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The 1980–1981 season was the 82nd completed season of The Football League. Ron Saunders completed Aston Villa's revival, as they ended their 71-year wait for the league championship trophy. They competed in a two-horse race with Ipswich Town during the final stages of the season before pipping the Suffolk side at the post. Liverpool slipped into fifth place but compensated for this downfall by lifting the European Cup and their first-ever League Cup. But Manchester United failed to make the top five and this shortcoming cost Dave Sexton his manager's job. He was succeeded by Ron Atkinson, who had just finished fourth in the league and reached the UEFA Cup quarterfinals with an impressive West Bromwich Albion side — who would suffer a rapid decline after Atkinson's departure. Crystal Palace endured a dreadful season with just six wins. They were joined in the Second Division by also-doomed Norwich City and Leicester City. FA Cup holders West Ham United regained their First Division status by lifting the Second Division championship trophy. They were joined by Notts County and Swansea City, completing a meteoric rise under John Toshack, from the Fourth Division to the First in just four years. Both Bristol clubs were relegated from the Second Division in 1980–81. They were joined in the drop zone by Preston North End. Rotherham United, Barnsley and Charlton Athletic occupied the promotion places in the Third Division. Hull City, Blackpool and Colchester United were joined in the Third Division drop zone by Sheffield United - who just seven years earlier had finished sixth in the First Division. Southend United, Lincoln City, Doncaster Rovers and Wimbledon occupied the four promotion places in the Fourth Division. There were no movements between the Fourth Division and the Alliance Premier League as the re-election system went in favour of the league's bottom four clubs. ==Final league tables and results == The tables and results below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at (The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation ) website, with home and away statistics separated. During the first five seasons of the league, that is, until the season 1893–94, re-election process concerned the clubs which finished in the bottom four of the league. From the 1894–95 season and until the 1920–21 season the re-election process was required of the clubs which finished in the bottom three of the league. From the 1922–23 season on it was required of the bottom two teams of both Third Division North and Third Division South. Since the Fourth Division was established in the 1958–59 season, the re-election process has concerned the bottom four clubs in that division.〔Ian Laschke: ''Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79''. Macdonald and Jane’s, London & Sydney, 1980.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「1980–81 Football League」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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