1980–81 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season

Huddersfield Town's 1980–81 campaign was very successful following on from the previous season's brilliant promotion from the Fourth Division. The team just missed out on earning back-to-back promotions, by finishing in 4th place, just 3 points behind 3rd-placed Charlton Athletic.

Huddersfield Town
1980–81 season
ChairmanEngland Keith Longbottom
ManagerEngland Mick Buxton
Football League Third Division4th
FA CupThird round
(knocked out by Shrewsbury Town)
Football League CupFirst round
(knocked out by Blackburn Rovers)
Top goalscorerLeague: Steve Kindon (18)
All: Steve Kindon (19)
Highest home attendance28,901 vs Barnsley (7 February 1981)
Lowest home attendance6,965 vs Fulham (2 May 1981)
Biggest win6–0 vs Northwich Victoria (25 November 1980)
Biggest defeat0–3 vs Shrewsbury Town (3 January 1981)

Squad at the start of the season

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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 Andy Rankin
-- DF   ENG Malcolm Brown
-- DF   ENG Keith Hanvey
-- DF   ENG Fred Robinson
-- DF   ENG Dave Sutton
-- DF   ENG Chris Topping
-- MF   ENG David Cowling
-- MF   ENG Bobby Davison
No. Pos. Nation Player
-- MF   ENG Mick Kennedy
-- MF   ENG Mick Laverick
-- MF   WAL Bernard Purdie
-- MF   ENG Brian Stanton
-- FW   ENG Peter Fletcher
-- FW   ENG Steve Kindon
-- FW   ENG Mark Lillis
-- FW   ENG Ian Robins

Review

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Following the successful promotion campaign from Division Four, many fans were hoping for a quick return to Division Two. After a shaky start, in which it took Town 5 games to win a match, but they started a charge up the Division 3 table, with a run of 5 straight wins between 30 September and mid-October. Then followed a mid-period of mediocrity, which led onto a run of 12 matches unbeaten including a win against Barnsley, watched by nearly 30,000 people.

After losing two games on the trot to Reading and Swindon Town, they went on a run of 6 matches unbeaten which included a 5–0 win against Exeter City. They then lost against Millwall, Burnley and Hull City ended Town's promotion hopes, despite beating both Portsmouth and Fulham at the end of the season to finish in 4th place.

Squad at the end of the season

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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 Neil Freeman (on loan from Birmingham City)
-- GK   ENG Andy Rankin
-- DF   ENG Malcolm Brown
-- DF   ENG Keith Hanvey
-- DF   ENG Fred Robinson
-- DF   ENG Dave Sutton
-- DF   ENG Chris Topping
-- MF   ENG David Cowling
-- MF   ENG Bobby Davison
No. Pos. Nation Player
-- MF   ENG Mick Kennedy
-- MF   ENG Mick Laverick
-- MF   WAL Bernard Purdie
-- MF   ENG Brian Stanton
-- FW   ENG Terry Austin
-- FW   ENG Peter Fletcher
-- FW   ENG Steve Kindon
-- FW   ENG Mark Lillis
-- FW   ENG Ian Robins

Results

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Date Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance Position
16 August 1980 Chesterfield A 1–2 Kindon 7,819 17th
19 August 1980 Carlisle United H 1–1 Robinson 7,674 17th
23 August 1980 Blackpool H 1–1 Laverick 9,490 15th
30 August 1980 Rotherham United A 0–0 6,961 16th
6 September 1980 Reading H 4–1 Death (og), Kennedy (pen), Laverick, Stanton 7,312 12th
13 September 1980 Barnsley A 0–1 13,819 16th
16 September 1980 Gillingham A 0–0 5,092 16th
20 September 1980 Sheffield United H 1–0 Stanton 14,721 13th
27 September 1980 Swindon Town A 0–1 5,856 13th
30 September 1980 Gillingham H 1–0 Kindon 7,716 11th
4 October 1980 Colchester United H 2–0 Kindon (pen), Brown 8,400 8th
8 October 1980 Oxford United A 2–0 Robins, Cowling 3,373 6th
11 October 1980 Exeter City A 4–1 Kindon (3), Stanton 4,769 4th
18 October 1980 Plymouth Argyle H 2–0 Robins, Kennedy 11,655 2nd
21 October 1980 Burnley H 0–0 15,741 3rd
25 October 1980 Newport County A 2–3 Kindon (2, 1 pen) 6,403 6th
29 October 1980 Chester A 2–0 Kindon, Robins 4,331 3rd
1 November 1980 Charlton Athletic H 0–1 11,329 5th
4 November 1980 Oxford United H 2–0 Kindon, Robins 7,543 4th
8 November 1980 Millwall A 1–2 Robins 3,529 6th
11 November 1980 Carlisle United A 1–1 Kindon 3,998 6th
15 November 1980 Chesterfield H 2–0 Kindon, Brown 12,828 5th
29 November 1980 Brentford H 3–0 Robins, Kindon (pen), Stanton 8,871 4th
6 December 1980 Fulham A 2–2 Lillis, Stanton 4,513 5th
20 December 1980 Portsmouth H 0–0 10,869 6th
26 December 1980 Walsall A 2–2 Austin (2) 5,906 6th
27 December 1980 Hull City H 5–0 Stanton, Austin, Cowling, Lillis, Robins 13,240 5th
10 January 1981 Newport County H 4–1 Stanton (2), Austin, Cowling 9,063 4th
17 January 1981 Brentford A 0–0 5,830 4th
24 January 1981 Rotherham United H 1–0 Stanton 16,687 4th
31 January 1981 Blackpool A 2–1 Austin (2) 9,431 4th
7 February 1981 Barnsley H 1–0 Cowling 28,901 3rd
14 February 1981 Reading A 1–2 Lillis 5,290 3rd
21 February 1981 Swindon Town H 0–2 10,655 3rd
28 February 1981 Sheffield United A 2–2 Kindon (2) 14,426 3rd
7 March 1981 Colchester United A 2–1 Robins, Lillis 3,644 3rd
17 March 1981 Plymouth Argyle A 0–0 5,433 2nd
28 March 1981 Chester H 0–0 11,117 3rd
4 April 1981 Charlton Athletic A 2–1 Brown, Kindon 8,878 3rd
7 April 1981 Exeter City H 5–0 Hanvey, Lillis (2), Stanton (2) 12,009 3rd
11 April 1981 Millwall H 0–1 13,353 4th
14 April 1981 Burnley A 2–4 Kindon, Stanton 11,075 4th
18 April 1981 Hull City A 1–2 Robins 6,328 4th
21 April 1981 Walsall H 1–1 Lillis 9,463 4th
25 April 1981 Portsmouth A 2–1 Austin (2) 10,238 4th
2 May 1981 Fulham H 4–2 Robins (2), Kindon, Sutton 6,965 4th
Date Round Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance
22 November 1980 Round 1 Northwich Victoria A 1–1 Stanton 6,685
25 November 1980 Round 1 Replay Northwich Victoria H 6–0 Stanton (2), Robins (2), Hanvey, Laverick 9,849
13 December 1980 Round 2 Tranmere Rovers A 3–0 Stanton, Robins (2) 6,763
3 January 1981 Round 3 Shrewsbury Town H 0–3 14,712
Date Round Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance
9 August 1980 Round 1 1st Leg Blackburn Rovers A 0–0 8,670
12 August 1980 Round 1 2nd Leg Blackburn Rovers H 1 – 1 (aet: 90 mins: 1 – 1) Kindon 9,500
  • 1–1 on aggregate.

Huddersfield lost on away goals rule.

Appearances and goals

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Name Nation Position League Apps League Goals FA Cup Apps FA Cup Goals League Cup Apps League Cup Goals Total Apps Total Goals
Terry Austin   England FW 16 (2) 8 1 0 0 0 17 (2) 8
Malcolm Brown   England DF 46 3 4 0 2 0 52 3
David Cowling   England MF 43 4 4 0 2 0 49 4
Bobby Davison   England MF 1 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 1 (1) 0
Neil Freeman (1st Spell)   England GK 10 0 0 0 0 0 10 0
Neil Freeman (2nd Spell)   England GK 8 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
Keith Hanvey   England DF 45 1 3 1 2 0 50 2
Mick Kennedy   England MF 41 (1) 2 4 0 0 (2) 0 45 (3) 2
Steve Kindon   England FW 37 (3) 18 4 0 2 1 43 (3) 19
Mick Laverick   England MF 25 2 1 (1) 1 2 0 28 (1) 3
Mark Lillis   England MF 29 (5) 7 3 (1) 0 0 0 32 (6) 7
Bernard Purdie   Wales DF 8 (1) 0 0 0 2 0 10 (1) 0
Andy Rankin   England GK 28 0 4 0 2 0 34 0
Ian Robins   England FW 37 (4) 11 3 (1) 4 2 0 42 (5) 15
Fred Robinson   England DF 42 1 4 0 2 0 48 1
Brian Stanton   England MF 44 12 4 4 2 0 50 16
Dave Sutton   England DF 39 1 4 0 2 0 45 1
Chris Topping   England DF 7 0 1 0 0 0 8 0