# 1980–81 Chester F.C. season

The 1980–81 season was the 43rd season of competitive association football in the Football League played by Chester, an English club based in Chester, Cheshire.
Also, it was the fourth season spent in the Third Division after the promotion from the Fourth Division in 1975. Alongside competing in the Football League the club also participated in the FA Cup and the Football League Cup.

## Football League

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 16 | Millwall | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 43 | 60 | −17 | 42 |
| 17 | Swindon Town | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 51 | 56 | −5 | 41 |
| 18 | Chester | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 38 | 48 | −10 | 41 |
| 19 | Carlisle United | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 56 | 70 | −14 | 41 |
| 20 | Walsall | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 59 | 74 | −15 | 41 |

### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 38 | 48 | −10 | 41 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 25 | 17 | +8 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 13 | 31 | −18 |
Source: rsssf.com

### Results by matchday

| 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 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
| Result | L | L | W | L | W | L | D | D | W | W | W | W | D | L | L | L | D | W | W | L | L | D | W | D | L | W | W | L | D | L | L | L | W | D | L | W | W | L | D | D | L | W | L | L | D | L |
| Position | 21 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 20 | 18 | 19 |

### Matches

| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| 16 August | Oxford United | H | L | 0–1 | | 2,203 |
| 19 August | Plymouth Argyle | A | L | 0–2 | | 4,823 |
| 23 August | Carlisle United | H | W | 1–0 | Oakes | 2,007 |
| 30 August | Millwall | A | L | 0–1 | | 3,264 |
| 6 September | Exeter City | H | W | 1–0 | Cooke | 1,964 |
| 13 September | Charlton Athletic | A | L | 0–1 | | 4,422 |
| 20 September | Burnley | H | D | 0–0 | | 3,402 |
| 27 September | Colchester United | A | D | 1–1 | Jones | 2,147 |
| 4 October | Swindon Town | A | W | 2–1 | Howat, Ludlam | 5,577 |
| 8 October | Hull City | H | W | 4–1 | T. Phillips (2), Ludlam, Howat | 1,964 |
| 11 October | Reading | H | W | 1–0 | T. Phillips | 2,444 |
| 18 October | Brentford | A | W | 1–0 | Howat | 6,600 |
| 21 October | Rotherham United | A | D | 0–0 | | 6,635 |
| 25 October | Fulham | H | L | 0–1 | | 3,169 |
| 29 October | Huddersfield Town | H | L | 0–2 | | 4,331 |
| 1 November | Barnsley | A | L | 0–2 | | 9,330 |
| 4 November | Hull City | A | D | 0–0 | | 3,335 |
| 8 November | Sheffield United | H | W | 3–2 | Burns, T. Phillips, Sutcliffe | 4,563 |
| 12 November | Plymouth Argyle | H | W | 1–0 | Ludlam | 2,247 |
| 15 November | Oxford United | A | L | 0–1 | | 2,526 |
| 29 November | Portsmouth | A | L | 0–2 | | 10,515 |
| 3 December | Newport County | H | D | 1–1 | Sutcliffe | 1,640 |
| 6 December | Walsall | H | W | 1–0 | T. Phillips | 2,215 |
| 13 December | Newport County | A | D | 1–1 | Cottam | 4,169 |
| 20 December | Gillingham | H | L | 1–2 | Ludlam | 1,740 |
| 26 December | Blackpool | A | W | 3–2 | Fear, Ludlam, Cooke | 4,878 |
| 27 December | Chesterfield | H | W | 2–1 | Cooke, Fear | 4,222 |
| 2 January | Reading | A | L | 0–3 | | 3,804 |
| 10 January | Brentford | H | D | 0–0 | | 2,041 |
| 17 January | Walsall | A | L | 1–2 | Jones | 3,483 |
| 24 January | Millwall | H | L | 0–1 | | 2,114 |
| 31 January | Carlisle United | A | L | 0–3 | | 3,282 |
| 7 February | Charlton Athletic | H | W | 4–0 | T. Phillips, Jones, Howat, Raynor | 2,461 |
| 21 February | Colchester United | H | D | 0–0 | | 1,778 |
| 28 February | Burnley | A | L | 0–1 | | 4,993 |
| 7 March | Swindon Town | H | W | 1–0 | Rollings (o.g.) | 1,810 |
| 17 March | Fulham | A | W | 1–0 | T. Phillips | 3,387 |
| 21 March | Rotherham United | H | L | 0–1 | | 3,945 |
| 28 March | Huddersfield Town | A | D | 0–0 | | 11,117 |
| 4 April | Barnsley | H | D | 2–2 | Ludlam (2) | 4,680 |
| 7 April | Sheffield United | A | L | 0–2 | | 10,027 |
| 17 April | Blackpool | H | W | 2–1 | Cooke (2) | 2,804 |
| 18 April | Chesterfield | A | L | 0–2 | | 3,850 |
| 25 April | Gillingham | A | L | 1–2 | Oakes | 3,228 |
| 29 April | Exeter City | A | D | 2–2 | Jones, Howat | 3,056 |
| 2 May | Portsmouth | H | L | 0–1 | | 2,153 |

## FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round | 22 November | Barnsley (3) | H | L | 1–2 | Birch | 7,135 |

## League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round first leg | 9 August | Stockport County (4) | H | D | 1–1 | Oakes | 2,468 |
| First round second leg | 11 August | Stockport County (4) | A | L | 0–1 | | 2,720 |

## Season statistics

| Nat | Player | Total | Total | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup |
| Nat | Player | A | G | A | G | A | G | A | G |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||||
| | Grenville Millington | 49 | – | 46 | – | 1 | – | 2 | – |
| Field players ||||||||||
| | John Anderson | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Trevor Birch | 33+1 | 1 | 30+1 | – | 1 | 1 | 2 | – |
| | David Burns | 16+3 | 1 | 15+3 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – |
| | Terry Cooke | 10+4 | 5 | 10+4 | 5 | – | – | – | – |
| | John Cottam | 45 | 1 | 42 | 1 | 1 | – | 2 | – |
| | Keith Fear | 30+1 | 2 | 30+1 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| | Richie Gendall | 4+1 | – | 4+1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Ian Howat | 17+1 | 5 | 17 | 5 | 0+1 | – | – | – |
| | Derek Jeffries | 24 | – | 22 | – | 1 | – | 1 | – |
| | Brynley Jones | 44+1 | 4 | 41+1 | 4 | 1 | – | 2 | – |
| | Mike Kearney | 11 | – | 9 | – | – | – | 2 | – |
| | Steve Ludlam | 42+1 | 7 | 39+1 | 7 | 1 | – | 2 | – |
| | Paul Needham | 7+2 | – | 7+2 | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Alan Oakes | 30 | 3 | 28 | 2 | – | – | 2 | 1 |
| | Ronnie Phillips | 3+2 | – | 2+1 | – | – | – | 1+1 | – |
| | Trevor Phillips | 29+3 | 7 | 28+3 | 7 | 1 | – | – | – |
| | Paul Raynor | 34 | 1 | 32 | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | – |
| | Trevor Storton | 47 | – | 44 | – | 1 | – | 2 | – |
| | Peter Sutcliffe | 27+1 | 2 | 26+1 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – |
| | Jim Walker | 34 | – | 32 | – | – | – | 2 | – |
| | Peter Zelem | 2+4 | – | 2+4 | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Own goals | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| | Total | 49 | 40 | 46 | 38 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |