1980–81 Aston Villa F.C. season

Aston Villa

1980–81 season
Chairman	Ron Bendall
Manager	Ron Saunders
First Division	1st (Champions)
FA Cup	Third Round
League Cup	Third Round
Top goalscorer	League: Peter Withe (20) All: Peter Withe (21)
Highest home attendance	47,998 vs West Bromwich Albion (8 April 1981)
Lowest home attendance	23,622 vs Leeds United (27 August 1980)
← 1979–80 1981–82 →

This season was something of a throwback to the 19th Century. Not only were Aston Villa champions again, but they did it with just 14 players, of whom no fewer than seven (Jimmy Rimmer, Kenny Swain, Ken McNaught, Dennis Mortimer, Des Bremner, Gordon Cowans and Tony Morley) were ever-present. Gary Shaw made 40 appearances, Allan Evans 39 and Peter Withe 36, with Gary Williams (22 appearances) and Colin Gibson (21) contesting the remaining spot in the starting XI. David Geddis and Eamonn Deacy made nine appearances apiece.

Villa began the season well, winning 2-1 at Leeds United and beating Norwich City at Villa Park, but a third straight win was denied them when Manchester City came from 2-0 down to claim a draw at Maine Road. Victory over Coventry City followed, and Villa also beat Leeds over both legs in the second round of the League Cup before their unbeaten start ended at Ipswich Town, who would prove to be Villa's main challengers for the title as the season progressed.

Defeat at home to Everton was followed by a 12 match unbeaten run, and although three of the next five matches ended in defeat, a further unbeaten run of 10 matches ensued, including seven straight wins. A key performance during this period was a second v first clash at home to Liverpool, who at the time headed the table on goal difference. Goals from Withe and Mortimer confirmed Villa as genuine contenders as they beat the reigning champions 2-0.

Ron Saunders' team were neck-and-neck with Ipswich when the two clashed at Villa Park in mid-April, and a 2-1 victory for the visitors appeared to have swung the destiny of the championship in their favour. However, Ipswich lost their next two matches, while Villa beat Nottingham Forest and drew with Stoke City to reclaim the initiative. Victory over Middlesbrough in their final home match left Villa four points ahead with one to play, although Ipswich had a game in hand.

At half-time on the final Saturday of the league season, Villa trailed 2-0 at Arsenal, and with Ipswich 1-0 ahead at Middlesbrough the title was still hanging in the balance. No further goals were added in the second half at Highbury, but the home side scored twice without reply at Ayresome Park, confirming Villa as champions for the first time since 1910.

Peter Withe ended the season as the First Division's joint leading scorer with 20 goals. He had previously won championship honours with Forest in 1978, and also played for Southport, Barrow, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Birmingham City and Newcastle United before joining Villa in the summer of 1980. He later played for Sheffield United and Huddersfield Town. He won 11 caps for England and his longest time spent at one club was at Villa, where he scored 74 goals in 182 League games.

Results

First Division

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
16 August 1980	Leeds United	Elland Road	2–1	23,401	Morley, Shaw
20 August 1980	Norwich City	Villa Park	1–0	25,970	Shaw
23 August 1980	Manchester City	Maine Road	2–2	30,017	Withe (2)
30 August 1980	Coventry City	Villa Park	1–0	26,050	Shaw
6 September 1980	Ipswich Town	Portman Road	0–1	23,192
13 September 1980	Everton	Villa Park	0–2	25,673
20 September 1980	Wolverhampton Wanderers	Villa Park	2–1	26,181	Hughes (o.g.), Geddis
27 September 1980	Crystal Palace	Selhurst Park	1–0	18,398	Shaw
4 October 1980	Sunderland	Villa Park	4–0	26,914	Evans (2), Morley, Shaw
8 October 1980	Manchester United	Old Trafford	3–3	38,831	Withe, Cowans (pen), Shaw
11 October 1980	Birmingham City	St Andrew's	2–1	33,879	Cowans (pen), Evans
18 October 1980	Tottenham Hotspur	Villa Park	3–0	30,940	Morley (2), Withe
22 October 1980	Brighton & Hove Albion	Villa Park	4–1	27,367	Mortimer, Withe, Bremner, Shaw
25 October 1980	Southampton	The Dell	2–1	21,249	Morley, Withe
1 November 1980	Leicester City	Villa Park	2–0	29,953	Shaw, Cowans
8 November 1980	West Bromwich Albion	The Hawthorns	0–0	34,195
12 November 1980	Norwich City	Carrow Road	3–1	17,050	Shaw (2), Evans
15 November 1980	Leeds United	Villa Park	1–1	29,106	Shaw
22 November 1980	Liverpool	Anfield	1–2	48,114	Evans
29 November 1980	Arsenal	Villa Park	1–1	30,140	Morley
6 December 1980	Middlesbrough	Ayresome Park	1–2	15,597	Shaw
11 December 1980	Birmingham City	Villa Park	3–0	41,101	Geddis (2), Shaw
20 December 1980	Brighton & Hove Albion	Goldstone Ground	0–1	16,425
26 December 1980	Stoke City	Villa Park	1–0	34,658	Withe
27 December 1980	Nottingham Forest	City Ground	2–2	33,930	Lloyd (o.g.), Shaw
10 January 1981	Liverpool	Villa Park	2–0	47,960	Withe, Mortimer
17 January 1981	Coventry City	Highfield Road	2–1	27,020	Morley, Withe
31 January 1981	Manchester City	Villa Park	1–0	33,682	Shaw
7 February 1981	Everton	Goodison Park	3–1	31,434	Morley, Mortimer, Cowans (pen)
21 February 1981	Crystal Palace	Villa Park	2–1	27,203	Withe (2)
28 February 1981	Wolverhampton Wanderers	Molineux	1–0	34,693	Withe
7 March 1981	Sunderland	Roker Park	2–1	27,278	Evans, Mortimer
14 March 1981	Manchester United	Villa Park	3–3	42,182	Withe (2), Shaw
21 March 1981	Tottenham Hotspur	White Hart Lane	0–2	35,091
23 March 1981	Southampton	Villa Park	2–1	32,467	Morley, Geddis
4 April 1981	Leicester City	Filbert Street	4–2	26,032	Withe (2), Bremner, Morley
8 April 1981	West Bromwich Albion	Villa Park	1–0	47,998	Withe
14 April 1981	Ipswich Town	Villa Park	1–2	47,495	Shaw
18 April 1981	Nottingham Forest	Villa Park	2–0	34,707	Cowans (pen), Withe
20 April 1981	Stoke City	Victoria Ground	1–1	23,511	Withe
25 April 1981	Middlesbrough	Villa Park	3–0	38,018	Shaw, Withe, Evans
2 May 1981	Arsenal	Highbury	0–2	57,472

Pos	Club	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	GA	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

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points

League Cup

See also: 1980–81 Football League Cup

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
27 August 1980	R2	Leeds United	Villa Park	1–0	23,622	Morley
3 September 1980	R2	Leeds United	Elland Road	3–1	12,236	Shaw (2), Withe
23 September 1980	R3	Cambridge United	Abbey Stadium	1–2	7608	Morley

FA Cup

See also: 1980–81 FA Cup

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
3 January 1981	R3	Ipswich Town	Portman Road	0-1	27,721