1980–81 Aston Villa F.C. season

English football club season December 2014 May 2026 Aston Villa 1980–81 Ron Saunders Ron Bendall First Division 1st (champions) FA Cup Third round League Cup Third round Peter Withe (20) Peter Withe (21) 47,998 vs West Bromwich Albion (8 April 1981) 23,622 vs Leeds United (27 August 1980) _claretborder _thinskycollar _claretborder _band_claret 3cace3 c1081b 3cace3 3cace3 _redlines _shoulder_stripes_red_stripes _redlines _red_stripes_adidas _band_claret 3cace3 1979–80 1981–82 Second City Derby 37--28--24 1978–79 1981–82 History of Aston Villa F.C. (1961–present) The 1980–81 English football season was Aston Villa's 82nd season in the Football League. Villa competed in the First Division, their sixth consecutive season in the top division. They finished as league champions for the seventh time in their history, using just 14 players over the course of the campaign, of whom no fewer than seven were ever-present (Jimmy Rimmer, Kenny Swain, Ken McNaught, Dennis Mortimer, Des Bremner, Gordon Cowans and Tony Morley). Gary Shaw made 40 starts, Allan Evans 39 and Peter Withe, in his debut season,https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/villa-seasons Aston Villa's Seasons AVFC History 36, with Gary Williams (21 starts) and Colin Gibson (19) contesting the remaining spot in the starting XI. David Geddis and Eamonn Deacy made eight and five starts respectively. Villa began the season with three wins and a draw from their opening four league matches. They also beat Leeds United in both legs of the League Cup second round 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 Villa lost three of the next five, a further unbeaten run of 10 matches ensued, including seven straight wins. A key performance during this latter 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 swing 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 and a superior goal difference. 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, as Boško Janković's goal confirmed 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. Withe 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. During a five-year spell at Villa Park, he scored 74 goals in 182 League games and won 11 caps for England, scoring one goal. He later played for Sheffield United and Huddersfield Town. League 1980–81 Football League#First Division First Division y Matches 1980–81 Football League 1 16 August 1980 Leeds United 1–2 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3596 W Aston Villa Stevenson 2 pen. Morley 44Shaw 59 Elland Road Leeds 23,401 https://avdb.co.uk/aston-villa/matches/first-team/1980-81-villa-2-1-leeds-united-a Leeds United 1-2 Aston Villa | Match IQ Avdb.co.uk 30 August 2026 2 20 August 1980 Aston Villa 1–0 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3597 W Norwich City Shaw 76 Villa Park Birmingham 25,970 3 23 August 1980 Manchester City 2–2 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3598 D Aston Villa Tueart 83 pen.Ranson 88 Withe 9 76 Maine Road Manchester 30,017 4 30 August 1980 Aston Villa 1–0 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3600 W Coventry City Shaw 65 Villa Park Birmingham 26,050 5 6 September 1980 Ipswich Town 1–0 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3602 L Aston Villa Thijssen 56 Portman Road Ipswich 23,192 6 13 September 1980 Aston Villa 0–2 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3603 L Everton Lyons 32Eastoe 36 Villa Park Birmingham 25,673 7 20 September 1980 Aston Villa 2–1 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3604 W Wolverhampton Wanderers Hughes 4 o.g.Geddis 84 Eves 69 Villa Park Birmingham 26,181 8 27 September 1980 Crystal Palace 0–1 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3606 W Aston Villa Shaw 85 Selhurst Park London 18,398 9 4 October 1980 Aston Villa 4–0 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3607 W Sunderland Evans 45 84Morley 59Shaw 76 Villa Park Birmingham 26,914 10 8 October 1980 Manchester United 3–3 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3608 D Aston Villa McIlroy 35 pen. 57Coppell 36 Withe 15Cowans 55 pen.Shaw 67 Old Trafford Manchester 38,831 11 11 October 1980 Birmingham City 1–2 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3609 W Aston Villa Worthington 49 pen. Cowans 35 pen.Evans84 St Andrew's Birmingham 33,879 12 18 October 1980 Aston Villa 3–0 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3610 W Tottenham Hotspur Morley 39 46Withe 82 Villa Park Birmingham 30,940 13 22 October 1980 Aston Villa 4–1 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3611 W Brighton & Hove Albion Mortimer 39Withe 47Bremner 55Shaw 60 Gregory 27 Villa Park Birmingham 27,367 14 25 October 1980 Southampton 1–2 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3612 W Aston Villa Moran 59 Morley 13Withe 69 The Dell Southampton 21,249 15 1 November 1980 Aston Villa 2–0 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3613 W Leicester City Shaw 65Cowans 69 Villa Park Birmingham 29,953 16 8 November 1980 West Bromwich Albion 0–0 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3614 D Aston Villa The Hawthorns West Bromwich 34,195 17 12 November 1980 Norwich City 1–3 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3615 W Aston Villa Paddon 25 Shaw 61 84Evans 86 Carrow Road Norwich 17,050 18 15 November 1980 Aston Villa 1–1 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3616 D Leeds United Shaw 36 Sabella 10 Villa Park Birmingham 29,106 19 22 November 1980 Liverpool 2–1 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3617 L Aston Villa Dalglish 65 89 Evans 78 Anfield Liverpool 48,114 20 29 November 1980 Aston Villa 1–1 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3618 D Arsenal Morley 57 Talbot 73 Villa Park Birmingham 30,140 21 6 December 1980 Middlesbrough 2–1 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3619 L Aston Villa Johnston 84Shearer 88 Shaw 86 Ayresome Park Middlesbrough 15,597 22 13 December 1980 Aston Villa 3–0 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3620 W Birmingham City Geddis 64 83Shaw 77 Villa Park Birmingham 41,101 23 20 December 1980 Brighton & Hove Albion 1–0 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3621 L Aston Villa Robinson 15 Goldstone Ground Hove 16,425 24 26 December 1980 Aston Villa 1–0 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3622 W Stoke City Withe 38 Villa Park Birmingham 34,658 25 27 December 1980 Nottingham Forest 2–2 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3623 D Aston Villa Francis 41O'Neill 86 Lloyd 16 o.g.Shaw 68 City Ground Nottingham 33,930 26 10 January 1981 Aston Villa 2–0 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3625 W Liverpool Withe 19Mortimer 82 Villa Park Birmingham 47,960 27 17 January 1981 Coventry City 1–2 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3626 W Aston Villa Hateley 71 Morley 55Withe 65 Highfield Road Coventry 27,020 28 31 January 1981 Aston Villa 1–0 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3627 W Manchester City Shaw 2 Villa Park Birmingham 33,682 29 7 February 1981 Everton 1–3 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3628 W Aston Villa Ross 35 pen. Morley 3Mortimer 42Cowans 71 pen. Goodison Park Liverpool 31,434 30 21 February 1981 Aston Villa 2–1 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3629 W Crystal Palace Withe 4 70 Hinshelwood 71 Villa Park Birmingham 27,203 31 28 February 1981 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–1 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3630 W Aston Villa Withe 83 Molineux Wolverhampton 34,693 32 7 March 1981 Sunderland 1–2 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3631 W Aston Villa Hinnigan 68 Evans 2Mortimer 19 Roker Park Sunderland 27,278 33 14 March 1981 Aston Villa 3–3 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3632 D Manchester United Withe 16 28Shaw 68 Jordan 46 66McIlroy 88 pen. Villa Park Birmingham 42,182 34 21 March 1981 Tottenham Hotspur 2–0 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3633 L Aston Villa Crooks 41Archibald 73 White Hart Lane London 35,091 35 23 March 1981 Aston Villa 2–1 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3634 W Southampton Morley 43Geddis 45 Evans 11 o.g. Villa Park Birmingham 32,467 36 4 April 1981 Leicester City 2–4 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3635 W Aston Villa Lynex 15 pen. 44 Withe 24 49Bremner 33Morley 55 Filbert Street Leicester 26,032 37 8 April 1981 Aston Villa 1–0 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3636 W West Bromwich Albion Withe 88 Villa Park Birmingham 47,998 38 14 April 1981 Aston Villa 1–2 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3637 L Ipswich Town Shaw 84 Brazil 4Gates 79 Villa Park Birmingham 47,495 39 18 April 1981 Aston Villa 2–0 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3638 W Nottingham Forest Cowans 29 pen.Withe 45 Villa Park Birmingham 34,707 40 20 April 1981 Stoke City 1–1 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3639 D Aston Villa O'Callaghan 25 Withe 22 Victoria Ground Stoke-on-Trent 23,511 41 25 April 1981 Aston Villa 3–0 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3640 W Middlesbrough Shaw 23Withe 51Evans 80 Villa Park Birmingham 38,018 42 2 May 1981 Arsenal 2–0 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3641 L Aston Villa Young 12McDermott 44 Highbury London 57,472 League Cup 1980–81 Football League Cup R2, 1st Leg 27 August 1980 Aston Villa 1–0 W Leeds United Morley 9 Villa Park Birmingham 23,622 R2, 2nd Leg 3 September 1980 Leeds United 1–3 W Aston Villa Graham 13 Withe 6Shaw 45 72 Elland Road Leeds 12,236 R3 23 September 1980 Cambridge United 2–1 L Aston Villa Finney 8Spriggs 17 Morley 6 Abbey Stadium Cambridge 7,608 FA Cup 1980–81 FA Cup R3 3 January 1981 Ipswich Town 1–0 L Aston Villa Mariner 12 Portman Road Ipswich 27,721 Squad Substitute appearances indicated in brackets Pos.Nat.NameLeagueLeague CupFA CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKENGMark Kendall00000000GKENGJimmy Rimmer4203010460GKENGNigel Spink00000000DFJAMNoel Blake00000000DFIREEamonn Deacy5(4)00(1)0005(5)0DFSCOAllan Evans3973010437DFENGColin Gibson19(2)0300022(2)0DFENGMark Jones00000000DFSCOKen McNaught4203010460DFENGDavid Mail00000000DFENGBrendan Ormsby00000000DFENGMike Pejic00000000DFENGKenny Swain4203010460DFENGGary Williams21(1)0001022(1)0MFENGPaul Birch00000000MFSCODes Bremner4223010462MFENGTerry Bullivant00000000MFENGGordon Cowans4253010465MFSCOAlex Cropley00000000MFENGPat Heard00000000MFENGRobert Hopkins00000000MFENGIvor Linton00000000MFENGDennis Mortimer4243010464MFENGGary Shelton00000000MFENGGary Stirland August 202600000000FWIRETerry Donovan00000000FWENGDavid Geddis8(1)4100(1)09(2)4FWENGBrian Little00000000FWENGTony Morley421032104612FWENGKevin Readyhttps://avdb.co.uk/aston-villa/first-team/player/kevin-ready Kevin Ready | Player IQ | AVDB Avdb.co.uk 30 August 202600000000FWENGGary Shaw40182(1)21043(1)20FWENGPeter Withe362031104021FWSCOWillie Young00000000 See also List of Aston Villa F.C. records and statistics References 1980-81 Aston Villa 1981