# 1980–81 Burnley F.C. season

The 1980–81 season was Burnley's first season in the third tier of English football. They were managed by Brian Miller in his first season in charge of the club.

## Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Division Three | Division Three | League Cup | League Cup | FA Cup | FA Cup | AS Cup | AS Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| | DF | ENG | Colin Anderson | 2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | NIR | Tommy Cassidy | 34 | 3 | 27+0 | 1 | 3+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 1 |
| | MF | ENG | Phil Cavener | 50 | 3 | 36+4 | 2 | 4+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 1 |
| | DF | NIR | Paul Dixon | 2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Martin Dobson | 56 | 9 | 46+0 | 7 | 4+0 | 1 | 3+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 1 |
| | FW | NIR | Billy Hamilton | 56 | 10 | 46+0 | 9 | 4+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 1 | 3+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | David Holt | 44 | 1 | 35+0 | 1 | 3+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Billy Ingham | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Brian Laws | 48 | 2 | 42+0 | 2 | 3+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | GK | ENG | Billy O'Rourke | 2 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Vince Overson | 45 | 1 | 39+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Mike Phelan | 16 | 2 | 15+1 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Eric Potts | 38 | 5 | 34+1 | 4 | 0+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Stuart Robertson | 17 | 0 | 17+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Billy Rodaway | 9 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Derek Scott | 38 | 11 | 29+0 | 9 | 4+0 | 1 | 3+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 |
| | MF | ENG | Trevor Steven | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | GK | ENG | Alan Stevenson | 54 | 0 | 44+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Steve Taylor | 47 | 17 | 37+1 | 16 | 4+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 1 |
| | DF | SCO | Jim Thomson | 7 | 1 | 3+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Mick Wardrobe | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Andy Wharton | 7 | 0 | 6+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Ian Wood | 23 | 0 | 14+3 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Kevin Young | 2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 |

## Matches
### Football League Division Three
#### Results

| Date | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
| 16 August 1980 | Newport County (H) | 1–1 | Cassidy 12' | 6,733 |
| 20 August 1980 | Walsall (A) | 1–3 | Taylor 84' | 4,714 |
| 23 August 1980 | Chesterfield (H) | 1–0 | Dobson 21' (pen.) | 5,880 |
| 30 August 1980 | Charlton Athletic (A) | 0–2 | | 5,445 |
| 6 September 1980 | Colchester United (H) | 1–0 | Hamilton 25' | 4,436 |
| 13 September 1980 | Exeter City (A) | 0–0 | | 4,534 |
| 16 September 1980 | Hull City (H) | 2–0 | Young 72', Taylor 88' | 4,933 |
| 20 September 1980 | Chester (A) | 0–0 | | 3,660 |
| 27 September 1980 | Millwall (H) | 5–0 | Hamilton 12', Dobson 55', Taylor (3) 57', 85', 88' | 5,620 |
| 30 September 1980 | Hull City (A) | 0–0 | | 5,497 |
| 4 October 1980 | Fulham (A) | 2–0 | Laws 34', Potts 85' | 4,673 |
| 7 October 1980 | Sheffield United (H) | 3–2 | Taylor (2) 31', 85', Hamilton 38' | 7,308 |
| 11 October 1980 | Rotherham United (H) | 1–1 | Dobson 48' | 9,352 |
| 18 October 1980 | Portsmouth (A) | 2–4 | Scott (2) 80', 90' | 13,449 |
| 21 October 1980 | Huddersfield Town (A) | 0–0 | | 15,741 |
| 25 October 1980 | Brentford (H) | 2–0 | Dobson 42' (pen.), Cavener 67' | 7,324 |
| 1 November 1980 | Swindon Town (A) | 3–0 | Carter 21' (o.g.), Scott (2) 80', 90' | 6,436 |
| 4 November 1980 | Sheffield United (A) | 0–0 | | 14,585 |
| 8 November 1980 | Reading (H) | 1–2 | Hamilton 11' | 6,925 |
| 11 November 1980 | Walsall (H) | 0–0 | | 5,573 |
| 15 November 1980 | Newport County (A) | 2–1 | Hamilton 42', Taylor 44' | 5,370 |
| 29 November 1980 | Gillingham (H) | 3–2 | Scott 18', Taylor 40', Weatherly 56' (o.g.) | 5,797 |
| 2 December 1980 | Barnsley (H) | 0–1 | | 9,109 |
| 6 December 1980 | Oxford United (A) | 2–0 | Scott 13', Young 47' | 3,513 |
| 20 December 1980 | Plymouth Argyle (H) | 2–1 | Taylor (2) 13', 49' | 5,695 |
| 26 December 1980 | Carlisle United (A) | 2–3 | Scott 66', Taylor 78' | 7,136 |
| 27 December 1980 | Blackpool (H) | 4–1 | Taylor 14', Potts 44', Laws 67', Holt 87' | 10,782 |
| 3 January 1981 | Brentford (A) | 0–0 | | 6,379 |
| 27 January 1981 | Portsmouth (H) | 1–3 | Hamilton 7' | 6,689 |
| 31 January 1981 | Chesterfield (A) | 0–3 | | 7,637 |
| 7 February 1981 | Exeter City (H) | 1–0 | Dobson 42' (pen.) | 5,496 |
| 14 February 1981 | Colchester United (A) | 1–2 | Hamilton 79' | 3,082 |
| 17 February 1981 | Charlton Athletic (H) | 0–1 | | 5,786 |
| 21 February 1981 | Millwall (A) | 2–2 | Taylor 63', Hamilton 73' | 4,691 |
| 28 February 1981 | Chester (H) | 1–0 | Young 80' | 4,997 |
| 7 March 1981 | Fulham (H) | 3–0 | Hamilton 9', Dobson (2) 27', 73' | 5,472 |
| 28 March 1981 | Barnsley (A) | 2–3 | Phelan 16', Scott 35' | 13,689 |
| 31 March 1981 | Rotherham United (A) | 0–1 | | 9,762 |
| 4 April 1981 | Swindon Town (H) | 0–0 | | 4,736 |
| 7 April 1981 | Gillingham (A) | 0–0 | | 4,412 |
| 11 April 1981 | Reading (A) | 3–1 | Taylor (2) 30', 76', Phelan 50' | 3,977 |
| 14 April 1981 | Huddersfield Town (H) | 4–2 | Brown 16' (o.g.), Scott 39', Overson 45', Potts 57' | 11,075 |
| 18 April 1981 | Blackpool (A) | 0–0 | | 7,198 |
| 21 April 1981 | Carlisle United (H) | 0–3 | | 5,126 |
| 25 April 1981 | Plymouth Argyle (A) | 1–2 | Cavener 89' | 4,331 |
| 2 May 1981 | Oxford United (H) | 1–1 | Potts 20' | 3,947 |

### Final league position

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 6 | Portsmouth | 46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 55 | 47 | +8 | 53 |
| 7 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 56 | 44 | +12 | 52 |
| 8 | Burnley | 46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 60 | 48 | +12 | 50 |
| 9 | Brentford | 46 | 14 | 19 | 13 | 52 | 49 | +3 | 47 |
| 10 | Reading | 46 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 62 | 62 | 0 | 46 |

### FA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
| 22 November 1980 | Round 1 | Scarborough (H) | 1–0 | Hamilton 77' | 7,789 |
| 13 December 1980 | Round 2 | Port Vale (H) | 1–1 | Potts 61' | 7,497 |
| 16 December 1980 | Replay | Port Vale (A) | 0–2 | | 7,684 |

### League Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
| 9 August 1980 | Round 1 First leg | Wrexham (A) | 3–1 | Davies 36' (o.g.), Cassidy 61', Thomson 70' | 5,126 |
| 12 August 1980 | Round 1 Second leg | Wrexham (H) | 2–1 | Scott 12', Dobson 85' (pen.) | 4,448 |
| 26 August 1980 | Round 2 First leg | West Ham United (H) | 0–2 | | 6,673 |
| 2 September 1980 | Round 2 Second leg | West Ham United (A) | 0–4 | | 15,216 |

### Anglo-Scottish Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
| 29 July 1980 | Preliminary Group | Bury (A) | 1–2 | Dobson 58' (pen.) | 3,887 |
| 2 August 1980 | Preliminary Group | Oldham Athletic (H) | 3–1 | Scott 51', Taylor 58', Cavener 84' | 4,083 |
| 5 August 1980 | Preliminary Group | Shrewsbury Town (H) | 1–1 | Cassidy 1' | 3,354 |