# 1980–81 Queens Park Rangers F.C. season

During the 1980–81 English football season, Queens Park Rangers competed in the Second Division

## Season summary

Having led the Rangers to a fifth-place finish in the Second Division in his first season in charge, manager Tommy Docherty fell out with chairman and Gregory resulted in him leaving the club by mutual consent at the end of that season but, following a player revolt, he was reinstated as boss nine days later, ahead of the start of the 1980/81 season. His 'third' spell in charge would only last 10 league games, however. After failing in an attempt to sign Andy Ritchie from his former club Manchester United, "Doc" announced that Ritchie should not sign for Chelsea because he was too good for the Second Division, despite the R's competing in the same league themselves.
Rangers chairman Gregory made Docherty apologise to the Chelsea chairman and following a goalless draw with Leyton Orient – and with Rangers towards the bottom of the second tier – he was dismissed and left the club for a third and final time. his replacement Terry Venables previous club Crystal Palace were bottom of Division One when he left during October to join Second Division Queens Park Rangers.With 11 away defeats Rangers fell to eighth position seven points short of the third promotion spot.
In the League Cup, Rangers beat Derby County on penalties but were knocked out in the next round by division foes Notts County, In the F.A. Cup eventual winners Tottenham Hotspur triumphed after a replay

## Kit

Adidas remained as QPR's kit manufacturers.

## Second Division

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 6 | Derby County | 42 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 57 | 52 | +5 | 45 |
| 7 | Grimsby Town | 42 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 44 | 42 | +2 | 45 |
| 8 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 56 | 46 | +10 | 43 |
| 9 | Watford | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 50 | 45 | +5 | 43 |
| 10 | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 53 | 51 | +2 | 42 |

## Results

QPR scores given first
Win  Draw  Loss

### Second Division

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance | Position |
| 16 August 1980 | Oldham | A | 0-1 | | 6,986 | 16 |
| 19 August 1980 | Bristol Rovers | H | 4-0 | Fereday 2, Shanks, Hazell | 9,031 | 4 |
| 23 August 1980 | Swansea City | H | 0–0 | | 10,854 | 9 |
| 30 August 1980 | Chelsea | A | 1–1 | Langley | 23,381 | 12 |
| 6 September 1980 | Notts County | A | 1–2 | Hill | 7,197 | 17 |
| 13 September 1980 | Newcastle United | H | 1–2 | Hazell | 10,865 | 19 |
| 20 September 1980 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 0-1 | | 15,195 | 20 |
| 27 September 1980 | Bristol City | H | 4-0 | Neal 2, Shanks, Langley | 8,551 | 17 |
| 4 October 1980 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 1-2 | Neal | 12,209 | 19 |
| 7 October 1980 | Orient | H | 0–0 | | 9,627 | 19 |
| 11 October 1980 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 3-1 | Langley, Neal, Burke | 8,641 | 14 |
| 18 October 1980 | Derby County | A | 3-3 | King 2, Langley | 16,021 | 14 |
| 22 October 1980 | Cardiff City | A | 0-1 | | 14,489 | 17 |
| 25 October 1980 | Wrexham | H | 0-1 | | 9,050 | 19 |
| 1 November 1980 | Grimsby Town | A | 0–0 | | 10,015 | 19 |
| 8 November 1980 | Luton Town | A | 3-2 | Neal 2, King | 10,082 | 17 |
| 11 November 1980 | Bristol Rovers | A | 2-1 | King, Langley | 6,612 | 12 |
| 15 November 1980 | Oldham Athletic | H | 2-0 | Silkman, Neal | 8,223 | 12 |
| 22 November 1980 | Preston North End | A | 2-3 | Roeder, Neal | 6,762 | 13 |
| 29 November 1980 | Shrewsbury | H | 0-0 | | 7,982 | 13 |
| 6 December 1980 | Cambridge United | A | 0–1 | | 6,349 | 16 |
| 19 December 1980 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 2-1 | Flanagan, Stainrod | 6,315 | 12 |
| 26 December 1980 | West Ham United | H | 3-0 | Currie, Stainrod, Silkman | 23,811 | 11 |
| 27 December 1980 | Watford | A | 1-1 | King | 23,547 | 12 |
| 10 January 1981 | Preston North End | H | 1-1 | Stainrod | 8,415 | 12 |
| 17 January 1981 | Chelsea | H | 1–0 | Langley | 22,873 | 12 |
| 31 January 1981 | Swansea City | A | 2–1 | Langley, King | 12,518 | 11 |
| 3 February 1981 | Cardiff City | H | 2-0 | Fenwick, Langley | 9,834 | 9 |
| 7 February 1981 | Newcastle United | A | 0-1 | | 20,404 | 10 |
| 14 February 1981 | Notts County | H | 1-1 | Howe | 11,457 | 11 |
| 21 February 1981 | Bristol City | A | 1–0 | Waddock | 11,036 | 9 |
| 28 February 1981 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 1-2 | Stainrod | 15,104 | 10 |
| 7 March 1981 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 1-1 | Francis | 9,513 | 11 |
| 21 March 1981 | Derby County | H | 3-1 | Francis 2, Flanagan | 8,905 | 10 |
| 28 March 1981 | Wrexham | A | 1–1 | Waddock | 5,887 | 10 |
| 31 March 1981 | Orient | A | 0-4 | | 6,724 | 11 |
| 4 April 1981 | Grimsby Town | H | 1–0 | Francis | 8,906 | 8 |
| 11 April 1981 | Luton Town | A | 0-3 | | 12,112 | 10 |
| 11 April 1981 | Watford | H | 0-0 | | 10,571 | 10 |
| 25 April 1981 | Cambridge United | H | 5–0 | Sealy 2, Muir 2, Roeder | 6,668 | 8 |
| 2 May 1981 | Shrewsbury Town | A | 3-3 | Flanagan, Waddock, Fenwick | 5,714 | 9 |

### Football League Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 26 August 1980 | Second Round First Leg | Derby County | H | 0–0 | | 11,244 |
| 3 September 1980 | Second Round Second Leg | Derby County | A | 0-0 *5-3 on Pens | | 16,728 |
| 23 September 1980 | Third Round | Notts County | A | 1-4 | Langley | 6644 |

### FA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 3 January 1981 | Third Round | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 0–0 | | 28,829 |
| 7 January 1981 | Third Round Replay | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1-3 | Stainrod | 36,294 |

## Squad

| Pos. | Nat. | Name | League Appearances | League Goals | Cup Appearances | League Cup Goals | F A Cup Goals | Total Appearances | Total Goals |
| GK | ENG | Chris Woods | 22 | | 3 | | | 25 | |
| GK | ENG | John Burridge | 19 | | 2 | | | 21 | |
| GK | ENG | Peter Hucker | 1 | | | | | 1 | |
| DF | ENG | Terry Fenwick | 19 | 2 | 2 | | | 21 | 2 |
| DF | ENG | Ian Gillard | 42 | | 4 | | | 46 | |
| DF | JAM | Bob Hazell | 5 | 2 | 1 | | | 10 | 2 |
| DF | ENG | Ernie Howe | 8 | 1 | | | | 8 | 1 |
| DF | ENG | Warren Neill | 3 | | | | | 5 | |
| DF | ENG | Don Shanks | 38 | 2 | 5 | | | 43 | 2 |
| DF | ENG | Glenn Roeder | 39 | 2 | 5 | | | 44 | 2 |
| DF | ENG | Steve Wicks | 38 | | 5 | | | 43 | |
| MF | ENG | Tony Currie | 31 | 1 | 4 | | | 35 | 1 |
| MF | ENG | Barry Silkman | 22 | 2 | 2 | | | 25 | 2 |
| MF | ENG | Gerry Francis | 10 | 4 | | | | 10 | 4 |
| MF | NIR | David McCreery | 14 | | 3 | | | 19 | |
| MF | ENG | Andy King | 24 | 6 | 3 | | | 29 | 6 |
| MF | ENG | Gary Micklewhite | | | | | | 1 | |
| MF | IRE | Gary Waddock | 29 | 3 | 4 | | | 37 | 3 |
| MF | ENG | Dean Wilkins | 1 | | | | | 2 | |
| FW | ENG | Gordon Hill | 3 | 1 | 1 | | | 6 | 1 |
| FW | ENG | Steve Burke | 11 | 1 | 2 | | | 15 | 1 |
| FW | ENG | Tommy Langley | 24 | 8 | 3 | 1 | | 28 | 9 |
| FW | ENG | Wayne Fereday | 5 | | 1 | | | 7 | |
| FW | ENG | Mike Flanagan | 13 | 3 | 2 | | | 16 | 3 |
| FW | ENG | Ian Muir | 2 | 2 | | | | 2 | 2 |
| FW | ENG | Tony Sealy | 8 | 1 | | | | 8 | 1 |
| FW | ENG | Simon Stainrod | 15 | 4 | 2 | | 1 | 17 | 5 |
| FW | NIR | Ian Stewart | | | | | | 1 | |
| FW | ENG | Dean Neal | 15 | 8 | 1 | | | 17 | 8 |

## Transfers Out

| Name | from | Date | Fee | Date | Club | Fee |
| Martyn Rogers | Manchester United | July 1979 | £7,500 | May 1981 | Sydney Olympic | Free |
| Chris Woods | Nottingham Forest | July 1979 | £250,000 | March 1981 | Norwich City | £225,000 |
| David McCreery | Manchester United | August 1979 | £200,000 | March 1981 | Tulsa Roughnecks | £125,000 |
| Tommy Langley | Chelsea | August 1980 | £400,000 | March 1981 | Crystal Palace | £200,000 |
| Steve Wicks | Derby County | September 1979 | £275,000 | June 1981 | Crystal Palace | and £700,000 for Clive Allen |
| Martyn Busby | Queens Park Rangers Juniors | April 1970 | | July 1981 | Retired (injury) | |

## Transfers In

| Name | from | Date | Fee |
| Tommy Langley | Chelsea | August 1980 | £400,000 |
| Warren Neill | Queens Park Rangers Juniors | September 1980 | |
| Wayne Fereday | Queens Park Rangers Juniors | September 1980 | |
| Ian Muir | Queens Park Rangers Juniors | September 1980 | |
| Andy King | Everton | September 1980 | £400,000 |
| Barry Silkman | Brentford | October 1980 | £20,000 |
| Simon Stainrod | Oldham Athletic | November 1980 | £270,000. |
| John Burridge | Crystal Palace | December 1980 | £250,000 |
| Terry Fenwick | Crystal Palace | December 1980 | £110,000 |
| Mike Flanagan | Crystal Palace | December 1980 | £150,000 |
| Ian Dawes | Queens Park Rangers Juniors | December 1980 | |
| Gerry Francis | Crystal Palace | February 1981 | £150,000 |
| Tony Sealy | Crystal Palace | March 1981 | £80,000 |
| John Gregory | Brighton & Hove Albion | June 1981 | £300,000 |
| Clive Allen | Crystal Palace | June 1981 | Steve Wicks and £700,000 |
| Graham Benstead | Queens Park Rangers Juniors | July 1981 | |