Manchester United 1980-1981
48
Points · Division One 1980-1981
8th in the Division One after 42 matches
Manchester United finished 8th in the Division One with 48 points from 42 games in 1980-1981, scoring 56 goals in all competitions. They won 16, drew 21 and lost 12 of their 49 games in all competitions under Dave Sexton.
Stats
16
Won
21
Drawn
12
Lost
Form
W
W
W
W
W
Season at a Glance
56
Goals Scored
42
Conceded
49
Played
How this season compares
of 123 seasons
1.41
Points per game
97th-best of 123 full seasons
1.14
Goals per game
119th-best of 123 full seasons
0.86
Conceded per game
21st-best of 123 full seasons
33%
Win rate
109th-best of 123 full seasons
In the Division One, United ranked 14th of 22 for goals scored (-0.11 per game vs the league average) and 1st for fewest conceded. That was 6 places lower than 1979-1980 (-10 points).
Cup Runs
Top Scorers
1
Joe Jordan
37 apps
15
— ast
2
Lou Macari
44 apps
9
— ast
3
Sammy McIlroy
37 apps
6
— ast
4
Steve Coppell
49 apps
6
— ast
5
Nikola Jovanovic
24 apps
4
— ast
6
Mickey Thomas
37 apps
3
— ast
7
Mick Duxbury
37 apps
3
— ast
8
Ashley Grimes
10 apps
2
— ast
9
Gordon McQueen
13 apps
2
— ast
10
Jimmy Nicholl
43 apps
2
— ast
All Results
49 matches
August 1980 1W · 2D · 2L
W
Middlesbrough H
D1 Thomas, Macari, Grimes
3–0
16 Aug 54,394 1-0-0 W1
L
Wolverhampton Wanderers A
D1
0–1
19 Aug 31,955 1-0-1 L1
D
Birmingham City A
D1
0–0
23 Aug 28,661 1-1-1 D1
L
Coventry City H
LC agg 0-1
0–1
27 Aug 31,656 1-1-2 L1
D
Sunderland H
D1 Jovanovic
1–1
30 Aug 51,498 1-2-2 D1
September 1980 1W · 4D · 1L
L
Coventry City A
LC agg 0-2
0–1
2 Sep 18,946 1-2-3 L1
D
Tottenham Hotspur A
D1
0–0
6 Sep 40,995 1-3-3 D1
W
Leicester City H
D1 Coppell, Grimes, Jovanovic 2, Macari
5–0
13 Sep 43,229 2-3-3 W1
D
Widzew Lodz H
EL agg 1-1 McIlroy
1–1
17 Sep 38,037 2-4-3 D1
D
Leeds United A
D1
0–0
20 Sep 32,539 2-5-3 D2
D
Manchester City H
D1 Coppell, Albiston
2–2
27 Sep 55,918 2-6-3 D3
October 1980 3W · 4D · 0L
D
Widzew Lodz A
EL agg 1-1
0–0
1 Oct 40,000 2-7-3 D4
W
Nottingham Forest A
D1 Macari, Coppell
2–1
4 Oct 29,801 3-7-3 W1
D
Aston Villa H
D1 McIlroy 2 (pen), Coppell
3–3
8 Oct 38,831 3-8-3 D1
D
Arsenal H
D1
0–0
11 Oct 49,036 3-9-3 D2
D
Ipswich Town A
D1 McIlroy (pen)
1–1
18 Oct 28,572 3-10-3 D3
W
Stoke City A
D1 Jordan, Macari
2–1
22 Oct 24,534 4-10-3 W1
W
Everton H
D1 Jordan, Coppell
2–0
25 Oct 54,260 5-10-3 W2
November 1980 1W · 4D · 1L
L
Crystal Palace A
D1
0–1
1 Nov 31,499 5-10-4 L1
D
Coventry City H
D1
0–0
8 Nov 42,794 5-11-4 D1
D
Wolverhampton Wanderers H
D1
0–0
12 Nov 37,959 5-12-4 D2
D
Middlesbrough A
D1 Jordan
1–1
15 Nov 20,606 5-13-4 D3
W
Brighton A
D1 Jordan, McIlroy, Duxbury
4–1
22 Nov 23,293 6-13-4 W1
D
Southampton H
D1 Jordan
1–1
29 Nov 46,840 6-14-4 D1
December 1980 0W · 3D · 2L
D
Norwich City A
D1 Bond (og), Coppell
2–2
6 Dec 18,780 6-15-4 D2
D
Stoke City H
D1 Macari, Jordan
2–2
13 Dec 39,568 6-16-4 D3
L
Arsenal A
D1 Macari
1–2
20 Dec 33,730 6-16-5 L1
D
Liverpool H
D1
0–0
26 Dec 57,049 6-17-5 D1
L
West Bromwich Albion A
D1 Jovanovic
1–3
27 Dec 30,326 6-17-6 L1
January 1981 3W · 1D · 2L
D
Brighton H
FAC Duxbury, Thomas
2–2
3 Jan 42,199 6-18-6 D1
W
Brighton A
FAC Replay Nicholl, Birtles
2–0
7 Jan 26,915 7-18-6 W1
W
Brighton H
D1 McQueen, Macari
2–1
10 Jan 42,208 8-18-6 W2
L
Nottingham Forest A
FAC
0–1
24 Jan 34,110 8-18-7 L1
L
Sunderland A
D1
0–2
28 Jan 31,910 8-18-8 L2
W
Birmingham City H
D1 Jordan, Macari
2–0
31 Jan 39,081 9-18-8 W1
February 1981 0W · 1D · 3L
L
Leicester City A
D1
0–1
7 Feb 26,085 9-18-9 L1
D
Tottenham Hotspur H
D1
0–0
17 Feb 40,642 9-19-9 D1
L
Manchester City A
D1
0–1
21 Feb 50,114 9-19-10 L1
L
Leeds United H
D1
0–1
28 Feb 45,733 9-19-11 L2
March 1981 2W · 2D · 1L
L
Southampton A
D1
0–1
7 Mar 22,698 9-19-12 L3
D
Aston Villa A
D1 Jordan 2, McIlroy (pen)
3–3
14 Mar 42,182 9-20-12 D1
D
Nottingham Forest H
D1 Burns (og)
1–1
18 Mar 38,205 9-21-12 D2
W
Ipswich Town H
D1 Thomas, Nicholl
2–1
21 Mar 46,685 10-21-12 W1
W
Everton A
D1 Jordan
1–0
28 Mar 25,856 11-21-12 W2
April 1981 5W · 0D · 0L
W
Crystal Palace H
D1 Duxbury
1–0
4 Apr 37,954 12-21-12 W3
W
Coventry City A
D1 Jordan 2
2–0
11 Apr 20,201 13-21-12 W4
W
Liverpool A
D1 McQueen
1–0
14 Apr 31,276 14-21-12 W5
W
West Bromwich Albion H
D1 Jordan, Macari
2–1
18 Apr 44,442 15-21-12 W6
W
Norwich City H
D1 Jordan
1–0
25 Apr 40,165 16-21-12 W7
Home & Away
| Venue | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win% | CS | Avg Att |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 24 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 33 | 18 | +15 | 38% | 11 | 44,099 |
| Away | 25 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 23 | 24 | -1 | 28% | 8 | 29,823 |
Home crowds averaged 44,099, away 29,823. Their biggest crowd was 57,049 v Liverpool, the smallest 18,780 v Norwich City.
Season Records
5–0
Biggest win
v Leicester City · 13 Sep 1980
1–3
Heaviest defeat
v West Bromwich Albion · 27 Dec 1980
7
Longest win streak
12
Longest unbeaten run
7
Longest winless run
19
Clean sheets
19
Failed to score
0–1
Most common score
9 times
United completed the league double over Brighton and Everton.
When Goals Were Scored
Scored Conceded
1-15
16-30
31-45
46-60
61-75
76+
United's average goal came in the 48', the average one conceded in the 49'. They scored 5 from the 81st minute on and conceded 6. Penalties: 3 scored, 3 conceded. Own goals: 2 for, 1 against.
| Min | Scorer | Opponent | Comp | Before | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41' | Mickey Thomas | vs Middlesbrough | D1 | 0–0 | 16 Aug 1980 |
| 70' | Lou Macari | vs Middlesbrough | D1 | 1–0 | 16 Aug 1980 |
| 90' | Ashley Grimes | vs Middlesbrough | D1 | 2–0 | 16 Aug 1980 |
| 88' | George Berry | @ Wolverhampton Wanderers | D1 | 0–0 | 19 Aug 1980 |
| 66' | Tom English | vs Coventry City | LC | 0–0 | 27 Aug 1980 |
| 59' | Nikola Jovanovic | vs Sunderland | D1 | 0–0 | 30 Aug 1980 |
| 84' | Alan Brown | vs Sunderland | D1 | 1–0 | 30 Aug 1980 |
| 46' | Andy Blair | @ Coventry City | LC | 0–0 | 2 Sep 1980 |
| 3' | Steve Coppell | vs Leicester City | D1 | 0–0 | 13 Sep 1980 |
| 43' | Ashley Grimes | vs Leicester City | D1 | 1–0 | 13 Sep 1980 |
| 49' | Nikola Jovanovic | vs Leicester City | D1 | 2–0 | 13 Sep 1980 |
| 59' | Lou Macari | vs Leicester City | D1 | 3–0 | 13 Sep 1980 |
| 67' | Nikola Jovanovic | vs Leicester City | D1 | 4–0 | 13 Sep 1980 |
| 4' | Sammy McIlroy | vs Widzew Lodz | EL | 0–0 | 17 Sep 1980 |
| 6' | Krzysztof Surlit | vs Widzew Lodz | EL | 1–0 | 17 Sep 1980 |
| 31' | Steve Coppell | vs Manchester City | D1 | 0–0 | 27 Sep 1980 |
| 43' | Kevin Reeves | vs Manchester City | D1 | 1–0 | 27 Sep 1980 |
| 72' | Arthur Albiston | vs Manchester City | D1 | 1–1 | 27 Sep 1980 |
| 89' | Roger Palmer | vs Manchester City | D1 | 2–1 | 27 Sep 1980 |
| 31' | Ian Wallace | @ Nottingham Forest | D1 | 0–0 | 4 Oct 1980 |
| 43' | Lou Macari | @ Nottingham Forest | D1 | 0–1 | 4 Oct 1980 |
| 73' | Steve Coppell | @ Nottingham Forest | D1 | 1–1 | 4 Oct 1980 |
| 35' | Sammy McIlroy pen | vs Aston Villa | D1 | 0–0 | 8 Oct 1980 |
| 36' | Steve Coppell | vs Aston Villa | D1 | 1–0 | 8 Oct 1980 |
| 55' | Peter Withe 15' Gordon Cowans pen | vs Aston Villa | D1 | 2–0 | 8 Oct 1980 |
| 57' | Sammy McIlroy | vs Aston Villa | D1 | 2–1 | 8 Oct 1980 |
| 67' | Gary Shaw | vs Aston Villa | D1 | 3–1 | 8 Oct 1980 |
| 55' | Paul Mariner | @ Ipswich Town | D1 | 0–0 | 18 Oct 1980 |
| 67' | Sammy McIlroy pen | @ Ipswich Town | D1 | 0–1 | 18 Oct 1980 |
| 15' | Joe Jordan | @ Stoke City | D1 | 0–0 | 22 Oct 1980 |
| 58' | Lou Macari | @ Stoke City | D1 | 1–0 | 22 Oct 1980 |
| 80' | Bren O'Callaghan | @ Stoke City | D1 | 2–0 | 22 Oct 1980 |
| 16' | Joe Jordan | vs Everton | D1 | 0–0 | 25 Oct 1980 |
| 73' | Steve Coppell | vs Everton | D1 | 1–0 | 25 Oct 1980 |
| 27' | Peter Nicholas | @ Crystal Palace | D1 | 0–0 | 1 Nov 1980 |
| 58' | Joe Jordan | @ Middlesbrough | D1 | 0–0 | 15 Nov 1980 |
| 75' | Craig Johnston | @ Middlesbrough | D1 | 1–0 | 15 Nov 1980 |
| 12' | Joe Jordan | @ Brighton | D1 | 0–0 | 22 Nov 1980 |
| 44' | 38' Sammy McIlroy | @ Brighton | D1 | 1–0 | 22 Nov 1980 |
| 68' | Andy Ritchie | @ Brighton | D1 | 2–0 | 22 Nov 1980 |
| 84' | Mick Duxbury | @ Brighton | D1 | 2–1 | 22 Nov 1980 |
| 82' | Nick Holmes | vs Southampton | D1 | 0–0 | 29 Nov 1980 |
| 88' | Joe Jordan | vs Southampton | D1 | 0–1 | 29 Nov 1980 |
| 10' | Kevin Bond OG | @ Norwich City | D1 | 0–0 | 6 Dec 1980 |
| 33' | Steve Coppell | @ Norwich City | D1 | 1–0 | 6 Dec 1980 |
| 59' | Nikola Jovanovic OG | @ Norwich City | D1 | 2–0 | 6 Dec 1980 |
| 73' | Justin Fashanu | @ Norwich City | D1 | 2–1 | 6 Dec 1980 |
| 8' | Paul Randall | vs Stoke City | D1 | 0–0 | 13 Dec 1980 |
| 21' | Lee Chapman | vs Stoke City | D1 | 0–1 | 13 Dec 1980 |
| 28' | Lou Macari | vs Stoke City | D1 | 0–2 | 13 Dec 1980 |
| 68' | Joe Jordan | vs Stoke City | D1 | 1–2 | 13 Dec 1980 |
| 29' | Graham Rix | @ Arsenal | D1 | 0–0 | 20 Dec 1980 |
| 58' | Paul Vaessen | @ Arsenal | D1 | 0–1 | 20 Dec 1980 |
| 67' | Lou Macari | @ Arsenal | D1 | 0–2 | 20 Dec 1980 |
| 35' | Gary Owen pen | @ West Bromwich Albion | D1 | 0–0 | 27 Dec 1980 |
| 43' | Peter Barnes | @ West Bromwich Albion | D1 | 0–1 | 27 Dec 1980 |
| 54' | Nikola Jovanovic | @ West Bromwich Albion | D1 | 0–2 | 27 Dec 1980 |
| 61' | Cyrille Regis | @ West Bromwich Albion | D1 | 1–2 | 27 Dec 1980 |
| 12' | Brian Horton | vs Brighton | FAC | 0–0 | 3 Jan 1981 |
| 23' | Andy Ritchie | vs Brighton | FAC | 0–1 | 3 Jan 1981 |
| 70' | Mick Duxbury | vs Brighton | FAC | 0–2 | 3 Jan 1981 |
| 74' | Mickey Thomas | vs Brighton | FAC | 1–2 | 3 Jan 1981 |
| 33' | Jimmy Nicholl | @ Brighton | FAC | 0–0 | 7 Jan 1981 |
| 72' | Garry Birtles | @ Brighton | FAC | 1–0 | 7 Jan 1981 |
| 34' | Gordon McQueen | vs Brighton | D1 | 0–0 | 10 Jan 1981 |
| 62' | Andy Ritchie | vs Brighton | D1 | 1–0 | 10 Jan 1981 |
| 63' | Lou Macari | vs Brighton | D1 | 1–1 | 10 Jan 1981 |
| 15' | Trevor Francis | @ Nottingham Forest | FAC | 0–0 | 24 Jan 1981 |
| 25' | Gordon Chisholm | @ Sunderland | D1 | 0–0 | 28 Jan 1981 |
| 89' | Gary Rowell pen | @ Sunderland | D1 | 0–1 | 28 Jan 1981 |
| 5' | Joe Jordan | vs Birmingham City | D1 | 0–0 | 31 Jan 1981 |
| 83' | Lou Macari | vs Birmingham City | D1 | 1–0 | 31 Jan 1981 |
| 64' | Jim Melrose | @ Leicester City | D1 | 0–0 | 7 Feb 1981 |
| 59' | Steve MacKenzie | @ Manchester City | D1 | 0–0 | 21 Feb 1981 |
| 90' | Brian Flynn | vs Leeds United | D1 | 0–0 | 28 Feb 1981 |
| 3' | Kevin Keegan | @ Southampton | D1 | 0–0 | 7 Mar 1981 |
| 15' | Peter Withe | @ Aston Villa | D1 | 0–0 | 14 Mar 1981 |
| 28' | Peter Withe | @ Aston Villa | D1 | 0–1 | 14 Mar 1981 |
| 46' | Joe Jordan | @ Aston Villa | D1 | 0–2 | 14 Mar 1981 |
| 66' | Joe Jordan | @ Aston Villa | D1 | 1–2 | 14 Mar 1981 |
| 68' | Gary Shaw | @ Aston Villa | D1 | 2–2 | 14 Mar 1981 |
| 88' | Sammy McIlroy pen | @ Aston Villa | D1 | 2–3 | 14 Mar 1981 |
| 37' | Ian Wallace | vs Nottingham Forest | D1 | 0–0 | 18 Mar 1981 |
| 44' | Kenny Burns OG | vs Nottingham Forest | D1 | 0–1 | 18 Mar 1981 |
| 7' | Terry Butcher | vs Ipswich Town | D1 | 0–0 | 21 Mar 1981 |
| 17' | Mickey Thomas | vs Ipswich Town | D1 | 0–1 | 21 Mar 1981 |
| 53' | Jimmy Nicholl | vs Ipswich Town | D1 | 1–1 | 21 Mar 1981 |
| 30' | Joe Jordan | @ Everton | D1 | 0–0 | 28 Mar 1981 |
| 78' | Mick Duxbury | vs Crystal Palace | D1 | 0–0 | 4 Apr 1981 |
| 34' | Joe Jordan | @ Coventry City | D1 | 0–0 | 11 Apr 1981 |
| 44' | Joe Jordan | @ Coventry City | D1 | 1–0 | 11 Apr 1981 |
| 7' | Gordon McQueen | @ Liverpool | D1 | 0–0 | 14 Apr 1981 |
| 2' | Joe Jordan | vs West Bromwich Albion | D1 | 0–0 | 18 Apr 1981 |
| 33' | Lou Macari | vs West Bromwich Albion | D1 | 1–0 | 18 Apr 1981 |
| 62' | Cyrille Regis | vs West Bromwich Albion | D1 | 2–0 | 18 Apr 1981 |
| 57' | Joe Jordan | vs Norwich City | D1 | 0–0 | 25 Apr 1981 |
Squad
23 players
| Player | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Gls | Apps | Gls | Apps | Gls | Apps | Gls | Apps | Gls | |
| Steve Coppell | 42 | 6 | 3 | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | 49 | 6 |
| Arthur Albiston | 42 | 1 | 3 | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | 49 | 1 |
| Gary Bailey | 40 | – | 3 | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | 47 | – |
| Lou Macari | 38 (1) | 9 | 3 | – | 2 | – | 1 | – | 44 (1) | 9 |
| Jimmy Nicholl | 36 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | – | 2 | – | 43 | 2 |
| Joe Jordan | 33 | 15 | 3 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 37 | 15 |
| Sammy McIlroy | 32 (1) | 5 | 1 | – | 2 | – | 2 | 1 | 37 (1) | 6 |
| Mick Duxbury | 33 (6) | 2 | 2 (2) | 1 | – | – | 2 (1) | – | 37 (9) | 3 |
| Mickey Thomas | 30 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | – | 2 | – | 37 | 3 |
| Kevin Moran | 32 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 (1) | – | 34 (1) | – |
| Martin Buchan | 26 | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | 32 | – |
| Garry Birtles | 25 | – | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 28 | 1 |
| Nikola Jovanovic | 19 | 4 | 1 | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | 24 | 4 |
| Ray Wilkins | 13 (2) | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 15 (2) | – |
| Gordon McQueen | 11 | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 13 | 2 |
| Jimmy Greenhoff | 9 (1) | – | – | – | 2 | – | 1 | – | 12 (1) | – |
| Ashley Grimes | 8 (2) | 2 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | 10 (2) | 2 |
| Andy Ritchie | 4 (1) | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | 6 (1) | – |
| Thomas Sloan | 2 (2) | – | – | – | 1 (1) | – | – | – | 3 (3) | – |
| Scott McGarvey | 2 (2) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 (2) | – |
| Paddy Roche | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – |
| Chris McGrath | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| Anthony Whelan | 1 (1) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 (1) | – |
Division One Table
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aston Villa | 42 | 26 | 8 | 8 | 72 | 40 | +32 | 60 |
| 2 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 23 | 10 | 9 | 77 | 43 | +34 | 56 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 42 | 19 | 15 | 8 | 61 | 45 | +16 | 53 |
| 4 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 20 | 12 | 10 | 60 | 42 | +18 | 52 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 42 | 17 | 17 | 8 | 62 | 42 | +20 | 51 |
| 6 | Southampton | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 76 | 56 | +20 | 50 |
| 7 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 62 | 44 | +18 | 50 |
| 8 | Manchester United | 42 | 15 | 18 | 9 | 51 | 36 | +15 | 48 |
| 9 | Leeds United | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 39 | 47 | -8 | 44 |
| 10 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 70 | 68 | +2 | 43 |
| 11 | Stoke City | 42 | 12 | 18 | 12 | 51 | 60 | -9 | 42 |
| 12 | Manchester City | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 56 | 59 | -3 | 39 |
| 13 | Birmingham City | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 50 | 61 | -11 | 38 |
| 14 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 16 | 5 | 21 | 53 | 61 | -8 | 37 |
| 15 | Everton | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 55 | 58 | -3 | 36 |
| 16 | Coventry City | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 48 | 68 | -20 | 36 |
| 17 | Sunderland | 42 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 52 | 53 | -1 | 35 |
| 18 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 43 | 55 | -12 | 35 |
| 19 | Brighton | 42 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 54 | 67 | -13 | 35 |
| 20 | Norwich City | 42 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 49 | 73 | -24 | 33 |
| 21 | Leicester City | 42 | 13 | 6 | 23 | 40 | 67 | -27 | 32 |
| 22 | Crystal Palace | 42 | 6 | 7 | 29 | 47 | 83 | -36 | 19 |
Points Progression
Division One
Transfers
9 moves
In
- Garry Birtles Centre-Forward
- Nikola Jovanovic Centre-Back
- Anto Whelan Centre-Back
Out
- Steve Paterson Centre-Back
- Andy Ritchie Centre-Forward
- Chris McGrath Right Winger
- Jimmy Greenhoff Centre-Forward
- Mickey Thomas Left Midfield
- Stewart Houston Left-Back
Debuts & Farewells
Debuts this season
- Mick Duxbury 37 apps, 3 goals
- Garry Birtles 28 apps, 1 goal
- Scott McGarvey 2 apps
- Anthony Whelan 1 app
Final appearances
- Joe Jordan last of 37 apps
- Mickey Thomas last of 37 apps
- Nikola Jovanovic last of 24 apps
- Jimmy Greenhoff last of 12 apps
- Andy Ritchie last of 6 apps
- Thomas Sloan last of 3 apps
- Chris McGrath last of 1 app
Quick Quiz
Who was Manchester United's top scorer in 1980-1981?
On this day in 1980-1981