# 1980–81 West Ham United F.C. season

In one of the most notable seasons in the club's history, West Ham United won the Second Division in the 1980–81 season to return to the top flight of English football after an absence of three years.

## Season summary

West Ham lost just four League matches all season, were unbeaten in the League after Boxing Day, and finished 13 points clear of second-placed Notts County, accumulating a record points total for the Second Division.
The Hammers also reached the League Cup final for the second time, after a run in which they knocked out First Division Tottenham Hotspur and Coventry City. In the final, they forced a replay against Liverpool after Ray Stewart scored an equalising penalty in the last minute of extra-time, but lost 2–1 at Villa Park.
West Ham failed to retain the FA Cup, which they had won the previous season, when they lost to Wrexham in a second replay in the third round. However, they reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup in a run that included a 5–1 victory over Real Madrid's reserve side Castilla played behind closed doors because of crowd trouble. They were eliminated 4–2 on aggregate by the eventual winners, Dinamo Tbilisi.

## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | West Ham United (C, P) | 42 | 28 | 10 | 4 | 79 | 29 | +50 | 66 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 2 | Notts County (P) | 42 | 18 | 17 | 7 | 49 | 38 | +11 | 53 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 3 | Swansea City (P) | 42 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 64 | 44 | +20 | 50 | Cup Winners' Cup first round and promotion to the First Division |
| 4 | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 16 | 18 | 8 | 42 | 29 | +13 | 50 | |
| 5 | Luton Town | 42 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 61 | 46 | +15 | 48 | |

## Results

West Ham United's score comes first

### Football League Second Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| 16 August 1980 | Luton Town | H | 1–2 | 27,933 | Stewart (pen) |
| 19 August 1980 | Bristol City | A | 1–1 | 13,554 | Cross |
| 23 August 1980 | Preston North End | A | 0–0 | 9,063 | |
| 30 August 1980 | Notts County | H | 4–0 | 21,769 | Cross, Goddard (2), Stewart (pen) |
| 6 September 1980 | Chelsea | A | 1–0 | 32,669 | Wilkins (o.g.) |
| 13 September 1980 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 3–0 | 22,339 | King (o.g.), Goddard, Cross |
| 20 September 1980 | Watford | H | 3–2 | 24,288 | Cross, Barnes, Brooking |
| 27 September 1980 | Cambridge United | A | 2–1 | 8,591 | Goddard, Cross |
| 4 October 1980 | Newcastle United | A | 0–0 | 24,848 | |
| 7 October 1980 | Cardiff City | H | 1–0 | 20,402 | Neighbour |
| 11 October 1980 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 2–0 | 32,402 | Cross (2) |
| 18 October 1980 | Oldham Athletic | A | 0–0 | 8,344 | |
| 25 October 1980 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 2–1 | 25,257 | Walsh (o.g.), Pike |
| 1 November 1980 | Bristol Rovers | A | 1–0 | 6,328 | Goddard |
| 8 November 1980 | Grimsby Town | H | 2–1 | 25,468 | Cross (2) |
| 11 November 1980 | Bristol City | H | 5–0 | 25,210 | Goddard (2), Martin, Brooking, Cross |
| 15 November 1980 | Luton Town | A | 2–3 | 17,031 | Brooking (2) |
| 22 November 1980 | Swansea City | H | 2–0 | 25,210 | Cross, Goddard |
| 26 November 1980 | Derby County | A | 0–2 | 18,446 | |
| 29 November 1980 | Wrexham | A | 2–2 | 8,941 | Devonshire, Goddard |
| 6 December 1980 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 2–1 | 30,746 | Brooking, Holland |
| 13 December 1980 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 0–0 | 13,279 | |
| 20 December 1980 | Derby County | H | 3–1 | 24,071 | Cross, Goddard, Brooking |
| 26 December 1980 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0–3 | 23,811 | |
| 27 December 1980 | Orient | H | 2–1 | 34,408 | Holland, Allen |
| 1 January 1981 | Swansea City | A | 3–1 | 34,408 | Brooking, Pike, Cross |
| 17 January 1981 | Notts County | A | 1–1 | 13,718 | Holland |
| 31 January 1981 | Preston North End | H | 5–0 | 26,413 | Goddard, Pike, Lampard, Devonshire (2) |
| 7 February 1981 | Shrewsbury Town | A | 2–0 | 9,201 | Devonshire, Cross |
| 14 February 1981 | Chelsea | H | 4–0 | 35,164 | Brooking (2), Cross, Devonshire |
| 21 February 1981 | Cambridge United | H | 4–2 | 36,002 | Devonshire, Stewart (2; 1 pen), Goddard |
| 28 February 1981 | Watford | A | 2–1 | 20,786 | Cross (2) |
| 7 March 1981 | Newcastle United | H | 1–0 | 26,274 | Cross |
| 21 March 1981 | Oldham Athletic | H | 1–1 | 24,394 | Goddard |
| 28 March 1981 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 1–1 | 13,271 | Brooking |
| 4 April 1981 | Bristol Rovers | H | 2–0 | 23,544 | Pike, Goddard |
| 11 April 1981 | Grimsby Town | A | 5–1 | 17,924 | Cross (4), Pike |
| 18 April 1981 | Orient | A | 2–0 | 14,592 | Neighbour, Pike |
| 21 April 1981 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 3–0 | 24,599 | Goddard (3) |
| 2 May 1981 | Wrexham | H | 1–0 | 30,515 | Stewart (pen) |
| 6 May 1981 | Cardiff City | A | 0–0 | 10,558 | |
| 8 May 1981 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 1–0 | 21,087 | Morgan |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 3 January 1981 | Wrexham | H | 1–1 | 30,137 | Stewart (pen) |
| R3 replay | 6 January 1981 | Wrexham | A | 0–0 (aet) | 13,643 | |
| R3 2nd replay | 19 January 1981 | Wrexham | A | 0–1 (aet) | 14,615 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 1st leg | 26 August 1980 | Burnley | A | 2–0 | 6,818 | Goddard, Cross |
| R2 2nd leg | 2 September 1980 | Burnley | H | 4–0 (6–0 on agg) | 15,216 | Stewart (pen), Goddard, Wood (o.g.), Pike |
| R3 | 23 September 1980 | Charlton Athletic | A | 2–1 | 17,884 | Cross (2) |
| R4 | 28 October 1980 | Barnsley | H | 2–1 | 21,548 | Martin, Cross |
| QF | 2 December 1980 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 1–0 | 26,003 | Cross |
| SF 1st leg | 27 January 1981 | Coventry City | A | 2–3 | 35,468 | Bonds, Thompson (o.g.) |
| SF 2nd leg | 10 February 1981 | Coventry City | H | 2–0 (4–3 on agg) | 36,551 | Goddard, Neighbour |
| F | 14 March 1981 | Liverpool | N | 1–1 (aet) | 100,000 | Stewart (pen) |
| F replay | 1 April 1981 | Liverpool | N | 1–2 | 26,693 | Goddard |

### European Cup Winners' Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 1st leg | 17 September 1980 | Castilla | A | 1–3 | 40,000 | Cross |
| R1 2nd leg | 1 October 1980 | Castilla | H | 5–1 (aet; 6–4 on agg) | 0 | Pike, Cross (3), Goddard, Bernal |
| R2 1st leg | 22 October 1980 | Poli Timișoara | H | 4–0 | 27,257 | Bonds, Goddard, Stewart (pen), Cross |
| R2 2nd leg | 5 November 1980 | Poli Timișoara | A | 0–1 (4–1 on agg) | 25,000 | Păltinișanu |
| R3 1st leg | 4 March 1981 | Dinamo Tbilisi | H | 1–4 | 34,957 | Cross |
| R3 2nd leg | 18 March 1981 | Dinamo Tbilisi | A | 1–0 (2–4 on agg) | 80,000 | Pearson |

### Charity Shield

| Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| 9 August 1980 | Liverpool | 0–1 | 90,000 | McDermott |

## Squad

| No. | Player | Pos. | Eur Apps | Eur Gls | Lge Apps | Lge Gls | FAC Apps | FAC Gls | LC Apps | LC Gls | CS Apps | Date Signed | Previous Club |
| West Ham United 1980-81 First XI |||||||||||||||
| 1 | Phil Parkes (Hammer of the Year) | GK | 6 | | 42 | | 3 | | 9 | | 1 | 1979 | Q.P.R. |
| 2 | Ray Stewart | RB | 6 | 1 | 41 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 1 | August 1979 | Dundee United |
| 3 | Frank Lampard | LB | 6 | | 38(1) | 1 | 2 | | 8 | | | 1964 | Academy |
| 4 | Billy Bonds (Captain) | CD | 6 | 1 | 41 | | 3 | | 8 | 1 | 1 | May 1967 | Charlton Athletic |
| 5 | Alvin Martin | CD | 6 | | 41 | 1 | 3 | | 9 | 1 | 1 | August 1974 | Academy |
| 6 | Alan Devonshire | LM | 4 | | 39 | 6 | 3 | | 9 | | 1 | September 1976 | Southall |
| 7 | Pat Holland | RM | 3 | | 25 | 3 | 2 | | 4 | | 1 | April 1969 | Academy |
| 8 | Paul Goddard | CF | 6 | 2 | 37 | 17 | 3 | | 9 | 4 | | 1980 | Q.P.R. |
| 9 | David Cross | CF | 6 | 5 | 41 | 22 | 3 | | 9 | 5 | 1 | December 1977 | West Brom |
| 10 | Trevor Brooking | CM | 4 (1) | | 36 | 10 | 3 | | 7 | | 1 | July 1965 | Academy |
| 11 | Geoff Pike | CM | 6 | 1 | 42 | 6 | 3 | | 9 | 1 | 1 | July 1973 | Academy |
| Important Players |||||||||||||||
| 7 | Jimmy Neighbour | W | 4 | | 22(2) | 2 | 0 (1) | | 4 | 1 | | September 1979 | Norwich City |
| 3 | Paul Brush | LB | 1 (3) | | 8 (3) | | 1 | | 3 | | 1 | 1977 | Academy |
| Other Players |||||||||||||||
| 11 | Nicky Morgan | F | 1 (2) | | 5 (1) | 1 | | | 1 | | 0 (1) | 1978 | Academy |
| 7 | Paul Allen | RM | 1 (1) | | 1 (2) | 1 | 1 | | 1 (2) | | 1 | 1979 | Academy |
| 12 | Stuart Pearson | F | 0 (1) | 1 | 2 (3) | | | | 0 (2) | | | August 1979 | Manchester United |
| 12 | Bobby Barnes | F | 0 (1) | | 1 (5) | 1 | | | 1 | | | 1980 | Academy |