1980–81 Kent Football League

Association football league season

The 1980–81 Kent Football League season was the fifteenth in the history of the Kent Football League, a football competition featuring teams based in and around the county of Kent in England.

The League structure comprised two divisions: Division One and Division Two with the latter known as the Reserves Section (reserves teams were not permitted in Division One). Additionally there were two league cup competitions: the Challenge Cup for the Division One clubs and another for the teams in Division Two.

## Division One

[edit]

Cray Wanderers celebrate winning the title

Football league season

Kent Football League Division OneSeason| 1980–81

|

Champions| Cray Wanderers
Matches played| 272
Goals scored| 826 (3.04 per match)

← 1979–80

1981–82 →

The division featured the seventeen clubs which had competed in the previous season.

The division was won by Cray Wanderers.[1]

At the end of the season Dartford Glentworth left the league.[2]

### League table

[edit]

Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Season End Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | Cray Wanderers | 32  | 24  | 5  | 3  | 92  | 27  | +65  | 53  |
2  | Chatham Town | 32  | 22  | 6  | 4  | 61  | 23  | +38  | 50
3  | Crockenhill | 32  | 20  | 5  | 7  | 63  | 37  | +26  | 45
4  | Erith & Belvedere | 32  | 19  | 5  | 8  | 57  | 30  | +27  | 43
5  | Sittingbourne | 32  | 18  | 5  | 9  | 74  | 29  | +45  | 41
6  | Hythe Town | 32  | 18  | 5  | 9  | 70  | 45  | +25  | 41
7  | Sheppey United | 32  | 16  | 9  | 7  | 45  | 33  | +12  | 41
8  | Faversham Town | 32  | 12  | 11  | 9  | 36  | 28  | +8  | 35
9  | Tunbridge Wells | 32  | 10  | 9  | 13  | 33  | 49  | −16  | 29
10  | Darenth Heathside  | 32  | 9  | 10  | 13  | 45  | 52  | −7  | 28
11  | Deal Town | 32  | 10  | 7  | 15  | 46  | 49  | −3  | 27
12  | Dartford Glentworth  | 32  | 11  | 3  | 18  | 40  | 60  | −20  | 25  | Resigned
13  | Slade Green Athletic | 32  | 10  | 5  | 17  | 39  | 51  | −12  | 23[a] |
14  | Whitstable Town | 32  | 7  | 7  | 18  | 33  | 58  | −25  | 21
15  | Kent Police  | 32  | 5  | 9  | 18  | 43  | 67  | −24  | 19
16  | Herne Bay | 32  | 4  | 6  | 22  | 23  | 67  | −44  | 14  | Re-elected
17  | Ramsgate | 32  | 2  | 3  | 27  | 26  | 121  | −95  | 7

Source: "Kent League 1966–92: 1980–81". Non League Matters. Retrieved 22 May 2024. "England – Kent League: Final Table Kent League (Division 1) '80–'81". The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Notes:

1. ^ Slade Green Athletic were deducted two points.

### Challenge Cup

[edit]

The 1980–81 Kent Football League Challenge Cup was won by Sittingbourne[3] (whose reserves team won their Divisional cup too).

The competition, contested by all seventeen clubs in the Division One, comprised five single match tie rounds (with the first round featuring one tie) culminating in the final which was played on a neutral ground (at Sheppey United F.C.[4] this season).

#### Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final

[edit]

| Quarter-finals | | | Semi-finals | | | Final |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
| Hythe Town | 1 | | |
| Darenth Heathside | 2 |
| | Darenth Heathside | 1 |
|  |
| | | Whitstable Town | 0 |
| Whitstable Town | 5 |

| Faversham Town | 1 |
| | Darenth Heathside | 1 |
|  |
| | | Sittingbourne | 2 |
| Erith & Belvedere | 4 | |

| Crockenhill | 2 |
| | Erith & Belvedere | 0 |
|  |
| | | Sittingbourne | 2 |
| Deal Town | 1 |

| Sittingbourne | 2 |

#### Second Round

[edit]

* Sheppey United 1 – 3 Hythe Town
* Darenth Heathside 3 – 0 Herne Bay
* Whitstable Town 1 – 1 Ramsgate
* Replay: Ramsgate 0 – 1 Whitstable Town
* Faversham Town 3 – 2 Kent Police
* Erith & Belvedere 1 – 0 Tunbridge Wells
* Crockenhill 1 – 0 Dartford Glentworth
* Slade Green Athletic 3 – 3 Deal Town
* Replay: Deal Town 5 – 1 Slade Green Athletic
* Sittingbourne 4 – 1 Chatham Town

#### First Round

[edit]

* Darenth Heathside 5 – 2 Cray Wanderers
* Byes for the other fifteen clubs

Sources:

* Final: "County Soccer Details: Results: Saturday: Kent League, Division 1, Cup Final". Kentish Express. 8 May 1981. p. 31. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.
* Semi-finals: "County Soccer Details: Results: Saturday: Kent League Cup semi-finals". Kentish Express. 6 March 1981. p. 31. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.
* Quarter-finals: "Results: Kent League Cup". Thanet Times. 16 December 1980. p. 30. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.;
* Second Round: "Erith Net a Long Shot and Slam the Door". Kent & Sussex Courier. 26 September 1980. p. 34. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.; "County Soccer Details: Results: Saturday: Kent League, Division 1 Cup, Round 1 (sic)". Kentish Express. 26 September 1980. p. 27. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.; "County Soccer Details: Results: Tuesday: Kent League Cup 2nd rd replay". Kentish Express. 17 October 1980. p. 27. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.; "Results: Kent League Cup". Thanet Times. 4 November 1980. p. 31. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.
* First Round: "County Soccer Details: Results: Saturday: Kent League Division 1: League Cup". Kentish Express. 29 August 1980. p. 27. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.

## Reserves Section

[edit]

The letter "R" following team names indicates a club's reserves team.

Division Two featured mostly reserves teams (which were not permitted in Division One) from clubs from Kent and the adjacent area whose first team played in Division One and other higher ranked leagues. There was a League Cup competition for the teams in the section.

### Division Two

[edit]

Football league season

Kent Football League Division TwoSeason| 1980–81

|

Champions| Welling United R

← 1979–80

1981–82 →

The league featured nineteen clubs including one non-reserve team (Snowdown Colliery Welfare). Fourteen of the teams had competed in the previous season and they were joined by five additional, all reserves, teams:[5]

* Dartford joined from the Kent County Amateur League
* Dartford Glentworth R
* Folkestone R (formerly Folkestone & Shepway R[6]) joined from the Kent County Amateur League
* Maidstone United R joined from the Kent County Amateur League
* Welling United R

Newly joined club Welling United R were the division winners.[7]

At the end of the season Faversham Town R and Dartford Glentworth R resigned from the league.

(The table below is not the final table, maximum potential matches per team = 36)

Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Season End Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | Welling United R | 35  | 30  | 2  | 3  | 116  | 26  | +90  | 62  |
2  | Maidstone United R | 34  | 26  | 3  | 5  | 113  | 30  | +83  | 55
3  | Dartford R | 33  | 22  | 3  | 8  | 69  | 34  | +35  | 47
4  | Chatham Town R | 32  | 21  | 4  | 7  | 83  | 29  | +54  | 46
5  | Erith & Belvedere R | 33  | 19  | 6  | 8  | 63  | 26  | +37  | 44
6  | Faversham Town R | 36  | 19  | 1  | 16  | 70  | 66  | +4  | 39  | Resigned
7  | Folkestone R | 36  | 14  | 9  | 13  | 63  | 62  | +1  | 37  |
8  | Darenth Heathside R  | 35  | 15  | 7  | 13  | 49  | 52  | −3  | 37
9  | Sittingbourne R | 35  | 11  | 13  | 11  | 45  | 41  | +4  | 35
10  | Deal Town R | 35  | 12  | 10  | 13  | 60  | 70  | −10  | 34
11  | Dover R | 35  | 10  | 11  | 14  | 52  | 60  | −8  | 31
12  | Sheppey United R | 36  | 12  | 7  | 17  | 55  | 68  | −13  | 31
13  | Ashford Town R | 36  | 13  | 5  | 18  | 50  | 76  | −26  | 31
14  | Hythe Town R | 35  | 11  | 6  | 18  | 49  | 75  | −26  | 28
15  | Dartford Glentworth R  | 34  | 8  | 9  | 17  | 51  | 63  | −12  | 25  | Resigned
16  | Whitstable Town R | 34  | 10  | 4  | 20  | 41  | 72  | −31  | 24  |
17  | Hastings United R | 36  | 9  | 5  | 22  | 36  | 74  | −38  | 23
18  | Herne Bay R | 36  | 7  | 4  | 25  | 43  | 110  | −67  | 18  | Re-elected
19  | Snowdown Colliery Welfare | 36  | 6  | 3  | 27  | 38  | 112  | −74  | 15

Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 1980. Source: "County Soccer Details: Kent League: Division 2". Kentish Express. 8 May 1981. p. 31. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

### Division Two Cup

[edit]

The 1980–81 Kent Football League Division Two Cup was won by Sittingbourne R (whose first team won the Challenge Cup) with Chatham Town R runners-up.[8]

The competition was contested by all nineteen clubs in the division and comprised five single match tie rounds (with the first round featuring three ties) culminating in the final.

#### Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final

[edit]

| Quarter-finals | | | Semi-finals | | | Final |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
| Faversham Town R | 6 | | |
| Deal Town R | 0 |
| | Faversham Town R | 2 |
|  |
| | | Sittingbourne R | 4 |
| Sittingbourne R | 3 |

| Sheppey United R | 2 |
| | Sittingbourne R |
|  |
| | | Chatham Town R |
| Hythe Town R | 4 | |

| Whitstable Town R | 2 |
| | Hythe Town R | 0 |
|  |
| | | Chatham Town R | 4 |
| Chatham Town R | 1 |

| Darenth Heathside R | 0 |

#### Second Round

[edit]

* Faversham Town R 5 – 1 Dartford R
* Ashford Town R 2 – 2 Deal Town R
* REPLAY: Deal Town R 4 – 1 Ashford Town R
* Sittingbourne R 1 – 0 Snowdown Colliery Welfare
* Sheppey United R 2 – 1 Maidstone United R
* Hythe Town R v Dover R
* Dartford Glentworth R 0 – 1 Whitstable Town R
* Chatham Town R v Welling United R
* Darenth Heathside R 1 – 1 Erith & Belvedere R
* REPLAY: Erith & Belvedere R 3 – 0 Darenth Heathside R

#### First Round

[edit]

* Faversham Town R 2 – 2 Folkestone R
* REPLAY 1: Folkestone R 1 – 1 (aet) Faversham Town R (score at 90 minutes: 1–1)
* REPLAY 2: Faversham Town R v Folkestone R
* Sittingbourne R 3 – 0 Hastings United R
* Maidstone United R 9 – 0 Herne Bay R
* Byes for the other thirteen clubs

Sources:

* Final: "Reserves Division(s) League Cup". kentleague.com. 2013. Archived from the original on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
* Semi-finals: "County Soccer Details: Results: Saturday: Kent League: Division 2: League Cup semi-final". Kentish Express. 13 March 1981. p. 23. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.; "County Soccer Details: Results: Saturday: Kent League: Division 2: League Cup semi-final". Kentish Express. 27 March 1981. p. 30. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.
* Quarter-finals: "County Soccer Details: Results: Saturday: Kent League: Division 2: League Cup 3rd rnd". Kentish Express. 19 December 1980. p. 23. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.; "County Soccer Details: Results: Boxing Day: Kent League: League Cup 3rd rnd". Kentish Express. 2 January 1981. p. 23. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.
* Second Round: "Senior soccer details: Fixtures: Saturday: Kent League: League 2 Cup 2nd rnd". Kent Messenger. 19 September 1980. p. 34. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.; "Craig can stick with same 12". Whitstable Times. 26 September 1980. p. 13. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.; "County Soccer Details: Results: Kent League Division 2 Cup rd 2". Kentish Express. 3 October 1980. p. 31. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.; "County Soccer Details: Results: Monday: Kent League Cup replay". Kentish Express. 3 October 1980. p. 31. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.; "Senior soccer details: Results: Tuesday: Kent League: League Cup 2nd rnd". Kent Messenger. 10 October 1980. p. 43. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.; "County Soccer Details: Results: Tuesday: Kent League Division 2 Cup". Kentish Express. 17 October 1980. p. 31. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.; "County Soccer Details: Results: Saturday: Kent League Division 2 Cup, 2nd rnd replay". Kentish Express. 28 November 1980. p. 31. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.
* First Round: "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Kent League: Division 2 League Cup". Kent Messenger. 29 August 1980. p. 34. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.; "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Kent League: League Cup, 1st rnd". Kent Messenger. 5 September 1980. p. 34. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.; "Senior soccer details: Results: Wednesday: Kent League Division 2: League Cup replay". Kent Messenger. 12 September 1980. p. 42. Retrieved 15 May 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "First Division past winners / runners-up". kentleague.com. 2013. Archived from the original on 17 April 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
2. ^ "Dartford Glentworth". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
3. ^ "Archives: League Cup Winners". SCEFL: Southern Counties East Football League. February 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
4. ^ "County Soccer Details: Saturday: Fixtures: Kent League Division 1 Cup Final". Kentish Express. Ashford. 1 May 1981. p. 23.
5. ^ Carpenter, Gordon (4 July 1980). "Bert is named Kent League's vice-chairman". Kent Messenger. Larkfield, Maidstone. p. 28.
6. ^ "Folkestone". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
7. ^ "Reserves First Division winners / runners-up". kentleague.com. 2013. Archived from the original on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
8. ^ "Reserves Division(s) League Cup". kentleague.com. 2013. Archived from the original on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2024.

* v
* t
* e

Southern Counties East Football League

2023–24
clubs|

| Premier Division|

* Bearsted
* Corinthian
* Deal Town
* Erith Town
* Faversham Town
* Fisher
* Glebe
* Hollands & Blair
* Holmesdale
* Kennington
* Lordswood
* Lydd Town
* Punjab United
* Rusthall
* Snodland Town
* Stansfeld
* Sutton Athletic
* Tunbridge Wells
* VCD Athletic
* Welling Town
* Whitstable Town

|

Division One|

* Bridon Ropes
* Canterbury City
* Croydon
* Faversham Strike Force
* FC Elmstead
* Forest Hill Park
* Greenways
* Larkfield & New Hythe Wanderers
* Lewisham Borough
* Meridian VP
* Rochester United
* Sheppey Sports
* Snodland Town
* Sporting Club Thamesmead
* Staplehurst Monarchs
* Tooting Bec
* AFC Whyteleafe

Seasons|

| Kent League/SCEL|

* 1966–67
* 1967–68
* 1968–69
* 1969–70
* 1970–71
* 1971–72
* 1972–73
* 1973–74
* 1974–75
* 1975–76
* 1976–77
* 1977–78
* 1978–79
* 1979–80
* 1980–81
* 1981–82
* 1982–83
* 1983–84
* 1984–85
* 1985–86
* 1986–87
* 1987–88
* 1988–89
* 1989–90
* 1990–91
* 1991–92
* 1992–93
* 1993–94
* 1994–95
* 1995–96
* 1996–97
* 1997–98
* 1998–99
* 1999–2000
* 2000–01
* 2001–02
* 2002–03
* 2003–04
* 2004–05
* 2005–06
* 2006–07
* 2007–08
* 2008–09
* 2009–10
* 2010–11
* 2011–12
* 2012–13
* 2013–14
* 2014–15
* 2015–16
* 2016–17
* 2017–18
* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* 2020–21
* 2021–22
* 2022–23
* 2023–24
* 2024–25

|

Kent Invicta League|

* 2011–12
* 2012–13
* 2013–14
* 2014–15
* 2015–16

* v
* t
* e

1980–81 in English football

« 1979–80

1981–82 »

National teams|

* Ron Greenwood
* Home Championship
* 1982 FIFA World Cup (qualification)

League competitions|

| Levels 1–4|

* Football League (First Division, Second Division, Third Division, Fourth Division)

|

Level 5|

* Alliance Premier League

Levels 6–7|

* Isthmian League (Premier, One)
* Northern Premier League (level 6 only)
* Southern League (Midland, Southern) (level 6 only)

Levels 8–9|

* Isthmian League (Two)
* Athenian League (level 8 only)
* Cheshire County League (One, Two)
* Combined Counties League (level 8 only)
* Town & Country League (level 8 only)
* Essex Senior League (level 8 only)
* Hellenic League (Premier, One)
* Kent League (level 8 only)
* Lancashire Combination (level 8 only)
* London Spartan League (Premier, Senior)
* Midland Football Combination (level 8 only)
* Midland League (Premier, One)
* Northern League (level 8 only)
* South Midlands League (Premier, One)
* Sussex County League (One, Two)
* United Counties League (Premier, One)
* West Midlands (Regional) League (level 8 only)
* Western League (Premier, One)
* Yorkshire League (One, Two)

Cup competitions|

| FA cups|

* FA Cup (Qualifying rounds, Final)
* Charity Shield
* FA Trophy (Final)
* FA Vase

|

Football League cups|

* League Cup (Final)

European competitions|

* European Cup
* UEFA Cup
* European Cup Winners' Cup
* Anglo-Scottish Cup

Club seasons

First Division|

* Arsenal
* Aston Villa
* Birmingham City
* Brighton & Hove Albion
* Coventry City
* Crystal Palace
* Everton
* Ipswich Town
* Leeds United
* Leicester City
* Liverpool
* Manchester City
* Manchester United
* Middlesbrough
* Norwich City
* Nottingham Forest
* Southampton
* Stoke City
* Sunderland
* Tottenham Hotspur
* West Bromwich Albion
* Wolverhampton Wanderers

Second Division|

* Blackburn Rovers
* Bolton Wanderers
* Bristol City
* Bristol Rovers
* Cambridge United
* Cardiff City
* Chelsea
* Derby County
* Grimsby Town
* Luton Town
* Newcastle United
* Notts County
* Oldham Athletic
* Orient
* Preston North End
* Queens Park Rangers
* Sheffield Wednesday
* Shrewsbury Town
* Swansea City
* Watford
* West Ham United
* Wrexham

Third Division|

* Barnsley
* Blackpool
* Brentford
* Burnley
* Carlisle United
* Charlton Athletic
* Chester
* Chesterfield
* Colchester United
* Exeter City
* Fulham
* Gillingham
* Huddersfield Town
* Hull City
* Millwall
* Newport County
* Oxford United
* Plymouth Argyle
* Portsmouth
* Reading
* Rotherham United
* Sheffield United
* Swindon Town
* Walsall

Fourth Division|

* Aldershot
* Bournemouth
* Bradford City
* Bury
* Crewe Alexandra
* Darlington
* Doncaster Rovers
* Halifax Town
* Hartlepool United
* Hereford United
* Lincoln City
* Mansfield Town
* Northampton Town
* Peterborough United
* Port Vale
* Rochdale
* Scunthorpe United
* Southend United
* Southport
* Stockport County
* Torquay United
* Tranmere Rovers
* Wimbledon
* York City

*[Pos]: Position
*[Pld]: Played
*[W]: Won
*[D]: Drawn
*[L]: Lost
*[GF]: Goals for
*[GA]: Goals against
*[GD]: Goal difference
*[Pts]: Points
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template