1980–81 Western Football League

Season of the Western Football League

Football league season

Western Football LeagueSeason| 1980–81

|

Champions| Bridgwater Town (Premier Division)
Chippenham Town (Division One)

← 1979–80

1981–82 →

The 1980–81 season was the 79th in the history of the Western Football League.

The league champions for the second time in their history were Bridgwater Town. The champions of Division One were Chippenham Town.[1]

## Premier Division

[edit]

The Premier Division remained at twenty clubs after Ilminster Town were relegated to the First Division, and A.F.C. Bournemouth Reserves and Exeter City Reserves left the league. Three clubs joined:

* Devizes Town, runners-up in the First Division.
* Liskeard Athletic, third-placed club in the First Division.
* Melksham Town, champions of the First Division.
* Dawlish changed their name to Dawlish Town.

### League table

[edit]

Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Relegation

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1  | Bridgwater Town | 38  | 25  | 6  | 7  | 54  | 25  | +29  | 56  |
2  | Barnstaple Town | 38  | 22  | 6  | 10  | 58  | 40  | +18  | 50
3  | Frome Town | 38  | 21  | 6  | 11  | 74  | 51  | +23  | 48
4  | Falmouth Town | 38  | 18  | 9  | 11  | 71  | 53  | +18  | 45
5  | Bideford | 38  | 18  | 8  | 12  | 58  | 42  | +16  | 44
6  | Saltash United | 38  | 17  | 9  | 12  | 73  | 47  | +26  | 43
7  | Portway Bristol | 38  | 16  | 11  | 11  | 55  | 45  | +10  | 43
8  | Clevedon Town | 38  | 15  | 11  | 12  | 65  | 52  | +13  | 41
9  | Clandown | 38  | 16  | 9  | 13  | 60  | 53  | +7  | 41
10  | Devizes Town | 38  | 14  | 13  | 11  | 61  | 56  | +5  | 41
11  | Bridport | 38  | 12  | 15  | 11  | 56  | 52  | +4  | 39
12  | Keynsham Town | 38  | 12  | 15  | 11  | 33  | 34  | −1  | 39
13  | Melksham Town | 38  | 13  | 11  | 14  | 45  | 49  | −4  | 37
14  | Liskeard Athletic | 38  | 11  | 11  | 16  | 58  | 70  | −12  | 33
15  | Mangotsfield United | 38  | 8  | 15  | 15  | 43  | 66  | −23  | 31
16  | Dawlish Town | 38  | 7  | 16  | 15  | 40  | 50  | −10  | 30
17  | Welton Rovers | 38  | 9  | 11  | 18  | 50  | 69  | −19  | 29
18  | Weston-super-Mare | 38  | 11  | 7  | 20  | 42  | 61  | −19  | 29
19  | Paulton Rovers (R) | 38  | 9  | 11  | 18  | 45  | 72  | −27  | 29  | Relegated to Division One
20  | Tiverton Town (R) | 38  | 1  | 10  | 27  | 23  | 77  | −54  | 12

Source: [citation needed]
(R) Relegated

## First Division

[edit]

The First Division was reduced from twenty-two to nineteen clubs after Westland-Yeovil left the league, and Devizes Town, Liskeard Athletic and Melksham Town were promoted to the Premier Division. One new club joined:

* Ilminster Town, relegated from the Premier Division.

### League table

[edit]

Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion

|
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|

1  | Chippenham Town (P) | 36  | 25  | 8  | 3  | 76  | 24  | +52  | 58  | Promoted to the Premier Division
2  | Wellington (P) | 36  | 22  | 8  | 6  | 80  | 36  | +44  | 52
3  | Exmouth Town | 36  | 22  | 7  | 7  | 74  | 37  | +37  | 51  |
4  | Bath City Reserves  | 36  | 19  | 11  | 6  | 79  | 44  | +35  | 49
5  | Odd Down | 36  | 20  | 8  | 8  | 59  | 41  | +18  | 47[a]
6  | Yeovil Town Reserves  | 36  | 18  | 9  | 9  | 58  | 38  | +20  | 45
7  | Torquay United Reserves  | 36  | 16  | 11  | 9  | 60  | 35  | +25  | 43
8  | Swanage Town & Herston | 36  | 13  | 11  | 12  | 58  | 55  | +3  | 37
9  | Chard Town | 36  | 11  | 14  | 11  | 42  | 38  | +4  | 36
10  | Bristol Manor Farm | 36  | 14  | 8  | 14  | 53  | 57  | −4  | 36
11  | Shepton Mallet Town | 36  | 13  | 8  | 15  | 68  | 75  | −7  | 34
12  | Elmore | 36  | 12  | 10  | 14  | 44  | 53  | −9  | 34
13  | Glastonbury | 36  | 9  | 10  | 17  | 44  | 60  | −16  | 28
14  | Brixham United | 36  | 11  | 5  | 20  | 50  | 70  | −20  | 27  | Left at the end of the season
15  | Larkhall Athletic | 36  | 5  | 12  | 19  | 44  | 76  | −32  | 22  |
16  | Ottery St Mary | 36  | 7  | 8  | 21  | 37  | 77  | −40  | 22
17  | Heavitree United | 36  | 7  | 8  | 21  | 40  | 86  | −46  | 22
18  | Ilminster Town | 36  | 7  | 6  | 23  | 39  | 70  | −31  | 20
19  | Radstock Town | 36  | 8  | 4  | 24  | 47  | 80  | −33  | 20

Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: The system of using goal difference to separate two teams tied on points was used. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.
(P) Promoted
Notes:

1. ^ Odd Down had one point deducted for fielding an ineligible player.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Robinson, Michael (ed.), Non-League Football Tables 1889–2006, Soccer Books, 2006

* v
* t
* e

Western Football League

2024–25
clubs|

| Premier Division|

* A.F.C. St Austell
* Barnstaple Town
* Bridgwater United
* Brislington
* Brixham
* Buckland Athletic
* Clevedon Town
* Ilfracombe Town
* Ivybridge Town
* Nailsea & Tickenham
* Oldland Abbotonians
* Paulton Rovers
* Portishead Town
* Saltash United
* Shepton Mallet
* St Blazey
* Street
* Torpoint Athletic
* Wellington
* Welton Rovers

|

Division One|

* AEK Boco
* Avonmouth
* Bitton
* Bradford Town
* Bristol Telephones
* Cadbury Heath
* Calne Town
* Cheddar
* Cribbs Reserves
* Devizes Town
* Gillingham Town
* Hallen
* Hengrove Athletic
* Keynsham Town
* Longwell Green Sports
* Mendip Broadwalk
* Odd Down
* Radstock Town
* Shirehampton
* Sturminster Newton United
* Warminster Town
* Wells City

Seasons|

* 1892–93
* 1893–94
* 1894–95
* 1895–96
* 1896–97
* 1897–98
* 1898–99
* 1899–1900
* 1900–01
* 1901–02
* 1902–03
* 1903–04
* 1904–05
* 1905–06
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* 1907–08
* 1908–09
* 1909–10
* 1910–11
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* 1913–14
* 1914–15
* 1915–16
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* 1917–18
* 1918–19
* 1919–20
* 1920–21
* 1921–22
* 1922–23
* 1923–24
* 1924–25
* 1925–26
* 1926–27
* 1927–28
* 1928–29
* 1929–30
* 1930–31
* 1931–32
* 1932–33
* 1933–34
* 1934–35
* 1935–36
* 1936–37
* 1937–38
* 1938–39
* 1939–40
* 1940–41
* 1941–42
* 1942–43
* 1943–44
* 1944–45
* 1945–46
* 1946–47
* 1947–48
* 1948–49
* 1949–50
* 1950–51
* 1951–52
* 1952–53
* 1953–54
* 1954–55
* 1955–56
* 1956–57
* 1957–58
* 1958–59
* 1959–60
* 1960–61
* 1961–62
* 1962–63
* 1963–64
* 1964–65
* 1965–66
* 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
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* 2004–05
* 2005–06
* 2006–07
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* 2009–10
* 2010–11
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* 2012–13
* 2013–14
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* 2017–18
* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* 2020–21
* 2021–22
* 2022–23
* 2023–24
* 2024–25

* 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