1981–82 Manchester United F.C. season

The 1981–82 season was Manchester United's 80th season in the Football League, and their 7th consecutive season in the top division of English football.[1]

Manchester United
1981–82 season
ChairmanMartin Edwards
ManagerRon Atkinson
First Division3rd
FA CupThird Round
League CupSecond Round
Top goalscorerLeague:
Frank Stapleton (13)

All:
Frank Stapleton (13)
Highest home attendance57,830 vs Manchester City (27 February 1982)
Lowest home attendance34,499 vs Coventry City (17 March 1982)
Average home league attendance42,744

United had finished eighth in the league the previous season, with manager Dave Sexton being sacked after his four-year spell in charge had failed to deliver a major trophy. His successor was West Bromwich Albion manager Ron Atkinson. One of Atkinson's first moves as manager was to bolster the club's attack with the £950,000 signing of Frank Stapleton from Arsenal, while the previous season's top scorer Joe Jordan was sold to AC Milan. Atkinson retained the services of Garry Birtles, who had been a disappointment in his first season with United, scoring just once in his first 28 games. Birtles had a more successful second season at Old Trafford, finding the net 11 times.

In early October, he brought midfielder Bryan Robson to Old Trafford from his former club West Bromwich Albion for a British record fee of £1.5million. He also signed fellow Albion midfielder Remi Moses for £500,000.

After constantly leading the league during the first half of the season, United finished the season third in the league and qualified for the UEFA Cup, while the league title went to Liverpool (who surged in the second half of the season after being mid table at Christmas) and Ipswich Town finished second. Late in the season came the debut of teenage forward Norman Whiteside, who at the age of 17 was selected for the Northern Ireland squad at the FIFA World Cup. He also scored for United on the last day of the league season in only his second senior appearance for the club.[2]

First Division

Date Opponents H / A Result
F A
Scorers Attendance
29 August 1981 Coventry City A 1 2 Macari 19,329
31 August 1981 Nottingham Forest H 0 0 51,496
5 September 1981 Ipswich Town H 1 2 Stapleton 45,555
12 September 1981 Aston Villa A 1 1 Stapleton 37,661
19 September 1981 Swansea City H 1 0 Birtles 47,309
22 September 1981 Middlesbrough A 2 0 Stapleton, Birtles 19,895
26 September 1981 Arsenal A 0 0 39,795
30 September 1981 Leeds United H 1 0 Stapleton 47,019
3 October 1981 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 5 0 Stapleton, McIlroy (3), Birtles 46,837
10 October 1981 Manchester City A 0 0 52,037
17 October 1981 Birmingham City H 1 1 Coppell 48,800
21 October 1981 Middlesbrough H 1 0 Moses 38,342
24 October 1981 Liverpool A 2 1 Moran, Albiston 41,438
31 October 1981 Notts County H 2 1 Birtles, Moses 45,928
7 November 1981 Sunderland A 5 1 Moran, Robson, Stapleton (2), Birtles 27,070
21 November 1981 Tottenham Hotspur A 1 3 Birtles 35,534
28 November 1981 Brighton & Hove Albion H 2 0 Birtles, Stapleton 41,911
5 December 1981 Southampton A 2 3 Stapleton, Robson 24,404
6 January 1982 Everton H 1 1 Stapleton 40,451
23 January 1982 Stoke City A 3 0 Coppell, Stapleton (pen.), Birtles 19,793
27 January 1982 West Ham United H 1 0 Macari 41,291
30 January 1982 Swansea City A 0 2 24,115
6 February 1982 Aston Villa H 4 1 Moran (2), Robson, Coppell 43,184
13 February 1982 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 1 0 Birtles 22,481
20 February 1982 Arsenal H 0 0 43,833
27 February 1982 Manchester City H 1 1 Moran 57,830
6 March 1982 Birmingham City A 1 0 Birtles 19,637
17 March 1982 Coventry City H 0 1 34,499
20 March 1982 Notts County A 3 1 Coppell (2), Stapleton 17,048
27 March 1982 Sunderland H 0 0 40,776
3 April 1982 Leeds United A 0 0 30,953
7 April 1982 Liverpool H 0 1 48,371
10 April 1982 Everton A 3 3 Coppell (2), Grimes 29,306
12 April 1982 West Bromwich Albion H 1 0 Moran 38,717
17 April 1982 Tottenham Hotspur H 2 0 Coppell (pen.), McGarvey 50,724
20 April 1982 Ipswich Town A 1 2 Gidman 25,744
24 April 1982 Brighton & Hove Albion A 1 0 Wilkins 20,750
1 May 1982 Southampton H 1 0 McGarvey 40,038
5 May 1982 Nottingham Forest A 1 0 Stapleton 18,449
8 May 1982 West Ham United A 1 1 Moran 26,337
12 May 1982 West Bromwich Albion A 3 0 Robson, Birtles, Coppell 19,707
15 May 1982 Stoke City H 2 0 Robson, Whiteside 43,072
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Liverpool 42 26 9 7 80 32 +48 87 European Cup 1982–83 First round[lower-alpha 1]
2 Ipswich Town 42 26 5 11 75 53 +22 83 UEFA Cup 1982–83 First round
3 Manchester United 42 22 12 8 59 29 +30 78
4 Tottenham Hotspur 42 20 11 11 67 48 +19 71 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1982–83 First round[lower-alpha 2]
5 Arsenal 42 20 11 11 48 37 +11 71 UEFA Cup 1982–83 First round
Source:
Notes:
  1. Liverpool were also this season's League Cup Winners.
  2. FA Cup winners

FA Cup

Date Round Opponents H / A Result
F A
Scorers Attendance
2 January 1982 Round 3 Watford A 0 1 26,104

League Cup

Date Round Opponents H / A Result
F A
Scorers Attendance
7 October 1981 Round 2
First leg
Tottenham Hotspur A 0 1 39,333
28 October 1981 Round 2
Second leg
Tottenham Hotspur H 0 1 55,890

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Milk Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Gary Bailey 3901020420
GK Paddy Roche 30000030
DF Arthur Albiston 4211020451
DF Martin Buchan 2701020300
DF Mike Duxbury 19(5)0000(1)019(6)0
DF John Gidman 36(1)1102039(1)1
DF Gordon McQueen 2100000210
DF Kevin Moran 3071020337
DF Jimmy Nicholl 0(1)000000(1)0
MF Steve Coppell 35(1)9002037(1)9
MF Alan Davies 10000010
MF Ashley Grimes 9(1)100009(1)1
MF Lou Macari 10(1)20(1)00010(2)2
MF Sammy McIlroy 1231010143
MF Remi Moses 20(1)2101022(1)2
MF Bryan Robson 3251020355
MF Ray Wilkins 4211020451
FW Garry Birtles 32(1)11102035(1)11
FW Scott McGarvey 10(6)2000010(6)2
FW Frank Stapleton 411310204413
FW Norman Whiteside 1(1)100001(1)1

References

  1. "Manchester United Season 1981/82". StretfordEnd.co.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  2. "1982 FIFA World Cup Spain". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 7 August 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
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