# 1980–81 Kent Football League

The 1980–81 Kent Football League season was the fifteenth in the history of the Kent Football League, a football competition featuring teams based in and around the county of Kent in England.
The League structure comprised two divisions: Division One and Division Two with the latter known as the Reserves Section (reserves teams were not permitted in Division One). Additionally there were two league cup competitions: the Challenge Cup for the Division One clubs and another for the teams in Division Two.

## Division One

The division featured the seventeen clubs which had competed in the previous season.
The division was won by Cray Wanderers.
At the end of the season Dartford Glentworth left the league.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Season End Notes |
| 1 | Cray Wanderers | 32 | 24 | 5 | 3 | 92 | 27 | +65 | 53 | |
| 2 | Chatham Town | 32 | 22 | 6 | 4 | 61 | 23 | +38 | 50 | |
| 3 | Crockenhill | 32 | 20 | 5 | 7 | 63 | 37 | +26 | 45 | |
| 4 | Erith & Belvedere | 32 | 19 | 5 | 8 | 57 | 30 | +27 | 43 | |
| 5 | Sittingbourne | 32 | 18 | 5 | 9 | 74 | 29 | +45 | 41 | |
| 6 | Hythe Town | 32 | 18 | 5 | 9 | 70 | 45 | +25 | 41 | |
| 7 | Sheppey United | 32 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 45 | 33 | +12 | 41 | |
| 8 | Faversham Town | 32 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 36 | 28 | +8 | 35 | |
| 9 | Tunbridge Wells | 32 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 33 | 49 | −16 | 29 | |
| 10 | Darenth Heathside | 32 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 45 | 52 | −7 | 28 | |
| 11 | Deal Town | 32 | 10 | 7 | 15 | 46 | 49 | −3 | 27 | |
| 12 | Dartford Glentworth | 32 | 11 | 3 | 18 | 40 | 60 | −20 | 25 | Resigned |
| 13 | Slade Green Athletic | 32 | 10 | 5 | 17 | 39 | 51 | −12 | 23 | |
| 14 | Whitstable Town | 32 | 7 | 7 | 18 | 33 | 58 | −25 | 21 | |
| 15 | Kent Police | 32 | 5 | 9 | 18 | 43 | 67 | −24 | 19 | |
| 16 | Herne Bay | 32 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 23 | 67 | −44 | 14 | Re-elected |
| 17 | Ramsgate | 32 | 2 | 3 | 27 | 26 | 121 | −95 | 7 | Re-elected |
* ↑ Slade Green Athletic were deducted two points.

### Challenge Cup

The 1980–81 Kent Football League Challenge Cup was won by Sittingbourne (whose reserves team won their Divisional cup too).
The competition, contested by all seventeen clubs in the Division One, comprised five single match tie rounds (with the first round featuring one tie) culminating in the final which was played on a neutral ground (at Sheppey United F.C. this season).

#### Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| Hythe Town | Hythe Town | 1 | | | | | | |
| Darenth Heathside | Darenth Heathside | 2 | | | | | | |
| Darenth Heathside | Darenth Heathside | 2 | Darenth Heathside | Darenth Heathside | 1 | | | |
| | | | Whitstable Town | Whitstable Town | 0 | | | |
| Whitstable Town | Whitstable Town | 5 | Whitstable Town | Whitstable Town | 0 | | | |
| Faversham Town | Faversham Town | 1 | | | | | | |
| Faversham Town | Faversham Town | 1 | | | | Darenth Heathside | Darenth Heathside | 1 |
| | | | | | | Sittingbourne | Sittingbourne | 2 |
| Erith & Belvedere | Erith & Belvedere | 4 | | | | | | | Sittingbourne | Sittingbourne | 2 |
| Crockenhill | Crockenhill | 2 | | | | | | |
| Crockenhill | Crockenhill | 2 | Erith & Belvedere | Erith & Belvedere | 0 | | | |
| | | | Sittingbourne | Sittingbourne | 2 | | | |
| Deal Town | Deal Town | 1 | Sittingbourne | Sittingbourne | 2 | | | |
| Sittingbourne | Sittingbourne | 2 | | | | | | |

#### Second Round

* Sheppey United 1 – 3 Hythe Town
* Darenth Heathside 3 – 0 Herne Bay
* Whitstable Town 1 – 1 Ramsgate
* Replay: Ramsgate 0 – 1 Whitstable Town
* Faversham Town 3 – 2 Kent Police
* Erith & Belvedere 1 – 0 Tunbridge Wells
* Crockenhill 1 – 0 Dartford Glentworth
* Slade Green Athletic 3 – 3 Deal Town
* Replay: Deal Town 5 – 1 Slade Green Athletic
* Sittingbourne 4 – 1 Chatham Town

#### First Round

* Darenth Heathside 5 – 2 Cray Wanderers
* Byes for the other fifteen clubs
Sources:
* Final: "County Soccer Details: Results: Saturday: Kent League, Division 1, Cup Final". Kentish Express. 8 May 1981. p. 31. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* Semi-finals: "County Soccer Details: Results: Saturday: Kent League Cup semi-finals". Kentish Express. 6 March 1981. p. 31. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* Quarter-finals: "Results: Kent League Cup". Thanet Times. 16 December 1980. p. 30. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.;
* Second Round: "Erith Net a Long Shot and Slam the Door". Kent & Sussex Courier. 26 September 1980. p. 34. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "County Soccer Details: Results: Saturday: Kent League, Division 1 Cup, Round 1 (sic)". Kentish Express. 26 September 1980. p. 27. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "County Soccer Details: Results: Tuesday: Kent League Cup 2nd rd replay". Kentish Express. 17 October 1980. p. 27. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Results: Kent League Cup". Thanet Times. 4 November 1980. p. 31. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* First Round: "County Soccer Details: Results: Saturday: Kent League Division 1: League Cup". Kentish Express. 29 August 1980. p. 27. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.

## Reserves Section

The letter "R" following team names indicates a club's reserves team.
Division Two featured mostly reserves teams (which were not permitted in Division One) from clubs from Kent and the adjacent area whose first team played in Division One and other higher ranked leagues. There was a League Cup competition for the teams in the section.

### Division Two

The league featured nineteen clubs including one non-reserve team (Snowdown Colliery Welfare). Fourteen of the teams had competed in the previous season and they were joined by five additional, all reserves, teams:
* Dartford joined from the Kent County Amateur League
* Dartford Glentworth R
* Folkestone R (formerly Folkestone & Shepway R) joined from the Kent County Amateur League
* Maidstone United R joined from the Kent County Amateur League
* Welling United R
Newly joined club Welling United R were the division winners.
At the end of the season Faversham Town R and Dartford Glentworth R resigned from the league.
(The table below is not the final table, maximum potential matches per team = 36)
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Season End Notes |
| 1 | Welling United R | 35 | 30 | 2 | 3 | 116 | 26 | +90 | 62 | |
| 2 | Maidstone United R | 34 | 26 | 3 | 5 | 113 | 30 | +83 | 55 | |
| 3 | Dartford R | 33 | 22 | 3 | 8 | 69 | 34 | +35 | 47 | |
| 4 | Chatham Town R | 32 | 21 | 4 | 7 | 83 | 29 | +54 | 46 | |
| 5 | Erith & Belvedere R | 33 | 19 | 6 | 8 | 63 | 26 | +37 | 44 | |
| 6 | Faversham Town R | 36 | 19 | 1 | 16 | 70 | 66 | +4 | 39 | Resigned |
| 7 | Folkestone R | 36 | 14 | 9 | 13 | 63 | 62 | +1 | 37 | |
| 8 | Darenth Heathside R | 35 | 15 | 7 | 13 | 49 | 52 | −3 | 37 | |
| 9 | Sittingbourne R | 35 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 45 | 41 | +4 | 35 | |
| 10 | Deal Town R | 35 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 60 | 70 | −10 | 34 | |
| 11 | Dover R | 35 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 52 | 60 | −8 | 31 | |
| 12 | Sheppey United R | 36 | 12 | 7 | 17 | 55 | 68 | −13 | 31 | |
| 13 | Ashford Town R | 36 | 13 | 5 | 18 | 50 | 76 | −26 | 31 | |
| 14 | Hythe Town R | 35 | 11 | 6 | 18 | 49 | 75 | −26 | 28 | |
| 15 | Dartford Glentworth R | 34 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 51 | 63 | −12 | 25 | Resigned |
| 16 | Whitstable Town R | 34 | 10 | 4 | 20 | 41 | 72 | −31 | 24 | |
| 17 | Hastings United R | 36 | 9 | 5 | 22 | 36 | 74 | −38 | 23 | |
| 18 | Herne Bay R | 36 | 7 | 4 | 25 | 43 | 110 | −67 | 18 | Re-elected |
| 19 | Snowdown Colliery Welfare | 36 | 6 | 3 | 27 | 38 | 112 | −74 | 15 | Re-elected |

### Division Two Cup

The 1980–81 Kent Football League Division Two Cup was won by Sittingbourne R (whose first team won the Challenge Cup) with Chatham Town R runners-up.
The competition was contested by all nineteen clubs in the division and comprised five single match tie rounds (with the first round featuring three ties) culminating in the final.

#### Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| Faversham Town R | Faversham Town R | 6 | | | | | | |
| Deal Town R | Deal Town R | 0 | | | | | | |
| Deal Town R | Deal Town R | 0 | Faversham Town R | Faversham Town R | 2 | | | |
| | | | Sittingbourne R | Sittingbourne R | 4 | | | |
| Sittingbourne R | Sittingbourne R | 3 | Sittingbourne R | Sittingbourne R | 4 | | | |
| Sheppey United R | Sheppey United R | 2 | | | | | | |
| Sheppey United R | Sheppey United R | 2 | | | | Sittingbourne R | Sittingbourne R | Sittingbourne R |
| | | | | | | Chatham Town R | Chatham Town R | Chatham Town R |
| Hythe Town R | Hythe Town R | 4 | | | | | | | Chatham Town R | Chatham Town R | Chatham Town R |
| Whitstable Town R | Whitstable Town R | 2 | | | | | | |
| Whitstable Town R | Whitstable Town R | 2 | Hythe Town R | Hythe Town R | 0 | | | |
| | | | Chatham Town R | Chatham Town R | 4 | | | |
| Chatham Town R | Chatham Town R | 1 | Chatham Town R | Chatham Town R | 4 | | | |
| Darenth Heathside R | Darenth Heathside R | 0 | | | | | | |

#### Second Round

* Faversham Town R 5 – 1 Dartford R
* Ashford Town R 2 – 2 Deal Town R
* REPLAY: Deal Town R 4 – 1 Ashford Town R
* Sittingbourne R 1 – 0 Snowdown Colliery Welfare
* Sheppey United R 2 – 1 Maidstone United R
* Hythe Town R v Dover R
* Dartford Glentworth R 0 – 1 Whitstable Town R
* Chatham Town R v Welling United R
* Darenth Heathside R 1 – 1 Erith & Belvedere R
* REPLAY: Erith & Belvedere R 3 – 0 Darenth Heathside R

#### First Round

* Faversham Town R 2 – 2 Folkestone R
* REPLAY 1: Folkestone R 1 – 1 (aet) Faversham Town R (score at 90 minutes: 1–1)
* REPLAY 2: Faversham Town R v Folkestone R
* Sittingbourne R 3 – 0 Hastings United R
* Maidstone United R 9 – 0 Herne Bay R
* Byes for the other thirteen clubs
Sources:
* Final: "Reserves Division(s) League Cup". kentleague.com. 2013. Archived from the original on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
* Semi-finals: "County Soccer Details: Results: Saturday: Kent League: Division 2: League Cup semi-final". Kentish Express. 13 March 1981. p. 23. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "County Soccer Details: Results: Saturday: Kent League: Division 2: League Cup semi-final". Kentish Express. 27 March 1981. p. 30. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* Quarter-finals: "County Soccer Details: Results: Saturday: Kent League: Division 2: League Cup 3rd rnd". Kentish Express. 19 December 1980. p. 23. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "County Soccer Details: Results: Boxing Day: Kent League: League Cup 3rd rnd". Kentish Express. 2 January 1981. p. 23. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* Second Round: "Senior soccer details: Fixtures: Saturday: Kent League: League 2 Cup 2nd rnd". Kent Messenger. 19 September 1980. p. 34. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Craig can stick with same 12". Whitstable Times. 26 September 1980. p. 13. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "County Soccer Details: Results: Kent League Division 2 Cup rd 2". Kentish Express. 3 October 1980. p. 31. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "County Soccer Details: Results: Monday: Kent League Cup replay". Kentish Express. 3 October 1980. p. 31. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Senior soccer details: Results: Tuesday: Kent League: League Cup 2nd rnd". Kent Messenger. 10 October 1980. p. 43. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "County Soccer Details: Results: Tuesday: Kent League Division 2 Cup". Kentish Express. 17 October 1980. p. 31. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "County Soccer Details: Results: Saturday: Kent League Division 2 Cup, 2nd rnd replay". Kentish Express. 28 November 1980. p. 31. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* First Round: "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Kent League: Division 2 League Cup". Kent Messenger. 29 August 1980. p. 34. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Kent League: League Cup, 1st rnd". Kent Messenger. 5 September 1980. p. 34. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Senior soccer details: Results: Wednesday: Kent League Division 2: League Cup replay". Kent Messenger. 12 September 1980. p. 42. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.