English League Tables
1979/80 Tables◄ 1980/81 Tables ►1981/82 Tables
Football League First Division 1980/81
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Notes |
| 1st | Aston Villa | 42 | 26 | 8 | 8 | 72 | 40 | +32 | 60 | Champions ♦EC |
| 2nd | Ipswich Town | 42 | 23 | 10 | 9 | 77 | 43 | +34 | 56 | Runners Up ♦UC |
| 3rd | Arsenal | 42 | 19 | 15 | 8 | 61 | 45 | +16 | 53 | ♦UC |
| 4th | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 20 | 12 | 10 | 60 | 42 | +18 | 52 | ♦UC |
| 5th | Liverpool | 42 | 17 | 17 | 8 | 62 | 42 | +20 | 51 | ♦EC |
| 6th | Southampton | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 76 | 56 | +20 | 50 | ♦UC |
| 7th | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 62 | 44 | +18 | 50 | - |
| 8th | Manchester United | 42 | 15 | 18 | 9 | 51 | 36 | +15 | 48 | - |
| 9th | Leeds United | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 39 | 47 | -8 | 44 | - |
| 10th | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 70 | 68 | +2 | 43 | ♦ECWC |
| 11th | Stoke City | 42 | 12 | 18 | 12 | 51 | 60 | -9 | 42 | - |
| 12th | Manchester City | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 56 | 59 | -3 | 39 | - |
| 13th | Birmingham City | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 50 | 61 | -11 | 38 | - |
| 14th | Middlesbrough | 42 | 16 | 5 | 21 | 53 | 61 | -8 | 37 | - |
| 15th | Everton | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 55 | 58 | -3 | 36 | - |
| 16th | Coventry City | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 48 | 68 | -20 | 36 | - |
| 17th | Sunderland | 42 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 52 | 53 | -1 | 35 | - |
| 18th | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 43 | 55 | -12 | 35 | - |
| 19th | Brighton & Hove Albion | 42 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 54 | 67 | -13 | 35 | - |
| 20th | Norwich City | 42 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 49 | 73 | -24 | 33 | ▼Relegated |
| 21st | Leicester City | 42 | 13 | 6 | 23 | 40 | 67 | -27 | 32 | ▼Relegated |
| 22nd | Crystal Palace | 42 | 6 | 7 | 29 | 47 | 83 | -36 | 19 | ▼Relegated |
Football League Second Division 1980/81
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Notes |
| 1st | West Ham United | 42 | 28 | 10 | 4 | 79 | 29 | +50 | 66 | ▲Champions |
| 2nd | Notts County | 42 | 18 | 17 | 7 | 49 | 38 | +11 | 53 | ▲Runners Up |
| 3rd | Swansea City | 42 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 64 | 44 | +20 | 50 | ▲Promoted |
| 4th | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 16 | 18 | 8 | 42 | 29 | +13 | 50 | - |
| 5th | Luton Town | 42 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 61 | 46 | +15 | 48 | - |
| 6th | Derby County | 42 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 57 | 52 | +5 | 45 | - |
| 7th | Grimsby Town | 42 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 44 | 42 | +2 | 45 | - |
| 8th | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 56 | 46 | +10 | 43 | - |
| 9th | Watford | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 50 | 45 | +5 | 43 | - |
| 10th | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 53 | 51 | +2 | 42 | - |
| 11th | Newcastle United | 42 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 30 | 45 | -15 | 42 | - |
| 12th | Chelsea | 42 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 46 | 41 | +5 | 40 | - |
| 13th | Cambridge United | 42 | 17 | 6 | 19 | 53 | 65 | -12 | 40 | - |
| 14th | Shrewsbury Town | 42 | 11 | 17 | 14 | 46 | 47 | -1 | 39 | - |
| 15th | Oldham Athletic | 42 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 39 | 48 | -9 | 39 | - |
| 16th | Wrexham | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 43 | 45 | -2 | 38 | - |
| 17th | Orient | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 52 | 56 | -4 | 38 | - |
| 18th | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 61 | 66 | -5 | 38 | - |
| 19th | Cardiff City | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 44 | 60 | -16 | 36 | - |
| 20th | Preston North End | 42 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 41 | 62 | -21 | 36 | ▼Relegated |
| 21st | Bristol City | 42 | 7 | 16 | 19 | 29 | 51 | -22 | 30 | ▼Relegated |
| 22nd | Bristol Rovers | 42 | 5 | 13 | 24 | 34 | 65 | -31 | 23 | ▼Relegated |
Football League Third Division 1980/81
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Notes |
| 1st | Rotherham United | 46 | 24 | 13 | 9 | 62 | 32 | +30 | 61 | ▲Champions |
| 2nd | Barnsley | 46 | 21 | 17 | 8 | 72 | 45 | +27 | 59 | ▲Runners Up |
| 3rd | Charlton Athletic | 46 | 25 | 9 | 12 | 63 | 44 | +19 | 59 | ▲Promoted |
| 4th | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 71 | 40 | +31 | 56 | - |
| 5th | Chesterfield | 46 | 23 | 10 | 13 | 72 | 48 | +24 | 56 | - |
| 6th | Portsmouth | 46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 55 | 47 | +8 | 53 | - |
| 7th | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 56 | 44 | +12 | 52 | - |
| 8th | Burnley | 46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 60 | 48 | +12 | 50 | - |
| 9th | Brentford | 46 | 14 | 19 | 13 | 52 | 49 | +3 | 47 | - |
| 10th | Reading | 46 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 62 | 62 | 0 | 46 | - |
| 11th | Exeter City | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 62 | 66 | -4 | 45 | - |
| 12th | Newport County | 46 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 64 | 61 | +3 | 43 | - |
| 13th | Fulham | 46 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 57 | 64 | -7 | 43 | - |
| 14th | Oxford United | 46 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 39 | 47 | -8 | 43 | - |
| 15th | Gillingham | 46 | 12 | 18 | 16 | 48 | 58 | -10 | 42 | - |
| 16th | Millwall | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 43 | 60 | -17 | 42 | - |
| 17th | Swindon Town | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 51 | 56 | -5 | 41 | - |
| 18th | Chester | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 38 | 48 | -10 | 41 | - |
| 19th | Carlisle United | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 56 | 70 | -14 | 41 | - |
| 20th | Walsall | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 59 | 74 | -15 | 41 | - |
| 21st | Sheffield United | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 65 | 63 | +2 | 40 | ▼Relegated |
| 22nd | Colchester United | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 45 | 65 | -20 | 39 | ▼Relegated |
| 23rd | Blackpool | 46 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 45 | 75 | -30 | 32 | ▼Relegated |
| 24th | Hull City | 46 | 8 | 16 | 22 | 40 | 71 | -31 | 32 | ▼Relegated |
Football League Fourth Division 1980/81
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Notes |
| 1st | Southend United | 46 | 30 | 7 | 9 | 79 | 31 | +48 | 67 | ▲Champions |
| 2nd | Lincoln City | 46 | 25 | 15 | 6 | 66 | 25 | +41 | 65 | ▲Runners Up |
| 3rd | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 22 | 12 | 12 | 59 | 49 | +10 | 56 | ▲Promoted |
| 4th | Wimbledon | 46 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 64 | 46 | +18 | 55 | ▲Promoted |
| 5th | Peterborough United | 46 | 17 | 18 | 11 | 68 | 54 | +14 | 52 | - |
| 6th | Aldershot | 46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 43 | 41 | +2 | 50 | - |
| 7th | Mansfield Town | 46 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 58 | 44 | +14 | 49 | - |
| 8th | Darlington | 46 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 65 | 59 | +6 | 49 | - |
| 9th | Hartlepool United | 46 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 64 | 61 | +3 | 49 | - |
| 10th | Northampton Town | 46 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 65 | 67 | -2 | 49 | - |
| 11th | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 51 | 55 | -4 | 47 | - |
| 12th | Bury | 46 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 70 | 62 | +8 | 45 | - |
| 13th | AFC Bournemouth | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 47 | 48 | -1 | 45 | - |
| 14th | Bradford City | 46 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 53 | 60 | -7 | 44 | - |
| 15th | Rochdale | 46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 60 | 70 | -10 | 43 | - |
| 16th | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 11 | 20 | 15 | 60 | 69 | -9 | 42 | - |
| 17th | Torquay United | 46 | 18 | 5 | 23 | 55 | 63 | -8 | 41 | - |
| 18th | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 48 | 61 | -13 | 40 | - |
| 19th | Port Vale | 46 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 57 | 70 | -13 | 39 | - |
| 20th | Stockport County | 46 | 16 | 7 | 23 | 44 | 57 | -13 | 39 | - |
| 21st | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 59 | 73 | -14 | 36 | Re-Elected |
| 22nd | Hereford United | 46 | 11 | 13 | 22 | 38 | 62 | -24 | 35 | Re-Elected |
| 23rd | Halifax Town | 46 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 44 | 71 | -27 | 34 | Re-Elected |
| 24th | York City | 46 | 12 | 9 | 25 | 47 | 66 | -19 | 33 | Re-Elected |
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Election for League Membership |
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| The bottom four league sides faced re-election and were joined in the vote by non-league Altrincham in the vote for league membership. | ||
| Votes | Club | End Result |
| 48 | Tranmere Rovers | Re Elected to the League |
| 46 | Hereford United | Re Elected to the League |
| 46 | York City | Re Elected to the League |
| 41 | Halifax Town | Re Elected to the League |
| 15 | Altrincham | Not Elected to the League |
1979/80 Tables◄ 1980/81 Tables ►1981/82 Tables
