Billy Bonds
Encyclopedia
William Arthur "Billy" Bonds MBE (born 17 September 1946) is a former professional footballer
and manager
, who is most often associated with West Ham United
with whom he spent 27 years as player and manager. He played 793 first-team games for West Ham in a career spanning 21 seasons.
, south-east London
, Bonds grew up in nearby Eltham
, where he played for a Sunday boys' team, Moatbridge, and Kent Schoolboys and joined the groundstaff at Charlton Athletic
after leaving school at 15. He played in the youth and A team and occasionally in the reserves before joining the playing staff shortly before his 18th birthday in September 1964.
in February 1965 and became a regular in the first team, going on to make 95 League appearances, scoring one goal, before being signed by Ron Greenwood for West Ham United
for a fee of £50,000 in May 1967. He made his first appearance for West Ham in a testimonial match for Ken Brown in the same month and made his League debut against Sheffield Wednesday
in the opening game of the 1967–68 season. He was ever-present in the 1968–69 and 1969–70 seasons and played 124 consecutive league games until injury ended his run of appearances in October 1970. He played his first three seasons as a right-back before Greenwood switched him to midfield in the 1970–71 season where he counterbalanced the skills of Trevor Brooking
. Bonds was at his peak in the early 1970s, helping West Ham to the semi-final of the Football League Cup
in the 1971–72 season, where they lost to Stoke City
after a second replay, and topping the scorers list at West Ham in the 1973–74 season with 13 goals, including a hat-trick against Chelsea
. After the departure of Bobby Moore
in March 1974, Bonds was appointed to the captaincy and led the club to an FA Cup
final victory over Fulham
in 1975 and to the final of the 1976 European Cup Winners' Cup
despite a groin injury that interrupted the latter half of the 1974–75 season and part of the 1975–76 season. Greenwood moved Bonds from midfield to the back four as centre-half alongside Tommy Taylor shortly before the end of the 1976–77 season, where he was able to come out from defence with the ball.
He was capped twice at England Under-23 international level and was on the bench as a non-playing substitute for the senior international team for a World Cup
qualifying match against Italy
in November 1977. He experienced relegation with West Ham at the end of the 1977–78 season but led West Ham to a second FA Cup victory over First Division
club Arsenal
in 1980, becoming the only West Ham captain to lift the FA Cup on two occasions. In 1980–81, he led West Ham to the final of the League Cup, which was lost to Liverpool
after a replay and to promotion back to the First Division. A collision with goalkeeper, Phil Parkes, in the last game of the season that broke two ribs, ruled him out of selection for England against Brazil
in May 1981. He passed Bobby Moore's club record of appearances in 1982–83 and 'officially' retired in May 1984, relinquishing the captaincy to Alvin Martin
. A spate of injuries to first-team players saw him return to the squad and make 26 league and cup appearances in 1984–85. He missed the entire 1985–86 season due to a toe injury but, having passed his 40th birthday, he was able to re-establish himself in the first-team during the 1986–87 season. A knee injury that forced him out of the last two games of the 1987–88 season led to a decision to finally retire in the summer of 1988, having played his last game at Southampton
in April 1988 at the age of 41 years and 226 days.
He had remained at the club as a player for over 20 years, scoring 48 goals in a club record 663 League
appearances. He established himself as a local hero and was the supporters' choice for 'Hammer of the Year' in 1971, 1974, 1975 and 1987. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in January 1988 and was presented with the PFA
Merit Award in April 1988 by his fellow professional players.
appointed him as youth coach. He unsuccessfully applied for the manager's post when Lyall left the club in July 1989 after West Ham had been relegated. However, when new manager Lou Macari
resigned seven months later, Bonds was appointed manager in February 1990. In his first full season in charge, he took the club to promotion, when they finished as runner-up to Oldham Athletic in 1990–91. He was awarded a second testimonial in the same season. West Ham were relegated in 1991–92 but Bonds again led them to promotion in 1992–93, when they finished as runner-up to Newcastle United
, and took West Ham to a mid-table finish in 1993–94. He resigned in August 1994 when he was replaced by Harry Redknapp
. He had spells in coaching at Queens Park Rangers
and Reading
before making a return to management with Millwall
in May 1997. His tenure there was short-lived and he was sacked by the club the following year.
|1967–68
||rowspan="21"|West Ham United
||rowspan="11"|First Division
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|-
|1968–69
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|-
|1969–70
||42||3||1||0||2||0||0||0||45||3
|-
|1970–71
||37||0||1||0||2||0||0||0||40||0
|-
|1971–72
||42||3||4||0||10||2||0||0||56||5
|-
|1972–73
||39||3||2||0||2||0||0||0||43||3
|-
|1973–74
||40||13||2||0||1||0||0||0||43||13
|-
|1974–75
||31||7||8||0||3||2||0||0||42||9
|-
|1975–76
||18||1||0||0||5||1||9||2||32||4
|-
|1976–77
||41||3||2||0||3||0||0||0||46||3
|-
|1977–78
||29||1||3||1||0||0||0||0||32||2
|-
|1978–79
||rowspan="3"|Second Division
||39||4||1||0||1||0||0||0||41||4
|-
|1979–80
||34||1||5||0||9||0||0||0||48||1
|-
|1980–81
||41||0||3||0||8||1||6||1||58||2
|-
|1981–82
||rowspan="7"|First Division
||29||1||2||1||4||0||0||0||35||2
|-
|1982–83
||34||3||1||0||4||0||0||0||39||3
|-
|1983–84
||27||0||1||0||2||0||0||0||30||0
|-
|1984–85
||22||3||0||0||4||0||0||0||26||3
|-
|1985–86
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|1986–87
||17||0||4||0||3||0||0||0||24||0
|-
|1987–88
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663||48||48||2||67||6||15||3||793||59
663||48||48||2||67||6||15||3||793||59
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, who is most often associated with West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
with whom he spent 27 years as player and manager. He played 793 first-team games for West Ham in a career spanning 21 seasons.
Background
Born in WoolwichWoolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
, south-east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Bonds grew up in nearby Eltham
Eltham, London
-Parks and open spaces:There is a large variety of open green space in Eltham, in the form of parkland, fields and woodland.*Avery Hill Park is large, open parkland, situated to the east of Eltham. It is most notable for its Winter Garden, a hothouse containing tropical trees and plants from around...
, where he played for a Sunday boys' team, Moatbridge, and Kent Schoolboys and joined the groundstaff at Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
after leaving school at 15. He played in the youth and A team and occasionally in the reserves before joining the playing staff shortly before his 18th birthday in September 1964.
Playing career
Bonds made his League debut for Charlton against Northampton TownNorthampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
in February 1965 and became a regular in the first team, going on to make 95 League appearances, scoring one goal, before being signed by Ron Greenwood for West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
for a fee of £50,000 in May 1967. He made his first appearance for West Ham in a testimonial match for Ken Brown in the same month and made his League debut against Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
in the opening game of the 1967–68 season. He was ever-present in the 1968–69 and 1969–70 seasons and played 124 consecutive league games until injury ended his run of appearances in October 1970. He played his first three seasons as a right-back before Greenwood switched him to midfield in the 1970–71 season where he counterbalanced the skills of Trevor Brooking
Trevor Brooking
Sir Trevor David Brooking CBE is a football player turned manager, on-air analyst, and administrator.Brooking attended Ripple Infants School and left Ilford County High School with 11 O-levels and 2 A-levels....
. Bonds was at his peak in the early 1970s, helping West Ham to the semi-final of the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
in the 1971–72 season, where they lost to Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
after a second replay, and topping the scorers list at West Ham in the 1973–74 season with 13 goals, including a hat-trick against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. After the departure of Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...
in March 1974, Bonds was appointed to the captaincy and led the club to an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
final victory over Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
in 1975 and to the final of the 1976 European Cup Winners' Cup
1976 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final
The 1976 European Cup Winners' Cup Final was a football match between West Ham United of England and Anderlecht of Belgium. The final was held at Heysel Stadium in Brussels on 5 May 1976. It was the final match of the 1975–76 European Cup Winners' Cup tournament and the 16th European Cup Winners'...
despite a groin injury that interrupted the latter half of the 1974–75 season and part of the 1975–76 season. Greenwood moved Bonds from midfield to the back four as centre-half alongside Tommy Taylor shortly before the end of the 1976–77 season, where he was able to come out from defence with the ball.
He was capped twice at England Under-23 international level and was on the bench as a non-playing substitute for the senior international team for a World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
qualifying match against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
in November 1977. He experienced relegation with West Ham at the end of the 1977–78 season but led West Ham to a second FA Cup victory over First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
club Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in 1980, becoming the only West Ham captain to lift the FA Cup on two occasions. In 1980–81, he led West Ham to the final of the League Cup, which was lost to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
after a replay and to promotion back to the First Division. A collision with goalkeeper, Phil Parkes, in the last game of the season that broke two ribs, ruled him out of selection for England against Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
in May 1981. He passed Bobby Moore's club record of appearances in 1982–83 and 'officially' retired in May 1984, relinquishing the captaincy to Alvin Martin
Alvin Martin
Alvin Edward Martin is a retired English footballer who played as a defender.Playing most of his footballing career for West Ham United he appeared in 598 games for scoring 34 goals...
. A spate of injuries to first-team players saw him return to the squad and make 26 league and cup appearances in 1984–85. He missed the entire 1985–86 season due to a toe injury but, having passed his 40th birthday, he was able to re-establish himself in the first-team during the 1986–87 season. A knee injury that forced him out of the last two games of the 1987–88 season led to a decision to finally retire in the summer of 1988, having played his last game at Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in April 1988 at the age of 41 years and 226 days.
He had remained at the club as a player for over 20 years, scoring 48 goals in a club record 663 League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
appearances. He established himself as a local hero and was the supporters' choice for 'Hammer of the Year' in 1971, 1974, 1975 and 1987. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in January 1988 and was presented with the PFA
Professional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
Merit Award in April 1988 by his fellow professional players.
Style of play
Bonds was noted for his physical strength and fitness, for his committed, tough tackling, combative style of play while using the ball intelligently and effectively, and making surging runs forward, initially as an overlapping right-back early in his career, then from midfield where he balanced the skills of Trevor Brooking, and later as a centre-back bringing the ball out of defence. His inspirational and leadership qualities, where he led by example and always gave 100% on the football field, saw him appointed as club captain at West Ham from 1974 to 1984.Managerial career
After Bonds retired as a player in 1988, West Ham manager John LyallJohn Lyall
John Angus Lyall was an English footballer and manager of Scottish descent. His mother, Catherine, was from the Isle of Lewis, his father, James, was from Kirriemuir. He was born in Ilford, Essex.- Youth team career :...
appointed him as youth coach. He unsuccessfully applied for the manager's post when Lyall left the club in July 1989 after West Ham had been relegated. However, when new manager Lou Macari
Lou Macari
Luigi "Lou" Macari is a Scottish former footballer and football manager of Italian descent.-Playing career:...
resigned seven months later, Bonds was appointed manager in February 1990. In his first full season in charge, he took the club to promotion, when they finished as runner-up to Oldham Athletic in 1990–91. He was awarded a second testimonial in the same season. West Ham were relegated in 1991–92 but Bonds again led them to promotion in 1992–93, when they finished as runner-up to Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, and took West Ham to a mid-table finish in 1993–94. He resigned in August 1994 when he was replaced by Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
. He had spells in coaching at Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
and Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
before making a return to management with Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
in May 1997. His tenure there was short-lived and he was sacked by the club the following year.
Honours
- European Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
- Runners-up: 1976
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
- Winners: 19751975 FA Cup FinalThe 1975 FA Cup Final was contested by West Ham United and Fulham at Wembley. The Fulham team contained two former England captains in former West Ham captain Bobby Moore, making his last appearance at Wembley, and Alan Mullery. West Ham won 2–0, with the two goals scored by Alan Taylor...
, 19801980 FA Cup FinalThe 1980 FA Cup Final was contested by West Ham United and Arsenal at Wembley. West Ham won by a single goal, scored by Trevor Brooking.To date, it is the last time a team from outside the top flight has won the FA Cup... - Semi-finalists: 1991
- Winners: 1975
- Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
- Runners-up: 19811981 Football League Cup FinalThe 1981 Football League Cup Final was played on Saturday 14 March 1981 at Wembley Stadium between Liverpool and West Ham United, with both clubs appearing in their second League Cup finals....
- Semi-finalists: 1972
- Runners-up: 1981
- Second Division/First DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
- Champions: 1980–81
- Runners-up: 1990–91, 1992–93
Appearances for West Ham United
|-|1967–68
The Football League 1967-68
-Overview:The 1967–1968 season was the 68th completed season of The Football League.- First Division :For the first time since 1937 Manchester City won the league title, finishing two points clear of their local rivals Manchester United. Fulham finished bottom of the league and were relegated along...
||rowspan="21"|West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
||rowspan="11"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||37||1||3||0||2||0||0||0||42||1
|-
|1968–69
The Football League 1968-69
-Overview:The 1968–1969 season was the 69th completed season of The Football League.- First Division :Leeds United won the League for the first time in their history, finishing six points ahead of Liverpool...
||42||1||3||0||2||0||0||0||47||1
|-
|1969–70
The Football League 1969-70
The 1969–1970 season was the 70th completed season of The Football League.Everton won their seventh title, finishing nine points clear of Leeds United with Chelsea in third and newly promoted Derby County in fourth. Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland were both relegated.Huddersfield Town claimed...
||42||3||1||0||2||0||0||0||45||3
|-
|1970–71
The Football League 1970-71
-Overview:The 1970–1971 season was the 71st completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Arsenal won the league championship at the home of their bitter rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, with Ray Kennedy scoring the winner. This would soon be followed by their FA Cup final tie with Liverpool...
||37||0||1||0||2||0||0||0||40||0
|-
|1971–72
The Football League 1971-72
-Overview:The 1971–1972 season was the 72nd completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Brian Clough, 37, won the first major trophy of his managerial career by guiding Derby County to their first ever league championship. They overcame Leeds United to win a four-horse race also...
||42||3||4||0||10||2||0||0||56||5
|-
|1972–73
The Football League 1972-73
-Overview:The 1972–1973 season was the 73rd completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Liverpool cruised to another championship triumph in Bill Shankly's penultimate season as manager despite competition from Arsenal, Leeds United, Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers.Manchester...
||39||3||2||0||2||0||0||0||43||3
|-
|1973–74
The Football League 1973-74
-Overview:The 1973–1974 season was the 74th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Don Revie marked his last season as Leeds United's manager by guiding them to league championship glory, before taking over from Sir Alf Ramsey as the England national football team manager, with...
||40||13||2||0||1||0||0||0||43||13
|-
|1974–75
The Football League 1974-75
-Overview:The 1974–1975 season was the 75th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:David Mackay guided Derby County to their second league title in four years having overcome strong competition from Liverpool, Ipswich Town, Everton, Stoke City, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough in...
||31||7||8||0||3||2||0||0||42||9
|-
|1975–76
The Football League 1975-76
-Overview:The 1975–1976 season was the 76th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Liverpool won their first major trophy under Bob Paisley by narrowly winning the league title after heated competition from Queens Park Rangers. They also lifted the UEFA Cup for the second time in...
||18||1||0||0||5||1||9||2||32||4
|-
|1976–77
The Football League 1976-77
-Overview:The 1976–1977 season was the 77th completed season of The Football League.As of this season, goal difference was used to separate the clubs finishing level on points. The earlier system, used from the season 1894–95 until the 1975–76 had been the so-called goal average , or more properly...
||41||3||2||0||3||0||0||0||46||3
|-
|1977–78
The Football League 1977-78
-Overview:The 1977–1978 season was the 78th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest side took on the First Division by storm, by winning the League Cup on 22 March and confirming themselves as league champions the following month...
||29||1||3||1||0||0||0||0||32||2
|-
|1978–79
The Football League 1978-79
-Overview:The 1978–1979 season was the 79th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Bob Paisley won his third league title at Liverpool as his conquering side fought off competition from the likes of Nottingham Forest and West Bromwich Albion to achieve their triumph...
||rowspan="3"|Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||39||4||1||0||1||0||0||0||41||4
|-
|1979–80
The Football League 1979-80
-Overview:The 1979–1980 season was the 80th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Bob Paisley's Liverpool retained their league championship trophy after fighting off a determined challenge by Dave Sexton's Manchester United...
||34||1||5||0||9||0||0||0||48||1
|-
|1980–81
The Football League 1980-81
The 1980–1981 season was the 81st completed season of The Football League.-First Division: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...
||41||0||3||0||8||1||6||1||58||2
|-
|1981–82
The Football League 1981-82
The 1981–1982 season was the 82nd completed season of The Football League.- First Division:3 points for a win was introduced for the first time in England...
||rowspan="7"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||29||1||2||1||4||0||0||0||35||2
|-
|1982–83
The Football League 1982-83
-Overview:The 1982–1983 season was the 83rd completed season of The Football League.- First Division:Bob Paisley’s last season as Liverpool manager ended on a high as they topped the First Division with a comfortable lead. Bob Paisley retired as Liverpool manager with a record 21 prizes in nine...
||34||3||1||0||4||0||0||0||39||3
|-
|1983–84
The Football League 1983-84
-Overview:The 1983–1984 season was the 84th completed season of The Football League.- First Division:Liverpool had a great first season under the management of Joe Fagan as they wrapped up their third successive league title and the 15th in their history. They overcame strong competition from...
||27||0||1||0||2||0||0||0||30||0
|-
|1984–85
The Football League 1984-85
-Overview:The 1984–1985 season was the 85th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Howard Kendall’s Everton side beat neighbours Liverpool to the league championship, while Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United followed closely behind...
||22||3||0||0||4||0||0||0||26||3
|-
|1985–86
The Football League 1985-86
-Overview:The 1985–1986 season was the 86th completed season of the The Football League.-Final league tables and results :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at the website, with home and away statistics separated.Re-election: During the first five seasons...
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|1986–87
The Football League 1986-87
-Overview:The 1986–1987 season was the 87th completed season of the The Football League.-Innovations for this season:Playoffs to determine promotion places were introduced in 1987 so that more clubs remained eligible for promotion closer to the end of the season, and at the same time to aid in the...
||17||0||4||0||3||0||0||0||24||0
|-
|1987–88
The Football League 1987-88
The 1987–1988 season was the 88th completed season of the The Football League.-First Division:Liverpool won the league title with a comfortable nine-point margin and just two defeats all season...
||22||0||2||0||0||0||0||0||24||0
663||48||48||2||67||6||15||3||793||59
663||48||48||2||67||6||15||3||793||59