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The 1984–85 season was the 105th season of competitive
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
in
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. The season saw Everton build on their
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
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 Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
. Norwich City won the
Football League Cup The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
but were relegated from the First Division. However, the season was overshadowed by three tragedies involving English clubs. On 11 May 1985, the last day of the league season, a teenage spectator was killed at the St Andrew's stadium in a Second Division clash between
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
and Leeds United in another incident of hooliganism which continued to blight English football at home and abroad. A far worse tragedy occurred on the same day when a fire ripped through the stadium of Third Division champions
Bradford City Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes. Th ...
, killing 56 spectators. On 29 May, at the European Cup Final in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, rioting by Liverpool fans led to the collapse of a wall and 39 spectators (most of them Italian) were crushed or trampled to death in the panic. Shortly after the game, which
Juventus Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
of
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
won 1–0, all English clubs were banned from European competitions for an indefinite period, which ended up being 6 years for
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
and 5 years for every other English football club.


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 Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes. Th ...
's Third Division fixture with Lincoln City on 11 May. This
tragedy Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character. Traditionally, the intention of 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

Less than three weeks after the Bradford fire, 39 spectators (mostly Italian) were trampled to death on the terraces of
Heysel Stadium The King Baudouin Stadium (french: Stade Roi Baudouin , nl, Koning Boudewijnstadion ) is a sports ground in north-west Brussels, Belgium. Located in the Heysel district of the City of Brussels, it was built to embellish the Heysel Plateau in v ...
where
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
took on
Juventus Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
in the
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
final. 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. Despite the tragedy, the match was played and Juventus beat Liverpool 1–0.


Diary of the season

18 August 1984: Everton win the Charity Shield by beating
Merseyside Merseyside ( ) is a metropolitan county, metropolitan and ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England, with a population of List of ceremonial counties of England, 1.38 million. It encompasses both banks of the Merse ...
rivals
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
1–0 at
Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...
. 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 An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
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 Carrow Road is an association football stadium located in Norwich, Norfolk, England, and is the home of EFL Championship side Norwich City. The stadium is located toward the east of the city, near Norwich railway station and the River Wensum. N ...
where Norwich City come from 2–0 and 3–2 down to hold champions Liverpool to a 3–3 draw.
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
are pegged back by an 89th minute
Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...
equaliser at
Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
. Everton crash 4–1 at home to
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
for whom debutants
Clive Allen Clive Darren Allen (born 20 May 1961) is an English former professional Association football, footballer who played as a forward (association football), forward for seven different London clubs. Allen was a prolific striker throughout his career ...
and
John Chiedozie John Okechukwu Chiedozie (born 18 April 1960) is a former professional football player who played for Orient, Notts County, Tottenham Hotspur, Derby County and Chesterfield and represented Nigeria at international level on nine occasions. Foo ...
are among the scorers. In the Second Division, newly promoted
Oxford United Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and th ...
win 3–0 at Huddersfield Town but
Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * ...
are held to a 2–2 draw by
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
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 Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
and
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
both have two wins from their opening two matches but
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
and Everton are still looking for their first point.
Paul Walsh Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...
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 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 Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, Championship, the second tier of the English footbal ...
and Leicester City at Highfield Road. Peter Davenport scores a hat-trick as
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
beat
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
3–1 and Derby County's Kevin Wilson also scores three in his side's 3–2 win over
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
. Earlier in the week, Wilson scored four in a
Milk Cup SuperCupNI, formerly called the Northern Ireland Youth Soccer Tournament and the Dale Farm Milk Cup, is an international youth football tournament held annually in Northern Ireland. The cup matches are mainly played in the North Coast area of ...
tie against
Hartlepool United Hartlepool United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. They were founded in 1908 as Hartle ...
. 4 September 1984: Newcastle drop their first points in a 2–0 defeat at Arsenal. Tottenham have
Graham Roberts Graham Paul Roberts (born 3 July 1959) is an English retired footballer and manager who played as a defender for numerous clubs including Tottenham Hotspur (where he won the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup), Rangers (where he won the Scottish League ...
and Clive Allen sent off as they lose 1–0 at
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
. 5 September 1984: Nottingham Forest go top after a
Trevor Christie Trevor Christie (born 28 February 1959) is an English footballer who played as a striker. Christie was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and began his career with Leicester City before joining Notts County in 1979. He enjoyed arguably his ...
hat-trick helps them to a resounding 5–0 win at Aston Villa. 8 September 1984: Arsenal head Division One for the first time since February 1973 following their 3–1 win over Liverpool at Highbury. Manchester United beat Newcastle 5–0 to register their first win after four draws. 15 September 1984: Clive Allen scores twice against his former club as Tottenham beat Queens Park Rangers 5–0 to displace North London rivals Arsenal from top spot. The Gunners are beaten 2–1 at
Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...
. At
Stamford Bridge Stamford Bridge may refer to: * Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, a village in England ** Battle of Stamford Bridge, 25 September 1066 * Stamford Bridge (bridge), a bridge in the village of Stamford Bridge * Stamford Bridge (stadium), in L ...
, Chelsea's
Colin Lee Colin Lee (born 12 June 1956) is an English football manager and former footballer. He is currently head of football at South Dartmoor Community College in Ashburton, Devon along with Chris Beard. Playing career Lee began his football career ...
sees his penalty saved by West Ham 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, QPR enjoy a 3–0 first leg win over
KR Reykjavík KR is the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 and WMO country code for South Korea. KR or Kr may also refer to: Sports * KR (basketball club), associated with Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur * Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, an Icelandic football club * Kickoff r ...
in the
UEFA Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
. Second Division leaders
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
drop their first points of the season, beaten 1–0 at home by
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...
. 19 September 1984: Liverpool begin their defence of the
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
with a 1–0 win over
Lech Poznań Kolejowy Klub Sportowy Lech Poznań S.A., commonly referred to as KKS Lech Poznań or simply Lech Poznań (), is a Polish professional association football, football club based in Poznań and currently competing in the Ekstraklasa, the nation' ...
in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
. In the UEFA Cup, Manchester United and Tottenham enjoy comfortable wins but Nottingham Forest and
Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
both draw at home. Everton are surprisingly held by
University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...
in the Cup Winners' Cup. The last two 100% league records come to an end as
Hereford United Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'The ...
draw with Chester City and
Chesterfield Chesterfield may refer to: Places Canada * Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, Saskatchewan * Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom * Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a market town in England ** Chesterfield (UK Parliament constitue ...
lose at Hartlepool. 22 September 1984: QPR and Newcastle draw an extraordinary match 5–5 at Loftus Road. Newcastle led 4–0 at half-time with
Chris Waddle Christopher Roland Waddle (born 14 December 1960) is an English former professional football player and manager. He currently works as a commentator. Nicknamed "Magic Chris", football journalist Luke Ginnell wrote that Waddle was "widely ackn ...
contributing a hat-trick and were 5–3 up with just five minutes remaining.
John Deehan John Matthew Deehan (born 6 August 1957) is an English former football manager and player. During his playing career he was a footballer from 1975 until 1990 and is most well known for his spells as a striker for Aston Villa and Norwich City. ...
scores three in Norwich's 3–2 win over Watford at Carrow Road. In the same fixture last season, Deehan scored four. 24 September 1984:
Milk Cup SuperCupNI, formerly called the Northern Ireland Youth Soccer Tournament and the Dale Farm Milk Cup, is an international youth football tournament held annually in Northern Ireland. The cup matches are mainly played in the North Coast area of ...
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. They lose 1–0 at Portsmouth. John Barnes scores a hat-trick as Watford win for the first time this season, beating
Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...
3–1. 26 September 1984: Struggling Stoke 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 Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...
. Garth Crooks also scores three as league leaders Tottenham 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 Plymouth Argyle Football Club is a professional football club based in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the team are competing in League One, the third tier of English football. They have played at Home Park, ...
beat
Preston North End Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional football club in Preston, Lancashire, England, who currently play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league syste ...
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 Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
's
David Geddis David Geddis (born 12 March 1958) is a football coach and scout, a former professional football player and England youth international. As a player, he scored 77 goals from 264 appearances in the Football League. Biography Playing career Whe ...
. Arsenal's veteran goalkeeper Pat Jennings saves a
Kenny Hibbitt Kenneth Hibbitt (born 3 January 1951) is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Bradford Park Avenue, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Coventry City and Bristol Rovers, and in the North American Soccer League for ...
penalty in his side's 2–1 win at Coventry. Liverpool in turmoil – Grobbelaar has a nightmare as
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
beat them 2–0 at
Anfield Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892. ...
. The champions have won only two of their eight league matches this season. 2 October 1984: QPR 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 Arsenal 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 Goodison Park is a football stadium in the Walton area of Liverpool, England. It has been the home stadium of Premier League club Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892. Located in a residential area 2 miles (3 km) north of Liverpool ...
. Fourth Division leaders Hereford concede their first league goals of the season in their eighth match, a 3–1 defeat at Chesterfield. 3 October 1984: Forest and Southampton are knocked out of Europe but Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham all make progress. John Wark scores a hat-trick as Liverpool beat Lech Poznań 4–0 and Garth Crooks bags three for the second successive week in Spurs' 6–0 win over Braga. 6 October 1984: Arsenal are back on top of the table – a Charlie Nicholas penalty gives them victory over Everton while Tottenham lose 1–0 at Southampton. Liverpool's woes continue as
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pla ...
hold them to a goalless draw at Anfield. The last unbeaten record in Division One goes as Manchester United lose 3–0 at Aston Villa. On-loan French winger
Didier Six Didier Six (born 21 August 1954) is a French football coach and former player, who most recently worked as manager of the Guinea national football team until October 2021. A gifted but inconsistent winger, Six enjoyed a nomadic career, playing ...
stars on his Villa debut. With Oxford 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 crash out of the Milk Cup, beaten 3–0 at home by last season's semi-finalists
Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...
, 4–2 on aggregate. Liverpool need extra time to put out Stockport. 12 October 1984: Tottenham 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. Manchester United remain in touch with a 5–1 win over West Ham. 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 move off the bottom of Division Two 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 slip to fifth after defeat at Old Trafford while Sheffield Wednesday move up to second with a 5–0 win over Leicester. Portsmouth suffer their first league defeat, losing 3–2 at Wimbledon. 24 October 1984: In only his second match back following a knee operation,
Ian Rush Ian James Rush (born 20 October 1961) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a forward. At club level Rush played for Liverpool from 1980–1987 and 1988–1996. He is the club's all-time leading goalscorer, having scored a to ...
scores a hat-trick in Liverpool's 3–1 European Cup win over Benfica. Everton win at Fortuna Sittard in the Cup Winners' Cup through an early goal by
Paul Bracewell Paul William Bracewell (born 19 July 1962) is an English former professional football player and manager. Bracewell played as a midfielder. He was a member of the Everton side that won the League title in 1985 and 1987 as well as the Europe ...
. In the UEFA Cup, QPR beat Partizan Belgrade 6–2 at Highbury but Tottenham lose in
Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the countr ...
with
Glenn Hoddle Glenn Hoddle (born 27 October 1957) is an English former football player and manager. He currently works as a television pundit and commentator for ITV Sport and BT Sport. He played as a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, Monaco, Chelsea and Swi ...
sent off and Manchester United draw with PSV in
Eindhoven Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,Gary Lineker scores a hat-trick in his side's 5–0 win over Aston Villa. 28 October 1984: Having slipped into the bottom three, Liverpool begin the climb to safety with a 2–0 win at Nottingham Forest. 30 October 1984: Chelsea need a late Colin Lee equaliser to rescue a 2–2 draw at Walsall in the Milk Cup third round. Everton beat Manchester United for the second time in four days, 2–1 at Old Trafford. Ex-Evertonian
John Gidman John Gidman (born 10 January 1954) is an English former footballer who played for Aston Villa, Everton, Manchester United, Manchester City, Stoke City and Darlington. Gidman was a product of the Liverpool and Aston Villa academies. Care ...
heads the winner into his own goal. 31 October 1984: Arsenal are knocked out of the Milk Cup, beaten 3–2 at Second Division leaders Oxford. David Langan scores the winner thanks to a mistake by Pat Jennings. Liverpool's 1–0 defeat at Tottenham is the first tie the holders have lost in the competition since the 1979–80 season. Improving Watford enjoy a comprehensive 4–0 win at Leeds. 2 November 1984: Manchester United beat Arsenal 4–2 at Old Trafford, the Gunners' third consecutive defeat in the space of seven days. 3 November 1984: Everton go top of the League by beating Leicester 3–0. Kerry Dixon scores a hat-trick as Chelsea fight back from two down to beat Coventry 6–2. A late Ronnie Whelan goal gives Liverpool victory at Stoke. In Division Three, bottom side Cambridge United beat Newport County 2–1, their first away win in 18 months. 6 November 1984: Chelsea brush aside Walsall in their Milk Cup third round replay, scoring three goals in the first 11 minutes without reply. A
Howard Gayle Howard Anthony Gayle (born 18 May 1958) is an English former footballer who played for Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Halifax Town, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Sunderland and Stoke City. Gayle began his career with Liverpool, beco ...
goal in extra time is enough for Sunderland to knock out Nottingham Forest who have 18-year-old
Paul Raynor Paul James Raynor (born 29 April 1966) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He has worked as assistant manager under Steve Evans at Rotherham United, Leeds United, Mansfield Town, Peterborough United and Gi ...
sent off. 7 November 1984: Liverpool concede early in
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
but hang on to edge past Benfica 3–2 on aggregate and into the European Cup quarter-finals. QPR are stunned by Partizan in the UEFA Cup, losing on away goals following a 4–0 defeat in
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
, but Tottenham and Manchester United make it through, as do Everton in the Cup Winners' Cup. 10 November 1984: Everton stay top with a 1–0 win over West Ham at Upton Park. Manchester United and Tottenham also win away but Arsenal are held at home by Aston Villa. In the Third Division, Hull City come from 4–1 down to win 5–4 at
Orient The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the c ...
. 17 November 1984:
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
first round day produces its usual selection of surprise results.
Altrincham Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester city centre, southwest of Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2011 Census, it had a population o ...
win 1–0 at
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
and
Northwich Victoria {{Infobox UK place , static_image_name = Northwich - Town Bridge.jpg , static_image_caption = Town Bridge, the River Weaver and the spire of Holy Trinity Church , official_name = Northwich , country ...
beat Crewe Alexandra 3–1 while seven other non-league clubs take league opposition to a replay. No such luck for
Tow Law Town Tow Law Town Association Football Club is an English non-league football club from Tow Law, County Durham, currently playing in the Northern League Division One, in the ninth level of the English football league system. The team, nicknamed " ...
, beaten 7–2 at
Bradford City Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes. Th ...
, or Penrith, thrashed 9–0 by Burnley for whom Kevin Hird and Alan Taylor both score three. In Division One, leaders Everton beat bottom club Stoke 4–0 at Goodison Park. 20 November 1984: In the Milk Cup fourth round, Second Division Grimsby Town cause a shock by winning at Everton through a last minute header by Paul Wilkinson. Andy Blair scores a hat-trick of penalties in Sheffield Wednesday's 4–2 win over Luton. Non-league Enfield and Telford United win through in FA Cup replays but
Kettering Town Kettering Town Football Club is a football club based in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of and play at Latimer Park in Burton Latimer. Kettering were the first club to wear sponsorship on their shirts in ...
and
Bangor City Bangor City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Bangor) are an inactive Welsh football club from the City of Bangor, Gwynedd. They started the 2021–22 season in the Cymru North the second level of the Welsh football league system, but ...
are knocked out. 21 November 1984: Kerry Dixon scores his second hat-trick of the month as Chelsea beat Manchester City 4–1 in the Milk Cup. In the FA Cup, Bognor Regis Town beat
Swansea City Swansea City Association Football Club (; cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Dinas Abertawe) is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their ho ...
3–1 to reach the second round for the first time in their history. 24 November 1984: Sunderland beat Manchester United 3–2 in a dramatic match at Roker Park. Both sides have a player sent off and Clive Walker scores a hat-trick (including two penalties) after the home side had trailed 2–0, all in the first half. Oxford also come from two down to beat Leeds 5–2 at the top of the Second Division with John Aldridge scoring three. Two goals by John Wark against his former club Ipswich give Liverpool their first league win at home for three months. Brighton and Hove Albion score their first goal in six matches but are beaten 2–1 at home by
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...
. 26 November 1984: FA Cup replay joy for Alliance Premier League side
Dagenham Dagenham () is a town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Dagenham is centred east of Charing Cross. It was historically a rural parish in the Becontree Hundred of Essex, stretching from Hainault Forest ...
who win 2–1 after extra time at Swindon Town. 27 November 1984: QPR and Southampton play out a goalless Milk Cup replay at Loftus Road.
Steve Moran Stephen James Moran (born on 10 January 1961) is a former footballer who played as a striker for Southampton during the 1980s. Moran was one of the finest strikers that Southampton has possessed. He had a knack of scoring some crucial goals for ...
has an 85th minute penalty saved by Rs' keeper
Peter Hucker Peter Hucker (born 28 October 1959) is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper in The Football League during the 1980s and early 1990s. Born in Hampstead, he joined Queens Park Rangers as a schoolboy in December 1974, signed ap ...
. 28 November 1984: Tottenham beat Bohemians Prague 2–0 in the UEFA Cup third round but Manchester United are held 2–2 at home by Dundee United.
Gordon Strachan Gordon David Strachan ( born 9 February 1957) is a Scottish former football coach and player. He played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. He has since managed Cove ...
scores a penalty but has a second saved by fellow Scot Hamish McAlpine. 1 December 1984: Manchester United and Arsenal narrow the gap on leaders Everton who are held 1–1 by Sheffield Wednesday and have top scorer Adrian Heath carried off with a serious knee injury. In Division Two, Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers draw a top-of-the-table clash 2–2 at
Fratton Park Fratton Park is a football ground in Portsmouth, England, which is the home of Portsmouth F.C. Fratton Park remains as the only home football ground in Portsmouth FC's entire history. The early Fratton Park was designed by local architect A ...
with the home side fighting back after gifting the visitors two own goals. 5 December 1984: Sunderland surprise Tottenham in the Milk Cup with a 2–1 replay win at
White Hart Lane White Hart Lane was a Association football, football stadium in Tottenham, North London and the home of Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur Football Club from 1899 to 2017. Its capacity varied over the years; when changed to all-seater i ...
. Goalkeeper Chris Turner saves a Graham Roberts penalty. QPR finally put out Southampton 4–0 in their second replay. 8 December 1984: Tottenham move to within a point of Everton after coming from behind to beat Newcastle 3–1. The leaders are held 0–0 at QPR and have
Pat Van Den Hauwe Patrick William Roger Van Den Hauwe (born 16 December 1960) is a former professional footballer who made 401 appearances in the Football League playing for Birmingham City, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Millwall. Born in Belgium and raised in E ...
sent off along with Rangers' Simon Stainrod. Manchester United lose at Forest and Southampton beat Arsenal – only three points now separate the top five. Telford record the most eye-catching result in the FA Cup second round, a 4–1 win at Preston. Other non-league clubs through to round three are Burton Albion, winners at
Aldershot Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...
, and Dagenham, who knock out Peterborough United. 9 December 1984: Independiente of
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
beat Liverpool 1–0 to win the World Club Championship in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
. 12 December 1984: Manchester United win 3–2 at Dundee United (5–4 aggregate) and Tottenham draw 1–1 in
Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
(3–1 aggregate) to ensure safe passage through to the UEFA Cup quarter-finals. 15 December 1984: Everton maintain their place at the top of the First Division with a 5–0 win over Nottingham Forest for whom
Chris Fairclough Courtney Huw Fairclough (born 12 April 1964) is an English football coach and former professional footballer. As a player, he was a defender from 1981 to 2001. He most notably played for Nottingham Forest and Leeds United. He also played for T ...
is sent off and Gary Mills breaks a leg. Southampton lose 2–1 at Coventry, their first league defeat since 4 September. 21 December 1984: Liverpool's revival continues with a 2–0 win at QPR that moves them up to fifth in the table. 22 December 1984: Tottenham win 2–1 at Norwich to reclaim leadership of the First Division as Everton are beaten 4–3 at home by Chelsea for whom recent signing Gordon Davies scores a hat-trick. Two goals in the last two minutes by transfer listed
Alan Biley Alan Paul Biley (born 26 February 1957) is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Brighton & Hove Albion, Cambridge United, Derby County, Everton, Portsmouth and Stoke City. Playing career Biley was born in Leighto ...
give Portsmouth a 2–1 win over Oxford. 26 December 1984: Bottom of the First Division with only one win and eight points all season, Stoke stun Manchester United 2–1 at the Victoria Ground. Liverpool suffer a surprise home defeat to Leicester but Everton win at Sunderland. Tottenham stay top on goal difference despite being held at home by West Ham. 29 December 1984: The year ends with Tottenham heading the First Division after beating Sunderland 2–0. Everton win by the same score at Ipswich to stay on their heels. Blackburn top Division Two although a 3–1 home defeat to Huddersfield cuts their lead to three points while Bradford and
Bury Bury may refer to: *The burial of human remains *-bury, a suffix in English placenames Places England * Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village * Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire ** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...
are both clear at the top of Divisions Three and Four respectively. 1 January 1985: Status quo maintained as Tottenham win at Arsenal and Everton beat Luton. Stoke suffer another pasting, this time 4–0 at Coventry.
Peter Beardsley Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE (born 18 January 1961) is an English football coach and former footballer who played as a forward or midfielder between 1979 and 1999. In 1987, he set a record transfer fee in the English game and represented his coun ...
scores a hat-trick as Newcastle beat Sunderland 3–1. In Division Two,
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...
stage a remarkable fightback from 4–0 down to draw 4–4 at Portsmouth. 5 January 1985: FA Cup third round shocks include Orient's 2–1 win over West Bromwich Albion and Doncaster Rovers beating QPR 1–0. Burton are beaten 6–1 by Leicester at the
Baseball Ground The Baseball Ground (sometimes referred to as the BBG) was a stadium in Derby, England. It was first used for baseball as the home of Derby Baseball Club from 1890 until 1898 and then for football as the home of Derby County from 1895 until 19 ...
after their goalkeeper Paul Evans is left dazed by a missile thrown from the crowd with the score level at 1–1. The FA subsequently orders the match to be replayed. Trouble too at Highfield Road where Manchester City fans riot as their side go down 2–1 to Coventry. Telford knock out Third Division leaders Bradford but Dagenham are beaten at
Carlisle United Carlisle United Football Club ( , ) is a professional association football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They have played their home games at Brunton Par ...
. Hereford, second in Division Four, hold Arsenal and
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, ...
draw at Chelsea after being two goals ahead. At White Hart Lane, Mark Aizlewood earns
Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in C ...
a replay with a scrambled equaliser after seeing his initial penalty saved by Ray Clemence.
Luther Blissett Luther Loide Blissett (born 1 February 1958) is a former professional footballer and manager who played for the England national team during the 1980s. Born in Jamaica, Blissett played as a striker, and is best known for his time at Watford, ...
scores four in Watford's 5–0 drubbing of Sheffield United. 8 January 1985: Fourth Division
Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...
beat Middlesbrough 2–1 in an FA Cup replay at
Feethams Feethams is a cricket and former football grounds in Darlington, England. The cricket ground has hosted Durham CCC matches. The football ground was the home of Darlington F.C. for from 1883 to 2003 until the club moved into another ground, ...
. The match is held up for 10 minutes during the second half following a pitch invasion. 9 January 1985: Only two FA Cup replays survive as cold weather begins to bite. Luton score two early goals on their way to a 3–2 win at Stoke while Nottingham Forest win 3–1 in extra time at Newcastle. 12 January 1985: Tottenham are held to a 2–2 draw at QPR and relinquish the league leadership to Everton who beat Newcastle 4–0. A frozen pitch causes Sunderland's match with Liverpool at Roker Park to be abandoned at half-time. Manchester United are beaten 1–0 by Coventry, their second successive home defeat, and lose captain
Bryan Robson Bryan Robson OBE (born 11 January 1957) is an English football manager and former player. He began his career with West Bromwich Albion in 1972, where he amassed over 200 appearances and was club captain before moving to Manchester United in ...
to a shoulder injury. 16 January 1985: Leicester win their replayed FA Cup tie with Burton 1–0 behind closed doors at Highfield Road. Norwich are the first team through to the semi-finals of the Milk Cup following a 1–0 win at Grimsby.
Juventus Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
beat Liverpool 2–0 in
Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
to win the
European Super Cup The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions; the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's official name was originall ...
. Polish international striker Zbigniew Boniek scores both goals. 19 January 1985: Arctic conditions decimate today's fixture programme with only 10 matches played across the four divisions. Three survive in Division One – Liverpool beat Norwich 4–0 while Aston Villa win 3–0 at Coventry and Chelsea draw 1–1 with Arsenal. In the Second Division, Manchester City move into the top three by beating Wimbledon 3–0 and a Tommy Wright hat-trick helps Leeds to a 5–0 win over Notts County. 22 January 1985: The three times postponed FA Cup replay between Arsenal and Hereford finally results in a 7–2 win for the First Division side. 23 January 1985: Sunderland join Norwich in the Milk Cup semi-finals with a 1–0 win at Watford while QPR hold Ipswich to a goalless draw at Portman Road. In FA Cup replays, Tottenham, Huddersfield and Millwall all make it through to round four but Norwich and Birmingham must try again after drawing 1–1 at Carrow Road. 26 January 1985: Third Division York City cause the biggest FA Cup upset of the season – a last minute Keith Houchen penalty gives them victory over Arsenal at Bootham Crescent. Manchester United reserve goalkeeper Stephen Pears saves a
Terry Gibson Terence Bradley Gibson (born 23 December 1962) is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward for several clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, Coventry City, Manchester United and Wimbledon. Playing career Born in Walth ...
penalty in his side's 2–1 win over Coventry. In delayed third round replays, Blackburn beat Portsmouth 2–1 and Chelsea win 5–0 at Wigan with goal machine Kerry Dixon netting four. The Birmingham–Norwich marathon continues as the two sides draw a second replay 1–1 at St Andrew's. 27 January 1985: Ian Rush scores the only goal to give Liverpool victory over Tottenham in the heavyweight clash of the FA Cup fourth round. 28 January 1985: Ipswich win 2–1 at QPR in the Milk Cup but the fourth semi-finalist is still undecided as Chelsea are held 1–1 by Sheffield Wednesday. A goal credited to
Steve Bruce Stephen Roger Bruce (born 31 December 1960) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played as a centre-back. He most recently managed West Bromwich Albion F.C., West Br ...
at last sees Norwich overcome Birmingham in the FA Cup third round. 30 January 1985: Sheffield Wednesday and Chelsea draw a thrilling Milk Cup replay 4–4 at Hillsborough. Chelsea came from 3–0 down to lead 4–3 during normal time and then kicked off in both halves of extra time. In the FA Cup, Blackburn win at Oxford and Wimbledon beat Nottingham Forest in a replay. Last season, as a Third Division club, the Dons knocked Forest out of the Milk Cup. 2 February 1985: Everton beat Watford 4–0 to go four points clear of Tottenham, held 2–2 at Luton. The top four in Division Two are separated only by goal difference. Oxford lead the way after winning 1–0 at Carlisle, displacing Blackburn who draw 1–1 at Wimbledon. Manchester City and Birmingham complete the quartet after away wins at Crystal Palace and Huddersfield respectively. 4 February 1985: Telford, the last remaining non-league side in the FA Cup, beat Darlington 3–0 to book a fifth round tie at Everton. Chelsea are shocked 3–2 at home by Third Division promotion chasers Millwall. 6 February 1985: Mickey Thomas scores a last minute winner as Chelsea beat Sheffield Wednesday 2–1 at the third time of asking in the Milk Cup quarter-final. 9 February 1985: More bad weather hits today's fixture list with only 16 matches surviving the freeze. Manchester United are held 1–1 at Newcastle and miss the opportunity to make serious ground on Everton and Tottenham. Manchester City also slip up in Division Two, beaten 3–1 at home by Carlisle. 13 February 1985: Sunderland establish a 2–0 lead over Chelsea in the first leg of their Milk Cup semi-final. Two penalties by Colin West decide the match – he scores the first and converts a rebound after the second is saved by
Eddie Niedzwiecki Andrzej Edward "Eddie" Niedzwiecki; born 3 May 1959) is a Welsh football coach and former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently assistant manager of AFC Wimbledon. After retiring early due to injury Niedzwiecki became a coach ...
. 16 February 1985: Everton end Telford's FA Cup adventure with a 3–0 win at Goodison Park but York score an 86th minute equaliser to take Liverpool to a replay. Bradford extend their lead at the top of Division Three to 12 points with a 2–0 win at third placed Hull. 19 February 1985: Millwall make the FA Cup quarter-finals with a deserved 2–0 win over Leicester at
The Den The Den (previously The New Den) is a football stadium in New Cross, south-east London, and the home of Millwall Football Club. The Den is adjacent to the South London railway originating at , and a quarter of a mile from the Old Den, which it ...
. 20 February 1985: Liverpool register a decisive 7–0 FA Cup replay win over York at Anfield with John Wark scoring a hat-trick. 23 February 1985: Two goals by Andy Gray – his first since September – give Everton an important 2–1 win at Leicester.
Kenny Dalglish Sir Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish (born 4 March 1951) is a Scottish former association football, football player and manager (association football), manager. During his career, he made 338 appearances for Celtic F.C., Celtic and 515 for Liverpoo ...
celebrates his 300th league appearance by scoring in Liverpool's 2–0 win over Stoke. A goal by
Mich d'Avray Jean-Michel (Mich) d'Avray (born 19 February 1962 in Johannesburg, South Africa) is a former professional association footballer who spent the majority of his playing career at Ipswich Town. He was most recently Technical Director at Ajax Cape To ...
gives Ipswich a slender 1–0 advantage from the first leg of their Milk Cup semi-final against Norwich. 24 February 1985: At the foot of the Second Division, Crystal Palace's relegation fears deepen as they suffer a 5–0 defeat at home to Wimbledon. 2 March 1985: Both sides miss a penalty as Everton draw 1–1 at Manchester United, enabling Tottenham to close the gap at the top to two points with a 1–0 win at Stoke. Manchester City replace Blackburn as leaders in Division Two with a 1–0 win at
Ewood Park Ewood Park () is a football stadium in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, and the home of Blackburn Rovers F.C., founding members of the Football League and Premier League, who have played there since 1890. It is an all seater multi-sports facili ...
. Oxford are beaten 3–0 by Birmingham, their first league defeat at home in nearly a year. Charlton fight back from 3–0 down to win 5–3 against Barnsley for whom
Ron Futcher Ronald Futcher (born 25 September 1956) is an English former footballer who played as a centre-forward. He was the fourth highest career scorer of the North American Soccer League, and made over 400 appearances in total for nine different Engli ...
scores a hat-trick and is later sent off. 4 March 1985: Over 100 people are arrested after serious crowd trouble disrupts the second leg of the Milk Cup semi-final between Chelsea and Sunderland. The Wearsiders win 3–2 to reach the final 5–2 on aggregate. In the FA Cup fifth round, Southampton suffer a surprise home defeat to Barnsley while a late goal by
Alan Sunderland Alan Sunderland (born 1 July 1953) is an English former footballer who played as a forward in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Arsenal and Ipswich Town. He was also capped once for England. Club career Sunderland was born in Con ...
gives Ipswich a 3–2 win over Sheffield Wednesday. 6 March 1985: An Andy Gray hat-trick helps Everton to a comfortable win over Fortuna Sittard in the Cup Winners' Cup while Liverpool gain a useful 1–1 away draw with Austria Vienna in the European Cup. In the UEFA Cup, Manchester United narrowly beat Videoton but a
Steve Perryman Stephen John Perryman MBE (born 21 December 1951) is an English former professional footballer who is best-known for his successes with Tottenham Hotspur during the 1970s and early 1980s. He has won the FA Cup, League Cup, and UEFA Cup all twi ...
own goal against
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
consigns Tottenham to their first ever home defeat in European competition. Norwich beat Ipswich 2–0 at Carrow Road to reach the Milk Cup final. In FA Cup replays, West Ham beat Wimbledon 5–1 with Tony Cottee scoring three while Watford and Luton draw 2–2 after extra time at Vicarage Road. 9 March 1985: Norman Whiteside scores a hat-trick as Manchester United make the FA Cup semi-finals with a 4–2 win over West Ham. Ipswich take Everton to a replay with a 2–2 draw at Goodison Park. Luton beat Watford 1–0 to reach the sixth round. Midfielder Wayne Turner scores the only goal on his 24th birthday. 10 March 1985: Liverpool win 4–0 at Barnsley in the FA Cup with Ian Rush notching up yet another hat-trick. 12 March 1985: A 2–1 win at Tottenham pushes Manchester United back into contention for the league title. Three players are sent off in the goalless draw between Stoke and West Bromwich Albion. 13 March 1985: Another explosion of football violence occurs as Millwall hooligans riot before, during and after their team's FA Cup quarter-final tie at Luton which ends in a 1–0 win for the home side. Everton complete the semi-final line-up with a 1–0 replay win at Ipswich. 15 March 1985: On his return from injury, Bryan Robson scores shortly after coming on as a substitute in Manchester United's 2–2 draw at West Ham. 16 March 1985: Tottenham beat Liverpool at Anfield for the first time since 1912 to move level on points with leaders Everton. Garth Crooks scores the only goal in the 71st minute. Sunderland win 3–1 at Norwich in a dress rehearsal for next weekend's Milk Cup final. 20 March 1985: A mixed night for English clubs in Europe. Liverpool and Everton make it through to their respective semi-finals but Tottenham and Manchester United are knocked out of the UEFA Cup. Spurs have Steve Perryman sent off in their goalless draw at the Bernabéu and United lose on penalties to Videoton. 23 March 1985: Osvaldo Ardiles marks his first appearance of the season with the opening goal in Tottenham's 5–1 win over Southampton. Everton beat Arsenal 2–0 to virtually extinguish the Gunners' waning championship hopes. Hat-tricks for Manchester United's Mark Hughes against Aston Villa and John Wark for Liverpool at West Bromwich Albion. In Division Two, Oxford move up to second with a 3–0 win over leaders Manchester City. 24 March 1985: Norwich win the Milk Cup. The significant action takes place in the space of five minutes at the start of the second half as
Gordon Chisholm Gordon William Chisholm (born 8 April 1960 in Glasgow) is a Scottish professional football former player and manager. Chisholm played as a central defender for Sunderland, Hibernian, Dundee and Partick Thistle. After retiring as a player, Chis ...
deflects an Asa Hartford shot into his own net for the only goal and Sunderland's Clive Walker misses a penalty. 30 March 1985: Two goals by reserve midfielder Kevin Richardson give Everton a 2–1 win at Southampton which takes them three points clear of Tottenham, who lose 2–0 at home to Aston Villa. Manchester City's lead in Division Two is cut to two points after a 2–2 draw with bottom club Cardiff. Oxford, Birmingham and Blackburn all win while Portsmouth draw at Shrewsbury. 31 March 1985: Manchester United stay in the championship race as a Frank Stapleton header gives them a 1–0 win at Anfield. 2 April 1985: Watford rout West Ham 5–0 in an important game at the foot of the First Division. In Division Two,
Gordon Owen Gordon Owen (born 14 June 1959) is an English former professional Association football, footballer who made 300 appearances in the English Football League, Football League. Career A much travelled player, Owen was born in Barnsley and began hi ...
scores a hat-trick as Barnsley beat Oxford 3–0. 3 April 1985: In a match touted as the "title decider", Everton beat Tottenham 2–1 at White Hart Lane. Andy Gray and
Trevor Steven Trevor McGregor Steven (born 21 September 1963) is an English former professional footballer who played as a right-sided midfielder. He progressed through the ranks at Burnley, making his debut in 1981 and becoming a regular supplier of goals o ...
score in each half to put Everton in control before Graham Roberts pulls a goal back. Neville Southall denies the home side a point with a breathtaking late save from
Mark Falco Mark Peter Falco (born 22 October 1960) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker for a number of clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, Watford, Rangers and Queens Park Rangers. Career Falco was born in Bethnal Green, ...
. The win takes Everton four points clear with two matches in hand on Manchester United who leapfrog Spurs into second after a 2–1 win over Leicester. Ian Rush scores after 52 seconds to set Liverpool on course for a 3–0 win at Sunderland. 6 April 1985: Everton beat Sunderland 4–1 to maintain their lead on the chasing pack. Manchester United hammer Stoke 5–0 but Tottenham are held to a 1–1 draw at West Ham. 8 April 1985: Sunderland drop into the relegation zone following their goalless draw with Newcastle and away victories for Ipswich and Luton. West Ham are drawn further into the mire after a 4–2 defeat at QPR. In Division Two, Portsmouth move up to second by winning 3–1 at Fulham as Manchester City are beaten at home by Leeds. 9 April 1985: Manchester United suffer a major setback in their pursuit of leaders Everton as they slip to a 1–0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday. 10 April 1985: Liverpool virtually book their place in next month's European Cup final with a 4–0 win over
Panathinaikos Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos ( el, Παναθηναϊκός Αθλητικός Όμιλος, literally in English: "Panathenaic Athletic Club" or Panathinaikos A.C.), also known simply as Panathinaikós , is a major Greek multi-sport club ba ...
. In the Cup Winners' Cup, Everton come away from the first leg of their semi-final against
Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which pla ...
with an encouraging goalless draw. 13 April 1985: FA Cup holders Everton reach the final by beating Luton 2–1 at Villa Park. An 85th minute Kevin Sheedy free kick cancels out Ricky Hill's first half strike and Derek Mountfield scores the winner near the end of extra time. In the other semi-final at Goodison Park, Liverpool twice come from behind to take Manchester United to a replay. The situation at the foot of Division One tightens further with Sunderland's 1–0 win at Coventry the most notable result. In Division Two, a David Geddis hat-trick helps Birmingham to a 3–1 win at Fratton Park which takes the Blues above Pompey into second. 16 April 1985: Cambridge become the first team to be relegated following a 2–1 defeat at Millwall. The Us have won only seven of their last 82 league matches. 17 April 1985: Manchester United beat Liverpool 2–1 in a stirring FA Cup semi-final replay at Maine Road. Tottenham's lingering title hopes suffer another blow as Arsenal beat them 2–0 at White Hart Lane, Spurs' fourth defeat in their last five home matches. 20 April 1985: Leaders Everton beat bottom side Stoke 2–0 at the Victoria Ground. Tottenham lose at home again, 3–2 to Ipswich. Barely two years after almost going out of business, Oxford stand on the brink of promotion to Division One after beating Oldham 5–2 with leading scorer John Aldridge bagging a hat-trick. 21 April 1985: Luton climb out of the relegation zone with a 2–1 win over Manchester United, a result which all but hands Everton the title and confirms Stoke's relegation. The Potters have accumulated just three wins and 17 points from 35 league matches. 23 April 1985: Bradford win 4–0 at Cambridge to clinch promotion from Division Three while Hull look like joining them following a 4–1 win at Preston that gives them a cushion of 11 points over fourth placed
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
. 24 April 1985: A Mark Lawrenson goal in Greece completes a comfortable 5–0 aggregate win for Liverpool over Panathinaikos in the European Cup. Their opponents in next month's final will be Italian giants Juventus. Everton reach their first European final with a 3–1 win over Bayern Munich at Goodison Park in the Cup Winners' Cup. Oxford beat Shrewsbury 1–0 and are promoted to Division One. 27 April 1985: Everton beat Norwich 3–0 and need only five points from their remaining seven matches to be certain of the title. Coventry boost their survival hopes with a 2–1 win over West Bromwich Albion but Sunderland remain in deep trouble despite holding Manchester United to a 2–2 draw at Old Trafford. Norman Whiteside misses a penalty. At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea introduce their new 'electric fence' aimed at combating hooliganism. They draw 1–1 with Tottenham and the fence is not switched on. Birmingham's 1–0 win at Barnsley puts them on the verge of an immediate return to the First Division but the third promotion spot is still up for grabs. Blackburn lose 1–0 at Charlton so Manchester City move into the driving seat with a 2–1 win at Portsmouth while Leeds keep their faint hopes alive by beating Oxford 1–0. 4 May 1985: Many promotion and relegation issues remain undecided on the penultimate Saturday of the League season. In Division One, six of the bottom seven lose, the exception being Luton who beat Arsenal 3–1. Sunderland look doomed following a 4–0 home defeat by Aston Villa. Birmingham and Hull confirm their promotions while Darlington are poised to join Chesterfield, Bury and Blackpool in going up from Division Four. 6 May 1985: Everton beat QPR 2–0 and are league champions for the first time since 1970. Sunderland lose 2–0 at Leicester and are relegated. Wolves go down to Division Three despite beating Huddersfield 2–1 in front of a crowd of 4422, the lowest ever for a league match at Molineux. The second half at Notts County is delayed by half an hour as Manchester City fans riot with their team 3–0 behind. County eventually run out 3–2 winners to improve their chances of avoiding relegation and deal a blow to City's promotion hopes. 11 May 1985: A black day for English football. 56 people are burnt to death and more than 200 others injured at Valley Parade,
Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...
in a fire caused by a discarded cigarette which set light to waste beneath the wooden main stand. The speed with which the blaze spread was astonishing. Tragedy also at Birmingham where rioting Leeds fans hold up play and later cause the collapse of a brick wall, killing a 14-year-old boy. Manchester City beat Charlton 5–1 and clinch promotion to the First Division ahead of Portsmouth on goal difference while at the other end Notts County and Cardiff are relegated. Oxford secure the Second Division title with a 4–0 win over Barnsley. Millwall are promoted from Division Three but Preston and Orient go down to be joined by either Swansea or Burnley. Everton's unbeaten run of 28 league and cup matches comes to end as they go down to a Garry Birtles goal at Nottingham Forest. 14 May 1985: Norwich win 2–1 at Chelsea in their final match of the season, meaning Coventry – held 0–0 at Ipswich – must win their remaining three matches to stay up and send the Canaries or West Ham down instead. 15 May 1985: Everton lift the European Cup Winners' Cup with a 3–1 win over
Rapid Vienna Rapids are sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Rapids are hydrological features between a ''run'' (a smoothly flowing part of a stream) and a ''cascade''. ...
in
Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
. Second half goals from Sharp, Steven and Sheedy clinch their second trophy of the season and keep alive hopes of a 'treble' with the FA Cup final to follow. 17 May 1985: West Ham secure their First Division status with a 1–0 win at Ipswich while Coventry win by the same score at Stoke to retain a chance of survival. Swansea hold Bristol City to a goalless draw, a result which relegates Burnley to the Fourth Division. Both they and Lancashire rivals Preston will play at this level next season for the first time in their histories. 18 May 1985: Manchester United win the FA Cup for the sixth time, beating Everton 1–0 thanks to a goal by Norman Whiteside in extra time. United played with only 10 men following the 77th minute dismissal of defender Kevin Moran for a foul on Peter Reid, the first ever sending-off in an FA Cup final. 20 May 1985: After sinking as low as 20th earlier in the season, Liverpool clinch the runners-up spot with a 3–0 win at West Ham in their penultimate League match. 23 May 1985: An 84th minute goal by
Brian Kilcline Brian Kilcline (born 7 May 1962) is an English former professional footballer. He played as a centre half for Notts County, Coventry City, Oldham Athletic, Newcastle United, Swindon Town, Mansfield Town and Halifax Town, and was famous for his ...
gives Coventry a dramatic 1–0 win over Luton and edges them closer to First Division safety. Everton beat Liverpool 1–0, their third such win over the deposed champions this season. John Wark misses a penalty. 26 May 1985: Coventry beat Everton 4–1 to complete their 'great escape'. Milk Cup winners Norwich are relegated despite a haul of 49 points, the highest ever recorded by a team relegated from the top flight. 28 May 1985: Luton beat an understrength Everton 2–0 in the final match of the League season. 29 May 1985: 39 spectators, most of them Italian, are killed when a wall collapses at the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus at the
Heysel Stadium The King Baudouin Stadium (french: Stade Roi Baudouin , nl, Koning Boudewijnstadion ) is a sports ground in north-west Brussels, Belgium. Located in the Heysel district of the City of Brussels, it was built to embellish the Heysel Plateau in v ...
in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
. Despite the tragedy, the match is played and Michel Platini scores from a penalty as Juventus win 1–0. UEFA later bans all English clubs indefinitely from European competitions as a result of the disaster. Just hours before kick-off, Joe Fagan had announced that he would be retiring as Liverpool manager after two seasons in charge.


National team


European football


FA Cup

Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
won their second FA Cup in three years after a Norman Whiteside goal gave them an extra-time 1–0 victory over Everton at Wembley. Defender Kevin Moran became the first player to be sent off in an FA Cup final at Wembley when he brought down Peter Reid in what he insisted was a misjudged tackle. United's triumph ended Everton's hopes of completing a treble of trophies – they had already lifted the league title and
UEFA Cup Winners Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tourna ...
. Millwall fans rioted in their 6th round match against Luton Town, causing Luton to ban away fans from their ground. Non-League Telford United collected four League scalps on their way to the fifth round proper, the joint-best run by a non-league side until Lincoln City reached the quarter-finals in 2016-17.


League Cup

Norwich City became the first club to win a major trophy in a relegation season as they lifted the League Cup after beating
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
, who went down with them to the Second Division. This occurrence would not be repeated for some 26 years when
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
suffered the same fate; also relegated after lifting the League Cup earlier in the season.


Football League


First Division

Everton won their first league title for 15 years with four matches to spare, and also won the European Cup Winners' Cup to claim their first ever European trophy, but were denied a treble when they lost to
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
in the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
of the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
.
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
endured their first trophyless season for a decade, although they did finish runners-up in the league, reached the FA Cup semi-finals and were on the losing side in the
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
final - a match marred by a riot before kick-off in which 39 spectators died. The British government swiftly banned all English clubs from competing in the following season's European competitions, before
UEFA Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
placed an indefinite ban on English clubs playing in Europe and ordered Liverpool to serve an extra three years when the ban on other clubs was lifted.
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
enjoyed another good season, topping the First Division over Christmas before finishing third in the final table.
Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
continued to compete with the bigger clubs and finished fifth. Newly promoted Chelsea,
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
and
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
enjoyed a strong return to the First Division, finishing sixth, eighth and 14th respectively.
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
went down in bottom place with one of the worst First Division records ever - a mere three wins from 42 games and 17 points from a possible 126.
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
, runners-up in the League Cup, had a dismal season in the league and were relegated in second place from bottom. Norwich City went down with 49 points (more than any other relegated First Division side) but the blow was cushioned by victory in the League Cup. QPR, who had finished fifth a year earlier, avoided relegation by one place and one point. Player-manager Frank Sibley was dismissed after one season to be replaced by Jim Smith of
Oxford United Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and th ...
. Ipswich Town's decline since the departure of Bobby Robson to the England job three years earlier continued as the Suffolk club finished 17th, with most of Robson's fine team now gone.


Second Division

23 years after joining the Football League,
Oxford United Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and th ...
reached the First Division by clinching the Second Division title and securing a second successive promotion. The only downside to their promotion was the departure soon afterwards of manager Jim Smith to QPR, leaving Maurice Evans to try to build an Oxford side capable of defying the odds and surviving at the highest level.
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
achieved an instant return to the First Division after keeping faith in manager Ron Saunders, while
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
won promotion on goal difference ahead of
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...
. Blackburn Rovers, absent from the First Division since 1966, missed out on promotion by a single point, while just two points kept
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
out of the First Division.
Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * ...
, in their first season as a Second Division club and only their eighth in the Football League, finished a secure 12th. Notts County and debt-ridden
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
suffered a second successive relegation, while
Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...
returned to the Third Division after just two years away.
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...
, another club faced with mounting debts, narrowly avoided relegation to the Third Division for the first time in 20 years.


Third Division

Bradford City Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes. Th ...
's promotion glory and Third Division title triumph ended in tragedy with the death of 56 spectators (all but two of them Bradford fans) in a stadium fire on the final day of the season at home to Lincoln City. The second promotion place went to Millwall, who had a happy end to the season just weeks after they had made the headlines for all the wrong reasons after hundreds of their fans ran riot in an FA Cup tie at
Luton Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable an ...
. The last promotion place was sealed by Hull City, while Gillingham and
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
just missed out. Derby County failed to mount a serious challenge for an immediate return to the Second Division, although their seventh-place finish was hardly disastrous. Newly promoted York City finished eighth in the league but made headlines in the FA Cup by beating
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
in the fourth round and taking
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
to a replay in the fifth. In an era where consecutive relegations were a regular event, Cambridge United were rooted to the bottom of the Third Division with just four wins, 21 points and a joint league record of 33 defeats.
Orient The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the c ...
also went down, but the biggest news at the lower end of this divisions was the relegation of
Preston North End Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional football club in Preston, Lancashire, England, who currently play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league syste ...
and
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...
to the Fourth Division for the very first time - an incredible low for two clubs with a host of league titles and FA Cup wins to their name, with Burnley's most recent title win coming as recently as 1960, although Preston's only two league titles had come in the league's first two seasons nearly a century earlier and their last FA Cup win was in 1938. Debt-ridden
Swansea City Swansea City Association Football Club (; cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Dinas Abertawe) is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their ho ...
, who had finished sixth in the First Division in 1982, narrowly avoided a third successive relegation.


Fourth Division

Chesterfield Chesterfield may refer to: Places Canada * Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, Saskatchewan * Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom * Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a market town in England ** Chesterfield (UK Parliament constitue ...
sealed the Fourth Division title, with runners-up spot going to a
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
side who had recently been saved from closure. Former
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
star
Cyril Knowles Cyril Barry Knowles (13 July 1944 – 30 August 1991) was a footballer who played left-back for Tottenham Hotspur and England. He was the son of the rugby league footballer; Cyril Knowles, and the older brother of fellow professional footballe ...
achieved his first success as a manager by guiding
Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...
to promotion in third place, while the last promotion spot went to
Bury Bury may refer to: *The burial of human remains *-bury, a suffix in English placenames Places England * Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village * Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire ** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...
, who finished seven points ahead of
Hereford United Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'The ...
.
Torquay United Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nicknamed ...
, Northampton Town, Stockport County and Halifax Town propped up the Fourth Division but were re-elected to the league.


Top goalscorers

First Division * Kerry Dixon (Chelsea) and Gary Lineker (Leicester City) – 24 goals Second Division * John Aldridge (Oxford United) – 30 goals Third Division *
Tommy Tynan Thomas Edward Tynan (born 17 November 1955) is an English retired professional footballer. A hard working striker with flowing blonde hair, Tynan was signed as an apprentice for Liverpool by manager Bill Shankly after winning a talent contest ...
(Plymouth Argyle) – 31 goals Fourth Division * John Clayton (Tranmere Rovers) – 31 goals


Non-league football

The divisional champions of the major non-League competitions were:


Awards

* Everton's team included PFA Players' Player of the Year Peter Reid and FWA Footballer of the Year Neville Southall. * PFA Young Player of the Year was
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
's
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
striker Mark Hughes, who helped his side lift the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
.


Notable managers

* Howard Kendall brought glory to Everton as they lifted the league championship trophy and the Cup Winners' Cup. * Ron Atkinson won his second
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
in three years with
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
. * Jim Smith brought First Division football to
Oxford United Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and th ...
less than a quarter of a century after they were elected to the league. * Ken Brown guided Norwich City to League Cup glory which compensated for their relegation to the Second Division. *
Howard Wilkinson Howard Wilkinson (born 13 November 1943) is an English former footballer and manager. Despite having a low-profile playing career, Wilkinson embarked on a successful managerial career. He won the First Division championship in 1992 with Leeds ...
guided newly promoted Sheffield Wednesday to seventh place in the First Division in their first top division season for more than a decade. * Ron Saunders took Birmingham City back into the First Division at the first time of asking. *
Trevor Cherry Trevor John Cherry (23 February 1948 – 29 April 2020) was an English footballer who notably captained both England and Leeds United. A defender, Cherry also played for Huddersfield Town and Bradford City, and managed the latter club. B ...
guided Bradford City to Third Division championship glory. * Former
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
player George Graham achieved managerial success with Millwall as they won promotion to the Second Division. * Brian Horton took Hull City to promotion in the Third Division. *
Cyril Knowles Cyril Barry Knowles (13 July 1944 – 30 August 1991) was a footballer who played left-back for Tottenham Hotspur and England. He was the son of the rugby league footballer; Cyril Knowles, and the older brother of fellow professional footballe ...
(who played for
Tottenham Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Waltham ...
in the late 1960s and early 1970s), enjoyed success in management by getting
Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...
promoted to the Third Division.


Notable debutants

25 August 1984:
Dale Gordon Dale Andrew Gordon (born 9 January 1967) is a former professional association footballer who played predominantly as a right-sided midfielder for Norwich City, Rangers, West Ham United, Peterborough United, Millwall and AFC Bournemouth. Earl ...
, 17-year-old winger, makes his debut for Norwich City in a 3–3 away draw with Liverpool in the First Division. 26 December 1984: Nigel Clough, 18-year-old striker and son of manager
Brian Clough Brian Howard Clough ( ; 21 March 1935 – 20 September 2004) was an English football player and manager, primarily known for his successes as a manager with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. He is one of four managers to have won the Englis ...
, makes his debut for
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
in a 2–1 home win over Ipswich Town in the First Division. 23 March 1985: Martin Allen, 19-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Queen's Park Rangers in a 2–0 away defeat against Luton Town in the First Division. 13 April 1985:
Paul Gascoigne Paul John Gascoigne (, born 27 May 1967), nicknamed Gazza, is an English former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is described by the National Football Museum as "widely recognised as the most naturally talente ...
, 17-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Newcastle United in a 1-0 First Division home win over Queen's Park Rangers. 11 May 1985: Dennis Wise, 18-year-old winger, makes his debut for
Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * ...
in 2–1 home win over
Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...
in the Second Division.


Deaths

* 14 August 1984 – Mike Barrett, 24, Bristol Rovers winger. Died as a result of cancer. * 6 November 1984 –
Micky Cave Michael John Cave (28 January 1949 – 6 November 1984) was an English footballer who played as a midfielder. Career Born in Weymouth, Dorset, Cave was studying engineering when he started his career in non-League football with hometown club ...
, 35, former
Torquay United Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nicknamed ...
,
AFC Bournemouth AFC Bournemouth () is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest division of English club football. Formed in 1899 as B ...
and York City midfielder. Died from accidental
carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a colorless, poisonous, odorless, tasteless, flammable gas that is slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the simple ...
poisoning. * 27 December 1984 -
Leslie Compton Leslie Harry Compton (12 September 1912 – 27 December 1984) was an English sportsman who played football and cricket for Arsenal and Middlesex, respectively. He gained two England caps late in his football career, and remains the oldest outfi ...
, 72, who played senior football and cricket between 1930 and 1956, died from a
diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...
related illness. He spent his entire footballing career at Arsenal and was capped twice for
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in 1950 at the age of 38. * 9 March 1985 -
Harry Catterick Harry Catterick (26 November 1919 – 9 March 1985) was an English football player and manager. As a player Catterick played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra, in a career that was interrupted by World War II, but he is most notable as a manager. ...
, 65, manager of Everton from 1961 to 1973, during which time they won two league titles and an FA Cup. Died from a heart attack at
Goodison Park Goodison Park is a football stadium in the Walton area of Liverpool, England. It has been the home stadium of Premier League club Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892. Located in a residential area 2 miles (3 km) north of Liverpool ...
after watching Everton draw 2-2 with
Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...
in the quarter-final of the FA Cup.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1984-85 in English football