During the summer of 1984, City signed winger John Hendrie, who had played with Abbott at Coventry, as well as defender Dave Evans. Abbott missed two of the season's first six games and was substitute for another two, but after that he missed only two more as City won the title by four points. Abbott's games again were shared between his roles in midfield and at full back as he weighed in with six league goals, four from penalties. City's joy, however, was overshadowed on the final day of the season against Lincoln City, when the game was abandoned because of a fire killing 56 supporters, only an hour after the team had paraded the Division Three trophy.