Ipswich Town

1980–81 season
Chairman	Patrick Cobbold
Manager	Bobby Robson
First Division	2nd
FA Cup	Semi-finals
League Cup	Fourth round
UEFA Cup	Winners
Top goalscorer	League:John Wark (18) All: John Wark (36)
Highest home attendance	32,274 vLiverpool (13 December 1980)
Lowest home attendance	14,780 vMiddlesbrough (2 September 1980)
Average home league attendance	24,619
Home colours
← 1979–80 1981–82 →

During the1980–81 English football season,Ipswich Town F.C. competed in theFootball League First Division. In one of the most successful seasons in the club's history, they finished as runners-up in the league championship, were semi-finalists in theFA Cup and won theUEFA Cup. In all, Ipswich played a total of 66 competitive games during the season, winning 37, drawing 13 and losing 16.

The season began with an unbeaten run in the club's opening 15 league matches, and by the middle of March they were strong title contenders with only two defeats in thirty-two. However, a 2–1 defeat atManchester United triggered a slump which handed the initiative to eventual championsAston Villa, although Ipswich did win atVilla Park during therun-in. Finishing as runners-up was the second-best finish Ipswich had achieved in their history, bettered only by the1961–62 championship-winning season. The dip in form, losing seven of the last ten league games, was due in no small part tofixture congestion, as the club was progressing in cup competitions. The club lost in the fourth round of theLeague Cup toBirmingham but reached the semi-final of the FA Cup, losing in extra time toManchester City. This was eclipsed by reaching – and then winning – thefinal of the UEFA Cup, where a 5–4aggregate victory over Dutch sideAZ Alkmaar clinched the club's first (and, to date, only)European trophy.

Top scorer for the season was 23-year-oldJohn Wark, who scored 36 goals in all competitions, 14 of which came in the UEFA Cup, including one in eachleg of the final. This equalledJosé Altafini's record of 14 goals forMilan in the1962–63 European Cup. Wark's goalscoring form saw him win the European Young Player of the Year andPFA Player of the Year awards. The Dutch midfielderFrans Thijssen was namedFootball Writers' Association Footballer of the Year.

Ipswich had ended theprevious First Division campaign in third place. That season included an unbeaten run of 23 matches stretching from the beginning of December to the final Saturday of the League, when they lost atManchester City.^[1] Ipswich exited the FA Cup at the quarter-final stage, losing 2–1 againstEverton,^[2] and lost out toCoventry City in the second round of the League Cup.^[1] In European football, Ipswich were knocked out of the UEFA Cup in the second round, losing on away goals toGrasshoppers.^[3]

Ipswich started their league campaign with a 1–0 victory away at newly promotedLeicester City, withJohn Wark scoring the winning goal in the 88th minute. This was his first of a prolific season to come.^[4] Home wins againstBrighton and Everton sandwiched a 2–2 draw atStoke City, and left Ipswich unbeaten in the league and top of the table ongoal difference at the end of August.^[5]Bobby Robson was awardedFootball League First Division Manager of the Month for August.^[6] The club went through September undefeated, with victories againstAston Villa,Crystal Palace, Coventry City andWolves, maintaining their position at the top of the division at the end of the month, four points ahead ofLiverpool.^[7] Commitments in both the UEFA and League Cups meant Ipswich's league activity in October was restricted to four matches, drawing withLeeds United, Liverpool andManchester United, and winning atSunderland. Although Ipswich remained undefeated in the league by the end of October, Villa topped the table by two points, having played two more games.^[8]

November commenced with two draws, a goalless game at home againstWest Bromwich Albion and a six-goal match againstSouthampton. A shock 1–0 defeat against bottom club Brighton saw the end of Ipswich's unbeaten run of fourteen league games since the start of the season. Ipswich were without first-team regularsPaul Cooper, Thijssen,Alan Brazil andKevin Beattie through injury, andTerry Butcher was suspended,^[9] having beensent off in the Southampton match.^[10] Burley succumbed to injury during the game; Robson remarked "I must admit, our resources are being stretched to the absolute limit".^[9] The defeat was followed by two wins, against Leicester City andNottingham Forest.^[11] Ipswich ended the month third in the league, three points behind Aston Villa and two points behind Liverpool, but with three games in hand.^[12] Their performance was similar in December, commencing with two draws (against Manchester City and Liverpool), followed by a 5–3 defeat toTottenham Hotspur. At 3–3, Ipswich'sEric Gates was sent off, seemingly for retaliating toGraham Roberts, and Tottenham took advantage to score twice in the final ten minutes throughSteve Archibald andOsvaldo Ardiles, inflicting Ipswich's second league defeat of the season.^[13] Ipswich won 3–1 at Birmingham City before playing two matches in two days after Christmas, beatingNorwich City 2–0 onBoxing Day before drawing 1–1 atHighbury against Arsenal the following day, courtesy of a Wark penalty, his 23rd goal of the season.^[14] The year ended with Ipswich in third place in the league, still behind Liverpool and Villa, but by only a single point and with two games in hand.^[15]

The new year started with two home victories, a 2–0 win against Nottingham Forest and, on what was Robson's twelfth anniversary as Ipswich manager, a 5–1 defeat of Birmingham City, which took Ipswich back to the top of the league for the first time since October.^[16] A goalless draw at Everton was then followed by a 4–0 win atPortman Road against Stoke City, with Ipswich's dominance leading Stoke managerAlan Durban to comment: "I've never seen a team with such confidence in their eyes".^[17] Ipswich ended the month back on top of the league table, tied on points with Aston Villa and four points clear of Liverpool, and with a game in hand on both.^[18] Ipswich went through February with a 100% record, with three home wins over Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers, and an away win against Coventry City. This consolidated the club's position at the top of the league by the end of the month, two points ahead of Villa and eight ahead of Liverpool,^[19] and earned Robson another Manager of the Month award.^[20] Two home wins (against Tottenham and Sunderland) and two away losses (against Manchester United and Leeds United) in March for Ipswich saw the gap at the top of the table ahead of Aston Villa reduce to a single point by the end of March,^[21] yet Robson was awarded his third Manager of the Month award.^[22] Having lost just two league games between August and February, Ipswich's form had started to dip as a result offixture congestion with them still playing in three competitions.^[23]

Ipswich's season worsened in April, losing to West Bromwich Albion, Arsenal and Norwich, and securing just four points with wins against Manchester City and Aston Villa. Ipswich ended April second in the league, four points behind Villa with a game in hand, but with only two games of the season remaining.^[24] Ipswich needed to win both games to remain in the title chase. They led 1–0 at half-time against Middlesbrough atAyresome Park, but two goals from Yugoslavian international strikerBoško Janković condemned Ipswich to their sixth defeat in nine games.^[25] They went on to lose the last game against Southampton, and ended the season in second place, four points behind Aston Villa and three points ahead of Arsenal who won seven of their final eight matches.^[26][27]

Ipswich commenced the 1980–81 Football League Cup campaign in the second round, where they were drawn againstMiddlesbrough. They lost the first leg 3–1 away from home, but secured a second leg 3–0 win courtesy of a Paul Mariner brace and a goal fromRussell Osman. Although the match was covered for television by both the BBC andAnglia Television, footage was not screened because the Middlesbrough shirts were sponsored by a car company, contrary to the broadcasting companies' rules.^[28] In the third round, againstlocal rivals Norwich City, another Osman goal ensured a 1–1 draw at Portman Road. Ipswich progressed to the fourth round following a 3–1 victory atCarrow Road. Mariner put Ipswich ahead, butTony Powell's first goal in two years drew the scores level. Mariner's second strike and a goal from Mühren in a three-minute spell secured the victory for Ipswich.^[29] They then facedBirmingham City atSt Andrew's but went into the tie without regulars Mariner, Thijssen, Beattie and O'Callaghan, all through injury. Ipswich were knocked out, losing 2–1 despite taking the lead with a penalty from Wark. It was their first overall domestic loss of the season.^[30]

Ipswich's first appearance in the 1980–81 FA Cup was in the third round, against Aston Villa at Portman Road. A goal from Paul Mariner was sufficient to see the team progress to a fourth round tie with Second Division teamShrewsbury Town atGay Meadow. The match ended in a goalless draw, forcing a replay and Robson declared Shrewsbury to have been unlucky: "if we play like that again we won't win the cup or the league title".^[31] Ipswich won the replay 3–0 with two goals from Eric Gates and John Wark scoring his 25th goal in all competitions that season.^[32]

A home draw in the fifth round againstCharlton Athletic ended in a 2–0 victory to Ipswich courtesy of strikes from Mariner and Wark. Ipswich were drawn to play away againstBrian Clough's Nottingham Forest in the quarter finals. In a match described byESPN as "a classic FA Cup tie", the visitors took a two-goal lead through a Mariner strike and anown goal fromViv Anderson, before Forest fought back to take a 3–2 lead after goals fromTrevor Francis,Colin Walsh andJohn Robertson (from the penalty spot). Thijssen then scored with six minutes remaining to take the tie to a replay.^[33] The replay, held three days later at Portman Road, was decided by a single goal from Mühren, with Robson describing his team's effort as "superhuman" while Clough, whose team dominated the first half, said: "I am still not sure they are a better team than us".^[34] The semi-final against Manchester City was played at Villa Park as a neutral venue. Described as "one of the celebrated strikes in the club's history",Paul Power's extra time free kick settled the match in City's favour.^[35] It was also to be the last game for the club for the injury-struck Beattie who broke his arm during the match. Beattie recalled "I collided withDave Bennett during an aerial challenge. I won the ball fairly easily but he actually headed my arm ... the arm was bent out of shape and I was in agony".^[36]

Ipswich's European campaign commenced in the first round of the UEFA Cup against Greek teamAris Salonika. The first leg, at Portman Road, was an ill-disciplined match which saw Aris'Giorgos Foiros sent off after a second yellow card towards the end of the first half. Ipswich were awarded three penalties, all of which were converted by John Wark, who also scored a fourth from open play. Aris also scored from the spot throughTheodoros Pallas in what would be a consolation goal in a 5–1 win for Ipswich,^[37] described as a "sparkling" victory by theBelfast Telegraph.^[38] Two weeks later, Aris won 3–1 in the return leg, taking an early 2–0 lead before Gates pulled one back for Ipswich. Although Aris scored a third midway through the second half,^[39] Ipswich progressed to the next round 6–4 onaggregate,^[40] where they facedBohemians of Prague. A 3–0 home win saw Wark on target twice more, who was substituted off with a tendon injury, to be replaced byKevin Beattie who scored a third for Ipswich with a free kick,^[41] described inThe Times as a "thunderbolt".^[42] The goal would prove to be pivotal as Ipswich, without regular goalkeeper Paul Cooper, midfielder Thijssen and striker Mariner, all through injury,^[43] lost the away leg 2–0 with goals fromAntonín Panenka andTibor Mičinec, but qualified for the third round 3–2 on aggregate.^[44][45] Three weeks later, Ipswich facedWidzew Łódź from Poland, who had defeated Manchester United andJuventus in previous rounds, at Portman Road.^[46] Wark once again found the net, scoring ahat-trick with goals fromAlan Brazil andPaul Mariner completing a comprehensive 5–0 victory,^[47] the only negative being a trip to hospital for Mick Mills for 15 stitches in a cut to his shin.^[48] On a frozen pitch which many observers considered to be dangerous,^[49] Widzew Łódź won the away leg 1–0, withMarek Pięta [pl] scoring for the hosts but went out 5–1 on aggregate.^[50] The lead from the first leg allowed Robson to withdraw Mariner and Mühren, as he said that he was prioritising Ipswich's league challenge.^[49]

After a three-month break, Ipswich faced French teamAS Saint-Étienne in the quarter-finals in March 1981, the first leg being held in theStade Geoffroy-Guichard. Dutch playerJohnny Rep put the home team in the lead after 16 minutes, but abrace from Mariner and goals fromArnold Mühren and John Wark ensured Ipswich took a 4–1 lead into the second leg.^[51] The victory against the French team has been described as one of the greatest performances in Ipswich's history,^[51] with Robson noting: "we have demolished a good side with one of the best victories anyone has achieved in Europe in the past 10 years".^[52] Ipswich won the game at Portman Road 3–1 with goals fromTerry Butcher, Mariner and another penalty from Wark, while Saint-Étienne's consolation goal came fromJacques Zimako.^[53] Winning the tie 7–2 on aggregate, Ipswich progressed to the semi-finals where they met German side1. FC Köln. Both legs finished 1–0 to Ipswich, Wark scoring again in the home leg,^[54] his 12th goal of the European campaign, with Butcher heading in a Thijssen free kick in Cologne.^[55][56] The 2–0 aggregate victory ensured that Ipswich qualified for their first (and as of 2020^[update], their only) European cup final, where they would face Dutch teamAZ Alkmaar.^[46]

The first leg of the1981 UEFA Cup Final took place at Portman Road on 6 May 1981. Ipswich took the lead through Wark who scored from the penalty spot midway through the first half. It was Wark's 13th goal of the European campaign and ensured that he had scored in every round of the competition.^[57] The lead was doubled a minute into the second half, following a header from DutchmanFrans Thijssen.^[58] A third goal for Ipswich, this time from Paul Mariner, saw the English team win the game and take a 3–0 lead into the second leg at theOlympic Stadium in Amsterdam.^[59] Thijssen scored four minutes into the second leg, giving Ipswich a 4–0 aggregate lead, but Austrian strikerKurt Welzl pulled one back for AZ minutes later.^[46] Playing with two central defenders, the rest of the AZ team attacked,^[60] andJohnny Metgod andPier Tol scored before half-time, either side of a Wark goal, to take the aggregate to 5–3.^[46]Jos Jonker scored AZ's fourth of the day with 16 minutes to go, but Ipswich held on to win 5–4 on aggregate,^[46] with their goalkeeper Cooper named as man of the match.^[60] As Mühren, one of the two Dutchmen playing for Ipswich, later recalled, "most teams would have given up, but AZ suddenly had wings ... AZ seemed possessed that night ... we really had to give all we had to reach the end, by the skin of our teeth – relieved and happy".^[59]

Russell Osman was the only player to be ever-present throughout the season, appearing in all 66 matches.^[61]

Source:^[62]

Pos.	Name	Nationality	League		League Cup		FA Cup		Europe		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK	Paul Cooper	ENG	38	0	5	0	7	0	11	0	61	0
GK	Laurie Sivell	ENG	4	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	5	0
DF	Kevin Beattie	ENG	7	1	0	0	2	0	2 (6)	1	11 (6)	2
DF	George Burley	SCO	23	0	4	0	2	0	5	0	34	0
DF	Terry Butcher	ENG	40	4	5	0	7	0	12	2	64	6
DF	Allan Hunter	NIR	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
MF	Steve McCall	ENG	30 (1)	1	2	0	4 (1)	0	9 (1)	0	45 (3)	1
DF	Mick Mills	ENG	33	0	5	0	6	0	10	0	54	0
DF	Russell Osman	ENG	42	1	5	2	7	0	12	0	66	3
DF	Tommy Parkin	ENG	2 (2)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2 (2)	0
DF	Kevin Steggles	ENG	6	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	8	0
MF	Arnold Mühren	NED	41	5	5	1	7	1	12	1	65	8
MF	Kevin O'Callaghan	IRL	11 (13)	0	1 (1)	0	0 (4)	0	0 (5)	0	12 (23)	0
MF	Roger Osborne	ENG	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
MF	Frans Thijssen	NED	31	3	4	0	7	1	10	2	52	6
MF	John Wark	SCO	40	18	5	2	7	2	12	14	64	36
FW	Alan Brazil	SCO	35	17	4	0	7	0	12	1	58	18
FW	Mich d'Avray	ENG	1 (3)	1	1	0	0	0	0 (1)	0	2 (4)	1
FW	Eric Gates	ENG	37	11	5	0	7	2	11	1	60	14
FW	Paul Mariner	ENG	36	13	4	4	7	3	11	6	58	26
FW	Robin Turner	ENG	3 (1)	0	0	0	0	0	0 (1)	0	3 (2)	0

Robson and five different players won major awards for their performances during the season; a further two players were shortlisted for accolades. Leading the way was Wark, who set a UEFA Cup record by scoring 14 goals, including two in the final.^[51][63] This equalled the then long-standing scoring record in a European competition, set byJosé Altafini ofA.C. Milan in the1962–63 European Cup.^{[64][nb 1]} Wark's personal accolades that year included winning the European Young Player of the Year,^[66] and, voted by his fellow professionals in England, thePFA Player of the Year award.^[67] He ended the 1980–81 season with 36 goals.^[68]

Award	Recipient	Notes	Ref(s)
Manager of the Month (3)	Bobby Robson	Robson was named Bell's Whisky Manager of the Month in August 1980, February 1981 and March 1981.	[6][20][22]
Player of the Year	Paul Cooper	Cooper and his defence kept 27clean sheets during the season.	[69][70]
PFA First Division Team of the Year	Russell Osman		[71]
	Frans Thijssen
	John Wark
	Paul Mariner
Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year	Frans Thijssen	Four Ipswich players were in the top six:Mick Mills was runner-up,John Wark third, andArnold Mühren sixth.	[72]
PFA Players' Player of the Year	John Wark	Ipswich players dominated the top three, withFrans Thijssen second andPaul Mariner third.	[67]
Young European Player of the Year			[66]
France Football European Team of the Year	Ipswich Town		[73]

• Henderson, Mel (2010).1980–81 – The Greatest Season in Ipswich Town's History. White Space Design.ISBN 978-0-9548737-2-1.

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