1982–83 Football League
Season | 1982–83 |
---|---|
Champions | Liverpool |
← 1981–82 1983–84 → |
The 1982–83 season was the 84th completed season of the English Football League.
Bob Paisley’s last season as Liverpool manager ended on a high as they topped the First Division with a comfortable lead. Paisley retired as Liverpool manager with a record 21 prizes in nine years.[citation needed] His successor was the club's long-serving coach Joe Fagan. Newly promoted Watford were the shock of the season, finishing in second place in their first season in the top flight.
Manchester City were relegated despite a four-year spending spree totalling around £5million. Swansea City were also relegated after only their second season as a First Division club. They had finished sixth a year earlier and at several stages had topped the league table. Brighton & Hove Albion joined them on the way down.
Queens Park Rangers, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City won promotion to the First Division. Rotherham United, Burnley and Bolton Wanderers were relegated to the Third Division. It was another blow for Bolton, who had been relegated from the First Division three years earlier.
Charlton Athletic and Wolverhampton Wanderers both came within hours of going bankrupt but were both saved by respective new owners.
Portsmouth’s revival continued as they ran away with the Third Division championship, followed closely behind by runners-up Cardiff City and third-placed Huddersfield Town. Newport County finished 4th, their highest post-World War II position in the Football League. Occupying the four relegation places were Reading, Wrexham, Doncaster Rovers and Chesterfield.
Wimbledon were crowned Fourth Division champions. Hull City, Port Vale and Scunthorpe United occupied the other three promotion places. The re-election system went in favour of the bottom four sides in the Fourth Division, all of whom were re-elected for the following season, but had things gone differently then Blackpool could have gone out of the Football League little over a decade after they had been a First Division side.[citation needed]
At the end of the season, Fourth Division strugglers Crewe Alexandra appointed Milan-born ex-Wimbledon manager Dario Gradi as their new manager.
Final league tables and results
[edit]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,[1] 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.[2]
First Division
[edit]Season | 1982–83 |
---|---|
Champions | Liverpool 14th English title |
Relegated | Manchester City Swansea City Brighton & Hove Albion |
European Cup | Liverpool |
Cup Winners' Cup | Manchester United Swansea City |
UEFA Cup | Aston Villa Nottingham Forest Tottenham Hotspur Watford |
Matches played | 462 |
Goals scored | 1,264 (2.74 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Luther Blissett (27 goals)[3] |
Biggest home win | Watford 8–0 Sunderland (25 September 1982) |
Biggest away win | Notts County 0–6 Ipswich Town (25 September 1982) |
Highest scoring | Luton Town 5–3 Notts County (4 September 1982) Stoke City 4–4 Luton Town (25 September 1982) Watford 8–0 Sunderland (25 September 1982) Watford 5–3 Notts County (12 March 1983) |
Longest winning run | 6 matches Liverpool |
Longest unbeaten run | 19 matches Liverpool |
Longest losing run | 6 matches West Bromwich Albion |
← 1981–82 1983–84 → |
Liverpool were dominant throughout Bob Paisley's final season as manager, retaining the league title and winning a third successive League Cup. Paisley, who had won 21 major trophies in nine seasons as manager, handed over the reins to his assistant Joe Fagan.
Second place in the league went to Watford, who took the First Division by storm in their first season at this level. Manchester United won the FA Cup in Ron Atkinson's second season as manager, and also finished third in the league for the second consecutive season. Tottenham Hotspur continued to thrive, finishing fourth and qualifying for the UEFA Cup, although they failed to add any silverware to the FA Cup victories of 1981 and 1982. Nottingham Forest finished fifth and secured a place in the UEFA Cup.
Brighton, who took Manchester United to a replay in the FA Cup final, went down in bottom place after four seasons in the First Division. Swansea City, who had finished sixth on their First Division debut a year earlier, were unable to maintain their fine form for a second season, and went down in second place from bottom. The final relegation place went to Manchester City, whose 17-year stay in the First Division was ended in the final minutes of the final game of the season, when a Raddy Antic goal gave visitors Luton Town a 1-0 victory and saved them from an immediate return to the Second Division.
For the first time in eight years, there were no English clubs winning European trophies this season.
Final table
[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Liverpool (C) | 42 | 24 | 10 | 8 | 87 | 37 | +50 | 82 | Qualification for the European Cup first round |
2 | Watford | 42 | 22 | 5 | 15 | 74 | 57 | +17 | 71 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
3 | Manchester United | 42 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 56 | 38 | +18 | 70 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round[a] |
4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 20 | 9 | 13 | 65 | 50 | +15 | 69 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
5 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 20 | 9 | 13 | 62 | 50 | +12 | 69 | |
6 | Aston Villa | 42 | 21 | 5 | 16 | 62 | 50 | +12 | 68 | |
7 | Everton | 42 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 66 | 48 | +18 | 64 | |
8 | West Ham United | 42 | 20 | 4 | 18 | 68 | 62 | +6 | 64 | |
9 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 64 | 50 | +14 | 58 | |
10 | Arsenal | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 58 | 56 | +2 | 58 | |
11 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 51 | 49 | +2 | 57 | |
12 | Southampton | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 54 | 58 | −4 | 57 | |
13 | Stoke City | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 53 | 64 | −11 | 57 | |
14 | Norwich City | 42 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 52 | 58 | −6 | 54 | |
15 | Notts County | 42 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 55 | 71 | −16 | 52 | |
16 | Sunderland | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 48 | 61 | −13 | 50 | |
17 | Birmingham City | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 40 | 55 | −15 | 50 | |
18 | Luton Town | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 65 | 84 | −19 | 49 | |
19 | Coventry City | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 48 | 59 | −11 | 48 | |
20 | Manchester City (R) | 42 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 47 | 70 | −23 | 47 | Relegation to the Second Division |
21 | Swansea City (R) | 42 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 51 | 69 | −18 | 41 | Cup Winners' Cup preliminary round and relegation to the Second Division[b] |
22 | Brighton & Hove Albion (R) | 42 | 9 | 13 | 20 | 38 | 68 | −30 | 40 | Relegation to the Second Division |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Manchester United qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup first round as the 1982–83 FA Cup winners.
- ^ Swansea City qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup preliminary round as the 1983 Welsh Cup winners.
Results
[edit]Managerial changes
[edit]Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ipswich Town | ![]() | Signed by England | 30 May 1982 | Pre-season | ![]() | 1 June 1982 |
West Bromwich Albion | ![]() | Became general manager | 1 June 1982 | ![]() | 1 June 1982 | |
Notts County | ![]() | 8 June 1982 | ![]() | 8 June 1982 | ||
Brighton & Hove Albion | ![]() | Sacked | 6 December 1982 | 18th | ![]() | 6 December 1982 |
Manchester City | ![]() | 3 February 1983 | 9th | ![]() | 3 February 1983 |
Maps
[edit]Second Division
[edit]Season | 1982–83 |
---|---|
Champions | Queens Park Rangers |
Promoted | Queens Park Rangers Wolverhampton Wanderers Leicester City |
Relegated | Rotherham United Burnley Bolton Wanderers |
Matches played | 462 |
Goals scored | 1,244 (2.69 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Gary Lineker (26 goals)[3] |
← 1981–82 1983–84 → |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Queens Park Rangers (C, P) | 42 | 26 | 7 | 9 | 77 | 36 | +41 | 85 | Promotion to the First Division |
2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (P) | 42 | 20 | 15 | 7 | 68 | 44 | +24 | 75 | |
3 | Leicester City (P) | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 72 | 44 | +28 | 70 | |
4 | Fulham | 42 | 20 | 9 | 13 | 64 | 47 | +17 | 69 | |
5 | Newcastle United | 42 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 75 | 53 | +22 | 67 | |
6 | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 60 | 47 | +13 | 63 | |
7 | Oldham Athletic | 42 | 14 | 19 | 9 | 64 | 47 | +17 | 61 | |
8 | Leeds United | 42 | 13 | 21 | 8 | 51 | 46 | +5 | 60 | |
9 | Shrewsbury Town | 42 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 48 | 48 | 0 | 59 | |
10 | Barnsley | 42 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 57 | 55 | +2 | 57 | |
11 | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 58 | 58 | 0 | 57 | |
12 | Cambridge United | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 42 | 60 | −18 | 51 | |
13 | Derby County | 42 | 10 | 19 | 13 | 49 | 58 | −9 | 49 | |
14 | Carlisle United | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 68 | 70 | −2 | 48 | |
15 | Crystal Palace | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 43 | 52 | −9 | 48 | |
16 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 46 | 67 | −21 | 48 | |
17 | Charlton Athletic | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 63 | 86 | −23 | 48 | |
18 | Chelsea | 42 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 51 | 61 | −10 | 47 | |
19 | Grimsby Town | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 45 | 70 | −25 | 47 | |
20 | Rotherham United (R) | 42 | 10 | 15 | 17 | 45 | 68 | −23 | 45 | Relegation to the Third Division |
21 | Burnley (R) | 42 | 12 | 8 | 22 | 56 | 66 | −10 | 44 | |
22 | Bolton Wanderers (R) | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 42 | 61 | −19 | 44 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
[edit]Maps
[edit]Third Division
[edit]Season | 1982–83 |
---|---|
Champions | Portsmouth (2nd title) |
Promoted | Cardiff City, Huddersfield Town |
Relegated | Reading, Wrexham, Doncaster Rovers, Chesterfield |
Matches played | 552 |
Goals scored | 1,617 (2.93 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Kerry Dixon (Reading), 26[3] |
← 1981–82 1983–84 → |
Pos | Team | Pld | HW | HD | HL | HGF | HGA | AW | AD | AL | AGF | AGA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Portsmouth | 46 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 43 | 19 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 31 | 22 | +33 | 91 | Division Champions, promoted |
2 | Cardiff City | 46 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 45 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 31 | 36 | +26 | 86 | Promoted |
3 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 15 | 8 | 0 | 56 | 18 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 28 | 31 | +35 | 82 | |
4 | Newport County | 46 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 40 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 11 | 36 | 34 | +22 | 78 | |
5 | Oxford United | 46 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 41 | 23 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 30 | 30 | +18 | 78 | |
6 | Lincoln City | 46 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 55 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 22 | 29 | +26 | 76 | |
7 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 55 | 21 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 29 | 37 | +26 | 75 | |
8 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 37 | 23 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 24 | 43 | −5 | 65 | |
9 | Brentford | 46 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 50 | 28 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 38 | 49 | +11 | 64 | |
10 | Walsall | 46 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 38 | 19 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 26 | 44 | +1 | 64 | |
11 | Sheffield United | 46 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 44 | 20 | 3 | 4 | 16 | 18 | 44 | −2 | 64 | |
12 | Bradford City | 46 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 41 | 27 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 27 | 42 | −1 | 61 | |
13 | Gillingham | 46 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 37 | 29 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 21 | 30 | −1 | 61 | |
14 | Bournemouth | 46 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 35 | 20 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 24 | 48 | −9 | 61 | |
15 | Southend United | 46 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 41 | 28 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 25 | 37 | +1 | 59 | |
16 | Preston North End | 46 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 35 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 25 | 52 | −9 | 58 | |
17 | Millwall | 46 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 41 | 24 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 23 | 53 | −13 | 55 | |
18 | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 10 | 4 | 9 | 35 | 33 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 25 | 39 | −12 | 54 | |
19 | Exeter City | 46 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 49 | 43 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 32 | 61 | −23 | 54 | |
20 | Orient | 46 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 44 | 38 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 20 | 50 | −24 | 54 | |
21 | Reading | 46 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 37 | 28 | 2 | 9 | 12 | 27 | 51 | −15 | 53 | Relegated |
22 | Wrexham | 46 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 40 | 26 | 1 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 50 | −20 | 51 | |
23 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 38 | 44 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 19 | 53 | −40 | 38 | |
24 | Chesterfield | 46 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 28 | 28 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 15 | 40 | −25 | 37 |
Results
[edit]Maps
[edit]Fourth Division
[edit]Season | 1982–83 |
---|---|
Champions | Wimbledon (1st title) |
Promoted | Hull City, Port Vale, Scunthorpe United |
Failed re-election | None |
Matches played | 552 |
Goals scored | 1,502 (2.72 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Steve Cammack (Scunthorpe United), 25[3] |
← 1981–82 1983–84 → |
Pos | Team | Pld | HW | HD | HL | HGF | HGA | AW | AD | AL | AGF | AGA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Wimbledon | 46 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 57 | 23 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 39 | 22 | +51 | 98 | Division Champions, promoted |
2 | Hull City | 46 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 48 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 27 | 20 | +41 | 90 | Promoted |
3 | Port Vale | 46 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 37 | 16 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 30 | 18 | +33 | 88 | |
4 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 41 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 30 | 25 | +29 | 83 | |
5 | Bury | 46 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 43 | 20 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 31 | 26 | +28 | 81 | |
6 | Colchester United | 46 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 51 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 24 | 36 | +20 | 81 | |
7 | York City | 46 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 59 | 19 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 29 | 39 | +30 | 79 | |
8 | Swindon Town | 46 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 45 | 27 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 27 | +7 | 68 | |
9 | Peterborough United | 46 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 38 | 23 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 20 | 29 | +6 | 64 | |
10 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 32 | 26 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 29 | 44 | −9 | 61 | |
11 | Halifax Town | 46 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 31 | 23 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 28 | 43 | −7 | 60 | |
12 | Torquay United | 46 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 38 | 30 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 35 | −9 | 58 | |
13 | Chester City | 46 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 28 | 24 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 27 | 36 | −5 | 56 | |
14 | Bristol City | 46 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 32 | 25 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 27 | 45 | −11 | 56 | |
15 | Northampton Town | 46 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 43 | 29 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 22 | 46 | −10 | 54 | |
16 | Stockport County | 46 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 41 | 31 | 3 | 4 | 16 | 19 | 48 | −19 | 54 | |
17 | Darlington | 46 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 27 | 30 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 34 | 41 | −10 | 52 | |
18 | Aldershot | 46 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 40 | 35 | 1 | 10 | 12 | 21 | 47 | −21 | 51 | |
19 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 30 | 29 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 19 | 42 | −22 | 50 | |
20 | Rochdale | 46 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 38 | 25 | 0 | 8 | 15 | 17 | 48 | −18 | 49 | |
21 | Blackpool | 46 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 32 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 16 | 23 | 51 | −19 | 49[a] | Re-elected |
22 | Hartlepool United | 46 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 30 | 24 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 16 | 52 | −30 | 48 | |
23 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 35 | 32 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 18 | 39 | −18 | 41 | |
24 | Hereford United | 46 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 19 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 23 | 56 | −37 | 41 |
Notes:
Results
[edit]Maps
[edit]Election/Re-election to the Football League
[edit]This year Enfield, the winners of the Alliance Premier League, could not apply for election because they did not meet Football League requirements, so 2nd placed Maidstone United won the right to apply for election to the Football League to replace one of the four bottom sides in the 1982–83 Football League Fourth Division. The vote went as follows:
Club | Final Position | Votes |
---|---|---|
Blackpool | 21st (Fourth Division) | 52 |
Crewe Alexandra | 23rd (Fourth Division) | 49 |
Hereford United | 24th (Fourth Division) | 49 |
Hartlepool United | 22nd (Fourth Division) | 36 |
Maidstone United | 2nd (Alliance Premier League) | 26 |
As a result of this, all four Football League teams were re-elected, and Maidstone United were denied membership of the League.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "England 1982–83". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 26 January 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
- ^ Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane’s, London & Sydney, 1980.
- ^ a b c d "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-10-31.