During the 1979–80 English football season, Leicester City F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division.
Season summary In the 1979–80 season, Leicester were promoted as champions of the Second Division for the sixth time in the club's history. From start of the season, the Foxes scored in every game until their 2–0 defeat at Charlton Athletic in mid-December. The only negative part of Leicester's season was a shock FA Cup exit against non-league Harlow Town. It was the first time the Foxes lost to a non-league team in a cup competition since the 1914–15 season. Despite that, after a 2–1 win at Filbert Street against Charlton, Leicester were all but assured of promotion and on the final day of the season, the Foxes beat Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road and with Sunderland only picking up a point, Leicester were crowned champions.
Final league table
Results summary
Results by round
Results Leicester City's score comes first
Legend WinDrawLoss
Football League Second Division DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 18 August 1979 WatfordH2–015,772Young (2) 21 August 1979 Cambridge UnitedA1–16,042Young 25 August 1979 Queens Park RangersA4–113,091Peake (2), May, Goodwin 1 September 1979 Luton TownH1–316,241May 8 September 1979 Notts CountyH1–016,595Young 15 September 1979 Newcastle UnitedA2–326,443Smith (2, 1 pen) 22 September 1979 FulhamH3–321,447Young (2), Smith 29 September 1979 Swansea CityA2–015,104Rofe (2) 6 October 1979 Shrewsbury TownA2–29,045Goodwin, Byrne 10 October 1979 Cambridge UnitedH2–115,960Young, Wilson 13 October 1979 West Ham UnitedH1–222,472Williams 20 October 1979 Oldham AthleticA1–110,297Young 27 October 1979 SunderlandH2–119,365Lineker (2) 3 November 1979 WatfordA3–114,743Smith (2, 1 pen), Peake 10 November 1979 BurnleyH1–117,191Young 17 November 1979 Preston North EndA1–110,038Lineker 24 November 1979 WrexhamH2–015,316Strickland, Henderson 1 December 1979 Birmingham CityA2–125,748Smith, Henderson 8 December 1979 Leyton OrientH2–216,303Henderson, Goodwin 15 December 1979 Charlton AthleticA0–26,717 21 December 1979 Cardiff CityH0–012,877 26 December 1979 ChelseaA0–125,320 29 December 1979 Queens Park RangersH2–020,743Rofe, Henderson 1 January 1980 Bristol RoversH3–021,579Smith (2), Goodwin 12 January 1980 Luton TownA0–014,141 19 January 1980 Notts CountyA1–014,859Strickland 2 February 1980 Newcastle UnitedH1–022,549Smith (pen) 9 February 1980 FulhamA0–08,691 20 February 1980 Swansea CityH1–117,597Henderson 23 February 1980 West Ham UnitedA1–327,762Young 1 March 1980 Oldham AthleticH0–116,991 8 March 1980 SunderlandA0–029,487 15 March 1980 Shrewsbury TownH2–015,391Young, Edmunds 22 March 1980 BurnleyA2–17,173Edmunds, Young 29 March 1980 Preston North EndH1–215,293Kelly 5 April 1980 ChelseaH1–025,826May 8 April 1980 Cardiff CityA1–010,291Smith 12 April 1980 Birmingham CityH2–126,075Wilson, Young 19 April 1980 WrexhamA1–010,023Kelly 23 April 1980 Bristol RoversA1–18,205Smith 26 April 1980 Charlton AthleticH2–123,875Young, Smith 3 May 1980 Leyton OrientA1–013,828May
FA Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR35 January 1980 Harlow TownH1–121,302HendersonR3R8 January 1980 Harlow TownA0–19,723
League Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR1 1st leg11 August 1979 Rotherham UnitedH1–211,210YoungR1 2nd leg14 August 1979 Rotherham UnitedA0–3 (lost 1–5 on agg)5,179
Squad
References