| 1980–81 season | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Bob Lord |
| Manager | Brian Miller |
| Division Three | 8th |
| League Cup | 2nd Round |
| FA Cup | 2nd Round |
| Anglo-Scottish Cup | Preliminary Group |
| Top goalscorer | League:Steve Taylor (16) All:Steve Taylor (17) |
| Highest home attendance | 11,075 vHuddersfield Town (14 April 1981) |
| Lowest home attendance | 3,354 vShrewsbury Town (5 August 1980) |
| Average home league attendance | 6,469[1] |
The1980–81 season wasBurnley's first season in the third tier of English football. They were managed byBrian Miller in his first season in charge of the club.
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Division Three | League Cup | FA Cup | AS Cup | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| DF | Colin Anderson | 2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Tommy Cassidy | 34 | 3 | 27+0 | 1 | 3+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 1 | ||
| MF | Phil Cavener | 50 | 3 | 36+4 | 2 | 4+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 1 | ||
| DF | Paul Dixon | 2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Martin Dobson | 56 | 9 | 46+0 | 7 | 4+0 | 1 | 3+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 1 | ||
| FW | Billy Hamilton | 56 | 10 | 46+0 | 9 | 4+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 1 | 3+0 | 0 | ||
| DF | David Holt | 44 | 1 | 35+0 | 1 | 3+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Billy Ingham | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| DF | Brian Laws | 48 | 2 | 42+0 | 2 | 3+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| GK | Billy O'Rourke | 2 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| DF | Vince Overson | 45 | 1 | 39+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Mike Phelan | 16 | 2 | 15+1 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Eric Potts | 38 | 5 | 34+1 | 4 | 0+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Stuart Robertson | 17 | 0 | 17+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| DF | Billy Rodaway | 9 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| DF | Derek Scott | 38 | 11 | 29+0 | 9 | 4+0 | 1 | 3+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 | ||
| MF | Trevor Steven | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| GK | Alan Stevenson | 54 | 0 | 44+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | ||
| FW | Steve Taylor | 47 | 17 | 37+1 | 16 | 4+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 1 | ||
| DF | Jim Thomson | 7 | 1 | 3+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| FW | Mick Wardrobe | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| DF | Andy Wharton | 7 | 0 | 6+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| DF | Ian Wood | 23 | 0 | 14+3 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Kevin Young | 2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | ||
|
|
| Date | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 August 1980 | Newport County (H) | 1–1 | Cassidy 12' | 6,733 |
| 20 August 1980 | Walsall (A) | 1–3 | Taylor 84' | 4,714 |
| 23 August 1980 | Chesterfield (H) | 1–0 | Dobson 21' (pen.) | 5,880 |
| 30 August 1980 | Charlton Athletic (A) | 0–2 | 5,445 | |
| 6 September 1980 | Colchester United (H) | 1–0 | Hamilton 25' | 4,436 |
| 13 September 1980 | Exeter City (A) | 0–0 | 4,534 | |
| 16 September 1980 | Hull City (H) | 2–0 | Young 72',Taylor 88' | 4,933 |
| 20 September 1980 | Chester (A) | 0–0 | 3,660 | |
| 27 September 1980 | Millwall (H) | 5–0 | Hamilton 12',Dobson 55',Taylor (3) 57', 85', 88' | 5,620 |
| 30 September 1980 | Hull City (A) | 0–0 | 5,497 | |
| 4 October 1980 | Fulham (A) | 2–0 | Laws 34',Potts 85' | 4,673 |
| 7 October 1980 | Sheffield United (H) | 3–2 | Taylor (2) 31', 85',Hamilton 38' | 7,308 |
| 11 October 1980 | Rotherham United (H) | 1–1 | Dobson 48' | 9,352 |
| 18 October 1980 | Portsmouth (A) | 2–4 | Scott (2) 80', 90' | 13,449 |
| 21 October 1980 | Huddersfield Town (A) | 0–0 | 15,741 | |
| 25 October 1980 | Brentford (H) | 2–0 | Dobson 42' (pen.),Cavener 67' | 7,324 |
| 1 November 1980 | Swindon Town (A) | 3–0 | Carter 21' (o.g.),Scott (2) 80', 90' | 6,436 |
| 4 November 1980 | Sheffield United (A) | 0–0 | 14,585 | |
| 8 November 1980 | Reading (H) | 1–2 | Hamilton 11' | 6,925 |
| 11 November 1980 | Walsall (H) | 0–0 | 5,573 | |
| 15 November 1980 | Newport County (A) | 2–1 | Hamilton 42',Taylor 44' | 5,370 |
| 29 November 1980 | Gillingham (H) | 3–2 | Scott 18',Taylor 40',Weatherly 56' (o.g.) | 5,797 |
| 2 December 1980 | Barnsley (H) | 0–1 | 9,109 | |
| 6 December 1980 | Oxford United (A) | 2–0 | Scott 13',Young 47' | 3,513 |
| 20 December 1980 | Plymouth Argyle (H) | 2–1 | Taylor (2) 13', 49' | 5,695 |
| 26 December 1980 | Carlisle United (A) | 2–3 | Scott 66',Taylor 78' | 7,136 |
| 27 December 1980 | Blackpool (H) | 4–1 | Taylor 14',Potts 44',Laws 67',Holt 87' | 10,782 |
| 3 January 1981 | Brentford (A) | 0–0 | 6,379 | |
| 27 January 1981 | Portsmouth (H) | 1–3 | Hamilton 7' | 6,689 |
| 31 January 1981 | Chesterfield (A) | 0–3 | 7,637 | |
| 7 February 1981 | Exeter City (H) | 1–0 | Dobson 42' (pen.) | 5,496 |
| 14 February 1981 | Colchester United (A) | 1–2 | Hamilton 79' | 3,082 |
| 17 February 1981 | Charlton Athletic (H) | 0–1 | 5,786 | |
| 21 February 1981 | Millwall (A) | 2–2 | Taylor 63',Hamilton 73' | 4,691 |
| 28 February 1981 | Chester (H) | 1–0 | Young 80' | 4,997 |
| 7 March 1981 | Fulham (H) | 3–0 | Hamilton 9',Dobson (2) 27', 73' | 5,472 |
| 28 March 1981 | Barnsley (A) | 2–3 | Phelan 16',Scott 35' | 13,689 |
| 31 March 1981 | Rotherham United (A) | 0–1 | 9,762 | |
| 4 April 1981 | Swindon Town (H) | 0–0 | 4,736 | |
| 7 April 1981 | Gillingham (A) | 0–0 | 4,412 | |
| 11 April 1981 | Reading (A) | 3–1 | Taylor (2) 30', 76',Phelan 50' | 3,977 |
| 14 April 1981 | Huddersfield Town (H) | 4–2 | Brown 16' (o.g.),Scott 39',Overson 45',Potts 57' | 11,075 |
| 18 April 1981 | Blackpool (A) | 0–0 | 7,198 | |
| 21 April 1981 | Carlisle United (H) | 0–3 | 5,126 | |
| 25 April 1981 | Plymouth Argyle (A) | 1–2 | Cavener 89' | 4,331 |
| 2 May 1981 | Oxford United (H) | 1–1 | Potts 20' | 3,947 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Portsmouth | 46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 55 | 47 | +8 | 53 |
| 7 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 56 | 44 | +12 | 52 |
| 8 | Burnley | 46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 60 | 48 | +12 | 50 |
| 9 | Brentford | 46 | 14 | 19 | 13 | 52 | 49 | +3 | 47 |
| 10 | Reading | 46 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 62 | 62 | 0 | 46 |
| Date | Round | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 November 1980 | Round 1 | Scarborough (H) | 1–0 | Hamilton 77' | 7,789 |
| 13 December 1980 | Round 2 | Port Vale (H) | 1–1 | Potts 61' | 7,497 |
| 16 December 1980 | Replay | Port Vale (A) | 0–2 | 7,684 |
| Date | Round | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 August 1980 | Round 1 First leg | Wrexham (A) | 3–1 | Davies 36' (o.g.),Cassidy 61',Thomson 70' | 5,126 |
| 12 August 1980 | Round 1 Second leg | Wrexham (H) | 2–1 | Scott 12',Dobson 85' (pen.) | 4,448 |
| 26 August 1980 | Round 2 First leg | West Ham United (H) | 0–2 | 6,673 | |
| 2 September 1980 | Round 2 Second leg | West Ham United (A) | 0–4 | 15,216 |
| Date | Round | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 July 1980 | Preliminary Group | Bury (A) | 1–2 | Dobson 58' (pen.) | 3,887 |
| 2 August 1980 | Preliminary Group | Oldham Athletic (H) | 3–1 | Scott 51',Taylor 58',Cavener 84' | 4,083 |
| 5 August 1980 | Preliminary Group | Shrewsbury Town (H) | 1–1 | Cassidy 1' | 3,354 |