1980–81 FA Cup


The FA Cup 1980–81 was the 100th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition, The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. The final saw Tottenham Hotspur defeat Manchester City in the first ever Wembley replay. The final also saw a memorable solo goal from Ricky Villa which was later voted the greatest goal ever scored at Wembley

First round proper

The first round of games were played on 22 November 1980. Replays were played mainly on 25 and 26 November, with a couple of games on 1 December.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Enfield3–0Wembley22 November 1980
2Blackpool4–0Fleetwood Town22 November 1980
3Chester1–2Barnsley22 November 1980
4Darlington0–2Bury22 November 1980
5Barnet2–2Minehead22 November 1980
ReplayMinehead1–2Barnet25 November 1980
6Burnley1–0Scarborough22 November 1980
7Yeovil Town2–1Farnborough Town22 November 1980
8Reading1–2Fulham22 November 1980
9Walsall3–0Stafford Rangers22 November 1980
10Gillingham2–1Dagenham22 November 1980
11Northwich Victoria1–1Huddersfield Town22 November 1980
ReplayHuddersfield Town6–0Northwich Victoria25 November 1980
12Lincoln City1–0Gateshead22 November 1980
13Swindon Town3–2Weymouth22 November 1980
14Tranmere Rovers0–0York City22 November 1980
ReplayYork City1–2Tranmere Rovers25 November 1980
15Stockport County0–0Sheffield United22 November 1980
ReplaySheffield United3–2Stockport County25 November 1980
16Wycombe Wanderers0–3Bournemouth22 November 1980
17Kidderminster Harriers1–1Millwall22 November 1980
ReplayMillwall1–0Kidderminster Harriers25 November 1980
18Brentford2–2Addlestone & Weybridge Town22 November 1980
ReplayBrentford2–0Addlestone & Weybridge Town25 November 1980
19Northampton Town1–4Peterborough United22 November 1980
20Plymouth Argyle2–0Newport County22 November 1980
21Hull City2–1Halifax Town22 November 1980
22Wimbledon7–2Windsor & Eton22 November 1980
23Southend United0–1Hereford United22 November 1980
24Exeter City5–0Leatherhead22 November 1980
25Scunthorpe United3–1Hartlepool United22 November 1980
26Blyth Spartans2–1Burton Albion22 November 1980
27Mansfield Town3–1Rochdale22 November 1980
28Port Vale4–2Bradford City22 November 1980
29Torquay United2–0Barton Rovers22 November 1980
30Workington0–0Carlisle United22 November 1980
ReplayCarlisle United4–1Workington1 December 1980
31Kettering Town1–1Maidstone United22 November 1980
ReplayMaidstone United0–0Kettering Town26 November 1980
ReplayMaidstone United3–1Kettering Town1 December 1980
32Wigan Athletic2–2Chesterfield22 November 1980
ReplayChesterfield2–0Wigan Athletic25 November 1980
33Boston United0–4Rotherham United22 November 1980
34Harlow Town0–2Charlton Athletic22 November 1980
35Colchester United3–0Portsmouth22 November 1980
36Gravesend & Northfleet1–2St Albans City22 November 1980
37Burscough1–2Altrincham22 November 1980
38Mossley1–0Crewe Alexandra22 November 1980
39Sutton Coldfield Town0–2Doncaster Rovers22 November 1980
40Oxford United1–0Aldershot22 November 1980

Second Round Proper

The second round of games were intended to be played on 13 December 1980. Replays took place over 16–17 December with second replays needed in two cases.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Enfield2–0Hereford United13 December 1980
2Barnet0–1Peterborough United13 December 1980
3Burnley1–1Port Vale13 December 1980
ReplayPort Vale2–0Burnley16 December 1980
4Bury2–0Lincoln City13 December 1980
5Gillingham0–0Maidstone United13 December 1980
ReplayMaidstone United0–0Gillingham16 December 1980
ReplayGillingham0–2Maidstone United22 December 1980
6Doncaster Rovers2–1Blackpool13 December 1980
7Sheffield United1–1Chesterfield13 December 1980
ReplayChesterfield1–0Sheffield United16 December 1980
8Tranmere Rovers0–3Huddersfield Town13 December 1980
9Fulham1–0Brentford13 December 1980
10Plymouth Argyle3–0Oxford United13 December 1980
11Millwall0–1Exeter City13 December 1980
12Hull City1–1Blyth Spartans13 December 1980
ReplayBlyth Spartans2–2Hull City16 December 1980
ReplayHull City2–1Blyth Spartans22 December 1980
13Carlisle United3–0Walsall13 December 1980
14Wimbledon2–0Swindon Town13 December 1980
15St Albans City1–1Torquay United13 December 1980
ReplayTorquay United4–1St Albans City17 December 1980
16Scunthorpe United0–0Altrincham13 December 1980
ReplayAltrincham1–0Scunthorpe United15 December 1980
17Charlton Athletic2–1Bournemouth13 December 1980
18Rotherham United0–1Barnsley13 December 1980
19Colchester United1–1Yeovil Town13 December 1980
ReplayYeovil Town0–2Colchester United17 December 1980
20Mossley1–3Mansfield Town13 December 1980

Third round proper

The third round of games in the FA Cup were played on 3 January 1981. Replays took place over 6–7 January with second replays needed in two cases.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Bury 1–1Fulham 3 January 1981
ReplayFulham0–0Bury6 January 1981
ReplayBury0–1Fulham12 January 1981
2Liverpool4–1Altrincham3 January 1981
3Preston North End3–4Bristol Rovers3 January 1981
4Southampton3–1Chelsea3 January 1981
5Leicester City3–0Cardiff City3 January 1981
6Notts County 2–1Blackburn Rovers3 January 1981
7Nottingham Forest3–3Bolton Wanderers 3 January 1981
ReplayBolton Wanderers0–1Nottingham Forest6 January 1981
8West Bromwich Albion3–0Grimsby Town3 January 1981
9Derby County0–0Bristol City3 January 1981
ReplayBristol City2–0Derby County7 January 1981
10Everton2–0Arsenal3 January 1981
11Ipswich Town1–0Aston Villa3 January 1981
12Newcastle United 2–1Sheffield Wednesday3 January 1981
13Manchester City 4–0Crystal Palace3 January 1981
14Queens Park Rangers0–0Tottenham Hotspur 3 January 1981
ReplayTottenham Hotspur3–1Queens Park Rangers7 January 1981
15Barnsley 2–1Torquay United 3 January 1981
16Maidstone United2–4Exeter City 3 January 1981
17West Ham United 1–1Wrexham3 January 1981
ReplayWrexham0–0West Ham United6 January 1981
ReplayWrexham1–0West Ham United19 January 1981
18Manchester United 2–2Brighton & Hove Albion3 January 1981
ReplayBrighton & Hove Albion0–2Manchester United7 January 1981
19Norwich City1–0Cambridge United 3 January 1981
20Plymouth Argyle 1–2Charlton Athletic 3 January 1981
21Hull City 1–0Doncaster Rovers 3 January 1981
22Wimbledon 0–0Oldham Athletic 3 January 1981
ReplayOldham Athletic0–1Wimbledon6 January 1981
23Huddersfield Town 0–3Shrewsbury Town 3 January 1981
24Mansfield Town 2–2Carlisle United3 January 1981
ReplayCarlisle United2–1Mansfield Town6 January 1981
25Port Vale 1–1Enfield 3 January 1981
ReplayEnfield3–0Port Vale6 January 1981
26Leeds United 1–1Coventry City 3 January 1981
ReplayCoventry City1–0Leeds United6 January 1981
27Stoke City 2–2Wolverhampton Wanderers3 January 1981
ReplayWolverhampton Wanderers2–1Stoke City6 January 1981
28Peterborough United 1–1Chesterfield 3 January 1981
ReplayChesterfield1–2Peterborough United6 January 1981
29Colchester United 0–1Watford 3 January 1981
30Birmingham City 1–1Sunderland3 January 1981
ReplaySunderland1–2Birmingham City7 January 1981
31Orient 1–3Luton Town3 January 1981
32Swansea City 0–5Middlesbrough 3 January 1981

Fourth Round Proper

The fourth round of games were mainly played on 24 January 1981. Replays were played on 27 and 28 January. *
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Southampton3–1Bristol Rovers24 January 1981
2Watford1–1Wolverhampton Wanderers24 January 1981
ReplayWolverhampton Wanderers2–1Watford27 January 1981
3Leicester City1–1Exeter City24 January 1981
ReplayExeter City3–1Leicester City28 January 1981
4Notts County0–1Peterborough United24 January 1981
5Nottingham Forest1–0Manchester United24 January 1981
6Middlesbrough1–0West Bromwich Albion24 January 1981
7Everton2–1Liverpool24 January 1981
8Shrewsbury Town0–0Ipswich Town24 January 1981
ReplayIpswich Town3–0Shrewsbury Town27 January 1981
9Wrexham2–1Wimbledon24 January 1981
10Newcastle United2–1Luton Town24 January 1981
11Tottenham Hotspur2–0Hull City24 January 1981
12Manchester City6–0Norwich City24 January 1981
13Fulham1–2Charlton Athletic24 January 1981
14Barnsley1–1Enfield24 January 1981
Replay*Enfield0–3Barnsley28 January 1981
15Coventry City3–2Birmingham City24 January 1981
16Carlisle United1–1Bristol City24 January 1981
ReplayBristol City5–0Carlisle United28 January 1981

Fifth Round Proper

The fifth set of games were all played on 14 February 1981. Two replays were played on 17 and 18 February.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Southampton0–0Everton14 February 1981
ReplayEverton1–0Southampton17 February 1981
2Nottingham Forest2–1Bristol City14 February 1981
3Wolverhampton Wanderers3–1Wrexham14 February 1981
4Middlesbrough2–1Barnsley14 February 1981
5Ipswich Town2–0Charlton Athletic14 February 1981
6Newcastle United1–1Exeter City14 February 1981
ReplayExeter City4–0Newcastle United18 February 1981
7Tottenham Hotspur3–1Coventry City14 February 1981
8Peterborough United0–1Manchester City14 February 1981

Sixth Round Proper

The sixth round of FA Cup games were played on 7 March 1981. There were three replays, taken place over 10–11 March.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Nottingham Forest3–3Ipswich Town7 March 1981
ReplayIpswich Town1–0Nottingham Forest10 March 1981
2Middlesbrough1–1Wolverhampton Wanderers7 March 1981
ReplayWolverhampton Wanderers3–1Middlesbrough10 March 1981
3Everton2–2Manchester City7 March 1981
ReplayManchester City3–1Everton11 March 1981
4Tottenham Hotspur2–0Exeter City7 March 1981

Semi-Finals

The matches were both played on 11 April 1981, with a replay on 15 April. Tottenham and Manchester City reached the Final.
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Replay

Final

The final was held at Wembley Stadium on 9 May 1981. The replay was held on 14 May 1981.

Replay

TV Coverage

The right to show FA Cup games were, as with Football League matches, shared between the BBC and ITV network. All games were shown in a highlights format, except the Final, which was shown live both on BBC1 & ITV. The BBC football highlights programme Match Of The Day would show up to three games and the various ITV regional network stations would cover up to one game and show highlights from other games covered elsewhere on the ITV network. For the first time the BBC showed highlights of a single game from the first & second Rounds after highlights of League games. ITV did not show any games from Round One or Two. Occasional highlights of replays would be shown on either the BBC or ITV.
First Round BBC Harlow Town v Charlton Athletic Second Round BBC Colchester United v Yeovil Third Round BBC Ipswich Town v Aston Villa, Everton v Arsenal, Swansea City v Middlesbrough, Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United ITV Manchester City v Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers v Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich City v Cambridge United, Leeds United v Coventry City, Stoke City v Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle United v Sheffield Wednesday Fourth Round BBC Nottingham Forest v Manchester United, Manchester City v Norwich City, Watford v Wolverhampton Wanderers ITV Everton v Liverpool, Barnsley v Enfield, Middlesbrough v West Bromwich Albion, Shrewsbury Town v Ipswich Town, Exeter City v Leicester City Fifth Round BBC Tottenham Hotspur v Coventry City, Peterborough United v Manchester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers v Wrexham, Exeter City v Newcastle United ITV Southampton v Everton, Middlesbrough v Barnsley, Ipswich Town v Charlton Athletic, Nottingham Forest v Bristol City Sixth Round BBC Everton v Manchester City, Middlesbrough v Wolverhampton Wanderers ITV Nottingham Forest v Ipswich Town, Tottenham Hotspur v Exeter City All regions showed these two games Ipswich Town v Nottingham Forest, Wolverhampton Wanderers v Middlesbrough Semi-Finals BBC Ipswich Town v Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur v Wolverhampton Wanderers ITV Tottenham Hotspur v Wolverhampton Wanderers Final Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur Both BBC & ITV showed both games live.