During the 1981–82 English football season, Swansea City A.F.C. competed in the Football League First Division, following promotion from the Second Division. It was their debut season in the English top flight and the first season in which a Welsh club was part of the top English league since arch-rivals Cardiff City were relegated at the end of 1961–62.
Background Swansea's rise to the top flight of English football had come only four seasons after competing in the Fourth Division and thus few tipped Swansea to survive in the First Division. Swansea soon proved the naysayers wrong by crushing Leeds United 5–1 in their first match ever in the top flight, with debutant Bob Latchford scoring a hat-trick. The win saw Swansea rise from the basement division to the top of the entire Football League in barely three years. Victories over footballing royalty such as Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur followed as the club topped the league on several further occasions. However, injuries to key players took their toll, and the lack of depth in the squad meant that the season ended in sixth-place finish.
Transfers
In Dai Davies - Wrexham, July Ray Kennedy - Liverpool, January, £160,000 Ian Walsh - Crystal Palace, February Colin Irwin - Liverpool, £338,800
Out Leighton Phillips - Charlton Athletic, June, £25,000 David Giles - Leyton Orient, December, loan
Football League First Division
Results
Last updated: 4 September 2013Source:Jones (2012), p. 325-328.
Classification
Results summary
Results by round
FA Cup
Last updated: 4 September 2013Source:Jones (2012), p. 329.
Football League Cup
Last updated: 4 September 2013Source:
Welsh Cup
Last updated: 19 January 2014Sources:, Welsh Football Data Archive
European Cup Winners' Cup
Last updated: 4 September 2013Source:Jones (2012), p. 328.
Kit Swansea's kit was manufactured by Belgian company Patrick. The kit bore no sponsorship.
Squad Squad at end of season
Left club during season
Squad statistics Last updated on 4 September 2013Jones (2012), p. 330.
Appearances and goals Player League FA Cup League Cup Welsh Cup Cup Winners' Cup Total Goals Goals Goals Goals Goals Goals - GK Dai Davies 41 0 1 0 2 0 7 0 2 0 53 0 - GK Chris Sander 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 - GK David Stewart 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - DF Ante Rajković 40 1 1 0 1 0 7 0 2 0 51 1 - DF Colin Irwin 37 0 1 0 2 1 4 1 0 0 44 2 - DF Džemal Hadžiabdić 25(+1) 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 0 33(+1) 0 - DF Max Thompson 22(+1) 1 0(+1) 0 1 0 4 1 0 0 27(+2) 2 - DF Nigel Stevenson 20 0 1 0 0(+1) 0 5 0 2 0 28(+1) 0 - DF Dudley Lewis 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 - DF Wyndham Evans 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0(+2) 0 1(+2) 0 - DF Gary Richards 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - DF Dave Rushbury 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - MF Robbie James 42 15 1 0 1 0 8 5 1 0 53 20 - MF Leighton James 34(+4) 9 1 0 2 1 7 2 2 0 46(+4) 12 - MF Neil Robinson 27(+2) 1 0 0 2 0 5 0 2 0 37(+2) 1 - MF John Mahoney 25 0 1 0 1 0 3(+2) 0 2 0 32(+2) 0 - MF Gary Stanley 22(+7) 3 1 0 2 0 6 2 0 0 31(+7) 5 - MF Chris Marustik 19(+3) 1 1 0 2 0 5 0 0 0 27(+3) 1 - MF Ray Kennedy 18 2 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 22 2 - MF Brian Attley 2(+2) 0 0 0 0(+1) 0 0(+1) 1 1 0 3(+4) 1 - MF Jimmy Loveridge 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - MF David Giles 0(+2) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0(+2) 0 0(+4) 0 - MF Tommy Craig 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - FW Alan Curtis 40 9 1 0 2 1 7 3 2 0 52 13 - FW Bob Latchford 31 12 1 0 2 0 5(+1) 3 2 0 41(+1) 15 - FW Jeremy Charles 9(+4) 2 0 0 1 0 2 0 2 1 14(+4) 3 - FW Ian Walsh 3(+2) 2 0 0 0 0 0(+1) 0 0 0 3(+3) 2 - FW Darren Gale 0(+1) 0 0 0 0 0 0(+1) 0 0 0 0(+2) 0
Top scorers PlacePositionNationalityNumberNameLeagueFA CupLeague CupWelsh CupCup Winners' CupTotal1 MF - Robbie James 15 0 0 5 0 202 FW - Bob Latchford 12 0 0 3 0 153 FW - Alan Curtis 9 0 1 3 0 134 MF - Leighton James 9 0 1 2 0 125 MF - Gary Stanley 3 0 0 2 0 56 FW - Jeremy Charles 2 0 0 0 1 37 FW - Ian Walsh 2 0 0 0 0 28 MF - Ray Kennedy 2 0 0 0 0 29 MF - Chris Marustik 1 0 0 0 0 110 DF - Ante Rajković 1 0 0 0 0 111 DF - Neil Robinson 1 0 0 0 0 112 DF - Max Thompson 1 0 0 1 0 213 DF - Colin Irwin 0 0 1 1 0 214 DF - Brian Attley 0 0 0 1 0 115 - - - Own goal 0 0 0 1 0 1TOTALS 58 0 3 19 1 81
See also 1981–82 in English football List of Swansea City A.F.C. seasons
References General
Bibliography
Specific