The 1980–81 season was the 43rd season of competitive association football in the Football League played by Chester, an English club based in Chester, Cheshire.

Also, it was the fourth season spent in the Third Division after the promotion from the Fourth Division in 1975. Alongside competing in the Football League the club also participated in the FA Cup and the Football League Cup.

Football League

Results summary

Results by matchday

Matches DateOpponentsVenueResultScoreScorersAttendance16 AugustOxford UnitedHL0–12,20319 AugustPlymouth ArgyleAL0–24,82323 AugustCarlisle UnitedHW1–0Oakes2,00730 AugustMillwallAL0–13,2646 SeptemberExeter CityHW1–0Cooke1,96413 SeptemberCharlton AthleticAL0–14,42220 SeptemberBurnleyHD0–03,40227 SeptemberColchester UnitedAD1–1Jones2,1474 OctoberSwindon TownAW2–1Howat, Ludlam5,5778 OctoberHull CityHW4–1T. Phillips (2), Ludlam, Howat1,96411 OctoberReadingHW1–0T. Phillips2,44418 OctoberBrentfordAW1–0Howat6,60021 OctoberRotherham UnitedAD0–06,63525 OctoberFulhamHL0–13,16929 OctoberHuddersfield TownHL0–24,3311 NovemberBarnsleyAL0–29,3304 NovemberHull CityAD0–03,3358 NovemberSheffield UnitedHW3–2Burns, T. Phillips, Sutcliffe4,56312 NovemberPlymouth ArgyleHW1–0Ludlam2,24715 NovemberOxford UnitedAL0–12,52629 NovemberPortsmouthAL0–210,5153 DecemberNewport CountyHD1–1Sutcliffe1,6406 DecemberWalsallHW1–0T. Phillips2,21513 DecemberNewport CountyAD1–1Cottam4,16920 DecemberGillinghamHL1–2Ludlam1,74026 DecemberBlackpoolAW3–2Fear, Ludlam, Cooke4,87827 DecemberChesterfieldHW2–1Cooke, Fear4,2222 JanuaryReadingAL0–33,80410 JanuaryBrentfordHD0–02,04117 JanuaryWalsallAL1–2Jones3,48324 JanuaryMillwallHL0–12,11431 JanuaryCarlisle UnitedAL0–33,2827 FebruaryCharlton AthleticHW4–0T. Phillips, Jones, Howat, Raynor2,46121 FebruaryColchester UnitedHD0–01,77828 FebruaryBurnleyAL0–14,9937 MarchSwindon TownHW1–0Rollings (o.g.)1,81017 MarchFulhamAW1–0T. Phillips3,38721 MarchRotherham UnitedHL0–13,94528 MarchHuddersfield TownAD0–011,1174 AprilBarnsleyHD2–2Ludlam (2)4,6807 AprilSheffield UnitedAL0–210,02717 AprilBlackpoolHW2–1Cooke (2)2,80418 AprilChesterfieldAL0–23,85025 AprilGillinghamAL1–2Oakes3,22829 AprilExeter CityAD2–2Jones, Howat3,0562 MayPortsmouthHL0–12,153

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreScorersAttendanceFirst round22 NovemberBarnsley (3)HL1–2Birch7,135

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreScorersAttendanceFirst round first leg9 AugustStockport County (4)HD1–1Oakes2,468First round second leg11 AugustAL0–12,720

Season statistics Player Total League FACup LeagueCup Goalkeepers Grenville Millington 49 – 46 – 1 – 2 – Field players John Anderson 1 – – – – – 1 – Trevor Birch 33+1 1 30+1 – 1 1 2 – David Burns 16+3 1 15+3 1 1 – – – Terry Cooke 10+4 5 10+4 5 – – – – John Cottam 45 1 42 1 1 – 2 – Keith Fear 30+1 2 30+1 2 – – – – Richie Gendall 4+1 – 4+1 – – – – – Ian Howat 17+1 5 17 5 0+1 – – – Derek Jeffries 24 – 22 – 1 – 1 – Brynley Jones 44+1 4 41+1 4 1 – 2 – Mike Kearney 11 – 9 – – – 2 – Steve Ludlam 42+1 7 39+1 7 1 – 2 – Paul Needham 7+2 – 7+2 – – – – – Alan Oakes 30 3 28 2 – – 2 1 Ronnie Phillips 3+2 – 2+1 – – – 1+1 – Trevor Phillips 29+3 7 28+3 7 1 – – – Paul Raynor 34 1 32 1 1 – 1 – Trevor Storton 47 – 44 – 1 – 2 – Peter Sutcliffe 27+1 2 26+1 2 1 – – – Jim Walker 34 – 32 – – – 2 – Peter Zelem 2+4 – 2+4 – – – – – Own goals – 1 – 1 – – – – Total 49 40 46 38 1 1 2 1

References