The 1982–83 season was the 103rd season of competitive
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
in England.
Diary of the season
11 August 1982:
Tottenham Hotspur pay
Bristol Rovers £105,000 for defender
Gary Mabbutt, who turns 21 later this month.
19 August 1982:
Newcastle United pay
Southampton
Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
£100,000 for
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan (born 14 February 1951) is an English former footballer and manager. Nicknamed "King Kev" or "Mighty Mouse", Keegan was recognised for his dribbling ability, as well as his finishing and presence in the air, and is regard ...
.
21 August 1982:
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
beat Tottenham Hotspur 1–0 in the
Charity Shield at
Wembley with a goal from
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush (born 20 October 1961) is a Welsh former professional association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. He is regarded as one of the best strikers of all time and one of the best Welsh playe ...
.
24 August 1982: The Shankly Gates are unveiled at
Anfield
Anfield is a Association football, football stadium in the area of Anfield (suburb), Anfield, Liverpool, England, which has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since its formation in 1892. The stadium has a seating capacity of 61,276, making it the ...
, honouring former Liverpool manager
Bill Shankly
William Shankly (2 September 1913 – 29 September 1981) was a Scottish association football, football player and Manager (association football), manager who is best known for his time as manager of Liverpool F.C., Liverpool. Shankly brought su ...
almost a year after his death.
25 August 1982:
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 ...
sign 22-year-old striker
Lee Chapman from
Stoke City for £500,000.
26 August 1982:
Bob Paisley
Robert Paisley (23 January 1919 – 14 February 1996) was an English professional football manager and player who played as a wing-half. He spent almost 50 years with Liverpool and is regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time. ...
announces that this season as Liverpool manager, his ninth in charge, will be his last.
28 August 1982: The first games of the
First Division season are played.
Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
achieve the biggest win of the opening day of the season beating
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. The team compete in the ...
3–0.
Peter Shilton
Peter Leslie Shilton (born 18 September 1949) is an English former professional association football, footballer who played as a goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper.
His 31-year career included spells at 11 clubs and he has the uni ...
exits
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football.
Founde ...
in a £325,000 move to Southampton. In the Second Division, Kevin Keegan scores on his Newcastle debut in a 1–0 home win over QPR.
4 September 1982:
Manchester City
Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
's victory over
Watford
Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a smal ...
ensures the
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England, that was home to Manchester City from 1923 to 2003. It hosted FA Cup semi-finals, the Charity Shield, a League Cup final and England matches. Maine Road's highest attenda ...
side are top of the table and the only First Division side with a 100% record after three games. Their win comes despite having outfield player
Bobby McDonald
Robert Wood McDonald (born 13 April 1955) is a Scottish former footballer, who played in the left back position. McDonald was a defender of great control and positional sense who also had a happy knack of scoring goals.
He played for King Str ...
as goalkeeper after
Joe Corrigan is rendered unavailable after just three minutes.
Paul Walsh scores his first three goals for
Luton Town
Luton Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club from Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The club currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "The Hatters", L ...
against
Notts County as the Hatters win 5–3.
Bob Latchford scores three of
Swansea City's four without reply against
Norwich City, Southampton's
Justin Fashanu, on
loan
In finance, a loan is the tender of money by one party to another with an agreement to pay it back. The recipient, or borrower, incurs a debt and is usually required to pay interest for the use of the money.
The document evidencing the deb ...
from Nottingham Forest, scores the winning goal in a 1–0 victory
Aston Villa,
West Bromwich Albion beat Manchester United and a Liverpool win 2–0 at Arsenal.
9 September 1982:
Peter Beardsley, a 21-year-old former
Carlisle United playing for
Vancouver Whitecaps
Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Vancouver. The Whitecaps compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on March 18, ...
in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, signs for Manchester United in a £325,000 deal.
11 September 1982: Watford, in the First Division for the first time, go top of the league on goal difference (level with Manchester United and Manchester City) by beating West Bromwich Albion 3–0 in their fifth league game of the season.
Ron Atkinson's side beat
Ipswich Town 3–1 at
Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and is the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,197, it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after W ...
. A six-goal thriller at
Anfield
Anfield is a Association football, football stadium in the area of Anfield (suburb), Anfield, Liverpool, England, which has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since its formation in 1892. The stadium has a seating capacity of 61,276, making it the ...
sees Liverpool draw 3–3 with Luton Town. Aston Villa beat Nottingham Forest 4–1 at
Villa Park
Villa Park is a association football, football stadium in Aston, Birmingham, with a seating capacity of 42,918. It has been the home of Premier League club Aston Villa F.C., Aston Villa since 1897. The ground is less than a mile from both Witt ...
.
Stoke City beat Swansea City 4–1 at the
Victoria Ground.
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
beat
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. The team compete in the ...
5–0 at
Upton Park. In the Second Division,
Steve Lynex and
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker ( ; born 30 November 1960) is an English Sports broadcasting, sports broadcaster and former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. Lineker is the only player t ...
score hat-tricks in
Leicester City's 6–0 home win over
Carlisle United. A
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
derby at
Hillsborough sees
Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system.
Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
beat
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
Formed in 1867 as an off ...
3–2.
18 September 1982: Manchester United go top of the First Division with a 1–0 win over
Southampton
Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
at
The Dell. Liverpool go second with a 3–0 win over Swansea City at the
Vetch Field
The Vetch Field was a football stadium in Swansea, Wales, and was the home ground of Swansea City A.F.C. from the club’s founding until 2005. Following its closure, the club relocated to a newly constructed stadium, originally named the Libert ...
. Stoke City go fourth by beating Ipswich Town 3–2 at
Portman Road
Portman Road is a association football, football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, which has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C., Ipswich Town since 1884. The stadium has also hosted many England youth international matches, and one E ...
.
22 September 1982:
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
draw 2–2 with
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
in
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
in their opening
1984 European Championship qualifier, their first game under the management of
Bobby Robson.
25 September 1982: Watford beat Sunderland 8–0 at
Vicarage Road, with
Luther Blissett
Luther Loide Blissett (born 1 February 1958) is a former professional association football, footballer and coach (sport), manager who played for the England national football team, England national team during the 1980s. Born in Jamaica, Bliss ...
scoring four goals and
Ross Jenkins and
Nigel Callaghan both scoring twice. Liverpool go top of the First Division with a 5–0 home win over Southampton after Manchester United are held to a goalless draw at home to Arsenal. Luton Town are the First Division's top scorers so far with 20 goals from their first seven games after drawing 4-4 at Stoke.
Coventry City win 4–2 at home to
Everton. There are 4–1 wins at home for Tottenham Hotspur against Nottingham Forest and West Ham United against Manchester City. In all, today's 11 First Division fixtures have produced a total of 50 goals.
30 September 1982: The month ends with defending champions Liverpool top of the First Division, with Manchester United in second place. Watford occupy third place,
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
and Tottenham Hotspur complete the top five, and Southampton, Birmingham City and Norwich City occupy the bottom three places.
In the Second Division, surprise promotion contenders
Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Nicknamed "the Mariners", the club was f ...
head the race for a place in the First Division, joined by
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
and
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
Formed in 1867 as an off ...
in the top three.
2 October 1982: Liverpool's unbeaten start to the season ends when they are beaten 1–0 by Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
However,
Bob Paisley
Robert Paisley (23 January 1919 – 14 February 1996) was an English professional football manager and player who played as a wing-half. He spent almost 50 years with Liverpool and is regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time. ...
's men are still top of the First Division on goal difference after Manchester United are held to a 1–1 draw by Luton Town at
Kenilworth Road
Kenilworth Road, known affectionately as The Kenny, is a association football, football stadium in the area of Bury Park, Luton, Bedfordshire, England. It has been the home ground of Luton Town F.C., Luton Town Football Club since 1905. The sta ...
.
6 October 1982: Nottingham Forest smash six past West Bromwich Albion in the League Cup.
9 October 1982: Manchester United go top of the First Division with a 1–0 home win over Stoke City, while Liverpool crash down to fifth place with a 3–1 defeat away to West Ham, who go second.
13 October 1982:
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge scores twice as
West Germany
West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
beat England 2–1 in a friendly at
Wembley.
16 October 1982: Manchester United stay top of the First Division after a goalless draw with Liverpool at
Anfield
Anfield is a Association football, football stadium in the area of Anfield (suburb), Anfield, Liverpool, England, which has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since its formation in 1892. The stadium has a seating capacity of 61,276, making it the ...
. West Ham squander the chance to go top by losing 3–0 at Southampton.
23 October 1982: First Division leaders Manchester United draw 2–2 in the
Manchester derby
The Manchester derby refers to association football, football matches between Manchester City F.C., Manchester City and Manchester United F.C., Manchester United, first contested in 1881. City play at the City of Manchester Stadium in Bradford, ...
at Old Trafford. West Ham miss another chance to go top of the league when they lose 3–1 to
Brighton
Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
at the
Goldstone Ground. West Bromwich Albion go second with a 1–0 home win over Luton Town. Fulham go top of the Second Division and look well-placed for a second successive promotion after winning 3–1 at home to
Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
.
30 October 1982: Liverpool go top of the First Division after they beat Brighton 3–1 at Anfield, while West Ham go second with a 3–1 home win over Manchester United. The top three are all level on 22 points after 12 games. West Bromwich Albion miss the chance to go top after they crash 6–1 at Ipswich.
6 November 1982: In the
Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is an association football match between Everton F.C., Everton and Liverpool F.C., Liverpool, two clubs based in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is the longest running top-flight local derby, derby in England, with its fi ...
at
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a Association football, football stadium in Walton, Liverpool, Walton, Liverpool, England, it was the home of Premier League club Everton F.C., Everton from 1892 until 2025. It is now the home of Everton F.C. (women), Everton's ...
, Liverpool beat
Everton 5–0 with four goals from
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush (born 20 October 1961) is a Welsh former professional association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. He is regarded as one of the best strikers of all time and one of the best Welsh playe ...
and a further goal from
Mark Lawrenson
Mark Thomas Lawrenson (born 2 June 1957) is an English former professional association football, footballer who played as a Defender (association football), defender for Liverpool F.C., Liverpool, among others, during the 1970s and 1980s. After ...
to maintain their lead of the First Division. West Ham's title hopes take a hit when they lose 5–2 at Stoke, as do Manchester United's with a 1–0 defeat at Brighton. Manchester City take advantage to go second with a 2–0 win over Southampton at Maine Road. Ipswich Town, runners-up in the league for the last two seasons, are now fourth from bottom after a 2–1 defeat at Nottingham Forest.
10 November 1982:
Colchester United striker
John Lyons, 26, dies at his home in
Essex
Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
; he is believed to have committed suicide.
13 November 1982: The
Ballon d'Or
The Ballon d'Or (; ) is an annual association football, football award presented by French magazine ''France Football'' since 1956 Ballon d'Or, 1956 to honour the player deemed to have performed the best over the previous season.
Conceived ...
award winner for 1977,
Allan Simonsen, scores on his début for
Charlton Athletic, who are beaten 3–2 by
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
in the Second Division. In the First Division, Liverpool maintain a three-point lead at the top by beating Coventry City 4–0 at Anfield. West Ham go second with a 1–0 home win over bottom-of-the-table Norwich City. Manchester United maintain their title push with a 1–0 home win over Tottenham, as do Watford by beating Stoke City by the same scoreline at Vicarage Road. There are six goals in a thrilling clash at
The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns is an All-seater stadium, all-seater association football, football stadium in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England, with a capacity of 26,688. It has been the home of EFL Championship, Championship club West Bromwich Albion F.C. ...
, where West Bromwich Albion draw 3–3 with Swansea City.
17 November 1982: England beat
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
3–0 in
Salonika
Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...
in a European Championship qualifier.
20 November 1982: The
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
first round ties produce giant-killing victories against
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
opposition for non-league sides
Altrincham
Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester, southwest of Sale, Greater Manchester, Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2021 United Kingdom ce ...
,
Boston United
Boston United Football Club is a semi-professional association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. The club participates in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system.
The club is known as 'the ...
,
North Shields
North Shields ( ) is a town in the borough of North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. It is north-east of Newcastle upon Tyne and borders nearby Wallsend and Tynemouth. The population of North Shields at the 2021–2022 United Kingdom cens ...
,
Bishop's Stortford
Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district, in the county of Hertfordshire, England. It is in the London metropolitan area, London commuter belt, near the border with Essex, just west of the ...
and
Slough Town. Liverpool are now four points ahead at the top of First Division with a 2–1 win over
Notts County at
Meadow Lane
Meadow Lane is a football (soccer), football stadium in Nottingham, England. It is the home ground of Notts County F.C., Notts County, who have played there since it opened in 1910. The stadium was also home to Notts County Ladies F.C. from 201 ...
. Watford go second with a 4–1 win at home to Brighton. Manchester United's title hopes are hit by a 2–1 away defeat to Aston Villa. Manchester City's hopes are hit by a goalless draw at home to struggling
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. The team compete in the ...
.
25 November 1982: Derby County are fined £10,000 and "warned as to their future conduct" by
the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in the world, and was the top-level football league in England from ...
over breaches of two regulations relating to illicit negotiations with
Roy McFarland
Roy Leslie McFarland (born 5 April 1948) is an English former football manager and player. With Derby County, he played 442 league games, helping him to earn 28 caps for England.
Born in Liverpool, McFarland developed his skills at Tranmere Ro ...
, who resigns his post as player-manager at
Bradford City
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The club competes in , the third tier of English football, and is managed by Graham Alexander.
The club was founded in 1903 and ...
to return to the club for a second spell as a player.
27 November 1982: The First Division title race sees Liverpool maintain their four-point lead over Watford, as Bob Paisley's team triumph 3–0 at home to Tottenham and
Graham Taylor
Graham Taylor (15 September 1944 – 12 January 2017) was an English football player, manager, pundit and chairman of Watford Football Club. He was the manager of the England national football team from 1990 to 1993, and also managed Lincoln ...
's side beat Arsenal 4–2 at
Highbury
Highbury is an area of North London, England, in the London Borough of Islington.
Highbury Manor
Highbury was once owned by Ranulf, brother of Ilger, and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads.
The manor hou ...
.
30 November 1982: Liverpool remain top of the First Division as November draws to a close, four points ahead of second-placed Watford. Nottingham Forest, Manchester United and West Ham United complete the top five, while the bottom three clubs remain unchanged from the end of last month.
Queens Park Rangers, Fulham and Sheffield Wednesday head the Second Division promotion race.
4 December 1982: Leaders Liverpool suffer a shock 1–0 defeat to Norwich City at
Carrow Road
Carrow Road is a association football, football stadium in Norwich, Norfolk, England, and is the home of EFL Championship club Norwich City F.C., Norwich City. The stadium is east of the city, near Norwich railway station and the River Wensum.
...
. Manchester United go second with a 1–0 at Watford. Aston Villa go third with a 1–0 home win over West Ham. Nottingham Forest's title hopes are hit by a 3–2 defeat to local rivals Notts County at
Meadow Lane
Meadow Lane is a football (soccer), football stadium in Nottingham, England. It is the home ground of Notts County F.C., Notts County, who have played there since it opened in 1910. The stadium was also home to Notts County Ladies F.C. from 201 ...
. Down in the Second Division, Middlesbrough find themselves fifth from bottom and in real danger of a second consecutive relegation after they lose 4–0 at
Wolves
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...
.
6 December 1982:
Mike Bailey is sacked from his job as manager at
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, commonly referred to as Brighton, is a professional football club based in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Their home gr ...
, reportedly because Albion's supporters deemed the team "too boring". Coach
Jimmy Melia
James Melia (born 1 November 1937) is an English former footballer who spent most of his career playing for Liverpool and went on to become a manager.
Playing career
Liverpool
Melia joined the Reds straight from St. Anthony's School as a 15 ...
takes over.
Millwall
Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Poplar, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east of ...
, bottom of the Third Division, appoint former Arsenal and Manchester United midfielder
George Graham
George Graham (born 30 November 1944) is a Scottish former football player and manager.
Nicknamed "Stroller", he made 455 appearances in England's Football League as a midfielder or forward for Aston Villa, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester Unite ...
, 38, as their new manager.
11 December 1982: There is a major upset in the FA Cup second round as Third Division
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in the North East Wales, north-east of Wales. It lies between the Cambrian Mountains, Welsh mountains and the lower River Dee, Wales, Dee Valley, near the England–Wales border, borde ...
lose 2–1 to non-league
Worcester City
Worcester City Football Club is an English Association football, football club based in Worcester, England, Worcester, Worcestershire. The club play in the Southern Football League Premier Division Central, the seventh tier of English football. ...
. The gap between Liverpool and Manchester United at the top of the First Division remains three points wide after Bob Paisley guides his team to a 3–1 home win over Watford, and Ron Atkinson watches his side put four without reply past Notts County at Old Trafford. Nottingham Forest revive their title challenge with a 2–1 home win over Swansea City.
12 December 1982: Aston Villa lose the
Intercontinental Cup final 2–0 to Uruguayan side
Penarol in
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
.
15 December 1982: England beat
Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
9–0 at Wembley in the European Championship qualifiers.
Luther Blissett
Luther Loide Blissett (born 1 February 1958) is a former professional association football, footballer and coach (sport), manager who played for the England national football team, England national team during the 1980s. Born in Jamaica, Bliss ...
scores a hat-trick on his England debut and becomes the nation's first black goalscorer. Débutant
Mark Chamberlain
Mark Valentine Chamberlain (born 19 November 1961) is an English former international footballer. He is the younger brother of Neville Chamberlain, and the father of Beşiktaş and England international player Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ki ...
is also on the scoresheet.
18 December 1982: Liverpool extend their lead of the First Division to five points with a 4–2 away win over Aston Villa, while Manchester United can only manage a goalless away draw with Swansea City. In the Second Division promotion race, Wolves beat leaders QPR 4–0 at the
Molineux to cut the gap between first and second place to three points. Wolves have a game in hand over the leaders and now have a superior goal difference.
22 December 1982:
Everton sign 26-year-old midfielder
Peter Reid
Peter Reid (born 20 June 1956) is an English football manager, pundit and former player.
A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career. He built his reputation as one of England's brightest midfield tale ...
from
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
in a £60,000 deal.
26 December 1982: With the 26th being on a Sunday for the last time until 1993, there are just two fixtures in the whole Football League. In the Second Division, promotion challengers Oldham Athletic and Leeds United draw 2–2 at
Boundary Park
Boundary Park is a football stadium in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. Its name originates from the fact that it lies at the northwestern extremity of Oldham, with Royton and Chadderton lying immediately north and west respectively.
Bound ...
. In the Third Division, there is a
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
derby at
The Den
The Den (previously The New Den) is a football stadium in Bermondsey, 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, whic ...
, where Millwall lose 1–0 at home to
Orient
The Orient is a term referring to the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of the term ''Occident'', which refers to the Western world.
In English, it is largely a meto ...
in a relegation crunch match.
27 December 1982: The last
Boxing Day
Boxing Day, also called as Offering Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Boxing Day was once a day to donate gifts to those in need, but it has evolved to become a part ...
to fall on the 27th until 1993. Liverpool remain in pole position at the top of the First Division with a 5–2 home win over Manchester City. There is an
East Anglia
East Anglia is an area of the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, with parts of Essex sometimes also included.
The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, ...
n derby clash at Portman Road, where Norwich boost their survival bid with a 3–2 win over their
Suffolk
Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...
neighbours. Birmingham City are on the winning side at home to their neighbours Aston Villa, winning 3–0 to dent
Tony Barton's team's hopes of winning a second league title in three seasons, while Birmingham's three points are vital in their battle to avoid relegation. Wolves go top of the Second Division with a 2–0 away win over
Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1886, the club were inaugur ...
, as QPR lose 2–1 at home to London rivals
Chelsea.
29 December 1982: Watford rise to third in the table with a win over West Ham, who move into fifth. At the lower reaches of the table, Norwich beat Luton and Birmingham draw with Swansea; all four clubs and Brighton are separated by four points. In the Second Division, QPR beat Charlton to go level on points with Wolverhampton Wanderers at the top of the table.
31 December 1982: The year ends with Liverpool's lead at the top of the First Division increased to six points, with Nottingham Forest their nearest challengers and Watford and Manchester United two points further back. Sunderland, Birmingham City and
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, commonly referred to as Brighton, is a professional football club based in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Their home gr ...
occupy the bottom three places.
An excellent month for Wolverhampton Wanderers has seen the Midlands side storm to the top of the Second Division, joined in the top three by Queens Park Rangers and Fulham.
1 January 1983:
Alan Ball, aged 37 and the only England
World Cup winner still playing, leaves Southampton on a free transfer and signs a contract with
Bristol Rovers. Liverpool are now eight points ahead at the top of the First Division after beating Notts County 5–1 at Anfield, with Manchester United now their nearest challengers after a 3–1 home win over Aston Villa, while Watford are held to a 1–1 draw at Brighton and Nottingham Forest are unable to break the deadlock in their home clash with Sunderland which ends goalless. Wolves move closer to sealing an immediate return to the First Division by beating fellow promotion challengers Fulham 3–1 at
Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage is a football stadium in Fulham, West London, England, which has been the home of Fulham F.C. since 1896.According to the club'official website The ground's capacity is 29,589; the record attendance is 49,335, for a game agains ...
. Shrewsbury Town are now on the brink of the promotion places after a 2–0 win at home to Chelsea. Derby County, First Division champions eight seasons ago, are now bottom of the First Division and faced with huge debts and falling crowds.
4 January 1983: West Ham are now 13 points off the top of the First Division after losing 3–2 at home to Luton Town.
8 January 1983: Holders Tottenham Hotspur beat Southampton 1–0 in the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
third round. Nottingham Forest are surprisingly beaten 2–0 by 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 ...
's former team, Second Division Derby County.
15 January 1983: Liverpool maintain their 10-point lead over their nearest title rivals Manchester United and Nottingham Forest by beating West Bromwich Albion 1–0 at
The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns is an All-seater stadium, all-seater association football, football stadium in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England, with a capacity of 26,688. It has been the home of EFL Championship, Championship club West Bromwich Albion F.C. ...
.
19 January 1983:
Aston Villa lose 1–0 to
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
at the
Nou Camp
Camp Nou (), meaning ''New Field'' and often referred to in English as the Nou Camp, is a stadium in Barcelona and the home of La Liga club FC Barcelona since its opening in 1957. It is currently undergoing renovation, and with a planned increa ...
in the first leg of 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 original ...
. On the domestic scene, Manchester United remain in contention for all three domestic trophies by beating Nottingham Forest 4–0 in the
Football League Cup
The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England.
Orga ...
quarter-final clash at Old Trafford. Tottenham suffer a shock 4–1 home defeat to Second Division strugglers Burnley in the same stage of the competition.
26 January 1983: Aston Villa clinch the European Super Cup by beating Barcelona 3–0 at
Villa Park
Villa Park is a association football, football stadium in Aston, Birmingham, with a seating capacity of 42,918. It has been the home of Premier League club Aston Villa F.C., Aston Villa since 1897. The ground is less than a mile from both Witt ...
.
29 January 1983: Brighton beat Manchester City 4–0 in the FA Cup fourth round at the Goldstone Ground. Burnley continue their good cup form with a 3–1 home win over
Swindon Town
Swindon Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team, known as the "Robins", currently compete in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Founded as Swindon A ...
. Liverpool beat Stoke City 2–0 at Anfield and Manchester United beat Luton Town by the same scoreline at Kenilworth Road, keeping both of the victorious sides in contention for a unique domestic treble.
31 January 1983: As January ends, Liverpool are ten points clear at the top of the First Division, their nearest rivals now being Manchester United. Watford are third, level on points with Nottingham Forest, and
Coventry City
Coventry City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Coventry, West Midlands. The club plays in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club is nicknamed The Sky Blues after the sky blue colou ...
have moved into the top five. Brighton & Hove Albion and Birmingham City are still in the bottom three, but Sunderland have climbed out of the relegation zone at the expense of Norwich City.
Wolverhampton Wanderers, Queens Park Rangers and Fulham continue to lead the way in the Second Division, with third placed Fulham now nine points ahead of their nearest challengers Sheffield Wednesday. At the other end of the table, fallen giants Derby County show no sign of improvement as they remain bottom of the division and are now eight points adrift of safety.
3 February 1983:
John Bond resigns after more than two years as manager of Manchester City. Coach
John Benson takes over on an interim basis.
5 February 1983: Liverpool extend their First Division lead to 12 points with a 3–1 away win over Luton Town, while Manchester United can only manage a 1–1 draw with Ipswich Town at Portman Road. In the Second Division, the top three of Wolves, QPR and Fulham look certain to win promotion, with more than 10 points separating them from their nearest challengers.
6 February 1983: Watford keep up the pressure on Liverpool with a 3–1 away win over Swansea City, who finished sixth in the First Division last season but are now just one point and one place outside the relegation zone.
12 February 1983: Liverpool are now 15 points ahead at the top of the First Division after beating Ipswich Town 1–0 at Anfield, but Manchester United have a game in hand over them. Coventry City go fifth with a 4–0 home win over Manchester City.
19 February 1983: Tottenham Hotspur lose their first FA Cup match since March 1980, 2–0 to Everton in the fifth round. Aston Villa beat Watford 4–1, while Norwich City beat Ipswich Town 1–0 in the
East Anglian derby
The East Anglian derby is a term used to describe football matches held between Norwich City and Ipswich Town, the only fully professional football clubs in the neighbouring East Anglian counties of Norfolk and Suffolk respectively. In recent ...
.
Manchester United beat Derby County 1–0 at the
Baseball Ground
The Baseball Ground was a stadium in Derby, England, that 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 1997. The club's reserve and yo ...
. In the First Division, Southampton remain in the hunt for a
UEFA Cup
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star.
Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
place by beating Southampton 2–0 at
The Dell. Manchester City's downturn continues with a 1–0 defeat at home to Notts County.
20 February 1983: Liverpool's hopes of a unique domestic treble are ended when they suffer a shock 2–1 home defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup fifth round.
26 February 1983: Arsenal goalkeeper
Pat Jennings
Patrick Anthony Jennings (born 12 June 1945) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is widely recognised as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the sport and was nominated for the Ball ...
, 37, becomes the first footballer to appear in 1,000 competitive games in England, reaching the milestone in a 0–0 league draw with West Bromwich Albion at
The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns is an All-seater stadium, all-seater association football, football stadium in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England, with a capacity of 26,688. It has been the home of EFL Championship, Championship club West Bromwich Albion F.C. ...
. Manchester United and Liverpool draw 1–1 at Old Trafford, allowing Watford to move into second place with a 2–1 home win over Aston Villa. Notts County move closer to securing a third successive season in the First Division by demolishing Coventry City 5–1 at Meadow Lane. Sunderland stay clear of the danger zone by inflicting a 3–2 defeat on Manchester City at
Roker Park
Roker Park was a football ground in Roker, Sunderland, England, which was the home of Sunderland from 1898 to 1997, before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Its final capacity was around 22,500, with only a small part being seated; it h ...
. Leicester City cast doubt on the seemingly certain promotion status of the Second Division's top three by beating Wolves 5–0 at
Filbert Street
Filbert Street was a football stadium in Leicester, England, which served as the home of Leicester City F.C. from 1891 until 2002. Although officially titled the City Business Stadium in the early 1990s, it remained known almost exclusively b ...
.
28 February 1983: Liverpool now have a 14-point advantage at the top of the First Division, with Watford one place behind and with a game in hand. Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa complete the top five. The bottom three remain unchanged from the end of last month.
Wolverhampton Wanderers, Queens Park Rangers and Fulham remain the leading force in the Second Division promotion race, but
Leicester City
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
are starting to put pressure on the leading pack. In the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
fifth round replays, Arsenal beat Middlesbrough 3–2 at
Highbury
Highbury is an area of North London, England, in the London Borough of Islington.
Highbury Manor
Highbury was once owned by Ranulf, brother of Ilger, and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads.
The manor hou ...
and Burnley beat Crystal Palace 1–0 at
Turf Moor
Turf Moor is an association football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire, England, which has been the home of Burnley F.C., Burnley Football Club since 1883. This unbroken service makes Turf Moor the second-longest continuously used ground in Footbal ...
.
1 March 1983: Peter Beardsley leaves Manchester United and returns to Vancouver Whitecaps on a free transfer, having only made one appearance for the
Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and is the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,197, it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after W ...
club. In the only First Division action of the day, Brighton win 2–1 at Swansea to draw level on points with their opponents in the battle against relegation. Second Division leaders Wolves at Sheffield Wednesday 1–0 at home.
2 March 1983: European action resumes with
European Cup
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by top-division European clubs. The competition begins with a round robi ...
holders Aston Villa losing 2–1 at home to
Juventus
Juventus Football Club (; from , ), commonly known as Juventus or colloquially as Juve (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Turin, Piedmont, who compete in Serie A, the ...
in the quarter-final first leg, while Liverpool's hopes of a fourth European Cup triumph in seven seasons are hit hard when they go down 2–0 to Polish champions
Widzew Lodz. However, Bob Paisley's team still look assured to retain their league title after their nearest rivals Watford and Manchester United are both beaten away from home in the First Division, with Watford going down 3–0 to Norwich City at
Carrow Road
Carrow Road is a association football, football stadium in Norwich, Norfolk, England, and is the home of EFL Championship club Norwich City F.C., Norwich City. The stadium is east of the city, near Norwich railway station and the River Wensum.
...
and Manchester United lose 1–0 away to a Stoke City side who are now pushing for UEFA Cup qualification for the first time in eight years. Everton miss the chance of break into the top five when they are held to a goalless draw by Manchester City at
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England, that was home to Manchester City from 1923 to 2003. It hosted FA Cup semi-finals, the Charity Shield, a League Cup final and England matches. Maine Road's highest attenda ...
.
5 March 1983: Liverpool continue their surge towards the First Division title with a 5–1 home win over Stoke City, although Watford keep up the pressure with a 1–0 win at Coventry, as do Manchester United who triumph 1–2 in the
Manchester derby
The Manchester derby refers to association football, football matches between Manchester City F.C., Manchester City and Manchester United F.C., Manchester United, first contested in 1881. City play at the City of Manchester Stadium in Bradford, ...
at
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England, that was home to Manchester City from 1923 to 2003. It hosted FA Cup semi-finals, the Charity Shield, a League Cup final and England matches. Maine Road's highest attenda ...
.
8 March 1983: Aston Villa go fourth in the First Division with a 2–0 home win over Notts County.
12 March 1983: Arsenal go through to the FA Cup semi-finals with a 2–0 home win over Aston Villa, as do Brighton with a 1–0 home win over Norwich City. Manchester United are in the semi-finals for the first time in four seasons after beating Everton 1–0 at Old Trafford. The fourth quarter-final clash ends in a 1–1 draw between Burnley and Sheffield Wednesday at Turf Moor. Leaders Liverpool beat West Ham 3–0 in the First Division. In the race for a UEFA Cup place, West Bromwich Albion beat Ipswich Town 4–1 at home. Manchester City, who were among the title contenders as recently as November, are now in danger of relegation after going down 4–1 at Swansea, a result which lifts the hosts out of the bottom three. An eight-goal thriller at Vicarage Road sees Watford beat Notts County 5-3.
15 March 1983: Birmingham City boost their survival hopes with a 2–1 home win over Arsenal. The race for a UEFA Cup place features a 2–0 home win for Everton over Southampton.
16 March 1983: Sheffield Wednesday thrash Burnley in the
Hillsborough replay 5–0 to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1966.
22 March 1983: Manchester United keep their slim hopes of catching Liverpool alive by beating West Ham 2–1 at Old Trafford, as do Watford with a 2–1 home win over Birmingham City. Liverpool are held to a 2–2 draw at Brighton. The race for a UEFA Cup place features a 2–2 draw between Arsenal and Ipswich Town at Highbury. QPR move closer to ending their four-year exile from the First Division by beating Charlton Athletic 5–1 at
Loftus Road
Loftus Road, currently known as MATRADE Loftus Road Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, West London, Greater London, England, which is home to Queens Park Rangers F.C., Queens Park Rangers Football Club, w ...
. Leicester City's hopes of breaking into the top three are hit when Sheffield Wednesday hold them to a 2–2 draw at Hillsborough.
26 March 1983: Liverpool clinch the
League Cup for the third season running by beating Manchester United 2–1 in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
at Wembley.
Alan Kennedy and
Ronnie Whelan
Ronald Andrew Whelan (; born 25 September 1961) is an Irish former professional football player who played as a midfielder and sometimes as a defender. He played an integral role in the dominant Liverpool side that won a wealth of titles in ...
score for Liverpool, and 17-year-old
Norman Whiteside
Norman Whiteside (born 7 May 1965) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder and striker.
Whiteside began his career at Manchester United, signing professional forms in 1982 at the age of 17 and quickly be ...
becomes the youngest scorer in a major Wembley final for United. On the same day, legendary former Manchester United player
George Best
George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional association football, footballer who played as a winger (association football), winger, spending most of his club career at Manchester United F.C., Manchester Un ...
signs for Third Division side
AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth ( ) is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. ...
two months before his 37th birthday.
30 March 1983: England are held to a 0–0 draw by Greece at Wembley in a European Championship qualifier.
31 March 1983: Liverpool are looking all set to add the league title to their League Cup this season, as they end March as First Division leaders with a 13-point lead over nearest challengers Watford. Manchester United, Aston Villa and Southampton complete the top five. The bottom three clubs remain unchanged for the second month-end running.
Queens Park Rangers have overhauled Wolverhampton Wanderers at the top of the Second Division, while Fulham remain third but still under pressure from a determined Leicester City side. Derby County are at last showing some sign of being able to avoid relegation as they are now just two points adrift of safety.
2 April 1983: Liverpool take another step towards title glory by beating Sunderland 1–0 at Anfield, although Manchester United keep up the pressure with a 3–0 home win over Coventry City. Watford's title hopes are now virtually dead after they lose 2–1 at West Ham.
4 April 1983: Tottenham give their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Cup a huge boost by beating Arsenal 5–0 in the
North London derby
The North London derby is the meeting of the association football clubs Arsenal F.C., Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur, both of which are based in North London, England. Fans of both clubs consider the other to be their main ...
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 ...
. Watford go second with a 5–2 home win over local rivals Luton Town, who remain second from bottom of the First Division. Manchester United are held to a goalless draw at Sunderland. In the Third Division,
Newport County go top of the table with a 1–0 win over
South Wales
South Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the Historic counties of Wales, historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire ( ...
rivals
Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...
in a promotion crunch game at
Somerton Park, boosting the
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South East Wales, south east of Wales. It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east; the Severn Estuary to the s ...
side's chances of reaching the Second Division for only the second time in the club's history.
5 April 1983: Nottingham Forest go fifth in the First Division with a 2–1 win over Coventry City at
Highfield Road
Highfield Road was a football stadium in the city of Coventry, England. It was the home ground for Coventry City for 106 years.
History
It was built in 1899 in the Hillfields district, close to the city centre, and staged its final game on 30 ...
. Brighton miss the chance to move out of the bottom three when they are held to a goalless draw at Southampton. West Ham's resurgence continues with a 5–1 away win over Swansea City, which puts them firmly back in the hunt for a UEFA Cup place and deepens the home side's relegation worries.
9 April 1983: Liverpool now need just five points from their last seven games to clinch the First Division title after beating Swansea City, managed by former Liverpool striker
John Toshack
John Benjamin Toshack (born 22 March 1949) is a Welsh former professional football player and manager.
He began his playing career as a teenager with his hometown club Cardiff City, becoming the youngest player to make an appearance for the ...
, 3–0 at Anfield, a result which sends the Swans back into the bottom three. Luton Town climb out of the relegation zone at Swansea's expense by beating Aston Villa 2–1 at Kenilworth Road. Manchester United drop two points when Southampton hold them to a 1–1 draw at Old Trafford, but Watford help delay Liverpool's wait for the title by beating West Bromwich Albion 3–1 away from home. A relegation crunch game at
St Andrew's sees Birmingham City lose 4–0 at home to Norwich City.
12 April 1983: Liverpool drop two points when Coventry City hold them to a goalless draw at Highfield Road. Time is running out for Birmingham City in their battle to avoid relegation when they go down 3–1 to Luton Town in a relegation crunch clash at Kenilworth Road.
16 April 1983: Manchester United reach their ninth FA Cup final with a 2–1 win over Arsenal at
Villa Park
Villa Park is a association football, football stadium in Aston, Birmingham, with a seating capacity of 42,918. It has been the home of Premier League club Aston Villa F.C., Aston Villa since 1897. The ground is less than a mile from both Witt ...
. Brighton reach a cup final for the first time by winning the other semi-final 2–1 against Sheffield Wednesday at
Highbury
Highbury is an area of North London, England, in the London Borough of Islington.
Highbury Manor
Highbury was once owned by Ranulf, brother of Ilger, and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads.
The manor hou ...
. Liverpool's wait for the First Division title is further delayed by a 3–2 defeat at Southampton. Norwich City move closer to safety with a 2–0 home win over Sunderland, while Birmingham City's survival bid is boosted by a 1–0 away win over Coventry City.
19 April 1983: Manchester United's 2–0 defeat at Everton means that Liverpool now need just one point from their final five league games to be sure of the title, while the win is also a boost to
Howard Kendall's team in their challenge for a UEFA Cup place. FA Cup finalists Brighton move closer to relegation after being held to a 1–1 draw at Sunderland. QPR now need just two points from their final six Second Division games to secure promotion after a 1–0 away win over Sheffield Wednesday.
20 April 1983: Norwich City move closer to survival with a 3–1 home win over Arsenal. Newcastle United keep their faint promotion hopes alive in the Second Division by beating struggling
Rotherham United
Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional association football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. The team plays in EFL League One, the third tier of English football, after suffering relegation fr ...
4–0 on
Tyneside
Tyneside is a List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, built-up area across the banks of the River Tyne, England, River Tyne in Northern England. The population of Tyneside as published in the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census was 774,891 ...
.
23 April 1983: Liverpool are made to wait for the league title after losing 2–0 at home to Norwich City, with Manchester United's 2–0 home win over Watford ensuring that Bob Paisley's team have to wait at least another game to seal the title. A Second Division promotion crunch game at Craven Cottage sees Leicester City beat Fulham 1–0 and cut the gap between third and fourth place to just two points. Meanwhile, Fulham's
West London
West London is the western part of London, England, north of the River Thames, west of the City of London, and extending to the Greater London boundary.
The term is used to differentiate the area from the other parts of London: Central London, N ...
rivals QPR confirm their promotion with a 1–0 home win over Leeds United.
Hull City
Hull City Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. They play their home ...
are promoted from the Fourth Division with a 1–0 win over
Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, England. Its first team competes in League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' ...
at
Boothferry Park
Boothferry Park was a Association football, football stadium in Kingston upon Hull, Hull, England, which was home to Hull City A.F.C. from 1946 until 2002, when they moved to the MKM Stadium, KC Stadium (now the MKM Stadium).
In later years, ...
.
27 April 1983: England beat
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
2–0 at Wembley in a European Championship qualifier.
30 April 1983: Manchester United's 1–1 draw at Norwich seals the First Division title for Liverpool, despite their 2–0 defeat to Tottenham at White Hart Lane. Nottingham Forest move closer to securing a UEFA Cup place with a 2–1 away win over Manchester City, which leaves the hosts on the brink of the relegation zone. Wolves beat Crystal Palace 1–0 in their Second Division clash at the Molineux, leaving them needing just two points from their final three games to secure an immediate return to the First Division. Wimbledon also seal an immediate return to the Third Division after beating Crewe Alexandra 2–0 at
Gresty Road
Gresty Road or the Alexandra Stadium, currently known as the Mornflake Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Crewe, Cheshire, England. The home ground of Crewe Alexandra, it has an all-seated capacity of 10,153.
History
C ...
.
2 May 1983: Arsenal keep their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Cup alive by beating Manchester United 3–0 at Highbury. FA Cup finalists Brighton slide closer to relegation after only being able to manage a 1–1 draw at Birmingham, a result which lifts the hosts out of the relegation zone at the expense of Manchester City. QPR clinch the Second Division title with a 3–1 home win over West London rivals Fulham, which promotes Wolves (who draw 3–3 with Charlton Athletic at
The Valley) and allows Leicester City to go third on goal difference despite only being able to manage a 2–2 draw on their visit to Leeds United. Portsmouth miss the chance to seal promotion from the Third Division when Orient hold them to a 2–2 draw at
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a association football, football ground in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, and is the home of Portsmouth F.C., Portsmouth Football Club. Fratton Park's location on Portsea Island is unique in English professional football, as it ...
.
3 May 1983: Cardiff City's promotion from the Third Division is delayed by a 3–0 defeat to
Gillingham at
Priestfield.
4 May 1983: Newcastle United keep their Second Division promotion push alive with a 5–0 win over
Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. It is the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. The town's population was 71,422 in 2021, while the wider boroug ...
at
Oakwell
Oakwell is a multi-purpose sports ground in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England used
by Barnsley Football Club for home fixtures, and those of their reserves. As of 2023, the Barnsley F.C. Women's team also play at the stadium.
While the na ...
.
6 May 1983:
Port Vale win promotion from the Fourth Division with a 2–0 win over
Stockport County
Stockport County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in EFL League One, the third tier of the English football league system.
Formed in 1883 as Heaton ...
at
Edgeley Park
Edgeley Park is a association football, football stadium in Edgeley, Stockport, England. Built for Stockport RFC, a rugby league club, in 1891, by 1903 the rugby club was defunct and Stockport County F.C., Stockport County Football Club moved i ...
.
7 May 1983: FA Cup finalists Brighton are relegated from the First Division with a 1–0 defeat to Manchester City in the relegation crunch game at the Goldstone Ground. Swansea City's 2–1 defeat at Manchester United also sends them down, just one season after finishing sixth in the First Division. Birmingham City stay clear of the bottom three with a 2–0 home win over Tottenham. Coventry City arrest their alarming slide down the table and stay clear of the bottom three with a 3–0 win at Stoke. Portsmouth, Cardiff City and Huddersfield Town all seal promotion to the Second Division, with Huddersfield seeing off their last remaining promotion rivals Newport County 1–0 at
Leeds Road
Leeds Road was a association football, football stadium in Huddersfield, England. It operated from its construction in 1908 until the Kirklees Stadium was opened nearby for the 1994–95 in English football, 1994–95 season. It was the home ...
.
8 May 1983: Millwall move closer to securing a remarkable escape from relegation in the Third Division by beating their London rivals
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross.
Its economy has dive ...
1–0 at
The Den
The Den (previously The New Den) is a football stadium in Bermondsey, 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, whic ...
.
9 May 1983: Luton Town miss the chance to climb out of the bottom three when they lose their penultimate First Division game 3–0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford, meaning that they will need to win their final game of the season when they return to
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
to face City at Maine Road.
11 May 1983: Manchester United miss the chance to clinch runners-up spot in the First Division when they lose 2–0 at Tottenham.
14 May 1983: The First Division season ends with Watford beating Liverpool 2–1 to finish runners-up in their first season as a First Division team. Manchester United finish third after losing 3–2 away to Notts County. Tottenham Hotspur book another European campaign, this time in the
UEFA Cup
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star.
Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
, with a 4–1 home win over Stoke City ensuring a fourth-place finish for
Keith Burkinshaw's team. Nottingham Forest seal a return to European competitions after missing out last season by beating doomed Swansea 3–0 at the Vetch Field to fifth. The final UEFA Cup place goes to Aston Villa, who beat Arsenal 2–1 at Villa Park to finish sixth. Luton Town pull off a remarkable escape from relegation when a late goal from
Yugoslav defender
Radomir Antic Radomir may refer to:
People
* Radomir (given name), a Slavic male given name
* Gavril Radomir of Bulgaria (died 1015), Tsar of Bulgaria
Places
* , a village in Cetinje Municipality, Montenegro
* Radomir (mountain), a mountain peak on the Bulgaria ...
gives them a 1–0 away win over Manchester City and sends the hosts down after 17 years in the First Division. Leicester City seal the final promotion place in the Second Division, drawing 0–0 at home to Burnley while Fulham lose 1–0 at Derby and Newcastle draw 2–2 at Wolves.
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
are relegated from the Second Division after going down 4–1 at Charlton Athletic in their final game of the season, as are Rotherham United after being held to a 2–2 draw by Leeds United at
Elland Road
Elland Road, or Elland Road Stadium, is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which has been the Home (sports), home of Leeds United F.C., Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the List of foot ...
. The final remaining game of the Second Division is a relegation decider between Burnley and Crystal Palace which has yet to be played.
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
and
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in the North East Wales, north-east of Wales. It lies between the Cambrian Mountains, Welsh mountains and the lower River Dee, Wales, Dee Valley, near the England–Wales border, borde ...
join
Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system after winning the 202 ...
in relegation from the Third Division.
Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system.
The club was formed in ...
pip
Bury to the final promotion place in the Fourth Division with a 2–1 win over
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...
at
Sealand Road
Sealand Road was the home stadium of Chester City Football Club (known until 1983 as Chester Football Club) from 1906 until 1990. Although officially known simply as The Stadium, it was more commonly referred to as Sealand Road. It was much lov ...
, with the
Gigg Lane
Gigg Lane is a football ground in Bury, Greater Manchester, England, built for Bury F.C. in 1885. The first match was played on 12 September 1885 between Bury and a team from Wigan. One of the world's oldest professional football stadiums, Gi ...
side missing out on promotion after losing 3–1 at home to champions Wimbledon.
17 May 1983: The Football League season draws to a close with the Second Division relegation decider at
Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park is a football stadium in Selhurst, in the London Borough of Croydon, England, which is the home ground of Premier League club Crystal Palace. The stadium was designed by Archibald Leitch and opened in 1924. It has hosted interna ...
and a dead-rubber match at
Feethams. In the Selhurst Park clash, Crystal Palace beat Burnley 1–0 to send their
Lancastrian opponents down to the Third Division at the end of a season where two good cup runs took their strain on a side which couldn't repeat the same form in the league. The Fourth Division clash between
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. It lies on the River Skerne, west of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. Darlington had a population of 107,800 at the 2021 Census, making it a "large town" ...
and
Peterborough United
Peterborough United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Peterborough,
Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third level of the English football league system.
Peterborough United formed in ...
is a seven-goal thriller with the home side winning 4–3.
20 May 1983: Everton sell 21-year-old winger
Steve McMahon
Stephen Joseph McMahon (born 20 August 1961) is an English football manager, former professional footballer and current television pundit.
As a player, he was a midfielder from 1979 to 1998, most notably playing for Liverpool in the late 1980s. ...
, 21, to Aston Villa for £175,000.
21 May 1983: Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion draw 2–2 in the
FA Cup final
The FA Cup Final is the last match in the FA Cup, Football Association Challenge Cup. It has regularly been one of the List of sports attendance figures, most attended domestic football events in the world, with an official attendance of 89,472 ...
to book a replay in five days time. Brighton nearly win the game with a late shot by
Gordon Smith, which United goalkeeper
Gary Bailey
Gary Richard Bailey (born 9 August 1958) is a former footballer who made nearly 300 appearances in the Football League playing as a goalkeeper for Manchester United. Born in Ipswich, Suffolk, he grew up in South Africa, but went on to be cap ...
saves.
26 May 1983: Manchester United thrash Brighton & Hove Albion 4–0 in the FA Cup final replay to lift the trophy on legendary former manager and current director
Sir Matt Busby's 74th birthday.
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson (born 11 January 1957) is an English association football, football manager and former player. He began his career with West Bromwich Albion F.C., West Bromwich Albion in 1972, where he amassed over 200 appearances and was club ca ...
scores twice, with Norman Whiteside becoming the youngest scorer in an FA Cup final shortly after his 18th birthday, while an
Arnold Muhren penalty makes the
Dutchman one of the first foreign players to score in an English cup final.
31 May 1983: Coventry City sack manager
Dave Sexton
David James Sexton (6 April 1930 – 25 November 2012) was an English football manager and player. He was notable for managing Chelsea to their first European trophy.
Playing career
Son of former professional boxer Archie Sexton, he st ...
after two seasons in charge. His successor is the Bristol Rovers manager and former Sky Blues player
Bobby Gould
Robert Alfred Gould (born 12 June 1946) is an English former footballer and manager.
Early life
Robert Alfred Gould was born in Wyken, Coventry, Warwickshire on Wednesday, 12 June 1946. He is the son of Henry Gould and Helen McKellar Gould ...
.
1 June 1983: England clinch the
Home Championship by beating
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
2–0 at Wembley. 19-year-old
Swindon Town
Swindon Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team, known as the "Robins", currently compete in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Founded as Swindon A ...
striker
Paul Rideout moves from the Fourth Division to the First in a £200,000 transfer to Aston Villa.
30 June 1983:
Billy McNeill
William McNeill (2 March 1940 – 22 April 2019) was a Scottish association football, football player and manager (association football), manager. He had a long association with Celtic F.C., Celtic, spanning more than sixty years as a player, m ...
steps down as manager of Scottish league champions
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
*Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Foot ...
to take over as manager of Manchester City.
National team
UEFA Competitions
Aston Villa won 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 original ...
with midfield dynamo
Gordon Cowans
Gordon Sidney Cowans (born 27 October 1958) is an English retired football player and coach.
Cowans started his career at Aston Villa as an apprentice in 1974, and signed as a professional in 1976. During his time at Aston Villa, he won the L ...
playing a major part in the win.
FA Cup
Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
won their first major trophy under
Ron Atkinson
Ronald Frederick Atkinson (born 18 March 1939) is an English former football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Ron", he was regarded as one of Britain's best-known football pundits in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Nicknamed "The Tank" during his ...
's management by beating
Brighton
Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
4–0 in the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
final replay after a 2–2 draw in the first match.
League Cup
Liverpool won their third successive
League Cup as an added bonus for manager
Bob Paisley
Robert Paisley (23 January 1919 – 14 February 1996) was an English professional football manager and player who played as a wing-half. He spent almost 50 years with Liverpool and is regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time. ...
during his final season in charge. When his team prepared to ascend the 39 steps to the Royal Box, they all insisted that he should be the man to collect the trophy.
Football League
First Division
Bob Paisley
Robert Paisley (23 January 1919 – 14 February 1996) was an English professional football manager and player who played as a wing-half. He spent almost 50 years with Liverpool and is regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time. ...
went out on a high when retiring as
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
manager after nine years and numerous trophies by winning the league title and the
Football League Cup
The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England.
Orga ...
. His formidable team had looked uncatchable in the league by the turn of 1983, and finished top of the table by 11 points. Their nearest rivals were
Watford
Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a smal ...
, in the First Division for the first time and spearheaded by the ownership of
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
, management of
Graham Taylor
Graham Taylor (15 September 1944 – 12 January 2017) was an English football player, manager, pundit and chairman of Watford Football Club. He was the manager of the England national football team from 1990 to 1993, and also managed Lincoln ...
and the attacking prowess of
Luther Blissett
Luther Loide Blissett (born 1 February 1958) is a former professional association football, footballer and coach (sport), manager who played for the England national football team, England national team during the 1980s. Born in Jamaica, Bliss ...
and
John Barnes
John Charles Bryan Barnes (born 7 November 1963) is a former professional football player and manager. Often considered one of the greatest England players of all time and one of Liverpool's greatest ever players, Barnes currently works as an ...
. Third placed
Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
had been on the losing side to Liverpool in the League Cup final and were very nearly beaten by a last minute
Brighton
Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
goal in the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
final, only for a
Gary Bailey
Gary Richard Bailey (born 9 August 1958) is a former footballer who made nearly 300 appearances in the Football League playing as a goalkeeper for Manchester United. Born in Ipswich, Suffolk, he grew up in South Africa, but went on to be cap ...
save to force a replay which United won 4-0. The top five was completed by
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football.
Founde ...
and
Tottenham Hotspur.
FA Cup finalists Brighton & Hove Albion were relegated after four seasons in the top flight. Next to go down were
Swansea City
Swansea City Association Football Club ( ; ) is a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. It competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Swansea have played their home matches at ...
, whose second season among the elite was a complete contrast to their first, where they had finished sixth. The final relegation place was decided in dramatic fashion at
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England, that was home to Manchester City from 1923 to 2003. It hosted FA Cup semi-finals, the Charity Shield, a League Cup final and England matches. Maine Road's highest attenda ...
, where
Luton Town
Luton Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club from Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The club currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "The Hatters", L ...
had to beat their hosts
Manchester City
Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
to stay up and send the home side (who had never been in the relegation zone at any point of the season until then, and had been safely in mid-table until the controversial sacking of manager
John Bond in February, leading to a disastrous run of results under replacement manager
John Benson) down. A late winner by Luton's
Raddy Antic gave Luton survival, which manager
David Pleat
David John Pleat (born 15 January 1945) is an English association football, football player turned manager (association football), manager, and sports commentator. Pleat made 185 Football League appearances for five clubs, scoring 26 goals. He ...
famously celebrated by galloping on the pitch, arms aloft, when the final whistle was blown.
Second Division
A year after being runners-up in the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
,
Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...
won the Second Division title and secured a return to the First Division after four years away. Runners-up spot went to
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
, who had been saved from closure by former player
Derek Dougan
Alexander Derek Dougan (20 January 1938 – 24 June 2007) was a Northern Ireland international footballer, football manager, football chairman, pundit, and writer. He was also known by his nickname, "The Doog". He was capped by Northern I ...
just before the start of the season, while
Leicester City
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
clinched the final promotion place, a point ahead of a
Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
side who came close to a second successive promotion under the management of former England striker
Malcolm Macdonald
Malcolm John MacDonald (17 August 1901 – 11 January 1981) was a British politician and diplomat. He was initially a Labour Party (UK), Labour Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP), but in 1931 followed his father ...
. Another former England striker,
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan (born 14 February 1951) is an English former footballer and manager. Nicknamed "King Kev" or "Mighty Mouse", Keegan was recognised for his dribbling ability, as well as his finishing and presence in the air, and is regard ...
, who was still playing, had an impressive first season at
Newcastle United but could not quite inspire them to promotion, nor could
World Cup winner Jack Charlton
John Charlton (8 May 193510 July 2020) was an English professional Association football, footballer and Manager (association football), manager who played as a Defender (association football), centre-back for Leeds. He was part of the England ...
as manager of
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
semi-finalists
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
Formed in 1867 as an off ...
.
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
,
Rotherham United
Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional association football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. The team plays in EFL League One, the third tier of English football, after suffering relegation fr ...
and League Cup semi-finalists
Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
ended the season relegated, while
Chelsea narrowly avoided the drop, as did
Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club in Derby, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
One of the 12 founder members of the English Football ...
after the return of former coach
Peter Taylor to the club as manager.
Third Division
Portsmouth's revival continued as they clinched the Third Division title to secure a second promotion in four seasons.
Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...
won promotion back to the Second Division after suffering relegation the previous season, as well as
Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. They compete in , the third tier of English football league system, English football.
Huddersfield Town we ...
, who like Portsmouth continued their revival by also securing a second promotion in four seasons.
Newport County's collapse in the final weeks of the season cost them a place in the Second Division, a similar fate befalling
Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club () is a professional association football, football club based in Oxford, England. The club compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football league system, English football. Founded as Headingto ...
in the first full season of
Robert Maxwell
Ian Robert Maxwell (born Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch; 10 June 1923 – 5 November 1991) was a Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovak-born British media proprietor, politician and fraudster.
After escaping the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, ...
's ownership and
Jim Smith's management. For the second season running,
Lincoln City just missed out on promotion.
Chesterfield,
Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system after winning the 202 ...
,
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in the North East Wales, north-east of Wales. It lies between the Cambrian Mountains, Welsh mountains and the lower River Dee, Wales, Dee Valley, near the England–Wales border, borde ...
and
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
ended the season relegated.
Fourth 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
* W ...
set the Football League points record in the second season of three points for a win, gaining 98 points to win the Fourth Division title and their third promotion at this level since joining the
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
in 1977. They were joined by
Hull City
Hull City Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. They play their home ...
,
Port Vale and
Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system.
The club was formed in ...
.
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 'Th ...
,
Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, England. Its first team competes in League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' ...
and
Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system.
They were founded in 190 ...
perhaps unsurprisingly propped up the league and had to apply for re-election, but the fourth club to suffer this humiliation were fallen giants
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...
, of
Stanley Matthews
Sir Stanley Matthews (1 February 1915 – 23 February 2000) was an English Association football, footballer who played as an Forward (association football)#Outside forward, outside right. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the Br ...
fame and 1953 FA Cup glory. However, all four clubs were successful in gaining re-election.
Crewe Alexandra built for the future by appointing
Dario Gradi
Dario Gradi (born 8 July 1941) is an Italian-English former football player, coach and manager. He was associated for more than 36 years with Crewe Alexandra, where he was variously manager, director of football and director of the Academy, unt ...
as manager, hoping that he could keep them clear of the Fourth Division's lower reaches and achieve some of the success with them that he had achieved in two promotion winning campaigns at Wimbledon (although he did not complete the second promotion campaign at Wimbledon).
Top goalscorers
First Division
*
Luther Blissett
Luther Loide Blissett (born 1 February 1958) is a former professional association football, footballer and coach (sport), manager who played for the England national football team, England national team during the 1980s. Born in Jamaica, Bliss ...
(Watford) – 27 goals
Second Division
*
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker ( ; born 30 November 1960) is an English Sports broadcasting, sports broadcaster and former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. Lineker is the only player t ...
(Leicester City) – 26 goals
Third Division
*
Kerry Dixon
Kerry Michael Dixon (born 24 July 1961) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a forward.
His club career was spent most notably at Chelsea, where he won the Second Division twice. His 193 goals for the club across all ...
(Reading) – 26 goals
Fourth Division
*
Steve Cammack (Scunthorpe United) – 25 goals
Non-league football
The divisional champions of the major non-League competitions were:
Star players
*Liverpool's dominant side ran away with the honours as
Kenny Dalglish
Sir Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish (born 4 March 1951) is a Scottish former association football, football player and manager (association football), manager. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time as well as one of Celtic's, Liv ...
was voted both
PFA Players' Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Men's Players' Player of the Year (often called the PFA Men's Players' Player of the Year, the Players' Player of the Year, or simply the Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the player who is ...
and
FWA Footballer of the Year
The Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year (often called the FWA Footballer of the Year, or in England simply the Footballer of the Year) is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in ...
.
*21-year-old Liverpool striker
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush (born 20 October 1961) is a Welsh former professional association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. He is regarded as one of the best strikers of all time and one of the best Welsh playe ...
established himself as one of the league's finest goalscorers after collecting the
PFA Young Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year (often called the PFA Young Player of the Year, or simply the Young Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the young player who is adjudged to have been the best of the ...
award as well as league championship and League Cup medals.
*Manchester United's FA Cup winning squad included star players like
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson (born 11 January 1957) is an English association football, football manager and former player. He began his career with West Bromwich Albion F.C., West Bromwich Albion in 1972, where he amassed over 200 appearances and was club ca ...
,
Ray Wilkins
Raymond Colin Wilkins (14 September 1956 – 4 April 2018) was an English football player and coach.
Born into a footballing family with his father and three brothers involved in the game, Wilkins played as a midfielder. He began his career a ...
and the 18-year-old
Norman Whiteside
Norman Whiteside (born 7 May 1965) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder and striker.
Whiteside began his career at Manchester United, signing professional forms in 1982 at the age of 17 and quickly be ...
.
*Aston Villa's midfield dynamo
Gordon Cowans
Gordon Sidney Cowans (born 27 October 1958) is an English retired football player and coach.
Cowans started his career at Aston Villa as an apprentice in 1974, and signed as a professional in 1976. During his time at Aston Villa, he won the L ...
helps inspire Villa 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 original ...
.
*The key player in
Watford
Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a smal ...
's rise to the top of the
English game was prolific striker
Luther Blissett
Luther Loide Blissett (born 1 February 1958) is a former professional association football, footballer and coach (sport), manager who played for the England national football team, England national team during the 1980s. Born in Jamaica, Bliss ...
.
Successful managers
*
Bob Paisley
Robert Paisley (23 January 1919 – 14 February 1996) was an English professional football manager and player who played as a wing-half. He spent almost 50 years with Liverpool and is regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time. ...
's illustrious career as Liverpool manager went out on a high as they were league champions and League Cup winners.
*
Graham Taylor
Graham Taylor (15 September 1944 – 12 January 2017) was an English football player, manager, pundit and chairman of Watford Football Club. He was the manager of the England national football team from 1990 to 1993, and also managed Lincoln ...
guided Watford to an impressive second-place finish in their First Division debut season.
*
Ron Atkinson
Ronald Frederick Atkinson (born 18 March 1939) is an English former football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Ron", he was regarded as one of Britain's best-known football pundits in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Nicknamed "The Tank" during his ...
won the FA Cup to end Manchester United's six-year trophy drought.
*
Terry Venables
Terence Frederick Venables (6 January 1943 – 25 November 2023), often referred to as El Tel, was an English football player and manager who played for clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers and won two caps for E ...
took
Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...
back into the First Division after a four-year exile.
*
Jimmy Melia
James Melia (born 1 November 1937) is an English former footballer who spent most of his career playing for Liverpool and went on to become a manager.
Playing career
Liverpool
Melia joined the Reds straight from St. Anthony's School as a 15 ...
guided
Brighton
Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
to their first-ever
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
final although he couldn't save them from relegation to the
Second Division.
*
Graham Hawkins took Wolverhampton Wanderers back into the First Division a year after relegation.
*
Dave Bassett
David Thomas Bassett (born 4 September 1944 in Stanmore) is an English football manager and a former player. Bassett won a total of seven promotions and is one of a select number of managers who took charge of over 1,000 matches.
After a playi ...
guided Wimbledon to Fourth Division championship glory with 98 points.
*
Malcolm Macdonald
Malcolm John MacDonald (17 August 1901 – 11 January 1981) was a British politician and diplomat. He was initially a Labour Party (UK), Labour Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP), but in 1931 followed his father ...
took Fulham to fourth place in the Second Division – just missing out on promotion – to achieve their highest league finish for nearly 20 years.
*
Keith Burkinshaw inspired Tottenham to fourth place in the First Division and ensured that they would qualify for the following season's UEFA Cup.
*
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 ...
ensured that Nottingham Forest remained among English football's leading sides by inspiring them to fifth place in the league and achieving qualification for the UEFA Cup.
Famous debutants
1 January 1983:
Tony Cottee
Antony Richard Cottee (born 11 July 1965) is an English former professional footballer and manager who now works as a television football commentator.
As a player, he was a striker from 1982 until 2001, notably playing in the top flight of En ...
, 17-year-old striker, scores on his debut for West Ham United in 3–0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at
Upton Park.
26 February 1983:
Ian Baird
Ian James Baird (born 1 April 1964) is an English former professional footballer whose most notable spells were as a Leeds United player. During his first period at the club he spent a season as captain. He won a player of the year award in h ...
, 18-year-old striker, makes his debut for Southampton in 1–1 draw with West Ham United at Upton Park.
20 April 1983:
Colin Hill, 19-year-old defender, makes his debut for Arsenal in 3–1 defeat by Norwich City at
Carrow Road
Carrow Road is a association football, football stadium in Norwich, Norfolk, England, and is the home of EFL Championship club Norwich City F.C., Norwich City. The stadium is east of the city, near Norwich railway station and the River Wensum.
...
.
Colin Hill – Arsenal FC – Football-Heroes.net
Sporting-heroes.net. Retrieved on 2011-03-23.
Deaths
* 6 September 1982 -
** - Ken Barton, 44, played four league games for Tottenham Hotspur and 11 for Luton Town
Luton Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club from Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The club currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "The Hatters", L ...
at full-back in the 1960s before dropping into non-league football.
** - Robert Done, 78, played 147 league games at full-back for Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
between 1926 and 1935, later playing for Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
, Chester
Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...
, Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England, that compete in the , the fourth level of the English football league system. They have spent their entire history playing a ...
and Bangor City
Bangor City Football Club () was a Welsh football club from the City of Bangor, Gwynedd.
Founded in 1876, Bangor City have been founder members of the North Wales Coast League, the Welsh National League, the North Wales Combination, the W ...
.
* 13 October 1982 - Denis William Cashmore, 75, played for Watford
Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a smal ...
until his career was ended by an injury in 1932 which resulted in the loss of all of his hearing.
* 25 October 1982 - Bill Eckersley, 57, played 406 league games for Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
at left-back between 1947 and 1961 and was capped 17 times for England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
.
* 8 November 1982 – Jimmy Dickinson, 57, former Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
wing-half and captain, and England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
international, who played more than 800 matches for Pompey, winning two league championship medals.
* 11 November 1982 – John Lyons, 26, Colchester United striker, died of suicide.
* 19 November 1982 - Herbie Evans, 88, was a wing-half for Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...
in the 1920s before a broken leg ended his career in 1926.
* 12 January 1983 - Cecil Poynton, 81, played 152 league games at left-back for Tottenham Hotspur in the interwar years.
* 1 March 1983 - Charlie Dixon, 79, played 60 league games during the interwar years for Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, Nelson
Nelson may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey
* ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers
* ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
and Southport
Southport is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea, approximately north of ...
.
* 21 March 1983 - Roy Chapman
Roy Clifford Chapman (18 March 1934 – 21 March 1983) was an English professional football player and manager. He was the father of former Arsenal and Leeds United striker Lee Chapman.
An inside-forward, he started his career at Aston Villa ...
, 49, scored 200 league goals between 1952 and 1969 for Aston Villa, Lincoln City, Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the third level of the English football league system.
The club was formed in 1897 as Mans ...
, Port Vale and Chester
Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...
. He player-managed Lincoln City in the mid-1960s and later took charge of Stockport County
Stockport County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in EFL League One, the third tier of the English football league system.
Formed in 1883 as Heaton ...
between two spells in charge of non-league Stafford Rangers. He was the father of fellow footballer Lee Chapman. Died of a heart attack while participating in a five-a-side tournament.
* 29 March 1983 - Tommy Graham, 78, played at centre-half for Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football.
Founde ...
and won two England caps in 1931.
* 3 April 1983 – Jimmy Bloomfield, 49, former inside-forward, most notably at 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 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. The team compete in the ...
; later manager at Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient Football Club, commonly referred to as Orient, is a professional association football club based in Leyton, Waltham Forest, London, England. The team compete in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. ...
and Leicester City
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
. Died from cancer.
* 13 April 1983 – Gerry Hitchens
Gerald Archibald Hitchens (8 October 1934 – 13 April 1983) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward.
Early career
Hitchens was born in the village of Rawnsley, Staffordshire, near Cannock, and began his career as a coal miner. ...
, 48, former England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
international striker who scored five goals in seven internationals, and played at club level for Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...
, Aston Villa and several teams in the Italian Serie A
The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
, including Inter
Inter may refer to:
Association football clubs
* Inter Milan, an Italian club
* SC Internacional, a Brazilian club
* Inter Miami CF, an American club
* Inter Playa del Carmen, a Mexican club
* FC Inter Sibiu, a Romanian club
* FC Inter Turku, ...
and Torino
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) 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 from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
.
* 17 April 1983 - George Holdcroft, 74, played 359 league games in the interwar years for Port Vale, Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. It lies on the River Skerne, west of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. Darlington had a population of 107,800 at the 2021 Census, making it a "large town" ...
and Preston North End
Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional association football club in Preston, Lancashire, England. They currently play in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English footbal ...
, keeping goal for England twice in 1936. He collected an FA Cup winner's medal for Preston in 1938.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:1982-83 in English football