The 1984–85 season was the 105th season of competitive football in England.
The season saw Everton build on their FA Cup success of the previous season by winning their first league title for 15 years and their first European silverware in the form of the European Cup Winners' Cup. However, they lost the FA Cup final to Manchester United. Norwich City won the Football League Cup but were relegated from the First Division.
History, major events and remaining sections
Major events and tragedies However, the season was overshadowed by three major tragedies involving English clubs. On 11 May 1985, the last day of the league season, a teenage spectator was killed at St Andrew's stadium in a Second Division clash between Birmingham City and Leeds United in another incident of hooliganism. A far worse tragedy occurred on the same day when the Bradford City stadium fire ripped through the main stand of Third Division champions Bradford City, killing 56 spectators. On 29 May, at the European Cup Final in Brussels, rioting by Liverpool fans led to the Heysel Stadium disaster, in which 39 spectators (most of them Italian) were crushed or trampled to death. Shortly after the game, which Juventus won 1–0, all English clubs were banned from European competitions for an indefinite period (five years for most clubs, six for Liverpool).
League season Howard Kendall's Everton side won the First Division title with 90 points, finishing 13 points ahead of runners-up Liverpool. They clinched the championship with five games to spare. Everton also won the European Cup Winners' Cup, defeating Rapid Vienna 3–1 in the final. Manchester United won the FA Cup, denying Everton a potential double.
In the lower divisions, Oxford United won the Second Division, Bradford City won the Third Division (despite the stadium fire), and Chesterfield won the Fourth Division.
Relegated from the First Division were Norwich City, Sunderland, and Stoke City.
See also 1984–85 in English football 1984–85 Football League Bradford City stadium fire Heysel Stadium disaster
Bradford City stadium fire
56 spectators died and more than 200 were injured when a fire ripped through the Main Stand at Valley Parade during Bradford City's Third Division fixture with Lincoln City on 11 May. This tragedy was seen by many as a wake-up call for English clubs to improve the state of their grounds and take more drastic safety measures to bring an end to problems which had been plaguing the game for years without any effective action being taken.
Heysel disaster
On 29 May 1985, less than three weeks after the Bradford fire, 39 spectators (mostly Italian) were killed on the terraces of Heysel Stadium in Brussels, when a wall collapsed at the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus. As a result, all English clubs were banned indefinitely from European competition with Liverpool ordered to serve an extra three years whenever the other English sides were re-admitted.
Diary of the season 18 August 1984: Everton win the Charity Shield by beating Merseyside rivals Liverpool 1–0 at Wembley. The only goal is inadvertently deflected into his own net by Reds' goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar.
25 August 1984: The new league season has an early start as the London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea kicks off at 11:30am on police advice. The match ends in a 1–1 draw in front of over 45,000 at Highbury. Three penalties (one missed) and an own goal at Carrow Road where Norwich City come from 2–0 and 3–2 down to hold champions Liverpool to a 3–3 draw. Manchester United are pegged back by an 89th minute Watford equaliser at Old Trafford. Everton crash 4–1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur for whom debutants Clive Allen and John Chiedozie are among the scorers. In the Second Division, newly promoted Oxford United win 3–0 at Huddersfield Town but Wimbledon are held to a 2–2 draw by Manchester City after leading 2–0. Biggest winners of the day are Exeter City who beat Northampton Town 5–0 in Division Four.
27 August 1984: Newcastle United and Aston Villa both have two wins from their opening two matches but Stoke City and Everton are still looking for their first points. Paul Walsh scores after 14 seconds of his home debut for Liverpool, a 3–0 win over West Ham United.
31 August 1984: Everton get off the mark with a 1–0 win at Chelsea who were previously unbeaten since January.
1 September 1984: Newcastle United beat Aston Villa 3–0 to top the league with the First Division's only 100% record after three games. Crowd trouble interrupts the match between Coventry City and Leicester City at Highfield Road. Peter Davenport scores a hat-trick as Nottingham Forest beat Sunderland 3–1 and Derby County's Kevin Wilson also scores three in his side's 3–2 win over Bolton Wanderers. Earlier in the week, Wilson scored four in a Milk Cup tie against Hartlepool United.
4 September 1984: Newcastle United drop their first points in a 2–0 defeat at Arsenal. Tottenham Hotspur have Graham Roberts and Clive Allen sent off as they lose 1–0 at Sunderland.
5 September 1984: Nottingham Forest go top after a Trevor Christie hat-trick helps them to a resounding 5–0 win at Aston Villa.
8 September 1984: Arsenal lead the First Division for the first time since February 1973 following their 3–1 win over Liverpool at Highbury. Manchester United beat Newcastle United 5–0 to register their first win after four draws. Billy Bonds makes his 700th league appearance by coming on as substitute in West Ham United's 2–0 win over Watford. Reading lose 4–1 to Doncaster Rovers at Elm Park following a run of 29 home league games without defeat.
15 September 1984: Clive Allen scores twice against his former club as Tottenham Hotspur beat Queens Park Rangers 5–0 to displace North London rivals Arsenal from top spot. The Gunners are beaten 2–1 at Ipswich Town. At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's Colin Lee sees his penalty saved by West Ham United keeper Tom McAlister but scores from the rebound. Referee Trevor Spencer orders a retake – Lee's second effort is also saved but he again scores from the rebound. The home side go on to win 3–0.
16 September 1984: Nottingham Forest return to the top with a 3–1 win over Luton Town at the City Ground.
18 September 1984: Back in European competition for the first time in eight years, Queens Park Rangers enjoy a 3–0 first leg win over KR Reykjavík in the UEFA Cup. Second Division leaders Birmingham City drop their first points of the season, beaten 1–0 at home by Portsmouth.
19 September 1984: Liverpool begin their defence of the European Cup with a 1–0 win over Lech Poznań in Poland. In the UEFA Cup, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur enjoy comfortable wins but Nottingham Forest and Southampton both draw at home. Everton are surprisingly held by University College Dublin in the Cup Winners' Cup. The last two 100% league records come to an end as Hereford United draw with Chester City and Chesterfield lose at Hartlepool United.
22 September 1984: Aggregate attendances are the lowest of the season so far but there is no shortage of goals. Queens Park Rangers and Newcastle United draw an extraordinary match 5–5 at Loftus Road. Newcastle led 4–0 at half-time with Chris Waddle contributing a hat-trick. Bolton Wanderers beat Plymouth Argyle 7–2 with Tony Caldwell scoring three. John Deehan scores a hat-trick in Norwich City's 3–2 win over Watford at Carrow Road. In the same fixture last season, Deehan scored four.
24 September 1984: Milk Cup holders Liverpool are held to a goalless draw in the first leg of their second round tie with Stockport County at Edgeley Park.
25 September 1984: Nottingham Forest are the only First Division side beaten in tonight's Milk Cup matches, losing 1–0 at Portsmouth. John Barnes scores a hat-trick as Watford win for the first time this season, beating Cardiff City 3–1.
26 September 1984: Struggling Stoke City lose 2–1 at home to Rotherham United in the Milk Cup. Young Welsh forward Mark Hughes scores his first senior hat-trick in Manchester United's 4–0 win over Burnley. Garth Crooks also scores three as league leaders Tottenham Hotspur win 5–1 at Halifax Town.
29 September 1984: Another day of high scoring in today's fixtures – 153 goals at an average of more than three per match. Plymouth Argyle beat Preston North End 6–4 and Everton win by the odd goal in nine at Watford who slip to the bottom of the First Division. Leeds United beat Oldham Athletic 6–0 with Andy Ritchie scoring three. Other hat-trick heroes include Gary Stevens of Shrewsbury Town and Barnsley's David Geddis. Pat Jennings marks his 750th league appearance by saving a Kenny Hibbitt penalty in Arsenal's 2–1 win at Coventry City. Liverpool in turmoil – Grobbelaar has a nightmare as Sheffield Wednesday beat them 2–0 at Anfield. The champions have won only two of their eight league matches this season.
2 October 1984: Queens Park Rangers easily make it through to the second round of the UEFA Cup with a 4–0 win over KR Reykjavik, 7–0 on aggregate. The match is played at Highbury as UEFA will not allow Rangers to use their artificial pitch at Loftus Road. Everton beat University College Dublin in the Cup Winners' Cup but only thanks to a single Graeme Sharp goal at Goodison Park. Fourth Division leaders Hereford United concede their first league goals of the season in their eighth match, a 3–1 defeat at Chesterfield.
3 October 1984: Nottingham Forest and Southampton are knocked out of Europe but Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Wrexham all progress. John Wark scores a hat-trick in Liverpool's 4–0 win over Lech Poznań and Garth Crooks bags three for the second time in eight days as Spurs beat Braga 6–0.
6 October 1984: Arsenal are back on top of the table – a Charlie Nicholas penalty gives them victory over Everton while Tottenham Hotspur lose 1–0 at Southampton. Liverpool's woes continue as West Bromwich Albion hold them to a goalless draw at Anfield. The last unbeaten record in the First Division goes as Manchester United lose 3–0 at Aston Villa. On-loan French winger Didier Six stars on his Villa debut. With Oxford United losing 1–0 at Manchester City – their first defeat away from home since February – Portsmouth are now the only side yet to be beaten in the league this season.
9 October 1984: Coventry City crash out of the Milk Cup, beaten 3–0 at home by last season's semi-finalists Walsall, 4–2 on aggregate. Liverpool need extra time to get past Stockport County.
12 October 1984: Tottenham Hotspur move ahead of Arsenal on goal difference at the top of the table with a 1–0 win over Liverpool.
13 October 1984: Arsenal return to the summit with a 4–1 win at Leicester City. Manchester United remain in touch with a 5–1 win over West Ham United. Watford, the only side without a league win this season, break their duck by beating Chelsea 3–2 at Stamford Bridge.
14 October 1984: Cardiff City move off the bottom of the Second Division at the expense of Notts County with a 2–0 win at Meadow Lane.
20 October 1984: A watershed moment in the season as Everton win at Anfield for the first time in 14 years. Graeme Sharp scores the only goal with a brilliant volley. Arsenal unveil their new 18ft x 14ft video screen for extra match day entertainment, the first of its kind in English football. On the pitch, the Gunners beat Sunderland 3–2 to retain top spot. Tottenham Hotspur slip to fifth after a 1–0 defeat at Manchester United while Sheffield Wednesday move up to second with a 5–0 win over Leicester City. Portsmouth suffer their first league defeat, losing 3–2 at Wimbledon.