| Season | 1981–82 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Liverpool |
1982–83 → | |
The1981–82 season was the 83rd completed season (84th overall) ofThe Football League. This was the first league season with three points for win.
Three points for a win was introduced for the first time in England. ChampionsAston Villa finished a disappointing 11th but made up for this by triumphing in theEuropean Cup at the first attempt.
Liverpool made up for the previous season's slip in league form by winning the league championship for the 13th time in their history, fighting off competition fromIpswich Town,Manchester United andSpurs. Liverpool also won theFootball League Cup for the second season in succession. The league triumph was made all the more significant by the fact that they had occupied 10th place on Christmas Day.
Their season of triumph was overshadowed, however, by the death of legendary former managerBill Shankly, 68, following a heart attack in late September.
Middlesbrough andWolves were relegated as financial problems at both clubs began to mount. They were joined byLeeds United, only seven years after playing in the European cup final.
West Bromwich Albion felt the loss of managerRon Atkinson and key playersBryan Robson andRemi Moses as they slumped to 19th in the league and narrowly avoided relegation. This was just the beginning of a sharp decline for a club whothree seasons earlier had reached theUEFA Cup quarter-finals and almost won the league title.
Swansea City were tipped for relegation by most observers as they reached the First Division for the first time in their history, having just completed their third promotion in four seasons. But John Toshack's men had a brilliant first game in the top flight, crushing Leeds United 5-1 and setting the tone for a season which would end with Leeds going down. Swansea, meanwhile, were the most unlikely title contenders, topping the league at several stages of the season before finishing sixth in the final table.
Manchester United paid a British record fee of £1.75million for West Bromwich Albion's 24-year-old England midfielderBryan Robson. Robson's record-breaking move reflected on how the size of transfer fees had risen dramatically in a relatively short period of time. Less than four years earlier, the British record fee had been the £516,000 that West Bromwich Albion had paid for David Mills. In such a short amount of time, the British record had more than tripled.
Everton, who had struggled in the league for the past few seasons, turned to their former playerHoward Kendall and appointed him as manager in hope of restoring the club to its former glory.
| Season | 1981–82 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Liverpool 13thEnglish title |
| Relegated | Leeds United Middlesbrough Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| European Cup | Liverpool Aston Villa |
| Cup Winners' Cup | Tottenham Hotspur Swansea City |
| UEFA Cup | Ipswich Town Manchester United Arsenal Southampton |
| Matches | 462 |
| Goals | 1,173 (2.54 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Kevin Keegan (26 goals)[1] |
| Biggest home win | Manchester United 5–0Wolverhampton Wanderers (3 October 1981) Tottenham Hotspur 6–1Wolverhampton Wanderers (6 February 1982) Coventry City 6–1Sunderland (27 April 1982) |
| Biggest away win | Manchester City 0–5Liverpool (10 April 1982) |
| Highest scoring | Southampton 5–5Coventry City (4 May 1982) |
| Longest winning run | 11 matches Liverpool |
| Longest unbeaten run | 16 matches Liverpool |
| Longest losing run | 8 matches Wolverhampton Wanderers |
1982–83 → | |
The First Division title race saw many teams take the lead throughout the season, including traditional favourites like Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, as well as thriving Ipswich Town and Southampton, and most incredibly a Swansea City side who had never been in the First Division before, and who had been in the Fourth Division just a few seasons previously. In the end, however, it was Liverpool who clinched the title after a surge in the second half of the campaign which took them from mid table at Christmas to clinching the title on the final day of the season. They also retained the League Cup. Defending champions Aston Villa only finished mid-table but finished the season asEuropean Cup winners, three months afterRon Saunders stood down as manager and was succeeded by his assistantTony Barton.
Wolves went down to the Second Division for the second time in seven seasons, while Middlesbrough went down after eight years in the First Division. Leeds United, who had gradually lost touch with the First Division's elite sinceDon Revie left in 1974, lost their top flight status after 18 years.
Other memorable events of the season included the early season transfer ofBryan Robson from West Bromwich Albion to Manchester United for a national record £1.5million, and the death of legendary former Liverpool managerBill Shankly.
| 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 |
| Home \ Away | ARS | AST | BIR | BHA | COV | EVE | IPS | LEE | LIV | MCI | MUN | MID | NOT | NTC | SOU | STK | SUN | SWA | TOT | WBA | WHU | WOL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 4–3 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | |
| Aston Villa | 0–2 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–4 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 3–1 | |
| Birmingham City | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 4–3 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 3–3 | 2–2 | 0–3 | |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | |
| Coventry City | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–4 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 3–0 | 6–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | |
| Everton | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | |
| Ipswich Town | 2–1 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 5–2 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–0 | |
| Leeds United | 0–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 3–3 | 3–0 | |
| Liverpool | 2–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | |
| Manchester City | 0–0 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 0–5 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | |
| Manchester United | 0–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 5–0 | |
| Middlesbrough | 1–3 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 0–0 | |
| Nottingham Forest | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | |
| Notts County | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–4 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 2–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | |
| Southampton | 3–1 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 5–5 | 1–0 | 4–3 | 4–0 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 4–3 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | |
| Stoke City | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–5 | 1–3 | 0–3 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | |
| Sunderland | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–0 | |
| Swansea City | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–4 | 6–1 | |
| West Bromwich Albion | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | |
| West Ham United | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 5–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 |
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everton | Sacked | 16 May 1981 | Pre-season | 1 June 1981 | ||
| Coventry City | Mutual consent | 30 May 1981 | 5 June 1981 | |||
| Sunderland | End of caretaker spell | 1 June 1981 | 1 June 1981 | |||
| Stoke City | Signed by Sunderland | 1 June 1981 | 11 June 1981 | |||
| Middlesbrough | Signed by Chelsea | 1 June 1981 | 19 June 1981 | |||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | Resigned | 5 June 1981 | 9 June 1981 | |||
| Manchester United | End of caretaker spell | 9 June 1981 | 9 June 1981 | |||
| West Bromwich Albion | Signed by Manchester United | 9 June 1981 | 30 June 1981 | |||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | Sacked | 5 January 1982 | 18th | 8 February 1982 | ||
| Aston Villa | Resigned | 9 February 1982 | 15th | 9 February 1982 | ||
| Birmingham City | 15 February 1982 | 19th | 22 February 1982 |
| Season | 1981–82 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Luton Town |
| Promoted | Luton Town Watford Norwich City |
| Relegated | Cardiff City Wrexham Orient |
| Matches | 462 |
| Goals | 1,171 (2.53 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Ronnie Moore (22 goals)[1] |
| Biggest home win | Luton Town 6–0Grimsby Town (17 October 1981) Rotherham United 6–0Chelsea (31 October 1981) Queens Park Rangers 7–1Bolton Wanderers (1 May 1982) |
| Biggest away win | Cardiff City 0–4Newcastle United (3 October 1981) Newcastle United 0–4Queens Park Rangers (5 May 1982) |
| Highest scoring | Cardiff City 5–4Cambridge United (20 March 1982) |
1982–83 → | |
Luton Town clinched the Second Division as their cosmopolitan side ended the club's seven-year exile from the First Division, joined by runners-up Watford (in the First Division for the first time under inspirational managerGraham Taylor) and a Norwich City side who had surged from 10th place to the final promotion place during the final quarter of the campaign. Sheffield Wednesday, QPR and Leicester City just missed out on promotion, as did two surprise contenders still yet to play in the First Division - Barnsley and Rotherham United.
Cardiff City, Wrexham and Orient were relegated; Leyton Orient have not returned to this level since, whilst Wrexham would have to wait 43 years before returning to the Second Tier.
Joe Royle, the 33-year-old formerEverton striker, began his managerial career atOldham Athletic.
| 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 |
| Home \ Away | BAR | BLB | BOL | CAM | CAR | CHA | CHE | CRY | DER | GRI | LEI | LUT | NEW | NWC | OLD | ORI | QPR | ROT | SHW | SHR | WAT | WRE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnsley | 0–1 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 4–3 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | |
| Bolton Wanderers | 2–1 | 2–2 | 3–4 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | |
| Cambridge United | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 2–3 | |
| Cardiff City | 0–0 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 5–4 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 0–4 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | |
| Charlton Athletic | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 3–4 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 5–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | |
| Chelsea | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–4 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | |
| Crystal Palace | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 2–1 | |
| Derby County | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–1 | |
| Grimsby Town | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | |
| Leicester City | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 1–4 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | |
| Luton Town | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 6–0 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 0–0 | |
| Newcastle United | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 4–2 | |
| Norwich City | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 5–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 4–0 | |
| Oldham Athletic | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | |
| Orient | 1–3 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 0–0 | |
| Queens Park Rangers | 1–0 | 2–0 | 7–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | |
| Rotherham United | 2–4 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 0–3 | |
| Shrewsbury Town | 0–2 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | |
| Watford | 3–1 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 6–1 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | |
| Wrexham | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 |
Burnley,Carlisle United andFulham enjoyed some success after a string of disappointments by winning promotion to the Second Division.
Going down wereWimbledon,Swindon Town,Bristol City andChester. Bristol had completed a unique succession of three relegations, while Swindon had been League Cup winners little over a decade earlier. Wimbledon, meanwhile, would not be enduring any more disappointing season for many years after 1982.
| Season | 1981–82 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Burnley (1st title) |
| Promoted | Carlisle United Fulham |
| Relegated | Bristol City Chester Swindon Town Wimbledon |
| Matches | 552 |
| Goals | 1,422 (2.58 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Gordon Davies(Fulham), 24[1] |
1982–83 → | |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burnley(C, P) | 46 | 21 | 17 | 8 | 66 | 45 | +21 | 80 | Promotion to theSecond Division |
| 2 | Carlisle United(P) | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 65 | 50 | +15 | 80 | |
| 3 | Fulham(P) | 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(R) | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 61 | 75 | −14 | 53 | Relegation to theFourth Division |
| 22 | Swindon Town(R) | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 55 | 71 | −16 | 52 | |
| 23 | Bristol City(R) | 46 | 11 | 13 | 22 | 40 | 65 | −25 | 46 | |
| 24 | Chester(R) | 46 | 7 | 11 | 28 | 36 | 78 | −42 | 32 |
| Home \ Away | BRE | BRI | BRR | BUR | CRL | CHE | CHF | DON | EXE | FUL | GIL | HUD | LIN | MIL | NPC | OXF | PLY | POR | PNE | REA | STD | SWI | WAL | WDN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brentford | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 4–2 | 0–0 | 2–3 | |
| Bristol City | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 1–3 | |
| Bristol Rovers | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–4 | 2–1 | 2–2 | |
| Burnley | 0–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 3–3 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 3–5 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | |
| Carlisle United | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | |
| Chester | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | |
| Chesterfield | 0–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 3–5 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | |
| Doncaster Rovers | 1–0 | 2–2 | 4–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 4–3 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–3 | |
| Exeter City | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 5–4 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 4–3 | 4–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | |
| Fulham | 1–2 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | |
| Gillingham | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–4 | 6–1 | |
| Huddersfield Town | 1–1 | 5–0 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 6–1 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | |
| Lincoln City | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | |
| Millwall | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 4–3 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 5–1 | 4–3 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | |
| Newport County | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | |
| Oxford United | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 5–0 | 0–1 | 0–3 | |
| Plymouth Argyle | 1–0 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | |
| Portsmouth | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | |
| Preston North End | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 3–2 | |
| Reading | 4–1 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 4–0 | 0–3 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | |
| Southend | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 2–0 | |
| Swindon Town | 0–3 | 0–0 | 5–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 0–1 | 1–5 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 4–1 | |
| Walsall | 3–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 5–0 | 1–0 | |
| Wimbledon | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 |
| Season | 1981–82 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Sheffield United (1st title) |
| Promoted | Bournemouth Bradford City Wigan Athletic |
| Failed re-election | None |
| Matches | 552 |
| Goals | 1,512 (2.74 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Keith Edwards(Hull City /Sheffield United) 36[1] |
1982–83 → | |
Sheffield United began the first phase of their revival by winning the Fourth Division championship, which marked a superb start to the management career ofIan Porterfield. Also promoted wereBradford City,Wigan Athletic andBournemouth.
Crewe Alexandra endured a terrible season and propped up the league with just 27 league points, but the other league members voted in their favour and they maintained their league status.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheffield United(C, P) | 46 | 27 | 15 | 4 | 94 | 41 | +53 | 96 | Promotion to theThird Division |
| 2 | Bradford City(P) | 46 | 26 | 13 | 7 | 88 | 45 | +43 | 91 | |
| 3 | Wigan Athletic(P) | 46 | 26 | 13 | 7 | 80 | 46 | +34 | 91 | |
| 4 | Bournemouth(P) | 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 | 47[a] | |
| 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 |
| Home \ Away | ALD | BLP | BOU | BRA | BRY | COL | CRE | DAR | HAL | HAR | HER | HUL | MAN | NOR | PET | PTV | ROC | SCU | SHU | STP | TOR | TRA | WIG | YOR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldershot | 3–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | |
| Blackpool | 0–2 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 5–0 | 1–0 | 7–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | |
| Bournemouth | 2–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 5–1 | |
| Bradford City | 4–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 3–0 | 5–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 3–4 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 5–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 6–2 | |
| Bury | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 4–3 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 7–1 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 4–0 | 5–3 | 3–1 | |
| Colchester United | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 5–2 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 4–0 | |
| Crewe Alexandra | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | |
| Darlington | 0–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 5–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | |
| Halifax Town | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–5 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | |
| Hartlepool | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 3–2 | |
| Hereford United | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | |
| Hull City | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 5–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | |
| Mansfield Town | 1–0 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 4–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 0–2 | |
| Northampton Town | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–5 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 5–0 | |
| Peterborough United | 7–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 4–4 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 0–1 | |
| Port Vale | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 5–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | |
| Rochdale | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 5–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | |
| Scunthorpe United | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 4–4 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 2–7 | 0–3 | |
| Sheffield United | 2–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 7–3 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | |
| Stockport County | 4–2 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 4–1 | |
| Torquay United | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 3–2 | |
| Tranmere | 1–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–2 | |
| Wigan Athletic | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 4–2 | |
| York City | 4–0 | 0–4 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 6–0 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 3–4 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 4–3 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 3–4 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–0 |
This yearRuncorn, the winners of theAlliance Premier League, could not apply for election because they did not meetFootball League requirements. Second placedEnfield could not apply either for the same reasons, so third placedTelford United won the right to apply for election to theFootball League to replace one of the four bottom sides in the 1981–82Football League Fourth Division. The vote went as follows:
| Club | Final Position | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Northampton Town | 22nd (Fourth Division) | 53 |
| Crewe Alexandra | 24th (Fourth Division) | 50 |
| Rochdale | 21st (Fourth Division) | 48 |
| Scunthorpe United | 23rd (Fourth Division) | 48 |
| Telford United | 3rd (Alliance Premier League) | 13 |
As a result of this, all four Football League teams were re-elected, andTelford United were denied membership of the League.