# 1980–81 Kilmarnock F.C. season

The 1980–81 season was Kilmarnock’s 79th in Scottish League Competitions.

## Scottish Premier Division
### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 6 | Partick Thistle | 36 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 32 | 48 | −16 | 30 | |
| 7 | Airdrieonians | 36 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 36 | 55 | −19 | 29 | |
| 8 | Morton | 36 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 36 | 58 | −22 | 28 | |
| 9 | Kilmarnock (R) | 36 | 5 | 9 | 22 | 23 | 65 | −42 | 19 | Relegation to the 1981–82 Scottish First Division |
| 10 | Heart of Midlothian (R) | 36 | 6 | 6 | 24 | 27 | 71 | −44 | 18 | Relegation to the 1981–82 Scottish First Division |

### Match results

| Match Day | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Kilmarnock Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| 1 | 9 August | Dundee United | A | 2–2 | Street(49), Mauchlen(67) | 5,788 |
| 2 | 16 August | Celtic | H | 0–3 | | 13,810 |
| 3 | 23 August | Partick Thistle | A | 1–0 | McBride(70) | 3,197 |
| 4 | 6 September | Heart of Midlothian | H | 0–1 | | 3,995 |
| 5 | 13 September | Greenock Morton | A | 0–2 | | 3,049 |
| 6 | 20 September | Rangers | H | 1–8 | Bourke(14) | 15,023 |
| 7 | 27 September | Airdrieonians | A | 0–1 | | 2,736 |
| 8 | 4 October | St Mirren | H | 1–6 | Cramond(66) | 3,897 |
| 9 | 11 October | Aberdeen | A | 0–2 | | 11,164 |
| 10 | 18 October | Dundee United | H | 0–1 | | 2,719 |
| 11 | 25 October | Celtic | A | 1–4 | Cramond(13) | 16,537 |
| 12 | 1 November | Partick Thistle | H | 0–1 | | 2,417 |
| 13 | 8 November | Airdrieonians | H | 1–1 | Houston(25) | 2,230 |
| 14 | 15 November | Rangers | A | 0–2 | | 15,791 |
| 15 | 22 November | Aberdeen | H | 1–1 | Street(35) | 3,319 |
| 16 | 29 November | St Mirren | A | 0–2 | | 5,300 |
| 17 | 6 December | Heart of Midlothian | A | 0–2 | | 5,183 |
| 18 | 13 December | Greenock Morton | H | 3–3 | Armstrong(16), Bourke(19), Hughes(70) | 2,483 |
| 19 | 20 December | Rangers | H | 1–1 | Bourke(23) | 9,172 |
| 20 | 1 January | Celtic | H | 1–2 | Hughes(2) | 7,625 |
| 21 | 3 January | Dundee United | A | 0–7 | | 6,474 |
| 22 | 10 January | St Mirren | H | 2–0 | Mauchlen(39), Doherty(77) | 4,385 |
| 23 | 31 January | Greenock Morton | A | 0–1 | | 3,497 |
| 24 | 21 February | Partick Thistle | A | 1–1 | Bourke(43) | 1,601 |
| 25 | 28 February | Dundee United | H | 0–1 | | 2,102 |
| 26 | 7 March | St Mirren | A | 1–1 | Bourke(89) | 4,203 |
| 27 | 11 March | Airdrieonians | A | 0–3 | | 2,084 |
| 28 | 14 March | Aberdeen | H | 1–0 | Doherty(59) | 2,415 |
| 29 | 21 March | Rangers | A | 0–2 | | 8,488 |
| 30 | 24 March | Heart of Midlothian | H | 2–0 | Mauchlen(44), McLean(80) | 1,445 |
| 31 | 28 March | Airdrieonians | H | 0–1 | | 1,849 |
| 32 | 4 April | Heart of Midlothian | A | 0–1 | | 1,866 |
| 33 | 15 April | Greenock Morton | H | 0–0 | | 973 |
| 34 | 18 April | Partick Thistle | H | 0–1 | | 1,262 |
| 35 | 25 April | Celtic | A | 1–1 | Eadie(63) | 23,050 |
| 36 | 2 May | Aberdeen | A | 2–0 | McDicken(53), McCready(56) | 7,002 |

## Scottish League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Kilmarnock Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R1 L1 | 13 August | Airdrieonians | H | 1–0 | Cramond(41) | 2,986 |
| R1 L2 | 20 August | Airdrieonians | A | 1–0 | Cramond(59) | 2,983 |
| R2 L1 | 27 August | Dunfermline Athletic | H | 0–0 | | 2,273 |
| R2 L2 | 30 August | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 2–1 | Clarke(10), McBride(74) | 3,084 |
| R3 L1 | 3 September | Dundee | A | 0–0 | | 4,388 |
| R3 L2 | 24 September | Dundee | H | 0–0(AET, lost 3–5 on pens) | | 2,401 |

## Scottish Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Kilmarnock Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R3 | 24 January | Ayr United | H | 2–1 | McDicken(2), Hughes(70) | 8,185 |
| R4 | 14 February | Clydebank | H | 0–0 | | 3,741 |
| R4R | 17 February | Clydebank | A | 1–1(AET) | Bourke(34) | 3,400 |
| R42R | 23 February | Clydebank | N | 0–1 | | 2,340 |

### Anglo-Scottish Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Kilmarnock Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R1 L1 | 30 July | East Stirlingshire | H | 1–3 | Mauchlen(85) | 1,563 |
| R1 L2 | 6 August | East Stirlingshire | A | 3–0 | McDicken(60), Cairney(64), Houston(74) | 1,000 |
| QF L1 | 9 September | Blackpool | A | 1–2 | Cramond(80) | 4,904 |
| QF L2 | 14 September | Blackpool | H | 4–2 | Cramond(5,27), Bourke(20), Maxwell(45) | 2,656 |
| SF L1 | 4 November | Notts County | H | 1–2 | McBride(14) | 2,865 |
| SF L2 | 18 November | Notts County | A | 2–5 | Street(60), McBride(79) | 4,314 |