |
16 | Aldershot | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 57 | 68 | −11 | 54 | |
17 | York City | 46 | 14 | 8 | 24 | 69 | 91 | −22 | 50 | |
18 | Stockport County | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 48 | 67 | −19 | 49 | |
19 | Halifax Town | 46 | 9 | 22 | 15 | 51 | 72 | −21 | 49 | |
20 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 63 | 81 | −18 | 49 | |
21 | Rochdale | 46 | 10 | 16 | 20 | 50 | 62 | −12 | 46 | Re-elected |
22 | Northampton Town | 46 | 11 | 9 | 26 | 57 | 84 | −27 | 42 | |
23 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 9 | 15 | 22 | 43 | 79 | −36 | 42 | |
24 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 6 | 9 | 31 | 29 | 84 | −55 | 27 |
First Division
Second Division
Third Division
Fourth Division
The divisional champions of the major non-League competitions were:
Competition | Winners |
---|---|
Alliance Premier League | Runcorn |
Isthmian League | Leytonstone/Ilford |
Northern Premier League | Bangor City |
Southern League | Midland Division –Nuneaton Borough Southern Division –Wealdstone |
FA Trophy | Enfield |
FA Vase | Forest Green Rovers |
5 September 1981:John Barnes, 17-year-oldJamaica born winger, makes his debut forWatford in their 1–1 home draw withOldham Athletic in the Second Division.[26]
10 October 1981:Gary Stevens, 18-year-old full back, makes his debut forEverton in their 1–1 league draw withWest Ham United atUpton Park.[27]
21 November 1981:Kevin Richardson, 18-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Everton in their 2–1 league defeat at home toSunderland.[28]
5 December 1981:Stewart Robson, 17-year-old midfielder, makes his debut forArsenal in their 2–1 league win over West Ham United atUpton Park.[29]
24 April 1982:Norman Whiteside, 16-year-oldNorthern Irish forward, makes his debut for Manchester United in their 1–0 win overBrighton & Hove Albion at theGoldstone Ground 13 days before his 17th birthday.[30]
28 April 1982:Mark Walters, 17-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Aston Villa in their 4–1 home defeat byLeeds United in the league.[31]
1 May 1982:Peter Davenport, 21-year-old striker, makes his debut forNottingham Forest in a 2–0 league defeat by Liverpool atAnfield.[32]
15 May 1982:Steve Hodge, 19-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Nottingham Forest in a 3–1 league win over Ipswich Town atPortman Road.[33]