| The 1980/1981 season. 08:13 - Jan 20 with 3982 views | SitfcB |
What the hell happened towards the end of the season to not win the league? Lost 7 out of the last 10?
Did the scheduling finally catch up with us?
Plus injuries?
Looks like George Burley missed most of the season? That would’ve been a big factor?
Never really researched it, shamefully.
Seeing the Clive Tyldesley chart made me feel gutted we missed out on the Champions of England tag again and I wasn’t born until 1992 so god knows how it felt to those around at the time? Was it guttering?
Although obviously the UEFA Cup Win would’ve sweetened it!
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| The 1980/1981 season. on 08:50 - Jan 21 with 708 views | Bluespeed225 |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 08:26 - Jan 21 by Chrisd |
No disgrace losing to Fergie’s Aberdeen side at the time, they were a tremendous squad which they ultimately proved winning the 1983 Cup Winner’s Cup against Real Madrid. [Post edited 21 Jan 2021 15:15]
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Yup, but I don’t think Robson was too disappointed as we’d won it, and it would free up the games which did for us the season before. I always go back to the Paul Power quote from a Man City page I was sent. That semi was the first to have extra time, Eric Gates comes up to him at the end of 90 minutes and says ‘well played, see you in the replay then’. Power tells Gates there’s another half hour, to which Eric says ‘what, you can f@*king have it then, I’m done’. Those boys were on fumes at the end of the season, Thijssen a really bad loss to the team. Even after beating Villa again, Gates went off after 10 minutes against Arsenal a few days later. 10 minutes'! That’s how thin the squad was with only one sub. The travel and lack of recovery time, though the same for all teams, but given our workload, was also a big factor. I’m always amazed that Muhren played , I think, 60+ games, Osman of course ever present. |  | | |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 08:58 - Jan 21 with 694 views | Churchman |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 08:33 - Jan 21 by PJH |
That is true, they were a very good team.
I still look back at our 1980/81 with mixed emotions because there is the pride I feel for how good that team was but there is still disappointment that we ONLY won one trophy because three were on and probably deserved. |
Me too. The EUFA Cup was much more prestigious then than it is now and harder to win. But it still was the rubber bone consolation prize. I’d have taken the FA Cup or of course the League title over that in a heartbeat.
For anyone with any doubts as to how much better than Villa we were, in 79/80, 80/81, 81/82 seasons we drew with them twice and then beat them five straight times. The odd number includes the FA Cup win because in those days the competition was as important as the league and people played their first teams. |  | | |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 11:12 - Jan 21 with 657 views | soupytwist |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 08:50 - Jan 21 by Bluespeed225 |
Yup, but I don’t think Robson was too disappointed as we’d won it, and it would free up the games which did for us the season before. I always go back to the Paul Power quote from a Man City page I was sent. That semi was the first to have extra time, Eric Gates comes up to him at the end of 90 minutes and says ‘well played, see you in the replay then’. Power tells Gates there’s another half hour, to which Eric says ‘what, you can f@*king have it then, I’m done’. Those boys were on fumes at the end of the season, Thijssen a really bad loss to the team. Even after beating Villa again, Gates went off after 10 minutes against Arsenal a few days later. 10 minutes'! That’s how thin the squad was with only one sub. The travel and lack of recovery time, though the same for all teams, but given our workload, was also a big factor. I’m always amazed that Muhren played , I think, 60+ games, Osman of course ever present. |
In the Twitter thread that inspired this thread it's stated that Osman played 66 club games and 4 times for England that season. And those England games were just midweek jobs, no 'international break' in those days.
Robson teams came so close to winning the league, terrible shame they didn't quite manage it. We would have won it instead of Derby had it been three points for a win in the 74-75 season. I think of that every time I see that bloke on Gogglebox drinking from his Dave MacKay's champions mug. |  | | |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 13:00 - Jan 21 with 610 views | Bluespeed225 |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 11:12 - Jan 21 by soupytwist |
In the Twitter thread that inspired this thread it's stated that Osman played 66 club games and 4 times for England that season. And those England games were just midweek jobs, no 'international break' in those days.
Robson teams came so close to winning the league, terrible shame they didn't quite manage it. We would have won it instead of Derby had it been three points for a win in the 74-75 season. I think of that every time I see that bloke on Gogglebox drinking from his Dave MacKay's champions mug. |
And would’ve have been The Double without Clive Thomas’ interventions. 80-81 was just play, travel, play by March. They didn’t need to train. As Robson said to Fergie, mentioned by Ferguson himself , I think, at the Sports Personality Award, when he invited him to a training session before our UEFA cup tie, ‘there’s no secret to how we play, we’re just really good at it’ | | | |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 13:35 - Jan 21 with 586 views | Churchman |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 11:12 - Jan 21 by soupytwist |
In the Twitter thread that inspired this thread it's stated that Osman played 66 club games and 4 times for England that season. And those England games were just midweek jobs, no 'international break' in those days.
Robson teams came so close to winning the league, terrible shame they didn't quite manage it. We would have won it instead of Derby had it been three points for a win in the 74-75 season. I think of that every time I see that bloke on Gogglebox drinking from his Dave MacKay's champions mug. |
In 74/75 we played 10 games in March, including 4 in a week, and 7 in April. We lost out in the quarters of the League Cup, Semis of FA Cup and 2 points off Derby. The FA Cup was the cruellest. The team was worn out and missing players. We were still better than Wet Spam but Clive Thomas saw the ‘right’ team through.
We had a good team then. Not as sublime as the 81 side, but we were very strong. I particularly remember the Leeds games, especially the Leicester replays, Liverpool at home (League game), Aston Villa 3-2 and the 5-4 Newcastle game. I also remember West Ham away not least because my dad and I got chased by a load of West Ham who seemed unhappy. We ran like Usain Bolt and a speedy friend. | | | |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 14:06 - Jan 21 with 562 views | soupytwist |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 13:35 - Jan 21 by Churchman |
In 74/75 we played 10 games in March, including 4 in a week, and 7 in April. We lost out in the quarters of the League Cup, Semis of FA Cup and 2 points off Derby. The FA Cup was the cruellest. The team was worn out and missing players. We were still better than Wet Spam but Clive Thomas saw the ‘right’ team through.
We had a good team then. Not as sublime as the 81 side, but we were very strong. I particularly remember the Leeds games, especially the Leicester replays, Liverpool at home (League game), Aston Villa 3-2 and the 5-4 Newcastle game. I also remember West Ham away not least because my dad and I got chased by a load of West Ham who seemed unhappy. We ran like Usain Bolt and a speedy friend. |
A cruel set of circumstances in 74/75 too, I didn't know the details.
I think it was on Guardian Football Weekly recently that Max Rushden asked which result from the past you'd most like to overturn. I couldn't decide whether it would be one from the run in of 80/81 or the 75 cup semi final.
A friend of mine grew up in Brixham, Devon. He's a West Ham fan because the '75 Cup Final was the first game he saw on TV and decided to support West Ham because they won. I tell him that he can thank Clive Thomas for that since it should have been us winning the cup that year. | | | |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 14:33 - Jan 21 with 542 views | Radlett_blue |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 14:06 - Jan 21 by soupytwist |
A cruel set of circumstances in 74/75 too, I didn't know the details.
I think it was on Guardian Football Weekly recently that Max Rushden asked which result from the past you'd most like to overturn. I couldn't decide whether it would be one from the run in of 80/81 or the 75 cup semi final.
A friend of mine grew up in Brixham, Devon. He's a West Ham fan because the '75 Cup Final was the first game he saw on TV and decided to support West Ham because they won. I tell him that he can thank Clive Thomas for that since it should have been us winning the cup that year. |
Mick Mills always refused to shake hands with Clive Thomas after that game. Not sure that was smart, but I can understand how he felt. Thomas also admitted harbouring a grudge against Town after that game & Robson's post game comments about the refereeing. |  |
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| The 1980/1981 season. on 15:03 - Jan 21 with 527 views | ElephantintheRoom |
A lot of it was down to fatigue - Town played half a season more than Villa over the same timespan with Europeaan travel thrown in. BUT....
Whisper it quietly - Robson was a bit of a one trick pony and seemed unable to adapt as the team ran out of steam. I disagree that Burely was a big loss. McCall was one of the successes of the season. Robson also never came to terms with the fact that Beattie was a liability who couldn't be relied on either once injuries and lifestyle issues robbed him of his powers in his very early twenties. He also had a recruitment blind spot. Adding Kevin O'Callaghan as 'one for the future' seemed highly dubious at the time of such disappointment of winning 'just the UEFA Cup'.... but maybe, just maybe Town were a goalie short of a truly great team and lacked any depth - albeit in an era where one sub was the order of the day. Clough snaffled Shilton the second time he became available..... and the rest is history.
Aiming too high and imploding is hardly unique to Town. Revie's Leeds did it too. Times were toof back then with heavy pitches, thuggish play and far more games | |
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| The 1980/1981 season. on 15:42 - Jan 21 with 509 views | Churchman |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 14:33 - Jan 21 by Radlett_blue |
Mick Mills always refused to shake hands with Clive Thomas after that game. Not sure that was smart, but I can understand how he felt. Thomas also admitted harbouring a grudge against Town after that game & Robson's post game comments about the refereeing. |
I’d say the 75 one. We’d beaten Liverpool, Wolves away, Aston Villa (we were losing and playing badly but came back), Leeds after 4 games. They were league champions and although their team was ageing it was still a famous names and European Cup final team. West Ham had a decent team that year, but they were nowhere near as good as us. The Final would have been against Fulham and we’d have won easily.
We weren’t a mile off winning the league 76/77. That was the season Mariner joined the club and we murdered WBA 7-0 on his debut. We were neck and neck with Liverpool after Christmas having lost only a game or two in the first half of the season. Sadly we ran out of steam and lost at Liverpool late on and that ended it. We dished out a few good hidings, not least 5-0 against a certain team up the road - that weren’t fit to lace our boots then. Ancient history but happy memories | | | |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 15:51 - Jan 21 with 502 views | Radlett_blue |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 15:03 - Jan 21 by ElephantintheRoom |
A lot of it was down to fatigue - Town played half a season more than Villa over the same timespan with Europeaan travel thrown in. BUT....
Whisper it quietly - Robson was a bit of a one trick pony and seemed unable to adapt as the team ran out of steam. I disagree that Burely was a big loss. McCall was one of the successes of the season. Robson also never came to terms with the fact that Beattie was a liability who couldn't be relied on either once injuries and lifestyle issues robbed him of his powers in his very early twenties. He also had a recruitment blind spot. Adding Kevin O'Callaghan as 'one for the future' seemed highly dubious at the time of such disappointment of winning 'just the UEFA Cup'.... but maybe, just maybe Town were a goalie short of a truly great team and lacked any depth - albeit in an era where one sub was the order of the day. Clough snaffled Shilton the second time he became available..... and the rest is history.
Aiming too high and imploding is hardly unique to Town. Revie's Leeds did it too. Times were toof back then with heavy pitches, thuggish play and far more games |
Agreed. I also thought that SBR used to get very tense as a season approached its climax & that transmitted through to the players so Town didn't win as many trophies as they should have done in the Robson era. | |
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| The 1980/1981 season. on 16:16 - Jan 21 with 487 views | Churchman |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 15:51 - Jan 21 by Radlett_blue |
Agreed. I also thought that SBR used to get very tense as a season approached its climax & that transmitted through to the players so Town didn't win as many trophies as they should have done in the Robson era. |
There’s something in that. We also lacked a top end keeper. We had a chance of signing Jennings in about 76, but he went to Arsenal. Had we signed him, we’d have won a trophy or two more than the 78 FA Cup and he’d have got a deserved Championship medal or two. The man had hands like shovels! | | | |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 16:21 - Jan 21 with 478 views | Radlett_blue |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 16:16 - Jan 21 by Churchman |
There’s something in that. We also lacked a top end keeper. We had a chance of signing Jennings in about 76, but he went to Arsenal. Had we signed him, we’d have won a trophy or two more than the 78 FA Cup and he’d have got a deserved Championship medal or two. The man had hands like shovels! |
Shilton would have commanded a big fee (even Forest paid £200k though it was money well spent) but Shilton was high maintenance as he needed high wages to fund his growing gambling addiction.
A 32 year old Jennings would have been affordable & a good signing as Spurs wrongly thought he was past it. | |
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| The 1980/1981 season. on 20:27 - Jan 21 with 429 views | Churchman |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 16:21 - Jan 21 by Radlett_blue |
Shilton would have commanded a big fee (even Forest paid £200k though it was money well spent) but Shilton was high maintenance as he needed high wages to fund his growing gambling addiction.
A 32 year old Jennings would have been affordable & a good signing as Spurs wrongly thought he was past it. |
As he proved for Arsenal. Saved them from a right hiding in the 78 Final | | | |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 21:24 - Jan 21 with 412 views | Bluespeed225 |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 16:16 - Jan 21 by Churchman |
There’s something in that. We also lacked a top end keeper. We had a chance of signing Jennings in about 76, but he went to Arsenal. Had we signed him, we’d have won a trophy or two more than the 78 FA Cup and he’d have got a deserved Championship medal or two. The man had hands like shovels! |
Big Pat was in the door basically, then Arsenal came in, and after being let go suddenly by Spurs where he’d been since 1962, he went to Highbury to pee them off, and also didn’t have to uproot his family, a big deal back then, you didn’t rent a fancy apartment in town back then! Maybe we should have got him a place in Greyfriars.... | | | |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 22:58 - Jan 21 with 390 views | Vic |
| The 1980/1981 season. on 00:13 - Jan 21 by TheBoyBlue |
That we are disappointed that we didn't win the league too and indeed the treble is staggering considering the size of our club. No club of comparable size (in England at least) has achieved what we did. And not just that season. It was the pinnacle of a sustained period where we were not only one of the best in the country but Europe too.
It is the only thing that helps me come to terms to where we are. People say it is history and it is and it shouldn't serve to hamper the club sorting ourselves out right now, but honestly, what is the point of being as successful as we were - and indeed with Alf Ramsey - if we can't enjoy looking back on it, especially when that lot up the road - for all that they have been the better team for years and deserve their 'success' for how well they've been run - have got absolutely nowhere near it. |
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