# 1979–80 Leicester City F.C. season

During the 1979–80 English football season, Leicester City F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division.

## Season summary

In the 1979–80 season, Leicester were promoted as champions of the Second Division for the sixth time in the club's history. From start of the season, the Foxes scored in every game until their 2–0 defeat at Charlton Athletic in mid-December. The only negative part of Leicester's season was a shock FA Cup exit against non-league Harlow Town. It was the first time the Foxes lost to a non-league team in a cup competition since the 1914–15 season. Despite that, after a 2–1 win at Filbert Street against Charlton, Leicester were all but assured of promotion and on the final day of the season, the Foxes beat Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road and with Sunderland only picking up a point, Leicester were crowned champions.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Leicester City (C, P) | 42 | 21 | 13 | 8 | 58 | 38 | +20 | 55 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 2 | Sunderland (P) | 42 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 69 | 42 | +27 | 54 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 3 | Birmingham City (P) | 42 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 58 | 38 | +20 | 53 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 4 | Chelsea | 42 | 23 | 7 | 12 | 66 | 52 | +14 | 53 | |
| 5 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 75 | 53 | +22 | 49 | |

### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Source: 1979-80 Football League Second Division table

### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 |
| Ground | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A |
| Result | W | D | W | L | W | L | D | W | D | W | L | D | W | W | D | D | W | W | D | L | D | L | W | W | D | W | W | D | D | L | L | D | W | W | L | W | W | W | W | D | W | W |
| Position | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |

## Results

Leicester City's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Second Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 18 August 1979 | Watford | H | 2–0 | 15,772 | Young (2) |
| 21 August 1979 | Cambridge United | A | 1–1 | 6,042 | Young |
| 25 August 1979 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 4–1 | 13,091 | Peake (2), May, Goodwin |
| 1 September 1979 | Luton Town | H | 1–3 | 16,241 | May |
| 8 September 1979 | Notts County | H | 1–0 | 16,595 | Young |
| 15 September 1979 | Newcastle United | A | 2–3 | 26,443 | Smith (2, 1 pen) |
| 22 September 1979 | Fulham | H | 3–3 | 21,447 | Young (2), Smith |
| 29 September 1979 | Swansea City | A | 2–0 | 15,104 | Rofe (2) |
| 6 October 1979 | Shrewsbury Town | A | 2–2 | 9,045 | Goodwin, Byrne |
| 10 October 1979 | Cambridge United | H | 2–1 | 15,960 | Young, Wilson |
| 13 October 1979 | West Ham United | H | 1–2 | 22,472 | Williams |
| 20 October 1979 | Oldham Athletic | A | 1–1 | 10,297 | Young |
| 27 October 1979 | Sunderland | H | 2–1 | 19,365 | Lineker (2) |
| 3 November 1979 | Watford | A | 3–1 | 14,743 | Smith (2, 1 pen), Peake |
| 10 November 1979 | Burnley | H | 1–1 | 17,191 | Young |
| 17 November 1979 | Preston North End | A | 1–1 | 10,038 | Lineker |
| 24 November 1979 | Wrexham | H | 2–0 | 15,316 | Strickland, Henderson |
| 1 December 1979 | Birmingham City | A | 2–1 | 25,748 | Smith, Henderson |
| 8 December 1979 | Leyton Orient | H | 2–2 | 16,303 | Henderson, Goodwin |
| 15 December 1979 | Charlton Athletic | A | 0–2 | 6,717 | |
| 21 December 1979 | Cardiff City | H | 0–0 | 12,877 | |
| 26 December 1979 | Chelsea | A | 0–1 | 25,320 | |
| 29 December 1979 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 2–0 | 20,743 | Rofe, Henderson |
| 1 January 1980 | Bristol Rovers | H | 3–0 | 21,579 | Smith (2), Goodwin |
| 12 January 1980 | Luton Town | A | 0–0 | 14,141 | |
| 19 January 1980 | Notts County | A | 1–0 | 14,859 | Strickland |
| 2 February 1980 | Newcastle United | H | 1–0 | 22,549 | Smith (pen) |
| 9 February 1980 | Fulham | A | 0–0 | 8,691 | |
| 20 February 1980 | Swansea City | H | 1–1 | 17,597 | Henderson |
| 23 February 1980 | West Ham United | A | 1–3 | 27,762 | Young |
| 1 March 1980 | Oldham Athletic | H | 0–1 | 16,991 | |
| 8 March 1980 | Sunderland | A | 0–0 | 29,487 | |
| 15 March 1980 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 2–0 | 15,391 | Young, Edmunds |
| 22 March 1980 | Burnley | A | 2–1 | 7,173 | Edmunds, Young |
| 29 March 1980 | Preston North End | H | 1–2 | 15,293 | Kelly |
| 5 April 1980 | Chelsea | H | 1–0 | 25,826 | May |
| 8 April 1980 | Cardiff City | A | 1–0 | 10,291 | Smith |
| 12 April 1980 | Birmingham City | H | 2–1 | 26,075 | Wilson, Young |
| 19 April 1980 | Wrexham | A | 1–0 | 10,023 | Kelly |
| 23 April 1980 | Bristol Rovers | A | 1–1 | 8,205 | Smith |
| 26 April 1980 | Charlton Athletic | H | 2–1 | 23,875 | Young, Smith |
| 3 May 1980 | Leyton Orient | A | 1–0 | 13,828 | May |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 5 January 1980 | Harlow Town | H | 1–1 | 21,302 | Henderson |
| R3R | 8 January 1980 | Harlow Town | A | 0–1 | 9,723 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 1st leg | 11 August 1979 | Rotherham United | H | 1–2 | 11,210 | Young |
| R1 2nd leg | 14 August 1979 | Rotherham United | A | 0–3 (lost 1–5 on agg) | 5,179 | |

## Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| - | GK | ENG | Mark Wallington |
| - | GK | SCO | Alexander Edmond |
| - | DF | SCO | Tommy Williams |
| - | DF | SCO | Gregor Stevens |
| - | DF | ENG | Larry May |
| - | DF | SCO | Ian Wilson |
| - | MF | IRL | Pat Byrne |
| - | MF | SCO | Eddie Kelly |
| - | FW | SCO | Alan Young |
| - | FW | SCO | Martin Henderson |
| - | DF | SCO | Bobby Smith |
| - | DF | ENG | Dennis Rofe |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| - | MF | ENG | Andy Peake |
| - | MF | ENG | Mark Goodwin |
| - | MF | SCO | Alan Lee |
| - | DF | NIR | John O'Neill |
| - | FW | SCO | Derek Strickland |
| - | DF | SCO | Peter Welsh |
| - | FW | ENG | Gary Lineker |
| - | MF | ENG | Mick Duffy |
| - | FW | ENG | David Buchanan |
| - | DF | ENG | Geoff Scott |
| - | MF | ENG | Paul Edmunds |
| - | DF | ATG | Everton Carr |